Church of the Goddess

The people of Imardin, and those they have influenced, worship not a pantheon but a singular deity, a goddess they believe to be the only true deity in existence. To most she is just known as The Goddess. Some heretical groups may refer to her as Elys, an early prophet who they believe was Her in human form.

History

Worship of the Goddess began in the late 1st Era, when a young, charismatic noblewoman from Gabul (now Ellisport, and which, at the time, was the Serran Empire’s most northwestern major city) began to speak in public, often to the poor and sickly, of an all-loving Goddess who was watching over them and keeping them safe. Initially ignored by authorities as a lunatic, Elys was eventually persecuted for her beliefs and labelled a heretic. However, her status in society came with advantages, and she escaped any direct punishment. Her followers, however, did not.

As her influence grew and people began to take her message to heart, Elys’ followers were round up and imprisoned for crimes against the state, charged with blasphemy and attempting to turn people against their Rakhul. This only rallied more people to her cause, as, despite her differing beliefs, Elys was seen as an upstanding and respected member of Gabul society by most of its citizens. Over the following decades, the area slowly converted to this new religion until the point where Gabul’s primary religion is that of The Goddess. However, their oppression by the Serran government never stopped.

Finally, after nearly 50 years of being treated like criminals and lower class scum, the people of the northwestern territory of Imardin revolted against the Serran Empire, making a quick and successful break from their old oppressors while they fought a losing war against the orcs. Elys’ son, in the absence of his now-deceased mother, takes up the mantle as the first Arch-Bishop of the Church of the Goddess. The people follow him just as they did his mother before him, and a new nation is born as a theocracy under the church’s rule.

Key Beliefs

• The Goddess is the only deity in existence, all other gods are false superstitions.
• The Goddess loves all, and wishes to see everyone free from the mental prison that polytheism and superstition create.
• Only those who know the Goddess can truly know peace, so spreading the spread of her teachings is vital.
• It is best to win others over with compassion than with force. However, it is better to win them over with force than to let them stay in the dark, if compassion does not work.

The Church

The nation of Imardin is a theocracy, ruled by the Church of the Goddess. Thus, the hierarchy of the church doubles as the hierarchy of Imardin. The head of the church is the Arch-Bishop, who rules the land from the Cathedral of Elys in Aerlynn.

Directly below the Arch-Bishop in rank are the Bishops, who each either rule large regions or command large portions of the military. They server as both civil and military leaders along with their spiritual duties to the people.

Below the Bishops are the Clergy, the Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters of the church. They are the lower ranking members of the church that carry out all of the orders of their Bishops, and see to the day-to-day tasks of keeping the nation of Imardin running and keeping the people happy and healthy.

Some also believe, though their is little evidence of it to be found, that their is a separate section of the Church not known to the public. This branch is referred to by conspiracy theorists by many names, though a common one is the Apostles. They are believed to be akin to aggressive missionaries, secret spies of the church that work in the shadows to further the cause of the Church and Imardin. If they do exist, they keep their presence well hidden.