The Vaticine Church of the Prophets
The Reformed Vaticine Church (“vaticine” meaning “prophet,” therefore “the Prophets’ Church”) is one of the most powerful and influential organizations in Théah. Drawing power from the common people— and the nobles who support its beliefs—the Vaticine (VAH-tih-seen) Church and its flock are a force to be reckoned with. Beginning with the first Prophet who spoke to the Old Republic so long ago, it has amassed its own army, developed a system of education, and instigated most of the world’s technological and philosophical advancements.
However, the Church has fallen under harsh criticism in recent times. Accusations of corruption and greed have caused many to doubt its authority, and even its veracity. The Objectionist Movement that began in Eisen over one hundred years ago has changed the Church forever; almost a third of its flock has turned to the Objectionists for guidance. It is a hard time for the Church, but many within its structure would argue that it has brought these troubles on itself, and that they could have even been avoided, if only the Cardinals had listened.
THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER
The message of the Vaticine Church is simple. The Creator made the world as a riddle for humanity to unravel. The closer to solving the riddle mankind comes, the closer he comes to understanding the mind of the Creator. Credo (“What I believe”)
Shortly after the death of the First Prophet, Emperor Corantine adopted belief in the Prophets as his Empire’s official religion. He also demanded there be a “credo”—a unified expression of faith. In 325 AV, the Corantinian Convention put together this credo and presented it to the Emperor. He was satisfied. The credo consists of six Articles of Faith, tenets that all believers hold to be true. The faithful memorize the Articles and recite them during Mass and all other Church activities. In order to understand the Church, one must understand its credo. Article One: One True God
We believe in one true God, the Creator
Almighty, Maker of Paradise and the World,
and of all things visible and invisible.
The First Article declares that there is only one true Creator—Theus, the Maker of the Universe. Those who are members of the Faith cannot believe in any other gods or powers, nor make use of sorcery (which the Church has proclaimed comes from Legion, the Great Adversary). The use of sorcery is acceptance of powers other than the Creator, a heresy that can only end with death and the burning of the guilty person’s corrupted body. Article Two: One True Faith We believe in one holy and prophetic Church.
If there is only one true God, there can be only one True Church, and that is the Vaticine Church. In other words, only the rituals prescribed by the Prophets are ordained by the Prophets, and therefore ordained by the Creator. Those who follow the rituals and beliefs of the Church shall stand as the armies of the Prophet at the end of the world. All other churches are false faiths, deceitful lies that will lead a soul not to Paradise, but to the Abyss. Article Three: The First Prophet And in its Prophet, who spoke the Creator’s
message for man and his salvation; who foretold
the coming of three further Prophets; who
delivered himself unto his enemies; and who was
martyred for us in the days of Augustin Lauren.
The First Prophet is the key to the Church’s credo. It was he whom the Creator made to bring his message to the world, he who spread the prophecy of three who would follow, and he who told of the wonders they would perform, “continuing his work in Theus’ name.” He gathered followers, the first saints, who had achieved a state of enlightenment through reason, and with them preached that only through acceptance of others (even those tainted by magic) can a person obtain salvation. Finally, it was he who—at the hands of vicious sorcerers and their corrupted rulers—was consumed by the raging flames of hatred and fear. Article Four: The Second Prophet And in the Second Prophet, who bore a staff;
who spoke the Creator’s message, and delivered
men from evil; and who was betrayed by the
unfaithful and was martyred for us.
The Second Prophet arrived from the now-infidel Empire of the Crescent Moon, claiming to be sent on a pilgrimage ordained by Theus. Though he was doubted, both for his claim and his skin, he struck dumb those who opposed his mission, and made powerless all sorcerers he encountered. And it was he who—claiming his flock were slaves of their homeland—led them back into the desert, only to be betrayed and murdered by the brothers of his birth. Article Five: The Third Prophet And in the Third Prophet, who bore a sword of
pure flame; who spoke the Creator’s message;
divided the righteous from the unrighteous; and
made the way clear for him who shall follow.
