Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

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Clueless's picture
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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

I've been crunching throught he Orthoe PDF resolving some of the lingering discontinuities and questions, rearranging the chapters to something sensible based on the new information in them, and generally cleaning up the large swatches of commentary that were copied and pasted in for review later.

And then I saw it: The gaping hole in our writeup.

Which is to say I have no listings of the leaders of the temples of the Lords of Order. No mention of the temples, how they're organized or the current heads of them. There's information on a meta-level of temple organization, which is how gods outside the original pantheon are adopted for legitimate worship on Ortho - but nothing about who the decision makers in those cases are. I'm looking for information that will focus closely on just the legitimate church organization in this case - much like how we had the listing of ministries and departments.

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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

The Cadence Magisterium

Religious unity has always been one of the Harmonium's chief goals and managing that unity has always been something of a severe issue amongst them. Even normally normal and law abiding Harmonium citizens can become radicalized by actions taken against the faith. Worse, persecution of divergent thinking men of faith often results in martyrs that can swiftly spread into full-scale uprisings as opposed to the relatively isolated nature of criminal behavior. Nevertheless, the idea of religious freedom never really entered into the minds of the Harmonium's founders and the Cadence Magisterium was created with the cooperation of the largest faiths devoted to the Lords of Order.

The Magisterium is one of the most powerful organizations on Ortho but it is also surprisingly unpopular with the average member of the citizenry. Rather unfairly, the Magisterium has been blamed by hardliners for being too lenient with new faiths while liberals view it as unnecessarilly harsh on religions that still carry the views of Harmony. Most of Ortho's populous are fairly religious and have no problems with the gods themselves but tend to look on with disdain to the hierarchy that seems to bend over backwards in the service of the OCA. This popular perception is untrue but still wildly held. This doesn't prevent it from exerting a powerful role in determining what is taught and practiced in the various state sponsored temples of the realm.

As a general note, the Cadence Magisterium is ostensibly independent from the OCA. While the Harmonium considers the idea of separation of Church and State a silly idea in theory, they've found no way to actually make it work in practice. Both sides simply believe the other should be submissive to the other and the populous starts to object whenever such moves are voiced. Instead, an uneasy balance exists between them. The Cadence Magisterium exerts considerable moral and social pressure on the OCA while the government attempts to influence decisions from the Church with secular methods. Currently, the OCA tends to have a far stronger hold on the Church than the reverse but this may not last forever and has been the reverse in the past.

The Anthem Magistars

The Anthem Magistars are a Council of Eight that heads the worship of the major religions on Ortho. On occasion, they elect an Magistar Emperor who has theoretical leadership of the entire Magisterium. This has only been done on seven occasions in the Magisterium's history due to the fact that none of the religious leaders particularly like submitting their authority under the auspices of another church's faithful. Despite six hundred years of being united, the eight Lords of Order remain entirely separate in their religious orders. Only small communities have churches devoted to the entire pantheon instead of separate ones for each individual god and this is something that the OCA would like to see rectified.

The current collection of Magistars is viewed as a mostly conservative bunch that is eager to stamp out the spread of new religions on Ortho and preserve doctrinal orthodoxy. They have released numerous missives to the populous condemning the rise of Saint Cuthbert's worship and reiterating the long debated policy that all true gods are simply aspects of The Lords of Order. Several university professors and planar travelers have been excommunicated, a vertible death sentence for all fields, for attempting to forward ideas contrary to this notion.

Membership

Mikail Delacross (LE Human Male Cleric 12 of Didairdin)

Mikail Delacross is the unofficial chairman of the Magisters and a former member of the Lower House. He has been viewed as something of a reformer for his secular dress and easy going manner. In truth, this is quite the opposite as he is a hard driven fanatic that desires to reverse what he views as doctrinal compromises in church doctrine. It is his ultimate goal to restore Didairdin's place as a God of War rather than just Protection. He has no tolerance for foreign faiths and also wishes to create a genuine church controlled army separate from the Harmonium. He also wishes this army to have the authority to persecute religious deviants. It is unlikely he'll achieve this in his lifetime but is quite content to set the ground work for future zealots to achieve it.

