Church of Thirasmus

The largest religion in Sondrana. Worships Order.

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The largest temple in Dun is not a flamboyant affair. Light grey stone with little in the way of adornment sits squat in the centre of the city. Within, many are found in quiet contemplation while acolytes ensure the building is kept organised.

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The Church, as it is commonly known, worships the god Thirasmus across most of the human settlements in Sondrana. It is not a human-only religion, but since Thirasmus was human before he ascended only roughly 800 years ago, such worship has not gained much ground in other societies.

Structure

The Church of Thirasmus has official holdings across the majority of human territories. To aid relations with nobility and local leaders, the Church hierarchy is divided into regions that match country and territorial lines. Currently, there is no overarching head of the organisation - a Cardinal is only voted into position during times of great upheaval.

Archbishop - Each human kingdom has a archbishop who acts as both a spiritual advisor to the ruler and a notable member of their council. An archbishop is responsible for the selection of the country's bishops and also acts as the overseer of the Church's child organisations.

Bishop - A bishop is responsible for the management of temples, shrines and other Church holdings within their bishopric. While the day-to-day services and ceremonies are dealt with by people lower down in the hierarchy, a bishop may perform these duties for holidays or other important events.

High Priest - Each temple found within major towns is headed by a high priest. They may also act as a substitute priest for other nearby temples when required. This is the lowest rank within the Church where the members have full knowledge of the acts and aims of the two child organisations - the Scribes and the Blades of Harmony.

Priest - Every fully-fledged temple has a priest who performs the rites, ceremonies and services expected of the Church. They are aided in these duties by laypeople.

Adept - The highest non-ordained rank within the Church, adepts organise laypeople and novices in their duties. Locations of worship that are not regularly staffed, such as shrines, are visited regularly to ensure they are kept in order. This task usually falls to an adept, particularly when the collection of tithes is involved.

Layperson - Laypeople perform most of the basic duties within a temple such as cleaning, cooking and maintaining censers or candles. Any person hoping to join one of the child organisations is expected to have completed all layperson training before they are even considered.

Novice - Novices are apprentice laypeople, not yet knowledgeable enough to complete their tasks independently.

Divine Origins

Thirasmus, True God of Order, is well known as a human hero who ascended to become part of the Weave - the most recent deity to do so. While it is not known how this act was performed, it was completed shortly after the ascension of Zzandic, True God of the Forge. In the hundred years that followed, humanity grew in influence and power to spread across the continents of Urvén. The first holy warriors of Thirasmus were highly active in pushing back the influences of powers antithetical to Order: necromancy, the hells and the elemental planes. It was these actions that gave humanity a stable foothold on Urvén - stability that has lasted until the present day.

Tenets of Faith

1. Uplift those who cannot uplift themselves - worshippers of Thirasmus are expected to give tithes; the majority of these tithes are used to aid the less fortunate. In addition, worshippers are expected to aid those who need aiding, especially when misfortune strikes.
2. Resist chaotic influences - Order is maintained by pushing back against discordant forces. Worshippers should not consort with beings of power, particularly fiends or elemental beings.
3. Order is peaceful - the Church values peace and contemplation whenever possible. Thirasmus is the stable, calm foundation upon which human civilisation was built.

Sects

The Church of Thirasmus in Gremna and Vhark has begun to move away from the teachings of Thirasmus and instead push the religion in the direction of nationalism and an even more human-centric faith that demonises other races. While the archbishops of these lands do not yet hold a majority within the upper counsil of the Church, the rumblings of discontent are starting to spread and a schism is solidifying.

Peace and Order

Founding Date

0AA

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Subsidiary Organizations

• Blades of Harmony
• The Scribes

Permeated Organizations

• Dunsland

Deities

• ORDER - Thirasmus

Controlled Territories

• Temple of Thirasmus, Teris

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Intelligence (Religion) checks:
5 - "The Church is the largest religion in human kingdoms."
10 - "Thirasmus was a great hero. I understand how my local temple is organised."
15 - "I understand how the Church is organised and could perform a couple of rituals."
20 - "I know about the child organisations and could probably masquerade as a layperson with no difficulty."
25 - "I know about the long-term aims of the Church, the attempted reformation in Vhark and the history of Thirasmus."

Summer Camp 2021

Article Links
Bonepicker, Chazbar, Church of Thirasmus, Creep Rot, Derrick & Sons Lumber Company, Domesticated Hippopotamus, Eldrin Sarsatra, Elf, Frost, The Eye that Blinks, The Fabricators, The First Mast, Geganna Salt, Great Arctic Tern, The Great Vortex, Heston Lockheart, Human, Khijian, Katakan, The Last Rebellion, Liberty, Lions of Dun, Magister, Mechanical Grafts, The Mercy House, Mt. Sang, Rubyfall, The Sapient Crown, Seeds from the Sky, Sin, Stockade, Thir Met, The Threat of Endless Fires, Truthscribe Quill


This was an article originally written as part of the 2021 Summer Camp challenge. I have edited the article since then, so what appears on this page no longer reflects the original competition entry. - Theoclymenus