Religion in Valmyr

The Holy Church of the Eternal Summer
The Holy Church of the Eternal Summer is the largest religion sect in all of Valmyr. They favor the worship of Myr and Erul. It is the belief in the church that one day the Summer will never end in Valmyr. Erul will awaken and give strength to Myr, allowing him to defeat Lithe. In the sequence of events following, Gelisin will relinquish his hold over the difference between life and death and allow the afterlife to merge with living to create paradise. The Holy Church of the Eternal Summer is under the protection of the Valguard and the Kingdom of Valmyr.

Hierarchy
Leadership in the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer all starts with the patriarch known as the Archon. The Archon is considered in government as a royal advisor to the King of Valmyr. He resides in the Citadel of Summer, a large fortified monastery in southern Welreil, near the city of Wel. The Archon can never be removed from his position by any individual other than the King of Valmyr. Below the Archon is the council of Bishops, which is led by three Archbishops, each responsible for leading a different province in holy matters in the stead of the Archon. These Archbishops are hand selected by the Archon, meaning they will change each time a new Archon rises or when the Archon decides to choose new Archbishops. When an Archon passes away, the council of Bishops will elect a new Archon from the three previous Archbishops. Each Bishop is promoted to their rank by the Archbishops, but unlike Archbishops, they are secured in their position until death. Below the high leadership resides the Abbots and Abbesses. This is the highest rank any female may reach in the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer, as well as one of the only ranks for females. These are the leaders of the various monasteries and cathedrals scattered across Valmyr. Below each one resides a variety of Monks who aspire to become either Reverends or Monks. The Abbots and Abbesses are appointed by their local Bishop to their area, ruling them similarly to how a lord rules a region of land. After the Abbots and Abbesses is the Reverends. Reverends are often in charge of small churches, or sometimes a group of Reverends is headed by one Reverend in a larger church. Below the Reverends are the Monks, the only other female open position besides Abbesses in the church hierarchy. Monks live and aspire to become Abbots or Abbesses in the monasteries, though some simply decide to live life as just a simple monk. Finally, after the rank of Monk is the rank of Acolyte, the pupils and assistants to Monks and Reverends. These are aspiring youth to become Reverends.

The Holy Inquisition of Valmyr
The royally funded inquisition, which is headed by the Holy church of the Eternal Summer, is responsible for bringing those who are deemed unholy to justice. Those discriminated by the inquisition for this are usually mages, those who speak blasphemy against Myr, the followers of the Winter’s Wind, anyone else who is believed to worship Lithe, and those who speak out against the Holy Church of Eternal Summer. The leader is known as the Lord-Commander of the Inquisition. Those below him are simply known as Inquisitors, each who have a small band of mercenaries known as Seekers. The inquisition is granted the power to judge and execute any who are not part of the third tier of social class. If they are the third or second level of social class, they must be brought before the King’s Court in the city of Wel to await trial. The Lord-Commander of the Inquisition is hand selected by the Archon. He may then appoint all ranks below himself. Inquisitors and Seekers may be either male or female. The Lord-Commander’s office may be found in the Cathedral of Summer.

The Fellowship of Summer
The Fellowship of Summer is of the old beliefs, typically only found in Havruk, that Erul does not exist, and Myr will defeat both Lithe and Gelisin one day, which will bring upon a Summer that never ends. It is then that death will be defeated, the those who have died will be returned to live forever with the living in paradise. The Fellowship of Summer is the most popular faith in Havruk, but is still a considerably small faith in Valmyr. The Fellowship of Summer is under the protection of the High Lord/Lady of Havruk.

Hierarchy
Leadership in the Fellowship of Summer starts with the Council of Light, which is the elite group of Reverends who have been appointed to the council from the previous Council of Light. Typically, the council accounts for a total of fifteen members. To appoint a new member, a total of two-thirds votes must be made to pass the new member to the Council. The Council has never been larger than fifteen members. The Council of Light may be found in the Light’s Temple, just north of the city of Rajak in Havruk. Below the Council of Light is the Reverends, who each are in a position of leadership or share leadership with other Reverends in their appointed churches. Following the Reverends are the Acolytes. Monasteries in the Fellowship of Summer are headed by an elder Reverend in charge of younger Reverends. Females may be of any rank in the Fellowship of Summer, though in the old times before the Holy Church of Eternal Summer, this was not the case.

