Religious experience in Sammerden

The complex division of Cults and religious practice of the Holy Sanctorum can be confusing for the uninitiated. However, the average resident of Sammerden navigates these divisions daily - paying them little heed and effortlessly switching between the devotions of multiple different Cults, who might seem fierce opponents on paper.
Furthermore, even those actively involved in the Cults - the Acolytes and Sanctors - experience their religious life as a single whole, even if they are more aware of disagreements and divergences between Cults. Almost every Sanctorum (the term for religious buildings and the organisation which runs them - akin to 'church,' 'temple,' 'synagogue,' or 'mosque.') contains representatives of multiple Cults, and serves a population devoted to a wide variety of religious practice to varying degrees.
Thus, to aid understanding of how the religion of the Creator is really experienced in Sammerden, here is a brief overview of the structure of the Holy Sanctorum, and then five examples of how this functions in practice.

The structure of the Holy Sanctorum

The Holy Sanctorum is the term for the entire organised religion of the Creator. Given no definitive leader, and little firm doctrine, by the Creator directly the people of Sammerden have disagreed on the best forms of worshipping the Creator. Thus, there are currently 18 divisions - of 'Cults' - recognised by the Sanctorum. These range from the hugely popular, to the very specific. Though their practices vary, their central beliefs remain the same - and their practices are not mutually exclusive. In fact, as you will see, most people in Sammerden are devoted to at least 4 Cults, and the worship of most Cults is enhanced by the presence of other Cults in the same Sanctorum.
The Cults of the Sanctorum are:

The Cult of Prayers

The Cult of Singers

The Cult of Rituals

The Cult of Conservors

The Cult of Preachers

The Cult of Seekers

The Cult of Purification

The Cult of Final Blessing

The Cult of Writers

The Cult of Penitents

The Cult of Contemplation

The Cult of Builders

The Cult of Crafts

The Cult of Giving

The Cult of Pilgrims

The Cult of Holy Arms

The Cult of Magic

The Cult of Justice

Within each Cult there are three levels of membership: Devotee, Acolyte, and Sanctor.
Devotees are wholly lay members of the Cult - they have expressed a personal devotion to the Cult's forms of worship, but have no duties towards it. Any believer can be a Devotee of as many Cults as they like (the final three, Holy Arms, Magic, and Justice are exceptions to this rule. See their entries for more details).
Acolytes are voluntary servants of the Cult - they have formal duties, and have publicly pledged to perform them. In exchange, they are able to lead public worship, and called upon to assist the Cult in many ways. In recognition of their duties, the Settlement of the Cults restricts the faithful to the rank of Acolyte in only 4 different Cults. Acolytes can, however, be Devotees of as many Cults as they like
Sanctors are the professional servants and officers of the Cult - they have extensive formal duties, for which they are paid and receive donations from the faithful. They lead much public worship, as well as involving themselves in the administration of the Cult and of the Sanctorum they are based in. The Settlement of the Cults restricts each individual to being a Sanctor in a single Cult - though they can be Acolyte in three others, and a Devotee of as many as they like.
Now we consider how this works in practice:

A busy city Sanctorum

Let us consider a Sanctorum in the busy port city of Boport. Not one by the docks, but one up the hill on Cloth Street. The area is wealthy - and cloth is no longer woven here, but sold and exhibited by merchants and tailors. The Sanctorum is a grand stone building capable of holding as many as 1,000 worshippers at a time. It is served by 20 Sanctors - a considerable number, but not rare for major Sanctorums in large cities (the largest Sanctorum in Boport - the Sanctorum of the Sea - is served by no fewer than 50 Sanctors).
It serves a busy and diverse congregation, and a wealthy one - so has attracted Sanctors form a variety of different Cults. Let us meet some of them:

