Church of the Scavenger
The Church of the Scavenger is the spiritual heart of Ro’Gnesh, a guiding force that unites the empire through sacred duty and shared belief. Deeply woven into every aspect of life, the Church serves as both a moral compass and a pragmatic institution, balancing reverence for the Scavenger God with the practicalities of governance and survival. To the Gnoll Folk, the Church legitimizes their way of life, framing their actions—from conquest to trade—as expressions of divine will.
At the centre of the Church’s teachings is the cyclical nature of life and death. The Scavenger God, revered as both a creator and a consumer, embodies this principle. The Church’s sacred rites emphasize renewal and survival, urging the faithful to embrace the inevitability of death as a necessary step toward rebirth and strength. These beliefs permeate the empire, fostering unity among its diverse inhabitants and reinforcing the Gnoll Folk’s cultural values.
The Church of the Scavenger is more than a spiritual institution; it is an integral pillar of Ro’Gnesh’s governance and economy. The practice of the Sacred Collection, in which the dead and dying are gathered as offerings to the Scavenger God, serves both religious and practical purposes. This collection forms the primary “tax” of the empire, accompanied by donations of gems, metals, and other materials deemed valuable for trade with foreign powers. In this way, the Church sustains the empire’s spiritual identity while supporting its material needs.
Myths and oral traditions surrounding the Scavenger God and Ghakarhi, the empire’s legendary founder, anchor the Church’s influence. Seasonal festivals, ceremonial hunts, and storytelling ensure that these tales remain alive, uniting the Gnoll Folk and their allies through shared cultural experiences. The Church’s ability to blend faith with pragmatism makes it a cornerstone of Ro’Gnesh, binding its people together in purpose and belief.
Structure
The Church of the Scavenger operates within a strict but dynamic hierarchy, ensuring that every level of leadership aligns with the values of strength, wisdom, and sacred duty.
Alpha Scavenger
As the head of the Church, the Alpha Scavenger wields unparalleled spiritual authority. Traditionally drawn from the Striped People, this position is earned through ceremonial combat, symbolizing the balance of physical strength and divine favour. The Alpha Scavenger oversees the Church’s operations, guiding its spiritual and economic contributions to the empire.
The Wake
A council of senior Scavengers, the Wake advises the Alpha Scavenger and ensures the efficient management of the Church’s various branches. Members of the Wake oversee doctrine, resource allocation, and the integration of faith into governance.
High Collector
Responsible for the Sacred Collection, the High Collector manages the empire’s system of tithes and offerings. This role ensures that the Church’s material needs are met while maintaining its spiritual integrity.
Regional Scavengers
Acting as local clergy, Regional Scavengers conduct rituals, provide spiritual guidance, and maintain the Church’s presence in their territories.
Regional Collectors
Working alongside Regional Scavengers, these individuals manage the logistical aspects of the Sacred Collection, ensuring that offerings reach the Church.
Scroungers
The initiates and neophytes of the Church, Scroungers serve as the foundation of its operations. They undertake practical tasks such as temple maintenance, assisting with rituals, and learning the tenets of the Scavenger God.
Distinctive Features
The Church of the Scavenger is distinguished by its integration of spirituality with governance, culture, and survival.
- Sacred Collection: This practice forms the backbone of the Church’s operations. The collection of the dead and dying serves as both a spiritual offering and a pragmatic means of maintaining the empire’s economy. Tribes under Gnoll rule contribute to this collection, viewing it as a sacred duty that ensures their protection and unity within the empire.
- Mythology and Festivals: The myths of the Scavenger God and Ghakarhi are preserved through oral traditions, seasonal festivals, and ceremonial hunts. These events reinforce the Church’s teachings and foster a shared cultural identity among the empire’s diverse populations.
- Ritual and Renewal: Rituals conducted by the Church frame every act of governance and warfare as a sacred duty. Whether sanctifying a campaign or blessing a harvest, these practices imbue daily life with spiritual significance.
- Pragmatic Faith: The Church respects the beliefs of non-Gnoll tribes within the empire, allowing them to practice their own faiths as long as they align with the overarching principles of unity and survival. This inclusivity strengthens the empire’s cohesion without compromising the Church’s authority.
Through its sacred rites, spiritual teachings, and pragmatic integration with governance, the Church of the Scavenger serves as the lifeblood of Ro’Gnesh. It unites the empire’s people under a shared purpose, blending faith with practicality to ensure survival, prosperity, and the continuation of its enduring legacy.
Mythology & Lore
In the time before time, the gods of excess, consumed by their own boundless appetites, disgorged the material realm into existence. From their indulgence sprang the world, teeming with life—a chaotic, gibbering mass of competition. This unbridled growth turned swiftly to rot, as decay and corruption spread unchecked, threatening to overwhelm the fragile balance of creation. Seeing this, Groghak, the Scavenger God, was moved by a profound love for the world and its people. Groghak consumed the rot and decay, devouring the filth and collecting the dead, cleansing the world so that it could thrive. Thus, the cycle of life and death was born, and Groghak became its eternal guardian.
