Holy Illuminated Church

The lithryns are one of the most religious of all the races of Telarith, and thus faith is a keen part of their lives. The Holy Illuminated Church has been a foundation of lithryn society for thousands of years, and has produced some of the holiest and most righteous warriors, paladins, and kings. All teryns have a unique relation to the Light, but the lithryns have the deepest and most revering view of it, and their view of themselves as a blessed race only serves to deepen this.
Notes: The shanil candlestand is a special symbol, a circling set of twelve candles around one pillar that rises together.
Religious centers are domes with seven or six or twelve. They set up portable temple things like tabernacles?
Courtyards, entrances, with a central pillar of fire. Inner domes accessed only by high priest, has to clean themselves in the ritua kanenl pool. Enter HOly Dome, then behind a veil or something is a Holy of Holy Domes. Ark of Covenent thing?

Structure

As lithryns are prone to order, their religions is thus quite organized. However, the faith is quite unique in how it can be almost a folk religion, with an organized structure and hierarchy yet allows for a wide diversity of customs and worships styles. 
Locally, each town or village has its own local temple, often simple and ordinary and the meeting place for residents. Some of these temples or churches can also be found in more remote locations or alongside roads. Each local regions have are governed by High Priests, who preach, teach, and heal, and annoint priests of smaller churches. The religion itself governed by nine central leaders, called the Kal or Elders, who serve and are answerable to the naaru from the Eye of Aether from the Temple of the Sacred Naaru. This is built into the massive fortress-city of Lith'maytesh. The Elders each govern one of the nine major religious cities, and deal with matters such as worship practices, canonicity of texts, funds and handling donations, and important religious affairs. Together they meet at Tel Tela, even though the Eye of Aether is the official church capitol, and the Elder of that Telar City has more power over the rest and leads the council as High Kal or High Elder, though this control is limited. The Elder Council often works together on large matters, and usually have to vote on different courses, and serve to protect the faith, defend canon, and denounce heresy. Though they do wield great control over the church, there are several steps designed to prevent corruption of power and misuse of religious authority.
These limits are found in the Sacred Scribes, who act to counter the Council. A small devout and extremely pious and faithful, they poor over the holy scriptures of the church and constantly pray and meditate over its meaning. They review every action of the Council, and test to see if it is in accordance with the will of the Holy Light, and can veto basically any course the Council takes.

Culture

The specific culture of the members of the faith can vary, as the religion covers a wide geographical region. Generally however, the culture of the faith is the same as the culture of the lithryns, as all lithryns are worshippers of the light. Thus, its members believe themselves to be blessed few, those who have been chosen and who chose themselves to follow the teachings of the church and believe it is their sacred duty to bring order and enlightenment to all other races.

Public Agenda

The Illuminated Church has really only one major goal: to grow and spread their teachings. However, this is not their sole obsession, as a lot of the church's focus is helping individuals and society better themselves. In addition, the church constantly desires to help the afflicted, teach the correct path of righteous living, and make the world generally a better place, though they have their own view about what this would look like.

Assets

The church is supplied fund from donation, with local churches being provided by its attendees. A small portion of this is sent to the central regional churches, and where each Elder makes use of the collected funds to help with different matters. The state also often provides for the religion, as many kings offer funds and services as well, including ambitious building projects.

History

The Illuminated Church was born after the Great Darkness, when the newly created lithryn race began formal worship of the naaru and the Holy Light. Following this many religious leaders and writers wrote down the teachings of the naaru who had guided them, as well the visions from the angels and the Light itself. These were together codified and canonized, and the church quickly became a well established part of lithryn society.
The early church expanded its influence, originally more united, but as the city of Dunnuosh outgrew Tel Tela, it began to fracture and the seat of religious control moved to Dunnosh. Following the great civil war, the Sacred Church was reorganized under a new structure.
For the most part since that time, the Holy Orthodoxy remained an important, but relatively unchanged facet of history. Certainly the main warriors, priests, clerics, and paladin orders played an important role, but for the most part the church has remained the same. During crisis its members would provide aid, healing, and sometimes divine help as well.