• Arnwin is the Master Sanctor (the head of the Sanctorum's administration). He is a Ritual-Sanctor, in the Cult of Rituals. This means that, as well as administering the Sanctorum, he can often be found leading rituals - particularly the important daily Ritual of Deliverance. He is also an Acolyte in the Cults of Singers, Prayers, and Preachers. This is quite a common combination - it means that he would be able to perform whole services (prayers, songs, rituals, and sermons) on his own if needed. Luckily for him, that is rarely needed in the city - but many Sanctors in the countryside do operate like this (as we will see below).
• Tarryth is a Seeker-Sanctor, in the Cult of Seekers. The Cult of Seekers develop their knowledge (both in religion and worldly matters) as a tribute to the Creator, and to better comprehend creation. As such, she also serves as the Sanctorum's archivist, librarian, and one of the school teachers. The Cult of Seekers have few formal acts of worship, so she is often in the general congregation during services. However, she is an Acolyte in the Cult of Writers (very common as a combination) so assists in producing new service books for all those in the Sanctorum. She likes singing, and has recently become an Acolyte in the Cult of Singers, meaning that she will join in choral performances when possible.
• Felisso is a Singer-Sanctor, and the choirmaster in the Sanctorum. He leads the Singers' performances, and twice-weekly practice sessions. He is a personal Devotee of the Seekers, and has become an Acolyte in the Cult of Writers in order to facilitate the production of new song books (Devotees of the Cult of Writers can copy song books, but Felisso wants to add new songs as he comes across them). This works particularly well, because Felisso is also an Acolyte in the Cult of Pilgrims and joins a pilgrimage with parts of the choir (and others) every year - performing and encountering new devotional songs he can bring back to Boport. He is very happy with this combination, and would not even consider himself a Devotee of Prayers or Rituals (though he performs alongside them) - if he is not on duty for a service, he will often return to planning the next concert or pilgrimage route.
• Sigguth is the only Builder-Sanctor in the Sanctorum, and was especially hired by Arnwin to oversee all aspects of the Sanctorum building, and much of the permanent decor (the Cult of Builders are responsible for statues and stained glass, but the Cult of Crafts do paintings, fabrics, and metalwork). He is kept busy arranging repairs and monitoring the condition of the building - but is also an Acolyte in the Cult of Prayers, and leads occasional services. Like Felisso, he is an Acolyte of Pilgrimage, and journeys throughout Sammerden to get inspiration for his work. Unusually for a Builder, he is more of an architect than a mason, so is not an Acolyte in the Cult of Crafts. He is a Devotee of the Cult of Singers though - he would be an Acolyte, but the Singers require a technical test for admission and Felisso is yet to get him to a high enough standard!
• Dazlok Tzo'dar is one of two Craft-Sanctors in the Sanctorum. To her great annoyance, most people assume that she is the skilled metalworker (as she is a Tetra) - whereas she is a painter of some talent (exceptional talent, though she would not admit it). She has been responsible for most of the redecoration of the Sanctorum, including the monumental 'Morgene recieves the Revelation' above the main arch. She is deeply committed to her art as an expression of faith, and isn't devoted to either Singers or Prayers. However, she is devoted to the Cult of Rituals, and is training to become a pledged Acolyte, in order to assist the busy schedule of services in the Sanctorum. She is also an Acolyte of Final Blessing, serving a most funerals the Sanctorum undertakes.

