The Communion of the Nine
In the dark days of the Age of the Old Gods, all races were slaves to the whims of almighty Gods who were fickle and cruel, ruling the world with no regard for their subjects. Locked in constant power struggles and sourcing much of their power from fear and blood, existence for all races was miserable and short. Rebellions were infrequent and brutally put down, with those involved staining their dynasties with an existence of eternal torment.
However, nine great heroes would change the state of the world forever. Little knowledge of The Great Culling has survived the test of time, and much of what remains is conjecture, contradictory or exaggeration. What is clear, however, is that a brutal, generation-long, campaign against the Old Gods sparked from a rebellion in the North of Iqos, led by nine mighty heroes.
It is impossible to know how many Old Gods there were, and how many were slain- with details lost to the passage of time- but at least nine supremely powerful ones were slain; the nine heroes stole the power of these Old Gods, and achieved divinity themselves. The surviving Old Gods were unable to resist their newfound power, and retreated into hiding; they are continuously hunted, but a few yet remain.
The nine heroes became The Divine Nine, ascending to Godhood, and status beyond the material world. They established a religious order to help guide civilisation out of a post-Old God world and retreated to divinity, each accepting a domain to overlook, ranging from life to death, commerce to nature. Mantling Godhood eternally is an extremely difficult task, however, and each original human God has since chosen a new champion to replace them, renunciating their status as a God, once again becoming mortal. Each time a God renunciates their Godhood, it marks the end of the era; we are currently in the 14th era.
As none of the original Divine Nine remain, the nine who currently wear the mantles are referred to as The Ascended Nine, and the religion itself is called the Communion of the Nine.
Structure
- Naturally, the Ascended Nine sit at the top of the hierarchy, though the original Divine Nine are eternally venerated.
- Their conduit to the people is through the Holy Prophet, who speaks directly to the Gods in the Red Chamber, he is the head of the Theocracy.
- Below them are the Council of the Prophets, with each acting as a Speaker for a specific God; when a Holy Prophet dies, one of the Speakers replaces them.
- The protection of the Prophets is under the remit of the Golden Guards, incredibly powerful, veteran, Templars who wield supremely powerful religious artefacts and champion golden armour.
- The Righteous Zealots act as an inquisitorial force of the faith, weeding out the impure from within the Church. They are the Church's first line of defence against heretical forces, on a constant crusade to discover the few remaining Old Gods.
- Archons are priests with greater responsibility, with a mandate over the many priests in their jurisdiction- they organise the formation and construction of new churches within their region, and administrate Church matters- ranging from justice to diplomacy.
- Priests espouse the doctrine and teachings of the Church, teaching and educating the lay people on the faith, and representing the Church in local and regional matters across Iqos.
- Paladins and Templars act as defenders of the faith throughout the continent, serving the Church in a great variety of ways, from being simple guards of churches to destroying heretical cults alongside the Righteous Zealots. Paladins are typically the Apostles taken from their birth parents immediately, having to train vigorously to be accepted as a Paladin.
- Apostles are initiates who have not been given greater responsibility yet. Typically under-eighteens, they are trained and educated towards a specific role, depending on their strengths.
Culture
The Celebration of the Dawn. What does this great, holy day celebrate? The Ascension of Ados to mantle the God of War and Victory? Yes- of course... but not just this great event. It celebrates the End of the Azog Crusades, the resounding victory at the Battle of Hadun Castle... the valiant defeat of the cruel and barbarous Orcs. Celebrating this triumph is indeed a pious thing. But what is even more pious than celebration? Action. - Holy Prophet Sancti Peregrinus XVIThere is a complex culture within the Church, dominated by purity and reverence for the Ascended Gods. Following the Dual Tenets is a major focus of piousness and faith, as well as trying to meet the tenets of the Ascended Nine. The culture of Purity has evolved and morphed throughout centuries and millennia. Some interpretations by the Holy Prophet have highlighted self-purity and the eradication of vice. Others have focused on the purity of heart, and removing sin and evil from the world, with a focus on charity, peace and generosity. The interpretations still have a place in sects of the faith, but the current official dogma focuses on a strict purity which aims to restrict the influence of the Old Gods. Holy Prophet Sancti Peregrinus XVI has taken this to a level previously unseen for millennia, however, and has extended purity beyond the typical taint of the Old Gods and beyond to non-human races, especially the Orcs, where is building up support and allies for a new Crusade against the Ragasgrim Horde.
Public Agenda
The founding purpose of the religion was to guide the world from the Age of the Old Gods, into a better world, as well as purging the world of the traces of the Old Gods.
Mythology & Lore
The greatest story of the Communion of the Nine is the Great Culling; a major campaign of rebellion in the Age of the Old Gods. Tales vary over the details, and even the faith's official version is confused and muddled, but all agree that it ended with the defeat of the Old Gods- whether by great battle or trickery is unclear. However the Old Gods were defeated, and nine of the most powerful Old Gods were slain. Their power was then absorbed and mantled by the Divine Nine, the greatest heroes of their age. This is the origin story of the whole religion, and the world as we know it; it shapes the foundation of the ideas, beliefs and identity of the Communion of the Nine.
