Story:Conquest/The Church of Dyodeka

The Church is a powerful force within Trallia, independent of the six kingdoms. Though it has no military force of its own, the Church enjoys substantial influence over the aristocracy oweing to its place in the lives of the common people, influence on culture, and historical position. The actual sway of the Church varies, from the theocracy of Kjdoriah to a pretense of acknowledgement in Zeltuss. Nonetheless, any ruler who wishes to maintain stability would be wise to court the esteem of the Church.

Yet despite its power, the current extent of the Church pales in comparison to its history. The Church was once its own nation - a holy empire that stretched across half of Trallia and into the Eastern Lands, and has now been reduced to a city-state that retains nominal independence from the rest of Kjdoria. The Church itself is divided on its future. One side argues that the Church should once again take a greater interest in worldly affairs, acting as more forceful advisors to the rulers of the land. Without spiritual guidance, they argue, the realm will descend further into conflict and war. The other side sees the current situation as a punishment for the Church having overstepped its bounds, thus resulting in ruin following the power vacuum created by the decline of the original holy empire. They believe that the Church should confine itself to spiritual matters only, and give advice and succour directly to the people.

The current leader of the Church is High Confessor Urban III.

Beliefs
The Church's beliefs focus on the dual nature of the One God and the Twelve Aspects. God is whole, perfect and the ultimate embodiment of goodness. It created the world and gave Its children, humanity, their minds and free-will. Yet looking upon the world, God wept, for the children endured the pains they inflicted upon each other, and It wept also because it could not comprehend an imperfect nature that caused hurt to others.

Yet God so loved Its children that It divided itself into Twelve Aspects and came to Earth. These Aspects took upon themselves both the perfection of God and the sins of humanity. Thus, each of the Aspects holds in itself both the purity of a virtue and its opposite. By doing so, God was able to understand and forgive its children. The children, likewise, finds themselves connected to God as each holds within them all Twelve Aspects, purity and impurity.

The Twelve Aspects are each linked to a Zodiac sign. The stars are venerated by the Church as the eyes of God, and a complex holy calendar is governed by their rise and fall.

The Orders
The Church is divided into twelve Orders, mirroring the Twelve Aspects. After a brief period training in each Order, novices are typically placed in the Order associated with their astrological sign in their twelfth year of life. It is unusual, but not unheard of, for members of the Church to choose to go to a different Order from their birth sign. Confessor Mikelis is one such individual, as a member of the Inquisitors whilst retaining Dumas as his personal Aspect.

Laypeople cannot be full members of an Order, but typically choose an Aspect as their patron. The High Confessor is considered to be of all Orders and none, as God is all Aspects and none.

The Order of Inquisitors
The Order of Inquisitors originated as a force to promulgate correct Church doctrine and combat heresy, but its effectiveness in the pursuit of corruption has led it to be expanded to other serious crimes in the last hundred years. When relations between the kingdoms are fragile and crimes cross political and geographical spheres, the Inquisitors are respected as a neutral party with unwavering devotion to the truth. A member of this Order is titled a Confessor.

Despite rumours, the Church vigourously denies that the Inquisitors use torture against heretics. Though they occasionally employ spells which cause pain, these consist solely of holy light drawn from the Gods, and thus, they argue, this pain may only be inflicted on those that deserve it. Members are encouraged to view this magic as the purging of sin through holy fire.

The Inquisitors align themselves with the Aspect of Belias. The vestments of the Inquisitors are a white habit and black cloak.

The Order of Knowledge
The Scholars of the Order of Knowledge comprise the majority of the writers, philosophers and theologians of the Church. They are one of the most established Orders within [name of citystate], where they act as teachers to the young members of the Church, curators of the Great Library, and interpreters of the doctrine. Most monasteries outside [citystate] have one Scholar who gives theological advice, manages the monastery's library and who can be relied upon to recall historical precedent.

The Scholars align themselves with the Aspect of Duma. In honour of this, it is not uncommon for Scholars to take vows of silence which may last up to years. Particularly noteworthy Scholars are titled Doctors. The vestments of the Scholars are a brown habit with golden trim. Many members take a key as their symbol.

The Order of Healers
The Healers concern themselves with ministering to the ill. They are the Order with the greatest association with the lay population, consisting of volunteers that assist in the Order's many hospitals and travelling healer services. The Healers also work closely with the Scholars in preserving historical knowledge and researching new diseases and treatments.

Healers freely mix science, herbal medicine, healing magic and faith in their work. The greatest healers are those who have been given the gifts of healing directly from Zalhera herself, and are able to heal with a touch of their hands.

The Healers align themselves with the Aspect of Zalhera. Unlike the other Orders, many Healers embrace both Purity and Impurity of their Aspect openly, accepting the dual nature of life and death in their work. The vestments of the healers are a white habit, slashed with black.

The Order of Art
This Order is home to the myriad painters, sculptors, musicians and architects responsible for the edifice of the Church. Due to the venerability of the Church, a veritable army of Artists is required to maintain all of the buildings and their associated artworks. It is the dream of many an Artist to one day work on some small part of the Grand Basilica itself. More humble Artists find their way to communities, where they serve to maintain the local church, illustrate manuscripts, and work with the Order of Communion by uniting the flock with music.