So, having learned something about those serving in the Sanctorum - and their different divisions and duties, what would the experience be like for an ordinary congregant of the Sanctorum? Let us imagine you are a young apprentice on Cloth Street. You live with your master - an elderly, skilled, and religious tailor. He is keen to attend the Sanctorum as often as possible, and for you to join him. Therefore, let us assume you perform little worship privately and go to the Sanctorum whenever possible. He is, quite conventionally, a Devotee of the Cults of Prayers, Song, and (given his trade) Crafts.
The first day of the week is Revelation Day - when the faithful commemorate the Creator's actions in founding the Holy Sanctorum (via the Prophet Blessed Morgene) and beginning the victory of the living over the Empty who had occupied most of Sammerden. You rise early, and make the first service of the day: the Service of Waking. Because this is a large Sanctorum, you benefit from all of the 'Big Three' Cults (Singers, Prayers, and Ritual) combined: the service involves Arnwin burning sweet smelling lavender and mornblossom to wake your senses while Dazlok (and others) ring high-pitched bells. Then Felisso leads the choir in the Morning Song of Revelation - thanking the Creator for creation, and redeeming it through Blessed Morgene. Gwenwyn - one of the Prayer-Sanctors - leads the Creation Prayer of Revelation (which contains similar themes as the song). The short service concludes with Arnwin chanting the Canticle of Waking (which the Singers accompany with a special arrangement which the Cult have dedicated to the Cult of Rituals).
You depart - Revelation Day is your day off, so your Master lets you head off with other Apprentices. In your absence, he will return to the Sanctorum at noon to sing the Song of the Blesseds - commemorating the service of holy men and women to the whole Sanctorum and the Creator. The Cult of Rituals does not celebrate this, so there is only a song and a prayer - but you do hear a Preacher-Sanctor by the docks extolling the virtue of Blessed Zelok the Sailor, a Tetra who saved a whole fishing fleet by calling upon the Creator and interpreting divine signs to avoid a storm. You return from the docks in time for the most important prayer of the day - the mid-afternoon Service of Purification. Again, the Cults of Prayers, Singers, and Ritual combine to commemorate the mystical cleansing of Calthor by the Creator, and Blessed Morgene's holy death. As it is the Day of Revelation, the service is longer because a Preacher-Sanctor gives a short sermon comparing the cleansing of Calthor with the cleansing of the soul (you've heard that one before...), and exhorting all to have a holy week. Finally, as you depart, a Purifying-Sanctor and two Acolytes make themselves available for private prayer, reassurance and absolution.
Neither you nor your master attend the Forgiveness Service in the Sanctorum, but many do. You return after sundown for the Service of Rest. Now the herbs are mellow and the bells deep. The prayers, songs, and chant mix and you yawn openly. Your master does not rebuke you - holy sleep is exactly what this service is meant to provide. Both of you walk slowly back to the house and soon fall asleep. The rest of the week passes similarly - though you attend only the Services of Waking and of Purification. Both are simpler than on Revelation Day, and there is no preacher. On the third day of the week, you (with your master's permission) take a small amount of cloth to a meeting of the Cult of Crafts (to which both you and he are devoted). There you practice your sewing of religious imagery and vestments for worship - your Master hopes you will become an Acolyte at the same time you become a Journeyman, and Dazlok is pleased enough with your work that she supports the idea (as she supports anyone who can reduce the amount she has to sew!). As you are leaving, Dazlok tells you to inform your master that one of his former apprentices died recently, and she will be leading the Final Blessing tomorrow - you and he promise to attend.
Now, let us see how this would be different in a much smaller community:

A rural village Sanctorum

Golfandil is a small village in the shadow of the Golek Mountains. The inhabitants mix farming with a cottage industry in gem finishing - mine agents tour the villages near the mines and sell small quantities of unfinished gems to households. These are processed, and a small co-fraternity (boldly entitled 'The Golfandil Company of Master Gem Carvers') pays for one member to ride the finished gems to the next town and sell them, to split the profits. It is a small village of approximately 120 heads, but moderately wealthy because of the gem trade. It therefore has a stone Sanctorum and can afford to support two Sanctors:

• Trezdol Donder is your traditional rural Sanctor. Primarily, he is a Prayer-Sanctor but he is also an Acolyte for the Cult of Singers, Cult of Rituals, and Cult of Preaching. He can - therefore - adequately perform a full service himself. To do so, of course, would be tiring work five times a day, so he relies heavily on others for full services, and performs them less often than in the city.
• Effosiam, the young Elosi Sanctor was a particularly good acquisition from the city of Gol'fal. The village has a high opinion of itself, and grew tired of buying in books and other necessities for worship. Effosiam is a Seeker-Sanctor who is an Acolyte in the Cult of Writers also. At the suggestion (and funding) of the Villagers, he has also become an Acolyte in the Cults of Purification and of Final Blessing. Thus, he can support both the lives of the villagers (through forgiveness and burials), and the worship in the Sanctorum (through the production of books and holy writings).

