Soldeus

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The ninth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

Perhaps the greatest of all of Umbra’s deceptions was that of convincing the Children of Soldeus that he does not exist. One only has to look at the infantile creation story of the Cult of Sol Invictus to witness this deception and see that their followers have been indoctrinated into believing Umbra is little more than the horns of some mere beast. The capacity of people to believe such superstition is beyond me, and he who darkens his heart will verily be consumed by that “beast”; but I digress.

In His mercy and infinite wisdom, Soldeus created a Man in His own image and sent him down to walk upon Nave. This Man was called Lucius and He, the Son of Soldeus, was sent to deliver us from this evil.

As He traveled across Nave, He taught man of the Inner Spark and of the eternal battle that has raged between Soldeus and Umbra, and of virtue and sin, and He wielded divine power to create miracles. Wherever He went, He ended all oppression, suffering and disease; He united man in the name of Soldeus and spread knowledge of His teachings.

His flock grew and He sent forth His disciples to spread the Word of God so that all could walk the path of righteousness. But there were those who were tainted by the darkness of Umbra; their hearts were wrapped in shadow, their Inner Spark was tainted by sin and their minds closed to the teachings of Lucius. One such place was ruled by a corrupted and dark Lord who had been enslaved by the will of the Dark One. He was Lord Drusidias Bane and he ruled the realm of Mordica.

When the Son of Soldeus came to teach the people of Mordica the Word of God and liberate them from their shackles, Lord Bane had the disciples arrested under the false claim of political crimes. He sent word to Lucius that he we would cause no harm to these political prisoners if he surrendered to his authority and judgment; otherwise he would begin executing the disciples.

Lucius felt unconditional love for His friends and disciples and did not hesitate in surrendering himself to this cruel and dark lord to protect them. Lord Bane, kept his word and did no harm to the prisoners but he also refused to release them, twisting his own words to his cruel satisfaction. He took the greatest of delight in the prospect of causing harm to Lucius.

Even after enduring countless weeks of torture and starvation, His will could not be broken; still, every night He prayed for the salvation and redemption of his captors.

Angered by this at last, Lord Bane ordered the immediate execution of Lucius through fire on pyre, constructed in mockery of the Holy Fire of Soldeus. Many of the denizens of Mordica came to watch and Lord Bane had the grief-stricken disciples brought forth to watch. The raging fire scorched the flesh of Lucius, and the stench of burnt skin and charred bone sickened all who endured it, yet He did not scream out in pain or anguish; instead, He prayed for mercy for His killers.

Then something miraculous happened: at the moment of His death a great searing light radiated from His body; the very light of Soldeus shone out from that benighted place across all the realm of Nave. When the dazzled eyes of those gathered regained their sight, there was no corpse upon the pyre.

In this great Sacrifice, the Son of Soldeus gave Himself freely to purify the Inner Spark in each and everyone, so that they might be redeemed and break free from the corruption of Umbra.

Even Lord Drusidias Bane was overcome with grief for the crimes he had committed and relinquished his rule over Mordica, handing the land back to the people; he joined with the disciples of Lucius, who he had immediately released, in repentance for his actions and swore himself in service to them.

On the seventh day after the death of Soldeus Incarnate, He returned to his followers and spoke to them. He told them that one day He would return to unite all of man-kind and to usher in an era of peace and harmony in the name of Soldeus. But until that time arrived, He charged them, His disciples, to prepare the people for His return and to teach them the Word of God. He then ascended to the heavens to sit alongside His Father in glory.

St. Jude, who was the greatest and oldest friend of Lucius, was guided in his dreams by the Radiant Lord to establish the Church for the worship of His Glory. He and the disciples of Lucius went to the Kingdom of Hyperion and constructed the first basilica, and consecrated it; thus was the birth of the Church of Soldeus.

The Church was organised to spread the teachings of Soldeus, to teach the knowledge of the Inner Spark and of the struggle between Sin and Virtue; to inculcate in men the importance of prayer and repentance; and to set the salvation of man as its highest duty, for each man is born from the Spark of our Holy and Radiant Lord and the corruption or loss of even one Spark is a grief and an affront to Him.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The fourteenth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

[B]Of Conscience and the Inner Spark,[/B]

Of all the creations of our Heavenly Lord to walk on Nave, only man has an understanding of morality while lesser creatures behave according to their natural characteristics and instincts. Every person is aware that his or her actions are either good or bad, kind or evil, moral or immoral. What allows man an understanding of morality is the gift of conscience. Conscience is born from the Inner Spark that resides in each of the Children of Soldeus.

