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Small Gods of the City (Local Faiths): Difference between revisions
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Small Gods of the City (Local Faiths) (view source)
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'''<big>Associated domains are recommendations, not requirements, and a Primary Domain must still be taken to be valid as a Relic Guardian (Cleric).</big>''' | '''<big>Associated domains are recommendations, not requirements, and a Primary Domain must still be taken to be valid as a Relic Guardian (Cleric).</big>''' | ||
=''Official Faith''= | |||
==The Lord & Lady== | |||
'''Associated Domains: Nobility, Law, Sun, Travel, War, Protection''' | |||
'''Focus: The Peerage''' | |||
'''Special Characteristics: Peerage Citizenship, Monotheistic''' | |||
The faith of the Lord & Lady is the organised religion of the Peerage Ward, endorsed by the Royal Archives and (publically) practiced by all members of the nobility and their sworn vassals. The centre of the mythology revolves around the Lord Departed, who once ruled over the Peerage Ward but left to undertake a quest of errantry to vanquish a Great Evil, leaving his newborn child (often interpreted as a euphemism for the Peerage Ward) in the care of his Lady-in-Waiting - with a Promise made through the blood of their child that he would one day return to her. Several different interpretations of this myth exist, though all of them revolve around this core plot and character archetypes. | |||
This broad religion is the parent faith of three component parts - the Lady-in-Waiting, the Lord Departed, and the ancient sun deity known as the Promise. As the primary foundation on which the social structure of the Peerage Ward rests, all citizens of the Ward are expected to profess devotion to this faith - to do otherwise is to invite suspicion, social rejection and potentially even accusations of heresy or dreaded Changeling witchcraft... | |||
Followers of the Lord & Lady are expected to adhere to several commandments, which form the cornerstone of the faith: | |||
1. To obey their sworn liege, and defend them and their honour unto death. | |||
2. To be loyal to the King. | |||
3. To attend Communion. | |||
4. To be true to their word. | |||
5. To condemn other faiths and Changelings. | |||
Essential to correctly following the Lord & Lady is rejecting other religions as evil and sinister. Only the Lady-in-Waiting and the Lord Departed are bound by the sacred Promise, and so all other deities who seek worship and prayer are tricksters and charlatans who threaten the feudal order and the lawful oaths between a liege and their vassals. Whilst Peers are not expected to be violent towards the unfaithful, it is socially frowned upon to be seen in the company of heretics and making use of their magic or blessings is perceived as sinful and potentially even criminal. | |||
Crucial to being seen as a 'proper' devotee of the Lord & Lady is regular attendance at Communion, a sacred ritual which sees the entirety of the Peerage Ward gather at the Grand Vestry to receive a sermon from a member of the ordained clergy. During this ritual, attendants will perform the Rite of Fealty, wherein an offering of blood is made before the altar as a renewal of oaths and promises - be it to friends, family, business partners or one's liege. As the left palm is commonly used as the cutting place for drawing blood during the Rite of Fealty, having a 'Fealty Scar' on one's left palm is generally regarded as a sign of piety and is an easy way of checking whether another person is a member of the faith. Attendance at Communion is almost always rewarded with prestige, and also serves as an opportunity for particularly noteworthy individuals who have achieved deeds of merit to be acknowledged and praised by the faithful community. | |||
Players of this faith should generally be superstitious and pay close attention to the piety of other practitioners. A culture of 'competition' to be seen as the most devout is encouraged, and the sacredness of blood as a symbol for trustworthiness and unbreakable promises should be represented in roleplay. Members of House Nephezar and House Sunpurse are the most likely to have this religion feature heavily in their roleplay and faction portrayal, though players from other Houses will also have this religion feature in their roleplay - be they devout practitioners or otherwise. | |||
Practitioners of the Lord & Lady faith have a small selection of religious gestures unique to their culture: | |||
1. Placing three fingers over the heart when an oath is sworn indicates a pious intention to carry out this duty, and a belief that the oath has been witnessed by the Lord, the Lady and the Promise. | |||
2. Tapping the underside of the wrist several times is considered a gesture to ward off evil and bad omens. | |||
3. Pressing the forefinger and ring-finger of the right hand into the palm of the left - where the Fealty Scar usually sits - indicates a plea to the Lord & Lady for courage and strength. Often done before a dangerous undertaking or a battle. | |||
NOTE: Practicing secretive heretical doctrines, unorthodox behaviours, and otherwise being subtly deviant/controversial is allowed if it is suitable for your concept. Understand that doing so is likely to have severe IC consequences if discovered, but is likely to be narratively interesting and fun. Conversely, if religion is not a major theme of your character, it is encouraged for you to practice the religion dutifully and normally if you are a Peerage member. | |||
=''Common Faiths''= | =''Common Faiths''= | ||