The Three Pillars of Honor

Structure

The group is lead by Grand Priest Henry Bewley, and below him are the various priests of each brother who help run the minor halls placed throughout Talgaria. Beneath them are the Acolyte understudies who are training to become priests of a brother, and finally is the clergy, or body of the religion.

Public Agenda

To ensure that the people of Talgaria stay honor bound so that the Three Pillars will stay sturdy. Without them, the people of Talgaria would surely find themselve subjugated by heathens, as they nearly were once before.

Assets

Temples placed throughout Talgaria, as well as tithes gathered from devout disciples.

History

Millenia before now, the Talgarians were simply many different groups of nomadic tribes. As they began to settle down into villages though, they found it difficult to be able to trust their neighboring tribes. Thus, looked towards three highly respected members of the tribes, Horsig, Christopher, and Georges.
While not technically brothers, they were among the most respected. Each proposed a form religious law in order to establish peace. Unable to decide which was best, the people became divided by these three tenets, causing internal peace, yet plenty of external fighting. Long after the brothers had passed and become legends, then eventually gods, Tassakarra began to spread its borders.
Hirsche, knowing that they themselves could not withstand the encroaching empire, sent diplomats, both religious and otherwise to the neighboring tribes petitioning that they put aside their differences, and incoporate tenets from all three of the brothers, claiming that doing so would solve the internal problems within each tribe that had began to rise. After a long deliberation, and plenty of defeats at the hands of the massive army, the tribes agreed, and both Talga and the Three Pillars religion were formed.
From that time, the religion had since spread to encompass Ribilchet during the Great War as well. However, extending their religious borders into other cultures proved to be difficult. This has resulted in the general disgust members of the clergy have towards other cultures as well as multiple religious wars that accomplished nothing besides slight border expansion.

Mythology & Lore

Long before the Tassakarrans began their march to world unification, there were three brothers. Horsig the Shield, Georges the Scribe, and Christopher the Judge. Each touted that one's own job was more important than the others.
Horsig, the eldest, believed in taking a strong hand onto others and forcefully guiding those down the path to righteousness. Christopher, the middle child, felt that violence was to be a last resort, and that stern words with fitting reprimand would ensure loyalty. The youngest, Georges, felt that the rules should be written out, for all to see and know, then either follow or ignore said teachings, leaving punishment in the hands of the people, who do what they wish with those that cross the holy words.
Considering that none could agree on a proper system of governing, they looked to the people to show them which method was best, splitting the simple people of the plains into three tribes, each of whom followed the teachings of one brother. Those followed none of the teachings were driven north into the mountains, become a savage group of barbarians. Eventually, the three brothers refused even to speak, as did the houses below them, certain that each could make it without the other.
Millennia later, during the Age of Tassakarra, the three gods guided their people with honor, but routinely found themselves bested by the Tassakarran heathens. The Galrese were a powerful people, but stubborn and quick to anger, resulting in a disorganized fighting force who often charged without orders, while the Hirsche were calm and collected, but meek and cowardly. Finally, the Dircin were skilled, but lacked discipline and trust, resulting in withdrawing at the first sight of trouble.
Seeing that their people where in grave danger, the three old rivals set aside their differences and came together, binding the three houses of the northern tribes into one, spear headed by the best and brightest of their tribes, becoming the fourth house known to this day as Talga, as well as forgiving the transgressions of the mountain outcasts, who became the Ribilchet house. Together, the newly formed Talgarian coalition, along with various other tribes about the world managed to hold the Tassakarrans at bay until eventually, they collapsed beneath the weight of their own hubris.

Divine Origins

The three deities were originally separate beings of different cults, each representing a separate house of Talgaria: Galrese, Hirsche, and Dircin. Each tribe, bound by their hatred of the encroaching Tassakarrans, bound together, creating a new system for the tribes. A system in which the laws were written and known by all, a system existed to interpret and punish those who went against the teachings, and strong hands who heartily applied the attached punishments for breaking the laws. Each brother was incorporated into the law system, creating a long standing nation, and national religion.

Cosmological Views

The world is populated by many people who follow many gods, but no man nor god hold authority above the Talgarians so long as they stand beneath the three Pillars. Talgaria knows what is best for itself and no authority shall tell them otherwise.
As far as creation is concerned, they know not how they came about, only that the three brothers stand above. They were always there guiding the tribes, and they shall always be there, guiding all to a greater tomorrow, be they believer, gentile, or heathen.

