Faith of Asaldine
The faith of Asaldine is, unsurprisingly, without formulaic ritual and undue obedience. However, they do follow a hierarchy of sorts, but interestingly, those higher in the faith hold themselves to higher standards than those below. The Highest Mercy of Asaldine for example, is unable to lie, will grant healing to anyone who asks, and will offer sanctuary to any man, woman or child (the form of this sanctuary however, is at her discretion). The faith of Asaldine become more and more withdrawn the more power they amass, following in the footsteps of their Queen, as they become more and more ‘formless’ in the world (this is unobtainable, but they believe that just as Asaldine only appears when the need is greatest, so too must the highest clerics).
This may seem counterintuitive, but it has meant that Asaldine’s church has become incredibly influential, as youthful and relatively inexperienced adventurers are often entrusted with significant quests. Whilst many fail, enough succeed that the faith has become beloved by most communities across the world.
Some adventuring clerics of Asaldine do not retire to seclusion when they become more powerful, and these are seen as the Queen’s Arm, those who choose to root themselves in the true reality of the world and refuse to seek the ‘formless’ ideal of Asaldine. By swearing themselves to this path, those of the Arm are removing themselves forever from the hierarchy of the faith, but they are accorded great respect and are often those dispatched to aid the youngest adventurers of the church.
Because of their tendency to retreat to seclusion, there are some who believe Asaldine’s faith weak. However, when true evil passes through the lands, the Mercies of Asaldine will leave their temples, and for the common folk it can often seem as if the sun itself has come to battle with the darkness. In all the great conflicts of the world, it is Asaldine’s faith that has stood almost unbroken against the evils that would plague the world – whilst remaining largely neutral in the struggles of man.
The current Highest Mercy of Asaldine is Taera Silverrun, a half-elven cleric who has led the faith for over a hundred years. She resides in the great temple at H……. and whilst she eschews the physical world, she is said to have been one of the more interventionist Mercies in memory, dispatching agents of the church to areas where darkness is growing, to bring hope to the people.
There are five other Mercies who form the Council of Light. One of them, Marah al Ezra, leads the side of Asaldine’s faith that is seen as furthest from her lofty ideals: the Inquisition. The Inquisition, or the Queen’s Eye, seek out evil wherever it is found, and are known as great diviners, investigators and detectives. They are often sought after by civil authorities when murders or crimes stray into occult areas. But they can also bring fear to smaller communities. Whilst they do abide by the principles of Mercy, a radical tradition within the Eyes argues that mercy for those of evil heart means a swift and painless death.
Taera remains quiet on this debate, and so the radical tradition has grown stronger in recent years. Most of the time, this is held in check by the ‘common sense’ of the faith, but sometimes it has led to extreme responses such as the Massacre of Ellenfell, where sixteen farmers were dispatched swiftly on suspicion of devilry, leading to a revolt by the province against their rulers. Here again, the Eyes acted swiftly and mercifully, utterly eradicating the revolution – but earning the faith of Asaldine a ban from the realm of Suden.
Marcus Aran is the Mercy that oversees the Arm, and rarely visits the temple, conducting his adventures and overseeing his adventurers with the close attention of a fond uncle.
Tenets of Faith
- Touch the world lightly, for all do not wish to know your truth;
- Mercy is for all in the world, even the darkest of hearts;
- Healing is a gift that should be freely given to those in need;
- Truth is a good in itself, and unless it cause great harm, should be kept;
- Sacrifice of oneself is a good in itself, but it must bring value to the world;
- The Blight and the Calculix are two sides of the same coin, and must be opposed;
- Corruption must be treated and healed in the hearts of man, lest evil spread.
Priesthood
There are few strict ranks within the faith, but there are some key roles and ranks:
- The Highest Mercy
- The Five Mercies
- Lord or Lady Eye (second to the Mercy responsible for the Inquisition)
- Lord or Lady Arm (second to the Mercy responsible for the Arm)
- High Priest (of a realm, but can be called differently in different areas
- Any other “ranks” are self-defined and any title tends to be welcomed by the faith.
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