Soldeus created each of his Children from a part of his radiant light, an Inner Spark, and as we are a part of him, he is a part of us and the voice of conscience is the very voice of our most Holy God.

[B]The Nature of Sin[/B]

A person who does not listen to his conscience but stifles it, suppresses its voice with falseness and the darkness of stubborn sin, is called "unconscionable." His spiritual condition is extremely dangerous and ruinous for the Inner Spark. Sin is a leprosy, an illness and an ulcer which strikes all three of the basic abilities and powers of the Inner Spark of those who deny their Conscience: The Mind, the Heart and the Will.

Man's mind becomes darkened and inclined toward error. What is even more harmed by sin is man's heart - the centre of his experience of good and evil, as well as feelings of sorrow and joy. We see that when a heart has been bound in the mire of sin it has lost the ability to be pure, spiritual and to possess truly elevated feelings. Instead, it has become inclined toward pleasures of sensuality and earthly attachments. It is tainted with vainglory and often startles one with a complete absence of love. What is harmed most of all, however, is the capability of our will to effect our intentions. Man, in a state of sin, proves to be without strength of will particularly when it is necessary for him to practice true good.

The main and root source of sin is, of course, Umbra. In struggling with his brother, Umbra struggles with the Children of Soldeus, striving to corrupt and destroy each of them. He does so through the enticements of the world and the flesh, making them stronger and more deceptive, and also by tempting us with sinful suggestions of all kinds. Defiled and corrupted sparks are forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he longs to inflict.

[B]The Path of Virtue[/B]

The complete opposite of sin is virtue. Its rudiments are found in every person, as remnants of that natural good which comes with the Inner Spark that was placed into the nature of man by his Creator. When one listens to the voice of one's conscience, one sees that this conscience speaks first of all as a judge - strict and incorruptible, evaluating all one's actions and experiences.

By walking the path of Virtue a man steels himself against the temptation of sin and nurtures the Inner Spark within him. Therefore, throughout life, one must work at virtue if one does not wish to corrupt one's Inner Spark. In order to be virtuous, however, one must not only do good for others, but work on oneself, struggling with one's insufficiencies and the temptation of sin and following the voice of one's conscience. There can be no pause on this path as a man who stops working on himself will not remain the same as he was, but will inevitably become worse - as a stone which is thrown upwards and stops rising will not remain suspended in the air, but will instead fall downward.

Since sin is the main enemy and obstacle of virtue, it is evident that one who is striving towards virtue must struggle against Umbra. The struggle with sinful temptations is possible only for one who is vigilant, who listens to the voice of his conscience and who prays to Soldeus for guidance and strength.

[B]Freedom of Will[/B]

Man is morally free and is the guide of his own personal will and actions and he alone is responsible for them. His Inner Spark is in his own keeping and every day, through his actions, he will either nurture his Inner Spark and become illuminated, or succumb to temptation and corruption and delve his Inner Spark into eternal darkness.

A man who is conscionable and lives a life of Virtue will rejoin Soldieus in His Splendour and Content in Heaven when his mortal bodies fails and his substance returns to the body of Nave. Those who are unconscionable and succumb to the corruption and temptation of sin will be forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he loves to inflict, or to fall in cinders and ruin.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The eighteenth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

Of Sin and Virtue,

[B][I]The Path of Virtue;[/I][/B]

[B]Mercy:[/B] Even in the face of the most horrific betrayal, Soldeus showed great clemency towards His brother. This act of compassion and kindly forbearance was born from the love that He felt towards Umbra and it is the same unconditional love that He has for each and every one of us, His children. We should treat those who serve us with compassion, those who offend us with benevolence and our enemies with pity and not with malice. Mercy is the greatest of all virtues and all others flow from this unconditional love.

[B]Reverence:[/B] Soldeus showed deep respect towards Nave and revered Her many wondrous creations. So, too, should we revere the creations and gifts of our Heavenly Father and should not feel contempt towards His and His faithful children’s work.

