Church of the Everlasting Light

A monotheistic religion founded on the principle idea that the Light is a conscious, omnipotent being capable of granting great powers to "True Believers", if only they serve its will with unrelenting, unquestioning devotion. Followers of this religion are typically known as and referred to as the Steadfast.

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Titles

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First Light:

The highest office of the Everlasting Light, this position historically has only been held by a woman, typically over the age of fifty years old, Imbued, and she holds the office for life. She is accompanied by an orb, which is believed to be the embodiment and vessel of the holy Light, the Everlasting Light's divine entity. Like a monarch, the First Light holds all the control and reigns over the religion as a whole, giving her the power to override any order, ordinance, law, or governance enacted from below her office. She is almost always addressed as "First Light", but may also be referred to and addressed as "Divine Mother", or as "Your Eminence".

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Divine Lights:

The most senior members of the clergy and the administrative body of the Everlasting Light, these are the archbishops, bishops, exarchs and chancellors. They are the organizers, lawmakers, and devotees who see to the day-to-day operations of their religion. They may be addressed with typical honorifics (such as "Your Grace"), except those reserved for the First Light. Offices of the Divine Lights may be held by either men or women, but it's believed that, due to its nurturing nature of the Light and its healing powers, the Everlasting Light favors women. While men may very well be as competent healers as women, it's a widely held belief that their main task is the protection and preservation of the church.

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Guiding Lights:

These are the worker bees, pack mules, and workhorses of the Everlasting Light. These are the priests and priestesses, the paladins and knights, the clerics, chaplains, monks, nuns, abbesses and abbots, novices and shades. While it is expected that every Steadfast serve in the Everlasting Light, Guiding Lights are the backbone of their religion. It is through them the masses are taught faith, healed, cared for, and brought into the Light.

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The Everlasting Oath:

In serving the whole, we give our best:
our respect, honesty, and our compassion.
Steadfast are fair and just, but never cruel;
we look upon the whole and see the balance,
understanding that where there is Light, there must also be Shadow.

Willingly, we choose to follow the path the Light sets before us.
It empowers us with its beauty and its strength;
it permeates us. Its will is our will.
We know freedom is not an individual pursuit.
We must strive for the life and liberty of all beings,
no matter how great or small.

A life sworn to the Light breathes into us the Divine.
A life lived in discipline guides us to enlightenment.
Enlightenment shows us the path to atonement.
Atonement leads us to humility,
and humility brings us into the service of all.

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Permeated Organizations

• Kingdom of Capria

Notable Members

• Erelyn Forgewright

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Everlasting Hierarchy

Leader: First Light

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Administrative: Divine Light

• Prime Minister
• Prime Exarch
• Archbishop
• Exarch
• Bishop
• Chancellor

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Clergy: Guiding Light

• Priestess/Priest
• Chaplain
• Paladin
• Cleric
• Knight
• Monk/Nun
• Abbess/Abbott