Mythology & Lore

The history of the lithryns could be considered the history of the world, as they descend from some of the first inhabitants of Telarith. Their ancestors where the teryns, themselves coming from the tera, and further back to the tela, the first sentient life on Telarith. This rich mythology has played an important role in the scriptures of the lithryns, which prescribes several of these myths.
First there is the Creation myth, how all of the cosmos itself was created. According to the church, the was at the beginning light, which expanded and developed, true purity. In time, however, there grew dissent, and the first servants of the Holy Light huddled together in the darkness and became the first aspects of the Void. These unknowable entities, beyond mortal comprehension, challenged and fought against the Light, but were soundly defeated, and instead the Light birthed the universe from the conflict. And to this day, the aspects of the Void, the Void Gods, hunger to destroy the ultimate creation of the Essence, and so the cosmic battle between good and evil continues.
On a less cosmic scale is the Creation of Telarith. It is said that a slumbering goddess was given a stone shell to rest in, before she would awaken, and during this period the natural elementals of Telarith went wild. Eventually they were divided into four major groups, and it was also during this period that the tela, the first children of Telarith herself, were said to have been born. In time, the Old Gods landed upon the planet, driving their vile roots deeper towards the heart of the slumbering Titan herself. There was some hope, as the sacred Dawnstone was sent from the heavens, and around it the tela lived and were slowly changed, becoming the tera.
Following the creation and subsequent warring of the planet began the Taming of Telarith. This was a conflict when the ancient and godlike Titans brought order and peace to Telarith, and ensured that it was left in harmony, and the tera became the teryns. The texts of the Holy Orthodoxy revere these beings, but do not worship them, as ancient heresies and outlawed sects did and do.
Several other stories and myths relate to the early history of the teryn races, but the next and final major group of myth were centered around the Great Darkness. This was the period during which the world was nearly destroyed, and the teachings of the naaru changed the teryns forever, leading to the modern age.
But not all myths feature the past. The last few books of the Tome of Light deal with what will come, visions granted to prophets and priests. They speak of times of war and carnage, and many great events, some that have passed and others yet to pass. Most important of all is that eventually, one day, the many races of the universe shall unite into one army, and face off against the evil forces of the cosmos, including the Burning Legion and the forces of death. But the greatest of all of these shall be the Void itself, which will rend creation asunder and begin consuming the universe. At the final battle, known as the Kishan Lantari, or "Battle of the Last Light" the forces of good will face the forces of evil around the final "burning ember in the universe" and it will be here that the Void itself shall be undone, with the Essence itself conquering evil and bringing about a new universe and new age. This is the final goal that all lithryns are preparing for.

Divine Origins

The teryns' history has always been intertwined with that of holy and light beings and magic. The very first tales and recorded events of the tela, ancestors to the teryns, mention the "Dawnstone" from which the early tela based their society around. They protected the Dawnstone (later revealed to be the naaru K'avah), and worshipped, or at least revered, it. During the Great Darkness, the an'gels blessed a tribe of teryn's who fought the bravest and with the most reverence, who became the lithryns. The teachings of the angels were recorded and became the foundation for future lithryn religion and worship, written down first by Vathinal Kaelthas'Esh as the Books of Light. Further prophets wrote down their own visions and by the end of the first century AD these books have been collected and codified, as the church was officially created under Abrithas II Vaeynal'esha.

