Gods
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Answer: "...we worship their Ineffable Majesty with our every breath, for our stories are all part of their dream."
Sigil: A star with 13 points
Triad of the Lost
One of the most mysterious and unknown of all the gods in the Pantheon is Aion, the Dreamer. One of the three Lost Gods returned to the Pantheon in 1006 AR, Aion is the only one yet to have an Archlector appointed. Though they have yet to become common knowledge through Arvum, the Faith has declared that Aion is, in fact, the Dreamer and creator of the world at large, including the other gods of the Pantheon. Little beyond that has been publicly pronounced by the Faith, and Aion largely remains shrouded in mystery.
Answer: "We of the Knights of Solace are as much travelers as the pilgrims that we guard. The goddess Gild lights our path, and we journey as directed. We travel roads that lead to the wounded and defenseless, crying out for succor. We travel roads that lead to the destitute, in need of Gild's charity. We travel every road and every path in need of guardians to push back the darkness of Arvum's wild places, and bring prosperity to the Compact. We are travelers on roads without end."
Sigil: A gold coin leaning against a silver coin.
Triad of Concepts
Gild is the goddess of charity, prosperity, civilization, commerce and travel. The Kind Goddess or the Goddess of Fellowship as she is sometimes called, she represents the essence of charity and the caring for others to promote a common good, building bonds between mankind to create prosperity. Disciples of Gild are known for their charity and creation of works for the common good, and often represent the public face of the Faith of the Pantheon in any charitable endeavor. While many disciples of Gild among the laity are pilgrims who travel the breadth of Arvum to bring charity to its far corners, the most recognizable adherents of Gild are the Knights of Solace. The Knights are a militant holy order charged with the defense of all travelers (though primarily Pilgrims) and those bringing charitable works. Houses of Solace to care for the sick, wounded and needy are found in most major settlements through the whole of Arvum, and very few organizations in the realm could hope to match the knights' well-respected reputation for compassion, honor and charitable works.
As goddess of travelers and hospitality, Gild also enshrines the concept of Guest Right. Once an individual has been welcomed into the home as a guest, it is the gravest of sins for a guest to injure a host or for a host to harm a guest within their walls. So extreme is this view that more than one war has started when a host, taking the most stringent interpretation of Guest Right, forcefully defended guests in their halls from outsiders demanding they be turned over.
The Faith of the Pantheon is fully aware that Gild may well be the most beloved of the gods, particularly among the commons, and trades heavily upon her reputation to pressure parishoners into tithing to the Pantheon. Worshippers of the Pantheon are often reminded by priests of the Pantehon that one can only be considered among the righteous and beloved by Gild if they tithe ten percent of all they earn to the Faith. While it's doubtlessly true that the tithes do allow the Faith to perform a great many charitable works, it is equally dubious that anything approaching a majority of the donations reaches the truly needy.
Answer: "As Grandmaster of the Templars I have never prayed to Gloria for victory, however tempting that selfish wish might be. We are not beggars, pleading on bended knee, and Gloria expects better of us. No, when facing a battle where victory is an impossible hope, there should only be one prayer. Pray that when the time comes to do what you must to keep honor, you act unflinchingly and without regret. A templar's prayer is to enter the next world with head unbowed and honor untainted."
Sigil: A sword facing downward, or a woman kneeling in prayer with her face pressed against the the pommel of a downward facing sword.
Triad of Arts and Science
Goddess of chivalry, honor, and war, the goddess Gloria celebrates the ideal of honorable combat. The Holy Knights of the Temple, more commonly called the templars, represents an entire militant order of Gloria's disciples and acts as a recognizable military force standing ready to defend the Faith and its holdings against those that would threaten it. In more recent years, the Faith has largely avoided being drawn into the conflicts between the five great houses with templars mostly seeing combat against heathen shav forces, but this was not always the case. The Valardin Crusades against the north had enormous support from the Faith as a whole and the templars in particular, and this has led to resentment towards the Templars from House Redrain that continues to this day.
Much of the cultural acceptance of trial by combat and duels relates to the veneration of Gloria. Even though justice falls under the province of the Sentinel, the idea that the Pantheon favors the righteous is a long held belief and despite periodic challenges the traditions enshrining the right to trial by combat has not been overturned. Moreover, the belief that one must be willing to fight against untrue accusations or slights against one's honor has the cultural significance that if an injured party is not willing to defend themselves in a duel against accusations, it is often widely accepted that the accusations must be true. Duelists praying to Gloria to defend the virtuous is not uncommon, however much it may be for the benefit of the audience.
Question: Q: I wondered if, with the exception of the Thirteenth, the months of the year corresponded with a particular god - if at all?
A: See 'help holidays'. Essentially, worship services would tend to talk about the gods during those months their feast days fall, even if the months are not explicitly dedicated to them or named after them (to avoid ooc confusion from new players in trying to adapt to a completely foreign fantasy calendar)
Answer: "To create art is to brush, however fleetingly, against the divine. Through Jayus we bring color to a world sometimes painted in the bleakest of hues."
Sigil: Hammer crossed with a brush (the same sigil as the Crafters' Guild), or less commonly a sigil of a paintbrush crossed with a lute.
Triad of Arts and Science
Jayus, the Prince of Stories, is the god of craftsmen, art, inspiration and dreams. While nearly all commoners toiling in the varying crafter professions express some degree of homage to Jayus, it would not be accurate to describe the wide array of artisans in Arvum as his disciples- the majority of craftsmen are no more or less religious than any other lay people and might acknowledge Jayus in daily prayers or ask for inspiration in their work, but most do not see themselves as his representatives in the world. This, however, does not hold quite true for the nobility. Crafting professions are beneath nobility, and the idea of having to sale wares to maintain a lifestyle would be a tremendous blow to the prestige of any noble house, but this does not in the least apply to engaging in art as a form of worship or homage. Nobles, declaring themselves devotees to Jayus, might embrace any craft as a form of art, which is a socially accepted form of worship of the god- they simply cannot take any payment for their endeavors without the risking the mockery of their peers. True artist-disciples of Jayus never take payment, a claim that may be more about appearances than reality.
Rarest among those that claim to be the god's disciples are those called the Seers of Jayus. As god of dreams and inspiration, a very few will claim to receive prophecies and visions, particularly in the form of 'True Dreams'. Some notable seers have been seen as prophets, one Valardin Crusade against the north largely coming to be as a result of an immensely popular prophet who started a cult of personality, warning of terrible prophetic nightmares sent by the Dark Reflection. The Faith largely avoids formally recognizing whether self-proclaimed seers are truly blessed or not, and in some extreme cases overly superstitious commoners persecute those claiming to be gifted as no more than practioners of witchcraft and executed.
