The Chantry
Praised be The Maker
The Chantry is the dominant religious organization in Eidos. It is based on the Chant of Light, a series of teachings written by Justinia The First following the Rune War.
It has a major deity, The Maker and a number of demi-gods adopted from the pre-war relgions of humans, elves and later on dwarves. While the Chantry believes that the Maker is all-powerful and created all things, they also believe that He has turned away from them. The Chantry believes this to be because of the faults of His creations. He will not answer prayers, grant wishes or do anything of the sort until humanity proves itself worthy of His attention again.
The Chantry's goal is to spread the Chant of Light to all four corners of the world and to all races. The view of the Chantry on non-humans is that they need saving—they have turned even further from the Maker's grace than humanity has—a view that has lead to much of humanity to look down on them.
The majority elves, half-elves, dwarves and half-lings, and parts of other races also venerate the Maker.
Structure
The Chantry is lead by a Divine. It is customary for a Divine to name her successor before her death, but this does not guarantee their ascension. Upon the death of the current Divine, every Anointed Mother and Grand Cleric is required to travel to Aslod for the Grand Consensus. There, they elect a new Divine from among themselves, or choose another member of the Chantry. The vote must be unanimous for a new Divine to be properly elected.
The Divine must also always be female.
The ranks under the Divine are as follows:
Grand Cleric - Clerics whom have proven themselves as true avatars of either the Maker or his saints. Usually a single Grand Cleric exists at a time for each saint-god under the Chantry pantheon, with the one designated for the Maker also joining The Fist of the Divine.
Anointed Mother - Leaders of The Chantry in different countries. (3 members)
Revered Mother - Local Leaders of The Chantry in bigger towns or citites.
Mother - First rank allowed to preach the teachings of the Maker to an entire community and to lead a local, smaller Chantry.
Cleric of the Maker - Clerics are those brothers or sisters who chose to wander in the name of the Maker, or his saints, to either help those in need or to spread the word of the Chantry.
Sister/Brother - Fully fledged members of the Chantry.
Lay Sister/Lay Brother - Initiates that wish to become members.
Anointed Mother - Leaders of The Chantry in different countries. (3 members)
Revered Mother - Local Leaders of The Chantry in bigger towns or citites.
Mother - First rank allowed to preach the teachings of the Maker to an entire community and to lead a local, smaller Chantry.
Cleric of the Maker - Clerics are those brothers or sisters who chose to wander in the name of the Maker, or his saints, to either help those in need or to spread the word of the Chantry.
Sister/Brother - Fully fledged members of the Chantry.
Lay Sister/Lay Brother - Initiates that wish to become members.
Public Agenda
The Chantry's faith is rooted in three core principles also known as The Chant of Light:
Magic is a corrupting influence in the world.
Humankind has sinned and must seek penance to earn the Maker's forgiveness. When all people unite to praise the Maker, he will return to the world and make it a paradise.
Justinia The First was a prophet and the one that saved the world from the mages. She must always be remembered and honored.
History
The Chantry teaches that when the Maker turned his back on spirits(his first creation), some of them grew jealous of the living. Envy was the first new thing the now-demons actually created. Those powerful enough whispered to the living in dreams claiming that they were the true gods, the creators of the world and the living should bow down before them. Eventually, the living summoned them through to the real world. In the mortal realm these demons took the form of dragons, fiends and other unholy beings. The living started to worship them instead of the Maker in exchange for magic, an act recognized as the "Original Sin." Thus the Old Gods and Demons turned humanity away from its true creator through deceit.
In fury the Maker cursed the Old Gods, imprisoning them in underground tombs where they would slumber eternally and sending the Demons beyond the Veil. After that He turned away from mankind.
The magic remained however as did the whispers of the Old Gods and they began to seed discord and hatred amongst the people for centuries, all of it culminating in the Rune Wars. This was also a turning point, where the true believers, lead by Justinia The First took up arms and saved Eidos from complete annihilation.
Justinia then formed The Chantry as people know it today, alongside it's sister organizations: The Spell-breakers and the Circle of Magi, in order to maintain the order she established and to guide mortals back into the arms of their Maker.
Justinia then formed The Chantry as people know it today, alongside it's sister organizations: The Spell-breakers and the Circle of Magi, in order to maintain the order she established and to guide mortals back into the arms of their Maker.
Worship
Saturdays are a holy day in the Chantry religion, representing an individual's opportunity to take a break from the day-to-day work that governs most of their lives, and instead use the time to bless and praise The Divine and The Maker, begging, also, the latter's forgiveness. There are places of worship that see reasonably full ceremonies on Saturdays, and it is customary for priests and reverends to bring a hand-crafted wooden ornament to be thrown on a holy fire. The ashes are then scattered amongst those present, representing the lengths individuals may have to go to to once again be within The Maker's good graces at their time of judgement.
Sundays are a time of reflection and relaxation meant to be spent within the family or in prayer.
The Penitencia Ceremonus, as it is known, sees songs sung in the Maker's name. They are often sorrowful and riddled with self-hatred and doubt; speaking at great lengths regarding the failure that is humanity and the rest of Eidos in the Maker's eyes. Children are taught to recognise their souls as being in perpetual danger should they not be judged by the Maker as sufficiently penitent. Adults are taught their lives are a road to forgiveness from the Maker, but that any divulgence from praising his name in recognition of this will result in their spirit being banished forever into Abyssal torment. Wine is ritually spilled to represent the corrupt blood that should leave followers of the Maker's bodies upon death, to be filled, instead, with His blessings. Some of the customary prayers said at different religious events, before battle or simply in quiet meditation before bed or meals are :
Sundays are a time of reflection and relaxation meant to be spent within the family or in prayer.
The Penitencia Ceremonus, as it is known, sees songs sung in the Maker's name. They are often sorrowful and riddled with self-hatred and doubt; speaking at great lengths regarding the failure that is humanity and the rest of Eidos in the Maker's eyes. Children are taught to recognise their souls as being in perpetual danger should they not be judged by the Maker as sufficiently penitent. Adults are taught their lives are a road to forgiveness from the Maker, but that any divulgence from praising his name in recognition of this will result in their spirit being banished forever into Abyssal torment. Wine is ritually spilled to represent the corrupt blood that should leave followers of the Maker's bodies upon death, to be filled, instead, with His blessings. Some of the customary prayers said at different religious events, before battle or simply in quiet meditation before bed or meals are :
"Maker, yours is the path of light; Yours is the path of life; and I am your instrument.
Where I walk, I walk in your light. With your compassion, I heal. With your Wisdom, I teach.
Through you I bring warmth in the night. Through you I wrest life from winter's breast. Through you I bless the harvest bounty.
And when the night is darkest, in the places that have never known light, I will go with you and I will burn bright.
Oh Maker's light, hear my prayer; Send your might through me. Feed this righteous cause. For this soul I seek redemption."
"Blessed Maker, whose gaze art the pinnacle of creation and to whose arms we all return,
grant that your humble servant is favored enough to wield the power of your almighty light so that your enemies shall be smote,
that your vision may be repaired, and that this world may be made worthy again.
Grant this in the name of glory, goodness, and light. This we pray!"
“Into darkness, unafraid.”
Founding Date
1
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Capital
Alternative Names
Justinian Church
Leader Title
Government System
Theocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Traditional
Subsidiary Organizations
Deities
Divines
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Related Professions
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Manufactured Items
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Notable Members
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