[B]Longing:[/B] Nave was fairer than all Goddesses to come after Her, and Soldeus felt a natural and earnest longing towards her. Nevertheless, His intentions towards Her were sincere and respectful, and His love for Her was pure; we must emulate Him, and scorn lust, gluttony and greed.

[B]Truth:[/B] The Eye of Soldeus sees all and His radiant Light pierces through all lies and deceit. Those who shroud themselves in deception darken their spark and invite the dark and hateful one to tempt them further into shadow. Always in the Word of Soldeus is the truth spoken, and thus do the faithful always act with upright honesty and integrity. We must speak truth always, even in the face of danger and of the powers of the dark.

[B]Nurture:[/B] Since the forging of the Heavens, Soldeus has come every day to nurture and nourish all of Nave and His creations; for our especial succour, He sent forth His Son, Lucius, to guide and protect us at our time of need. Thus in humble thanksgiving we must tend to the land of Nave, fostering the livestock and harvesting the crops, offering support to our fellow man and guidance to our youth, seeking to protect these from corruption.

[B]Loyalty:[/B] Soldeus remains ever true and devoted to His love for Nave. As His children, we must remain always faithful to His word and adhere to His teachings. We must also be faithful to our commitments and obligations and be true to our word, lest we act with treachery.

[B]Courage:[/B] Courage is the form that every virtue takes at its testing point. Man cannot disregard virtue because it is not convenient or because he fears the consequences, and he must act to fulfil his duty with bravery even the face of his greatest terror, just as Lucius did when he sacrificed himself so that man could be freed.

[B][I]The Shadow of Sin;[/I][/B]

[B]Malice:[/B] Malice is the unworthy desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated
vindictiveness. It was malice that led Umbra to kill Nave when he knew that he could not have possession of Her living Heart, and power over Her. To hold such hatred inside and to give in to its dark impulses is to corrupt one's heart.

[B]Contempt:[/B] Contempt is the foul opposite of reverence, the object of which is viewed as beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern. It is in essence the hatred of the Will of the Radiant One, Who would have us share His love for all good things. Perhaps the most sinful manifestation of contempt is desecration; the very crime that Umbra committed on the body of Nave itself. To hold Soldeus, Nave or His creations in contempt will cloud one's mind and bring the contemptuous to darkness.

[B]Lust:[/B] To lust is to have uncontrolled or illicit desire that is unhallowed by unconditional love, and which contemns without cherishing its object. Always has Umbra lusted after the creations of his Brother, fuelled by envy and greed, and thus he desired to have dominion over Nave. Fulfilled or imagined, such reckless and sinful desire can only lead to the harm of one’s body and to ruination.

[B]Deceit:[/B] The most dangerous and powerful tool of Umbra is that of
Deception. He is the master of the art of concealing or distorting the truth for the purpose of misleading the Children of Soldeus, and the propagator of it. To be unfaithful to the Heavenly Father is an act of deceit and those who are false to duty or break their word are on the path to unending darkness.

[B]Corruption:[/B] Umbra has longed since Creation began to corrupt and defile all that which his Brother has made; to twist it into horrible and wretched forms that satisfy his dark hunger. Now his mind is set on destroying the integrity of the Inner Sparks of all of mankind and corrupting them to his will. To deceive, one must walk the path ahead of the victim and thus a deceiver lives in the darkness, where his Inner Spark may be swallowed up forever.

[B]Treachery:[/B] The wilful betrayal of trust or fidelity is an act of treachery. No man, god or creature is worth more than his word; woe betide those faithless who are false to their obligations or allegiances. Umbra betrayed his Brother in an act of great treachery when he slew Nave; thus will he also betray those who trust in him for power, to their unending sorrow. Most grievous of all, though, is the pain thus caused to the bright and loving Heart of Soldeus by our rejection; when we adopt the ways of Umbra, we deny that the Light is Our Father.

