Church of Lyr

Lyr is the island realm of Humans. It is south and east on the Sea of Inx.  The Southern kingdom of Chimera (Ki-mer-ah) is conservative and tolerates no nonhumans. None may set foot in the kingdom under penalty of death. Atlantricca is central and permits Abominations kept as slaves and bound with iron collars and manacles. All other nonhumans are slain on sight.  The northern kingdom of Mythaise has the most trade with other realms and species of the Inx region. Abominations may be kept as slaves as in Atlantricca. Foreign ones and nonhuman creatures must stay to restricted zones and are unclean.

Inx region by Mutterwolf

Structure

Pages, Leaders, Deacons, The Sons of the Sun (The Sols) - lay members or females:
Allowed Rites: Prayer and Sunlight, Glory of the Sun

Priests, Monks, Initiates, The Sols :
Purification, Sancitify, Sphere of Protection, Confession, Iron Hand

Bishop, Archimandrite (Reverence) :
Inturnment, Atonement, Iron Will

Archbishop (Highest state level church officers - elect Hierarchs from Patriarchs and place Patriarchs under approval of Hierarchs) , Patriarch of City:
Tabla Rossa and Excommunication. Investiture. Mother’s Touch, Mass

Hierarch. There are 4 Hierarchs under the Grand Hierarch. They oversee and command on the Grand Hierarch's order.  The Grand Hierarch is chosen from and by the Hierarchs.
Investiture

Grand Hierarch: The leader and father of the Church for life or until resignation.

Culture

Followers must make daily offerings (a stick of incense, a goblet of wine, a sacrifice or tithe, etc) and prayer, or suffer a cumulative curse of ill-luck that gets worse for each day failing to make offering. The individual must conduct a constant holy war against the Taint of Vy-Tareg and the Red God that has infected the hearts of all. Obedience, loyalty, faithfulness, modesty and purity are the paths to salvation and the restored perfection of Father’s design in the Heavens. The perfect creation was tainted by the Red God and Gaia’s betrayal that brought disease, death and corruption. ( All flesh came from the mother and is of her flesh, and each comes from a mother so carries the corruption). The monsters are children of the Red God and are evil enemies of humanity. They should be destroyed. The Abominations (Elves, dwarves, gnomes, centaurs) are mockeries of the God’s children, deceivers, tricksters and monstrous children of the Red God and the Mother, born of her infidelity. They are enemies of humanity and they should be destroyed.
Priests must always keep their heads covered and all temples must have a copy of the sacred scrolls and the rules of the church. These rules include: "You shall have no other gods but mine". Strict rules about handling unclean things (bodies, bones, uncovered vessels, some foods - specifically those not of the earth, and birth) and ritual cleaning of the contaminated. Women are unclean due to blood (the price of the curse of the flesh), insubordination and immodesty. They must have a weekly purification and keep their heads covered with a cap, shawl or other cover in the church.
Followers must fight the sins of drunkeness, immodesty (proper clothes covering at all times in public, nudity is bad and shameful in general- avoid it as much as possible), lying, sloth, pride, greed, envy, lust and gluttony. Females should be modest, covered and subordinate to men and doubly avoid luring men into sin because the corruption of the flesh that they carry as daughters of the Mother. Men should be stern, orderly, righteous and maintain the home, city and nation in accordance with the law of the God and Church.
Gender roles are strictly defined as male and female and it is perversion and influence of the Red God and Vy-Tareg for men to act as women, or to have impure attraction (admiration only) to other men. Women are too impure and weak to act as men and those who do are perverts under the influence of the Red God. Likewise women should avoid attraction to other women, though is it seen as part of female inherent weakness. This is the sin of Lust as well as perversion and obeying the evil Gods, turning away from The Sun. Women and men should keep virginity until marriage, though it is a given that young men and boys will be tempted by females. Marriage is one man and one woman at a time. There is no divorce, only death of one part of the marriage. Those who are granted Heaven may keep their many spouses if they have them.
Admission to Heaven is based on the score of sins and virtues and even one sin unforgiven (Ritual of Atonement) or unconfessed will bar entry.

Public Agenda

The Sun God made the world with the Earth-Mother as a paradise for his children, the human race.  The Church wants to restore that paradise as it should be. By faiith. By Obedience. By the sword. Nobles were made to rule and oversee, as fathers of the lands of men.  Men are made to over see the family.  Both are reflecting the Father Sun.  The polytheistic religion of the isle of Lyr is the one true faith and seeks to establish itself worldwide. The Church of Lyr is centralized on Lyr and highly organized, though minor sects devoted to one or several gods do exist under the sufferance of The Church. Secular power is granted by the Gods to the rulers of men, Spiritual matters are the realm of the Church. Mages are seen as Avatars of the God of Magic or having made pacts for unholy powers. Pure Great Ones are banned from Ruling men, but otherwise as Avatars of the god are beyond law and question. The practice of Sorcery and Shamanism is pacting and dealing with Demons of the Red God and is evil and banned.

