The Kyrian Confession: A faith template for Hârn

The Kyrian Confession has its roots in ancient Manachem theology and draws upon such sources as Kreska and Haismora for its own philosophical roots. Confessionalism took root in Manachem lands some time in the 4^th century after the Founding. It spread to southern Khorassis by means of Manachite trade routes and preachers. Unlike the very insular Manachemic Faith, the Faith of Kyria (the word means Principle in Spyran) was welcoming to converts. In the year 412, the Prophet Calomanis declared himself in Temeth Ai and began openly vying for converts from among the Spyran and Khorassin population. At the same time, Manachem Anchorites founded the monastery at Bagahn and efforts were made to translate the Maroetic Texts into Spyran—this work would finally be accomplished only in the 7^th century by Origentus of Bagahn.

The core tenants of the Kyrian Confession are similar to those of the Manachi faith. Confessionals recognize the existence of all other gods in the world but name them, like the drakei of old, false idols. In Manachi they are called halakhim and in Spyran daimoni, but both mean the same thing: spirit. According to the Maroetic Texts, the world is a sort of delusion: a necessary emanation of the Divine Principle. For the Divine Principle was the First Cause, being One and Utterly Simple, but necessity caused the concept of Oneness to fracture—for it was both One and Thought, Whole and Unified, the Chiefest Light. This inevitably led to the rise of the second principle, Action, and the third, Matter. These lesser Lights diffused the unity of the One and thus was the World of Suffering Born.

Daimoni are said to be these lesser Lights, obsessed with the World of Suffering and intent on keeping the poor souls of men imprisoned there. The Confession teaches that reaching for intellectual purity will allow those who die to ascend from the World of Suffering to the World of Forms. There they must wait for the time of the final battle, when the World of Forms may overtake the daimoni and release those trapped in the World of Suffering and all may return to the One.

PIETY GAIN TABLE
PRAYER [20%/1PP] Kyrians are encouraged to pray and meditate on their own time to help attune them to the World of Forms and, beyond that, the Divine Principle. If this prayer is done in a temple, there is a 30% chance of piety gain instead.

FASTING [60%/2PP] One roll is made at the end of each full day of fasting, which cannot include any other activity except prayer and sleep. The chance of accrual increases by 5% for each successive day. The maximum chance is 95%. Fasting castigates the body and brings the spirit closer to the World of Forms.

CONFESSION [80%/2PP] The Confession of grave sins may result in their alleviation. Part of Confessional Kyrianism details the forgiveness of the Divine through his agents, the prelacy. Ordained prelates must hear confession for it to count (else it is merely a prayer).

DAILY MASS [30%/2PP] Daily mass in the Faith is held at sunrise and sunset each day and lasts for thirty minutes. Services may be attended by anyone.

MONTHLY LOW MASS [60%/2PP] The monthly low mass is called the Day of Mourning and attendance at monthly low mass is expected from most laity. There are no daily masses on this day.

HIGH MASS [80%/3PP] This type of prelacy-only mass may be performed by a prelate once a month, at the prelate’s determination.

FEAST OF SOULS [90%/5PP] The first day of each year is the Feast of Souls, when the Confession celebrates the Divinity’s granting of intelligence to each and every higher soul. It lasts all day, and is accompanied by food granted by the local secular authorities.

OTHER FEAST DAYS [30%/2PP] The various listed feasts of the Confession are also chances to gain piety, but only if the penitent attends the religious portions of the feast.

TEMPLE SERVICE [90%/3PP] If the temple specifically requests the services of a penitent to do something (whatever it may be: the establishment of a safe place for the bones of a saint, or the defeat of someone in a lawsuit standing against the temple), this will trigger a temple service roll.

DONATION [90%/variable] Donations are made by lords and laity alike for the care of souls. Donations of less than 20d are usually rewarded with 1 piety. Any donation above 20d should be calculated individually based on the hardship it presents to the giver and what exactly is being given. Land is generally worth quite a bit of piety, as are repairs to the temple fabric or material to build with.

QUEST [95%/variable]

PILGRIMAGE [95%/variable] Feasible targets include Kingsbrook Temple, Clerkenwall Spyra, Bagahn, and other such holy sites. The distance of the pilgrimage will affect the number of piety points gained.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

Base chance: -50%

Conditions: 0%

Retribution: 99%

Piety may only increase the chance of intervention to a maximum of 25%.

