Faith of Saranna

The faith of Saranna is a confusing one, for many mortals. Its clerics have Four Paths that they must follow, to become Anointed Ones. Some will find one path comfortable for them, and they never leave. Their service is still valued, but they will never reach the highest ranks of the church, and they are seen as lesser for their lack of adherence to the example of Madame Magic (Saranna, words suggest, says she hates that name, but keeps it as some keep an itchy cloth, to remind her never to achieve ideas again that distance her from what is right).
The Four Paths are as follows, and must be followed according to the same order that Saranna took her paths:

• Tradition: priests on this path are closer in outlook to those of the Golden Throne, seeking to help people, protect laws and civilisation, and tend to be crusading priests, healing hurts and righting wrongs. They seek magic that would harm the world, and lock it away. Once locked away, only an Anointed One can unlock it – those who have survived all Four Paths will see the Balance in a new way, and can decide what is truly meant to be locked away.
• Freedom: priests on this path are more like the Wanderers, and they seek hidden paths, they revel in freedom to study what they wish, when they wish. They search ancient ruins, take on quests on behalf of those that law and order does not wish to help, and their role is to find rumours and information about magic, and bring it back to the temples.
• Power: priests on this path seek nothing but power, and must put aside all personal feelings and morals, seeking only what is right for them, and for the mighty word of their Mistress. Some feel this is the easiest path, when they start, for there are no rules, only the dictate to seize magic power wherever it is found, to help only those that bring benefit to you, and to show no mercy. Yet for most, this is the hardest path, and many fail it, or fall short.
• Penance: This is a path that leads closest to the Moon Gods, where priests of Saranna put themselves in the place of outsiders, those who dwell amongst the moon and the stars, where they actively fight for the freedom of others, but not their own. They make amends for any steps they took on the Path of Power, that did not work out for the best. This is the important point, because many priests on the Path of Power learn that at times, for the good of the world, terrible decisions have to be made.

Tenets of Faith

• No magic item, or scroll, should be destroyed in any form, save through the Purple Flame;
• Magic is not evil or good, but aspects can pull mortals towards either;
• Follow the Paths and lose yourself in them, the Mistress will find you again;
• Always, always, always listen for the words of Raspastin, he may not speak, but they are there – this is our highest goal;
• Watch and learn, to see the truth of Torthe – refuge or prison, haven or hell – we must understand, and then act.
• Collect magic, learn it, share it.
• Share the wonder of magic with commoners and non-wizards alike – Torthe is hopeless and despairing enough without hiding my light.

Priesthood

There are very specific ranks within Saranna's faith:

• Anointed Ones – these are the rare clerics that have taken all Four Paths, and stepped into the Purple Flame, communing with their Mistress. They, and only they, can access the vaults of the great temples, where magic is hidden that would harm the world. They can also summon the Purple Flame to destroy magic scrolls or items that cannot be allowed to exist – these are not, technically, destroyed, but transmuted and sent to Saranna’s own vaults;
• Priest of the Four Paths – these are the clerics that have completed the Four Paths, but have not yet been called to the Flame. They may never be, but are still worthy of huge respect.
• Priest of the Two Paths – these are clerics that have not completed the third path, and so may not garner as much respect, but they do have authority over those of the Third Path. This is because the chance for Third Path Priests to become corrupt and become adoring of power is high, so higher numbers of watchers is needed to keep them in check;
• Priest of the Three Paths – these can command the lowest ranks, but are always watched by the other paths for any hint that their lust for power has tainted them too deeply. Those who fail on this path are called the Tainted, and are hunted down without mercy
• Priest of the One Path – the lowest ‘pathed’ rank, but having stepped onto the second, they are respected nonetheless
• Initiate – those who have not yet completed the First Path

Saranna’s clergy have their paths embroidered in blue-metal stitches on their robes and sleeves, when they have completed each one. They tend to wear masks, in honour of the mask that Saranna wears when she travels throughout the planes. Each priest has their own spellbook, used as a prayer book. Each Path has its own set of rituals and when an Initiate begins, they are given a book satchel, with a compartment for each Path’s rituals. When these satchels are full, and the Path completed, they are given a blue-steel case.
Saranna’s clergy always speak in draconic, the language of magic.
Within her temples, wizards and clerics alike are forbidden to use comprehend languages or to speak tongues, because the language of magic is sacred and only this can be spoken in her inner sanctums.
This rule does not apply during services for non-clerics and non-wizards.

Deities

• Saranna

Divines

• Saranna