The Church of the Redeemer
The Dogma of the Redeemer
"Let the Goddess wash away all wounds, let her glow rain down upon us and bathe us in her gentle light. Let us pray, my brothers and sisters, for the birth of the next Archon. Raise your hands to the Sun, to Laitos' magnificence! Chant with your whole heart, let the breath in your lungs erupt like mountains of fire! Chant my brethren! The next Archon shall be born! Oh Lady of Light, Great Matron of All, may the suffering of your chosen maiden bring forth a worthy successor, may his passing soul heal all ailments, may his wisdom strike down the unworthy, may his wrath be just and may his kindness show bounty without end! Chant my brethren!"- Choir of the Nativity, the Church of Laitos
Overview:
The Church of the Redeemer is a powerful religious organisation who held the belief that the element of Light was divine. They associated Light-attuned places of power with the sun, whom they named Laitos and worshipped as a Goddess of Light, Healing and Life. The Church was borne as a cult that seperated away from the general worship of the Sun native to the Eostre people into a more organised religion. It quickly was adopted by the kings and queens of the Eostre in an attempt to keep order and justify their reign beyond their natural affinity for magic. The Church of the Redeemer gained immediate traction and soon became the Eostre's national religion.
Faith in Laitos, through the Dogma of the Redeemer, has spread across much of Elementia, clashing only in areas conquered and maintained by the Legions of the Harbinger. Notably, the Ahtenese people have a widespread following of the Light within their population, that often clashes with the Church's doctrines as well as the local religion of god-kings and river worship. This sect of Laitos calls itself the Church of the Star and considers itself a part of the Church of the Redeemer, despite the dogmatic differences and divergent interpretations of scripture.
Mythology & Lore
Creation Myth:
"In the beginning, the world was naught but light. A formless, shapeless creature from which all things were borne. The light had but one desire, to see itself become and multiply, to emit from itself a force that would let all behold it, and thus let itself exist. And thus, with one word, it was so. Elementia, that word by which we name our home, was born of the word of the Light. Mountains were wrought in its passing, its blood poured into crevices and became the sea, its breath and hair flowed into the skies and clouds; we are born of Laitos, whose great eye watches us all day, and whose sleep brings peace to our souls."
The Laitosians believe that the world was light first and foremost, and that everything was born of it. They believe they will return to the light of Laitos, to the Sun, after death and be reborn again when the time comes. Death has little meaning to them, other than the hopeful return to life once more. The Church of the Redeemer firmly believes in this reincarnation and the washing away of all sins upon death.
- A grim truth remains: Not all deaths are holy. Corruption from the dark is considered sacrilege, and suicide is to permanently detach oneself from Laitos' light. The bodies of those who take their own life are left to rot in the woods on the outskirts of Sigthel. Some believe it is to feed the stag-spirits that appear there from time to time...
Birth of Eostre:
"And lo, our first lord of light was born, of the Archon's consort, and of her womb that hath received the blessings of the sun. Eostre! Praise thy name, Archon eternal, scion of light and returned to its sacred glow! Eostre! Praise thy name, thou shall be born anew, as surely as Laitos rises on the horizon. Be watchful of his servants, my brethren, of Laitos' chosen, of the great deer-gods and stag-spirits of our homeland. Their passing, their appearance, shall prophecise the return of his magnificent birth. Eostre! Praise be unto thee, for your return!"
The Laitosians believe Eostre, after whom their people are named, was the first archon to have been born of divine right. Though Eostre's birth far predates the concept of divinity in rulership, this notion has been backdated to better fit the narrative of the Church. Eostre, is however, only one of the many 'divine archons' to be born. The Ahtenese believe that their prophet was born first, and hold instead that Eostre is one of Ahten's many descendants.
- A grim truth remains: The mother of Eostre has had their name stricken from all records. Only known as the Divine Consort, her face is never shown in scripture or sculpture. The Archon's Consort, therefore, must always keep their face veiled, and they are given no other purpose but to birth a new Archon, and it is never defined what happens to those who cannot provide a new heir to the Church...
Worship
The Church of the Redeemer has 3 official prayer times, and one weekly ceremony which are mandatory to attend for all who follow the faith of the Light. As soon as dawn begins, the local Solar will ring the bell of their chapel or church to call the faithful for prayer.
- Prayer of Dawn, said in thanks for the rising of the Sun, the bounties of Laitos, and the power of Light. This is often done in the fields should farmers not be able to attend, however it is mostly officiated in a chapel.
