Organization | Church of Seiros (Sare-Os)
Famous Art
Long ago, the divine Seiros received a revelation from the goddess. A gift, to help guide the lost. The goddess is always watching over Fódlan from her kingdom above. However, in ancient times, the goddess graced this world with her presence and offered salvation to the people here. She is the mother of all life, the arbiter of every soul.The Current leader of the church of Seiros is Archbishop Rhea.
Structure
Archbishop - Saints
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Cardinals
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West, East, South Regional Church
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Local Clerics
Culture
Public Agenda
Maintain the peace and prosperity of Fódlan, help people in need.
Assets
The church holds considerable wealth, and military power within Fódlan.
The Church has the Knights of Seiros as their military arm.It is rumored they also have access to much Pre-Adrestian Technology, Weaponry, and relics.
History
The Church's founder and namesake, Saint Seiros, was said to have been given a revelation, a "gift to help guide the lost", from the Goddess who was watching over Fódlan. Seiros first appeared in the Enbarr region of Fódlan 41 years before the founding of the Adrestian Empire. She performed miracles that inspired the people, and the Church of Seiros was founded to venerate her.
The Adrestian Empire was founded in Imperial Year 0 by Great Emperor Wilhelm I, with Enbarr chosen as its capital due to the presence of Seiros. In Imperial Year 32, Wilhelm I launched the War of Heroes with the goal of conquering all of Fódlan for the Empire. Nemesis, the King of Liberation, united the Empire's opponents under his leadership. Seiros finally slew Nemesis at the Battle of Tailtean in Imperial Year 91, but the war did not end until 98, when Wilhelm I's successor, Lycaon I, succumbed to illness.
In Imperial Year 185, Garreg Mach Monastery was completed. Shortly after, Seiros and the Four Apostles attempted the Rite of Rising to resurrect the Goddess, but the ritual failed and the chalice used to preform the ritual was sealed away.
Around 1065, the Southern Church, based in the Imperial capital, incited a massive uprising that engulfed the Empire. In the aftermath, the Southern Church was displaced from the capital and replaced by the Ministry of Religion led by House Varley.
In the present era, the three nations exist in relative peace and equilibrium, largely thanks to the mediating influence of the Church and the efforts of Archbishop Rhea. The Church also runs the Officers Academy, which trains the royalty and nobility of Fódlan in the arts of warfare, magic, and leadership.
Demography and Population
Followers of the Church of Seiros account for roughly 54% of Fódlan. Of those 54% roughly 1/3rd of them are devout followers.
Territories
The Western Church: Operating on the border of the Empire and Holy Kingdom, it possesses a sizable military force of its own operates mainly in Rhindeston
The Southern Church: Formerly operating on the Empire in the capital of Enbarr, now operates out of a smaller town called Southerworth in Aegir Territory.
Military
The Knights of Seiros
Despite not being a nation in and of themselves, the Church's military arm, the Knights of Seiros, is usually tasked with suppressing bandits and providing military support to other territories, but acts independently of any of the nations' wills and responding only to the Archbishop.
Technological Level
Religion
Tenets of the Church
- The goddess cares for and protects all that is beautiful in this world.
- The goddess will never deny the splendors of love affection, joy, peace, faith, kindness, temperance, modesty, or patience.
- Follow her example and, in doing so, abide her laws.
Taboos
- Dare not doubt or deny the power or existence of the goddess.
- Dare not speak the goddess’s name in vain.
- Dare not disrespect your father, mother, or any who serve the goddess.
- Dare not abuse the power gifted to you by the goddess.
- Dare not kill, harm, lie, or steal, unless such acts are committed by the will of the goddess.
Book of Seiros
- The Book of Seiros Part I Revelation
- The Book of Seiros Part II Creation
- The Book of Seiros Part V
Foreign Relations
Tolerance, to a Degree.
While the Church of Seiros do claim superiority over the other religions of the world, that doesn't mean that they outright deny other religions. They do not claim that their Goddess is the only one in the world, and as such can coexist with some other religions.
The standard rule of whether or not a belief is allowed is whether or not it denies their Goddess. So long as a person is willing to believe in the Goddess' existence, they need not worship her. This applies to both natives of Fodlan and outsiders. In Duscur for instance, they welcomed the Goddess of Fodlan into their own Pantheon.
Trade & Transport
Education
Officer's Academy
The Officers Academy is an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills
Located at Garreg Mach Monastery, the royalty and nobility of the Adrestian Empire, Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and Leicester Alliance send their heirs to the Officers Academy to learn the art of warfare. The Officers Academy was established sometime around Imperial Year 980 in response to incursions into Fódlan from the powerful eastern kingdom of Almyra. The archbishop at the time believed that the Church of Seiros had a responsibility to raise a generation of nobility to excellence to guarantee the continent's leadership was prepared for the future. The Officer's Academy was created to serve this purpose, and ten years later began accepting commoners who could pay the tuition fees.
