Imperial Temple

"In the beginning, there was only Void. Then came Them, They Who Built, and they were as Four And One."
~The Étak Writings, the Book of Etheric

Structure

The organization is headed by a High Priest of the Imperial Temple, who lives in Gratic City and administers services to the Emperor/Empress of the Gratic Empire themself. After that, there are many Archbishops and Bishops who lead provinces and regions and keep the various Priests of the towns and villages in line with the True Belief.

Public Agenda

The spread of the Temple's beliefs across Endaman, as well as the maintaining and standardization of those beliefs.

The care of the sick and wounded, both spiritually and physically, both in temples and in the battlefield hospitals.

The protection of the people against demonic threats via the Fighting Orders of the Imperial Temple and other, more secret branches.

Assets

The Temples of The Gratic Empire have become incredibly wealthy in larger cities due to their patronage by the nobles and the imperial government. They also wield great political and social power, as the High Priest is on the Emperor's council and people regularly consult their local priests for guidance. Through the Fighting Orders and other military branches of the faith, they also have some troops, although these are meant to be used in crises.

History

The Imperial Temple first became standardized under Emperor Artus II, and as the Gratic Empire has grown in size, so too as the Temple's influence over Endaman's people.
In 190 I , near the close of the Red Rose War, the Temple was wracked by an internal power struggle between several of its bishops after the death of the High Priest. This led to the formation of The Dragon Heresy, a heretical faction that worship the god Etheric as a being of fire and destruction. Although the Temple claims that this heresy was rooted out and destroyed, there are tales that some priests still call on Etheric to burn their foes in heavenly fire from his great dragon's maw.

Mythology & Lore

The mythology of the Imperial Temple is codified in the Étak Writings, a collection of five books that describe the creation of the world from the Void, the population of it by humans and dwarves, and the heroic battles that took place between the prophets and heroes of the Four and the forces of darkness. The final book also provides a view into the future and the end of the world, although many have their doubts about whether this book is even canon.

Divine Origins

The religion has its roots in pre-Empire Gratic and Orenian people, who worshipped the four deities who would become the Four. Although very little exists on the creation of the religion, what little there is was written long after the events that took place.

Cosmological Views

The world of Endaman, according to the sacred texts of the faith, was created from a void and is the sole world in a starry void. Naturally, this worldview has come under fire in the past couple of centuries after the discovery of Limbo and other worlds by various mages, but the Temple has stayed firm and insists that these other worlds are facets or other parts of Endaman that lie in the Beyond or underground.

Worship

See Imperial Temple Worship for information on this.

Founding Date

16 I

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Alternative Names

The Temple, Gratic gods

Leader

Plakar Fólange

Parent Organization

The Gratic Empire

Subsidiary Organizations

• The Dragon Heresy

Permeated Organizations

• The Gratic Empire

Deities

• Alté
• Etheric
• Kiral
• Tros

Divines

• Alté
• Etheric
• Kiral
• Tros

Location

Endaman

Related Ranks & Titles

• High Priest of the Imperial Temple

Controlled Territories

• The Golden Sun's Warmth

Notable Members

• Dakir Sadens
• Élen Agenar
• Varen Parlése

Related Ethnicities

• Gratic
• Orenian

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)