Though they are aligned with Zebbeb, the Artists seek to glorify all Twelve Aspects and God Itself through their works. Their vestments are brown, with trim of varying colours dependent on their rank and profession.

The Order of Law
Whilst the Inquisitors involve themselves in policing heretics and crimes outside the Church, those in the Order of Law outline and uphold the rules within it. Members of this Order are experts in the doctrine which decrees the relationships between the Orders and what is permitted to the clergy. Groups of senior Law members form Congregations which decide on internal disputes and crimes committed by priests. However, the majority of sins are disclosed quietly by priests to individual members of the Order of Law, and forgiveness and repentance are more common than punishment.

Members of the Order of the Law may also choose to be addressed as Confessor, though many prefer the customary title of Father. This Order aligns itself with the Aspect of Hashmurim. Their vestments are a grey habit and cloak.

The Order of Charity
The Order of Charity consists of those brothers and sisters who devote themselves especially to works benefiting the poor, weak and ill. Activities of this Order include the giving of alms, ministering to those who cannot defend themselves, and operating refuges for those in need. They hold God's love as the greatest Aspect to which one can aspire to, and seek to communicate this to all humans.

Members of the Order of Charity are referred to only as Brother or Sister, never as Father or Mother, emphasising the equality of all humans. The Order aligns itself with the Aspect of Ultima. Their vestments are unadorned brown.

The Order of Contemplation
One of the smallest and most obscure Orders. Members of the Order of Contemplation devote themselves to a life of meditation, quiet learning, and reflection. Both prayer and service are performed with the act of contemplation in mind, with the aim of better understanding the nature of God, and approaching some level of its tranquility. Their understanding of their Aspect and God are often deeply personal, and seldom shared with other Orders. As such, they are also the Order which most strongly advocates separation from the worldly affairs of humankind.

The Order's Aspect is Sel, she who holds the balance. Their vestments are pure white, both habit and cloak.

The Order of Evangelicals
The Evangelicals are primarily known for their proselytising activities. The common image of an Evangelical brother or sister is that of the missionary travelling alone to bring God to distant locales. In actuality, many members of the Order of Evangelicals are teachers, educating the commonfolk of their flock in the words of God. The Evangelicals seek to purify corruption of thought and ignorance, in whatever form it may take.

Their Aspect is Cuchrain, legendary for his fervour. Evangelicals seek the same passion in their devotion to Gods and Its teachings. Their vestments are the colour of burnt umber.

The Order of Mendicants
Those in the Order of Mendicants seek to lead by example, refraining from even the modest allowances afforded to the clergy and living a life of poverty. They believe that their Purity, the Soul, must be preserved from the Impure, corrupting influence of the Flesh, both pleasure and pain. They believe that all humans share a deep bond with their souls, but are separated by the flesh and its arrogance - including the geopolitical borders which they flout.

Most Mendicants travel and live on the road, depending on the generosity of their transient flocks to survive. In return, they offer spiritual advice, forgiveness and ministry.

Their Aspect is Rophocheche, a wanderer as their Order is. Their vestments are dark brown. Like those in the Order of Charity, they prefer to be addressed as Brother or Sister.

The Order of Knights
The last remnant of the once proud military wing of the Church. The majority of the Knights now serve as guards to important travelling members of the Clergy. In days past, the Knights once embraced both sides of their Aspect: God's Justice, and Its Wrath to the deserving. Now, they believe their martial skill serves to protect Justice.

The Aspect of the Knights is Adramalech. The Knights are the one Order in the Church who are permitted to wear armour, rather than habits. Armour is typically either unadorned steel, or painted white. The leader of the Knights is known as the Grand Master, and senior Knights are Masters.

The Order of Penance
One of the most respected Orders, those in the Order of Penance devote themselves to the rite of confession and administration of appropriate acts of penance, for both the priesthood and general population. The Order is unusual in admitting no novices directly into its ranks - it is deemed that the young have not enough experience to hear the faults of others without judgement, nor the wisdom to balance forgiveness with the need for repentence.

Members of this Order are always addressed as Father or Mother. They align themselves with the Aspect of Cheraub, who has two faces: one signifying forgiveness; the other, damnation for mortal, unrepentant sin. Their vestments are a pure white habit, trimmed with black at the edges.

The Order of Communion
The largest Order, making up the bulk of the community in both the central headquarters of the Church and its far-flung convents, churches and abbeys. This Order focuses on the concept of the Twelve Aspects as one community before God, seeking to unify the priesthood and their flock as God's children. Members of this Order bring love and spiritual devotion to their communities: be it a convent, village or parish. In practice, they are in charge of most of the organisation and practical arrangement of events, from feast days, organisation of times for priests to communicate with laity, and outlining of the duties of the priests in their community.

The Order takes Leviathan as their personal Aspect, though they encourage veneration of each person's individual Aspect as valuable to the formation of a whole community. Their vestments are dark grey, in both habit and cloak.