Sunpriests
Structure
The Sunpriests wear robes the color of their rank, but the careful eye can always tell by the fabric the real social rank of the wearer. And of course, the amount of gold that was worn was always a clear sign.
Rank
- White - healers and caregivers
- Red - the majority of the priests throughout the land
- Black - Demon summoners and most of the top leadership of the church
Public Agenda
Ostensibly, the Sunpriests act as guides and intercessors between the people and Kandis, however in modern times many in the church have been corrupted by power and wealth and now seek only to promote themselves while paying lip service to Kandis. There are still honest priests to be found among the masses.
History
About a hundred years ago, as the Sunpriests became more powerful, they also became corrupt, until they elected a False Son of the Sun without following the will of Kandis. Under this False Son, Hanovar, magic became outlawed as heresy and witchcraft, yet the newly-powerful black-robed priests were summoners of demons and possessed dark magic of their own. They took over the Feast of the Children, formerly a rite of passage into adulthood, coming to each village to check the children for magic abilities. Anyone displaying magic was taken by the priests to be burned; cleansed by the Sunlord. Told “If they had committed sins against Kandis of their own free will they would perish in the flames; if they did not, they would rise unharmed.” Unknown to the rest of the country, if a child young enough to be manipulated and controlled displayed any power, they were taken by the Priests and trained to be weapons.
