Church of Ancients
The Church of Ancients reveres a small pantheon of gods. These gods preside over certain areas of life, but are not an all-inclusive group.
Part of their beliefs is that all heroes have a patron deity. Casters using elemental or cosmic magic are presided over by the Alchemist, as the Casters using holy revere the Hierophant, and so on.
The belief in the pantheon separates the church into groups. These aren’t fragmented or factionalized, but rather an individualization. They believe that truth is for the gods to decide and that anything they teach is inherently right. Any apparent contradictions are not contradictions at all, but actually the relative nature of truth. As such, the followers of each patron deity has their own set of teaching that are imparted to their followers.
First is the Courtier, an incredibly fluid being, depicted as having long blonde hair, a beautiful face, and piercing golden eyes. However, it is shown as both genders, depicted in nude as both male and female. They are the god of love, sex, friendship, birth, art, music, and the concept of “oneness”. They’re the patron deity of thespians, artists, and lovers. Their symbol is two interlocking rings. The followers of the Courtier are taught that passion is the compass of the spirit. You need to follow your passions for they reveal the truth. You love who you love, enjoy what you enjoy, and do what you love to do. This is, of course, tempered by the overarching morality of the faith, but they are certainly the loosest with their rules.
Then there is the Sentinel, always depicted as a great warrior. He is the god of crafting, travel, war, and revenge, and the patron of warriors and sailors. His symbol is a flaming sword. It’s not often that a god of war and crafting are the same being. This is mainly due to the Church of Ancient’s belief in “aspects”. True, they also believe that all of the Sentinel’s domains are complimentary; to be a good warrior, you must be self-sufficient. Thus, to be a good warrior you must be as ingenious as a craftsman and knowledgeable as a navigator. You must be able to find your way and to create weapons from the raw materials around you. It is also due to their belief that the gods are many things and yet always themselves. The Courtier may be male or female, but they are always the Courtier. The Sentinel may be a craftsman, forging divine weapons, or he may be leading a charge in a great battle between Heaven and Hell, but he is always the Sentinel. This informs their philosophy on life, as well, as they believe that you are who you are, not what you do or say. Followers of the Sentinel are taught that there are only two things that are truly unjust – theft and rape – and both for the same reason: it’s not yours. Either of those actions is to take what isn’t yours to possess. All other things are permissible if the reason is justified. Murder is wrong unless the target is killed for abusing their family. Anger is fine as long as you rage against injustice. They even excuse adultery if the marriage is unhealthy.
The Pontifex is a man wrapped in white with a sword in one hand and a censer in the other. He’s the husband of the Hierophant, and is the god of judgement, purity, balance, and law. He is the patron of Templars and Exorcist. His symbol is a set of scales.
His wife, the Hierophant is a woman clad in brilliant white robes, and is the goddess of wisdom, mercy, healing, and forgiveness. She carries a scepter, and is patron deity of the Casters that use holy magic. She is symbolized by an open hand.
Together, they represent the Church of Ancients’ view on the role of religion. They feel that it is a double edged sword, usable for judgment and mercy, law and discernment. You need religion for the structure and the law, but you can’t follow that law to the letter or you’ll become a tyrant.
Neither of these deities truly have sole devotees. At their core, a Templar is just a warrior with a holy cause, so the Pontifex is taken in equal measure with the Sentinel. It is his unwavering law that provides the measuring stick for injustice that needs avenging.
In the same way, the Hierophant is a goddess of magic and wisdom. Her magic is purely holy, but she is nonetheless revered by casters who are also followers of the Alchemist. They are the “high” deities, revered by nearly all of the members of the faith. They do have direct devotees, but they are also the patrons of the Church’s six core tenants: Do not take life, for life is precious. Do not spread lies, for deceit is vile. Do not take what is not yours. Do love, for love is the origin of life itself. Do call out injustice, for no one fights alone. Do practice mercy, for one day you will need it.
Finally, the Alchemist is depicted as being a man in robes with a staff and a book. He is the god of knowledge, magic, learning, foresight, and the unknown. His symbol is an eye with three lines coming from the bottom. He is the patron deity of the Casters that use the elements. His followers are instructed to never cease to learn or investigate. Never believe that you have all the answers. The moment you decide that you know what’s going on, you will become snared in your own hubris. That’s why they believe that the Alchemist is both knowledge and the unknown. He is a seeker of knowledge – even being the deity of foresight – but he never knows all. This has led many to the belief that even a god is fallible. In truth, it’s a fallacy the Church teaches that. What they actually believe is that the Alchemist does, in fact, know all, but that they don’t have to. He is a god and they are not. He has perfect knowledge and they must continually strive for that understanding.
