Taras writes "The rivalry between the priesthoods of Pholtus and St. Cuthbert is legendary, and at times borders on open warfare. And, yet, in the heartlands of the Kingdom of Nyrond can be found a sect which venerates both of the rival gods while fending off the advances of the orthodox Pholtus worshippers from the nearby Theocracy of the Pale.
Author: Taras Guarhoth
The Church of the Everlasting
Light
by Taras Guarhoth (montand@canonfire.com)
Used With Permission. Used with Permission. Do not repost without
obtaining prior permission from the author.
Location: Hendren Halgood, Nyrond
High Priest: Pontiff Giscar d'Estain XI
Holy Book: The Wisdom of Pholtus Revealed to the Holy Prophet
Symbol: A bright white circle (the sun) with two pale blue
crescent (the moons) inside it.
The Church of the Everlasting Light is a splinter Church of
Pholtus. The Theocrat in Wintershiven has declared the Everlasting
Light to be a heretical sect (which led the Everlasting Light
to declare that the Theocrat was a heretic), and to be destroyed
on sight. The Valorous League of Blindness would happily carry
this directive out, but Duke Orberend (a paladin of the Order
of Ste. Pelor) has stated, in no uncertain terms, that he would
personally run the League out of town if they tried. So far, the
League has not attempted to put the Duke to the test, leaving
the Everlasting Light with a refuge in Hendren Halgood (where
it continues to gain converts, much to the chagrin of the League).
History: The Church of the Everlasting Light was founded
in 356 CY, when the Kingdom of Nyrond broke away from Aerdy. A
priest of Pholtus, Giscar d'Estain, fled the Aerdy fief of Almor
to escape persecution by the Church there. The Nyrondese Church
(who were busy bickering with the Churches in the Pale and Aerdy)
practically ignored him. Giscar made his way to the city of Hendren
Halgood, where the Church did not have a strong grip. Here, he
settled down, and was able to escape further notice from the Church
in Nyrond for a time. Once the Nyrondese Church did notice, it
was too late for them to do anything, as the Everlasting Light
had managed to gain a significant number of converts in the city.
Giscar d'Estain died in 379 CY, and was buried underneath the
Altar of the Holy Bastion of the Everlasting Light. Through the
years, the Everlasting Light has managed to become the most important
religion within the city, and is slowly beginning to expand it's
influence to neighboring communities.
The Church of the Everlasting Light
Clergy: Specialty Priests, Monks, or Holy Warriors (Crusaders)
Clergy's Align: LG, LN
The clergy of the Church of the Everlasting Light are allowed
to be Specialty Priests (of Pholtus, the Order of Ste. Pelor,
or the Order of Ste. Cuthbert), Monks (of Pholtus, the Pious Brothers
of Pholtus or the Order of Ste. Pelor), or Holy Warriors (of the
Order of Ste. Pelor or the Order of Ste. Cuthbert). Pholtus refers
to the main body of the Church (ie: not devoted to a particular
Order). Note that being devoted to a particular Saint (Ste. Pelor
or Ste. Cuthbert) in the church does not result in different abilities.
All clergy use the specialty priest, monk, or holy warrior details
given below.
All members of the clergy receive Religion (Oeridian) and Languages,
Modern (Aerdi) as bonus proficiencies. Clergy who do not belong
to one of the three Orders of the Church gain Etiquette as a bonus
proficiency. Clergy of the Order of Ste. Pelor are required to
take either Healing or Herbalism, but at a cost of only one slot.
Clergy of the Order of Ste. Cuthbert receive Heraldry as a bonus
proficiency. Clergy of the Pious Brothers of Pholtus receive History
(Nyrond and The Everlasting Light) [treat as Ancient History]
as a bonus proficiency.
Dogma: Pholtus is the one True God. All others are imitators
or servants of his. Chief among his servants are Ste. Pelor and
Ste. Cuthbert. It is they who help and protect the Faithful while
Pholtus leads them towards the eternal bliss of the Everlasting
Light. It is only through the ways of the Holy Prophet Giscar
d'Estain that we are able to receive the blessings of Pholtus.
All other religions are false or corrupt, supported by Fiends
in an attempt to weaken the Good and the Just. It is the responsibility
of the Faithful to show the Unguided the error of their ways,
and bring them into the loving fold of Pholtus.
Day-to-Day Activities: The clergy of the Church of the
Everlasting Light run several missions in and around the city
of Hendren Halgood. These missions are responsible for the care
of the destitute and refugees from other lands (of course, they
do quite a bit of preaching to those they care for). The Church
also runs two orphanages in the city. There are several monasteries
devoted to the Everlasting Light around the city. The largest
of these, located just outside the city (The Sanctuary of Giscar)
also functions as a hospital. The other monasteries serve as places
of retreat for the clergy, and the monks spend their days copying
important manuscripts and making wine (which is quite popular
among the faithful of the church).
Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Every Godsday, the faithful
gather in the cathedrals of the Everlasting light to worship at
noon. The following special days are observed by the Church:
The Day of Remembrance (Readying 1) - observed in remembrance
of those who have fallen in the service of the Church. Typically,
solemn ceremonies are held in cemeteries, often involving sorrowful
hymns.