Ezra Stonemason (LN Orc Female Cleric of Iathipos 15)

Ezra Stonemason is the oldest member of the Anthem Magistars, drawing extra long life from an amulet that was a gift from her god. Over three hundred years old, Ezra is a living encyclopedia for church law and precedents of Iathiphos and other divinities on Ortho. Honestly, despite her tremendous knowledge, she's a woman with almost no motivation of her own. Ezra primarily exists to provide the other Anthem members with legal precedents in order to carry out their decisions. How her knowledge is used is ultimately less important to her than simply the satisfaction of putting it to use.

Hope (LG Human Female Cleric of Rialondru 13)

Hope is the sister of Faith, the current Factol of the Planar Harmonium. She is the recent replacement for Magistar Credo, whom was assassinated in an act of anarchist violence. Hope is fairly liberal for a tremendously high ranking member of the Church and very young for her age. She has a deep and bitter dislike for Mikail Delacros despite agreeing with him that the Magisterium's authority should be expanded. Hope's biggest problem is that she increasingly believes that it is wrong to persecute faiths that are able to live up to the Harmonium's ideals and knows that will never be accepted amongst the current Anthem leadership.

Valenthonos (CE Beholder Cleric of Alzrius 4)

Valenthonos is widely viewed as the 'go to man' on the Council to take care of problems that the OCA is too slow to deal with. Only a few of the Council members knows that his methods involve assassination, blackmail, brainwashing, bribery, enchantment, kidnapping, sabotage, and torture. Valenthonos holds influences over numerous Ministries dealing with the occult and supernatural that the church believes should be rightfully under their sway. Also, he's widely held to be one of the most respected Beholders currently alive.

The fact he is not, actually, a worshiper of Alae the Lord of Peace and Harmony but a cultist of the Lord of Brands has so far escaped the previous Anthem councilors he's worked with. Valenthonos considers it his duty to keep the Magisterium focused on stamping out other faiths and avoiding investigating 'ridiculous' rumors of Alzrius worship in high places.

Virgo St. Dumya (LG Tiefling Male Paladin 17)

Virgo is something of a disgrace to the Anthem hierarchy and a person that the other seven would dearly like to see replaced but the simple fact is that they're afraid the religion would send someone even worse. Virgo is an immensely popular folk hero and someone primarily promoted to the top of the Magisterium due to the fact he slew literally hundreds of demons during his time as a Planar Harmonium member.

The current leader of Tyerusus' faith hates attending meetings and mostly argues that the Harmonium should be more militant against evil religions abroad rather than doctrinal dissenters. Virgo has several children by various wives and is considered something of a ladies man, a fact that would be scandalous if not for his outstanding military record. Occasionally, Virgo will send his proxy to meetings so that he can go adventure against evils abroad.

Zor Zalanthos (LE Dwarf Male Priest of Ina Cleric 9)

Zor Zalanthos is a Motmurk prole who escaped the backbreaking labor and depressing nature of his home province by entering the Church. Zor is surprisingly banal in his career record with no outstanding achievements or failures to distinguish an otherwise unremarkable career. Zor primarily achieved his current rank by outliving most of the previous holders and being an unobjectionable compromise candidate in a heavily contested election amongst Ina's high priests. Zor's ascension has not gone quite so smoothly though as Mikail's passionate rhetoric has inspired him out of his complacency. Zor has developed a burning desire to forge his mark on the world by destroying the Church of Saint Cuthbert's influence on Ortho and has even gone so far as arrange attacks on members through intermediaries.

Miyu Chantia (LE Human Female Blackguard of Saeduenical 12/Fighter 2)

Miyu is, amongst Ortho's colony worlds, known as "The Red Butcher." The list of crimes that were conducted by Miyu in the name of converting others to the Lords of Order are so vast and horrendous that it is difficult to imagine that the Nine Hells have not prepared a special spot for her in Nessus. The Shoryku woman's promotion to the Anthem Magistars has struck many as an outrage. However, Miyu maintains the general support of her church and provides an interesting ally to Mikail. Miyu suggests numerous radical proposes on a daily basis, knowing they will fail, but allows the Chairman to get away with otherwise controversial ones by sliding them in under the opposition to Magistar Chantia's proposals. The two are actually lovers and the firmest of allies in promoting doctrinal unity.

