Church of Vabamot

Inside the temple was lavishly decorated with gold, silver and jewels seemingly everywhere. I was quickly approached by a junior priest, maybe because of my more common clothes. He asked me what my business was in the temple and when I told him I was just looking, offered to give me a small tour, for a price of course. The whole time he was showing me around the temple I couldn't decide if I was talking to a merchant or a priest.

— from "Memories of a Caravan Guard" by Clais Hiltprandt

Structure

The head of the church is the High Priest of Vabamot. The role of the High Priest is to oversee the church as well as officiate religious rites on Godsday. Appointment to the title is for life, baring extraordinary circumstances, and as is fitting for the God of Wealth is primarily based on who has done most to increase the fortune of the church. The actual choice is made by the Senior Priests after careful study of the churches ledgers and much discussion.

Below the High Priest are the Senior Priests. They are responsible for the actual running of the church, with each being given a specific task such as accounting, maintenance, or sale of religious items. They are also the ones who typically officiate religious rites on days other than Godsday. Appointment to the rank of Senior Priest and assignment of the area of responsibility is made by the High Priest, formally based on the priests accomplishments.

Most of the priests of the church belong to the rank of Junior Priests. These priests are responsible for most of the actual church work. When a follower of Vabamot visits the church and requests to speak with a priest it is usually a Junior Priest they end op speaking to. Being accepted into the ranks of the Junior Priests takes years of study and demonstrating an understanding of the teaching of Vabamot. The actual appointment is made by the Senior Priest who is currently in charge of training Acolytes.

The lowest actual church rank is that of Acolyte. They are typically young people who for whatever reason has chosen to join the church and are studying religious texts and doctrine in hopes of one day advancing to the rank of Junior Priest. Despite the number of slaves owned by the church the position of Acolyte involves a significant amount of menial tasks intended to teach the value of hard work.

History

The Church of Vabamot was founded in the early years of Potavoli when trade first started to flow again after the Banishing. As the village grew into a town the influence of the church increased along with the increasing trade. Some historians claim that the cause of the Merchant Schism was as much caused by disagreement over religious doctrine as it was by conflict among the merchant families. Following the Schism the tenets of the faith were adjusted and influence of the church grew even further as he newly created Great Families publicly backed the church and helped fund the creation of the first Grand Temple.

Tenets of Faith

Power from Wealth

Money equals influence, and influence equals power. You should always strive to create wealth for yourself as it will allow you to decide your own fate. With enough wealth you might even decide the fate of others.

Wealth from Trade

Money is made by trading with others. By trading with each other you both become wealthier.

A fair trade is any where you are satisfied

When you trade with others you should always seek the deal that is best for you. If others feel that the trade was unfair it is their own fault for not making a better deal.

Faith in Vabamot is good, but it does not replace hard work

Praying to Vabamot does not grant instant wealth. He rewards those who are willing to work to get what they want.

Priesthood

The current High Priest of Vabamot is Ghirirgoro de Filago, a cousin of Gino de Filago. Despite the family relations no apparent favoritism has been observed. This doesn't stop the other heads of the Great Families from regularly expression their doubts, but church matters is one thing that they cannot influence in Potavoli.

Power from Wealth, Wealth from Trade

Type

Religious, Temple

Alternative Names

Church of Wealth and Trade

Deities

• God of Wealth and Trade

Location

Potavoli

Controlled Territories

• Grand Temple of Vabamot