Blessings

Question: What does it mean to bless a thing? Is there a system for it? I know a lot of the details may not be widely known until we discover it ICly, but what are the religiously understood effects of blessings?

My understanding is a full, godsworn knight of the Temple is as much priest as knight. I don't mean the men-at-arms, or the knights who receive their knighthood from houses but join the holy orders, but those knights who dedicate and are godsworn and knights. I've regularly played the 'priest' angle and sought to minister to people, but I might be off base in doing so. My question is thus: can godsworn knights 'bless' like lectors/priests can?

Answer: Blessings in the sense of godsworn members of the faith just blessing someone is common, and while there's a liturgy and very frequent phrases (picture each god or goddess having a stock set of a half dozen phrases essentially wishing someone well based on their sphere), they are just regular, every day phrases. Godsworn Templars like Preston could grant any of these blessings, there's not any doctrinal opposition to any member of the Faith doing so, though full ceremonial functions (like a marriage ceremony) would want someone with priestly training- which Templars or knights of solace can have, so it would depend whether they are considered invested (anyone over theology 2 could reasonably be so). There's no system currently for blessings since for these every day blessings there would be no mechanical effect at all- there's no magic behind it, it's no different than someone saying words. Currently, no action by any player could be considered reliable in having any divine, supernatural, primal or abyssal reactions- by its nature anything like that is capricious and unpredictable. Very specific rites to get the favor of the gods can be done, but they require enormous sacrifices in order to have a manifest effect, and this knowledge has been largely extinguished, but yeah a full magic system including divine providence will be Season 2, as it follows the storyarc of the game starting low magic/low fantasy and gradually transitioning to a high fantasy world.

Blessings Addendum

Question: 1) Is there a defined limit on what can be blessed within theme? Ex: Could a lantern be blessed by the shrine of Lagoma, or only the flame inside of it? Could you bless a field, or just that season's crop?

2) Do blessings have a generally accepted duration before they must be renewed? Does it vary? If so, are there any guidelines to be followed?

3) Who can grant a blessing? Does it require a recognition, or is it simply anyone who can do the proper ritual? Do blessings from some people carry an expectation of being more meaningful, or are the blessed more egalitarian?

Answer: 1) Anything appropriate to that god's sphere with a pretty wide interpretation. Really as long as it seems like it can be justified to the god.

2) No apparent mechanical effects at all that anyone could be aware of. By church doctrine, items and places tend to be blessed every thirteen days ritually, or 13 months, or 13 seasons or 13 years depending on how ornate the rites are (like the sanctification of holy ground, for example, could be considered a blessing).

3) Godsworn with priestly training and investiture for any kind of ceremonial rites. Obviously any member of the faith can say, 'Lagoma bless you' or the like, and these are fairly common. Not that uncommon for disciples to see over harvest festivals or the like when seraphs aren't available.

Confessions

Question: Q:In IRL terms, there's this concept of the 'priest-penitent' privilege. That is, if a person seeks advice from a religious guide, what that person says and what that guide says is protected: on the one hand, legally (you can not compel the revelation of it), on the other hand, religiously (the church considers this privacy a sacred duty). The reason behind this privilege is basically... if you can't be truthful with your priest and ask their advice, how can you honestly be seek guidance from them to be righteous?

If a godsworn is approached for advice, if they are told a secret under the bond of secrecy, and if it does not directly lead to a threat against the life of another, is that the asking and advice considered by the religion of the Faith 'sealed'? Can the person asking expect their asking not be revealed, and would the Faith act negatively to its revelation?

I know PCs are... PCs. But I'm asking about the *religion*. Character A approaches a godsworn priest and confesses an act in the past, if that priest Character B tells someone... is there a) a consequence, and b) an understanding this is wrong?

Its been previously said that the scholars often accept 'confession's as black journals they do not reveal in a very similar sense to the catholic confessional, so the concept is in theme. But... these scholars only listen. The IRL purpose of the priest-penitent privilege is to protect people seeking advice. Counsel. Trusting their religious advisers so they can be spoken to truthfully.

As a godsworn this question is important to me. Is it assumed that if you go to your priest and talk to them its secret?

Of course I recognize an exception: if you go to a priest and say you will kill the king that's not protected. Existing lore has such an exception: black journals are only secret if you don't directly threaten the Great Archive. I don't expect a confessional to be secret if someone is saying anything like a threat to the life or safety of others.