Cosmological Views

The lithryns believe in several different cosmic powers, but worship the Light as the greatest and most holy of them all. They believe that there is an "inner purity" or essence of pure holiness, an entity that predates all existence and is the ultimate divine being. They call it by many names, such as Kanshalish "Presence," Selanin "The Holiest," Shiarra "Essence" and so on. Most merely refer to it as the True Light (often viewed as a him in the Cataline tradition or a she in the Vakenishi sects) This being is so pure that only faint echoes of its essence can be felt or used, which is holy magic. The opposite is the Void or Shadow, with a similar, yet evil and weaker entity, a "true shadow." Between these two is the ultimate and underlying cosmic battleground underlying all of creation, good versus evil, from which all things are a part.
To the lithryns, they understand reality as the overarching conflict between good (light) and evil (darkness), often represented as a triangular hourglass. Pure goodness is so powerful that it cannot truly exist within reality, instead being perceived as holy magic or the Light. Similar with evil, which corrupts through dark magic. Where these two forces meet is known as Vasha, the Greater Universe, at the core of which is reality itself. Surrounding reality are four other planes or spheres of magical energy, which were born from the Light or Darkness respectfully.
Each force exists in a realm of pure magical energy, be it life or chaos, separate from reality. However, they are able to break through the veil in certain locations, and leak through into the universe, harnessed by mortals. Magic can be summoned from these realms by mages, but it can also natural "penetrate" into reality, warping the local terrain.
(Their cosmology is best seen with the Quan Circle, developed in the later second millennium under theologian Quanshiol Sellandin'esa. It shows the various cosmic forces that effect and empower reality. These forces pour through reality through various "channels" which are seen as the different styles of magic. The greatest influences are shadow and light, with the True Light, their God, who works to finally vanquish the darkness. The primal Light is too powerful to truly exist in reality, but can send echoes of itself, just like the other cosmic forces. Countering the Void Lords are the so-called Light Lords, beings who exist outside of reality and serve as the main agents of the Light itself.)

Figure 1. The Quan Circle.

Tenets of Faith

The tenets and beliefs of the church are complex. They believe in several cosmic powers (see Cosmology), but worship the Light as greatest and most holy of all. "From the Light came all things, and so shall all things return." To be put simply, the central truth of the church is that there is a higher and omnipotent divine entity, whose teachings they must follow to live good moral lives.
The values held greatest within the faith are governed by the Principle of Three. The Principle of Three, often referred to as the Kochar, is essentially the main way of expressing the central views and beliefs of the church, often signified with three connected circles. Each circle itself is made up of three parts.
The first circle, the Hebral or "The Way" is made up of three ideal aspects in ones own live and society or the world at large are light, order, and life. Light, being the example of holy and sacred righteousness, in order to illuminate ones own soul and mind, and to provide clarity and education in society. Order is one of the highest ideals of any lithryn, who are expected to be neat, composed, and orderly in every facet of their life, and this spills out into the culture as well. Finally, there is life itself, meaning not only a respect, reverence, and tending to nature, but also the same towards other living creatures and species, including other lithryns. Life is a gift, and one to be tended and mastered. The tenets of the church also stress the values of selflessness, service, willing to obey others, and a desire for order and peace.
The second circle is Tethash or "Love" the emotion held in highest regard in lithryn culture. Love is considered the greatest of all feelings, but must be carefully balanced. There are three central aspects of love, first being love of Light, or love of the divine. This is rather the love, adoration, and deep all-consuming reverence for things beyond the mortal plane and for the Holy Light itself. Then there is love for others. Though this can vary between person (from spouses to friends, etc.) love of others is important in maintaining a good society. Finally, there is love of self. Not to be confused with pride, it is rather a recognizing and relishing of one's own talents and specialty, and seeking to better themselves for themselves.
Finally, there is the third circle, Kalan or "Aspects" that represent the three major aspects or parts of any individual. There is the emotional heart, that relates to how all things are connected to feelings and emotions. There is the body, the physical reality, and finally there is the mind, intellectual and cunning. The church teaches that everyone leans more towards any of these aspects, but must be careful not to go too far in any direction. Though never shown but always understood to be there is the invisible spirit or soul, that transcends all reality.

Figure 2. The Principle of Three.
As can be seen based on the Kochar, a large part of the church is focused on balance. To them, any too much of one thing can become bad. Those who love themselves grow prideful, those who seek only order grow cruel and cold, those who follow only their heart have no thought, and so on. Learning what one is good at, and what one is not is important, and the constant battle to better oneself is a central theme in the church.

Ethics

Naturally the Illuminated Church is heavily invested into the spiritual aspects of its believers, particularly their moral actions and nature. The doctrines teach that the Light is merciful and loving, and offers mercy freely. However, that is not to excuse sinful actions, which include actions stemming from wrongful convictions and desires, such as lust, anger, murder, stealing, lying, raping, adultery, etc. Good actions are highly favored, supposed to be an outward representation of an inner reality. Essentially, one should do good because one is good, internally.
Actions and tendencies of good believers include anything to further the Holy Light, order, and good itself, from simply being patient to fighting evil forces. Balance is another important part, as one is expected to be a balanced individual, not going to far or extreme in any area. Thus, goodness, sacrifice, and balance are the primary actions considered to be right by the religion.

