Hagiographies

The Handmaidens of the Raven are encamped around our Souls, prowling the shadows, waiting to strike. Their foul, scavenging natures are but one sign of how precious our Souls were to the Phoenix. Dear reader, it should make you laugh with joy - not weep in fear! - just as Saint Arefyeva laughed in the face of Her betrayers. I pray that this humble account of the Laughing Saint's life may, in all things, give courage to your Soul.

— Editor, The Life of Saint Arefyeva the Joyful

For believers in the Holy Chorus of Saints, there are three main souces of spiritual inspiration that are relied upon to traverse the moral difficulties of everyday life. The first is a human's Conscience: the Soul of one of the Worth Dead, fused to a living person's shadow in order to impart moral, spiritual and secular guidance to them. The second comes from the wisdom and sermons of the Saints-Servants. The third are hagiographies: books that describe the lives, deaths and miracles of individual Patron Saints. They are considered sacred texts for believers across the Raskvaerii Empire, and are usually ranked amongst the most precious of an individual's personal possessions.

The Purpose of Hagiographies

Often described in their prefaces as "a second Conscience", hagiographies are considered the most popular literary genre in Raskvaeric. The stories of the Saints' lives (including their temptations, failures, miracles and death) are viewed as a spiritual benchmark against which the faithful can judge their own lives.

Content

It is traditional for believers in the Holy Chorus of Saints to adopt a Patron Saint. Published hagiographies therefore only detail the life of a single holy figure. Typically, hagiographies are divided into eight main sections:

• Preface

• The Life of the Saint

• The Death or Martyrdom of the Saint

• Posthumous Miracles

• Santification

• Calendar of Holy Days and Festivals

• Traditions or rituals related to the Saint

• Basic prayer templates

The books often include illustrated images of the Saints' lives, which vary widely in terms of style and quality depending on the manufacturing price. Illustrations range from simple woodcuts to highly detailed drawings with details picked out in gold leaf. Illiterate individuals can purchase simple hagiographies comprised solely of illustrations.

Cost and Presentation

As an important religious text, it is seen as a moral imperative that every person in Raskvaerii can access hagiograhpies in some form. For this reason, their prices range from inexpensive to exorbitant. Regardless of the expense of the raw materials used, the quality of the type-set and the standard of the illustrations, other factors that can drive the cost up are the size of the books and the craftmanship of the front covers. Similarly, there is a large scope of variation for the quality and presentation of the covers, including gilt engravings, beaded mosaics, and plain cloth coverings.

by Brinsmead

Type

Text, Religious

"...May this book act as a second Conscience to you, Dear Reader, as you traverse the hazards of our mortal lives. It is the greatest sorrow of all human Souls that the Great Mercies of the Phoenix have been torn from our grasp. All that can be hope for is that, when we die, our Reliquaried Souls are not tormented by the memories of our failures and sins.

— Editor, The Wisdom of Saint Zakhar the Sorrowful

Fashionable Fad or Spiritual Tool?

The importance of Patron Saints to the faithful, combined with the spiritual guidance provided by the hagiographies, has led to believers carrying their book on their person. This has led to a demand for smaller books being printed, with publishers competing to produce miniture books. The largest of these 'pocket-books' are roughly 4.25 inches x 6.87 inches. The smallest hagiography currently on the market measures just 1.88 inches tall.
These books are typically wrapped in cloth or placed in a purse. These can either be carried in a coat pocket or bag, while some people have theirs attached to their belt with a chain, or carried in an ornamental pouch.