Cosmological Views

In the begining was the Infinite: all that is and could be and could not be, and born from this were the Primodials - The Mother and The Father, the Outsiders and the Destroyers.
The Mother and The Father birthed the Lesser Gods. They battled the Destroyers. The Red God, an Outsider, came to the Mother, seducing her and of that Union came the demons and the Abominations. The taint passed from the Mother to all creation.
In ancient days the race of men were enslaved by the Abominations, demons and Others, until the time of the Gods War when some of the gods struck out to free the world from the whims and continual intervention of supernatural beings. In the war some gods died and gave their essence to all peoples as tools to achieve freedom from the enthrallment of the Demons. The Living Gods are the champions of men against the evils which would consume them and make them slaves. The Gods granted men dominion over all the world and creatures in it.

The Gods

Hyphaxytl: The Father and Sun God, Lord of light and symbol of restoration. Overseer and guardian of the world. All the world is a gift of the gods to be treasured and respected. All have their place and purpose, and though it may seem low and pointless, one must know ones place. The place of the mighty is to protect the weak. The weak in turn must support their guardians or all is lost. The Sun is hard and firey lord, but warm and loving if honored.

Gaia: The Mother and creator, The Wild and the cultivated. Wild in mood, swinging between the bounty of the harvest and the savage wilderness. She brings the crops, the grape, the wine, and the abandon of the wine. She is wayward and needs to be corrected from wandering for she brings forth bounty without regard to right or justice. All things come from and return to the earth. When respected and revered she is bountiful, but when scorned and forgotten she is barren and harsh.

Mahaurat : Sister Moon to Gaia: Patron of Night, Secrets and Chance. Goddess of the Wild, Patron of animals and hunters. The wild is a harmony of give and take with place and a part for all, and removed from the ways and deceits of civilization. She shifts and changes fearful of the Sun's Wrath, yet set to watch over her sister and prevent her from straying. As the lady of fortune she bucks against The Father's rules - casting luck to the unworthy and unlucky breaks to the favored.

Dar-Elaegin: God of Adventure and Opportunity, Patron of Traders and travelers. Also patron of thieves and gamblers. With each day comes a thousand paths to greatness and glory or to ruin and despair. If one takes the opportunity when it comes and plays the game of life to its fullest, exploring the paths less taken, forgotten and unknown, testing yourself against the world, then you will find the true measure of wealth in spirit and the blessing of heaven upon you. Success is the mark of heaven's favor.

Jirnis: God of Culture and art. What separates humans from beasts is culture and art. It is mocked by the abominations, which turn it to insult of humans. The God puts things to order with rites and ceremonies, gives law and justice to bring right order to society. He orders the march of seasons and the place of each life.

Burnic: God of War and Retribution, Patron of soldiers, Chivalry and madness. All the great achievements of the world are related to combat. Life is one great struggle for personal freedom and greatness and The War is the forge which makes you by instilling chivalry and honor or by stripping away all but the power of combat and lust of life. In combat life’s illusions are stripped away, showing the true character. Burnic is not a God for women to follow, but they should worship and respect his power and place.

Gilhia: Goddess of the Waters, Lady of Storms and Weather. Mistress of tears and milk. Without water there is no life, yet the goddess is humble and does not proclaim it's greatness. Water is tranquility and rage, wearing away the hard opposition and turning to vapor before the fires of passion, free to drift above it. The goddess of Sea and Storm is sullen and moody, quick to take the disrespectful and to teach the willful. Yet she provides succor in water and milk for the hungry and thirsty.

Turl: Steward of the House of the Sun. Turl is a lesser Primordial of care, nurture and order. Patron of the household and small tasks. Turl is the Sun’s watchdog over Gaia and Mahaurat, as the first Moon. He shines in silver and turns left and right looking into the dark while he and Mahaurat dance - he trying to maintain his watch and she to obstruct or change his view.


The Red God: Outsider Primordial, father of Demons and Abominations. The Father of lies, deception and Corruption. Symbol of Chaos. The Red God put his children over the Children of the Sun before the Sun returned and put things right. The Red God whispers doubts and lies, turning the faithful from rightousness and to sin, insubordination and corruption. His monster children seek dominion over all and reject The Sun's order. They engage in perversion, murder and filth.


The Dead Gods: Passed from existence to instill their natures in the various races and allow them freedom from the demons, devils and gods.
Raske : Spirit of Will, Patron of Priests & Scholars. The font of inner power, reason and self determination. The Touch of the Red God causes Raske to drift to dream, delusions and madness.
Monuria : Spirit of Fire: Child of the Sun seduced by the Red God, but given herself to the races as a tool. Contained and used she will serve well. But unwatched she consumes and destroys.
Lilanoc : Spirit of Magic, Patron of The unseen, The goddess is magic itself, the power of gods delivered to mortals as a tool of understanding and self determination, or turned to evil purposes by dealings with Children of the Red God.
Vy-Tareg : God of Darkness, Lord of hunger, Symbol of Death. The seed of cruelty, hate and vice within all. This Destroyer was shed by the Red God when it was “killed” in the God’s War and created the concept of Death.

