Church of Karameikos

THE CHURCH OF KARAMEIKOS

by H.R. FAANES

(The information herein is based on Gaz1: Grand Duchy of Karameikos, Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure and Wrath of the Immortals, but should be considered optional)

History

Lord Oliver Jowett, Patriarch of Specularum, Master of the Order of the Griffon, founded the Church of Karameikos in 970 AC, when Karameikos became an autonomous Grand Duchy. The Church was modeled after the Church of Thyatis, which at that time had already been fragmented into several churches. The church philosphies are based on Lord Jowett's own beliefs and on those of his associates. The Pantheon of the Church is composed by the Immortals whom Jowett felt particularly dedicated to.

Asterius, Valerias and especially Vanya are popular immortals in Thyatis. Kagyar and Ilsundal have also a great following in the Empire due to the presence of the demihuman races. They were possibly included in the hope of converting the demihumans living in Traladara to the Karameikan faith.

Jowett's idea was to give birth to a Church that would have made the Karameikans one people. Jowett is probably a cleric devoted to Asterius.

(Although the Gazeteer gives Jowett most of the credit for the Church of Karameikos, this could have been a gigantic plot of Asterius' to create a group; the Guardians of Karameikos, with Asterius as the leader. Asterius is not the most powerful of the Immortals, but he has a clever tongue. Besides, if the group was founded because the humans worshipped them, it would be easier for the other immortals to accept Asterius as their leader. Asterius is an Eternal, which makes him quite powerful, and he is probably good at finding compromises.-Ed)

The Guardians of Karameikos

Asterius (Eternal of Thought), Leader
Kagyar (Eternal of Matter)
Ilsundal (Hierarch of Thought)
Valerias (Hierarch of Matter)
Vanya (Empyreal of Time)

Patrons of The Church

Asterius (Eternal of Thought)

He represents Peace, Trade and Communication. He is seen as the protector of Karameikos. The Church does not see him as a patron of thievery since this is considered a sin accoding to the church philosophies.
Symbol: The Moon.

Ilsundal, the Wise One (Hierarch of Thought)

He represents Nature and Life. Ilsundal is an Elf.
Symbol: A silhouette of the Tree of Life.

Kagyar, the Artisan (Eternal of Matter)

Creator of the Dwarves. Being associated with the Earth and the Mountains, he represents Steadfastness and Willpower. He is the patron of Artisans.
Symbol: Hammer and Chisel crossed in an X.

Valerias, Patroness of Love and Romance (Hierarch of Matter)

She represents Love and Romance. She is also the Healer.
Symbol: A Delicate Rose with especially sharp thorns.

Vanya, Patroness of War and Conquerors (Empyreal of Time)

She is the Warrior. Chief patron of the Order of the Griffon. She represents Bravery and Honor.
Symbol: A vertical lance with two horizontal swords crossed over it.

Enemies of The Church

The Demons

Alphaks, Demogorgon, Orcus and Jammudaru. Sowers of Evil and Destruction who will do anything to lead innocents to the path of Eternal Death and to steal their souls.

Thanatos

Death. Doom. The Archfiend. Mentioning his name draws his attention and can be your undoing.
Symbol: The Scythe

Beliefs of the Church

Assault, abuse, murder, theft, lying, adultery and living together without the sanctity of matrimony are sins.
Sins stain the spirit. To cleanse the spirit the sinner must perform ceremonies of purification of severity appropriate to the sin. A lesser sin requires the saying of a few prayers. A moderate sin requires a days vigil and fasting under the supervision of a priest. A greater sin requires, in addition to secular punishment, a greater ceremony of purification. This may include a long and dangerous quest and in severe cases might require the sinner to spend his whole life performing this task. No sin is too great to be impossible to cleanse (theoretically).
If the sinner is unwilling to cleanse his spirit, this is also a sin. This is punnishable by separation from the church.
Your role in the afterlife is determined by the amount of stain on your soul. Asterius will lead the pure to spend eternity in his Crystal Halls. The stained ones must roam Limbo, risking becoming slaves of minions of evil.
That magic ritual with no confirmed basis in formal magic or clerical ritual magic constitutes ignorant superstition and is a waste of time and effort.

It is the responsibility of the members of the church to bring the benefits of the church philosophy to the unbeliever and to remain present in hostile lands, so that the benefits of the Church won't be denied to anyone who desires them.