The first thing to notice is that rural Sanctorums are run on much tighter resources than city Sanctorums (as is to be expected) - and that the role of Acolytes is central to their success. All singing, ritual, and preaching is provided by (at best) a Sanctor acting as an Acolyte, or purely by an Acolyte. All crafting and building is necessarily bought in, or produced by Acolytes (the village did not want a Crafter-Acolyte, because practically half the village are Acolytes in the Cult of Crafters already.
As for daily and weekly life in the village Sanctorum, the prayers are the same as in Boport (and across Sammerden) - but the experience is different. Trezdol will lead all five services on the Day of Revelation, and the service of purification every mid-afternoon. However, for all other services, either a rota at the entrance dictates which Acolytes will lead services or families pray privately at home. Private prayer is common in the cities, but the option of attending a Sanctorum is always there - whereas in villages, people either pray privately, or arrange their own services.
One phenomenon common in villages that we did not consider in the city is that of large numbers of Acolytes operating without a Sanctor from their cult overseeing their work. In the city, we looked at a Sanctorum with at least one Sanctor from the Acolytes represented among the congregation (that is, all except the Penitents and Conservors - who tend to live apart - and Cults of Holy Arms, Justice, and Magic which organise themselves separately). In almost every city, if your Sanctorum doesn't have a particular Cult's Sanctor then it is highly likely that there will be one in a nearby Sanctorum. However, regularly in villages - and quite often in towns - this is not the case.
Officially, even Acolytes are inducted members of the Cult - and can be trusted to uphold the faith and the worship of the Cult on their own. Equally, most Cults strongly encourage layers of accountability and communication to ensure orthodox practice and belief - leaving self-perpetuating families of Acolytes is a recipe for disaster. Thus, it is common for Cults to ensure some form of supervision for their acolytes from Sanctors. In the case of our village of Golfandil, there is a Craft-Sanctor in the town they sell their gems - he has few duties on Revelation Day (he is part of the town's largest Sanctorum, and they are well provided with Sanctors), so he travels up each week to see the villagers, answer questions, and give instructions. It requires, naturally, a good relationship with the established Sanctors - but it is all above board as he is a Craft-Sanctor talking to his fellow adherents.

The Sanctorum at Farhad's Fist

We have thus far looked at two examples of the Holy Sanctorum in communities - one very large, one quite small. In both instances, the devotion of most people has been focused around the 'Big Three' Cults: the Singers, Prayers, and Rituals. These combine and complement to create services that most people experience in some form (more or less extravagantly, depending on city or village). Equally, some cults have played a clear supporting role: the Cults of Craft, Final Blessing, Preaching, Seeking, and Writing have all had a role to play in people's lives, or in supporting worship. But Cults are expressions of worship in their own right - and not merely supporting characters. Each Cult, even the smaller ones, will have some communities where they are predominant. To explore this, and to meet people whose worship does not focus on prayer, song, and ritual, let us consider Farhad's Fist.
The Fist itself is a large rocky outcrop in the Jellnev Desert. The desert is inhospitable and deadly - Farhad's Fist is both one of the largest oases, and one of the few solid structures in the abyss of sand and dunes. For this reason, the Fist attracted rebels, smugglers, and criminals for millennia. It was regularly attacked by the forces of the Jellnev Empire and the Kingdom of Weldmere - who were sometimes even successful. Finally, a group of Conservors were convinced to take up residence in the buildings and structures around the Fist.
The Conservors worship the Creator by preserving and stewarding creation itself. They have a deep spiritual attachment to places of great natural beauty, at great risk of destruction, or otherwise remarkable among all which the Creator wrought. The Sanctorum founded at the Fist is primarily a religious one, and primarily a Conservor one - though several other Cults we have not yet had chance to consider are also present. As before, let us meet some of the community (which is a couple of thousand strong in total, both lay and religious): 

