Category:The Church of Dwarden

Introduction to the Church of Dwarden

The religion of Mandador has a profound impact upon the people of Dwarden, and there is almost no facet of life in those lands that is not permeated by this awe-inspiring faith. Called only the Power by almost all His adherents in this brave land, Mandador is considered the all-triumphant and all-knowing Creator, whose Voice called the World and the Ten Heavens into existence. The learned clerics of Dwarden propound the mystery that Mandador is composed of three distinct, yet co-substantial beings: the Voice, the Spirit and the Power. However, unlike in the traditional Danian Church, Dwarden holds one of these Divine Persons, the Power, to be supreme to the other two, and the foremost member of the godhead. In centuries past, this belief was yet stronger still, and held that the Power alone was the true godhead, and that the Voice and the Spirit were but aspects or extensions of the Power, but this belief was quashed by the great Thousiersian crusades into Dwarden in the 6th and 7th centuries of Mandador. However, the preference to place the Power as transcendent above the other two Persons of the Deity is profound and is ubiquitous in Dwarden religion iconography.

In the beginning, the Power shaped the world that the Voice had called into existence, and the Spirit of Mandador is said to have imparted the souls and spirits of the World, both great and small. All worshiped the Power at the beginning of these eons past, and the World was as it should be. After setting all things as He willed, the Power then left the World, leaving those He had created to see to their own affairs and fates. The created however fell prey to the lures and whispers of other powers, and with these invitations many scorned Mandador in favor of these other gods. Thus shunned, Mandador turned from the World and departed, and only those very few who kept the Truth received still his blessings and aid. In the fullness of time the last of those who knew and believed in Mandador faded until none were left at all.

After these eons of absence, the Voice of Mandador suddenly returned again, embodied in the mortal man Ramian of Dania. Bearing the Mantle of Mandador, the Voice of the Power brought knowledge of the Creator of the World back to its denizens, and one by one the Power cast out each of the gods that had stolen the souls and spirits of His creations, or otherwise subdued them to a point of utterly submission. To spread His Voice, His Power and His Spirit, the Mantle of Mandador called forth Nine Legates, who received their powers from the laying of hands of Ramian, the Prophet of Mandador. The Fathers of the Church of Dwarden hold that of these nine legates to Creation, the sea elf Yathamian was unique. According to the Book of Nolas, a forbidden holy book from the Tresian heretic saint, Yathamian received his mission from the direction manifestation of the Power, and although the Dwarden Church does not openly hold this view in the modern age, it does however emphasize what Dania accepts that Yathamian received his mandate directly from the godhead, instead of being appointed by or receiving a vision from Ramian. With his mission to evangelize the "South", Yathamian came in two embassies to the lands of Dwarden, the first using raw power to overawe the karden lords there and achieve their submission, and the second focusing upon reconciliation of the faith and appointing a High King of Dwarden. Although eventually leaving to spread the rule and worship of Mandador to other lands, especially Thania and Tresia, Dwarden nonetheless holds Yathamian to be of paramount importance in their Church. The iconography of St. Yathamian is to be seen everywhere throughout Dwarden, and it is he who set down the unique Dwarden religious traditions such as the special sacerdotal privileges of deacons and the creation of Dwarden's greatest artifacts such as the holy avenger swords and the palladium of Dwarden the Diaconate Shield. For these and many other reasons Yathamian is held in the very highest regard in Dwarden. He is said to possess secret knowledge as to the ultimate fate of the multiverse, and is said to be a Keeper of the secret to the enigmatic Doors of Destiny.

Due to their sins and abandonment of the Faith in the centuries after the coming of Yathamian, and due especially for their elevation of the Black Crown to being the High King of Dwarden and their worship of his Abomination, Dwarden is being punished and tested. Within the Order of the Beleaguered Shield, it is widely believed that the great evils that afflict Dwarden will only be defeated by a nation of the greatest faith, righteously wielding the power granted to them by the Deity they forsook.

Religious Precepts in the Dwarden Faith

Heaven as the Salvation and Reward: Through St. Ramian and his Legates the hope of reaching the Heavens in the afterlife is open to all the world who worship the Power that made it. Heaven will resemble as it was in life, but its best aspects, and in ways unknown to the living. Life will continue on until the End of Time, as the Faithful become ever closer to the Power.

Moral Certitude: Good and evil are not relative concepts. Each is an absolute with clear and inflexible definitions. Goodness is to be praised and emulated. Evil is to be destroyed. For those things not so easily defined as good or evil, they are at best suspect, and ought to be avoided and perhaps destroyed. The morally vacillating and pettifogging moral philosophers are to be eschewed and perhaps criminalized and punished.

