Church of Selûne

Of Our Lady of Silver

Structure

Clergy
Churches of Selune are made up of a diverse bunch of worshipers, including sailors, non-evil lycanthropes, mystics, and female spellcasters. Despite the differences between various worshipers and between different churches, all are friendly and accommodating toward each other. The appearance of Selune's temples varies as much as their constituents, from small shrines in the wilderness to open-air or skylighted buildings as large as great mansions. The temples perform fortune-telling, fight evil lycanthropes, give healing generously, and practice self-reliance and humility.
Hierarchy
Suiting the goddess's chaotic and changeable ways, the church hierarchy is highly variable, shifting from location to location and even with the predictable phase of the moons and other, unpredictable heavenly events. It is a jumble of clerics and specialty priests, crusaders and mystics, and blessed and well-informed lay worshipers.
The clergy of Selûne are known collectively as "Selûnites", which also the adjective for the faith.
The Selûnite clergy holds a wide assortment of titles. Novices were always known as the Called, while full priests are known as Priestess or Priest, typically prefaced by Touched, Enstarred, Moonbathed, Silverbrow, Lunar, Initiate, and High Initiate, in order of increasing rank. Higher-ranked clergy are instead known as "Priestess/Priest of the…", followed by a term traditional to the shrine or temple with which the priest is affiliated.
The Silverstar specialty priests are elite members of the church.

Public Agenda

Dogma
The highest principle of Selûne's ethos is acceptance and tolerance. The faithful are bidden to encourage and exemplify acceptance, equality and equal access, tolerance, and understanding; to treat all other beings as equals; and to make all welcome in the faith. Fellow Selûnites are treated as dear friends and are to be aided freely. They are to be as helpful and friendly to lonely and goodly people as is feasible. Taught to be compassionate, they are usually patient and accepting of everybody, with an understanding ear and a healing hand.
Worshipers are also urged to be humble and self-reliant, to use common sense and practicality, and to find their own practical paths through life to be as successful as is possible, while not neglecting their compassion for others. This long-sighted approach allows priests to grow content, happy, and prominent, and sees the clergy gain influence and strength. Selûne makes few demands on her followers and is lenient on issues of alignment and religious observance, so practical, common sense and following one's own path are more important than details of faith or strict performance of ritual.
The goddess teaches guidance through observation of the heavens and that life changes like the moons wax and wane.
Clergy Activities
There are broadly two kinds of Selûnite clergy: those who remain at the temples (often but not necessarily due to age or infirmity), and those who wander Terrix. Their duties are similar but distinct.
Temple priests provide healing to the community and tended to the residents of asylums and sanitariums, which often adjoined their temples. As the goddess bids them, they are generous with their healing magic and charge very little, if any, for it.
Instead, the temple priests make good money by practicing astrology and telling fortunes. With divine guidance, they are more successful than ordinary folk.
Itinerant priests spread the faith of the goddess, by seeking out and keeping in touch with both existing and potential worshipers, in the belief that Selûne could be worshiped anywhere. Such priests also provide healing, usually asking for nothing more than a meal and a warm place to rest. They practice humility and self-reliance. These habits keep the clergy well-traveled, resilient, and in touch with the natural world in a practical manner.
Wandering priests also keep watch for people afflicted with madness or lycanthropy. They heal or help them if they can, or else escort them to the closest Selûnite temple, where senior clerics can air them. Both kinds of priests are united in opposing evil lycanthropes when they threaten the community. They are fearless and do all they could to uncover, cure, or eliminate the affliction of lycanthropy. Such struggles won them the respect of farmers and the common people.
Many marriages are conducted by priests and priestesses of Selûne, as it is believed that the goddess watches over all marriages performed by her priests.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Selûnites

Leader

Selûne

Divines

• Selûne