Answer: "Time passes, seasons change, and wounds heal. Lagoma watches over us as the flames of our lives burn bright and comforts us as the time comes when they may flicker out."
Sigil: Flame
Triad of Creation
The goddess Lagoma, sometimes called Our Lady of Change, represents growth, cycles, purification and change for the better, which in turn makes her known as the goddess of healing. The disciples of Lagoma are among the most numerous of any deity of the Pantheon, as the Mercies of Lagoma receive training in healing arts that is in desperate demand throughout the entire Realm. A white clothed Mercy of Lagoma is a frequent sight on any battlefield, traveling unhindered by combatants no matter how bitter the conflict might be between the houses at war. Even the most ruthless lords tend to fear the outrage should they harm one of the well respected healers of the Faith.
Aside from healers, Lagoma is worshipped in festivals celebrating the change of seasons, and major life changes may often be acknowledged with prayers to the goddess of change. A less common aspect of her worship, but growing in popularity among the more superstitious commoners outside of the Lyceum, are funerals pyres with rites that avoid any mention at all of the Thirteenth, and pray to Lagoma to help their loved one have an easy transition to the other side. While the Lyceum specifically honors the Thirteenth in its darker funeral rites of Passing Beyond the Reflection, some of the north feels acutely uneasy with any mention of Tehom and turns to Lagoma to mourn their loved ones.
Answer: "Limerance is the god of love, true, but above all he is the god of fidelity. Every vow honored, every oath kept sacred, and every trust kept unbroken represents his purest form of worship."
Sigil: Two marriage rings entwined
Triad of Concepts
Limerance is most often depicted as being the god of courtly love and romantic ideals, representing virtues such as fidelity during courting. A relatively small informal discipleship to the god exists, calling themselves Devotions, and are primarily concerned with extolling courtly virtues in song and writing- a large percentage of bards of the Realm claim to be Devotions, as do a number of courtiers, but the title has often been used by the unscrupulous to profit from the general warm feelings the commoners show the followers of Limerance.
Marriage throughout the Realm falls under the province of Limerance, and thus is largely handled by the Faith of the Pantheon. Among commoners in outlaying territories, it can be an extremely simple and straight forward affair- the two commoners in question declare they are married, with priest or Devotion or no, and their villages accept it. In more civilized territories closer to the strongholds of the great houses, commoners typically have to meet with a priest of the Pantheon to submit scrollwork formalizing their union. Technically, as liege lords speak with the voice of law over their vassals, they possess the right to declare the validity of a marriage. In practice, it is nearly unheard of for a liege to be involved in refusing commoners the right to marry, save in rare cases such as one spouse attempting to take clear advantage of another or a lord fearing two feckless young adults marrying against their family wishes would provide him with a headache he'd rather avoid. Similarly, commoner divorces tend to be left to the control of the commoners. In Arx and other civilized lands, one party submits scrollwork wishing to dissolve their marriage, and the union is considered void in the eyes of the Faith even without the knowledge or consent of the other party. Any following disputes over custody or ownership of joint possessions falls to lieges of the commoners who may well resent the filing without their consultation.
For noble marriages, their unions or dissolutions are not nearly as straight forward. In most cases, the marriages represent formal alliances or partnerships between noble houses, often with extremely elaborate legal agreements in place that take a lasting marriage as a cornerstone of the arrangement. Nobles very rarely exercise any degree of freedom over their choice of spouses, having the decision made for them by the head of their house, and are forced to attempt to live Limeracene Ideals of love for the benefit of the commons that are rarely applicable to their own marriages. Fidelity, however, is on the surface considered vital to many of the great houses. House Valardin in particular often considers any marriage voided by infidelity on the part of a spouse, which constitutes a betrayal of any treaties or alliances created by a marriage pact. The Lyceum by contrast is far more understanding of indiscretions, but even the most debauched houses tend to maintain at least the pretense of fidelity among spouses even if in private they have an entirely different arrangement. Different houses have different cultural degrees on how high they place the illusion of Limeracene Ideals for the benefit of the commons.
Dissolving a marriage bond between two noble houses, then, is not often a simple matter. The concurrance of the leadership of both noble houses and a representative of the faith is at least required, and often an Arxian judge. In some cases, the final arbiter is nothing short of the Dominus of the Faith with the consent of the crown, particularly when the dissolution is not in the least bit amicable and war between two great houses look likely. The power of the Faith to determine the terms of the divorce grants them a degree of power that more than one noble house has found infuriating.
Answer: "... and so the four knelt to King Alar of House Grayson, with Queen Sugan of the West kneeling first, followed by Queen Valeria Redrain of the North, then Grand Duchess of the New Lyceum Procella Pravus, and finally King Aposyr Thrax of the Mourning Isles. And each then spoke as follows: 'Before the gods, I swear my life, my house, and my sacred honor to our Compact. I swear that when the Compact calls me to war, I will answer. I name Alar of House Grayson my king, and swear my leal service to him.' And thusly, the Compact was born and the five kingdoms made one. For the four had made oaths before the gods, and to break that was unthinkable." --- Dominus Tin, 'A recollection of the Forging of the Compact'
In the Compact, giving one's solemn word is never done lightly. To make an oath before Limerance and then knowingly break that Oath is unthinkable. It is trained from a very early age, including in the Lyceum, that someone's honor is completely reliant upon their fidelity to their sworn word. Someone that willfully breaks an oath and becomes an oathbreaker is stating to the entire Compact that honor has no meaning to them and they can never be trusted in any meaningful way.
This doesn't necessarily imply any sort of criminal penalty for becoming an oathbreaker, as a great many oaths, vows, promises and pledges are done over matters that fall far short of criminality, but merely represent someone's commitment. Nonetheless, someone that is clearly an oathbreaker is effectively socially dead as far as the Peerage is concerned. It reflects extremely badly on a Peer of the Realm to even associate with an oathbreaker, and it is all but impossible for a known oathbreaker to rule effectively if they are the titleholder for a demesne. If the Faith of the Pantheon declares someone an oathbreaker, that level of censure falls just short of excommunication. No one is obligated to keep their own oaths to an oathbreaker, as an oathbreaker cannot appreciate or reciprocate that level of commitment.
All contracts, arrangements, and most laws in the Compact are essentially guaranteed by the honor of the individuals involved and their fidelity to their sworn word, often recorded on on Vellichorian vellum. Breaking one willingly, and being declared an oathbreaker, makes it known that the oathbreaker is incapable of honoring these, and therefore no one is under any obligated to honor them in return and risk being cheated by them. Thus it becomes nearly impossible for an oathbreaker to perform any kind of business in nearly any way.
