Abbey of the Everyman

"Eternal diligence and absolute vigilance. Anything less, and we might as well invite the Void to sit at our dinner tables."

The Abbey of the Everyman is, at first glance, an institution rooted in paradox. After all, the Abbey is the primary organized religion within the Empire of the Isles, but maintains no deities and actually discourages worship in any form through the threat of force. Led by the High Overseer, the Abbey's primary function is to safeguard the Empire against the Void and the Others, particularly those Others that wield significant power. As such, the Abbey stands diametrically opposed to the myriad Cults of the Others, and works to exterminate them wherever they may appear. Outside of enforcing their doctrines, the Abbey also has several civil duties that fall within its purview. The maintaining and regulating of the Empire's calendar, as well as officiating marriages and the Fugue Feast, are the responsibility of the Abbey, along with multiple other administrative charges. Because waging a neverending war against the Others and keeping the Empire running would be too much for any one institution, the Abbey also controls two separate, sister organizations, namely the Oracular Order and the Nostra Division. The Oracular Order assists in foreseeing difficulties before they happen, whereas the Nostra Division is a network of militarized specialists who can be called upon to exterminate the Others, wherever they may appear.

The Seven Scriptures

The Seven Scriptures are seven codes that make up the core principles that the Abbey espouses. These include rules about social interactions as well as beliefs about the cosmos at large.

Wandering Gaze: "Restrict the Wandering Gaze that looks hither and yonder for some flashing thing that easily catches a man's fancy in one moment, but brings Calamity in the next. For the eyes are never tired of seeing, nor are they quick to spot illusion. A man whose gaze is corrupted is like a warped mirror that has traded beauty for ugliness and ugliness for beauty. Instead, fix your eyes to what is edifying and to what is pure, and then you will be able to recognize the profane monuments of the Others."
Lying Tongue: "Restrict the Lying Tongue that is like a spark in a man's mouth. It is such a little thing, yet from one spark an entire city may burn to the ground. The father of a lie will suffer a punishment compounded by each person who relayed it. Better to live a life of silence than unleash a stream of Untruth. The echoes of lies come back as the voice of the Others."
Restless Hands: "Restrict the Restless Hands, which quickly become the workmates of the Others. Unfettered by honest labor, they rush to sordid gain, vain pursuits, and deeds of violence. Of what value are the hands that steal and kill and destroy? Instead, put your hands to the plow, the fork, and the spade. For even the lowliest labor that is rigorous squeezes the muscles as a sponge, rinsing Impurities from the mind and body."
Roving Feet: "Restrict the Roving Feet that love to trespass. They pay no heed to the boundary stones of other men's fields. They wander into foreign lands, only to return with their soles blackened by Iniquity. Where have you strayed that destruction now comes behind you? Would you walk across burning coals or broken glass? Then why do you prowl into the homes of the honest, or into the dens of hidden things, for the result is the same? You will fall into the Void! Instead, rest your feet on a firm foundation so that when the winds of the Others shriek against you, you will stand firm and not be overthrown."
Rampant Hunger: "Restrict the Rampant Hunger or the intemperate will rise up among you like a virulent swarm, devouring everything wherever they go, even filth. For what goes into your body, poisons you, and if you eat filth then Filth is what you will vomit up. Surely the glutton will sell away birthright, family, and friends for a morsel of meat."
Wanton Flesh: "Restrict the Wanton Flesh. Truly, there are no quicker means by which a life can be upheaved and sifted than by the depredations of uncontrolled desire. What avail is the concourse of a prostitute? The attention of a loose companion? Nothing. And what of the fruit of such unions? Only Sorrow is born, only Misery is multiplied; within these things, the Others dwell."
Errant Mind: "Restrict an Errant Mind before it becomes fractious and divided. Can two enemies occupy the same body? No, for the first will direct it one way, and the second another, until they stumble into a ditch and its neck is broken. Likewise, two contrary thoughts cannot long abide in a man's mind, or he will become weak-willed and subject to any Heresy."