Aria St. Dumya (NG Human Female Bard 14)

Aria is one of Virgo St. Dumya's many children and her relationship to that figure actually helped her move up through the church hierarchy. Actually born in the Ortho colony of Fortitude rather than on Ortho proper, she was educated in the bardic traditions of other worlds rather than strict Baelae methodology. Aria finds herself a poor match for the Magistars and mostly has been following the lead of the other members in voting. Aria is an example of an over promoted member of the Magisterium and would dearly just love to return to singing.

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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

The Eye of Hextor

The Eye of Hextor is the OCA-designated head of the Church of Hextor on Ortho. Officially, his church is the only one whose leader has title equivalent in rank to the Anthem Magistars. However, the Lords of Order and Hextor's worship are irreconcilable as far as the faiths are concerned. The OCA's hope that time would eventually bring Hextor's worship to an end has proven unfounded and the faith has instead solidifed its place as a part of Ortho society.

Surprisingly, the Candence Magisterium and Hextor's Eyes have come to a fairly well established detente'. The Church of Hextor has made it a point not to prostetilyze as a general rule, mostly out of racism against non-Hobgoblins, and The Lords of Order's eight religions have largely avoided attempting to convert Hobgoblins to their faith.

Zealots on both sides have crossed this rule and neither side turns away those who come seeking enlightenment but the rule has generally held for the past six centuries. Most people of Ortho have come to accept Hextor as a 'Hobgoblin religion.' and visitors from other planes have often been shocked by the god's causal acceptance on the world.

Curiously, the Eye of Hextor is not actually considered the head of the religion amongst the Hobgoblins themselves. Instead, the leaders of individual churches called "Blade Lords" on Ortho are effectively allowed religious freedom to teach their own interpretations of Hextor's theology. The Eye of Hextor is more considered a post that is given to respected Church Leaders and Military Generals as a form of retirement. The position of the Eye, according to most South Thaeran Hobgoblins, is to protect the Church of Hextor from foreign interference.

The OCA is aware that the Eye wields less authority than they would like over the Hextor fanatics of South Thaera but have largely left the situation alone. The Eye has managed to contain several radical sects that would have otherwise spilled out into open violence and is a dialogue with what would otherwise be an impenetrable part of Hobgoblin society.

The Eye is also accompanied by his designated sucessor and proxy, The Mouth of Hextor, at nearly all times.

The Eye of Hextor

Mogg Valkur (LE Hobgoblin Male Cleric of Hextor 14)

Mogg Valkur is a former General of the Harmonium that found religion late in his life. Mogg is an unusally well respected figure in both military and religious circles for his profound accomplishments in both areas. Despite being a merciless fascist and strict interpreter of Hextor's laws, Mogg is surprisingly congenial for a Hobgoblin cleric.

Mogg has eased the way for humans to become part of Hextor's church, despite resistance from the Cadence Magisterium. Mogg has also started the, previously unheard of, process of ordaining Otaki priests of the war god. Mogg has made it his duty to spread the word of Hextor to the colonies of Ortho and managed to somehow avoid invoking the wrath of the OCA on his church for doing so. It is truly remarkable that so many of his decisions are respected even when disagreed with by hardline Blade Lords in South Thaera.

Mogg is already an exceedingly old man amongst Hobgoblins at seventy three and is unlikely to make it to seventy five. He is, however, anxious that his successor is not quite ready for the position he is likely to inherit.

The Mouth of Hextor

Tarrg Zule (LE Hobgoblin Male Blackguard of Hextor 11/Cleric of Hextor 2)

Tarrg Zule is a dishonorably discharged officer of the Harmonium. Though the Harmonium had no proof, he actually wiped out an isolated entire elven kingdom on a colony world. Due to the totality of the destruction, Tarrg was cleared of all criminal charges but found guilty of conduct unbecoming a Harmonium officer. A fanatic of Hextor, he is a man that believes in total war and that the Hobgoblins should become masters of the universe. Despite how radical this sounds, he's actually aware this is a goal that can only be filled across many thousands of years.

However, Tarrg Zule encourages the faithful to colonize Harmony held worlds and work their way up to positions of importance. He also teaches that Hobgoblins should obliterate those races that are 'valueless in the eyes of Hextor.'

