On Faith: Canticles of Creation

In all things, the Void.  There was no where or when, only oblivion.

With a sigh, Ahrun was born, bright and burning, and with him came the universe we know.

The Void trembled at the reality of His being, and it knew he was good and it was evil.

The Void knew only isolation, only nothing, and it used its perversions to tempt Ahrun

Ahrun was tempted.  The Void cursed him with longing, and his longing brought the world to be.

Ahrun created the world and filled it with life.  His light touched every being.

The Void saw his creation and worked to destroy it.  Light is Life, Shadow is Death.

Ahrun felt his work being corrupted, and gave part of Himself up to create the First Scion.

The First Scion was made to fight the Void, and fight he did.

From him sprung all the Scions of Ahrun’s Radiant Host.  The Void trembled.

The Radiant Host made Sentinel, a guardian of Ahrun’s creation, and so the war began.

The first war was in the heavens.  The Void birthed Umbrals as Ahrun birthed Scions.

For eons, the war raged, and the Void searched for an advantage.

It was weak in this new world and sought out a way to find anchor in it.

Ahrun’s own creation would be his greatest threat.

The Void corrupted the world Ahrun made, turning the life he had made to Shadow.

The Void’s newly corrupted servants feasted on Ahrun’s bounty, and the war tipped in favor it it.

The Scions could not fight both wars, and needed Ahrun’s creation to defend itself.

They descended upon the world, enlightening the beings they found and calling them to arms.

Every living things holds within it the Light of Ahrun, and with that Light, these new allies fought.

So it is now, as it was then.  The war is eternal - Light against Darkness.

Follow the Wisdom of the Scions, venerate our true lord, Ahrun.


On Faith:  Organization

	The Church is one of the oldest organizations in the world.  Said fully, the organization’s true name is The Divine Church of Radiance.  The tenants of faith are fairly straightforward.  The Void is constantly working to overthrow the Light.  The Church has fought this constantly.  In the Old World, they were little more than a voice in the crowd of voices trying to influence the Council.  Now, they’ve helped shape the Grey Kingdoms and have established themselves as the ‘ruling voice’.  The Temple of Light acts as both a training ground and a seat of Government.  There are four Luminarchs that make the Council of Illumination, one from each of the regions, and one from the region around Port Enambur and the Temple itself.  These four voices speak for their subordinates on all matters.  Below them are the Cardinal Bishops who oversee the individual Orders.  Each Order has a specific term for their Cardinal Bishop - Patriarch/Matriarch for the Order of the Dawn, Grandmaster Knight for the Order of the Blazing Sun, Lord Commander for the Order of Twilight, and Magister for the Order of Sentinel.  These Cardinal Bishops are in direct command of their Orders, and bear the responsibility of the Order’s actions.  In each order, there are numerous ranks of Clergy.  The lowest of which is universally called Acolyte.  This is someone who serves the Church but has no authority within it.  Years of service and prayer may see an Acolyte raised to the rank of Clergy.  This formal title comes with an appointment, generally to a monastery or church.  These are the most common form of Holy servant seen in the world.  They tend the grounds of churches and temples, and see to the day to day maintenance and upkeep of the buildings.  Within the Clergy, there are ranks to move around, especially within larger temples and cathedrals.  Every order has clergy members, but their training may vary.  The Order of the Blazing Sun, for example, trains their clergy as foot soldiers.   Every Fortress Monastery has a staff of thousands it can call on in times of conflict or crusade.  Apart from the Clergy are the monks that join the Church for spiritual enlightenment.  These holy men and women dedicate themselves to internal mediation have no rank, but are worthy of respect.  A rare few unlock spiritual feats and acts of supreme physical prowess - blessings for contemplating Ahrun’s great mysteries.  Above the Clergy are a strata of Priest known as the Blessed.  These powerful individuals wield actual divine power.  With the exception of the Order of Twilight, advancement in the church beyond simple Clergy hinges on an individual being Blessed.  For the Order of the Dawn, it’s most regularly seen in true Clerics.  Holy missionaries who can grant miracles and blessings from Ahrun and his Scions.  The Order of the Blazing Sun has Paladins - powerful Knights granted the strength to smite their foes and confront the horrors of The Void on a regular basis.  The Order of the Twilight stands separate, seeing no distinction between Clergy and Blessed.  For them, their task is knowledge and vigilance - neither of which require divine feats.  That isn’t to say they’re free of them.  Some rangers develop an innate connection to the land during their travels, some even being able to perform minor miracles like a Cleric could.  Of course, the Order of Sentinel is an exception as well.  They’re mostly made up of the Blessed, with very few Clergy compared to the other Orders.  Magical talent is required far more than anything else within the Order of Sentinel.