Chambers of Astinus

Holy Orders of the Stars

The Origins of the Orders

The Holy Orders of the Stars are the organised faiths of all the deities of Krynn. Of the pantheon, eighteen are recognised and worshipped openly. When the world was created, the twenty-one gods (Ionthas was already cast out, and the High God chose to not take any direct involvement with the world) spoke to their creations and instituted their own faiths. The first mortals begun to worship the gods, however Solinari, Lunitari and Nuitari removed themselves from such worship and took up positions circling around the world, to bring magic into the world. Since this time, the three gods of magic are worshipped in a sense by the Wizards of High Sorcery, but have no true clerics.

The orders of good are concerned with protecting and caring for others, preserving life and encouraging folk to act kindly towards others. The orders of neutrality are concerned almost solely with preserving the Balance. They will ally with either good or dark clerics, depending on which side is going to assist them in keeping the Balance. The orders of darkness are concerned with dominating the world around them. They use their worshippers to gather riches and further the cause of evil in the world.

Temples and Worshippers

Temples and shrines were once prominent throughout Krynn, to many of the gods. Over time, particularly in the Age of Mortals, many such structures have been abandoned, as the clerics left the service of their gods. With the return of the gods to Krynn however, many temples and shrines are now repopulated, and making a return to their former glory. The churches of Paladine and Takhisis have fallen to the wayside somewhat however, due to both gods no longer being in the pantheon.

The Church of Paladine

The Church of Paladine was once the strongest church of all those within the Holy Orders of the Stars. With Paladine being cast from the pantheon and now in the form of a mortal, his church vanished. Paladine now walks in the form of the mortal elf Valthonis, and refuses to have any worship him. That being said, a band of followers have joined the fallen god, calling themselves the Faithful. Valthonis and the Faithful wander the land to right wrongs, where they find them. The former chief god of good has many empty temples now lying across the land, as well as many worshippers who still venerate him. Valthonis does not condone such worship, and actively turns such worshippers to other gods of good. The Church of Paladine is no more.

The Church of Mishakal

The Church of Mishakal is comprised of temples in both cities and remote areas. Her faithful have always been fairly strong in number, even in the Age of Mortals. Priests of Mishakals have always been powerful healers, who can treat the afflicted with little more than a touch. In the Age of Mortals, warrior-priests are becoming more common in the Church of Mishakal. They are those who will offer to heal or come to a peaceful resolution first, but combat evil when needed, especially against the clerics of the dark gods. A small branch of her priesthood has founded the organisation known as the Healing Hands of Mishakal, who actively travel the land, healing and aiding those in need.

The Church of Kiri-Jolith

The Church of Kiri-Jolith is a powerful and militant faith. Temples to the warrior god are in every major city. His temples command some of the largest followings, now that his father has fallen from the pantheon. Whilst it is well-known that his followers are the Knights of Solamnia, he has countless priests who spread his message. Priests of Kiri-Jolith are usually skilled warriors, who practice both martial skills along with divine magic. The tenet of the Kiri-Jolith priesthood is to turn all from evil, and fight the darkness when it presents itself.

The Church of Habbakuk

The Church of Habbakuk has both temples and shrines dotted through many coastal areas as well as in some of the larger cities. Habbakuk's faithful consists of both druids and clerics. The druids protect all wildlife, and in the Age of Mortals, are repairing the damage done by the Overlords. The clerics of Habbakuk serve as minor healers and also in healing animals and driving off predators.

The Church of Majere

The Church of Majere has many monasteries throughout Ansalon. Majere's followers are comprised of both monks and priests. The priests of Majere travel the world, spreading their god's message of peace, living free of sin, and of discipline. They wander the earth spreading Majere's word, and doing good deeds wherever they roam. The monks of Majere spend much of their time, perfecting their bodies through the disciplines of the martial arts, as well as their minds. At a point in their lives, most monks will leave their monastery and roam the world, to spread the god's message and reach enlightenment. Each monastery is led by an abbot/abbess, and each of these in turn report to a High Abbot/High Abbess, who governs the largest and most powerful monastery in the area. All the High Abbots/Abbess' report to the Prophet of Majere.