Quite often a succinct missive from a legate, reminding a reticent lord that an action could label them an oathbreaker, is more than enough to break any sort of acrimonious negotiation.
A great many of Abandoned clans after the Reckoning were created due to oathbreaking, when an entire house performed an action that was judged in violation of oaths to a sworn liege and excommunicated and declared outlaw. Even aside from the years of blood between the Compact and countless Abandoned clans, this stands as a reason why so many in the Compact are slow to trust prodigals, for the implication that honor may be foreign to their nature and they come from a culture that tolerates oathbreaking.
Answer: "The oaths between liege and vassal are sacred. This is the fidelity between Limerance and Gloria." -- The First Law of Limerance.
While oaths between a liege and vassal have existed long before the Compact and can take several different distinct forms, with the individual oaths varying based upon the different regions of Arvum and some unique traditions in each of the old five kingdoms, but ultimately they all have strong similarities and all are sworn before Limerance, even in the shamanistic Northlands. In fact, some claim the Valardinian Crusades from the Oathlands against the Northlands started in large part simply from the then refusal of northern houses to swear upon Limerance when making oaths, and a few broken oaths over relatively minor matters being taken as a slight against the Pantheon.
The term 'vassal' is used but it is imprecise, as really it can refer to three different groups, each with their own distinct oaths, vows and pledges to a liege lord. The three separate groups are: Banner lords, who are granted their own domains in service to a liege. Sworn swords, such as knights, who are tied to the liege's own demesne (domain) and typically live on and fight for it. And commoners who live and work on the domain. All three are vassals, but they have distinctly different obligations and oaths accordingly.
For a bannerman/banner lord, they are granted their own peerage (typically carved from the liege's own lands), ennobled (if not already noble) and in exchange for being granted those lands in perpetuity they take oaths of service. The wording differs heavily, but it always demands that the new Peer of the Realm answer the call to war, defend their own commoners under their care, and share the wealth of their lands (pay taxes above). The first and second part are important, and are typically kept vague, as it notes that there is a balance in a new lord defending their own lands from all threats while answering the call in time of war, so traditionally the judgment on being able to meet both obligations simultaneously is entirely up to the new lord's discretion. If she feels she can only safely commit 20 percent of her forces to banners being raised and must keep eighty percent at home because of imminent attack, she cannot reasonably be called an oathbreaker for it, as they are two separate oaths that they need to both meet. This, of course, leads to constant friction between bannermen and their liege lords.
Example oaths on the creation of a new peerage from a liege, "I grant you these lands, take your house into my service. I may call upon you in war, I may ask you to share your land's incomes, but I swear before Limerance I shall never call upon you to perform a task that would bring dishonor. The affairs of your house are your own, and I will trust to your house to act with honor."
A new bannerman's oath in turn would often appear as, "For myself and my house, I swear before Limerance when you call us to war, our banner will fly along yours and our swords will be at your side. I swear I shall defend my land and my people, and pass no unjust laws in my domain. I swear you will always be an honored guest in our lands, and no less than one thirteenth of our incomes will be yours by rights. I swear I shall take no other vows that would place service to another above you, unless you release me from my vows."
It is important to note that lands are granted to a house in perpetuity, and not to an individual, and then the house is expected to make laws (consistent with the conventional morality of the Faith of the Pantheon) for their own domain, including succession. Therefore, it is considered a massive overstep for any lord to attempt to control succession in a vassal's house unless, pointedly, a claimant asks for a liege to intercede (which is the most common way for a succession crisis to be resolved).
An oath between a liege and a sworn sword, typically knighting a soldier in their service, is different. As a servant living on the liege's own domain, that is a much closer, more personal form of service, with a direct employment and the expectation that the sworn sword can be given any reasonable order or task. Those sorts of oaths of service are generally understood to be life long unless the liege explicitly states otherwise, and one cannot leave the service without being released and not be considered an oathbreaker. Fortunately for many knights, most lieges are reasonable if someone wishes to seek service elsewhere and release them from their vows, rather than keep an unhappy armed retainer of questionable loyalty.
A lord accepting such an oath would often say a version of: "I ask you to enter into my service and my house, and to fight by my side. I swear by Limerance and Gloria that I will ask no task of you that brings you dishonor. I swear I will reward fidelity with fidelity, and never be false with you."
And a knight taking an oath of service would typically answer, "Before Limerance and Gloria, I swear my sword to your service. I swear to complete any lawful task asked of me, obey your laws, and stand fast even if it should mean my death. I will take no vows that may come before my service to you, and serve until my death or I am released from your service."
For commoners, vows are simple, with an agreement to obey all laws on the land, answer the call if called to war by levy, and to seek no service with another until released. Notably, commoners are free to travel, but would technically not be freed to seek service with another or change their fealty until released, but for becoming Crownsworn that is considered perfunctory, and most lords do not concern themselves with commoners switching fealty except in the most distant way. This also makes travel to Arx more sensible as an option for many wishing to leave the service of an abusive lord, as representatives of nearly every house are in the city who can release them from their oath, though the Faith of the Pantheon typically comes to the rescue of many commoners in such situations. As any seraph could also judge any oath to a lord that was abusive as invalid, and declaring the Oath void, freeing the commoner to seek service in the new domain they are in, or a commoner could also become godsworn, as most of the Faith would agree that an oath to the gods would render oaths to a mortal liege invalid. There is some disagreement on that last point due to the explicit oath to 'not seek service with another that would come between the liege', but the general understanding is it does not apply to the Faith, and the Faith has long since won that argument.
Answer: "Marriage may never be forced. It is the ultimate show of fidelity between two lovers, and honoring their commitment. This is the fidelity between lovers and Limerance." -- The Second Law of Limerance
Answer: "Life springs from Mangata, the goddess of the air we breathe and the water we drink. A sailor might pray for calm seas and fair winds, a farmer for rain, and a beggar for wine. They all pray to Mangata, for she sustains us."
Sigil: A wave with a cloud overhead
Triad of Creation
The goddess Mangata, despite being a consistent presence in daily prayers of a wide breadth of vocations, has relatively few adherents as specific disciples. Trained priests of the Pantheon as a whole typically are those who grant blessings to a newly christened ship, or hold a prayer service for farmers hoping for rain. The Mangatans of the Mourning Isles are the closest equivalent of an organized discipleship such as the Scholars of Vellichor, and the Mangatans are principally concerned with deeply devout rituals of sacrifice for lifelong sailors (and in many case, pirates of House Thrax), who hope their devotion above and beyond the rest of the Pantheon wins special favor and consideration when they are sailing into the sometimes stormy waters of the Saffron Chain.