The Third Prophet was born into a time of unrest, when the world was braced for coming conflict. Unlike his predecessors, however, he was neither understanding nor tolerant of the world’s convictions, rising from within the ranks of noble blood and casting the gauntlet back at them, becoming the spark that ignited a war of faith. He shifted the home of the Church from Vodacce to Castille and changed the manner of thought across the world in one, decisive act, rupturing the harmony of the Church. Article Six: The Last Prophet And in the Fourth Prophet, who shall bear a
balanced hourglass; who shall be announced by
trumpets; and the dead shall awaken and he shall
reign in the visible and invisible world forevermore.
Inevitably, humanity will learn the awful tribute due at the end of time. The Fourth Prophet will bring Armageddon, casting the world into a cosmic battle for human souls. His kiss will be the breath of life across the globe, and his army will be the ranks of the fallen. He will lead them all through death and anger and conflict into a new age of brilliant truth and glory, where our fates are our own and the faithful shall live in the beauteous service of Theus forever. ORGANIZATION
Since the foundation of the Vaticine by the First Prophet, the administrative system has used the number ten to divide each tier of its hierarchy. Entire nations are divided up into religious districts, even if they do not necessarily conform to political districts, and governed by a Church-appointed official. The Church
In any region of Théah that recognizes the Prophets, one can find a church. In fact, as of the Third Prophet’s Declaration of Deference in 1267, “any fellowship without the blessing of a place of worship to the Creator shall be considered without the blessing of His Church,” and so a church is often the first building erected in any new town. The local church is the center of community: a court for magistrates, a hall for town meetings and the center of a wide variety of festivals and holiday celebrations. It is a place of refuge for the needy, a hospital for the sick and a sanctuary for those who claim to have seen the error of their ways. The administration of a local church falls upon the most senior of its ordained priests. The High Priest, appointed within his own church by a vote of his peers and their congregation, represents the church in the Parish Council. The Parish
The smallest district of Church administration is the Parish. A Parish consists of ten churches in close proximity. A Parish is governed by a Monsignor, who represents it in the local Diocese Council, and who is elected from among the High Priests of their Parish. The Diocese
The next level in the Vaticine Church system is the Diocese. Each Diocese is made up of ten Parishes. A Diocese is governed by a Bishop who is also an elected position from within the Diocese. The Archdiocese
The second highest, and most powerful, district within the Vaticine Church is the Archdiocese. Each of these extremely large districts is made up of ten Dioceses, and is governed by an Archbishop who represents his district in the Hieros Council. The council of Archbishops chooses ten of their members to serve as Cardinals, representing their own Archdiocese and also maintaining a Rectory in Vaticine City. The Hieros
Aside from a Prophet, the most powerful leader in the Vaticine Church is the Hierophant, and the whole of the Prophets’ Church is known as the Hieros. The Hierophant is selected by the Cardinals—from among the Archbishops who sit upon the Hieros Council—to serve the Church through a life-long position of pious leadership. The Vaticine Church’s highest seat resides in Vaticine City, located just off the southeastern coast of Castille since the middle of the 13th Century. The position of Hierophant is a stressful one. As such, the Hierophant has traditionally made use of the wise counsel of his Cardinals. It has also been a tradition for the Hierophant to make visits every other year to one of the courts of the Vaticine Monarchs (King Sandoval or one of the Vodacce Princes) during the summer months. Until the time of the Third Prophet, the seat of the Vaticine Church resided in Vodacce, and a vast majority of the Hierophants hailed from there until it moved to Castille in the 13th Century. At present, there is no Hierophant. The last woman to hold that title was assassinated by an unknown assailant. Church Positions
Hierarchical positions (Monsignor and higher) in the Vaticine Church are elected from a council of their peers within the same district. Each term of service is for life or until such time as the Church official decides that retirement is preferable to expiring in office. Retired Church officials return to their duties as priests in the local church where they began their religious careers. The Vaticine Church believes in and promotes equality between the sexes, and its titles are genderless. There are no “priestesses” and such—only female priests. RITUALSbr] There are an immense number of rituals performed regularly by the Priests of the Church of the Prophets. The following are among the most common. Mass
This is the standard gathering of faithful within a church for the purposes of communal prayer. Most churches still hold Mass in Old Théan, though a few Nations (Eisen and Avalon, in particular) have translated the hymns and responses into their own native languages. Baptism
