Bailum Consilium

A Nation United by Faith

The Barony of Shellbay is on of the major territories claimed by the imperial Augury. However, while other territories are forced to assimilate certain ideals into their religions, Shellbay enjoys independent faith under its separatist status. Prior to the Augury's rise, the human territories were all dominated by the Saltkrigere Empire; an impressive military power originating from Shellbay. After substantial political maneuvring and a costly war, the Saltkrigere Empire was toppled from the inside out and suppressed into its native land of Shellbay. In order to maintain political power and defuse potential rebellions, the leaders of the new Augury instated loyalists into their new territory of Shellbay. To prevent growing unpopularity in the future, Shellbay was afforded decreased taxes, political reverence, and religious independence.
Such religious independence following the war was crucial in the eyes of the Augury, as Shellbay had developed the most organized faith across laminarum in the form of the Bailum Consilium. The consilium was created long before the Saltkrigere Empire was toppled in 1478 HN, with most accounts claiming it was formed in the year 962 EG. The era of the consilium's rise was dominated by darkness; civilizations were decimated by famine and raids while worship of devils was on the rise. This period was known as Ettermiddag, and worldwide accounts show that the troubles faced by humanity were hardly unique. While Ettermiddag saw civilization pushed to its limit, it also allowed heroic organizations to shine through. One such order was the Saltkrigere Paladins. Each member was loyal to the church of Bailum, proficient in storm magic, and devoted to recovering civilization by spreading the divine justice of Bailum.
As the Saltkrigere Paladins spread into the northern reaches of Shellbay, they would slay raider civilizations and construct stone temples in the name of Bailum. In light of these paladins' work, the broader authorities of Shellbay erected the Bailum Consilium, which sought to direct paladins across the land to recover territory. Commoners and travelers would come from far and wide, as the stone consilium temples were highly defensible while its tenants were capable of healing the sick. Before long, the consilium was deemed essential to holding territory outside of Shellbay's capitol. Along with their presence came the spread of a solitary faith, as found in the scriptures of Paleo Bailumism.
While the consilium had periods of larger growth outside its nations border (as seen during the spread of the Saltkrigere Empire), the majority of their churches are within Shellbay territory. The consilium has both political and religious roles, as it intends to standardize the faith of Shellbay across its military, government, and commonfolk. Its actual authority within the nation is sporadic but generally tenuous, as leaders often come seeking guidance from the temple but aren't required to give their words credence. Regardless, the united faith of the nation under Bailum makes Shellbay one of the most culturally consistent nations in the world.

Bailum and his Orders

The consilium is universally devoted to Bailum, god of Justice. Several other divine figures exist in his pantheon, but only those closely related to Bailum are given credence; even gods respected by his faith are considered 'gods of circumstance,' in which prayer is reserved for their relevant domains. For example, one would only pray to Mitos (god of seas, storms, and voyages) before sailing the seas of Laminarum. Bailum is prayed to daily, which leads to the misconception that Paleo Bailumism is monotheistic.
The consilium is broken into a plethora of temples across the land, with no settlement being considered notable unless the consilium has a presence. In the modern era, the temples are stratified into several orders, each of which is devoted to a specific heroes of days past known as Saints. Priests in each of these organizations are devoted to Bailum, while the stories and teachings of their given saint are said to be the lens through which his teachings are focused. Overall, the tales of saints are meant to show how the word of Bailum was successfully applied in the real world. "Justice" is a broad term, after all. To some, justice is punishing criminals; others believe justice means preserving equality. For any who aspire to join the ranks of the Consilium, there are plenty of orders and roles available to choose from.

Roles within the Consilium

Monk: The duties of monks are less well defined than their superiors, with some tasks including advisement, scribing religious texts, caring for the sick, and fulfilling laborious tasks in line with the faith. To become a monk, one must be ordained by a priest, with most gaining recognition as volunteers or donors before receiving ordination.
Priest: Priests both direct the monkhood and share teachings from the Books of Bailum or their associated Saint. Their higher duties come in the form of sacrements, including confession, matrimony, anointments, exorcism, and final rights.
Abbot: Typically having served as a monk or priest, abbots are in charge of monasteries separate from temples. The abbot performs leadership responsibilities, most notably financial management and organization between monks.
Paladin: Paladins are meant to embody the values of their Saint's order, which could imply a litany of different tasks depending on their oath. Paladins are capable of performing sacraments, and as such are occasionally considered "wandering priests." Paladins also serve as healers during wars, childbirth, and plague. It's not uncommon for paladins to escort politicians or clergymen abroad so that they may practice their own faith without fear of harm.
Archpriest: Archpriests manage significant cathedrals throughout Shellbay with multiple priests beneath them to manage the larger local populations. They possess all the responsibilities of typical priests, only holding authority over others insofar as assigning daily tasks.

While different orders of Saints may have different perspectives on the matter of Paleo Bailumism, no member of the consilium is allowed to give sermons outside the Books of Bailum or tales of the saints. Their own perspective may be added, but teaching from ideologies such as Taopinism or local cults is forbidden.
Depending on the values of a given order, several more professions may exist, but 5 are consistent between each order: monk, priest, abbot, paladin, and archpriest. Some orders further break the roles by gender or age. The role of paladin is often inconsistent, with extra responsibilities existing for each order; some represent the church's interest while others represent the people. Some paladins fulfill political tasks while some are purely spiritual.
Paladins are also a role across Shellbay outside of the consilium, with many serving in the Saltkrigere military. Historically, paladins of the saltkrigere and consilium were one and the same, but generations of political motivation have led certain paladins to act entirely under the military's orders in hopes of achieving retirement accommodations, land, titles, and wealth. Many Saltkrigere Paladins climb the ranks quickly, allowing political achievement as well. While paladins of the consilium are not forbidden from such goals, their position and tasks make attaining them far more difficult
Regardless of the separation between paladins of military and faith, the consilium itself is hardly separate from politics. During times of hardship, the consilium may curb its ideals or conscript its paladins to war. Following these high-profile conflicts, priests involved in the matter may attain political positions and abandon their prior occupations. The most recent example (ca. 1947) would be the The Ghei Wyl Campaigns  of 1813 NG, in which paladin Efan Turases would lead the charge against the elves of Silse. This conquest would ultimately fail, though several other paladins and associated priests benefited financially from the matter, while the Turases commander would be recorded as a Saint himself (though many other orders consider the order of Saint Turases to be inordinately political compared to the others).

Founding Date

962 NG

Location

Shellbay

Notable Members

• Elias Rembrandt

Related Species

• Humans

Related Historical Events

• 1813
  The Ghei Wyl Campaigns
• 962
  Shellbay Establishes the Bailum Consilium