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The Church of Is'rad 

An introduction:

The Church of Is'rad is considered an inaccurate representation of the faithful of the Greater Aspect of Nature. In truth, there is no single body of followers or any truly organized clergy. 

Those who offer their praise to Is'rad generally gather in small regional groupings called Circles. The three better known Circles consist of the Odinean Circle, the Alberden Circle, and the Circle of Sand. 

The druids and rangers who make up these Circles do have organized ranks and stations, but are based more on age and wisdom than religious politics. 

It is not uncommon for those who are not druids or rangers to enter a Circle by invitation if they show themselves to be respectful of nature. In fact, many of the Hin farmers of Ireenu are reported to regularly attend the gatherings of the Odinean Circle. 

Not all druids or rangers are part of a Circle of Is'rad. 

There are a few smaller Circles that are, like the better known Circles, also secretive in their own way. 

Aside from the Circles, there is another gathering called the Grove that meets seasonally and secretly.
Clerical Ranks:

Friend 

1st Guardian of (one chosen element) 
2nd Messenger of the Circle 
3rd Guardian of (two chosen elements) 
4th Defender of the Circle 
5th Guardian of (three chosen elements) 
6th Fury of the Circle 
7th Guardian of the Four Elements 
8th Initiate of the Grove 
9th Servant of the Grove 
10th Grove Walker 

Holy Tempest 


One is not ordained into a circle, but is invited as a Friend. So few are invited into a circle that even the extension of friendship is a great honor. 

Players who wish to RP as part of a Circle may take the liberty of selecting the appropriate rank, up to the third, from one of the three better known Circles; Odinean, Alberden or Sand. 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 Friend and have excelled in RP and OOC leadership to justify such a prestigious role. 

Please note, the ranks within a Circle ARE NOT governed strictly by character level or character experience. These 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. 

Friend - Must maintain the reputation for respecting and living in harmony with nature. 
Guardian of One - A Defender must recognize the character as a protector of an area aligned with the character's chosen element. 
Messenger of the Circle - A Fury must entrust the character with the delivery of two messages to other Circles. 
Guardian of Two - Two Defenders must grant their blessings on the character to study a second element, not directly opposed to their initially chosen element, and to become a protector of an area aligned with that element. 
Defender of the Circle - Two Furies grant the character authority to defend the natural territory of the Circle. (Non-lethal preference) 
Guardian of Three - Two Furies must grant their blessings to the character to study a third element, not directly opposed to their initially chosen element, and to become a protector of an area aligned with that element. RP required with forum posts. 
Fury of the Circle - RP required involving a DM, with forum posts. 2 senior PC's ranked as Initiate of the Grove or higher will assign duties. 
Guardian of the Four Elements - RP required involving a DM, forum posts and at least 2 senior PC's. Must be able to cast at least 4th level "Nature spells".
How to greet the clergy:

The faithful of Is'rad are not called clerics. There is no proper way to greet a particular rank and they do not consider themselves 'ordained' in the traditional way. Those who belong to a Circle consider others in fairly clear natural distinctions of Friend or Foe, Prey or Predator, Natural or Unnatural. 

Generally, as long as those around a member of the Circle behaves as expected, they are accepted and/or dealt with as custom dictates. Most members of the Circles are aware of the greeting customs of most, if not all, the species within their chosen domains. They would expect a Northern Barbarian to greet them with open palms and a punch to the arm as a show of a friendly 'hello', but an offered handshake would be suspicious. 

More often than not, few will realize they are even meeting a member of the circle. They rarely proclaim anything about themselves besides, perhaps, where travelers should take caution or not travel at all as that area is under their protection. 

The Kingdom of Kil'Dar officially disregards any Grove, Circle, Druid, Ranger, or anyone else who claims a stretch of the Kingsland. It is important to note, however, that the King has responded to complaints of 'rogue druids' generally by sending elven troops followed by a refocusing of expansion to other places. 

In short, when greeting (or when one suspects they are greeting) a member of a Circle, it is best done in whatever respectful fashion is expected of one's own race or culture. Behavior outside of one's natural norm will cause suspicion.

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