• Benfilte di-Onas is the Master Sanctor, and also serves as secular leader of the community. She is a Conservor-Sanctor, and grew up in Farhad's Fist. She grew up in the Conservors, and cares deeply about the precarious community at the Fist. She does have other devotions - being an Acolyte both in the Cult of Seekers and of Writers. She was not an Acolyte of any of the 'Big Three' until just before her election of Master Sanctor. She promised to see Acolyte status with the Singers to fill an identified community need. Her devotion is by no means insincere, but she does not claim it came naturally - it was prompted.
• Qalfid ul-Melak is a Contemplative-Sanctor, of the Cult of Contemplation. This is a largely hermetic Cult - meditation is the primary form of engagement with the Creator, but this is often found to be easiest in seclusion. He leads the large number of Acolytes of Contemplation at the Fist - most of whom divide their time between work and meditation, but some of whom are strictly hermetic. He is an Acolyte in the Cult of Writers and in the Cult of Giving - who run a hospitality and medical centre in Fist.
• Ceonloc is the Giver-Sanctor who runs the hospitality and medical care at the Fist. Her background is in medicine (thus she is also an Acolyte in the Cult of Seekers), and her first attraction was to the job of ministering to the needy in the desert, rather than the beauty or solitude of the Fist itself. She is one of the more conventionally religious of the community, being additionally an Acolyte with the Prayers and Cult of Ritual.
• Gisslos is a Pilgrim-Sanctor, and acts as the chief guide in and out of the desert between the Fist, Jellnev, and Weldmere. Though he acts as a literal guide through the desert, the Cult of Pilgrimage defines his work as a 'greeter' - a member of the Cult who welcomes pilgrims to a given location, rather than one who leads them on spiritual journeys. He is also an Acolyte in the Cults of Contemplation, Seekers, and Prayers.

We notice here that few of the senior members in the Sanctorum at Farhad's Fist have any involvement with the Cults we heard regularly about in both the city and village examples. We may wonder if they are irreligious? They are not - but their worship does look very different from what we have seen thus far. Let us consider what a week of worship might look like at Farhad's Fist: 
Starting again on Revelation Day, those who do have a devotion to the Cults of Prayer, Ritual, or Singers will follow their services as we have described them above. This consists of maybe a quarter of the inhabitants of the community. Those whose primary devotion is to the Cults of Contemplation, Seekers, or Writing each have Cycles of readings, devotions, and mediations to call to mind at the same hours as other Cults (morning, noon, mid-afternoon, evening, and night). There is disparity at Farhad's Fist about how this is done - a number of Contemplators, Seekers, and Writers spend the day in their living quarters, keeping the devotion wholly private. 
Other Seekers and Writers (who share largely the same texts, particularly on Revelation Day) join study groups to discuss and interrogate the text. These inevitably take on a social element - and later hours are filled with good food, wine, and conversations as much as religious study. This is very much in keeping with both Cults' approach to knowledge, research, and worship. Contemplators, naturally, tend to avoid these groups - but Qalfid leads joint meditation sessions on the top of the Fist itself (often under awnings, or inside, during the hotter hours).
Still other Contemplators will spend the day outside in solitude, performing the appointed meditations. Here, they are joined with some Conservors who get an equal - if different - spiritual pleasure from walking the oasis and gardens on Revelation Day. Other Conservors join with the Cults of Giving, Crafts, and Builders in their own study groups - not to study texts, but to answer a series of questions (the Queries of the Revelation) about their spiritual work in the last week. For these Cults, their daily work is their worship, and they use Revelation Day to assess their own impact, and to resolve work for the week ahead.
With Revelation Day past, the daily worship of Farhad's Fist seems less intense that in either city or village. A few Devotees of Prayers, Singers, and Ritual do keep the daily Cycles of Services - but most people at the Fist have some allegiance to the Conservors, and the Conservors see the daily work to maintain nature as their primary form of worship. The mantras that a Conservor might repeat before clearing an irrigation ditch, or even drawing water from a well, may be less visible forms of worship - but they are no less deeply held.
It is important to remember that in both the city and village we considered above, there were religious people who took the same approach as at Farhad's Fist. Their distinct worship is not a consequence of living in the desert, but of their different view of worship for the Creator. Next to ever cloth merchant who attends Sanctorum 5 times a day, there may live a Acolyte of the Cult of Crafts who seems never to pray or rest, but actually mutters mantras and invocations every time he strikes his hammer or pulls his thread. 