Worship

While the Elder Council might uphold canon law and keeps religious doctrine sound, they do not generally force the same control over worship. Indeed, there can be quite the variety among the different regions. Generally however, worship is conducted with a symphony of priests and a local choir, with the congregation often singing songs as well.
Worship is usually done with the congregation, or with a choir, and frequently uses candles in ceremonies, which can be simple or long and complex. They also have rituals for blessing babies, usually with song and prayer, and have similar routines for those entering adulthood.
Song is a favored part of lithryn worship, and the famous bard-priests are well admired and accepted. These unique individuals believe they can best serve others by spreading joy, good cheer, and moral lessons through their voice, and meander the roads of Telreymor, singing histories, legends, hymns, and whatever else may bring peace and joy to the listeners.

Priesthood

The priests of the church are those holy individuals who often were left orphaned or abandoned, and were taken in to be trained and raised as priests. Others merely chose this path, but a large number of the church consist of those who were left alone by the rest of society, thus helping to keep the homeless off the streets, the poor with a place to go, and helping society to run smoothly. Males and females are separated into different priesthoods, but each have their own important role in the church.
Individual priests are trained and usually raised in children's schools, and when they reach the age of maturity they are sent to a remote church. Here they are more rigorously trained and isolated from the world for a period, and when they have passed all tests they are formally initiated into the church, and can slowly rise through the ranks.
Priests themselves are often distinguished based on their unique clothing, typically a white robe with a golden sash through it. Higher ranking ones may be given specific embroidery, and priests regularly have shaved beards. Priestess often wear hoods with necklaces to identify their ranks, and keep their hair tied down and tucked in, and in addition frequently have mystical golden halos over their heads, gifts from the naaru and the Light itself.

Granted Divine Powers

The power of the Holy Light is itself a powerful cosmic force within the universe, and thus those who channel its power. Only those who have purity of heart and believe wholeheartedly in whatever they do can call upon the power of the Light itself, granting them divine power. Usually this is only manifest in priests, in healing others, clerics, or paladins, to cast down darkness and evil.
The effects and powers of the light itself are usually positive. The powers of the Light allow its practitioners to heal wounds, mend broken bones, and even restore life to the dead. They can also shield them from damage, cure ills and magical curses, heighten the productivity of the mind and body, and remove beneficial magical effects from their enemies. The Light always brings a sense of peace and calmness whenever its blessings are placed on someone. Wielders of the Light can also use Holy magic to smite their enemies or to levitate themselves off the ground. Paladins can augment their own martial prowess as well as those who fight at their side with the Light's blessings and auras. Holy Power can also stun, debilitate, and silence their foes. The forces of the Void, and the Undead, are weakened and destroyed by the power of the Light, searing them away.
There is also a deeper level to the ability of the Light, as a rare few individuals have been said to be blessed and chosen by the Light itself, and are able to tap into the deeper sources of its power. This "true Light," when channeled, can perform miracles unheard off, and thought to be impossible.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Illuminated Church has always attempted to remain outside of politics and the matters of state, to a degree, as their primary concern is for the spiritual welfare of the world. That being said, the Holy Orthodoxy is concerned for how the state is ran, and how it treats its citizens, and may decry certain governments to be bad or good based on their definitions of what that is.
The church has also generally remained away from affecting politics, at least in an aggressive way. They do not appoint or generally openly support any king or noble, and only advise and offer spiritual aid. That being said, in the past the church, under various ambitious leaders, did attempt to exert more control during the early first millennium, culminating in the Scarlet Coup in 889 AD, when High Kal Kaelinthan attempted to overthrow the Telar kingdom, already weakened with war from Dunnosh. Following that period, the church was reorganized to prevent such seizures of power, and has remained far more neutral in worldly matters.
Still though, they may stir the people to actions, rallying them against common foes or in support of any noble. Thus, any wise king knows to try to gain the support of the church, in order to gain credence and further popularity with the people.

