Temple of the Shield (Crowhill)

The most powerful of the two temples in Crowhill, this temple venerates the Shield Father. It is involved in much of the day-to-day regulation of Crowhill and the influence of the church is felt throughout The Kingdom of Varellia.

The temple is tall and stark, with a stained-glass rosette window depicting a glowing shield.

Worship

Services are held in the temple daily at dawn and dusk.

Priesthood

All priests of the Shield Father (at this temple, at least) are men. They don grey robes and shave off all hair on their heads. Some are armed with maces bound to long chains.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Temple of the Shield regulates magic use within Crowhill by granting permits to approved visitors and residents of the city.
Permits are small vellum scrolls displaying a user's name and a symbol designating the type of magic they use.
Magic Permits are granted in Crowhill in five categories:

The Sword, holy warriors (typically Paladins)

The Candle, people of god (typically Clerics and Monks)

The Book, arcane scholars (Wizards)

The Arrow, hunters of evil (Rangers)

The Lute, creators of magical music (Bards)

These stamps are color-coded by the divine source of the user's magic (Gold for the Shield Father, Green for the Harvest Mother, and Red for magic that isn't divine in nature).
Magic users that don't fit neatly into one category, but aren't banned from practice by the temple, will be assigned the closest possible designation.
Some types of magic users are forbidden from practicing within city walls, and cannot be registered. If they are discovered to be magic users, even if they aren't caught casting, they can be expelled from the city. These include:

Pact-Based Magic Users: all types of Warlocks and most Sorcerers, particularly those whose bloodline is from a suspicious source.

Nature-Based Magic: Druids, Nature Paladins/Clerics, and others who draw from the Old Gods or other ancient natural forces. Rangers are given a pass because they are seen as hunters of monsters rather than guardians of the evil of the wilderness.

Worshipers of Heretical Gods: Though there are only two temples in Crowhill, followers of most non-evil human gods are allowed to work within the city. Most non-human gods are viewed with suspicion, and the superstition surrounding caves and the underground in Crowhill means even good-aligned gods of the deep earth are feared.

Dark Magics: Magic involving contact with otherworldly entities, the dead, and the undead, though the definition is loose and often up to interpretation by the priests.