Astralan Church
Structure
The church is made up of many people filling various roles within it. Each branch of the church has its own duties and function which helps the church as a whole to continue to work as it does. The branches are as follows:
Stellaris Constellation: The church's high council. This branch is formed of Lights who've proved their worth as artists, craftsmen, and loyal priests of Solix and Nexis. They oversee most of the political and ceremonial affairs of the Astralan faith.
Oracles: Mouthpieces of Solix Astera. They act as judges within the church, oversee ranking tests, and appoint new members to the Stellaris Constellation. They also act as advisors to the council, informing them of any pertinent knowledge they may receive.
Mystwalkers: An extension of the church within the military. As a special forces unit working with several specially enchanted artifacts, they are sent in to silence enemies of the church and ensure forbidden knowledge never comes to light. Because their creed and methods clash so heavily with the benevolent public image of the church, they aren't well known to the general public.
Paladins: A more friendly and public-facing branch of the church's military. Trained in holy magics, these knights are called in whenever there is a threat to the church or the royal family. Their main duty, however, is to protect nobles who must pass through portals as a means of expedited travel across the kingdom.
Lights: The main priesthood of the church. Their main duty is to guide worship of Solix and spread the church's teachings.
While each part of the church is considered equal to the others, they are also broken up by their ranks. Those of the same rank will have equal authority, but only individuals with the highest rankings can give orders to those of lower rank outside their own branch. The church hierarchy is as follows:
- Wicks are the apprentices of the church. Beginning from a young age, they are the ones who keep the church tidy and perform menial tasks for their superiors. They are often kept out of sight of the public. All their education is handled by the Candles responsible for attending the church's wards. A Wick's rank is determined by their age, with the oldest being responsible for their juniors as well as having the privilege of delegating certain tasks to them.
- Candles are the lowest rank of priests and priestesses. Their main duties are preparing for festivals, collecting donations and offerings, and guiding churchgoers. There are three sub-ranks of Candle: the lowest is comprised of former Wicks who have just come of age and are often the ones left in charge of caring for the Wicks; the second rank is given the privilege of leaving the church to perform charity work, as well as each having one personal day every two weeks; and the highest rank are in charge of festival and ceremonial preparations. Candles that reach the top rank are able to be recruited into other branches of the church. Those not recruited are instead expected to begin preparations for their ascension to become either a Lantern or a Torch.
- Lanterns are the pastors. There can be anywhere from one to twelve Lanterns assigned to a single church building, depending on the size of the congregation. They give sermons, teach Candles and are often in direct contact with the community leaders of their area.
- Torches are the wandering priests, traveling to villages that might not have a church or joining expeditions to new lands in order to spread the gospel of Solix. Some spend their whole life on pilgrimage, but most will settle down and join an existing church or start a new one where there's need. They are functionally the same rank as Lanterns.
- Crystals are named after the enchanted stones used to light the interior of all but the smallest churches. They are the leaders of their church, though only the larger buildings will have one. They oversee all the church's sermons and activities and are often the ones who decide how a festival will be celebrated. They ordain weddings and perform blessings over children when they reach their third year.
- Stars are the highest ranked officials of the church. They are the members that make up the Stellaris Constellation.
Cosmological Views
Solix Astera, the Lord of the Skies, formed the sun, the moon, and the stars. He made the sky to hang his creations, so that they could shine more brilliantly in contrast with the darkness. Deciding that he wanted beings to marvel at his lights, he created upon the world humans. To the humans he said "I bestow upon you this land and everything under the sun, so that you may grow and prosper. The sun by day and the moon and stars by night shall watch over and guide you. Bring glory unto me, and you shall be rewarded."
Worship
Worship generally consists of art and craftsmanship, particularly that which draws attention to the domain of Solix Astera in some way. An artist may dedicate their magnum opus to Solix as a means to receive his divine muse. Works with glass and reflective materials are highly prized for fixtures in the churches as they help to spread light throughout the congregation halls without the use of lesser flames or expensive enchanted crystals.
Music and song is another common way to worship, and is often used in the cathedrals during worship and prayer.
Priesthood
The priests and priestesses of this faith are called the "Lights". Despite being beholden to a masculine god, it is the priestesses who are considered to be higher in the hierarchy than the priests. This is because the priestesses are considered to be "The Brides of Astera", filling in the role left empty by the supposed death of his goddess bride, Nexis.
Both priests and priestesses are raised from a young age to take their position. Usually they are children of noble families, although some can be from commoner families if they are born on the day of a great celestial event such as an eclipse or harvest moon. They lead celibate lives, dedicated solely to their disciples and to Solix himself. Rank within the church is gained through tests, wherein aspirants must present to the presiding Oracle a crafted work that meets specific standards. Those who pass successfully ascend to the next rank, while those who fail are sent to self-reflect in solitude for three days and three nights.
Princess Tabitha is currently considered the highest ranked priestess, despite her young age, due to her birth coinciding perfectly with the beginning of a meteor shower that was visible across the kingdom. Solix himself sent down stars to see her, the Lights said at the time. What exactly this means for her is yet to be determined, however there is a complication given the recent deaths of the rest of the royal family that left her as the only legitimate heir to the throne. The Stellaris Council and the kingdom's nobles and advisors are debating still whether the princess should continue with her celibate priestess life or marry to continue the royal line of succession.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
The Church
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Items
Notable Members
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