Serving as a microcosm of Fódlan, students are organized into one of three academic houses according to their nationality: the Black Eagles for the Adrestian Empire, the Blue Lions for the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Golden Deer for the Leicester Alliance. The student body is comprised of a mixture of nobles and commoners, though ratios are primarily nobles over commoners due to the hefty fee required for students to enroll. As a result, many commoners seek sponsors among the nobility to pay for their enrollment. Furthermore, although the Officers Academy enforces equality among the students regardless of social standing or nationality, some divisions remain. Noble students insist that commoners be restricted to the first floor of the dormitories, while they monopolize the second floor, and students and staff from foreign lands, such as Dagda, Brigid, and Duscur can still face discrimination.
Each house is personally taught by a different professor, and they compete in various competitions held throughout the year. In addition to their studies, houses are also tasked with real combat missions across the continent to render aid to the people, gain practical experience, and reaffirm the strength and benevolence of the Church. For the students' safety, they are usually accompanied by a unit of the Knights of Seiros who will lock down the battlefield and intervene if necessary.
Infrastructure
As part of the construction of Garreg Mach Monastery there is a small town at the base of the mountain. Aquaducts follow throughout the monastery allowing for sewage, bathrooms, and clean drinking water. Underneath the monastery is the Holy Masoleum the believed resting place of Seiros and the saints.
Mythology & Lore
The people of Fódlan had long existed before Seiros, but they were uncultured a fought many wars between themselves and the other creatures living in the land.
Seiros first descended to Fódlan in roughly I.Y. -40
They carried out many miracles and preached teachings to the people of the land.
The deceased souls of the followers of Saint Seiros are said to rest in the divine place where Saint Seiros originated.
Divine Origins
Tenets of Faith
Worship of the Goddess
While the church is named after saint Seiros, their focus of worship is on the Goddess of Fodlan. The Goddess does have
a name, that being "Sothis", but it is considered disrespectful to say the name aloud without good reason.
The Goddess is seen as being omnipresent, but lacking a physical form on earth. It is believed that the spirits of the
Goddess' followers will ascend into the sky after death, to join the Goddess in the afterlife.
Peace Above All Else
In the Church of Seiros, conflict is highly despised. While the Church does need to occasionally employ military force, they do so swiftly and efficiently to reduce civilian casualties. Everything they do is to ensure a lasting peace, even if that requires taking away certain freedoms. Even on an individual scale, believers are asked to put aside their grievances.
Seclusion and Reservation
The Church of Seiros encourages looking inward, and leaving other nations to their own devices. Open relation with other nations are discouraged, though not outright banned. The Church also states that uncontrolled technological progress would lead to disaster. As such, many technologies are banned across Fodlan. Occasionally, a technology is approved for re-examination, and sometimes a ban or two is lifted.
Dissenters of the Church state that these rules are meant to prevent the people of Fodlan from reaching their true potential, while supporters argue that these are needed to keep peace between the nations so that none may overpower the others.
Worship
Notable Figures of the Church
Saint Seiros
The secondary focus of worship for the church, as well as its namesake. Saint Seiros revitalized worship of the Goddess, after faith had been dwindling. She appeared in the town of Enbarr, and assisted the first Adrestian Emperor in the creation of his Empire.
Seiros was said to have personally struck down Nemesis at the Tailtean plains, after which she oversaw the creation of Garreg Mach. She was laid to rest in the holy mausoleum, but an incident during the rebellion of the Western Church revealed that the body was missing.
Seiros' Crest is quite common, with many high-ranking members of the church possessing it.
The Saints
The allies of Saint Seiros, these warriors fought against Nemesis and the Ten Elites, each with their own followers. They were said to have lived extraordinarily long lives and granted their Crests to their followers.
Saint Macuil
Saint Macuil was an accomplished battlemage, proficient in sword and spell. He served as the tactician for the early church, as well as the blacksmith for many of the sacred weapons used in the war. He only gifted his Crest to a select few individuals.
Saint Indech
Saint Indech was a warrior of great strength and wisdom. Little is known about this saint, but it is said he was a great craftsman, as well as a skilled bowman. He gifted his Crest to the smiths and workmen he admired.
Saint Cichol
Saint Cichol was a formidable warrior and commander, as well as the father of Saint Cethleann. He was said to be a kind but stern authority, and is one of the most commonly revered of the Saints. He gave his Crest to some of his lieutenants.
Saint Cethleann
Saint Cethleann was an empathetic healer and the daughter of Saint Cichol. While the subject of many fables, very little historical information regarding her life exists. She gifted her Crest to some of the medics who assisted her on the field.
Priesthood
Priest aka Clerics
Officially recognized and licensed priest of Seiros have to first take a pilgrimmage to the West, Eastern or Central Church. (After the last century, the South Church has been removed from this rite) after 18 months of paid service to said church they are allowed to act as a cleric of the name of the Church of Serios.
Said service can be anything as menial as light manual labor, to small mission trips in the local area. Community service, jury duty, ceremonies, exorcisms are also common.
