Sicarite Church

Duranian religion

Even as I tread the darkest path, I shall know no fear, as His Light is beside me,

I shall not listen to the monsters of the depth, for their words are deceiving;

I shall cleanse this world of the impure, as such is my purpose,

And should I die, I shall do it accomplishing my holy duty.

Sicarite knight prayer

Church of Sanctity

The Sicarite Church is the main religious institution in Duran, and they have great powers there. Because of their origins, Duranians are very pious and devoted to Sicarius. As such, his church has many administrative powers, and the words of the Grand Illuminator are treated as law since it is said that Sicarius himself can speak through him.

The Church is separated into two Orders. The Apostles of Enlightenment, who are tasked with keeping the masses faithful, and the Knights of Purity, tasked with killing the demons and heretics. Led by the Grand Illuminator and the Champion of Purity, they spread His will and bring His righteous fury upon his foes.

History

The Church was created in 34AS when Saint Telandes built the first church as thanks to the gods for helping them recover. He scoured the land in search of sufficiently faithful persons to help him, no matter their origin, no matter their status, no matter their origin, all had a place at what would become the first Council.

Since then, the Church didn't stop growing its influence, first converting the men without a civilization during the Reconstruction, then spreading itself to other countries as time went on. Their word spread, and it is now one of the major religions in the world.

The Two Orders

Created for "Purity of Mind", the Apostles walk around the continent, charged with overviewing religious buildings and making sure that the population is still faithful. However, they keep track of spots of potential corruption, and the Illuminators don't hesitate to Brand anyone not respecting the gods enough, and nobody, not even kings, is safe. When war calls, the War Callers scour the country to gather the people into a crusade.

However, prayers and sermons can only do so much. When faced with strong corruption or demonic invasions, the Knights come into action. Protected by thick plate armor and wielding spears to strike deep in their opponents' hearts or swords and shields to protect their comrades, they go to war accompanied by the war chants of the Cleansers to bolster their bravery and repel their demonic foes. When the Church calls to holy war, they are the first to answer its call, charging the enemy and making short work of them.

The Third Order

Some consider the Sicarite Inquisition as a sort of third order, on the same rank as the Apostles of Enlightenment and Knights of Purity. However, the Inquisition and the Church are both separate organizations that, while they often work with each other, are not equal. Inquisitors and representatives from the two orders have developed many rivalries, as who is in charge strongly depends on the case at hand and often changes multiple times. While Sicarite Knights are more than often hired by Inquisitors to help them in the cleansing of a specific place, Apostles aren't as required as such and sometimes can halt the progression of an investigation if they deem that the Inquisitor and his cohort are stepping in a little too far on what they consider holy territory.

This has created a certain tension between the Church and Inquisition, and sometimes the two groups even end up fighting. However, there is no doubt that both are juggernauts of holiness and that together they can purge any corruption from the world. In fact, despite what many think, they work together more than fighting each other when it comes to pushing back the darkness in its many forms.

The Holy Creed

Another purpose of the Church is to maintain and educate the masses on the Holy Creed created by Sicarius in six days. It contains many prayers and the history of the world according to the church. However, this leads to some information being retconned or censured to better fit the narrative. Those having opposed information, whether it is true or not, is more than often labeled as heretics and quickly find an Inquisitor on their doorstep. This is why many cults, most notably the Seekers of Truth, are hunted for spreading allegedly false information, as they are always far from what the Creed is saying.