Halean
Halea is commonly portrayed as a perfectly proportioned, sensuous, human female. Her true form drives men mad with passion. Halea has many aspects, among them the helpless maiden, the worldly sophisticate, and the canny usurer. Non-adherents have a tendency to perceive Halea as a goddess of little wisdom, and her church as a shallow and spiritually bankrupt institution, but they underrate this shrewdest of schemers.
Halea is deemed an easy deity to worship, for she demands no conventional morality of her adherents and is willing to bargain for her favors. The highest ethic for a Halean is fealty to the goddess. Traditional concepts of social evil, right and wrong, have little bearing.
Structure
The basic organizational unit of the Halean church is the urban temple. Responsibilities of priestesses within each temple may vary slightly according to the wealth, status, and political position of the church in the region. The Halean pontificate is located at Helas, a large temple complex on one of the western isles of Karejia. Founded by Aurelia, in 372 TR, Helas grew quickly from an isolated temple into a large town. It includes numerous buildings in which the various enterprises and vast wealth of the church are administered or stored. The temple is one of the most lavishly ornamented buildings in western Lythia.
The Authority
Hilenea (Pontiff)
The Halean pontiff, sometimes called the “Eighth Handmaiden” is a mighty secular power in addition to being the spiritual leader of her church. As the supreme mortal priestess, she is expected to be an example of “the perfect petitioner,” the worshipper who bargains truly and in good faith. Her personal wealth and power, like that of the church itself, are often used to illustrate Halea’s generous rewards for loyalty. The pontiff is elected for life by the Tevol-Hilen.Tevol-Hilen (Council of Fragrant Gold)
The pontiff’s advisory council is made up of forty-nine priestesses whose duty is to assist in the administration of the central bureaucracy. They are appointed by the pontiff who draws them from the higher ranks of the clergy, although any priestess can be appointed to the council. Most pontiffs make some effort to provide geographical representation on the Tevol-Hilen.Demography and Population
Worship of Halea is widespread throughout western Lythia, but is largely confined to urban sites. Almost every sizable town contains a temple, especially in Azeryan and Karejia. Where temples exist, the church wields significant power. Many wealthy and powerful merchant families worship the goddess and support her temples lavishly.
Foreign Relations
The False Bargains
“No other faith teaches the whole truth. Each, in its way, diverts people from the true path to inner fulfillment with False Bargains.” Agrik is a warrior deity. His followers fight for power, for the desire of every Agrikan is to enslave all others. Art, music, and fine food are to be pillaged, not enjoyed. Sex is to be taken, not shared. Agrikans delight in inflicting pain and suffering on those at their mercy. Agrikanism is an empty faith. Ilvir makes no demands of his worshippers at all. Ilvirans worship their god purely out of foolish admiration. With their temples bankrupt and their priests destitute, this religion has no practical benefit. Larani claims that loyalty and honor in battle are the highest virtues. Laranians are too often restricted by moral dilemmas. Mindless loyalty serves a master’s soul but not your own. Honor is a fine thing if your opponent obeys the same rules. But how many do so in the heat of battle? Morgath delights in destroying all things that give you pleasure. He seeks to bring chaos to the beauty of creation. Worse, he offers nothing in return except unending doom and undeath, a fate too horrible to contemplate. Morgathians are utterly damned and must be feared and suppressed. Navehans are thieves who hide in the night. While they have no false morality, their god makes them no promises in this life. They do not know for what they strive, nor to what ends they work. Navehans are cunning, deceitful and dangerous. Oppose them with every means available. Peoni believes the greatest virtue is to forgive. If some treasured item is stolen from you, will this virtue return it? Forgiveness merely encourages others to take advantage of you. Devout Peonians also seek to restrict pleasures of the flesh outside of marriage, only to suffer guilt when they, as most do, lie with another. And what can be said about a faith that favors vows of poverty. Very little! Sarajin's worshippers fight for pleasure and hope for nothing more than to die a glorious death in battle. Seeking pleasure in death is strange enough, but it is made worse because Sarajin prizes only this one form of pleasure. That is a fatal weakness for such narrow thinking is a False Bargain. Save-K’nor and his followers claim they are wise, yet in reality they are foolish. They deny themselves sexual companionship, retain a tight willful control over their senses, and permit themselves little in the way of comfort. They perform many empty rituals which serve no useful purpose. The followers of the “Blind Guide” wander lost, puzzling over issues with no relevance to life, talking in jargon that conceals their lack of useful knowledge. Siem’s followers, it is said, take joy in the beauty of nature, yet they ignore the pleasures and bounty of nature. By denying wealth and worldly pleasures, they can never attain true inner fulfillment.Divine Origins
The Early Church