- Prayer of Midday, said in thanks for the bounties of the Land, around the midday meal, and to mark the start if Laitos' descent into the horizon. It is mostly spoken privately, albeit some Solars like to gather all around a luncheon.
- Prayer of Dusk, said in mourning for Laitos' passing into darkness, and in hope that she will rise again. It is expected for all faithful to join the Solar in the chapel for this prayer, to count anyone that might have gone missing.
- The Ritual of the Aldhart, is the weekly service in which followers of Laitos gather around their closest place of power, also known as the Aldhart, to worship the Light, renew their vows and reaffirm the tenets by which they live. The Ritual often involves the creation of a stag of light, or attempts to summon an attuned deer as witness to the congregation.
Sects
There are multiple splinter groups from the Church of the Redeemer, all of which believe in the Light's divinity, but have different approaches to scripture and dogma. Historically the faith of the Light has spread across Elementia, taking various aspects and various approaches that either clash with the larger Church, or are accepted as worthy doctrines.
Active Churchs & Sects:
- The Church of the Redeemer, the largest and most widespread organised religion focused around in the worship of the Light in Elementia. Proclaims Eostre to be the first divine Archon.
- Brotherhood of the Dawn Eternal, a militant extremist splinter group, who considers the Church of the Redeemer to be too lenient in its pursuit of other faiths. They are widely scattered across Elementia, but have a considerable armed force. Often the perperators of persecution and vigilante violence.
- Cult of the Eclisped Sun, an occult group of Laitos worshippers, who proclaim that her and Vanar, God of the Moon are one and the same. These cultists often commit sacriligious acts and human sacrifice in an attempt to provoke and eclipse. Most sects do not associate with this group.
- Choir of the Unbound Sky, a sect of Ilmari worshippers of Laitos, who proclaim the sky and the elements of air as her domain. The choir sends its missionaries across the realm to preach their doctrine. They have sworn off violence and focus on relief and healing. Accepted by the Churches as close brethren in faith.
- The Church of the Star, the official religion of the Ahtenese Empire, considers the Sun as divine, and sees the stars as the ancestors of the Ahten. Proclaims Ahten as the first divine prophet of Laitos.
- Apostles of the Imperial Dawn, an extremist faction of the Ahtenese Empire, who proclaim the God-King of Ahten as Laitos made manifest. This faith is held by the Ahtenese Imperial Guard, and is enforced mostly within the military as a warrior cult to maintain the loyalty of the army towards the Emperor.
- Astral Recusants, an anti-authoritarian sect that seeks to return to the original worship of Laitos, and researches its original texts and scriptures. They are a small faction, without much influence, but regarded as a dangerous intellectual elite within the Empire. These faithful regard the stars as divine and contest much of the doctrines of the larger churches.
Veritas Per Lucem
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
The Church of Laitos, the Parhelion Church, the Archonate
Demonym
Laitosians
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Deities
Location
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Priesthood and Ranks
The priesthood of the Church is open only to a few specific castes of people, born of the Eostre tribe, or honorarily allowed into the Church through one of its foreign sects. Only members of the scribe, warrior and bloodied sects can become priests of Laitos; this is often decided for them as early as birth, however conversion is also possible. Once initiated, priests of Laitos cannot move to another profession, or abandon said profession.
- Nativii: This rank is the only stage at which a heretic, or a foreigner may join the faith of the Redeemer. The nativii serve at rituals as chorists and mourners, their role being to sing and to thus purify their souls through the worship of Laitos.
- Solar: This rank is the lowest of the Church, and defines those who can minister ceremonies, make offerings, and marry two souls together in harmony. These clerics of Laitos are called brothers or sisters by their faithful.
- Orator: This rank is considered a respectable position, as Orators lead the Choirs of Nativity and manage the Solars in their region. They are second highest in the Church, and answer to the Archon themselves.
- Archon: This is the highest rank of the Church, and its leader. The Archon is an inherited position, given to the first born of the current Archon. Upon birth, a consort born Eostre people is chosen to become the Archon's spouse.
Tenets of the Light
The key tenets of the Church are mostly focused on redemption, healing, restoration and gratitude; the faithful of Laitos are expected to know the basic commandments of the Church and recite them during prayer, or at service.
The Tenets of Laitos:
- Let us be thankful for the bounties that the Light has given us.
- Let us give honor to our lord, father and mother.
- Let us show mercy and kindness to those who wish for it.
- Let us compassion to our enemies, let us show them the Light.
- Let us pursue the truth, and make our will in its image.
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