Omnipresence of the Divine: The Spirit of Mandador is in all Creation, save for what has been twisted by the Interloper Powers, which have defied and mocked the designs of Mandador. As the Divine Mantle was bestowed on the human Ramian, and as some of the Legates were demi-humans, the humanoid form is a sacred, recognized by the Power and worthy of receiving His mantle. Because of this, all humans and demi-humans are to receive the appropriate respect and reverence above that of other creatures. However, the Spirit of Mandador permeates all things natural to the world, and therefore the world is to be respected and even revered. However, that which mocks, threatens or is alien to the Creation is to be hated and destroyed.

Power of Prayer: The Power hears the prayers of all His faithful. Praise of His Power through His intercessors (the venerables, blesseds and saints) and the request for Divine favor and succor can have direct consequence upon the World. The power of prayer is influenced by the degree of faith of the prayer, and therefore clerics have the mightiest of prayers. However, even laypersons en masse may have enormous effects upon the world, and it is known to the faithful that the power of many of their shrines and even relics is dependent upon the constancy, vitality and earnestness of their prayers.

Sacral Purity: The men of Dwarden are scrupulous with regards to matters of cleanliness and ritual purity in matters of religion. Even amidst great duress, the people of Dwarden make great efforts to ensure their garments are clean and respectable, at least on the surface, during Trintine services and at other holy times. For clerics of the Church and the monastics of the Order, this precept of purity is more pronounced, especially as clerics rise through the echelons of the Church. Although the Dwarden Rite is arguably more lax than some other branches of the Faith in that its junior clergymen might marry and other allowances, Dwarden itself is scrupulous about their ritual purity. Although the country is practical, and does allow for Battlefield Exception (Cunctum Legis) to certain aspects of their faith, other matters have no exceptions. Examples of Dwarden Sacral Purity are as follows:

Purity from Blood: Paladins and clerics are not to allow blood or other bodily emissions onto their persons or garments, especially if they are conducting holy affairs. The Battlefield exception provides protection from this, but holy men are expected to clean themselves as soon as is reasonably possible. This stipulation also applies to the people in general before Trintine. Dwarden society takes considerable efforts to arrange for the cleanest water and rags available to ensure they are clean for Trintine services.

Prohibition Against Damnable Magic and Prayer: No matter how useful or seemingly necessary, the use of evil magical spells or items is strictly forbidden by the faith. With rare exception, atonement for this sin is not possible, as the violator is likely to face the traditional punishment for such a crime: burning on the cross.

Prohibition Against Lying in Ex Officio or False Witness: While in exercise of their sacral offices, it is not permissible for paladins or clerics to knowingly lie. Dwarden law has clearly decided that matters of "benign omission" are permissible ex officio, but malign omission is not. Violations of this precept usually require atonement.

Prohibition Against Filth: Paladins and the clergy of major orders are forbidden from touching filth, to the best of their ability. Crude work such as emptying latrines is forbidden, as is sweeping dirt from off floors, washing soiled undergarments, or other similar activities. If no one else is reasonably available to provide such services, paladins and senior clergy may perform these activities, but when possible a ritual cleanse spell will be necessary.

Prohibition Against Slaughter: Paladins and clergy of major orders are forbidden from slaughter, meaning the death of a food stock animal. Therefore, clerics and paladins are not seen slaughtering oxen, goats or turkeys. Likewise, it is not lawful for a paladin, for example, to cut the throat of a hopelessly injured horse, nor to cut the throat of a sleeping enemy. This prohibition is also taken to forbid paladins and clerics from personally executing the condemned. In the absence of anyone else able to fulfill these tasks, paladins and clergy of holy orders may carry them out personally, but a cleanse spell will be necessary.

Prohibition Against Defacement: Paladins and clergy of holy orders are not permitted to mar themselves by tattoos, earrings or other deliberate distortions to their persons. Likewise, it is not permissible for a person with a significant congenital deformity such as a hunchback or sixth finger to ever become a paladin or cleric of holy orders. As "kings" of the Church, bishops are required to be "whole persons" and not have any missing digits, limbs, eyes or ears.

Prohibition Against Defilement: Paladins and clergy of holy orders are forbidden from marrying any girls save for virgins. Furthermore, such girls must be right-born and "first-daughters" and be the scions of parents in good standing with by Church and Commandery. Such daughters must also be comely, in perfect keeping with the Church, and free from any obvious malady or deformity. Likewise, the chastity of married paladins and clerics must be exercised, with fornication being strictly forbidden, as is masturbation, fellatio, onanism, and buggery in all its forms. Numerous other sexual prohibitions are also in place. The clerical office of "priest" is forbidden from marrying or taking on holy unions, but may maintain wives previously married. Paladins and clerics are also forbidden from cursing and general churlishness. The prohibition also stands against unseemly wrath, wherein the excessive wounding after death of an enemy body or continued blows to a submitting challenger is not permitted. Also not permitted is unmanly sorrow, as religious self-flagellation or corporal punishment such as extended fasting or extreme and extended exposure are forbidden. Personally executed torture is also forbidden, and although this may be overseen by a cleric of holy orders or a paladin, he is not to personally defile himself with the doing of it. Violations of these category of prohibitions generally require atonement, if they are atonable at all.

