Creed of the Five Gods

In the Kingdom of Tirrenor, the dominating religion is that of the Creed, who worship The Five Gods, who are revered as the creators of the Earth and humanity. The Five Gods each represent many things but account for all of the virtues and vices of humanity as well as the natural elements. The Five Gods are known as Aquinas, Lythir, Tagrimus, Zakris, and Phlendagar.

Each of the five holds of Tirrenor have a patron god, and a temple to each god exists in the five capitals. Tirrenians who hold the creed believe it is their divine duty to respect the gods in this manner,though they hold all of the gods equally sacred.

Mythical History
Within the mythology of the Creed, the founder of the creed was Draven Basilius, the founder of Tirren. Draven was a prophet of the gods who interpreted their will to create the institution that later became the Creed.

Creation of the Creed
It is said that Draven landed on the shores of what would later become Tirrenhold, from a far away land. There, he and his landing party founded the first Tirrenian settlement, and began to live upon the rich new land. While hunting one night, Draven found himself lost, as if the forest moved itself around. He found shelter in an ancient cave, where it is said he encountered the Five Gods: Zakris, Aquinas, Lythir, Phlendagar, and Tagrimus. The gods warned Draven that this land was theirs, and the colonists would only be allowed to survive if they lived to serve the gods.

Draven dedicated his life to the gods service, and became the Prophet: the purest personification of the gods' combined wills. Draven was released the next morning, and brought this knowledge to the settlement. However, the others chose not to believe him. Over time, they died, from causes including starvation and sickness, but Draven found himself unharmed. In time, the few remaining colonists saw Draven as divine, and heeded his call for the gods' service.

From there, Draven became the king and declared this new land as Tirrenor: the land of glory, and the settlement grew vibrantly under his rule. Years later, he appointed five men as his successors: each in the name of a god, they became the first Archons, and set forth developing the Creed. The rest, they say, is history.

Sorcerer Mavrock and Draven's Spleen
Mavrock was a sorcerer, said to have been endowed by the gods with magical powers as thanks for his service. With these powers, he served righteously at Draven's side. However, Mavrock became selfish with the divine power, and jealous of Basilius, believing himself as the rightful ruler of Tirren. As a result, Mavrock turned on Draven, and attempted to usurp his rule.

Mavrock succeeded in killing Draven after years of planning by attacking his only weak point: his spleen. As a result of the precise magical assassination, Draven was killed. However, in return for Mavrock's deceit, the Gods punished him and took away his magical abilities. Thereafter, the gods saw that humans did not deserve such power, and henceforth magic was banished from the world. Now weakened, Mavrock was banished forever from Tirrenor, being sent to the harsh northern lands, where he died a mortal.

Organization of the Creed
The Creed is governed by a highly organized body of religious leaders. Each of the five capitals holds a temple for a patron god, and each of these "Sects" has an individual body of governance.

Druids
The most general class of the Creed are the Druids, who are average monks or nuns who have devoted their lives in service of the gods. They receive training at the High Temples and then remain there as workers, are deployed as missionaries throughout the kingdom, or become Viscounts in villages.

Archons
Each sect is led by an Archon, the high Druid of the sect. The five Archons are seen as the highest embodiment of the Gods' will and form the Council, which is the governing body of the creed. The Archons enact the judgement of the Gods, are seen as the only ones able to properly interpret the gods' will, and have historically held great political power. Over the last century, the Creed's legitimacy in politics has reduced, leading to less power for the current Archons. The Archons earn their positions through election by the Congregation of Vicars.

Vicars
The Vicars interpret the gods' will and handle logistical and legislative duties for the Creed. Vicars earn their positions after years of service to the Gods and a formal initiation by the Archon involving the drawing of their blood into phylacteries as offerings to the divine. There are a small but varying number of Vicars in each sect.

Viscounts
In each Temple, there is a local Viscount who acts as the pastor/reverend of the community. Viscount is a special title but technically hold the same power as Druids. Viscounts are sometimes, but not always, Druids trained & recognized in the High Temples. Some local leaders are called Viscounts but hold no official position within the Creed. In most temples in villages throughout the kingdom, the Viscount is the only local leader, sometimes accompanied by one or more Druids. However, even the High Temples may have a Viscount to act as the connection between the Creed and the people.

Shamans
A special class of Druids exist called the Shamans. The Shamans are special exceptions to the typical structure and are seen as independent wise men. The Shamans are not given orders by the church but instead are given complete autonomy and the utmost respect. The Shamans are believed to be especially enlightened individuals who the Gods are able to communicate through via visions.

The initiation of Shamans can only be ordered by the Archon upon special individuals. As part of the tradition, the tongues of Shamans are cut out, leaving them mute.

Shamans take part in rituals called Augeries, where they indulge in the holy hallucinogenic plant known as the Drakon flower. Augeries are special rituals ordered directly by the Archons themselves when in need of the Gods' advice. Being mute, the Shaman's use special paints and dance at Augery rituals to produce prophetic paintings which are then interpreted by the Archon.

Throughout history, Kings have collaborated with Archons and Shamans to produce Augeries which influenced world-shaking political consequences.

In The Crimson Mountains campaign, Thane Nilos collaborated with Archon Plexipus for an augury ritual by the Shaman Varinius.

The Order of Acolytes
The military branch of the Creed are branded the Order of Acolytes, special militarily-trained Druids. Candidates are specially selected for the order after earning thier Druid status, and the order maintains a small but well-trained force. The Acolytes mostly act as guards for the High Temples, and occasionally pursue small and secretive special forces missions for the Archon. The Order has their own internal organization, though it is largely secretive and informal.

The Acolytes have garnered controversy, and the Order has never been allowed to operate in Sea March. In fact the Order of Acolytes was founded in Timbervale, and is currently active in Blackwall Hold and The Verge as well.

Recently, the Acolytes became newsworthy when High King Basilius publicly outlawed the Order in Tirrenhold, after a group of Acolytes apparently acting outside of the Creed's control were convicted and hanged for an act of murder against a pair of nobles. The Creed and the Acolytes in particular have earned a great deal of distrust and backlash, particularly from the High families, since the incident.

The High Temples
Each hold in the Kingdom of Tirrenor holds a High Temple of their respective gods which are the residencies of Archons, Vicars and Druids. The High Temples are training centers for Druids and meeting places for the Council and the Congregation of Vicars. The five High Temples of Tirrenor are as follows:

The High Temple of Zakris (Tirrenhold)

The High Temple of Phlendagar (Sea March)

The High Temple of Lythir (Timbervale)

The High Temple of Tagrimus (Blackwall Hold) [destroyed]

The High Temple of Aquinas (The Verge) [destroyed]

Enemies of the Creed
The Creed generally sees any opposing religious or spiritual ideology as dangerous & heretic, and is intolerant of blasphemy. The Creed is displeased with the Doctrine of Gaiax, and disavows its followers.

An alternative of the Creed exists, known as the Dragon Cults, which believes the five gods were Dragons, of which one, Phlendegar, still exists and remains in dormancy. The Dragon Cult and its mythology are relinquished by the Creed, and its few disperse followers are met with extreme disdain.

The Chasm, a philosophy built upon nihilism and worship of the one god, Abyss, was mobilized by its founder, Tyrusz, in direct opposition of the Creed and its tenants. The Chasm is credited with the destruction of the High Temple of Aquinas and the High Temple of Tagrimus, as well as the death of Archon Plexipus, and is publicly outlawed by the Creed. However, the Chasm may be the biggest ideological & existential threat to the future of the Creed.