Sharamones_church

The Church of Sharamones

An introduction:

The church is comprised of two primary orders, but includes many sects. The most well known order is generally viewed as the actual clergy of the church. As a monastic order known as the White Mouse, these selfless people tend to many of the needs of the forgotten or unfortunate.

The temples of Sharamones often resemble something more akin to a hospital, a poor house or an orphanage. Clergy of Sharamones and the Nameless Knight work together to run charities that help provide for what they call victims of justice, generally wives and children of men who have been sent off to jail or executed for the public good. It is not uncommon for these charities to be run close to or inside these Aspects Temples.

These small armies of women and children often work brooms to keep city streets clean, tend graveyards, weed gardens and other busy work in exchange for the room and board offered. Schools are also run, in collaboration with clergy of Kalos, to educate these victims of justice. While not ideal, most of these wives and children end up properly trained in some kind of gainful trade.

In general, dealing harm to a living being is against the teachings of Sharamones. While the church supports laws that help keep people safe, they have been known to offer sanctuary to criminals who they believe are truly innocent of the crimes they are accused of or even guilty people who are believed to be truly remorseful.

While the clergy of Sharamones have even been stripped of their blessings and cast out of the church for doing harm, they are encouraged to defend themselves. Such defense is expected to exhaust all non-violent means first and at no time should the clergy attempt to direct divine power to harm a living being or even use any magical talent to cause harm. For this reason, many Clergy of Sharamones are known to carry lassoes, stink bombs and/or slings with bullets that deafen, blind, or trip.

When it comes to the undead, however, little mercy is offered other than to quickly put them back to rest. The concept of undeath is viewed as a horrible mockery of life and clergy of Sharamones are often fanatical in their efforts to destroy the undead. Even intelligent undead, such as vampires who are sometimes viewed individually on their own merits, are considered blasphemous and fit only for destruction.

The other primary order also places high value on life and gentleness, but they are more militant. Rather than tend to the tribulations of the settled people or travel as simple healers, the Knights of the Cord go looking for wrongs to right.

Goblins and bandits have long learned that attacking these knights is as foolish as attacking any formation of warriors. The difference is that these knights will not come looking for them. The Order of the Cord is dedicated to hunting undead, demons, devils and other foul things that prey on people.

More prone to forgive than to fight, these warriors take the oath of poverty and hold the concepts of integrity and honor very highly. Where the clergy of both Sharamones and the Knight of Morning work closely to aid people, the Knights of both churches also unite frequently to unseat evil and to fight against injustice.

Clerical Ranks:

Neonate

1st Initiate
2nd Servant
3rd Aspirant
4th Medic/Squire
5th Healer/White Squire
6th Priest/Knight
7th Surgeon/White Knight
8th Master Healer/Knight of Mus (Mouse/Mice)
9th High Priest/Knight of Losse Ambalotsë (White Daisy)
10th Prophet

Holy Prophet

A cleric who has not been initiated, but does faithfully serve, will remain a Neonate. Once ordained, the cleric is afforded the clerical rank of Initiate.

A cleric can become a Neonate in the service of Jar'dior and his Aspects simply by serving well and by not impeding the ordained clergy. While these unordained clergy may be called priests out of respect for their divine blessing, that does not mean they are honored as if they possess the rank of Priest.

Players who wish to RP as an ordained cleric may take the liberty of selecting the appropriate rank from the appropriate Aspect up to the 3rd rank. For a character to rise to 4th through the 7th rank they must undergo 'ceremonies' as detailed below. No character will be elevated over the 7th rank unless they started the character as a Neonate and have excelled in RP and OOC leadership to justify such a prestigious role.

Please note, clergy ranks ARE NOT governed strictly by character level or character experience. Clergy ranks are very much IC and will include specific duties, primarily by fostering RP and acting as leaders and/or advisors to others.

For ease of RP for rituals and to show dedication to their faith, however, some level requirements do apply for assignment of church rank.

Initiate: The desire and willingness to serve the temple and attend the needs of others is all that is required.
Servant: Must begin a thread story or diary type journal about the trials and tasks of offering healing, help and hope to those seeking aid within the temple the character serves in.
Aspirant: Requires at least five posts to the thread story. At least two must be based on actual RP events in game.
Medic/Squire: Medic must have a heal of at least 10. Squire must be accepted by a PC Knight.
Healer/White Squire: Healer needs a Heal skill of at least 20 and a lore of 10. A White Squire must have the blessings of a White Knight and continue serving their Knight.
Priest/Knight: A Priest must have at least a Heal of 30 and be able to cast 9th level clerical spells, but may not use a spell that cause direct harm except as approved by the church doctrine. The Priest also must be recognized by a High Priest or DM controlled NPC. The Knight must take an oath of poverty and be dubbed a Knight by a Knight of Mus or DM controlled NPC.
Surgeon/White Knight: Surgeon must have a Heal of 40 and have 20 points in lore, concentration and at least 10 in Discipline. Surgeons must also be recognized by a High Priest or DM controlled NPC. White Knights must be able to cast at least 4th level spells and be recognized by the dubbing of a Knight of Losse Ambalotsë or DM controlled NPC.

How to greet the clergy:

Clerics, in general, are treated with respect simply for their position as Holy Men or Women. Even when one wishes to be disrespectful, it is considered rude and common to do so without style. In fact, some of the 'best disrespectful' persons follow or exaggerate the niceties of greetings and add subtle comments designed to keep the cleric off balance or uncomfortable.

It is considered bad form and ill luck to court the disfavor of a holy person and the greetings offered are meant to show proper respect.

Among themselves, they address each other as a family. Those of lesser station are called Sons and Daughters. If equal or within one rank of each other the common address is as Brother or Sister. Elder stations are addressed as Father and/or Mother.

The greetings of the Mice and greetings of the Cord are similar for common people.

A greeting should start with a spreading of hands at hip level to show that no weapons are held. A bow should then follow. The placement of the hands is very important:

If one if greatly suffering or knows someone who is greatly suffering, the back of ones hand should be put to the forehead and the bow held until a blessing is received.
If one is in pain or sickness that is durable or knows someone in the like, the inner palm should be put to their forehead and the bow held until a blesing is received.
If one has suffered a great loss or injustice or knows someone who has, both palms should cover the eyes with the fingers over the forehead and the bow held until a blessing is received.
If a simple blessing is wanted and has no need that can be aided, one needs only bow, then stand aside while those with needs are seen to first.

Among those of social standing, it is customary to greet the Mice with a bow and a small tribute. Even a single gold piece is accepted. It is more about the concept of giving charity than about the amount.

Warriors, Knights and others of combative trades typically greet the Mice with a nod and either putting their weapon away or a purposeful indication to their sheathed weapon.

Knights of the Cord are generally greeted by common folks with a touch more hesitancy. A simple bow and returning to the task at hand is the usual greeting unless the Cord Knight bids them to approach. While most of the Order of the Cord can perform some healing, their Oath of Poverty generally means that they are not equipped for much other than combat in the name of the Church.

Knights of any respectful code will offer the Knights of the Cord the same gesture they give their peers.

The Cord rarely has any use for nobility, as the Order considers the wealthy, privileged, powerful and bored to be among the greatest abusers of the magics that bring forth the undead, demons and devils that the Order fights. As such, those same groups rarely greet or even deem to act as though they notice the Cord Knight.

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