Baptism within the Church of the Prophets occurs at the age of ten. The child in question receives an oral exam of his understanding of holy scripture. Failure results in a one-year grace period—called “deferment”— allowing the child to continue his studies until he succeeds. Ordainment
Like Baptism, an oral exam is required for those who wish to join the Church as priests. As would be expected, the test is difficult, and failure results in a three-year deferment before another can be attempted. If the student fails again, he is not allowed a third attempt. Marriage
Marriage is considered a social contract before Theus by the Vaticine Church. The wedded couple agrees both to uphold the tenets of the Creator’s message and to provide a new generation of children to do the same. Priests may marry, though their prospective mates must be baptized members of the faith. TOMES
There are two primary books used by the Church of the Prophets. The first is the Vaticine Book of Common Prayer, which details religious etiquette, procedures and hymns, and the rituals of the faith. The second is the Book of the Prophets, which consists of four Vigils, one for each of the Prophets who have already come, and another for the Last, which was delivered to the Third directly and allegedly documents the end of the world. CHURCH PHILOSOPHY
A gnostic church like the Vaticines is a little different from modern European faiths: unconcerned with faith, but—as their name suggests—fascinated by knowledge. As far as the Church is concerned, it is knowledge, not faith, that brings one closer to the Creator, for understanding His works gives you insight into the secrets of the Universe. Here are a few of the more contested philosophical questions of the modern Vaticine establishment: Determinism vs. Free Will
The main conflict going on in Church universities right now is the debate between determinists and those who hold faith in a new concept called “free will.” Determinism—at this time period—is the theory that all decisions that mankind makes are already predetermined by Theus. On the other hand, many scholars have argued that mankind must have a choice. They do not argue the logic of determinism, but instead argue the importance of indeterminism. “If man cannot choose,” argued one scholar, “then all of nature is an impersonal, uncaring force and not the patriarch we have painted him to be.” It is a heated debate among scholars, and not likely to be resolved any time in the near future. Romantic Love
The Church recognizes love as a concept, but not the love the poets write about. A man must love his neighbor, no matter who he is. A man must love his wife, no matter who she is. A wife must love her husband, no matter who he is. Love is for all of mankind, not just for one. The love the romantics write about is nothing more than lust, a base emotion. Yet the romantics sing about a new kind of love, a love between two people that no other can experience, share or understand. It is a fire that flares up without reason and burns forever. Is love as impersonal as the Church dictates, or is it as the poets claim, a mingling of two souls into one? Is there such a thing as True Love, and if so, have any truly fallen under its spell?
The message of the Vaticine Church is simple. The Creator made the world as a riddle for humanity to unravel. The closer to solving the riddle mankind comes, the closer he comes to understanding the mind of the Creator. Credo (“What I believe”)
Shortly after the death of the First Prophet, Emperor Corantine adopted belief in the Prophets as his Empire’s official religion. He also demanded there be a “credo”—a unified expression of faith. In 325 AV, the Corantinian Convention put together this credo and presented it to the Emperor. He was satisfied. The credo consists of six Articles of Faith, tenets that all believers hold to be true. The faithful memorize the Articles and recite them during Mass and all other Church activities. In order to understand the Church, one must understand its credo. Article One: One True God
We believe in one true God, the Creator
Almighty, Maker of Paradise and the World,
and of all things visible and invisible.
The First Article declares that there is only one true Creator—Theus, the Maker of the Universe. Those who are members of the Faith cannot believe in any other gods or powers, nor make use of sorcery (which the Church has proclaimed comes from Legion, the Great Adversary). The use of sorcery is acceptance of powers other than the Creator, a heresy that can only end with death and the burning of the guilty person’s corrupted body. Article Two: One True Faith We believe in one holy and prophetic Church.
If there is only one true God, there can be only one True Church, and that is the Vaticine Church. In other words, only the rituals prescribed by the Prophets are ordained by the Prophets, and therefore ordained by the Creator. Those who follow the rituals and beliefs of the Church shall stand as the armies of the Prophet at the end of the world. All other churches are false faiths, deceitful lies that will lead a soul not to Paradise, but to the Abyss. Article Three: The First Prophet And in its Prophet, who spoke the Creator’s
message for man and his salvation; who foretold
the coming of three further Prophets; who
delivered himself unto his enemies; and who was
martyred for us in the days of Augustin Lauren.
