Church of Telkar
The Church of Telkar, or Telkarianists, is a religious organization that centers around worship of the ideals and sacrifice of Telkar to end the Plague of Fliir.
Tenets of Faith
Though the world is dark and cold, we can choose to be candles to create a space for those around us, and through the sharing of our sacred fire, light the path to a kinder world.This is the primary tenet of the Church of Telkar, as well as the promise recited by all those who seek to formally join the Church. Informally, members of the church believe in five services- 1. Service through sustenance: A primary activity of Telkarianists is organizing food, clothing, and medicine for those who come by. Although there was some debate early on whether their charity should be reserved for those in need, it ultimately panned out that aid is provided without question in order to encourage people to come without fear of judgement. As well, group meals are a well-known facet of Telkarianists. There is a publicly available kitchen in any Temple of Telkar, and if you have two or more members of the Church in the same area, it is almost guaranteed they make a habit of sharing meals together on a regular basis. 2. Service through shelter: It is considered good in Telkarianism to provide both physical and emotional shelter to others. This spans from temples having spare beds to individual members keeping a spare bedroll in case someone in need ends up at their home. As well, clergy of the church are trained in how to support and lead the emotional needs of those who come to them through active listening and questioning. 3. Service through example: The Church of Telkarianism does not believe in recruitment or conversion. Rather, it believes the best path is to focus on its goal of creating a better world and allowing the actions of itself as an organization and its individual members to attract those who wish to learn more. While most Telkariansts are happy to speak of their relationship to the church if asked, they rarely speak of it without request. 4. Service through study: As Telkar loved to learn, so does the church encourage learning and education among its members and communities. It is a little known fact that members of the church are automatically granted supervised access to most libraries in Telthei. As well, many craftsmen and magic users have asked for aid from the church to pursue research or education. 5. Service though self-affection: Caring for others can be draining. It is encouraged for members of the church to take some quiet time each day to "check-in" on themselves and grant themselves the same care and concern that it is encouraged to grant others.
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