The Holy Mages

We have not yet considered one of the smaller, more esoteric, Cults of the Holy Sanctorum: the Cult of Magic. The controversy between devout worship of the Creator and the use (or even possession) of magical ability is dealt with elsewhere. For the purposes of this, let us accept that most Viks (or mages, for the purpose of this explanation) are as religious as the next person. By and large, they join the same Sanctorums, and pray the same prayers - and do so wholly sincerely. For some mages, however, their powers have a spiritual aspect. We do not mean those Sanctors given supernatural powers by the Creator (again, those are dealt with elsewhere) - but individual mages who view their magical power as a central part of their character and their part of Creation.
This view has been extremely controversial - even considered blasphemous - since the Exile and the Empty invasion. However, its permissibility was settled in the year 323 of the Age of the Conqueror (approximately 500 years ago). Now, at least officially, ever member of the Sanctorum should recognise the right of a mage to identify their power as spiritual, as long as it is used in compliance with holy law. Mages who do take this view join the Cult of Magic.
This Cult consists wholly of mages (it is one of the few allowed to restrict who is a Devotee), and proclaims that the proper use of magic is a form of worship of the Creator. Its members revel in their ability - but not irresponsibly. Most mages will use their power only as a tool, and the worst mages will see it as a plaything for them to use without restriction. The Cult charts a course between this - their members will often use magic 'unnecessarily for the simplest things (lighting a candle, opening a door), but will do so within a strict moral framework that would prevent them mischievously locking a neighbour's door, or snuffing out their candles from afar. 
Thus, like Conservors, Crafters, Givers, and Builders, the holy mages' work is their worship - and they have relatively simple worship rituals day-to-day. Like the Seekers, Writers, and Contemplators, however, the consider greater understanding (in this case of their abilities and morality) to be a form of worship for creation. Therefore, they will often form study and social groups for their worship, and debate the nature of their faith. Finally, revelling in their power, they have their own magic rituals to mark the year, demonstrate their skill, and glorify the Creator.
Acolytes and Sanctors mean less for the holy mages than other Cults - and they come with a higher price. While granted official recognition, the Cult was not granted equal rights. Those who choose to become Acolytes or Sanctors are barred from being Acolytes in any other Cult, though they remain the right to attend as Devotees. Most Holy Mages do have many other devotions - and indeed the Cult strongly discourages members from making magic the whole of their religious identity. Naturally, the Cult of Seekers is a popular additional choice for mages, but so too is the Cult of Giving - the Cult of Holy Magic's "Our Gift Can Be Their Gift" campaign seeks to deploy mages to aid medical, rebuilding, and charitable work alongside the Cult of Giving.  