In the earliest days of the Strand People, it is said that Ghakarhi, chosen servant of Groghak, descended from the jagged peaks of the Dragon’s Teeth. She bore with her the Vein of Yrych, the river of life, a divine gift to her people. With claws as sharp as the horizon’s edge, Ghakarhi carved the river’s path through the arid expanse of the Khule Desert, granting her people a lifeline that would sustain them for generations. She declared the desert and its oases to be the rightful hunting grounds of the Strand People, a sacred territory claimed through her divine will.
The legends tell of the first Alphas, who rose not from privilege but from the bones of prey blessed by Ghakarhi herself. Each Alpha proved their worth by uniting the scattered warbands, binding them through strength and cunning. Their greatest trial came when the ancient dragon Thovarr, a beast of unspeakable power, sought to dominate the steppes and bend the warbands to its will. The Alphas, guided by Ghakarhi’s spirit, rose against Thovarr. In a battle that shook the very earth, they felled the great dragon. Its blood seeped into the barren soil of the steppes, turning them fertile, while its bones fed the hungry grasses of the Gnasc Plains. From this victory, the unity of the Strand People was forged, and the Alphas became their first leaders.
Among the Alphas’ champions were the Flinds, chosen by Groghak to roam the world as the Strand People’s mightiest hunters and protectors. The Scavenger God blessed their leaders with claws sharper than iron and senses honed to pierce the darkest shadows. These champions became the first to take the Sacred Collection, gathering the dead and cleansing the land of corruption. Yet, Groghak’s gifts came with a demand: tribute in blood and flesh. Those who refused to honour the Scavenger God were cursed to wander the Blightlands, becoming wraiths, forever unclaimed by the cycle of renewal.
Through these sacred acts and trials, the Gnoll Folk rose as the rightful heirs of the Khule Desert and its surrounding steppes. Their culture, bound by the cycles of life and death, remains a living testament to the Scavenger God’s love and the enduring legacy of Ghakarhi. It is said that every hunt, every war, and every offering carries the echoes of these first moments, connecting the Gnoll Folk to their divine purpose and their eternal place within the world’s sacred cycle.
Tenets of Faith
The Scripture of the Scavenger
The Sacred Verses of Groghak and Ghakarhi
The Creation and the Charge
- In the time before time, the gods of excess unleashed the world, disgorging their greed into life and land.
- From their appetites sprang chaos, a writhing mass of hunger and rot.
- The filth spread, choking the earth, until life itself withered and the cycle was broken.
- Groghak, the Great Collector, gazed upon the ruin and wept, for love bound Him to the world.
- In His mercy, He consumed the rot, devouring the decay and cleansing the land.
- From that act, He revealed the Sacred Order: that strength must take, that excess must be pruned, and that balance must reign.
The Eternal Hunt
- Groghak decreed: Life is the hunt, and the hunt is life.
- Let the strong rise, let the weak serve, and let the unworthy fall.
- To take from the weak is to strengthen the world, but to hoard is to steal from the future.
- The hunter who takes more than their fill defies the Sacred Order and weakens the cycle.
- Groghak’s maw is never full, yet He takes only what the world cannot bear.
- Thus, the Eternal Hunt shall guide all people, that the strong may rise, and the weak may serve their purpose.
Ghakarhi’s Descent
- In the desolation of the Khule, where life clung to dust, Groghak saw the Strand People in their suffering.
- From His divine maw, He breathed forth Ghakarhi, the Death-Born, marked by His will.
- With claws sharper than the horizon’s edge, she carved the river of life and brought water to her people.
- She taught the Strand People to scavenge with purpose, to hunt with discipline, and to honour the dead with offerings.
- From her rise, the Gnollfolk were united, and Groghak’s will was made manifest in the world.
The Laws of Strength and Service
- Let the strong take what is theirs by right, for strength is the virtue of Groghak.
- Let the weak give willingly, for their service is their salvation.
- To hoard is to deny the cycle, to steal from the strong who will rise in the future.
- Let all flesh be consumed, let all bones be broken, that no excess remains and the soul may be freed.
- Those who defy these laws shall wander as wraiths, unclaimed and unclean, cursed by the Scavenger God.
The Sacred Collection
- The dead are the gifts of the weak to the strong, offerings to Groghak to sustain the cycle.
- Collect the dying, the dead, and the unworthy, and prepare their flesh for the Scavenger’s maw.
- From their bones, build the tools of life; from their flesh, feed the living.
- The priests shall gather the offerings, and the hunters shall carry them to the sacred altars.
- Let no life pass unclaimed, for uncollected death breeds rot, and rot breeds ruin.
The Curse of the Excessers
- Beware the children of excess, who hoard and steal from the future.
- They are not of the Sacred Order; they are the agents of ruin, choking the cycle with their greed.
- Let their labor be taken, that they may serve the good people.
- Let their wealth be scattered, that no hoard may endure.
- Groghak’s wrath shall fall upon those who defy the cycle, and their flesh shall rot without honour.
The Eternal Balance
- Groghak watches all, His gaze unblinking, His maw unyielding.
- Through the hunt, through the scavenge, through the sacred rites, His will is done.
- Let the people of Ro’Gnesh uphold the Sacred Order, that the world may thrive.
- Through strength and discipline, through balance and unity, the Gnollfolk shall endure.
- The strong shall rise, the weak shall serve, and the cycle shall remain unbroken.
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