Although cults based on hedonism have existed for thousands of years, the founding of the modern Halean church is credited to Merodyne the Pale, the concubine slave of a wealthy Karejian merchant during the fourth century TR. Merodyne, a renowned beauty and accomplished courtesan, was also highly intelligent and astute. Within a year of being acquired by the merchant (whose name is forgotten), she was in virtual control of his estates and had gained a sizable personal fortune by secretly investing “gifts” from her besotted owner. After three years she had tripled the merchant’s wealth and offered to buy her freedom from him. She told the merchant that if he agreed, she would marry him and make him the wealthiest man in the world. Her owner, undoubtably pleased with the current arrangement, rejected the idea and belittled her talents. A month later his business was in ruins and he was arrested for tax evasion, fraud, and smuggling. He committed suicide while awaiting trial. Merodyne produced forged evidence that she had purchased her freedom, and became wealthy and powerful. Merodyne then used her resources to turn her house (in the city of Livelis) into a palace of sensual and artistic pleasures. She became the leader of a group of hedonistic cultists, and her residence was renowned as the site of elaborate orgies to “sing the glories of the Golden Temptress.” Many of these “feasts” lasted for days and cost small fortunes, but Merodyne’s wealth seemed bottomless. She claimed that her lifestyle was the result of the blessings of Halea. "Look upon me, O ye who doubt the wondrous power of the Bargainer. I am witness to but the tiniest fraction of her powers….blessed am I for my faith and devotion. My ecstasies are the merest taste of what is in Her gift. Give unto her thine heart and the stolen moment shall remain with thee forever." Merodyne’s house came to be called the “Temple of the Queen of Pleasures” reflecting the increasing theological element in her orgies. Her methods of spreading the gospel of Halea proved astonishingly successful. The combination of minor miracles, seemingly limitless wealth, and the lack of harsh restrictions attracted numerous adherents, particularly among the emerging merchant class. As the reputation of Merodyne’s “temple” spread throughout southwestern Lythia, it became the site of many pilgrimages by wealthy libertines, eager to affirm their faith in Halea and pay generously for religious instruction. Merodyne’s disciples traveled widely, preaching Halean doctrine. Merodyne died, at a late age, performing the Tenth Forgotten Act. Haleans consider her the founder of the church and its first pontiff, although that office was not created during her lifetime. Her house is still an active house of worship in Livelis, called the Temple of the Pale. Haleans regard it as one of the most holy places in western Lythia and it is a common destination for pilgrims. After Merodyne’s death, her primary disciple Aurelia, proclaimed herself pontiff and began construction of an elaborate temple complex, funded by lavish donations from worshippers. Aurelia created much of the organizational framework of the Halean church, and established most of the basic rituals. Aurelia is most commonly associated with the Temenesa Decree of 384 TR, which ordained that only women could enter the clergy. Largely a formalization of the existing situation, the action was taken to counter the activities of Keser of Beria, a charismatic male prophet who described Aurelia and her priestesses as “false harlots who defile the throne of opulence.” Seeing that Keser might pose a threat to her dominance, Aurelia issued the decree after a fortuitous “holy vision.” Halea, she said, would only admit her divine mysteries to “those whose form imitates and glorifies Her perfection.” Keser soon died of a sudden wasting disease that was widely viewed as evidence of divine wrath.Tenets of Faith
Theological Mission
Haleans believe that truth and insight can be found only in the senses and emotions. Reason and will are tools which can be helpful, or can be instruments of deception and betrayal. Feelings come from within and provide the only true perception of the world. The pursuit of pleasure is the only path to fulfillment because it is the only course whose truth can be trusted. Teaching this knowledge directly and by example is the mission of the Halean church.Social Mission
The church provides guidance, loans, financial advice, and contacts for members, allowing talented woman to rise to socially superior positions. It promotes and caters to lusts of all types, using sexual pleasures to tempt, reward and instruct. Halean clerics habitually use bribes and sexual favors to win support from secular authorities.Worship
Religious Practices
Halean church rituals vary greatly from temple to temple and even from ceremony to ceremony. This is due to the fact that the officiating priestess improvises much of the ceremony as she proceeds. The exact words spoken during a ritual are not deemed important; as long as they include elaborate praises of Halea they are considered appropriate. Active participation by the congregation, in the form of canted response, or sacrifice of money, is encouraged. Music and dance are featured, as is the “passage of ambrosia,” the ceremonial tasting of sacred wine from a goblet carried from celebrant to celebrant by a priestess. Certain drugs are ingested by priestesses and worshippers during ceremonies. The aphrodisiac herbs Elprequir and Perigwar are used most frequently, although various hallucinogens and stimulants are often taken to achieve the euphoria that many adherents deem appropriate to the worship of the Empress of Opulence. Chambers are available in most temples for those adherents who wish to worship privately. A special donation to the temple, called “the Bargainer’s tithe” is required for this service. Adherents may worship alone or be assisted by a priestess, if their donation is large enough.Religious Dates
Haleans celebrate High Mass on the 7th of each month. The most important festival is the Banquet of Delight festival, occurring between the first and the seventh days of Halane.Symbols and Regalia
The priestesses of Halea dress in thin robes of all colors, although purple, crimson or gold tend to dominate. The number seven is particularly significant to Haleans, and is believed to be symbolic of good fortune. Bells, stylized genitalia, and coins are also potent symbols of worship. The standard architectural motif in Halean temples is the circle; most temples are at least partly circular in design and the hall of ritual is almost invariably circular or oval.