[B]Cowardice:[/B] This is great flaw at the Dark Heart of Umbra, who fears more than anything his Brother's enlightening embrace. Those who lack the courage to step into the light and embrace the Word of Soldeus must instead skulk in the Shadows with Umbra where their minds will be clouded, their hearts tainted and their inner spark corrupted. Cowardice is the sin that opens the door to all others.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The nineteenth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

[B]The seven corporal works of Mercy[/B]

The Church of Soldeus has assembled a list of seven good deeds that are aimed at relieving the bodily distress of our Heavenly Father’s children. These deeds are at the heart of our mendicant orders and they are the foundations upon which the duties of our Friars are based. It goes without saying that these merciful acts are not just the providence of the Church, but of all the faithful children of Soldeus. Those who have done these merciful deeds will reunite with the Radiant Lord and those who have failed to do so will walk alongside Umbra.

They are,
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII

[B]The seven spiritual works of Mercy[/B]

The Church of Soldeus also holds the seven spiritual works of mercy as sacred. St. Jude taught us that the salvation of man is the most important role of the Church and these deeds bring man a step closer to the Radiant Lord. It is from these works that the Priests of our Church base their Holy duties.

They are,
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The twenty-first of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

Inside each of us resides a Spark of our Heavenly Father’s Radiant Light and through our conscience we are all in constant intercourse with Him. Let us not forget that this Spark resides in our fellow man and that we are all the children of Soldeus, brothers and sisters to each other. Thus during the course of his life a man has moral obligations that can be divided into three groups; concerning himself, concerning his neighbours, and, highest of all, concerning Soldeus.

[B]Obligation to thyself:[/B]

The first and most important obligation that a man has, concerning himself, is in safekeeping his Inner Spark and preparing himself for eternal salvation and beatitude. To attain this, a man must live in a holy and righteous manner that is in accordance with Soldeus's Will. But how can one recognize his Will? First of all, in one's conscience resides His voice. If it were not for the dark and twisted machinations of Umbra, which darkened the Sparks of the first men and women, man would be able unerringly and firmly direct the path of his life according to the dictates of his conscience, in which the will of Soldeus is expressed. We know, however, that in a sinful man, not only are the mind, heart and will damaged, but the conscience is also darkened and its judgment and voice have lost their firm clearness and strength. It is not without reason that some people are called unconscionable.

Therefore, conscience alone became insufficient for man to live and act according to Soldeus's will and the need arose for an external guide, for a god-revealed Law. Such a Law was given by Soldeus to His children in two aspects: first, through the teachings of Lucius, of Sin and Virtue; and, secondly, as He spoke to us through prophets. Most notable of these was St. Jude who established the Church of Soldeus to spread and teach the Law of Soldeus.

The Holy Church teaches us that we cannot consider the things given to us by Soldeus, such as our abilities, skills and talents, to be ours and instead we must consider them as gifts of Our Radiant Lord. We must use these gifts, like materials in the construction of a building, for the building of our spirit. To accomplish this, we must use all these gifts, not for ourselves first and alone, but for others, for the laws of Heaven's Truth are contradictory to the laws of earthly benefit. He who gathers for himself acquires earthly wealth; but he who, in the earthly life, gives away and does good acquires for eternity. Lucius proclaimed that earthly wealth, gathered selfishly, was an unjust wealth, and ordered that it not be used for oneself but for others, in order that the reward be received in the eternal home.

Lucius said, “Be as your Father in Heaven is” and therefore, there can be no end to the work of a man on himself. Perfection is not given to a man at once, but gradually and continually.

[B]Obligation to thy neighbour:[/B]

According to the clear, precise directions of the teachings of Lucius, our main obligation to Soldeus is to love Him. To this decree he bound a second, to love thy neighbour, for it is like unto the first. Love for neighbour is like love for Soldeus. The Holy Church, being founded on the words of the Radiant Lord, has set forth the following order in the obligations of man: lowest of all are the obligations to oneself. Therefore, love for oneself must be sacrificed in the name of love for Soldeus and neighbour. Love for one's neighbour takes precedence over love for oneself, but it is subject to the highest love; love for Soldeus Whom we must love most of all.

It cannot be disputed that in serving one's neighbours, a man serves the Heavenly Father. More than that, love for neighbour is the proof of love for Him., Nevertheless, it is even more certain that our love for Soldeus can never hinder our love for neighbours. By loving Soldeus, we lift ourselves up to a higher spiritual atmosphere, one of love and a new "inspiration of life." The heart of the faithful is filled with such divine love and radiates it everywhere and upon everyone. Thus, love for Soldeus does not obstruct love for neighbours, but on the contrary, strengthens and deepens it.