In recent years, the Faith has taken a hand in declaring which drink is seen as suitable before the goddess and which is unworthy of sale. The Legate of Creation, serving under his holiness the Dominus, sometimes hosts festivals to decide the worthiness of vintages of wine or any other manner of drink, with Lycene merchants competing fiercely for the privilege of their wine labeled quite literally divine.
Question: Q: Back in the original Maelstrom crisis, there was a symbol that was getting carved on ships that supposedly protected them from being eaten by sea monsters. I was wondering if what that symbol looks like was described anywhere? Is there a drawing of it? I can't find anything on the website.
Answer: Typically a wave, usually with a cloud or something symbolic of the sky above.
Question: Why are mirrormasks made of stygian?
Why do we even wear them? What's the point?
Answer: As mentioned elsewhere (see 'lore tehom dogma 5'), mirrors are considered gates to another world, and have several different meanings. Reflections are considered a way to see into the soul of something, and potentially a representation of its spiritual opposite. Mirrormasks, then, wear the masks to reveal truths, so that anyone talking to them might consider parts of their own souls they hadn't yet realized before, as they discuss theology, or might be confronted with the truth of their own nature. It is believed that the tradition of wearing a mirrormask constantly dates back to at least Julietta Velenosa, but there's strong evidence it goes back far earlier than that- and indeed, the Magisters of the Mirror of Eurus points to a schism.
While stygian is commonly used in construction, early writings of the Faith say that, 'the metal of lost dreams' should be used, though stygian is considered a holy substitute for that.
Answer: Many religions cover the world, with a new cult or two springing up constantly, but the official religion of the Compact and the five kingdoms of Arvum is the worship of the Pantheon. Like many polytheistic societies, the citizens of the Compact tend not to devote themselves to any one god or goddess (though many families may select a patron), but rather worship a god based upon the occasion and need with the priesthood of the Pantheon leading services for any of the deities and serving all the gods rather than acting as specific disciples. All priests of the Pantheon are capable of performing services for any of the deities, most without any degree of specialization, though disciples venerating one god over others is not unheard of, and the Thirteenth in particular has a disturbing core of adherents.
The Pantheon is often represented by a trio of interlocking circles, each circle in turn representing a triad of deities. They are as follows.
The Triad of Creation:
Mangata, goddess of the sea, air, the daytime sky, and light.
Petrichor, god of the forests, soil, mountains and some argue all of nature.
Lagoma, goddess of the seasons, change, growth and fire.
The Triad of Arts and Science:
Vellichor, god of knowledge, learning, and history.
Gloria, goddess of war, strategy, planning, chivalry, and honor.
Jayus, god of artistry, including crafts, inspiration, dreams, music.
The Triad of Concepts:
Limerance, god of love, marriage, fidelity.
The Sentinel, god of justice, law and order.
Gild, goddess of commerce, travel, civilization, banking, and wealth.
*The Triad of the Lost:
Skald, the First Choice, god of freedom, free will, and choice.
Death, the Queen of Endings and Mother of Beginning, goddess of souls.
Aion, the Dreamer, deity of all creation.
And finally the Thirteenth, the dark god of reflection. There's evidence that states the god was referred by that number long before the Reckoning, when some other gods were worshipped that have been lost to the passage of time. The worship of Tehom the Thirteenth God (who is seldom invoked by name, lest one gains his attention) is more a matter of homage to avoid ill luck, as he represents duality, the corruption of concepts, and dark mirror of things. The southern city states of the Lyceum are an exception among the Compact in they believe his worship is more of a positive matter, by being able to positively channel one's passions. But for most, he is little worshipped outside of funeral rights as loved ones pass to the other side of the mirror.
*Skald, Death, and Aion are also known as the Lost Gods. Their names were forgotten for centuries, and they were only remembered by their sigils in the Shrine of the Lost in Arx. They were returned to the Pantheon in 1006 AR by Dominus Aldwin Aurum and placed into the existing Triads of the Faith to form Tetrads: Skald in Concepts, Death in Creation, and Aion in Arts and Science. In 1009 AR, Dominus Aldwin revised this decision by returning the Tetrads to their original state and forming a fourth Triad of the Lost.
Answer: "In deep woods you may hunt, in fields you may sow and harvest, and from low valleys to high peaks you may still find safe haven. Through the blessing of Petrichor's grace you are granted dominion over all lands."
Sigil: Tree
Triad of Creation
The god Petrichor, sometimes called the Patron of Farmers, grants mankind dominion over all of nature according to the teachings of the Faith of the Pantheon. While relatively few of the laity become his disciples, as his most devout tend to be fiercely independent sorts scattered all over the Realm not inclined to organize into a distinct order, few gods receive more prayers than Petrichor. Whether it is dedications of homes, prayers of the harvest, hunters praying for luck, or any other prayer of sanctuary or sustenance, Petrichor makes up much of the daily worship of for a large part of the realm.
As god of havens and homesteads, due to his granting dominion over the land, Petrichor is invoked for the ancient Right of Sanctuary upon sacred ground. Sanctuary forbids the spilling of blood upon holy ground, and also encompasses that no one in the realm, from beggar to the crown, have any authority to remove a guest of the Faith from a holy place once the Faith has agreed to extend guestright to them. It is a concept very seldom violated, as it is an offense both to the laws of man and the gods, and only a few notable exceptions exist in the history of Arvum. King Darius Thrax, called the Usurper, during the short-lived Thrax dynasty following the Grayson overthrow of the Crownbreaker Wars, is the most cited example of one violating the ancient right. After the death of the Grayson King, most of the peerage currently in Arx took safe refuge inside the Great Cathedral of Arx, granting them sanctuary as they set foot upon the grounds and the Faith agreed to grant all the peers guestright. King Darius, unwilling to allow the nobles to hide there until their armies rallied to Arx, simply commanded Thraxian troops to storm the Cathedral, slaughtering the scores of templars guarding the holy place, and then put every noble to the sword. After that massacre the Thrax Dynasty was never able to have the support of the commons and is considered a key reason for their eventual downfall.
Answer: "Death is her name, the beginning and the ending. All our waking lives we walk in a world defined and watched over by the other Pantheon in all our aspects, but when we first wake it is from Death's hands, and when we die, it is to her hands we return."
Sigil: A laughing skull
Triad of the Lost
Death, the Queen of Endings and Mother of Beginnings. Once forgotten as one of the three Lost Gods honored in the Shrine of the Lost, she was returned to the Pantheon in 1006 AR by Dominus Aldwin Aurum. According to the recent Faith doctrine proclaimed and set forth, she is the goddess of souls and reincarnation. While she does not dictate the time and manner of deaths, she is said to be there to retrieve each soul when their cycle is finished. The return of Death to the Pantheon also marked the Faith officially supporting a belief in reincarnation, which was a contrast to a priorly noncommittal stance in regards to the afterlife. It is said that Death chooses favored souls -- generally those of particular heroism, bravery, or cunning -- to return to new lives to begin a new story.