Shesneal Rituals
The monthly lay mass is held on the 7th day of each month, called Shesneala Day by Haleans. Lesser ceremonies are typically held on the 17th and 27th of each month. The events of Shesneala Day are similar to those described above. The monthly mass is more elaborate and will feature one or more special rituals. The most common of these is the “Great Tithing” in which adherents lay a donation of silver on the altar before prostrating themselves before the high priestess to receive her blessing. Her words of comfort typically include flattery to Halea and the adherent, and advice on sexual or financial success. The consumption of certain “blessed foods” by the congregation is important. This ritual meal symbolizes the adherent’s absolute fealty to Halea and belief in the pleasures that she provides. The dishes usually contain a mild drug and many worshippers claim to be transported to Corsilea after eating the sacred food. Another rite involves the sacrifice of the chastity of a male or female virgin. This initiation ceremony is usually done on the first Shesneala Day after an adherent’s 13th birthday. The Shesneala always concludes with an orgy.Banquet of delight Festival (Halane 1st-7th)
This seven day series of ritual and sensualist pleasures is believed to symbolize the eternal delights that a pious adherent can expect to enjoy in Corsilea, the Halean heaven. Public processions and outdoor festivals are common, especially Eleri Plays, which are stylized public dramatizations of aspects of Halean theology. The plays are performed by scantily attired priestesses to large and attentive audiences. The festival ends on the seventh of Halane with a special temple ritual for adherents only.
Halean Funerals
Haleans claim to celebrate the passage of the faithful to Corsilea, but an element of sadness underlies the outward festivities. Rich families practice mummification and lay their dead in elaborate tombs surrounded by worldly goods. Some families have a beautiful mausoleum built on their estate, typically on an island that is man-made if necessary. Most departed, however, cannot afford the lavish expense of mummification and mausoleums. They are cremated to avoid the “long wasting” which they deem abhorrent. Mourners are frequently hired to make it appear the departed was well-loved. The corpse is displayed at the funeral in fine clothing and jewelry, but is cremated in a plain black shroud. Money and valuables are never cremated; Haleans know the value of a penny. Their ashes are scattered in a field of flowers, or kept inside a hollow stone bust of the departed. These memorial busts can be stored in a temple for an appropriate donation. A permanent, prominent temple location can cost as much as 600d per year.Priesthood
Regional Authority
Like many others, the Halean church divides western Lythia into primacies. Generally, these correspond to the boundaries of secular nations, although in the case of areas like Hârn, several countries are grouped into a single primacy.Salara (Primate)
A Salara is responsible for the administration of the church within a single primacy. Primates are appointed for life by the pontiff, although they can be dismissed by the joint decree of the pontiff and the Council of Fragrant Gold. Salara often have deputies (Ensala) to assist them in their duties. In some regions these are effectively governors of their own subprimacies. Ensala are appointed by the pontiff upon the advice of the Salara.Temple Hierarchy
Halean dogma suggests that the seven temple offices are symbolic of Halea’s seven handmaidens. It is said that the senior priestesses “make the small service in sacred emulation of those who make the greater.”Aramia (Queen Mistress of the temple)
The High Priestess is chief administrator of the temple and makes policy. The Aramia is also responsible for liaison with secular authorities and other churches. She shares various ritual functions with the Lorisina and Yishvina.Ralithina (Mistress of Silk and Gold)
The Ralithina is responsible for the temple treasury, particularly the collection of donations and tithing. In regions where the practice is allowed by the local authorities, the Ralithina also oversees the “rental” or sale of pleasure slaves of both sexes. This priestess is also oversees gambling parlors, brothels, inns, or other businesses owned or financed by the temple. Most Ralithina have considerable contact with the merchant class, and also wield immense power in the temple. They wear a necklace of seven coins.Desilea (Mistress of the Luxuriant Page)
The Desilea is the temple curator, maintaining non-financial records and books, works of the visual arts (paintings, sculpture, and tapestries) and non-sacred artifacts. Temple collections always contain significant amounts of erotica. This is a junior position among the mistresses.Kilina (Mistress of discipline)
