Order of light
Among the most dominant religious organizations across the known world, the Order of Light is a powerful religious sect that wields a significant amount of political and cultural influence. This organization believes in the First Pantheon gods and advocates the idea that all of existence is a struggle between light and darkness. Growing to prominence due to careful political maneuvering after the Cyanni War, the Order of light enjoys comfortable legal protections for their monopoly on faith and essentially controls the world's understanding of science, history, and Magic.
Mythology & Lore
The Order of Light strongly advocates for the belief in the First Pantheon, a group of gods and god-like entities that journeyed to Avanima from deep heaven and settled on the planet's largest moon; Luna. From their divine home the First Pantheon guided the evolution of the Avani and allowed them to prosper under their careful watch. However, the gods were then attacked by an unfathomable darkness that introduced evil, and the Apogees, into the world. Ever since the Avani have struggled to survive.
Tenets of Faith
The Order of light believes that all life comes from a battle between two arcane forces: light, a force of good that heals and provides order, and dark, a force of evil that brings destruction and chaos. In turn, it is the duty of all Avani to serve light and cut off all those who do not. The Order believes that jobs of creating things, like farming or artistry, are among the most honorable jobs one can have. Jobs that produce nothing of value and take up resources, such as entertainment, are of little value, and jobs that destroy such as demolition services, explosive production, or crime are to be actively shunned.
The Order also has strict rules governing magic. It believes in a simple two-sided dichotomy of magic, light and dark, and maintains a lengthy list of what spells are allowed or prohibited. Use of a spell that is prohibited or outside the two lists is grounds for excommunication when possible and execution when allowed by law. They also discourage followers in seeking any magical instruction outside of their own sorcerers. The Order also advocates against any issues related to the Undead in the belief that their existence can corrupt societies. Though they do not officially encourage it, many sects of the Order find the outright violence against the undead acceptable.
Granted Divine Powers
Though they have no powers that are necessarily exclusive to their religion, the Order of Light maintains and safeguards a number of arcane combinations that are very difficult to find outside of their priesthood. This makes their organization an attractive career path for prospective magicians throughout the world. In some countries, where the Order sometimes uses its political influence for corrupt ends, it has used the legal system to enact their monopoly on magic into law.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Although the organization has had some limited power for centuries, particularly within the kingdom of Arkos and its allies, in the aftermath of the Cyanni War the Order of Light grew significantly in followers and influence. In about half of the Treaty of Passaran the Order has a government-granted monopoly on religion, and in many others it has been given special protections not afforded to other groups. Many of its tenets have been made into law. It was one of the main advocates of the ban on dark magic.
The Order's influence also extends to arcane science and history, often to the detriment of both. Its creation story of the world, for example, is so popular that it has been long since canonized as an official account of Avani prehistory (the general Avani timeline reflects this consensus). Archeologists and academics who go against the norm often lose their jobs and get driven out of the community. A good example of this would be The Watchful. Though their competing story of ancient history, the legend of The Twelve Paragons and The Five Races, has a compelling amount of evidence, their culture has been completely driven underground. The Order's simple, two-sided version of Magic has also held back Avani understanding of magic's true nature and hidden the extent of what is possible.
Though the Order's grip on the world has led to corruption and some oppression, it has also wielded its influence to do a lot of good. The order operates a wealthy network of charities that help the masses, giving many hope in their squalor and offering chances to rise in socio-economic status. It also operates schools and universities to provide a basic education to most birdfolk, and is a major patron of the arts and sciences. Clerics and magicians under the Order's banner also travel the world, healing the sick with their magic and comforting those who are distraught, lonely, and upset. The Order's religious dominance also provides geopolitical stability; prior to the war, with a few competing religious groups, tensions and conflicts between faiths were fairly common.
Sects
Underneath the main religion of the order are a number of monastic offshoots and orders, such as the Athians of Light in the city Athia or the Cardian Order that dominates the Carvelan Islands. These organizations are generally tolerated so long as they pay dues to the main religion and follow most of the main tenets. However, those who stray too far from the chosen path will be cast off or punished, sometimes through dubiously legal military action.
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