The Nox’alfar, the elven (or “elven”) tribe officially allied with the Compact, notably worship Death above all others and consider themselves her favored children.
Relationships Between The Gods
Question: Q: Are the gods generally considered independent, unrelated entities? Or do they have bonds between them like the pantheons of the real world? (Apollo and Artemis are twins, Thor is Odin's son, etc.) If so, do we have stories and legends about the gods and their actions or was that largely lost to us/supplanted in the shift towards the gods as ideals to be embodied?
A: The faith, generally speaking, downplays an anthropomorphic take on the gods, and sees them as distant, more vaguely defined ideals. There's an undercurrent of mystery to the Faith that implies that trying to fully understand or define the nature of the Pantheon is in some ways inherently sacrilegious and a sign of the arrogance of man, rather than being willing to take some aspects as unknowable, and that the idealized nature of the god should be taken as instructive for how they wish for men to act in the current world, rather than being deeply concerned with the next. That said, it is rare to address it, but it does, mostly from the contrarian nature of some parts of the Faith in regards to 13th Dogma.
There's clear overlaps between different ideals, and those idealized overlaps are seen as representations of relationships. For example, take Gloria and Limerance, who have arguably the highest overlap when talking about idealized chivalry, honor, and the importance of vows and service before battle. The laity and priesthood alike will sometimes very lightly talk about a relationship between the two, or even portray them as being in love, though it's definitely nowhere close to the more humanized representations in Graeco-Roman type mythos. Similarly, idealized aspects of the world that are clearly a mix of gods are sometimes talked about being children- mud is the child of Petrichor and Mangata, for example, as a mixture of rain and the earth. That sort of thing. But the Faith doesn't think there's a Demigod of Mud, except in some heretical cult type offshoots that perform human sacrifice and hope to bring about the coming of Sludge, Mudlord of the Apocalypse. They are then killed by templars and never talked about again.
Answer: "The Sentinel sees all, and that is a comfort to true believers in justice. As a knight battles to the last for an honorable cause, knowing that in defeat they will be unmarked by any monument and forgotten by history, the god of justice takes note and will remember."
Sigil: A faceless helm.
Triad of Concepts
The Faceless God, The Silent Watcher, and most commonly called the Sentinel, is the god of justice, law, and order. Depicted as the one faceless god with no true name to better represent its universal impartiality and even handedness, the Sentinel is revered by chivalric and provides much of the basis for the notion of trial by combat. "May the Sentinel guard the righteous!" is a common cry during such a trial, though in the North and in the Mourning Isles, trial by combat is thought to predate the widespread worship of the Faith of the Pantheon.
After the terrors of the Reckoning and the near fall of all mankind, an order arose to hunt the forces of darkness and bring them to justice, particularly the worshippers of demons and practitioners of dark arts. In time, this discipleship of the Sentinel became known as the Inquisition of Arx. Today, the discipleship is quite nearly a purely secular entity, investigating those guilty of crimes against the Crown as magic and demonic influence has passed into the realm of myth and legend. Even some of the most superstitious among the commons look in askance at the individuals seized by the current Inquisition for dark magic, since they are plainly often individuals who are wealthy and have made extremely powerful enemies. The black robed inquisitors and the 'confessors' that act as their agents are much more feared than loved by the commons, and are largely seen as a corrupt tool of the very powerful.
Answer: "The greatest worship people can offer Skald is to live their lives freely and by their own terms. To never forget that they always have freedom, no matter how their situation seems to obfuscate it. The greatest of Skald's blessings is that of the freedom given to all beings at birth. It is the choice of each and every person what they do with this blessing."
Sigil: A lone wolf. Probably? Skald certainly doesn't seem to care.
Triad of the Lost
Skald, also referred to as the First Choice, is the god of freedom and choices. He was forgotten from the Pantheon for centuries as one of the three Lost Gods, only his sigil -- a wolf's head -- remembered on an altar in the Shrine of the Lost. His return to the Pantheon was announced by Dominus Aldwin Aurum in 1006 AR. Previously, Skald was known as the “Mad Mage of the North,” a figure mostly spoken of in folktales. In the North, all manner of things were attributed to the mad mage, from good/bad harvests, missing people, cosmic phenomenon, or misplaced boots. The legends about him were as varied as they were numerous: he supposedly married a dire bear. He was said to have ripped a man's arm off on accident during a friendly arm wrestling competition. Some claimed he could turn into fire, or a pack of wolves. They said he could speak all languages, and could change his form to suit his mood.
As a god forgotten for centuries, knowledge of Skald's history and doctrine has only recently begun to be proliferated by the Faith. Included in the publicized histories are stories of Skald freeing a large number of slaves in the days before the Reckoning and inadvertently loosing his Dark Reflection, a great and terrible demon, upon the world. It is said that Skald fought and defeated his Reflection, sacrificing much of his power to do so. There are also rumors that Skald himself, now reduced from his former state, wanders the earth in the guise of a man.
Answer: "You are right to fear the Dark Reflection. Every terrible impulse, every twisted ideal, every dark desire hidden from your peers can be seen in brief glimpses on the other side of the mirror. But as much as you fear the Thirteenth, you should still pray to him. Pray that you can master the dark side of your soul, pray that you can be better than all that you fear, and pray that He can save you from what you fear you might become."
Sigil: A dark mirror
The Pantheon represent high ideals for the faithful to aspire to, whether it be the charity of Gild, the chivalry of Gloria, or the wisdom of Vellichor. The Thirteenth, Tehom, He Who Waits Behind the Mirror, the Dark Reflection is the personification of the opposite of the ideals, and according to the old orthodox of the Faith in the Oathlands, the ruler of the Abyss and demonkind. His very presence in the Pantheon is contentious, as many of the more stringent and conservative members of the Faith of the Pantheon (particularly Valardinian faithful) believe that his worship should be banned, knowledge of him should be eradicated, and any association with him invites in evil to corrupt and perverse the virtuous. However, such beliefs are not the official position of the Faith and are therefore kept quietly, lest charges of heresy be brought. Most of the commons of Arvum likewise are extremely superstitious where the Thirteenth is concerned and very few commoners own a mirror, with reflective surfaces being considered poor luck.