Outsiders: these are the other primordial gods that exist outside of the world and are unconcerned with it. Occasionally one may wander in, or as in the case of the Red God, battle or have a dalliance with the Father or Mother, or a Destroyer.
Destroyers: These primordials are consumed with hunger and a will for destruction - they want to destroy the world and start again, or recast it in their image or wrest dominion from Father Sun and rule over the world.

Ethics

The goals are to avoid sins and resist the influence of the Red God and Vy-Tareg.  To practice Humility, Obedience, Faith, Virtue, Industry and Charity.  To aid the weak and unfortunate, but no so as to encourage sloth and laziness.  It is better to give others to motivation and tools to lift themselves up. The Father shines the sunlight on the just and unjust. Likewise the followers should bring the Sun's light to all- worthy and unworthy.

Priesthood

Priests - Wear robes with the symbols of The Sun, the moons and the earth -sometimes the other Gods or Dead Gods. Robes are white, yellow, red with golden or yellow solar sigils. Holy symbols are iron as are signet rings. It is customary for the faithful to kiss the symbols or rings when meeting a priest or if asked. Priests may only be male. Women’s roles are to support and obey, they may care for the church building and grounds and support as Deacons.

Granted Divine Powers

Priestly Rites:
0: Prayer: +1 on rolls (self or others), upto 1 / 2lvls for 1 rnd per lvl.  This is granted to all followers who are obeying Church orders and perform daily offerings.
• Sunlight: Priests may call upon the power of the Sun himself - as a golden radiance or the blazing fire and heat. It will warm a room unto 20 ft (16 areas) and light double that. This power will also do damage to all undead equal to 1d6 at Proficient (initiate), 2d6 at expert (decon) and 3d6 at Specialist (priest). It also does 1 pt/ pip to Fae.
• Inturnment: Prevents decay of bodies for upto 10 days and makes it unfit/ repulsive to undead (undead must make skill roll vs POW -1 per lvl of priest placing spell).
•• Purification: Ritual with holy water soaked washcloth and dipper poured over unclean foods, bodies, newborns or persons. Roll to expel spirits . This ritual cleanses food and water, and removes the taint of contaminated corrupt things, poisons and disease.
••• Sanctify: By application of Holy water and salt, a space is made holy and no undead, demon, fae or other abomination may enter so long as the space remains pure. No feces, urine or blood may touch the sanctified space ( strength =1 /pip. Each contamination does 1 pip to the sanctified space).
••• Scour: Iron filing powder is cast at a target or an area to remove Fae magics. The Dispelling power = Priest Theology pips +1, + 1 bonus per level. Chimerae and Glamours take damage or are countered. Fae take 1pt/ lvl of the Rite caster (1/2 on save contested POw roll vs theology pips+1 of caster)
•••• Excommunication: Creates a mark visible only to believers upon the victim and makes them outcastes from society. Victims must be known but do not need to be present to be affected. If the priest possesses something from the victim there is no save, but without such an item a saving roll may be made vs POW (- priest's level). Victims will suffer a -1 on all rolls.
••••Atonement: associated with a quest or obligation while seeking forgiveness by the truly repentant, it will lift excommunication or the sins of violation of the Sun's covenant. This rite may also break curses on contested roll priest lvl vs lvl of curse.
••••• Tabla Rossa: The entire history of a subject becomes sealed when this rite is enacted, thereby creating a new beginning as of the moment the spell is enacted and preventing object readings or mental probes. For individuals the past becomes someone else who is now effectively dead and gone, while skills are retained.
Investiture: This rite allows the Priest to bestow ability to cast a miracle power as a blessing for a set period of time.

Church Rituals: These require many church members to participate in the activation of the ritual.

Sphere of Protection: requires 10 minutes and 100 essence: creates 1 area per participant of barrier strength = leading Priest PIPs. Physical forces are stopped with STR = Priest theology PIP, and saves vs magic are at Magic pool = Priest Theology PIP+ POW, spirits and chimera are pushed across the Barrier between worlds. The Sphere is maintained as long as the Priest concentrates in prayers and spends 1 health per hr.
Glory of the Sun: A Ritual that takes 5 rounds and 50 Essence: It creates a brilliant sphere of Sunlight 1 ft in diameter in the hand of the caster that is x2 strength and base dice is d8. It illuminates 100 ft in all directions. It causes all glamours and chimera to become transparent and Ghosts to act as if in sunlight ( damage or sleep).
Confession: Ritual requires 1 round and 50 Essence: Invoking the Father and Mother, this ritual causes the subject to answer one question truthfully.
Iron Hand: 1 round and 50 essence. For 1 scene per Theology pip, the skin of the caster becomes iron, providing -3 damage protection and ability to dispell Fae magics and damage Chimera.
Iron Will: 3 rounds and 75 Essence 1 target/ lvl =1 Theology PIP gain the Iron Hand for 1 scene per participant.
Mother’s Touch: 1 hr ritual that costs 200 essence: This will restore one limb, eye, or lost sense.
Mass: A 2 hr ritual that costs 200 Essence: anyone participating and drinking the Holy water gains +1d or +3 on performing duties and acts supporting their station and church.

Alternative Names

The Church of Man. Church of the Sun.

Demonym

Suns