The Kilina is responsible for temple security. She administers the Solithar and is the temple’s chief inquisitor. In many temples the Kilina employs numerous spies, both among the priestesses and in the secular population. The purpose is two-fold: to keep a check on heresy, and to gather information for the church.Lorisina (Mistress of the Golden Banquet)
This priestess leads most high temple rituals, and maintains the temple’s sacred artifacts. Her most important duty is organizing the annual Banquet of Delight festival, the most sacred celebration of the Halean year.Yshvina (Mistress of the Harmonies)
The Yishvina leads lay rituals of the temple. Besides knowledge of ritual, the Yishvina usually have pleasant singing voices and musical skills. Many lay rituals include musical selections said to be from the Melodium Erotica. Since rituals are at least partly improvised, quick wits and imagination are beneficial in this office.Corthina (Mistress of Acolytes)
The priestess responsible for the training of acolytes. The Corthina decides when acolytes have proved themselves worthy of elevation to the ranks of the Shenasene. She is, more than any other priestess, responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the temple.Shenasene (Priestesses)
The number of priestesses in a temple varies with the wealth and popularity of the church in that region. Shenasene are assigned to one or another of the Mistresses, according to their talents. Appointments are made by the High Priestess, with the advice of the appropriate mistress. Shenasene may be appointed to reside in a secular household to minister to the spiritual needs of those who can afford the service. This requires a contract to support the priestess for at least a year, in a generous and kindly manner. All such contracts also specify a substantial monthly donation to the temple to compensate for the lost services of the Shenasene.Corathar (Acolytes)
Acolytes are usually recruited between the ages of 13 and 16. Most are the daughters of wealthy mercantyle families who deem it valuable to have blood ties to a priestess of Halea. Some acolytes are drawn from women seeking refuge from familial wrath, and some are orphans of outstanding physical beauty. The Mistress of Acolytes judges each prospective acolyte for their fitness. The prime requisite is attractive physical appearance, although this requirement is flexible with a very large donation to the temple coffers. Less attractive acolytes will soon be taught the secret ways to make a “dull penny gleam.” After being accepted into the church, most Corathar spend at least two years learning basic doctrine and being trained in various skills. This period can vary greatly. The speed of their advancement depends on how quickly they learn and how well they please their superiors.Solithar (Temple Guards)
Solithar are lay adherents, generally male, who provide security services for the temple and the clergy. Since most have rich coffers, and are filled with attractive women, Halean temples might be seen as a tempting target for a pillage and rape; however, the Solithar are a well-paid, elite group of warriors, quartered on the temple grounds, and it is always unwise to annoy them. The temple guards are under the jurisdiction of the Mistress of Discipline. Solithar often seem to be chosen for their physical form as well as their martial skill; most are handsome young men. It is not uncommon for Solithar to be recruited as consorts for the temple mistresses.Sects
Clerical Orders
Order of the Silken Voice
The only clerical order of the church of Halea was created in 404 TR, by decree of Hasiela II, to spread the doctrine of Halea throughout western Lythia. It remains essentially a missionary order, maintaining temples in the more remote areas of the continent. In most regions where the order is active, it is the highest effective level of church organization. The headquarters of the order are in Helas, a city state in Karejia. The order’s Grandmistress is the only permanent member of the Council of Fragrant Gold.
The Seven Coins
The Seven Coins, also referred to as the Golden Bargain, promise wealth to all who follow its tenets. The priestesses teach adherents to divide their income into seven equal parts (or Seven Coins) and spend them according to a basic plan.Halea’s Coin: Tithe thy first coin to the Goddess to keep the First Bargain, for all wealth flows from the maiden.
The Magic Coin: Keep thy second coin in thy purse. Spend it not, but work it to earn extra coins.
The King’s Coin: Keep this coin safe so that, when the tax collector comes, thyne own wealth will be beyond his grasp.
Sardura’s Coin: Give thy fourth coin to thy creditors and learn well the practice of wise borrowing. If thou have been unwise, spend two coins in seven to your debt, stealing one of Life’s Coins. (this unpleasant practice is referred to as “paying Sardura with both hands.”)
Life’s Coins: For thyne own and thy family’s necessary living expenses spend but two coins.
The Pleasure Coin: The last coin is thyne to spend on luxuries so that thou will always know wealth and pleasure.
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