Answer: It's protected more than you'd think. Even reporting killing the king would be absolutely prohibited, unless the death of the King would implicitly result in the destruction of the Great Archive or the worship of Vellichor. For confession, godsworn must safeguard the knowledge and counsel given, if it is presented in a religious setting of giving counsel of the Pantheon. In those circumstances, the oath to safeguard knowledge is paramount- and even vows to protect the Faith and Crown are secondary to it. If someone reported that the king would be assassinated, that godsworn person would be executed or forced to become a Silent Reflection, with their writing hand cut off and tongue out so they could never again reveal any secrets. A majority of Silent Reflections did not become that way because they attempted to take advantage of religious confidences for personal use, though that's the public implication- the majority of them became that because they conscience did not permit them to keep a potentially harmful secret, and they willingly betrayed their oath in order to save lives/stop the destruction of something vital, and willingly were excuted or became Silent Reflections as the penalty for obeying their conscience.

The only time it is ever permissable to reveal a confidence either in a black reflection or a similar confessional would be because the actions of the confessing party threatens the body of knowledge protected by Vellichor. Someone accused of breaking a confidence is always judged in secret by the Faith, and the only mitigating factor is ever did it threaten the body of knowledge protected by Vellichor- no other defense is permissible. A few extremely sympathetic individuals have 'escaped' after their trials and lived in exile, but that's about as far as the Faith has been willing to go.

Now mind you, someone just saying they murdered Bob is not a religious confession or confiding in a godsworn in a religious context. It has to be either for the purposes of a black journal, or in seeking religious guidance or instruction as to the will of the gods. Confessional situations have a great deal of ritual around them to make it very painfully clear to both parties involved, with the priest typically swearing it to secrecy before their talk and reiterating the punishments should he betray it.

Faithful Merchants

Question: It's come up a few times on channel: can godsworn own/run shops and businesses?

Answer: Yes, but with restrictions. Becoming godsworn does stop the newly sworn from receiving inheritance from a family or passing on an inheritance, and specifically prohibited from owning property, but there's not a hard requirement for a vow of poverty (though a large percentage of godsworn -do- take one, particularly in the Oathlands). This, however, does not give godsworn as much freedom as that would seem to imply, since ultimately most assets they collect are more seen to belong to the church, and it is merely in their holding. In practice, very few leaders of the Faith are in a rush to discourage godsworn from generating finances by snatching it away, anymore than most house leaders would seize assets of family members who are holding things 'for the house' which is a result of their own personal pursuits. The crown would ultimately be the only source of appeal there, such as a godsworn member leaving the faith, and the faith attempting to hold onto their possessions, with typically the crown supporting the faith over an individual in such a dispute, since more than one person has started a small business for the faith, then tried to leave it so they could grant inheritance to former family, and been blocked by the crown from doing just that.

Godsworn And Children

Question: I know that godsworn can not marry. But, is that like the IRL Catholic vow of celebacy? I know in theory we have great birthcontrol, but I was also told before that 'orphans' showed up and got Knight... support, in a manner that is not entirely unusual. Ie, its not entirely uncommon for godsworn bastards to show up. I'm not asking this about Preston's birth itself, I note: I don't know and don't ever expect to know his birthright. Him being an anonymous orphan is cool. But i'm wondering on the law of 'attachment' in the Faith.

Are relationships frowned upon? Are the godsworn SUPPOSED to be celebate? I note: "supposed" is important to the context of this question, not what is normal.

I have a theory that this is all about the Laws of Limerance and its that marriage creates a bond that conflicts the godsworn: an oath that binds them to another interest. And so my thoery is as long as there's not an *oath* made before the gods, that's what matters. Yes, godsworn shouldn't have children. (Yet it happens and is nudged under the rug) but the actual law is no marriage.

Is my theory totally wrong? Am I misinterpreting this?

Answer: All godsworn take an oath that they will set aside any bond that could come between their devotion to the gods and the crown. This is understood that they will avoid forming any relationship that come between them and that service, though strict celibacy is not required. A godsworn having children is a violation of their vows, and with 100% reliable birth control, would be at best be seen as a gross error in judgment, that could carry severe consequences up to and including becoming a Silent Reflection. If they do have children, it's understood that they now have an obligation that they cannot in any way reconcile with being godsworn, and are required to leave the faith to care for the child, and leaving the faith in disgrace is the lowest of potential consequences- having children to try to escape vows would be an insult to the Faith and the gods. Individuals that want to become godsworn are only permitted to do so if they have no one dependent upon them- they cannot take the vows if they have young children, or if they have anyone they provide primary care for. It is also not uncommon for godsworn to be released from their vows if the family they set aside require them, and both the family and the godsworn member asks- but they would not be permitted to return until and unless the situation again changes. Godsworn that have children in secret, and do not give up their vows to care for them would definitely be forced out of the Faith- it would be a betrayal of their obligations. As part of the ritual when they are sworn, any potential godsworn is asked in the ceremony if they have any others that depend upon them, or any others that could come between them and the gods, and asked to take a vow to never permit that to occur.

Godsworn Surnames

Question: Is the use of the Godsworn surname just for those with no or minor surnames before taking their vows, or is it technically for everyone?

