Eldritch Religion

Broken out from the Religion page. See also Eldritch Rites, Observances, and Holidays.

Overview

• The Eldritch religion involves the worship of male and female divinities in two roles: as guardians of mystery, and as intimate intercessors. The Lord and Lady are the mystery; the God and Goddess are the intercessors. For that reason, males swear by "God and Lady" while females refer to the "Goddess and Lord." Each sex is assumed to be intimate with their sex's deity, and to have access to the other sex's divinity only as a mystery, not as a known quantity.
• Liolesa uses "High Priestess of the Amacrucian Church" or "Matriarch of the Amacrucian Church" as a passcode or secret identity in her communications and interactions with Reese. The queen is the titular head of the Church, making Amacrucia the name of the religion (if Liolesa wasn't just making a wicked joke).
• Priests and priestesses do not marry, because it is considered a distraction from their work. This is an over-generalization, since each sex's clergy is split in half. Among the priests, the Lord's clergy are required to be celibate (unless they have a special dispensation), but the God's can marry. Among priestesses, celibacy is assumed of both Lady's and Goddess's clergy, but in practice it is split between convent-based priestesses and those outside 'in the world', who can marry if they choose.
• One ordinarily cannot take vows to the Divine Mysteries and keep one's worldly position. The Queen is the only exception, being both the secular head of state and the religious head of the Church.
• One gives personal gifts to one's priests on their natal days, but they should be modest, because the vows require chastity, poverty, obedience, and humility.
• Vestments: Ontine Cathedral's clergy wear plain blue and white robes. The arm of the Church given over to the mysteries comprises the priests of the Lord, who wear dark carmine robes. Val's elevation to High Priest involved Liolesa putting "the Lord's red stole over his shoulders."

Clergy

• The lowest level priests are acolytes. Acolytes pledge twenty-five years to the church before choosing whether to become full-fledged priests/priestesses. This is a popular choice for the children of nobles with few prospects, or for tenants who want to escape poverty and learn useful skills. At the twenty-five mark, they can repledge for another 25 or be released back to the community. Fifty years is the maximum tenure an acolyte can serve: at that point they have to commit to the church or to secular life. At this point they don't have to declare a preference for which face of the divinity they wish to serve (God or Lord; Goddess or Lady).
• Acolytes who take orders are priests, and known as junior priests for the first hundred years after they take orders, or until they're raised up for exemplary behavior/service/talent. Junior priests cannot give the sacraments alone, and can't be the sole clergy in a church (as is typical for provincial churches, which might only have one each, male and female). They can work in convents or monasteries, however, or serve as shrinekeepers if their preference is the route of a hermit. Once they take vows, they must decide which face they prefer to serve, as the different faces can have different duties.
• At the hundred year mark, priests are "sealed" in their vows and can perform sacraments on their own.
• After 250 years, or if the priest is of sufficient age, they become church elders.

The Lord's clergy, devoted on paper to the mysteries, was in fact dedicated to reaping the talents, and earned the nickname 'the bloodrobes' for their red raiment and sinister reputation. After Val's instatement as high priest, he rededicates the Lord's clergy to finding talents, which requires them to become itinerants--a very different lifestyle, when before they battened on the forfeited land and wealth of their victims.

Catechism

The part of the catechism that is cited most often is the commandment to serve life.

So long as there is breath in me, I will serve life -- serve life -- serve life. (Said/thought by Jahir.)

With every breath in me, I will serve life. (Said/thought by Lisinthir.)

To heal is to serve life. (Said by Jahir.)

"It is what they all want, isn't it? To be useful? Why, even the catechism commands it. We serve life!" -- Bethsaida Emil Galare

Other tenets:

Lying is wrong. (Said by Juzie.)

To listen is the beginning and end of wisdom. (Said by Solanth.)

To find offense where none is offered is violence against the God and Lady. (Said by Talthien.)

People who love one another serve one another. (Said by Jahir.)

All that is allotted to us as mortals is a glimpse of the truth. Any other belief is doctrinal error. (Said by Liolesa.)

We should begin as we mean to continue. (Said by Lisinthir.)

Virtues

The virtues that should be exemplified by a gently-bred lady, as found in Liliarana Delen Galare's Book of Hours that she gives to Sediryl for her investiture vigil, are:

• love
• temperance
• charity
• diligence
• patience
• kindness
• humility
• faithfulness
• self-control
  • These nine virtues (in obscure texts) are exemplified by four saints known as the Hallowed Quartet. (Love, the ninth virtue, is held to be the guiding ideal for all of them.)

See also: Eldritch Rites, Observances, and Holidays

Saints and Martyrs

Female saints (from named convents): Wilthelmissa, Charisaiel, Militha, Marien, Avilana, Mylisafel.

Saint Sordanen is one of the Hallowed Quartet, "a man purported to have embodied their tradition’s male virtues, mostly by killing monsters"; he is depicted in the stained-glass window of Imthereli's outdoor chapel with a sword and a stern expression.

"An auspicious number, three: Lord, Lady, and Martyr to come. Rarely though we speak of the latter." Jahir, speaking to Sediryl just before her release from the hospital,

Buildings

Convents

• Abbey of Saint Avilana, where Liolesa sent Bethsaida when she first came home, "which is as remote a location as I could manage while still placing her on allied lands". She was guarded there by the Chancellor during the time of Surela's insurrection.
  • The Isle of Songs, where the heir is said to be on retreat, is probably the location of the Abbey.
• Convent of Saint Charisaiel (in Nuera. where Beth paused her 'tour' for three days).
• Convent of Saint Marien (in Beth's letter in broadsheet, she says she is heading toward this one).
• Convent of Saint Militha (where Bethsaida Emil Galare meets up with Amber).
• Convent of Saint Mylisafel (in Ulurith territory, along the sea coast)
• Convent of Saint Wilthelmissa (in Jesa. Tasisaressa Delen Galare was Abbess). This is the convent that Liolesa used as 'cover' for her off-world trips when she was Maraesa Galare's heir, and Hirianthial was guarding her.

Architecture

Convents have a "Stranger's Garden" for visitors (and men) to use that isn't attached to the convent proper, to prevent interference with the peace and rest of the sisters there.