This is not to say that worship of the Thirteenth is prohibited in any way. In the south, the Lyceum venerates Tehom, believing that the Dark Reflection allows individuals to channel their passions and control their impulses to become stronger individuals. Bottling up the negative reflections of virtues and refusing to acknowledge that sin exists only invites higher falls from grace, they believe, and a libtertine permissiveness exists throughout many of the southern city-states. The discipleship of the Thirteenth, called Mirrormasks for the reflective masks they wear, are uncommon outside of the Lyceum, but a small number are found in Arx to the discomfort of many. Often mistaken for voluntary mirrormasks are the Silent Reflections, members of the Faithful guilty of great crimes (such as heresy) who instead of execution are sentenced to lifelong servitude with their tongues removed and a writing hand cut off. Few priests of the Pantheon ever hold services for the Thirteenth, so traditionally only mirrormasks hold the sparsely attended (outside the Lyceum) services.
The Thirteenth has only a single feast day, celebrated once every few years during an astrological event known as the Eclipse of Mirrors, a night when a bloodmoon is visible and it is said reflective pools tend to be far more clear. In the Lyceum, House Velenosa started the tradition of hosting the Mirror's Masquerade, a celebration in honor of the Thirteenth where an actor is hired to portray the dark god as the guest of honor for a night of revelry. While House Valardin very pointedly does not celebrate the Eclipse of Mirrors, most other houses do indulge in the carnival atmosphere of the night, though not to the extent of the nobility of the Lyceum who are known for spending outrageous sums in cutthroat competition for who might be considered the most fashionable and memorable on the night of the Eclipse.
Answer:
"If thirteen wise men and women of honor and faith are in a room, and twelve agree upon the rightness of a cause, the persuasiveness of an argument, or the safety of a path forward, then the thirteenth must argue vehemently to the contrary. No truth, however elusive or unconvincing, must escape us due to a lack of scrutiny. The signs of the Reckoning were before us, and we neither saw nor heard, convincing one another we were safe. We failed to see the warnings once. We will never fail again." --- Dominus Marach, in his address to the Knights of the Library
All the gods are worshipped in turn when a member of the Faithful feels the need to pray upon an aspect of the Pantheon. They might pray to Gloria for valor in battle, to Vellichor for wisdom, for Limerance for the strength in keeping their vows, or Jayus for inspiration. When then, do they pray to the Dark Reflection, the Thirteenth? For most Arvani, it is when they have cause to doubt. Worship of the Thirteenth is about questioning one's suppositions, and looking at any ideal from an entirely different angle to try to discover any truths that can lead someone to a more virtuous path.
The Dark Reflection is about finding exceptions to the deeply held ideals, for when all encompassing ideals might lead to tragic outcomes, or when otherwise moral actions might lead to immorality. At its heart, the inclusion of the Thirteenth in the worship of the Pantheon is why much of the population are intensely skeptical, and why the Oathlands Orthodox of the Faith disputes its findings. Fundamentally, the Dark Reflection teaches that any faithful should always look at any belief from other angles and reflect upon the closely held belief, and only by passing close scrutiny can the truly righteous path be discovered.
All the gods of the Pantheon are essentially ideals or idealized aspects of the world that benefit humanity. The Faith of the Pantheon recognizes that there will always be flaws in those ideals, and cases when those ideals have exceptions, and that's the nature of the Dark Reflection, are a reminder when those exceptions are necessary, or even sacred. It's not uncommon for a priest of the Pantheon when questioning a decision that appears to be righteous, but could lead to tragic outcomes, to pray to both Vellichor for wisdom and to the Thirteenth to help her see the problem from every angle. The Dark Reflection represents the necessity of a contrary opinion in order to have a more complete grasp of any issue.
Mirrormasks, then, are those who specialize in being contrary, and see themselves in many ways as the guardians of the minority opinion, to make certain that viewpoints are never completely extinguished or lost in the passions of the day. Most mirrormasks are advocates for the defense at trials, and priests of the Pantheon specifically try to assign a mirrormask who firmly believes in the guilt of the defendant in order to test their faith by giving the most impassioned, powerful defense they can muster.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "We cannot build the foundations of faith by shaking them. We cannot build a world of hope by instilling doubt. We cannot demand honor while suggesting dishonorable methods. I will not see the Faith corrupted. I declare the Dominus Marach's teachings an apostasy, and demand that they be destroyed." -- Carnifex Alor Valardin, creator of the Oathlands Orthodoxy
At its core, the Faith has divisions over the nature of faith versus doubt, and idealism versus skepticism. Much of this draws from a deeply regional conflict with the Oathlands largely holding to an extremely idealistic approach, that believes doubts sow the seeds to undermine the faith, versus the Lyceum which has an deeply pragmatic approach that holds that blind obedience leads to tragic outcomes and despotism.
The majority of the Faith of the Pantheon takes a more measured approach. Some recognize the need for questioning, however obnoxious it might be to be questioned by mirrormasks, but also find cases when unity is required and the same questioning can paralyze a force that needs to act firmly and decisively. This creates a circular case of mirrormasks even questioning and being contrary to the fundamental teaching of the Dark Reflection in that everything should be questioned- by pointing out cases where even questioning can lead to tragic outcomes, and complete solidarity is necessary. That would be the only time the Oathlands Orthodox would agree with a more Lycene approach to Faith dogma.
Worship in the five different kingdoms in terms of the Faith are quite nearly identical, save when it comes to discussing the problems of the day. For most of the Compact, local seraphs will take their cues from Arx, preaching the decisions of the leadership of the Faith while giving their own interpretations and beliefs, and discussing other possible viewpoints with the curious, in a nod towards the Dark Reflection's role in the faith. In the Oathlands, those contrarian viewpoints will just never be discussed, with local seraphs strongly discouraged from every bringing up any point that could shake the beliefs of those repeating the official stance of the Faith. In the Lyceum, the contrarian points will often be discussed before the beliefs of the Faith leadership are presented, and then debated at length, but with priests of the Pantheon in the Lyceum seeing it as their responsibility to never allow a starkly contrarian viewpoint to become heretical. More than once, the godsworn in the Lyceum have been forced to condemn beliefs that grew from their own teachings.
Mirrormasks in particular often act as counselors to those who need contrarian points of view, particularly in managing the negative aspects of their own personalities. This is about redirecting negative aspects into positive ways, such as redirecting or controlling passions that can be destructive into constructive outlets. Some notable Whispers had been mirrormask courtiers from the Lyceum, and became extermely effective counselors in Arx, praying to Lagoma and the Dark Reflection for guidance to help troubled minds.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "Sir Luzio Ruger, second in command of the King's Own, was presented a terrible choice. Obey his vows and allow an atrocity to come to pass in the king's name, as he was honor bound to do, or commit treason and break every vow he held dear. He broke his vow of loyal service, and kept the vow of silence, never revealing why he had done so, and was declared outlaw, cast from the Compact, and died alone, unmourned, and unremembered in his day. And so it falls to us to remember Sir Luzio the Betrayer, when we pray to Limerance and Gloria to have the courage to be traitors if we must." -- Dominus Marach, homily at the consecration of the Shrine of Limerance
What are sermons on the Dark Reflections like? Godsworn priests of the Pantheon often give sermons on the Dark Reflection when they believe that a minority opinion is righteous, and that overlooking that argument would be a grave injustice and offend the Sentinel. It is more common than not that a sermon on the Dark Reflection is paired with another god, particularly when discussing an aspect of the deity that might be overlooked.