Shockingly, Tarrg is actually a moderate amongst Hextor's faith. Tarrg considers that Dwarves, Humans, Otaki, and other 'strong races' are not innately blasphemous to Hextor. While he teaches Hobgoblins are perfection, he wants to begin full blown conversion and missionary efforts to the 'less advantaged' peoples of the cosmos. It is only species like Elves, Gnomes, Pixies, and other mostly extinct races that he tends to hold should be annihilated completely.

Charles Phipps's picture
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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

Things that also need to be added here are the following...

* Church Authority
* Church Policy
* Magisterium Magistrates
* The Concerto ("The Holy Ce")
* Hextor's Throne ("The Castle of Tyrants")
* Roleplaying Church Officials

Also, debatable whether we should add the head of the Saint Cuthbert's Church.

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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

If Hextor's presence is expected there - St. Cuthbert should be even more expected. His worship is more common throughout the OCA holdings.

I was hoping to focus more on the structures of the Lords of Order - not on those of the gods that they may potentially allow legal worship or lesser membership in the pantheon.

It's worthwhile to note that some of the organizational structure, and means of gods to join the pantheon or become legal to worship, is already described in the PDF there's just no face or personality to it yet.

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'Clueless' wrote:
If Hextor's presence is expected there - St. Cuthbert should be even more expected. His worship is more common throughout the OCA holdings.

I was hoping to focus more on the structures of the Lords of Order - not on those of the gods that they may potentially allow legal worship or lesser membership in the pantheon.

It's worthwhile to note that some of the organizational structure, and means of gods to join the pantheon or become legal to worship, is already described in the PDF there's just no face or personality to it yet.

1. Hextor is one of the most worshiped gods of Ortho in that one of the major races worships almost exclusively and has for over six hundred years.

2. I agree, which is one of the reasons I think the Lords of Order considering stamping out St. Cuthbert one of the highest priorties they currently have.

3. That's why I did the above.

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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

I'm the Government Guy, so here goes (this is based on stuff from the Ortho's Government thread, which I swear I'll finish one of these days).

The OCA and the Churches

From a top-down perspective, all organized religion on Ortho is controlled and monitored by the Department of Theological Harmony, which is administered by Conductor Fhaedru Ironfist, who is the closest thing Ortho has to a pope (albeit one with a lot less ceremony and a lot more paperwork). Conductor Ironfist. Through its various bureaus, the Department maintains Ortho's religious archives, bans and prosecutes heretics, and allocates state funding to worthy churches (and fines unworthy ones).

That said, the Department of Theological Harmony does not typically meddle in the day to day affairs of churches. In theory, the Department is not affiliated with any of the churches of Ortho and holds all sanctioned religions, be they they native gods or interlopers equally. In practice, it generally watches interloper churches carefully while giving the churches of the Lords of Order a relatively free hand (except for the Church of Saeduenical, which the Bureau of Church Affairs keeps very close tabs on).

For the most part, the churches are left to run their own affairs. They pick their own leaders, organize their clergy as they choose, follow their own traditions, practices, and dogma, and engage in affairs of their choosing. The only exceptions preach heresy (defined as any thought or action contrary to the Way of Harmony). The Department will usually come down hard on suspected heretics (the Church of Hextor, for instance, has had huge swaths of its scripture outlawed for "preaching discord and dissent"), and few churches are willing to go against them. This strong inclination toward orthodoxy is perfectly reasonable considering that, while the Theological Harmony may write the canon, the task of enforcing it falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Metaphysical Harmony, and no one (not even Theological Harmony) wants the Sin Hunters getting involved.

----

So yeah, that's about all I've got in terms of how the Churches are structured. Feel free to make individual churches be structured however the hell you want. Churches can be led by a High Priest, Board of Directors, a Council of Matriarchs, or something else. Pick whatever form of rule you think best fits the feel of the religion and run with it (unlike most of Orthorian life, this is one place where tradition trumps sound organization).

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Big Gaping Hole: Temple Leadership

Yeah, I envision a much smaller and less influential Department of Theological Harmony that answers effectively to the Church as much as the OCA rather than the reverse.

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