Such love for Soldeus is not only the summit of a man’s moral ascent, but it is also the basis of his spiritual existence. Without love there cannot be any spiritual life, struggle or virtue. The highest service of love is the pastor's service, and it can be fulfilled only by one who truly loves Soldeus.

[B]Obligation to thy Heavenly Father:[/B]

If our first and basic obligation to Soldeus is to love Him, then it follows naturally that we must know Him. It is absolutely necessary that each man has knowledge of the content of His faith and of its basic Truths; the dogma, the lore and the teachings of the Holy Church. To know Soldeus is our direct duty and the way to fulfill it, in addition to the study of the teachings of Soldeus, is in the contemplation of our Heavenly Father.

Contemplation of Soldeus is the description of the spiritual mood in which man intentionally introduces into and maintains in his conscience the voice of the Radiant Lord, holds in mind the nature of His highest properties, and ponders the matter of his salvation.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The twenty-sixth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

True faith is the first response of the human heart to the content of religious truths, an agreement with and acceptance of them. As it strengthens and becomes deeper, this faith eventually brings one's heart to peace with Soldeus. Faith is inseparably bound to love for our Heavenly Father and in our relationship to Him this love is first of all made manifest in prayer. Prayer is the first and most essential element in our spiritual life. It is the breath of our Inner Spark, and without it, the Spark fades and becomes one with the Darkness, just as the body dies without air or a candle is extinguished if left under a glass dome. All the vital functions of the body depend upon its breathing; in exactly the same way, one's spiritual life depends on prayer, and a person who does not pray to God is spiritually dead.

Prayer is the conversation of man with the Radiant Lord. One who remembers, knows and loves God will unfailingly turn to Him in prayer. If you have a good desire to pray, thank Soldeus from Whom everything good comes, and do not lose the chance to pray from the Inner Spark. If you do not have this desire, and the time for prayer arrives, then it is necessary to force yourself, encouraging your lethargic and lazy spirit by reminding it that prayer, like every good deed, is all the more precious in His eyes when it is given with difficulty. The Lord does not disdain any prayer if one prays sincerely, as best he knows how, even though he has not developed the habit of praying fully and with unweakening fervour.

A man who lives a faithful life will always find something about which to pray to Him, because for such a person, Soldeus is a loving Father, a Mighty Protector and an unending Spring of help and strength. This man hurries to Him in need and in woe, as a child to its parent; likewise in plenty and joy, this man remembers to thank the Source of all good things. Lucius has declared that True worshippers worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. A person who prays to our Heavenly Father must remember that prayer cannot go unheard if it is sincere and breathes of living faith. The Lord Himself said, "Everything is possible to one who believes."

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I]The first of November,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;[/I][/B]

I have discussed the subject of man's free will and examined the nature of sin, the path of virtue and a man’s obligations to our Heavenly Father. Now, I must speak of the process of the conversion of an erring sinner to the path of righteousness.

Man's betrayal of the Radiant Lord is usually manifested when a man, who receives everything that Soldeus has given him, ceases to have fervent faith in Him, ceases to think about Him and to love Him, and finally forgets about His immutable Law. Thus it is that the senseless sinner wastes his spiritual and physical strength in the pursuit of sensual enjoyments and in "burning through his life," and departs, in heart and soul, further and further from His Heavenly Father.

In this alienation from God, there is a complete serving of sin and passions. Finally, there is a full spiritual bankruptcy, a spiritual hunger and darkness-- the person has reached the depth of falling. Here, however, according to the words of St. Magnus, where sin has multiplied, an abundance of Grace appears to instruct man. The sinner accepts the Graceful appeal or rejects it and perishes. He accepts it, and comes to himself, and firmly decides to part with sin and go with repentance to the Heavenly Father. He goes along the path of repentance, and the Father comes out to meet him and accepts him, all-forgiven and with as much love as ever.

Thus, man's salvation is worked out simultaneously through the action of Soldeus's saving Grace, and through the personal efforts of man himself. Man is free to choose good or evil, salvation or ruin and Soldeus does not impede his freedom, although He constantly summons him to salvation.