The Day of Flight (Coldeven 25) - this day is celebrated in
remembrance of the flight of Giscar d'Estain from Almor, with
an evening worship service. Afterwards, the clergy will lead the
faithful around the city, chasing the clergy and faithful of the
other churches devoted to the Everlasting Light.
The Day of Cleansing (Flocktime 15) - on this day, the faithful
of the Church are expected to repent of their sins.
The Night of Gathering (Flocktime 18) - on this night, the
faithful and clergy gather in each other's homes to spend the
night in prayer, song, and feast. Few sleep on this night (traditionally
a night when the foes of the Church are active). The following
day is not spent in the usual worship services, but instead in
sleep.
The Festival of the Blinding Light (Wealsun 1-4) - a time of
revelry and feasting. Worship services are conducted each day
at noon, followed by a large feast. This festival has been known
to drain the Church's coffers in lean years.
Midsummer's Day (Richfest 4) - after worship services at noon,
the rest of this day is typically spent relaxing with family and
friends. The vineyards of the monasteries are open to the faithful
on this day, and many of them spend some time wandering through
them.
The Day of Refuge (Harvester 20) - this day is celebrated in
remembrance of the founding of the Church. No worship services
are held, but the faithful and clergy take to the streets in an
attempt to convert their neighbors. Afterwards, the newly converted,
as well as the faithful and clergy, enjoy large feasts (which
generally last well into the night).
Festival of Hope (Ready'Reat 7) - this is a traditional day
of atonement for all the petty sins committed in the previous
year by the clergy. This is usually accomplished through extra
vigilance in the care of the destitute and refugees.
Major Temple: The main temple of the Church of the Everlasting
Light is the Holy Bastion of the Everlasting Light, located in
Hendren Halgood. Underneath the main Altar of the Holy Bastion,
lies the remains of Giscar d'Estain. If one looks closely at the
symbols of the Everlasting Light found on the outside of the cathedral,
it can be seen that these were not the original symbols upon the
cathedral. In fact, the it was originally built by the Nyrondese
Church, and later taken over by the Everlasting Light.
The Holy Bastion is a large cathedral, built of white marble.
Large stained glass windows adorn its walls, which depict the
flight of Giscar d'Estain and his founding of the Everlasting
Light. Large amounts of silver and crystal were used to decorate
the interior of the cathedral, all of which is kept highly polished.
The Altar is topped with a flame, which is kept burning continually
by the clergy. The light of this flame reflects off the silver
and crystal, making the interior of the cathedral glitter. The
faithful of the Church will often light candles from this flame,
done in remembrance of lost loved ones. These candles are left
at the base of the Altar. On most days, there are over 100 of
these candles burning. Each morning, the candles and their spilt
wax are carefully removed by the priests.
Priestly Vestments: The clergy of the Everlasting Light
dress in white robes when conducting worship services. At other
times, the clergy will wear the vestments of their particular
order. Those not belonging to one of the orders will wear the
white robes at other times as well.
Hierarchy: The head of the Church of the Everlasting
Light is the Pontiff. Below the Pontiff are 4 Bishops--one for
each of the Orders and one for the city of Hendren Halgood. If
the church manages to expand it's influence, the Pontiff will
appoint more Bishops to oversee the new regions. Each temple,
mission, and monastery of the Church is headed by an Abbot, with
the exception of the Holy Bastion, which is headed directly by
the Pontiff (and does not fall under the authority of the Bishop
of Hendren Halgood). The Abbots are responsible to the various
Bishops, depending upon who founded the particular temple, mission,
or monastery (ie: the Sanctuary of Giscar was founded by the Order
of Ste. Pelor, so the Abbot of that monastery is responsible to
the Bishop of the Order of Ste. Pelor).
The Orders of the Church: The Church of the Everlasting
Light has three Orders within the main Church. These are: the
Order of Ste. Pelor, the Order of Ste. Cuthbert, and the Pious
Brothers of Pholtus. The Order of Ste. Cuthbert is the militant
arm of the Everlasting Light. Within it's ranks are most of the
holy warriors of the sect. The Order of Ste. Pelor is primarily
dedicated to helping the poor and the sick, although there are
a few holy warriors among its ranks (such as the Duke of Hendren
Halgood). The Pious Brothers of Pholtus are a purely monastic
order. They exist to train the priests, monks, and holy warriors
of the Everlasting Light, and to preserve it's history and holy
relics.
Order of Ste. Pelor
The Order of Ste. Pelor was founded in 415 CY by Pierre Chevalier.
It was founded to help protected the faithful of the Church of
the Everlasting Light from attacks by unbelievers and bandits.
The Order slowly began to change its focus over the years to helping
the poor to survive, which it continues to do to this day. The
current Bishop of the Order of Ste. Pelor is Duke Orberend of
Hendren Halgood.