The Church of Branchala

The Church of Branchala is a loose-knit one. The wandering Bard King never had a need for temples, and nor do his wandering followers. Priests of Branchala establish shrines in forests or other such locations, where they can play their music and meditate to their god. Due to their extensive travelling, priests of Branchala are talented musicians, but also skilled warriors who often need to defend themselves against those who do not appreciate music. The music of the priests of Branchala are known to heal the heart, much like the Mishakalite priests can heal the body.

The Church of Gilean

The Church of Gilean is made up of scribes, historians and all types of scholars. The Order of Aesthetics is the life and blood of the Church of Gilean. Clerics of Gilean serve both to record information and preserve knowledge, as well as using their divine powers to further the goals of their god. Temples of Gilean are extremely rare in Ansalon, as the largest congregration of his followers continues to be in the Great Library of Palanthas.

The Church of Reorx

The Church of Reorx has various temples in mainly dwarven, gnomish and kender communities. Priests of Reorx are most often dwarven, although there are some gnomish clerics, who take pride in creating prized and useful artifacts. Followers have a strong binding and near unbreakable faith in their god, even when the gods were thought to have abandoned the world after the Chaos War.

The Church of Chislev

The Church of Chislev is comprised of isolationist druids and a smattering of clerics. These wilderness worshippers have no temples to this nature god, rather small shrines spread throughout remote areas. Druids and clerics of Chislev consider nature to be sacred, aid the harvests and stop disease and pestilence where they can.

The Church of Sirrion

The Church of Sirrion is filled with artists, bards, and anyone who bears the creative spark. Temples and churches dedicated to Sirrion are spread sparsely throughout various cities, and are always found to bear an eternal flame. This flame is tended by the priests of Sirrion, and is never allowed to be doused. Priests of Sirrion work with the flame and also work to inspire passion in others.

The Church of Zivilyn

The Church of Zivilyn has small shrines and only a few temples in Ansalon. Priests of Zivilyn are also known as the Seers. The Seers often serve as mediators and judges on all matters for different people and organisations. They are always fair and impartial, offering their wisdom on many things. Respected by those who walk in the light and those in the darkness, the Seers spread their wisdom to all.

The Church of Shinare

The Church of Shinare is a strong one in many different cultures. Temples of Shinare can be found in almost every major city, as most folk hope for a strong economy and good industry. Clerics of Shinare work to increase trade and prosperity in areas through fair trade and honest dealings. Her followers chiefly work for wealth, whether it be to donate it to aid others, or to keep it for themselves, the honest gain of wealth is their chief tenet.

The Church of Takhisis

The Church of Takhisis was once the most powerful of all the dark faiths. With the fall of the Dark Queen, her church was completely undone. Small cults have risen and fallen, predicting the return of Takhisis. However nothing has come of this, and now her church lays in complete tatters, with only the occasional cleric still professing loyalty to her, but bereft of all power from supporting a dead god.

The Church of Sargonnas

The Church of Sargonnas has always been prominent in the Blood Sea Isles, as well as in the Imperial League on Taladas. Sargonnas has long been the chief deity of the minotaurs, and therefore there are large temples dedicated to him in almost every minotaur society. In other areas, small shrines can be found. Priests of Sargonnas are normally minotaur clerics, who practice warriors arts, as well as their divine magic. These priests spread the message of vengeance to their god's followers, and urge them to rise up against any injustice done to them. The Church of Sargonnas has two major cults operating amongst it's faithful. The Bloody Blades of Sargonnas, is a cult that avenges any wrongdoings against the church, whilst the Cult of the Bloody Condor, is an elven cult that is avenging itself against all it's foes to carve a new elven nation for themselves.

The Church of Morgion

The Church of Morgion has always been secretive and is comprised of small cults throughout the land. The priests of Morgion are disease carriers, who spread plagues and offer to halt diseases from killing their victims, in return for them worshipping the dark god. The priests of pestilence operate in the dark secret places of Ansalon, and only show themselves when attempting to infect others and spread their evil.