OTHER USES OF KYRIAN PIETY

50 piety may be spent to gain a +10% bonus on a single combat skill when facing a pagan, heathen, or heretic.

100 points of piety may be spent to gain a +5% bonus on all rolls during a single combat against any pagan, heathen, or heretic foes.

50 piety may be spent to gain a +5% bonus on any one roll.

For each 50 piety spent during a mental conflict with a daimon, the penitent may gain a +10% bonus on their check. These points must be spent BEFORE the roll is made.

Ritual SB

Voi Int Aur

Skills: Drawing 2, Mathematics 3, Law 3, Heraldry 3, Second Language 2, Second Script/70+SB, Astrology 1

Teachings of the Confession

Where did the world come from?

In the beginning, there was only the Light. This was the Divine Principal, which suffused all places and things. The Divinity was thought, and thought itself. From the form of this Principal there inevitably sprang a second: the Darkness or Shadow, which is the Principal of Being and Becoming. Thus, was the world created by the natural emanations of the Divinity. The One was made into the Many, and contaminated by Action rather than Thought.

The Void was given Mass, which obeyed the Form of the Divinity. Some of the Forms took on Being from the Darkness, and they became the Daimoni, the false gods of the now-created world.

The Three Worlds

The Confession recognizes three worlds, based on the Manachite vision of the universe. There is the World of Sorrows, which is our world of gross matter. There is the World of Forms, which is where the Daimoni dwell and the world from whence sorcerers draw their power. There is, lastly, the World to Come, which is undivided union with the Divinity.

When a body perishes, its soul (its form), returns to the World of Forms. It may thence be devoured by a daimon, making them stronger. Perhaps strong enough to challenge the Divinity itself! But if they are Faithful, their pure thought will carry them on winged steps through the daimoni and to the World to Come.

The Daimoni

Daimoni exist throughout the World. They are evil spirits that seek to mislead, trick, and tie mankind to the World of Sorrows. They convince us to reproduce, to fight, and to be bound to earthly pleasure. Some of them are powerful enough to masquerade as gods.

Sorcerous Damnation

Sorcerers are guilty of a deep and abiding sin. They tie themselves to the World of Sorrows by manipulating the World of Forms for their own ends. They are, in a very real sense, usurping the position of the Divine. Their brilliant souls draw daimoni to them like moths to a flame. When they die, their souls are consumed by the daimoni… or they become new daimoni themselves, if they have done great evil.

Sorcerers may be moral people, but their sin is unforgiveable in the eyes of the Divine.

Canon Law

Disputes of Canon Law are decided by great Conclaves of the western Metropolitans and Archprelates in meeting with the Divine Hieros. There are consistory courts throughout the Temple controlled lands, where violations of canon law are treated. New decretals must come from the Hieros or the Conclave in full regalia.

What of the other Faiths?

The Manachem are our ancestors, and their faith is akin to ours. They are mistaken about a great many things, but their thinkers are wise and their people are well accepted amongst us.

The Rûmiloi are a dangerous and awful heresy born from their Manachite brothers. If they weren’t so powerful, we would exterminate them.

The Skraeling Gods and the native gods of Wyranth are daimoni. Their worship must be discouraged, undermined, and exterminated so the Confession can rule the West and prevent more from becoming food to the false gods.

The Father of Fire is a strange faith that should be suppressed.

CIRCLES OF COMMAND

I  -- Laity

II – canon cleric

III – prelate

IV – master prelate

V – archprelate, lord prelate

VI – metropolitan, Eastern archprelate

VII – Hieros

CENTRAL AUTHORITY

The Hieros, the Divine Light

The Church Elders

The Conclave (Eastern Metropolitans and Archprelates)

REGIONAL AUTHORITY

High Prelate (primate)

Archprelate (Bishop)

TEMPLE HIERARCHY

The Chief Prelate or Master Prelate

The Provost

The Prelates

The Canon Clergy or Teachers

ATTIRE
Teachers wear black robes. All prelates wear white robes trimmed with gold. Monks and nuns wear roughspun. Archprelates wear whatever they desire.