Church of the Grey Raven
The Church of the Grey Raven is the second most popular faith in Valmyr, though it is still small compared to the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer. It follows the belief that Gelisin is the greatest of the gods, and is Erul’s favorite due to his care for him. It also believes in the protection of those who practice and learn about magic, which is not a very popular belief in Valmyr, and sometimes not even in the Church of the Grey Raven. The Grey Raven is seen as the symbol for Gelisin. The Church of the Grey Raven is under the protection of the Order of the Grey Raven’s Paladins. The Tenants that the Church of the Grey Raven is based upon

I. Respect the favored of Gelisin, for they bear his gift.

II. Do not scorn death when it comes, for Gelisin deems it to be your time to join him.

III. Praise life and all it brings, its hardships, and its pleasures. Gelisin created it for all to enjoy.

IIII. Guide those who near the Raven Lord's embrace, protect them, and honor then as they pass on.

V. Strike down those who dare to harm Gelisin's balance, and lay those of Undeath to rest.

Hierarchy
Leadership in the Church of the Grey Raven mirrors that of the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer. It all starts with the patriarch known as the Archon. He resides in the Raven’s Keep, a large fortified monastery in northern Welreil, between Eichberg and the Howling Forest. The Archon can never be removed from his position by any individual. Below the Archon is the council of Bishops, which is led by three Archbishops, each responsible for leading a different province in holy matters in the stead of the Archon. These Archbishops are hand selected by the Archon, meaning they will change each time a new Archon rises or when the Archon decides to choose new Archbishops. When an Archon passes away, the council of Bishops will elect a new Archon from the three previous Archbishops. Each Bishop is promoted to their rank by the Archbishops, but unlike Archbishops, they are secured in their position until death. Below the high leadership resides the Abbots and Abbesses. This is the highest rank any female may reach in the Church of the Grey Raven, as well as one of the only ranks for females. These are the leaders of the various monasteries and cathedrals scattered across Valmyr. Below each one resides a variety of Monks who aspire to become either Reverends or Monks. The Abbots and Abbesses are appointed by their local Bishop to their area, ruling them similarly to how a lord rules a region of land. After the Abbots and Abbesses is the Reverends. Reverends are often in charge of small churches, or sometimes a group of Reverends is headed by one Reverend in a larger church. Below the Reverends are the Monks, the only other female open position besides Abbesses in the church hierarchy. Monks live and aspire to become Abbots or Abbesses in the monasteries, though some simply decide to live life as just a simple monk. Finally, after the rank of Monk is the rank of Acolyte, the pupils and assistants to Monks and Reverends. These are aspiring youth to become Reverends. Often times conflict arises between the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer’s leadership and the Church of the Grey Raven, however, since the Holy Church of the Eternal Summer is backed by the Kingdom of Valmyr, the Church of the Grey Raven will often concede such discrepancies to protect their own faith.

The Order of Grey Raven
A small group of paladins who roam and seek out Gelisin’s justice throughout Valmyr. These paladins all must follow the Tenants of the Church of the Grey Raven, or else they may be expelled from their order. The Order of the Grey Raven is led by the Grand Master, an official who is appointed by the Archon of the Church of the Grey Raven. The Grand Master then appoints a group of elites known as Master Paladins to sit on the Council of Justice. There are no more than twenty-four Master Paladins on the Council of Justice, for the last seat to break the tie is the Grand Master. The Council of Justice is charged with appointing Paladins from the lowest rank of Apprentice. The Apprentices are given to the Church of the Grey Raven at a young age and are raised to become Paladins. Their initial education is done at the Feathered Fortress, which is deep in the Fang Mountains. Once their initial education is finished, they then are trained in combat by Paladin warriors until they are taken to the Raven’s Keep and appointed the title of Paladin. It is not unheard of for these Paladins to also become titled knights in the Kingdom of Valmyr, though this is very rare and still requires nobility. Should someone prove not worthy of becoming a Paladin, or they desire education more than being a Paladin, they may also become a Quill, which is the name given to their scribes, educators, and keepers of knowledge.

The Winter’s Wind
The Winter’s Wind is a secretive organization of followers that worship the god Lithe above all other Valmyrian deities. The name itself strikes fear into the hearts of any who say it. It is a very old religious fellowship that predates many noble families, and as such has gained a concerning amount of political and economical power. The members are kept a secret to only those who have recruited them, their comrades in activities, and their superiors. It is known that any who dare ask or learn too much will vanish from society and either be found murdered far away, or will never be seen again. Due to the desire for secrecy, very few know anything about the order, including its own followers. They have been known to have followers that are not members, believing in their ways in secret, though these people usually know nothing more than their fellow people. Usually these followers are the ones selected as future members. All attempts to exterminate the group has proven futile in efforts. It is the strong belief of the Winter’s Wind that Lithe will spare all of her followers when she claims victory over Myr and Gelisin and the Neverending Winter begins.

Hierarchy
Though the actual names of those ranked is a secret, through the years the hierarchy has been discovered. Very few members have ever been found out in public, but on occasion a slip has occurred. These people range from simple commoners to nobility. The highest ranked individuals are known as the Council of Winds. The council is headed by an individual known as the Keeper, an individual who is meant to keep the balance and peace of the council. Below the council are individuals known as the Howlers, each who has a group of members below them known as Packs or Wolves. New Wolves are referred to as Pups. Though seniority matters, decisions are made as a group or Pack.