A Tested Faith

The men of Dwarden know that it was the lack of faith of their own people that caused Mandador to abandon them to the evils of the Black Crown, his Abomination, and all their minions. Only once this sin is completely extirpated will the sin be forgiven, and victory be had. Furthermore, the men of Dwarden must accomplish this victory by their own power, a power instilled by an unyielding faith and devotion to the Power they worship, for the Deity will not aid those who do not worship their Creator and the Lord of Destiny.

Divine Grace

In Dwarden the Power is said to be testing mortals, and from the evils that have afflicted that land the Power is forging his greatest champions.

The Nine Virtues

• Faith

• Good Works

• Goodness

• Discipline

• Obedience

• Endurance

• Bravery

• Sacrifice

• Holy War

Precepts

Free Will: The Power has no peers, but neither does the Power command all things. The Power has given fundamental freedom to all the creatures of His Creation, and they are free to pursue the fates that they will.

The Power is Above All Others: The Power has no peers, and is supreme among all other powers. There is nothing the Power cannot do, and no force that the Power cannot overcome. The Power sits peerless among all other powers.

The Voice is the Creator of the World and the Heavens

Traditions

• The Incarnate Power is Unknowable: As in traditional Mandadorianism, Dwarden tradition forbids any direct depiction of the godhead, as this is considered unknowable to any normal mortal being. Dwarden tradition does however hold that Mandador has a central being, and that he sits on his throne upon the Ninth Heaven, and this is taken more literally than it is in the Danian Rite. However, since the reforms of the Thousiersian Crusades in the mid-millennium, the Potestian heresy of a Power that has a physical reality that manifests on earth is suppressed, although not necessarily denied. According to the Book of Nolas and the Ecstasy of St. Yathiam, Mandador appeared in physical form to Yathamian beneath the waves of the sea, and in Dwarden tradition this is the only time such a manifestation is said to be known. Due to this unique appearance of the Deity, Yathamian is held to be in a special status differing from the other Legates, and is said to have secret knowledge and power, including knowing the secret of the Doors of Destiny.

• The Ineffable Name of the Divine: Mandador is almost never a spoken name. The epithet of "the Power" is the one most often used. The name of Mandador is only to spoken by those of priestly rank or above, and even then only during great spells and the most sacred of events. Deacons and below are not to speak the Name of the Power save for very rare exceptions, for the name of the Power is ineffable to the profane.

Organization of the Church of Dwarden

The Church of Dwarden includes all humans of Dwarden blood within the country, and not a single community falls outside its purview, save for those that exist within the former realm of the Black Crown, and those secret or lost communities in the remote parts of Dwarden that have either in whole or in part kept the old pagan gods, or have turned to them in these later ages.

The members of the Church are either laity or clergy. The laity comprises the believers of the Church, and includes all those who have taken at least one of the holy sacraments that binds him to the Church. The clergy comprises all those who have been ordained in either major or minor orders, and thereby receive spell prayers by which power they gain by the laying on of hands during their ordination. Whereas the laity answer in matters of law to the temporal authority of the Order of the Beleaguered Shield, the clergy are all but immune to temporal law, and can only be judged for crimes by clergy senior to themselves, such as abbots and bishops. The lay-brothers (and sisters) of the Church also enjoy this immunity, and although not normally referred to as clerics in the language of Dwarden, they are considered as such in a legal sense, for even the lowest postulant is immune to temporal law. Clerical immunity can only be overruled by the order of a Lord Commander, and even then only in military matters.

The Church of Dwarden is presided over by the Patriarch of Dwarden. The patriarch is

Liturgy

Liturgical Language

The Rite of the Dwarden Church uses High Middle Dwarden as its liturgical language. All major religious written works in Dwarden have been transcribed in this language, which sounds to the modern Dwarden ear as formal, rich and transcendent.

The liturgy itself is performed almost entirely in an awe inspiring monastic chant.

The Canonical Script

On formal Mandadorian holy writings, Danian-based script is used, modified with specific letters and symbols to correctly pronounce the Dwarden language.

Capital letter writing is used on sacred vestments.

Faith in the War of the Black Crown

Centuries of near-existential warfare with the undead of their own people has forged Mandadorianism in Dwarden into an iron faith that serves as the primary shield against against the horror and despair so often encountered by the people of those lands.

Prophecies During the War of the Black Crown

Although it was understood that Yathamian would not return for the salvation of Dwarden during the War of the Black Crown, there was great hope

During his Second Embassy, St. Yathamian is recorded in the Book of Maethon stating:

"By holy Prayer, Shield, Hammer, Sword and Song you shall conquer, and the Black Crown of evil will forever be dethroned."

Aphorisms of the Faith

The Throne of Destiny: A reference to Mandador

Blessed be the Fighters: A reference to a prayer of Yathamian, the full sentence being "Blessed be the fighters, for only by sword and hammer will this land be conquered by the Faith."