2) If all Godsworn do technically get the Godsworn name, and some retain their surname by custom, is this because of the kudos that the original family gets for having a Godsworn?

3) Is there a difference in this custom between the traditions? Are Orthodox more likely to stick to this than the Lycene?

4)What is the NPC opinion should, say, Orazio stand up and go 'I am Dominus Orazio Saik'? I'm guessing not much given how many figures make reference to their previous surname (like Alor Valardin) - though rarely it seems did Fawkuhl get referred to as Fawkuhl Valardin.

Answer: Generally the surname of Godsworn is adopted by those who have no surnames or deliberately wish to distance themselves from their family, such as if they joined the Faith over the wishes of their family. If those circumstances, it might be seen as a polite indication the Godsworn does not wish to speak of their birth family, or their time before they became a member of the Faith, and has put their past behind them fully.

Conversely, those keeping family names are usually an indicator of a strong, communal support for the faith, and a tacit encouraging of other members of their family to in the future take vows and support the Faith. This is particularly common in the Oathlands, where a significant percentage of noble families have members that go godsworn.

Outside of the Oathlands Orthodox it's sometimes seen as a bit sanctimonius, but with the traditional oathlands close ties to the Faith, it's a bit expected as many of the families have been in the upper ranks of the clergy routinely for generations. Someone with a Valardin last name is all but expected to lay claim to it, with their historical and consistent support of the Faith of the Pantheon. On the other hand...

A house without those historical ties, like say, Velenosa, which hasn't had a Dominus since Marach, pointedly claiming, "I am Dominus X Velenosa", would probably be taken in a very pointed way, and could be received badly. With Orazio, if he introduced himself as 'Dominus Orazio Saik', it could be a simply statement as towards his background, but reactionaries in the Oathlands would likely immediately interpret it as Orazio reinforcing his Lycene roots, and take it as a potential repudiation of their viewpoints.

Religious Judgment

Question: Q: 1) Does there exist any sort of ... idea of confidentiality between a godsworn and someone seeking guidance? I don't know the answer and sidestepped the question with careful RP of not asking details.

A: The Faith is extreme on this. The preservation of knowledge is one of their core beliefs due to Vellichor, and some would argue is the primary mission of the Faith. Trust in the ability for the Faith to safeguard knowledge must be absolute. Someone wishing confession of some kind would have it recorded in their own Black Journals while a godsworn hears it, and it could never, ever be repeated anywhere else. Violation of that would cover the same consequences as revealing a black journal- tongue out, writing hand cut off, lifelong service until death as a Silent Reflection or execution if they prefer. Most godsworn would stop someone and ask, "Are you wishing honest counsel of a man, or do you wish to record your thoughts for Vellichor and speak your conscience?" The former lets them talk freely and not as a representative of the gods. The latter is incredibly dangerous. Inversely, every member of the Compact should tell the difference between speaking informally for guidance, and the ritualized confession or counsel as a representative of Vellichor, which every godsworn may do (not just the Scholars of Vellichor). In practice, unless someone is making it clear that it is a confession or seeking religious counsel, it wouldn't be treated as the latter, but priests that have abused them have absolutely been executed or made into Silent Reflections.

Q 2) What happens if someone excommunicates dies? I... winged this hard. My thought: the Faith is the conduit to redemption and salvation. But men, even the Most Holy, are men. Yet. If you are excommunicated it is for some grave sin-- and if you have are excommunicated when you die, you obviously didn't repent. Therefore, the Sentinel will judge you with this sin as unrepentant. The implication was clear but not said out loud: chances of mercy, super low, but... the Sentinel is the god and the Sentinel judges. But if being excommunicated automatically exiles you to the mirror-abyss err he was off base theologically.

A: More forgiving than people would think. Family members can seek reconcilation of the dead, and for them to be effectively forgiven and offered funeral rites after their death. In the specific example of the highlords, they were specifically told they were to seek atonement. In Esera's case, she was seeking atonement upon her death, despite the argument, so most of the Faith would likely assume she would have reconciled and be willing to hear a petition from the family to have her forgiven post death. 'Would this person have atoned had they lived, so are they likely seeking atonement with the Sentinel now' is the deciding question typically debated by the Dominus, legates and archlectors in a review of post death excommunication. However, burying someone still considered excommunication without the permission of the Faith would be considered heretical.

Q: 3) The person I was RP'n with mourned a recent excommunicated person who died and felt guilt, and he made a few points: 1) Sentinel judges, mourning is fine, its what you feel. 2) You aren't guilty to feel for someone, even a bad someone, who has passed. Especially if you *acknowledge* they were bad and guilty. Mourning isn't a sin, its human. Finally, 3) Its never a sin to pray for someone. It might do absolutely nothing but to speak up, the Sentinel already knows whatever you'll say, but praying itself -- even for a sinner, even for one excommunicated -- isn't *bad*.

A: This is fine.