Day to Day Activities: The Order of Ste. Pelor runs
a number of orphanages, hospitals, and shelters throughout the
Duchy of Hendren Halgood. In addition, the Order contributes 10
holy warriors to the bodyguard of the Duke of Hendren Halgood,
and another 10 to the bodyguard of the Pontiff of the Everlasting
Light. It is considered a great honor to be chosen to protect
the Duke or the Pontiff.
Order of Ste. Cuthbert
The Order of Ste. Cuthbert was founded in 446 CY in response
to the sacking of the city of Trigol by the Bandit Kings (which
happened when several priests of the Everlasting Light were in
the city, and all but one were killed). The sole survivor (Giscar
Melluore) founded the Order of Ste. Cuthbert to provide a permanent
defense for the clergy, holdings, and faithful of the Everlasting
Light. At first, there was a bitter rivalry between the Order
of Ste. Pelor and the Order of Ste. Cuthbert, but after mediation
by Pontiff Giscar d'Estain VIII in 498 CY (due to the mysterious
death of his predecessor, Pontiff Louis Andran IV earlier that
year), the hostility began to subside, and was slowly replaced
by an almost-friendly rivalry, which endures to this day. The
current Bishop of the Order of Ste. Cuthbert is Domar Cranden.
Day to Day Activities: The Order of Ste Cuthbert maintains
the guards on all churches, cathedrals, and monasteries of the
Church of the Everlasting Light (except those of the Order of
Ste. Pelor, which are guarded by their own holy warriors). In
addition, the Order contributes 10 holy warriors to guard the
Pontiff. The Order also is responsible for training, equipping,
and leading the forces of the temple in times of war (mainly militias
and levies, but also some mercenaries).
Pious Brother of Pholtus
The Pious Brothers of Pholtus were founded in 385 CY, when
Pontiff Giscar d'Estain II abdicated, and retired to found a monastery
(the Holy Refuge of the Pious Brothers of Pholtus, which now lies
just within the city walls, and functions as a school for the
training of the clergy of the Everlasting Light, as well as the
nobility of the city) on the outskirts of Hendren Halgood. The
current Bishop of the Pious Brothers is Jarrus d'Alnais.
Day to Day Activities: The Pious Brothers of Pholtus
are the scholars of the Church of the Everlasting Light. They
train the clergy of the Church, as well as assisting the Orders
of Ste. Pelor and Ste. Cuthbert in training their members. The
Pious Brothers also teach the nobility and wealthy of the city.
In addition, the Pious Brothers are responsible for keeping the
records of the Church, as well as safeguarding the original copy
of The Wisdom of Pholtus Revealed to the Holy Prophet, which was
written by Giscar d'Estain in 352 CY. It is currently kept locked
away below the Holy Refuge of the Pious Brothers of Pholtus.
Specialty Priest
Requirements: Wis 13
Prime Requisite: Wis
Alignment: LG/LN
Weapons: Club, Flail, Mace, Morning star, Staff, War hammer
Armor: Any
Major Spheres: All, Combat, Divination, Guardian,
Healing, Law, Necromantic, Protection, Sun
Minor Spheres: Charm, Summoning, War, Wards
Magical Items: as Cleric
Required Proficiencies: Read/Write (Aerdi)
Bonus Proficiencies: Religion (Oeridian), Modern Language
(Aerdi)
Special Abilities:
- 1) +1 to all saves vs. enchantment/charm and fear spells
and effects.
- 2) Dispel Darkness 1/day.
- 5) Glow 1/day.
- 9) Reflect 1/day.
- 11) Holy Word 1/day.
- Undead: Turn
Holy Warrior
Use Crusader from Faiths and Avatars, but without the Charisma
requirement. Changes to the Special Abilities are as follows:
Spell Use: Use Specialty Priest spheres instead of the
normal Crusader spheres.
Lighten Load: Replace with Turn Undead at 2 levels lower
than a priest (gained at 3d level).
Weapon Usage: Required to take proficiency in at least
one weapon used by the specialty priests before any others.
Monk
Use Monk from Faiths and Avatars, but is limited to weapons
available to the specialty priests.
A Chronology of the Pontiffs of the Church of the Everlasting
Light
(all dates in CY)
|
Name of Pontiff
|
Dates of Rule
|
End of Rule
|
| Giscar d'Estain I |
356-379 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain II |
379-385 |
abdicated |
| Giscar d'Estain III |
385-406 |
died |
| Louis Andran I |
406-431 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain IV |
431-434 |
died |
| Louis Andran II |
434-445 |
died |
| Louis Andran III |
445-446 |
assassinated |
| Arran Moulenne I |
446-462 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain V |
462-470 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain VI |
470-482 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain VII |
482-498 |
died |
| Louis Andran IV |
498 |
assassinated |
| Giscar d'Estain VIII |
498-514 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain IX |
514-522 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain X |
522-537 |
died |
| Arran Moulenne II |
537-543 |
died |
| Louis Andran V |
543-556 |
died |
| Noel Vargoulle I |
556-559 |
died |
| Noel Vargoulle II |
559-569 |
died |
| Giscar d'Estain XI |
569-present |
still the reigning Pontiff |
Note: Nyrond, Pelor, Pholtus, St. Cuthbert, Second Edition"