Examples abound of this. It could be priests of the Pantheon defending a general who advocated retreat, and was labeled a coward, and the godsworn then gives a sermon on the nature of valor and when courage can be taken to a fault. It could be a noble's public display of anger that was roundly condemned, but the Faith talks about how the anger came from a righteous place and should have been supported.
Mirrormasks in particular are often asked to memorize examples of exceptions, or contrarian beliefs. Often they will learn popular folk sayings that are inherently contradictory, and repeat them to drive a point, such as "The early bird gets the worm, and remember haste makes waste." It's extraordinarily annoying.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "If one speaks blasphemy, remove their tongue. If one writes heresy, remove their hand. Let them then stand forever silent at the price of breaking their oath of faithful service before the gods." -- Carnifex Alor Valardin, establishing the Silent Reflections
The Silent Reflections have existed since at least the periods of schism in the Faith, and possibly before, and always been treated as a part of the Mirrormasks. For most of the Faith, particularly the Oathlands Orthodox, they serve as reminders that there are limits to the contrarian teachings that will be permitted within the Faith, and there is a fine line between useful debate, uncomfortable truths, and heretical beliefs that will not be tolerated.
Any Archlector may declare a belief related to their dogma as prohibited and cannot be taught, if they find it too contrary to the nature of the god they oversee. The Archlector of the Thirteenth can appeal a ruling to the legates, who may then in turn appeal to the Dominus for a final ruling, but that is uncommon. Typically, when a belief is declared heretic, the Seraphs will simply say such a teaching is false, and refuse to discuss it further. When a particular seraph refuses to recant a heretical belief, this often results action on the part of templars, and results in the godsworn involved becoming Silent Reflections. Similarly, any number of crimes against the Faith that show a gross rejection of dogma and church law can result in the Faith sentencing one to become a Silent Reflection.
Trials of the Faith can be handled locally by a seraph for violations of the godsworn, or turned over to judgment to the local lord if their crimes are less spiritual and more general malfeasance. In some cases, an individual would be tried twice, and there's been cases of a heretical priest (such as one engaged in human sacrifice) to be made into a Silent Reflection and then executed afterwards.
For seraphs and other higher ranked members of the Faith that are heretical, they are typically delivered to Arx for judgment and stand in the Star Chamber on the highest floor of the Rectory. There, the available archlectors, legates and Dominus sit upon judgment, and the Archlector of the Thirteenth traditionally presents the defense, or any godsworn nominated in their stead. The conclave of the Faith will then sit in judgment, hearing the charges, the defense and then behind closed doors the most holy will debate and issue judgment, which can range from innocence, censure, defrocking,
excommunication, being made into a Silent Reflection, or execution.
If one is made into a Silent Reflection, they are placed under the Archlector of the Thirteenth, living out the rest of their days performing menial tasks for the faith in penance, and they are forbidden from every communicating- not that many ever make the attempt, with their writing hand cut off and their tongues out.
Some Silent Reflections even requested the punishment, and almost relish in their duties of terrifying others with their presence to remind them the potential penalty for oathbreaking, and driving home just how serious the Faith takes its mandates before the gods. It is difficult to tell, of course.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "By the Sentinel's reflection, I see your lies. By Vellichor's reflection, I see your secret. Begone, demon! I cast thee back to the Abyss!" --- Exorcist Talissa Laurent
There are different legends regarding the start of the Mirrormasks. Some say that the first Archduchess of Lenosia was Duchess Julietta Velenosa, who become the first mirrormask while celebrating the Eclipse of Mirrors during the Reckoning. Others say that the mirrormasks predate the Reckoning itself, and is an older tradition that has fallen out of favor in the Compact. But there are a few scattered bits of history that some with extensive theological training can piece together.
The Mirrormasks without a doubt worked with an early incarnation of the Inquisition, in the days before it became the secular form that it was today, and kept to its stated mission of hunting demons. Some claim that every thirteenth inquisitor was a Mirrormask, and there was always a mirrormask present with any force of the inquisition, and the reason stems from old legends.
Mirrors, it is said, are gates to the other side, to the realm Beyond the Reflection, and what lies beyond death and the realm of gods and demons- the Shining Lands, Elysia, and the Abyss. Staring into a mirror reveals something of the soul, hiding beyond the reflection... and demons are revealed by such. Much of the legends have vanished from the memory of the Compact, but mirrormasks were all demon hunters, armed with their mirrors so that the enemy could be revealed, and hunted down and destroyed.
And because of that early calling, the Mirrormasks grew into the first lawyers of the Compact, as they were the ones called to speak in the defense of those that fell to the clutches of the Inquisition. That practice has largely vanished in regards to the inquisition of the day, who seldom have any sort of legal representation of any individual put the question, but even now many mirrormasks are lawyers that still sit upon the grand juries that decide whether to spare someone an ordeal- no small matter considering Trial by Ordeal from the Inquisition can certainly be fatal.
Exorcists have largely vanished from Arvum, but when they were still found in the Compact, no discipleship had more than the mirrormasks.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "In the midst of a roaring forest fire, one does not spend time clucking their tongue at the foolishness that might have contributed to the blaze. One concentrates on controlling the fire rather than being consumed." -Archscholar Sarela Thrax, from 'On Mirrormasks and Dogma of the Faith'
Priests of the Pantheon sometimes are loathe to discuss the passion aspects of the Thirteenth, with the contrary dogmatic element that even very negative emotions can produce good results or have cases when they can be used constructively. But these elements do exist, and so the priests of the Pantheon try to find positive ways to present the exceptions, and when otherwise destructive passions can be beneficial.
Some of the dogma of the Faith of the Pantheon in regards to the Thirteenth is founded under the principle that complete suppression of all negative emotion is a destructive ideal, that leads individuals into positions where failure is inevitable and then unable to best cope with the results of their failings, and the Dark Reflection is to provide coping mechanisms that prepare individuals for that.
While there is always a temptation, particularly among the Oathlands Orthodox, to be harsh and unyielding in regards to moral failings, the contrarian nature of the Thirteenth finds that approach often counterproductive except in so much that clear public punishments make for clear examples. Better, the contrarian argues, to help someone prone to anger to channel it into something productive than to believe they will never lose their temper.