The First Prophet is the key to the Church’s credo. It was he whom the Creator made to bring his message to the world, he who spread the prophecy of three who would follow, and he who told of the wonders they would perform, “continuing his work in Theus’ name.” He gathered followers, the first saints, who had achieved a state of enlightenment through reason, and with them preached that only through acceptance of others (even those tainted by magic) can a person obtain salvation. Finally, it was he who—at the hands of vicious sorcerers and their corrupted rulers—was consumed by the raging flames of hatred and fear. Article Four: The Second Prophet And in the Second Prophet, who bore a staff;
who spoke the Creator’s message, and delivered
men from evil; and who was betrayed by the
unfaithful and was martyred for us.
The Second Prophet arrived from the now-infidel Empire of the Crescent Moon, claiming to be sent on a pilgrimage ordained by Theus. Though he was doubted, both for his claim and his skin, he struck dumb those who opposed his mission, and made powerless all sorcerers he encountered. And it was he who—claiming his flock were slaves of their homeland—led them back into the desert, only to be betrayed and murdered by the brothers of his birth. Article Five: The Third Prophet And in the Third Prophet, who bore a sword of
pure flame; who spoke the Creator’s message;
divided the righteous from the unrighteous; and
made the way clear for him who shall follow.
The Third Prophet was born into a time of unrest, when the world was braced for coming conflict. Unlike his predecessors, however, he was neither understanding nor tolerant of the world’s convictions, rising from within the ranks of noble blood and casting the gauntlet back at them, becoming the spark that ignited a war of faith. He shifted the home of the Church from Vodacce to Castille and changed the manner of thought across the world in one, decisive act, rupturing the harmony of the Church. Article Six: The Last Prophet And in the Fourth Prophet, who shall bear a
balanced hourglass; who shall be announced by
trumpets; and the dead shall awaken and he shall
reign in the visible and invisible world forevermore.
Inevitably, humanity will learn the awful tribute due at the end of time. The Fourth Prophet will bring Armageddon, casting the world into a cosmic battle for human souls. His kiss will be the breath of life across the globe, and his army will be the ranks of the fallen. He will lead them all through death and anger and conflict into a new age of brilliant truth and glory, where our fates are our own and the faithful shall live in the beauteous service of Theus forever. ORGANIZATION
Since the foundation of the Vaticine by the First Prophet, the administrative system has used the number ten to divide each tier of its hierarchy. Entire nations are divided up into religious districts, even if they do not necessarily conform to political districts, and governed by a Church-appointed official. The Church
In any region of Théah that recognizes the Prophets, one can find a church. In fact, as of the Third Prophet’s Declaration of Deference in 1267, “any fellowship without the blessing of a place of worship to the Creator shall be considered without the blessing of His Church,” and so a church is often the first building erected in any new town. The local church is the center of community: a court for magistrates, a hall for town meetings and the center of a wide variety of festivals and holiday celebrations. It is a place of refuge for the needy, a hospital for the sick and a sanctuary for those who claim to have seen the error of their ways. The administration of a local church falls upon the most senior of its ordained priests. The High Priest, appointed within his own church by a vote of his peers and their congregation, represents the church in the Parish Council. The Parish
The smallest district of Church administration is the Parish. A Parish consists of ten churches in close proximity. A Parish is governed by a Monsignor, who represents it in the local Diocese Council, and who is elected from among the High Priests of their Parish. The Diocese
The next level in the Vaticine Church system is the Diocese. Each Diocese is made up of ten Parishes. A Diocese is governed by a Bishop who is also an elected position from within the Diocese. The Archdiocese
The second highest, and most powerful, district within the Vaticine Church is the Archdiocese. Each of these extremely large districts is made up of ten Dioceses, and is governed by an Archbishop who represents his district in the Hieros Council. The council of Archbishops chooses ten of their members to serve as Cardinals, representing their own Archdiocese and also maintaining a Rectory in Vaticine City. The Hieros
