Temple of the Three
Structure
The Great Temple of the Three is based in the City of Duskh and is the most venerated temple in all the empire.
The archbishop of the Temple is stationed in the Imperial City and acts as an executor on behalf of the Emperor.
Bishops are assigned a diocese that encompasses a city or large town and all villages within a couple days journey.
Individual temples are typically led by High Priests.
Priests hold authority to perform or administer religious rites.
Acolytes assist priests.
All positions in the Temple are open to any gender or species. They most show only faith and aptitude for the position they desire to achieve.
Culture
The Temple believes in the Duskhan view that progress and civilization are a necessary part of society's evolution and that to do so, the natural world must be understood and respected.
In their view, there are but three gods, though they may take different forms and may be perceived differently by other cultures. Divine beings that oppose the Three are considered demons unworthy of respect or worship.
Mythology & Lore
In the beginning there was the Sky and the world, Earth. In time, the Sky awoke to become the Sky Father who declared his name to be Kord, and the world became the Earth Mother awoke to declare her name to be Ilana. In time, they came to love one another. Thus they are often depicted together with Kord wrapped protectively around Ilana.
Between them there was love. For an age, Kord and Ilana were lovers without children. But eventually, love, too, took on a form. It became the Unseen Spirit, which then called itself Thon. When this happened, the coupling between Kord and Ilana produced life. Life spilled into the sea and filled it with all manner of swimming creatures. Life spilled across the land and created a great carpet of green. Trees, and plants, flowers and vines spread across all the world above the ocean. Then came the creatures that crawled and walked and flew. All these things were made of the love between the Sky Father for the Earth Mother and brought to life by the Unseen Spirit.
In the light of twin stars, all lived. Perfection achieved, there was a mystical moment in time that stretched on and on.
But then something else arrived. Jealous of the eternal light of paradise, Shadow made its presence known by dousing the light of one of the stars. It grew so dim, it shed no light of its own, but only reflected the shining light of the remaining star. This is what is now called, the Bronze Moon. When this happened, the Sky Father and Earth Mother were enraged. They lashed out in an attempt to rip out the Shadow and reignite the Bronze Moon. The skies were lashed by lightning and storms. The land was torn with quakes and volcanoes. Terrible wounds were opened, but it was to no avail.
Shadow is insidious, slithering away from the lilght wherever it shone, and creeping back out across the world when the Star sank below the horizon. The Three have near-infinite power, but the Shadow is the absense of power. The void of death and decay. It's only desire is to devour power. Thus, it is a perfect match for the Three.
It is said that a new perfection is possible in the invisible world, the world beyond life that is the Unseen Spirit's domain. Here, light and shadow exist in peace.
Divine Origins
It is believed that the Temple of the Three arose after several tribes came together to form the city of Duskh. The tribes followed numerous different gods, and there was great concern over a combined pantheon, until there arose a concensus that many of the gods were similar and represented similar things. Upon lengthy consideration and introspection, a clearer understanding of the universe brought forth the realization that all the gods could be portrayed as different representations of the Three.
Cosmological Views
The physical world is acknowledged to have been created by Kord and Ilana, and then given life by Thon. The Thon is considered to represent unseen things, such as the spirit or soul, thought and intuition, as well as magic. Night is considered to be a representation of Shadow, which explains why many people are instinctively more afraid at night, are tired and tend to sleep at night, and so forth.
The concept of the mother and father as equally powerful creators, with the spirit infusing their love with life, forms the core of the Temple of the Three and models the ideal concept of family.
Tenets of Faith
1. Respect and honor the Emperor, who guides the Empire and is the Light that leads the Temple of the Three.
2. Respect and honor the Three.
3. Respect and honor the law.
4. Respect and honor your family.
Sects
Having received the blessing of the Holy Emperor, Orders have been establish to serve specific ideals within the Temple. Faithful that wish to dedicate their lives to a specific goal or purpose may join one of these Orders, provided they meet the prerequisites.
In the case of any of these Orders, there is no "retirement". A member of an order is a member for life; they have sworn their lives to the Temple.
Martial orders include:
- Holy Order of the Empire. Also called the Imperial Order, these are Emperor's own fanatically loyal, highly trained warriors. They are often dispatched to execute special missions on behalf of the Emperor and the Empire. This order is led directly by the Emperor or her proxy. To gain entry, a novitiate must take the Oath of the Crown, and thereby achieves the rank of Imperial Knight. In situations where more than one Knight is dispatched, a Knight Captain is named to lead them.
- Holy Order of Kord's Wrath. Also called the Order of Kord, this order consists of warriors dedicated to defense and warfare. They often accompany the Army and act as elite, auxiliary units. They can sometimes be dispatched on special missions during across battlefronts and into enemy territories. Upon taking an Oath of Conquest or an Oath of Vengeance, the novitiate may gain entry to this order and the rank of Wrath Knight. This order is led by a War Priest. In situations where more than one Knight is dispatched, the War Priest will select one Knight to lead and dub them Knight Captain for the duration of the mission.
- Holy Order of Ilana's Gift. Also called the Order of Ilana, this order consists of warriors dedicated to the natural world, Ilana. Upon taking the Oath of the Ancients or the Oath of the Sea, the novitiate gains the rank of Holy Knight. This order is lead by a Priest. In situations where more than one Knight is dispatched, the Priest will select one Knight to lead and dub them Knight Captain for the duration of the mission.
- Holy Order of Thon's Wisdom. Also called the Order of Thon, this order consists of warrios dedicated to ideals of justice, virtue, order, redemption, and glory. Upon taking the Oath of Devotion or the Oath of Glory or the Oath of Redemption, a novitiate may attain the rank of Holy Knight. This order is led by a Priest. In situations where more than one Knight is dispatched, the Priest will select one Knight to lead and dub them Knight Captain for the duration of the mission.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Leader
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Related Ranks & Titles
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