Moreover, there's an eternal debate between passion compared to discipline, in so much that strong passions can still be ideals for the gods (such as reckless bravery without regard to personal safety, or all consuming love). The Faith has long theological debates about the virtues of discipline and when unrestrained freedom of expression is more useful, and it's rarely cut and dried but more endless talks that are result driven and how to best capture the different ideals of the gods in all of their aspects, such as Limerance both being disciplined iron-fidelity and also passionate expressions of love.
But, some argue, that most of the gods are about the disciplined ideals, and only their reflected natures show in their passionate, unbound expressions.
Question: What would someone know with a skill of this rating?
Answer: "One cannot serve the Sentinel with righteousness while ignoring uncomfortable truths, wherever they might hide. Even beyond the mirror." -- Dominus Marach
Where does worship of the Dark Reflection go too far? Where does the study of theology stray into the occult? The Faith has the answers to that, though it's a question they've avoided discussing openly for a great long while.
Around the time of the Crownbreaker Wars, the Faith as an institution ceased discussing the Shining Lands, the Abyss or Elysia as concrete places rather than allegorical concepts, or the gods, seraphs or their reflections as entities. There was a belief among the Oathlands Orthodox that any study of the Abyss, however benign the line or even to combat it, was innately corrupting and should be forbidden. This is a minority view, however, and the bulk of the Faith holds that one can examine the Dark Reflection and all its aspects save to the point of ever attempting to call upon any powers but divine, regardless of the purpose.
The general belief is any sort of attempt to channel powers not from the gods is corrupting that even the most benign applications will bring about tragic outcomes, and that any sort of power not from the gods cannot be wielded responsibly. Therefore, some hold any sort of knowledge into those powers as forbidden, and any knowledge of it should be destroyed, while others hold that is an offense against Vellichor and it must instead be controlled but cannot be destroyed, and it is the responsibility of the Scholars of Vellichor to safeguard any knowledge that could present a threat to the Faith of the Pantheon as an institution.
Mirrormasks were heavily involved in collating dangerous works, as being able to see the reflections of those that dealt with any abyssal lore was a safeguard against corruption, and a great amount of the most dangerous information was handled by mirrormasks during the day of Marach the Apostate, before much of it was destroyed during the schism of the Faith.
Question: Q: Is worship of the Thirteenth outlawed in the Oathlands?
A: No. Not as such. Some members of the Oathlands Orthodox believe it -should- be, but it very pointedly is not. For a real world equivalent, think of how the most conservative roman catholic diocese in Boston would feel about the Mexican Day of the Dead also practiced by roman catholics. They aren't fans, and it's not prohibited, but trying to practice a day of the dead in the heart of boston would probably be exceedingly awkward and uncomfortable for every person involved. Thematically, most oathlanders recognize that by coming to Arx, they are going to have to endure a lot of annoying moral relativist skepticism practiced by Lycene branches of the Faith, and find it intensely obnoxious, but quietly tolerate it. At a party in the Ward of House Valardin, they might politely ask someone to leave a mirrormask at the door, and someone coming into the Sleepless Knight and adopt contrarian arguments would be seen as an unbelievably annoying interloper, but on the other hand, the overwhelming majority of Oathlands Orthodox aren't going to do more than quietly be exasperated at someone marrying a Lycene provided they keep mirrormask talking points to themselves.
Answer: "The loss of all Reckoning-era histories, journals and reflections during the Great Fire of Arx was a tragedy which must never be permitted again. The stewardship of knowledge is the sacred duty of our order."
Sigils: Tome with a quill resting against it, while two crossed scrolls represents the Scholars of Vellichor
Triad of Arts and Science
An ancient, popular song of bards named 'The Canticle of Vellichor' recounts a tale from one of the darkest days of the Reckoning, near a thousand years ago. According to the Canticle, the demonic forces would have conquered Arx and all of the world had the god Vellichor not appeared to the men of the Compact and shared secrets of demonic vulnerabilities and how they could be defeated. It is said Vellichor spoke, "I am the god of histories, and this shall not be the final chapter of the history of your world. This has cost me more than I hope you shall ever learn, but I ask for but little in return. Let the most studious amongst you take sacred vow to forever guard the knowledge of the world, and allow all among you from the greatest to the least to chronicle their lives in journals so their knowledge may never be lost. Guard it well." Thus, according legend, was how the Scholars of Vellichor and the tradition of keeping White Journals and Reflections in the Great Archive came to be.
Every god or goddess has a discipleship which reveres that particular deity over all others, but perhaps no discipleship is as numerous or recognizable in the Compact as the Scholars of Vellichor. The scholars, acting as disciples of the god of knowledge, dedicate their lives to the spread of knowledge throughout the Compact and the accumulation of history. Many scholars act as teachers, and even among the most far reaching villages of the Compact there is very close to universal literacy as a testament to the efficacy of the scholars' mission.
Perhaps the most visible and well known tribute to Vellichor is the Great Archive of Vellichor in Arx, built to honor mankind's vow to the god of knowledge. Any citizen of the Compact, great or small, possesses the religious right to have an account of their lives recording in a white journal kept public and accessible in the Great Archive, which no man can gainsay or are permitted to alter. Indeed, words in the white journals are considered sacrosanct, and it is considered blasphemous to edit journals once so stored for the risk of losing even the smallest bits of history, and Knights of the Archive keep a constant vigil to be certain that none of the white journals are ever so defiled by the public who are freely permitted to view any of the contributed on going stories of citizens of the Compact. Under even stricter care are the Reflections, the black journals of innermost thoughts whose privacy is guaranteed by the Scholars of Vellichor, and no greater sin exists for a scholar than breaking that sacred trust and revealing any contents of a Reflection- those guilty of such have their tongues out and writing hand cut off so they may never speak nor write of what they witnessed again and serve their remaining days as a Silent Reflection.
While the scholars are most associated with their roles as traveling teachers and maintainers of the Great Archive, they also serve as custodians of knowledge for all of the Faith of the Pantheon. Whether it's healing techniques for the disciples of Lagoma, strategy and tactics for the Templars, tomes on dream interpretations for disciples of Jayus, or any other devotion, the scholars likely safeguard that knowledge. Some knowledge may be considered too dangerous for the public, and is judged by the Censor Librorum whether it must be sealed away or may be released to the public, going through the process of 'nihil obstat' of release to the Scholars Superior for judgment if questionable, 'imprimi potest' by the Superiors to the Arch Scholar if possibly permissible, and the Arch Scholar finally declaring a dangerous work as 'imprimatur' if it can be shown to the public despite its risk. Legend has it that many Reflections are sealed away forever beneath the Great Archive due to some danger they represent.