A major reason for the importance of the tenet of Reverence is the fact that the Gods use a lot of their power to create and maintain the Silver City; the afterlife for mortal souls. The Church claims it is a beautiful realm of silver and opulence, where all your needs are met, and bounties overflowing for all. When you die, you are met by Vorotong, the God of Death, who guides you to the River of Souls. A ferryman then boats you across to the Silver City. However, if your soul is too heavy, the boat begins to sink, and you are lost in the River of Souls for an eternity, with the God of Death making use of you until you repay your debts and sins to the Gods. If you cross without sinking, you are welcomed into the City, for a life of paradise and content.
Tenets of Faith
There are two primary tenets of faith which apply to the Communion of the Nine, and then a tenet ascribed to each God.
The Dual Tenets of Faith
- Purity- Purging the world of every and any trace of the Old Gods
- Reverence- Respecting and praising the victory of the Divine Nine, and thanking the sacrifice and power of the Ascended Nine who mantle the power of Old Gods
- The God of War and Victory- Endurance; Withstanding the trials and tribulations of war, both on an individual and a collective level is crucial to success and victory for the faith
- The God of the Elements- Power; It is the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak, and thus the responsibility of the strong to be as strong and powerful as possible
- The God of Prosperity- Charity; It is crucial to be generous and charitable where possible- the collective strength of the faith is key, and both bring allies and community
- The Goddess of Life- Family; Family units are the base community of the faith, and supporting and rewarding your family is key in preventing the erosion of the faith from generation to generation
- The God of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Intelligence- Conscientiousness; Study and learning is the foundation of knowledge and wisdom- only through practice and reading can the best course of action be achieved
- The God of Protection, Mercy, and Justice- Justice; The law and justice are paramount, being a servant of either is a pious act
- The Goddess of Nature- Conservation; Protection and respect towards the land and creatures which grow will result in better harvests and a greater world, free of evil and corruption
- The Goddess of Love and Lust- Sacrifice; The noblest action one can take for the people of ideas they love is to sacrifice- great or small
- The God of Death- Humility; One day you will be dead, regardless of your greatness or skill. Enjoy your life and make the lives of those around you easier.
- Impurity- Assisting or aiding any of the Old Gods
- Scorn- Scorning or denouncing the Divine or Ascended Nine
- The God of War and Victory- Cowardice; Conceding and kneeling to pressure or fear is a sin
- The God of the Elements- Exploitation; It is the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak, and not abuse or exploit them
- The God of Prosperity- Greed; Excessive desire or greed is a weakness of restraint and character
- The Goddess of Life- Abandonment; Abandoning family, friends or those that rely on you is a betrayal of the Gods themselves
- The God of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Intelligence- Sloth; Laziness and apathy leads to the erosion of character, strength and faith
- The God of Protection, Mercy, and Justice- Wroth; Justice is crucial, but excessive punishment, vengeance and retribution leads to the bloody time of the Old Gods
- The Goddess of Nature- Squander; Ignorance and taking for granted the blessings you have leads to squandering and wastefulness
- The Goddess of Love and Lust- Malice; The opposite of a noble action, malice and spite is a grave sin
- The God of Death- Pride; Eventually, the God of Death comes for us all, pride will sink your ship across the River of Souls
Sects
Each God has their own 'branch' of the faith with specific ideals and opinions which reflect that of their primary God. Their followers in each branch attempt to advance the agenda of each God within the faith, as well as follow actions which revolve around the worship and promotion of the God's ideals.
Further, there have been several interpretations of the dual tenets of faith- Purity and Reverance- which have led to deep divisions across the eras, and has almost led to fragmentations within the religion.
Purity and Reverence
Founding Date
1st era
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Capital
Leader Title
Government System
Theocracy
Official State Religion
Permeated Organizations
Deities
- Ados, the God of War and Victory
- Assiel, the God of the Elements
- Celodhil, the God of Prosperity
- Chandra, the Goddess of Life
- Galathil, God of Knowledge, Wisdom and Intelligence
- Hielik, God of Protection, Mercy and Justice
- Katib, Goddess of Nature
- Sielel, Goddess of Love of Lust
- Vorotong, the God of Death
Divines
- Ados, the God of War and Victory
- Assiel, the God of the Elements
- Celodhil, the God of Prosperity
- Chandra, the Goddess of Life
- Galathil, God of Knowledge, Wisdom and Intelligence
- Hielik, God of Protection, Mercy and Justice
- Katib, Goddess of Nature
- Sielel, Goddess of Love of Lust
- Vorotong, the God of Death
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Notable Members
Related Species
Comments