The belief in the pantheon separates the church into groups. These aren’t fragmented or factionalized, but rather an individualization. They believe that truth is for the gods to decide and that anything they teach is inherently right. Any apparent contradictions are not contradictions at all, but actually the relative nature of truth. As such, the followers of each patron deity has their own set of teaching that are imparted to their followers.
First is the Courtier, an incredibly fluid being, depicted as having long blonde hair, a beautiful face, and piercing golden eyes. However, it is shown as both genders, depicted in nude as both male and female. They are the god of love, sex, friendship, birth, art, music, and the concept of “oneness”. They’re the patron deity of thespians, artists, and lovers. Their symbol is two interlocking rings. The followers of the Courtier are taught that passion is the compass of the spirit. You need to follow your passions for they reveal the truth. You love who you love, enjoy what you enjoy, and do what you love to do. This is, of course, tempered by the overarching morality of the faith, but they are certainly the loosest with their rules.
Then there is the Sentinel, always depicted as a great warrior. He is the god of crafting, travel, war, and revenge, and the patron of warriors and sailors. His symbol is a flaming sword. It’s not often that a god of war and crafting are the same being. This is mainly due to the Church of Ancient’s belief in “aspects”. True, they also believe that all of the Sentinel’s domains are complimentary; to be a good warrior, you must be self-sufficient. Thus, to be a good warrior you must be as ingenious as a craftsman and knowledgeable as a navigator. You must be able to find your way and to create weapons from the raw materials around you. It is also due to their belief that the gods are many things and yet always themselves. The Courtier may be male or female, but they are always the Courtier. The Sentinel may be a craftsman, forging divine weapons, or he may be leading a charge in a great battle between Heaven and Hell, but he is always the Sentinel. This informs their philosophy on life, as well, as they believe that you are who you are, not what you do or say. Followers of the Sentinel are taught that there are only two things that are truly unjust – theft and rape – and both for the same reason: it’s not yours. Either of those actions is to take what isn’t yours to possess. All other things are permissible if the reason is justified. Murder is wrong unless the target is killed for abusing their family. Anger is fine as long as you rage against injustice. They even excuse adultery if the marriage is unhealthy.
The Pontifex is a man wrapped in white with a sword in one hand and a censer in the other. He’s the husband of the Hierophant, and is the god of judgement, purity, balance, and law. He is the patron of Templars and Exorcist. His symbol is a set of scales.
His wife, the Hierophant is a woman clad in brilliant white robes, and is the goddess of wisdom, mercy, healing, and forgiveness. She carries a scepter, and is patron deity of the Casters that use holy magic. She is symbolized by an open hand.
Together, they represent the Church of Ancients’ view on the role of religion. They feel that it is a double edged sword, usable for judgment and mercy, law and discernment. You need religion for the structure and the law, but you can’t follow that law to the letter or you’ll become a tyrant.
Neither of these deities truly have sole devotees. At their core, a Templar is just a warrior with a holy cause, so the Pontifex is taken in equal measure with the Sentinel. It is his unwavering law that provides the measuring stick for injustice that needs avenging.
In the same way, the Hierophant is a goddess of magic and wisdom. Her magic is purely holy, but she is nonetheless revered by casters who are also followers of the Alchemist. They are the “high” deities, revered by nearly all of the members of the faith. They do have direct devotees, but they are also the patrons of the Church’s six core tenants: Do not take life, for life is precious. Do not spread lies, for deceit is vile. Do not take what is not yours. Do love, for love is the origin of life itself. Do call out injustice, for no one fights alone. Do practice mercy, for one day you will need it.
Finally, the Alchemist is depicted as being a man in robes with a staff and a book. He is the god of knowledge, magic, learning, foresight, and the unknown. His symbol is an eye with three lines coming from the bottom. He is the patron deity of the Casters that use the elements. His followers are instructed to never cease to learn or investigate. Never believe that you have all the answers. The moment you decide that you know what’s going on, you will become snared in your own hubris. That’s why they believe that the Alchemist is both knowledge and the unknown. He is a seeker of knowledge – even being the deity of foresight – but he never knows all. This has led many to the belief that even a god is fallible. In truth, it’s a fallacy the Church teaches that. What they actually believe is that the Alchemist does, in fact, know all, but that they don’t have to. He is a god and they are not. He has perfect knowledge and they must continually strive for that understanding.
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