The Prophets Organization in Slumbering Gods | World Anvil

The Prophets

Voices of the Gods

A organization created by the gods after they signed the Treaty of Deraphan. The Prophets were a way for the gods to know what was happening in the world.

So when the seventh High Prophet said, "The gods have spoken, any man may become a Prophet." It was very disheartening for The Prophets, because only "special people" could be Prophets.

One of The Prophets in the story of "Where the Gods Slumber" has a major part in the main character. She is the one who gives information about the gods and helps him along with the spell Zhojhu..

Structure

The High Prophet
This man is the one in charge. He is the man "chosen by the gods" because of that many people do not argue with him in anything. This man is also the one who does many of the public ceremonies and sacrifices to the gods when the people ask for wisdom, guidance, or leadership.  
The Councelors
These people are in charge of advising The High Prophet. Double checking his facts by praying or talking to their own gods. The Councelors were the ones who oversaw the ceremony and sacrifices making sure everything went smoothly. Although now in recent years The Councelors are simply his best friends who do whater The High Prophet says.  
The Prophets/Everyday Man
These Prophets are the most common. They are the ones a person would normally see on the street. These Prophets are sent out by The High Prophet to tell the people the gods will in specific towns or provinces.  
Workers
This class has only recently been added due to a law passed by the previous High Prophet. But they are people who are willing to work their way to become a Prophet. In older years The High Prophet would consult the gods and then make the person go through a series of tests.

At this point the "old way" of becoming a Prophet has passed, but there has been tell that some Counselors are trying to get the modern High Prophet to bring the "old way" back.

Culture

In the "olden days" when The Prophets was just beginning, everyone believed that everything was a sign from the gods. They used to say "if lightning strikes your house, if you lose your job, if you have to be subject to horrible torture, it's the will of the gods."   Nowadays everone simply wants to become a Prophet because the living conditions are better, not because they believe in the gods. Because of this the "old ways" are dying out, and many new Prophets, simply think the gods are myths.

Public Agenda

The "old" Prophets would be the voice of the gods. They would tell the people what the gods wanted, and they would also tell the gods what was happening in the world. Although, when it was just getting started The Prophets, usually just told the gods what happened in the world, and didn't speak of behalf of the gods. That came later.   The "new" Prophets are simply voices to calm the people. They are a stable source of information. (Whether it is real or not remains to be seen). These new Prophets aren't actually "prophets" in the "olden ways" sense, more like people who know how to calm people down and get them to listen.

Assets

The Prophets have always had an abundance of information. Books on every topic and subject in the world. Many of them also know how to speak well. Whether it's for a speech of any kind, or for calming some one down, or convincing someone of seomthing that's not true.   Some of The Prophets are in touch with the gods and that makes them all the more powerful. It doesn't matter if the god is the god of something "useless" like toothbrushes.

Divine Origins

Beliefs
The Prophets came from the gods. The teachings and beliefs mainly grew from the gods talking to The Prophets when they got bored or didn't want to talk to other gods (which happened fairly often). This is how The Prophets gained such an arsenal of knowledge of the gods, people, and creatures in the Home of the Gods.  
Teachings
Many teachings that The Prophets tell the people such as "everything is from the gods", "everything is holy" and "The gods will give you what you need" came from The High Prophet Androskin (An-DRAW-skin), who at the time was panicking because he wasn't recieving anything from the gods.

As he was panicking he told the people and The Prophets the sayings above and many other "believe in the gods" sayings, which have stayed till modern times.

 
Rituals
There were usually no specific rituals that The Prophets/Everyday Man do, but The Counselors along with The High Prophet do have rituals. Besides the public ceremonies and sacrifices, The High Prophet and the Councelors would go to a place called, Purgatory That's Not Purgatory. (A/N It's a work in progress) These rituals came when The Prophets were beginning. it was a place between the world and the Home of the Gods, where the Counselors and The High Prophet would meet with the gods and speak to them.

Eventually, this place opened to the public and the people where able to go to the shrines of the god they wanted, where they would give a gift or make some sort of sacrifice (not necessarily with an animal), and then they would go back home and wait for an answer. (The answers were usually very obvious).