The Milites at Jelbridge

As our final example of religious practice in Sammerden, we will consider one of the other special case Cults - the Cult of Holy Arms. They are much less controversial than the Cult of Magic, but are similarly excluded from some of rights and processes of the rest of the Sanctorum. The Cult is a religious military order, and thus more hierarchical and more rigid than the collaborative Cults we have studied so far. 
In terms of their forms of worship - they are thoroughly orthodox. Indeed, their barracks (called Chapters, as with members of the separate Sentinel Order) contract the services of all significant Cults, so that members of the Cult of Holy Arms can live fully the life of liturgy and praise experience outside the Cult. However, they are one of very few Cults which worship exclusively of others (whereas, for example, a Devotee of Rituals would think nothing of a Devotee of Singers sitting next to them at a service).
Instead of considering the experience of their worship then, let us consider how an ordinary person would experience their three grades - Devotee, Acolyte, and Sanctor. Let us say you were a young squire in the city of Jelbridge (facing the desert, and Farhad's fist). You're a religious fellow, and a good swordsman. Once you are released from your service to your current knight, you have decided to take up work as a mercenary, or Coined Sword. You don't intend to be knighted (too many rules!) or join the Sentinels (drab clothing, not enough adventure). But your martial skill is important to you, and while you want to make money from it, you also want to dedicate your success to the Creator which gave it to you. How can you do this?
If your skill was painting, you would be an ideal Devotee of the Cult of Crafts. So, you go to the Milite Sanctorum (the name for the Cult of Holy Arms' military formations) barracks in Jelbridge, where you know some 100 members of the Cult live. You ask the Serjeant at the gate how you can become a Devotee of his Cult. It is easy, he says. Learn the Ten Rules of Holy Arms, make an appointment to see the Commander next week, recite them to him, swear an oath to uphold them in all things, and there you go - an official Devotee. Your name will be recorded in the Jelbridge Chapter's log, you will be given a small sigil to show membership, and a book of mantras you might want to repeat daily. Other than that, however, you will have no ongoing relationship with the Cult - there are no daily or weekly rituals for you to join in with and (in many ways) you are not really a member - your holy dedication to righteous warfare is known only to you, the Creator, the Commander you met once, and an archivist you have never met.  
Finding this unsatisfactory, and wanting to make a greater public devotion to holy warfare, you ask about becoming an Acolyte instead. This, you know, would be easy in some other Cults. Ha! the Serjeant laughs - that's another matter entirely. You can learn the Ten Rules, come back and take a different Oath to the Commander. Only this one says you will do service of 5 years, live where you are told, eat what you are fed, and fight who you are given. There is no voluntary membership of the Cult of Holy Arms - all 'true' members are full soldiers of the Cult, who have dedicated at least five of their years (frequently their whole lives) to the military service of the Holy Sanctorum.
Acolytes are the foot soldiers, and Sanctors are the promoted officers, and all are at the command of the Grand Sanctorum for whatever is needed. Nor is it often a life of true adventure - some work involves arresting dangerous religious criminals and/or heretics, but most involves guarding high profile Sanctorums and festivals, securing religious treasures, or escorting significant religious figures.
If the Cult, then, would be so unappealing to our young squire, why does it exist and who joins it? In the first, it is generally for religious people of a lower social class than our imaginary squire. There are relatively few knights in the Milites, and knighthood gives you little advantage outside Calthor. Instead, it is for the redemption of those whose martial abilities would make them effective robbers, raiders, and rebels - if not for strong religious faith. Secondarily, its members are not always the youngest of recruits. Our squire never thinks of himself as a man of forty - but a forty-year old mercenary starts getting fewer contracts for less pay. A forty-year old at the gate, promised food, lodgings, and honest work for 10 years of remaining strength might look upon that offer quite differently.
The Cult of Holy Arms is certainly a distinct Cult among those in the Sanctorum - and it is far from universally appealing. But the military forces it puts at the disposal of the Grand Sanctorum are highly important, and the bringing of even violence into the ways one may legitimately worship the Creator shows the Holy Sanctorum's intention to turn all of creation towards the Creator's praise.