Aside from a Prophet, the most powerful leader in the Vaticine Church is the Hierophant, and the whole of the Prophets’ Church is known as the Hieros. The Hierophant is selected by the Cardinals—from among the Archbishops who sit upon the Hieros Council—to serve the Church through a life-long position of pious leadership. The Vaticine Church’s highest seat resides in Vaticine City, located just off the southeastern coast of Castille since the middle of the 13th Century. The position of Hierophant is a stressful one. As such, the Hierophant has traditionally made use of the wise counsel of his Cardinals. It has also been a tradition for the Hierophant to make visits every other year to one of the courts of the Vaticine Monarchs (King Sandoval or one of the Vodacce Princes) during the summer months. Until the time of the Third Prophet, the seat of the Vaticine Church resided in Vodacce, and a vast majority of the Hierophants hailed from there until it moved to Castille in the 13th Century. At present, there is no Hierophant. The last woman to hold that title was assassinated by an unknown assailant. Church Positions
Hierarchical positions (Monsignor and higher) in the Vaticine Church are elected from a council of their peers within the same district. Each term of service is for life or until such time as the Church official decides that retirement is preferable to expiring in office. Retired Church officials return to their duties as priests in the local church where they began their religious careers. The Vaticine Church believes in and promotes equality between the sexes, and its titles are genderless. There are no “priestesses” and such—only female priests. RITUALSbr] There are an immense number of rituals performed regularly by the Priests of the Church of the Prophets. The following are among the most common. Mass
This is the standard gathering of faithful within a church for the purposes of communal prayer. Most churches still hold Mass in Old Théan, though a few Nations (Eisen and Avalon, in particular) have translated the hymns and responses into their own native languages. Baptism
Baptism within the Church of the Prophets occurs at the age of ten. The child in question receives an oral exam of his understanding of holy scripture. Failure results in a one-year grace period—called “deferment”— allowing the child to continue his studies until he succeeds. Ordainment
Like Baptism, an oral exam is required for those who wish to join the Church as priests. As would be expected, the test is difficult, and failure results in a three-year deferment before another can be attempted. If the student fails again, he is not allowed a third attempt. Marriage
Marriage is considered a social contract before Theus by the Vaticine Church. The wedded couple agrees both to uphold the tenets of the Creator’s message and to provide a new generation of children to do the same. Priests may marry, though their prospective mates must be baptized members of the faith. TOMES
There are two primary books used by the Church of the Prophets. The first is the Vaticine Book of Common Prayer, which details religious etiquette, procedures and hymns, and the rituals of the faith. The second is the Book of the Prophets, which consists of four Vigils, one for each of the Prophets who have already come, and another for the Last, which was delivered to the Third directly and allegedly documents the end of the world. CHURCH PHILOSOPHY
A gnostic church like the Vaticines is a little different from modern European faiths: unconcerned with faith, but—as their name suggests—fascinated by knowledge. As far as the Church is concerned, it is knowledge, not faith, that brings one closer to the Creator, for understanding His works gives you insight into the secrets of the Universe. Here are a few of the more contested philosophical questions of the modern Vaticine establishment: Determinism vs. Free Will
The main conflict going on in Church universities right now is the debate between determinists and those who hold faith in a new concept called “free will.” Determinism—at this time period—is the theory that all decisions that mankind makes are already predetermined by Theus. On the other hand, many scholars have argued that mankind must have a choice. They do not argue the logic of determinism, but instead argue the importance of indeterminism. “If man cannot choose,” argued one scholar, “then all of nature is an impersonal, uncaring force and not the patriarch we have painted him to be.” It is a heated debate among scholars, and not likely to be resolved any time in the near future. Romantic Love
The Church recognizes love as a concept, but not the love the poets write about. A man must love his neighbor, no matter who he is. A man must love his wife, no matter who she is. A wife must love her husband, no matter who he is. Love is for all of mankind, not just for one. The love the romantics write about is nothing more than lust, a base emotion. Yet the romantics sing about a new kind of love, a love between two people that no other can experience, share or understand. It is a fire that flares up without reason and burns forever. Is love as impersonal as the Church dictates, or is it as the poets claim, a mingling of two souls into one? Is there such a thing as True Love, and if so, have any truly fallen under its spell?
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