The Church of Peace

Written by Kbignell

The Church of Peace is the state religion of the country called The Arrangement of Peace. The Church holds sway over the government and is the most effective way of control of the people of The Arrangement Peace. The Church rules with the Counsel of Elders, controlling the people through religious rules and threat of ostracization from the Church, loss of income for anyone rich who defies the Church or the Counsel of Elders.
The Counsel of Elders consist primarily of Church officials and the richest, most influential families in The Arrangement of Peace. There are 10 members of the counsel and the positions are filled only by direct family members for the 6 positions not belonging to clergy of the Church. The 4 positions on the counsel that belong to the Church are directly appointed by the Church Archbishop, who is appointed by a counsel of High Cardinals. The archbishop must approve any policy changes or new laws and cannot be overruled by the Counsel or any other member of the Church. Only a vote by the High Cardinals' counsel can remove an Archbishop before death, and the vote must be unanimous.
The Church of Peace was first formed over 500 years ago as a small religious movement founded by Bishop Gunresum in the small poor country of Waith, in the far south-west of the Blessing, on the border of the Demon Lands. The self-appointed bishop proclaimed that the gods had left mortals to their own devices, with the demons still on the world, but isolated, because the gods were punishing the sinning mortals and giving them a chance to change their evil ways. The Church teaches that until all mortals embrace the way of the Church, the gods will not return and mortals will continue to suffer life on a world with demons sending their minions to torture and lead mortals astray into evil.
The Church spread until it took power in the small country of Waith and then spread outward to the surrounding countries, quickly catching on among the poor and powerless, giving them a place to belong and a power in numbers that they craved. Soon the country of Waith became a military might in the area and the spread of the Church accelerated, becoming the de facto government. They changed their name in the 300th turn of the Second Age, Post Blessing, claiming most of the south-west of the continent of Halconiket, their conquest finally stopped by the alliance of The Seven Tribes of Uhl and the Kingdom of Sporn after a long and bloody war.
The Church continues to attempt to spread the word of Peace, as they call it, to those outside of its borders, hoping to give rise to religious rebellion in other countries.
The Church maintains power in The Arrangement of Peace through control of the laws, information and a system of repression utilizing believers and pretenders alike. The Church has established and enforcement branch called the Knights of Peace. A group of highly skilled, religious paladins who all swear an oath of service, fealty, and obedience to the Church and the Archbishop. These knights are supposed to be pious, obeying all the laws of piety established by the Church, such as celibacy, service to the people, and poverty. In practice, none of these things are true for the most part. Most of the Order of the Knights of peace are used as strong arms to coerce others to do what the government and Church want. A few of the Knights try to be true to the beliefs that called them to become Knights, but those are few and far between, and typically shunned by the church in practice if not in word.
The Government of The Arrangement of Peace also have their own enforcement army called the Arm of Peace, enforcers that travel the country making sure all of the constituents tithe the right amount to the Church and pay their proper taxes. Those who cannot pay are jailed and then sold into indentured servitude to pay off their debt, which they will never be able to do. They work in the mines, fields and factories of the rich and privileged as a source of very cheap labor, along with orphans and anyone accused of violating any one of the Church's edicts and laws, or the laws of the Government.
The Church also maintains power through threat of death. Anyone accused of being a Warlock, or keeping company of demons is tried by the Church and put to death if found guilty. Very rarely is anyone who goes to trial found innocent of the charges. Often, those accused are put to death with only a suggestion of the trial promised by the Church, especially if the accused is poor.
The threat of death or indentured servitude hangs heavy over the heads of the average person in the Arrangement, and is almost a guarantee for the poor and disadvantaged.
Anyone who dares speak out against the Church in The Arrangement of Peace will quickly find themselves dead or working deep in a dangerous mine with no way out.

The Church of Peace Summer Camp Power Article for the prompt: A Powerful Organization in your World

Type

Religious, Organised Religion