Sidari Church

The Sidari Church is the largest religious body in the southern half of the Empire of Nara Tok, and one of the largest in all of Aelderin. It is centred in the city of Lucria and is especially popular in the regions of Lucrenia and Volodaria.
The church was formed in the aftermath of the death of Lan Sidar during the First Goblin Crusade. Lan was a devoted follower of Tymor , the Cyrinese god of honour and chivalry. The saga of Lan's struggle on the Kanik peninsula, culminating in the death of him and his entire company, inspired a large following in his hometown of Lucria. The more the story was told, the greater the following grew, until in 221 IF, this following began to gain official recognition. A year later, the Sidari Church was officially founded: a religious movement that idolised the dead hero, and upheld his ideals of righteousness and devotion.
The church's growth is tied up with a growing desire for a Second Crusade into Kanik. The church was to play a key role in inspiring the masses to fight, in the name of their new-found martyr Lan Sidar. Between 222 IF and around 240 IF, the church was to play a large part in forming the stereotype of the Lucrenian fighting man, a caricature obsessed with honour, duelling and devotion to the cause. In the years after the Crusades came to an end, the church remained popular with many human and dwarvish residents of the region of Lucrenia, as well as in the neighbouring region of Volodaria.
The Church's theological basis is closely related to the Mylosian Church in Cyrin, though it places Tymor at the head of the Seconds rather than the children of Leira. While Tymor is especially popular within the Church, and his followers represent the greatest number of Sidari, the Church accepts the validity of other gods. Sidari priests encourage devotees to choose specific gods whose ideals they are then sworn to uphold. One of the major Sidari theories is the concept of Paragons - individuals so in tune with their god's will that they take on some of their celestial properties. Under Sidari teaching, their founder Lan Sidar was so entirely devoted to Tymor, that he became a pure representation of Tymor in the Mortal Realm, and a symbol of his will. Other such Paragons are not unanimously recognised by the Church, though Emperor Aivo has recently been proposed as a Paragon of Theumair, the Cyrinese god of Empire and Order. This theory of Paragons is linked to the Church's requirements of its followers - complete, unrelenting devotion to a god. Sidari followers are encouraged to meditate on their god's ideals in the face of every major decision, and attempt conversions of the devotees of other gods. Devotion and faith are the only core precepts of Sidari worship.
The Church employs few officials and has no religious head. Instead, Sidari temples are controlled by the Liana, priests who aim to help each Sidari follower on their own personal journey, and help them to realise their own potential in following their chosen god. They are experts in the ancient myths and might refer to any one of a number of books, passages, epics or poems in order to help an individual discover more of their god's nature and the tenets of their own, personal faith. Sidari temples feature no shrines, encouraging introspection as a means of worship rather than praise of a specific symbol. Sidari followers frequently use various religious symbols, or even symbols of a Paragon, as a means of focussing their thoughts.