The Church of Chemosh

The Church of Chemosh has temples in crypts and dark underground lairs. The priests of Chemosh are those fascinated with death and wishing for immortality, or those who have already achieved a state of undeath. In the Age of Mortals, the undead priests of Chemosh are many and eager to serve their god in the manipulation of death.

The Church of Hiddukel

The Church of Hiddukel has temples in secret locations in almost every city of Ansalon. Only on Taladas is his church open and in public view. Priests of Hiddukel normally live double-lives, pretending to be honest folk, whilst enriching themselves through any means possible. They discuss their temples of worship beneath the temples of other gods or in secret locations, so people have no idea that they are even operating. The entire concept of Hiddukel's church is to gain wealth and power by any means possible.

The Church of Zeboim

The Church of Zeboim has a few temples in coastal areas as well as in underwater ruins. Her priesthood is loosely comprised of dark druids, sea elven clerics, and small numbers of clerics throughout various cultures. Priests of Zeboim revel in the sea, often forcing sailors and pirates to pay a tithe to them or the sea in return for good weather and smooth sailing. The priesthood often sacrifice living creatures or offer up treasures to the sea, as part of their worship of the Sea Queen.

Messengers of the Heavens

Any person who wishes to join one of the holy orders, must first truly love their chosen deity and be completely faithful to them. Such a person must then approach a priest in that order and express why they wish to join. The supplicant is then appointed a Trial of Faith. These trials differ in each church. Such a trial can be anything from murdering, to donating money, to simply expressing love for their god. When a Trial of Faith is successfully completed, the supplicant is then awarded a medallion of faith, and fully accepted into the church as an acolyte. Clerics must walk a fine line to maintain their faith and not fall into disfavor with their god. Any cleric that continually breaks the rules of their faith, can be cast out and considered a fallen cleric. Fallen clerics lose all their divine powers and can only regain them by atoning with their god. Fallen clerics are considered equals with heathen priests, who worship false gods. In the past, fallen clerics and heathen priests have been known to start strange cults around imaginary deities, in mockery of the true gods or simply to increase their own power and wealth.

Church Structure

Upon passing one's Trial of Faith, a cleric is accepted into their chosen order and considered an acolyte (or aspirant in the neutral orders). Through strong faith and working hard for their god, a cleric can rise through the ranks in their church, gain more divine power and command. Whilst each deity's church is an individual entity, all the churches of each alignment are linked in terms of how they are governed. There is one Chosen Prophet, who is a priest/priestess of Paladine who governs all the Prophets from all other churches of good. Similarly there is one Starmaster who governs all the Archmasters of Neutrality, and one Nightlord who ruled all the Nightmasters of each dark faith. In the closing stages of the Age of Despair, the power of the Knights of Takhisis led to a change in the title of the ruling dark cleric. The ruling dark cleric is no longer called a Nightlord (which is curiously also a high rank amongst the Thorn Knights now), but is titled the Lord Adjudicator. The ranking structure for the orders is as follows.

The Orders of Light

1. Acolyte
2. Deacon
3. Adept
4. Priest
5. Curate
6. Prefect
7. Canon
8. Elder
9. Patriarch
10. High Priest
11. Apostle
12. Prophet (only 1 Prophet in each Church of Light)
13. Chosen Prophet (the Prophet of the chief good god (formerly Paladine) is the Chosen Prophet and ruler of all goodly orders)

The Orders of Balance

1. Aspirant
2. Ovate
3. Initiate
4. Disciple
5. Master of Earth
6. Master of Fire
7. Master of Water
8. Master of Winds
9. Master of Mastery
10. Master of Light
11. Master of Time
12. Master of Elements
13. Master of the Book
14. Archmaster (only 1 Archmaster in each Church of Neutrality)
15. Starmaster (the Archmaster of Gilean is the Starmaster and ruler of all neutral orders)

The Orders of Darkness

1. Acolyte
2. Deacon
3. Adept
4. Priest
5. Curate
6. Prefect
7. Canon
8. Spiritor
9. High Priest
10. Nightmaster (only 1 Nightmaster in each Church of Darkness)
11. Lord Adjudicator (the Nightmaster of the ruling dark god (formerly Takhisis) is the Lord Adjudicator and ruler of all dark orders)

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