It is said in the history of Lucius that:


[CENTER]The Church was organised to spread the teachings of Soldeus, to teach
the knowledge of the Inner Spark and of the struggle between Sin and
Virtue; to inculcate in men the importance of prayer and repentance;
and to set the salvation of man as its highest duty, for each man is born
from the Spark of our Holy and Radiant Lord and the corruption or loss of
even one Spark is a grief and an affront to Him.[/CENTER]

It is in the salvation of man that the Church plays its greatest role in service of our Heavenly Father. To the faithful children of our father we offer guidance and protection; teaching them the Word of Soldeus and leading them in prayer and contemplation. To those who have fallen from grace we offer redemption and will walk alongside them down the path of repentance and into the loving embrace of out Radiant Lord. Those who have turned from our Heavenly Father, those who have rejected his teachings and those who refuse to repent, must be swiftly separated and judged.

Thus the path to salvation is paved with the skull of the heretic and the blood of the righteous.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][I][CENTER]The Church: The Hierarchy[/CENTER][/I][/B]

By joining the Church an Individual will become a member of the clergy (clerici) and will forsake the pursuit of worldly advancement and possessions in exchange for a life in service to our Soldeus and the protection of the Church

Within the clergy social class there are a series of titles that denote an individual’s authority and level of influence within the Church as well as an acknowledgement of their understanding of the Church Lore and Dogma.

The below descriptions offer a basic overview of what is required to attain reach each rank. The specifics and final decisions on appointments are left to the discretion of the Head of the Ecumenical council for clergy members who are not in a clan or whose clan does not have a Bishop. The Bishop of a Diocese/Clan will be given guidance on how to appoint people within their own clan.

[B]Novice:[/B]
[B][I]No form of address.[/I][/B]
A Novice is in training to become a Friar. They have not yet taken their Holy Vows and are not considered full members of the Clergy. To become a Novice an individual must show that they understand the key fundamentals of the Religion.

[B]Deacon:[/B]
[B][I]Addressed as "Deacon" or "The Reverend Mister"[/I][/B]
A Deacon is in training to become a Priest and because they have not yet taken their Holy Vows they not considered full members of the Clergy. Typically a Deacon must pass a verbal interview and pay for their schooling and will then be assigned to a Priest who will serve as a mentor. A Deacon has no authority himself but when acting on behalf of the Priest, to whom he is assigned, his instructions will be honoured and obeyed by the Friars and Novices.

[B]Friar(Nun):[/B]
[B][I]Addressed as "Brother" or "Sister" [/I][/B]
A Friar has taken his/her Holy Vows and is considered a full member of the Clergy. The roles that a friar may take is only limited by the imagination of the player behind the character or the mechanics of the game. If a Friar is part of an Order or a member of a Clan with a Bishop or Priest then he may receive directions and instructions from them. Otherwise Friars have complete discretion in how they do their work so long as it is in the name of Soldeus. They are expected to know the basics of each section of the Church of Soldeus Dogma and Lore.

[B]Priest:[/B]
[B][I]Addressed as "Reverend Father" or "Reverend Mother"[/I][/B]
A Priest has taken his/her Holy Vows, is considered a full member of the Clergy and has been ordained. The position of Priest is one of importance as they are expected to be bastions of the faith and possess an in-depth knowledge of all the Church Lore and Dogma. There are various roles within the Church that a Priest may occupy and these include running an abbey, leading an Order and assisting a Bishop. Other priests, typical those without clans, may crusade alone or act as lone missionaries.

[B]Bishop:[/B]
[B][I]Addressed as "my Lord", "His Excellency" or"The Right Reverend Father"[/I][/B]
The role of the Bishop, or Lord Spiritual, is to lead the faithful in his diocese/clan, and to oversee all matters religious in nature. The Ecumenical may appoint a priest from a clan (usually on the recommendation of a clans leader) to the position of Bishop.

[B]Church Knight:[/B]
[B][I]Addressed as "Sir" or "Dame"[/I][/B]
The Church may create its own knights, as bishops and archbishops have the power of Accolade. The Master of a military order would be a church knight, as would his senior lieutenants if they have distinguished themselves militarily, however, only the Master would be ordained and be guaranteed to hold the rank of Priest. However, not all members of a military order are knights. In fact, most of them are lay persons.