Perks of Priest
Officials Priest of the Church can receive funding for setting up local churchs. The funding is contingent on having a certain amount of followers, and being subject to yearly checks to ensure proper teaching of the religion.
Most licensed priest tend to levels 3-5 in Fódlan.
Bishops
Bishops after completing their initial 18 months must spend an additional 18 months at one of the other churchs in Fódlan. (preferably the central church if that wasn't your first location) There are also several religious workshops that must be attended that are put on by Cardinals.
Perks of being a Bishop
To Fill
Most bishop tend to be level 7-9
Cardinals
Cardinals are personally chosen by the Archbishop Archbishop Rhea for their notable service and deeds to the church over there lifetime. This title requires a lot of sacrifice so there are people who have refused the title in the past opting to stay a bishop.
Cardinals usually must move to Garreg Mach Monastery, leaving behind there family and what not to become a member of the Archbishop's inner circle.
The Cardinals are the heads of the Church, after the Archbishop. They are chosen by the Archbishop, and their identities are a secret. They pose as ordinary monks or knights to protect their identities.
Each Cardinal has their own specialty, usually an element of magic, that they have mastered.
Most cardinals in history have also seemed to possess the crest of Seiros. There are many clerics who believe you need to have this crest to even become a cardinal.
Perks of being a cardinal
Cardinals are generally entrusted secrets from the church and Archbishop.
They are able to appeal to the Archbishop to deploy the Knights of Seiros and are potentially in line to become the archbishop if the current one were to die prematurely.
Most cardinals tend to be level 10+.
Archbishop
The Archbishop
The Archbishop is the highest position of the Church of Seiros. The title has been held by the descendants of Seiros herself. Each Bishop reigns until death, which can be over a century for some. The daughter of the archbishop is then given the position as her birthright.
The daughters of the Archbishop have never been seen, as they are a closely guarded secret. Even stranger, no Archbishop has ever been confirmed to be pregnant. many wild conspiracy theories have arisen, but nothing has ever held ground.
The current Archbishop is the lady Rhea, the 7th Archbishop of the Church of Seiros
The true power of the archbishop is unknown. Many believe she is just a figurehead but others believe she is the most powerful cleric in all of Fódlan.
Sects
The Other Branches
While the Central Church is what most people think of first regarding the Church of Seiros, there are three other braches as well.
Western Church at Rhindeston
The Western Church generally holds more extreme beliefs than the others. They believe in greater separation of class and race, as well as put more emphasis on worshiping the Four Saints, especially Cichol. Residing in what was the Southern side of the Kingdom, they now serve the Empire in an attempt to calm believers in the Church. Because the Empire's beliefs are almost entirely opposite to the Western Church's, tensions are quickly rising.
Eastern Church at Eldervayne
The Eastern Church is far more easygoing, due to being located within the Alliance. People here tend to be some of the most diverse race wise in the nation, but there is some bigotry that exist for specifically for Almyran born individuals here
Southern Church at Patina
The Southern Church was displaced out of Enbarr after trying to take back the Empire in the name of Saint Seiros, with no retaliation from the other branches, who condemned their actions. They know just serve as a figurehead organization and House Varley as become the empire's new religious advisors.
Saints guide us, the Goddess watches over us.
The Central Church
The major power, overseen by the archbishop. Several times it has been forced to forcibly act out against the other branches to bring them in line with what they consider the correct worship.
Regional Church Bodies
The region church bodies, each operate locally in the three nations of Fódlan. They having varying influence in their regions and answer directly to the church for religious and legal matters.
The Eastern Church
Operating within the Alliance, it's the weakest branch and doesn't even hold much in the way of an official military force, relying on the Central Church in such matters.
The Western Church
Operating in the Holy Kingdom, it possesses a sizable military force of its own and in the present day starts a small-scale civil war with the Central Church over proper worship of the goddess, among other issues.
The Southern Church
Formerly operating on the Empire in the capital of Enbarr, now operating in the town of Patina within the Empire. The southern church has received a lot of scrutiny from the other churchs for recent falling membership within East Adrestia. On the empire side's House Varley has been given a lot of the formal power the southern church use to hold. This branch is on the verge of being disbanded.
Garreg Mach
Sitting in the center of the Oghma mountains, Garreg Mach
watches over all of Fodlan. As the center of the Church of
Seiros, the Monastery is a beacon of hope for miles around,
even during the war.
Garreg Mach refers not only to the Monastary itself, but
also of the surrounding town. It is full of
many of the best craftsmen, scholars, and bards from all
throughout Fodlan. Built on large, tiered platforms, with the
upper levels housing many of the religious elite, and lowest
levels being home to farmers who worked the rivers between
the mountains. People from all walks of life could find a
home in Garreg Mach.
Friendly
Faerghans are some of the most devout people in the land. The Western Church does a majority of the trips to Faerghus.
Peace
Mostly Peaceful
The southern church in recent years has been found in scandal and has stripped of a lot of its power moved locations. Adrestian's believe the church doesn't do much for them, over the last 100 years the nation has become more secular.
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