Tenets of Faith

All good Talgarians are honor bound to:

1. acknowledge all written and customary laws and traditions of the people.
2. act in accordance to statutes mentioned above lest they face court defined repercussions.
3. uphold the statutes of Talgaria above all else, lest they be no better than a mere heathen.

All tenets are written as law, heavily tying the religion and law of the land together, although the current king has begun to stray from this, uprooting long standing traditions and laws with new, contradictory ones, causing divide within the group as to whether they should uphold the old tenets of the Three's original book, or the newer more contemporary laws set forth by the King.

Ethics

The tenets of the religion are directly tied to the law of the land, causing the day to day actions of Talgarians living within their own land to live a rather obedient and stark lifestyle. Performing any criminal action is considered a sin and living a lawful life is considered pious.
For those traveling the land however, this creates problems. The law of Talgaria is held above all else, including the laws and customs of other lands. To continue living in accordance with Talgarian statutes in foreign lands is considered especially pious, even if one is thrown into a foreign prison cell because of it, becoming hailed as a martyr. However, to bend to the customs and laws of those around them is considered especially heinous and sinful. It is the equivalent of having become a savage themselves, a dirty, unrecognizable version of who they once were.

Worship

If one comes from one of the original three houses, they must give daily thanks and praise in the form of prayers towards their patron deity. Horsig of Galrese, Christopher of Hirsche, and Georges of Dircin. People of Talga give daily prayers towards all three, and for people of Ribilchet, it is considered mostly optional, but many do still give prayers to one or more of the brothers as the situation calls for it.
Weekly, the faithful will gather in in halls for a sermon from each of the three priests of the religion, which usually is intended to help govern the interpretation of traditions and customs, but not laws, and how they should be followed.

Priesthood

Each church is headed by three priests who spend extensive time studying and channeling one of the three brothers teaching. In order to attain priesthood, one must spend years studying and communing with one of the three brothers until the Grand Priest recognizes their devoutness and appoints them to an church, often as an understudy, until their mentor is ready to declare them ready to lead their own flock.
The Grand Priest is one who shares a deep understanding and connection with all three brothers and makes the final judgement for those who follow any of the pillars. A sort of living bible of sorts. Upon his deathbed, the Grand Priest shall appoint one who he believes worthy to take his place.

Granted Divine Powers

Powers granted are all passive. Priest and the faithful have one patron brother, dependent on where they hail from. As long as they perform their daily prayers, they gain a passive ability increase. Skipping a day will see it disappear, and long time failure will result passive ability decreases that may take several days of divination before the gods return their favor.
Galrese receive +1 to Survival from Horsig with daily prayers and losing favor with him will result in -1 or more to Survival dependent on how long one remains unfaithful.
Hirsche receive +1 Willpower from Christopher with daily prayers and losing favor will result in -1 or more to Willpower dependent on how long one remains unfaithful.
Dircin receive +1 to Scholar from Georges with daily prayers and losing favor will result in -1 or more to Scholar dependent on how long one remains unfaithful.
Those from Talga or Ribilchet face the same stipulations, but from day to day, as long as they remain in favor can choose which boost to take, but losing favor may result in all three fading.

Political Influence & Intrigue

If they had the manpower, Talgarians would certainly attempt to impose their superior culture over the "savages" around them, but alas, this is not a possibility. Instead, they live in a perpetual state of slight disgust towards the other cultures around them, feeling as though foreigners are unclean and beneath them.
Those traveling the world often ignore or outright scoff at the customs of other nations, especially those that directly contradict their own, making them borderline unapproachable and generally disliked by most of the world.

To protect the weak, judge the transgressors, and record the words of divines... we shall give it all.

Founding Date

3.25.133 T

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Alternative Names

Three Pillars, The Three

Demonym

Pillarites

Leader

Grand Priest Henry Bewley

Parent Organization

Talgaria

Permeated Organizations

• Talgaria

Deities

• Christopher the Judge
• Georges the Scribe
• Horsig the Sheild

Location

Talga

Notable Members

• Grand Priest Henry Bewley