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The Temple of the Sisters

Faith in the Dark Sisters - An introduction:

While the Dark Sisters are two separate deities, and their clergy typically pay the majority of their homage to one of the two, belief and faith in one requires belief and faith in the other. The Sisters are known as Barra Alti'ul, Goddess of Shadow, and Lox'ceri, Goddess of Chaos. 

While there was once a single faith throughout the Underworld, the arrival of the Dark Sisters was part of the end of the Great Mother's monotheistic reign. The first edicts of the Sisters was to pronounce their mothers passing, claim her followers and forbid her name to be spoken or for her to be the focus of any worship. While she is to be remembered with reverence, she is part of the past and should be left there. 

Imbedded into the religious teaching is a matriarchal cast system of family units that encourages, what some consider to be, competitive and barbaric rivalries between family houses. This level of rivalry is also expected within closed family houses and even among blood related family. Females are viewed as the most valuable members of this matriarchal society. The evidence of this feminine value is explained in the ability to give birth, the ability to nurse life naturally and the fact that a society can prosper with the seed of just a small number of males. 

In the time since the arrival of the Sisters, several things have changed. Barra has manifested three aspects of her own and begun to attract a growing following among surfacers. Lox'ceri keeps her focus on matters in the Underworld, countering the flawed ideas of two separate sects obsessed in their past and dedicated to the memory of the Great Mother. 

In what detractors refer to as a deadly society of organized chaos, the worshipers of the Sisters are hard to categorize, extremely devout, very adaptable and often feared with or without reason.
Clerical Ranks:

Supplicant 

1st Initiate 
2nd Servant 
3rd Aspirant 
4th Divinist 
5th Apprentice 
6th Priestess 
7th High Priestess 
8th Matron 

Herald 

A cleric who has not been initiated, but does faithfully serve, will remain a Supplicant. Once ordained, the cleric is afforded the clerical rank of Initiate. For the purpose of this faith, males and females capable to casting any divine magic are treated as a cleric up until the station of Divinist. Only females with sufficient clerical levels can advance to an Apprentice or beyond. 

A cleric can become a Supplicant in the service of the Sisters and their Aspects simply by serving well and by not impeding the ordained clergy. While these un-ordained clergy may be called Divinists out of respect for their divine blessing, that does not mean they are honored as if they possess the rank of Divinist. 

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 Supplicant 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 due apply for assignment of church rank. 

1st Initiate: Must be accepted by the House they belong to as worthy of promotion in RP. 
2nd Servant: Must complete a task set forth by the House via RP. 
3rd Aspirant: Must earn the RP'd favor of a Priestess or Noble of the House. 
4th Divinist: Must be able to cast at least 4th level divine spells. This is the highest level of advancement of males or non-clerics barring significant RP, forum activity and DM approval. 
5th Apprentice: Must prove ones worth for the favor they had been granted through significant RP that brings the House worthy advantage. Must be able to cast 9th level spells. 
6th Priestess: Must have long established and significant RP that creates great advantage to the House, approval of the Matron or appointed Noble. Requires 24 clerical levels and/or DM approval. 
7th High Priestess: As dictated by the House 
8th Matron: As dictated by the Guild (With DM approval) 

Individual Houses may establish their own unique advancement ladder, if they wish, and submit for DM approval.
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 the surfacers, ordained clergy may bow and or embrace those who are your equal or are one rank above you. Nobles of high station are often accepted to get by with this if they either kiss the ring, kiss the hand, or if they make a point of being happy and polite in the greeting and to the cleric in general. Clergy of the Sisters are expected to study the false religions of their foes and fools and learn to adapt and interact easily. 

Within their Houses or among believers, it is common place to see a great deal of posturing. Exchanges of nods, bows, kneeling, even prostrating and in rare cases emotional fits of tears are among the greetings offered, though generally the more elaborate greetings are retained for formal occasions or in effort to garner favor. 

Commoners, and especially slaves, are best served by simply bowing or taking to their knees and staying out of the walk way.

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