The Order Sanctus

The harrowing cathedrals of the Order Sanctus home the priests, penitents, and faithful of the one true god. This Church is relatively new, replacing the ancient pagan ways of the Isle. Now, the Order has integrated as a major political power, one that rivals the nobility in some ways.

Structure

The Clergy of the true god is made up of hundreds of different positions within the church. Techncially, everything form a choir-maiden to the most prestigious position, that of the The Holy Icon makes up their ranks.

Public Agenda

The Order Sanctus is primarily concerned with the spread of the word of the true god while removing any ancient, pagan, or heretical aspects from society and even the history books.

Assets

The assets of the church rival that of kings and princes. They have at their disposal a massive amount of wealth, hundreds of stronghold-churches, holy armies, divine relics, and the entire population of the faithful as their assets.

History

Having been founded just over 100 years ago, the Order Sanctus has very quickly taken to implementing itself into the government of the Isle while also persecuting those who hold onto their ancient, pagan traditions. In this hundred years, thousands of martyrs and saints have been canonized by one holy man after another, making an equal amount of sub-sects functioning within the church.

Mythology & Lore

The Order holds that the true god created all there is within the world. After this feat of creation, he rested and recovered from his labors. It was after this rest, the great dormancy, that he awoke and revealed himself to the first holy icon, The Divine Father, St. Sanctus The Prophet. The Church does hold, however, that from the darkness that God carved the world from, something else began to lurk. This darkness is named "The Anathema" and it acts as a foil to God.

Divine Origins

Prior to the end of God's great dormancy, the people worshiped their ancestors, and strange pagan gods whose names are now mostly forgotten. These localized deities proved problematic, fanning the flames of the era of blood. The Order, being founded by St. Sanctus the prophet shortly after the unification of the isle under the banner of Helcatha, has helped to bring great stability to it.

Tenets of Faith

The faith of the Order Sanctus is simple and refined, summed up in the opening chapter of the holy text.

I.) Though shalt have no god before the true god; No object of worship is to replace his.
II.) Venerate the saints, and from their legacy draw your power; To be so close to god is to be akin to god.
III.) Do not harm another of the faith or his possessions in this world; We that know of god's love are brothers.
IV.) Drive out the Anathema and it's wicked ways; To purge the world of evil is to make god's kingdom reality.
V.) In whatever you do, bring glory to god; All things are permissible if used in the name of the lord.

Priesthood

The priesthood is, in it's most basic form, a selection of those faithful that have decided to dedicate their lives to God. Any person can, at least in theory, become a clergy member but it is often the case that political connections, and money greasing the right hands can help this process, as can a legitimate dedication to the faith. Nothing is incorruptible and that includes the church, after all.

Founding Date

797

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Clergy

Demonym

Sancti

Leader

St. Theodorus the Elder

Deities

• God

Location

The Isle Of Blades