Synod of Agartha

In the early years of the Reman Empire, the Emperor and his councilors determined that one of the reasons the Draconic Dominions had been able to succeed in taking over part of Io was that the people's faith had been weakened by religious infighting. Despite the wishes conveyed by The Twelve when they retreated from the Material Plane, the Temples had devolved into squabbling over gold, territory, and political alignments; they had also developed increasingly dogmatic devotion to their individual deities. This lack of trust and cohesion was what allowed followers of the Cult of the Scaled Tyrant to launch a draconic invasion of a large chunk of western and southern Io. While he himself was a devotee of Erathis, Reman believed that the only way to truly unite his people was to return to worshiping the Twelve as they had wished to be worshiped: as equals.
The establishment of the Synod was a part of the broader Reman Reforms that created the modern religion of the Twelve (also known as the Duodecine Faith to distinguish it from pre-Reman religion). The idea was to create a unified governing body that could mediate between the Temples and facilitate collective decision-making for them. This body would pointedly avoid placing any member, sect, or even country above any other; their sole priority would be to carry out the wishes of the gods and protect the welfare of their worshipers. Thus, the Synod was formed by electing a member of each god's clergy to serve as a councilor.
To symbolize their unity of purpose, the newly-formed Synod made the newly-built Palace Triumphant their home and meeting place. Agartha was the island where the gods held their own councils during the Dawn War, so building a single, unified temple complex there was deeply symbolic.

Structure

The Synod is a completely egalitarian organization. They make a point of having no single leader and avoiding any kind of hierarchy. Decisions are made democratically, and require two-thirds (8/12) of the councilors to vote in favor of the resolution in order to pass it.
To drive this point home, the councilors meet at a ring-shaped table in a circular room.

Public Agenda

The purpose of the Synod is to decide on matters that affect the religion of the Twelve. They authorize the formation of new Orders and Societies, grant permission for the Temples to draw on collective assets for holy missions, and so on.

Type

Religious, Other

Parent Organization

The Twelve

Location

Palace Triumphant

Controlled Territories

• Palace Triumphant