[thebarbarian09]

[B][CENTER]Clergy Titles[/CENTER][/B]

Previously discussed was the Hierarchy of the Church. The following are just the titles that are given to Friars and Priests that hold certain positions within the Church and do a particualr job. They are not ranks themselves.

[B]Abbot[/B]
Members of the clergy who have been granted an Abbey to run are called Abbots. His form of address is "the Right Reverend".

[B]Cleric[/B]
Members of the clergy who have a position the government or the leadership of their clan are called clerics. They may be Priests, Deacons or Friars.

[B]Chaplain[/B]
Priests and Deacons who serve in the military/warrior part of their clan may be titled as chaplains.

[B]Master of the Order[/B]
The Master of the Order is typically a Priest and they are titled “the Very Reverend”.

[B]Parson[/B]
Parsons are members of the clergy who serve as the head of a church building. This person answers only to the Bishop. They may only be a Priest and are styled "the Reverend Father".

[B]Prior[/B]
Members of the clergy who have been granted a priory to run OR members who have been assigned by an Abbot to help them run their Abbey. They may be deacons or priests and are addressed as "the Very Reverend".

[B]Rector[/B]
Members of the clergy assigned to teach deacons. They may only be priests and are styled "the Very Reverend Father”�.

[B]Vicar[/B]
Vicars are members of the kingdom who serves as the second in command to the Bishop. There is only one per diocese/clan, and he/she answers only to the Bishop. They may only be a priest and are styled "the Very Reverend".

[thebarbarian09]

[B][CENTER]The Church: Spiritual Orders[/CENTER][/B]

The idea is that all members of the church will belong to an Order. Members are allowed to transfer from one type of Order to another. There are three types of spiritual orders; military, mendicant and canonical orders.



[B][CENTER]Military Order[/CENTER][/B]

A military order is made up of warrior monks who serve the church, and knights who are pledged to serve their God without the interference of worldly desire. They are granted a charter, live under a Rule, are clergy, and pledge their allegiance to the church in order to serve God uninhibited by the corruption of secular influence.

If you are looking to be recognized as a military order, there are requirements which you must fulfil in order to be considered official.

[B][I]First: A Rule[/I][/B]
You must have a Rule which is approved by the church. All a Rule is are the "Rules" by which the organization operates. It includes things like, uniforms, chain of command, obedience, and all sorts of stuff.

[B][I]Second: Charter[/I][/B]
It must be granted a charter by the Ecumenical Council. This is what legitimizes your Order as a military order, and not just a bunch of religious nuts running around trying to cleanse evil.

[B][I]Third: Ordained Leader[/I][/B]
The Grand Master must be ordained by the leader of the diocese. This would be your Bishop. Independent nations would fall under the Archbishop.

[B][I]Fourth: Approval of Sovereign[/I][/B]
You must have the approval of your Clan Leader so that they aware of what you're doing. If you are not a member of a Clan or your entire clan plans to be a military order then this step is not required.

[B][I]Fifth: Leader must be a Knight[/I][/B]
It must be founded by someone with the rank of knight, or higher. Of course, the Bishop of your clan/diocese or the Head of the Eccumencial Council can knight you once you accomplish the first four goals. A military order leader is known as Grand Master.



[B][CENTER]Mendicant Order[/CENTER][/B]

If you are looking to be recognized as a mendicant order, there are requirements which you must fulfil in order to be considered official. This is similar to that of a military order.

Its Rule must be recognized by the Church
It must be granted a Charter by the Ecumenical Council (Council of Bishops)
Its leader must be ordained by a Bishop.

Failure to meet any of these three criteria will generally result in the Order being declared heretical, and unless it disbands immediately, its members will be hunted down as heretics themselves.



[B][CENTER]Canonical Order[/CENTER][/B]

A canonical order is basically the staff of people who oversee a particular church building. Such an Order will fall under the direction of a vicar or priest and deacons would be members. As such a Parson must be an ordained priest as he would be in charge of the building.



[B][CENTER]Inquisition[/CENTER][/B]

The Inquisition will act as sheriffs for the church. They will seek out and expose those members that are preaching heresy or otherwise trying to destabilise the Church. The perpetrators will be delivered to the Ecumenical Council to be tried and judged.