Sects

The Holy Orthodoxy is well-named, for that is the standard position of all believers. There do, however, exist several ideological factions, mostly different groups of believers with slightly differing beliefs from the rest. There exist a plethora of such sects and factions, but the following are among the largest and most prominent.
The Catalines are a group who worship the Light as a male, and are notably more focused on the praising and worshiping of the Light. They generally are more outspoken on the wrath and anger of the Light, are generally more zealous and call for war against opponents of the church and the Light itself, even if this can come at great cost. They place great importance on actions and deeds one does.
Their counterparts, the Vakenishi, revered the Light as female, and center more on the actions of female figures and prophets in the history of the church, and center on the emotions and inner heart of the individual, and tend to overemphasis the love and mercy of the Light, and are more amendable to reinterpreting doctrine.
Then their are the Satalines are centered on knowledge and tend to see the Light in a more practical, cold, and scientific  standpoint. They often try to study and record all they can about it, which is often frustrating do to the unpredictable nature of religion, faith, and the Light itself. Though wise, they can turn the worship of the Light into a menial and worthless practice, focuse= more on dogma than actual living in the Light.

The Light Shall Reign

Warrior Orders

The Sacred Church calls upon all who are willing to stand and fight for the Holy Light, and has under itself quite the small little military. Most of these are various orders of warrior-priests, paladins, or other holy orders not directly controlled by but sanctioned and approved off by the church.

Song Wardens

The Order of the Singing Blades, or more commonly known as the Song Wardens, are an elite warriors and knights, usually abandoned orphans raised to defend the church. Usually they are tasked with protecting temples and religious places, or serve in units to patrol roads or protect travelers. They are based from Dawn's Joy in the Aether Islands, but have a large chapter building in the Fortress of Light. The Song Wardens are revered for their compassion, legendary skills with swords, and singing with perfect harmony in battle. 
The order is one of the largest and best-known of all the ones formed by the church, and is governed by a Grandmaster and High Council. It is divided into Blade Wardens, the regular knights who usually protect and patrol, and the Wandering Wardens, who roam on solo crusades to bring order and justice wherever they go

Magishalti 

The Magishalti are a more mysterious paladin order, small and specifically sanctioned and commanded by the Elder Council. They serve as elite paladins and investigators, constantly purveying out priests and leaders to see if they are supporting or creating heresy or are performing actions contrary to their duties. They answer only to the highest members of the church, and in truth answer first of the Holy Light, though this direction is given to them by the naaru V'aren. Despite their mystery and unsavory common opinion, they serve to keep the church true to itself and pure of taint, and have stopped a hundred dark plots before they even began.

Order of the Healing Sun

In lithryn society, the church takes on the role of hospital and doctors, who are all members of the Healing Sun. They specialize in healing wounds and diseases, and have specific hospital-temple where patients are allowed into to be freely healed. The Healing Sun technically functions outside of the church, but is officially commended by it, offered funds and aid, and many of its members are priests or priestesses. In many practical matters it is a part of the Holy Orthodoxy.

The Eternal Stormguard

While a small group, the Eternal Stormguard are legendary, a group of lightforged individuals from every race on Telarith who have forever chosen to serve the Light. Immortal champions, they come from all ages of the world, and have fought in legendary battles and wars for thousands of years. Very small in number, the members of the Stormguard are nonetheless some of the greatest warriors in all of Telarith, based from the Dawngaurd Fortress, though in recent years there have been fewer and fewer accounts of them.

Reformed Stars

The Order of Sacred Stars, or the Reformed, is a bit of sore subject not often mentioned. Made up of some of the worst society can offer, the Reformed are nonetheless those who have desired to be redeemed and seek penance for their crimes. Almost anyone can join, provided they truly wish to be redeemed, and it is rumored that even former demons and monsters can be found among their ranks. While the Illuminated Church does not really speak of them or support most of their actions, the Reformed Stars are true and holy warriors, and for many years the Elder Council leaves them alone and sometimes offers parting aid, out of public view.

99 AD - N/A

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

Sacred Church, Church of the Radiant Dawn, Holy Orthodoxy, Sun-seekers

Demonym

Orthodox, Illuminated, Illumini

Permeated Organizations

• Kingdom of Telar

Related Species

• Lithryn
• Raleryn