Cosmological Views

The Prophets believe that there were two gods in the beginning. Entity and Being, (although in newer stories Being has been nearly forgotten) These two gods created everything in existence, including the other gods.   The gods created by Entity and Being are gods over various things. Some over large realms, others over smaller ones, but Entity was able to form them to fit their realms. Entity is considered greater than Being because Entity created mankind. Some however think Being is greater because Being created the world mankind lives in.   The Prophets have also believed that this world should be respected by mankind, that humans and animals can live together, but that idea fell short when Being started to disapear from the mythological books.   However, many Prophets also see the world as something holy. Even if that "holy" thing is a drunk idiot who killed someone. They are willing to forgive, because that person, to them, is "holy."

Tenets of Faith

Rules for The Everyday Man Prophets
  1. Do not disobey, speak poorly, or disrespect The High Prophet.
  2. Do not shame a fellow prophet
  3. Do not use your "prophet status" to disrespect or treat people rudely
  4. Do not speak falsely on behalf of the god
  5. Do not tell non-prophets secrets or confidential information to anyone, unless told otherwise.
 
Rules for The Counselors
  1. Do not do The High Prophets job, unless he tells you to
  2. Do not use your power to abuse the Everyday Man Prophets or the Workers
  3. Do not commit treason, disobey, or disrespect The High Prophet.
  4. Do not use The High Prophet's name for things you do not have access to.
  5. Do not tell non-prophets secrets or confidential information to anyone, unless told otherwise.
  Along with these rules, something that everyone must do after they are accepted into this group is take on a different name. This does not mean they entirely get rid of their first name, but they simpley choose a new one. That "new name" is what they will call themselves in and outside of their sections.

There old name is only what close freinds and family are allowed to call them. Although many Prophets will ask their family and friends to refer to them with their "new name." This new name is for protection, if someone were to get bad it would be harder to hurt them. This new name is also symbolic of the person becoming something different, something better than themselves.

Ethics

The Prophets do not actually have specific rules they follow day to day, besides the rules of how to be a decent human being. However, some of the rules stem from the "Tenets of Faith" rules. One of them is if you are a Prophet if you lie in any circumstance you will be put to trial. Lying is a serious wrong in the Prophet community. After all, if you lied about this, what else would you be willing to lie about.   Prophets must also never speak poorly about anyone. They are to not trash talk or cuss. Their mouths must be pure. A mouth that is not pure cannot be the voice of a god.

Priesthood

In the "old days" The High Prophet would be appointed every forty years by the gods when all of The Prophets would go to Purgatory That's Not Purgatory. The gods would meet them there and declare the new High Prophet. It could be the same one previously appointed or someone entirely different.   In more modern times The High Prophet simply chooses who will be his successor, and on the occasion that The High Prophet does not choose a successor one of The Counselors will step up.   The High Prophet has much responsibility. He must make the decisions for who is allowed into this "religion" and who is not. He must appoint Prophets and decide what roles to give the Everyday Man Prophets , what their districts will be, what god will they prophecy for, and the new High Prophet will also usually choose new Counselors.   The High Prophet is very respected and must make an appearance every other week for the Everday Man Prophets, and in modern times the Workers as well. He will make a speech of some sort to either encourage the Workers and Prophets, and give some reassurance to the people.   The High Prophet is seen as holy and seperate from all the other Prophets, but for many of The Counselors who know him well, he is like any other man or Prophet. A regular man.

Granted Divine Powers

The Everyday Man Prophets are not granted powers by the gods, however they can be given gifts or blessing from the gods as rewards for their service, such as magical weapons. But The Prophets can also recieve curses if they do something wrong.

The Councelors are actually given powers, usually by The High Prophet. These powers are generally not very large or important, but still useful. For example, one High Prophet gave one of his Councelors the power to do this dishes in under five minutes.

The High Prophet was granted powers by the gods. These powers were usually whatever The High Prophet's patron god was. For example, if The High Prophet's patron was Astrelli, he would most likely get a gift of controlling space, or calling down asteroids.

The most important power The High Prophet, and The High Prophet only, can use one time in his term as a High Prophet, is that he can call down a god, and the god must come. This spell is extremely powerful and if used lightly the gods will not be happy. Using this spell incorrecty will result in death.

the Gods say

Founding Date
416
Type
Religious, Other
Demonym
Prophets
Deities
Controlled Territories

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