Magic: Clerical: Holy Priesthoods
Falis, Marfa, Myrii, Cha Za, and Rada are the most powerful gods of light worshiped in Lodoss. Their will is served by their priests; men and women who have studied the word of the gods and devoted themselves to serving them and were granted a boon of power from their gods to exercise their god's will.
Traveling PriestsEarly in their lives as priests, many young clerics venture out in the world as a test. This often takes place at level two. Their mission includes spreading the word of their god and helping the less fortunate. Finding one of these priests is a great addition to an adventuring party as they will then have a ready healer and holy protection from any evil enemies they may come across.
Love and Relationships in the PriesthoodThe priesthoods of the light gods share the same view on love and marriage for their priests. It is not forbidden for priests to have sex or marry, as seen with the marriages of Leylia and Slayn, Etoh and Fianna, and Spark and Neese. However, they first chose to devote their lives to their god, so their service to their god must come first in their lives, spouses and children second. Most priests will remain chaste through their entire lives, though a priest that becomes promiscuous may be excommunicated. Love, however, is respected and considered a gift from the gods. Many clerical marriages often bring new generations into the priesthood, as the children of these marriages often follow in their parent's footsteps.
Priest of Falis
Falis is the most loved and worshiped god in Lodoss. The great Temple of Falis stands as a brilliant white marble palace in Roid, the capital city of Valis. Every city has a smaller temple, and nearly every village and town has a shrine dedicated to the glorious God of light, where men and women are free to sing their praises and worship the mightiest of gods.
There are four orders of the priesthood of Falis. The first level is Acolyte, and they serve as the ones who help clean and maintain the temples and shrines, and help people in need on a day to day basis. The second level is Novitiate. Novitiates are priests in training. They attend the Roid temple where they learn the teachings of Falis and begin training in the art of magic. After undergoing a long journey, the final step in their training, they become priests of Falis. A priest has great power and knows many holy spells, but can only use his magic to save or help others. It usually takes four years to raise from Acolyte to Priest.
Most priests work in the major temples or perform services in the many shrines throughout the land, but some also go out into the world on a quest to help others in need. After many years, it may be possible to become a Bishop. A bishop typically runs a major temple, shrine, or leads classes in the main temple. Bishops also hold administrative positions. The High Priest is the figurehead of the Temple of Falis, acting as the religious leader for a term of five years. After these five years, the High Priest steps down and another bishop is elected to the position.
UniformPriests of Falis wear uniform white robes trimmed with gold cloth. It consists of a white shawl-like mantle, open in front with a high gold trimmed collar; a long cape from beneath the mantle, and a loose white robe underneath that falls to the ankles and belted at the waist. For shoes, Falis priests wear sensible boots or sandals. See Etoh's design for reference.
Priestess of Marfa
Marfa, goddess of creation, was the last of the gods of light to fall. When she fell, her soul and essence settled across Lodoss, and now resides as a powerful protective force. Because her spirit is so great, her priestesses are quite common and temples and shrines dedicated to Marfa can be found throughout the land.
The Grand Temple of Marfa is located north of the town of Tarba, in the northeast corner of Lodoss. The temple is near the domain of the ancient dragon, Bramd, and he served as a protector and advisor to the priestesses of Marfa, as he was the dragon who fought at Marfa's side during the War of the Gods. The high priestess of Marfa lives in the Grand Temple, the current high priestess being Leylia, daughter of Neese (the elder). It seems likely that her daughter, Neese (the younger) may be her successor.
Girls come from all over Lodoss to train to be Marfa priestesses, as the sect is limited to women only. However, they do have a small army of men and women loyal to Marfa. Most girls come to Tarba at fifteen or sixteen, but girls as young as seven or as old as nineteen are accepted as well. Early on, priestesses are taught a few basic spells, including healing spells and creation spells. Later, they can learn more advanced spells in other categories. Priestesses of Marfa rarely learn damaging spells, however they know that having the ability to fight and defend one's self is crucial, so a few combat and defensive spells are also taught. The girls also learn some basic self defense and are provided a dagger when they leave.
A year after they are first raised to priestess, young Marfa priestesses are sent out in the world to test their will and faith. They are expected to travel Lodoss, usually a round trip, and lend their skills and knowledge to those that need it. When they return, they will be given the chance to choose a temple or shrine in Lodoss they would like to tend, or to stay in Tarba. If they do not return within two years, and are found to have abandoned their duties, they may be stripped of their power and excommunicated.
UniformMarfa priestesses wear long, shapeless white robes to hide their figure. These robes have a thick, layered cowl neck that falls about their shoulders. The sleeves are long, and end with gold cloth trimming the wide cuffs. In the front of the robe is a long, rectangular panel trimmed with gold. Along with the robes, Marfa priestesses always wear a gold upside-down crescent circlet on their brows, and a larger, matching pendant on their chest that has three gold dangles. For shoes, they wear sensible boots or sandals. See Leylia's design for reference.
Priest of Myrii
Myrii is the god of war and virtue. He is a god of light, and his priests follow the ways of virtue and enlightenment. Myrii is a patron god of all soldiers so it is not uncommon for a priest of Myrii to bless an army before they go into battle. However, the army must be fighting for a just cause and their leaders must be of noble and virtuous nature.
Priests of Myrii are not warriors. They do not condone violence, killing, or bloodshed. "Battle with heart, not blade" is a common saying of priests of Myrii, meaning that a bloody battle is only to be used when all else has failed, and when it is the only avenue to destroy evil. Even so, priests of Myrii are extremely well tuned fighters, skilled in combat with nearly every weapon and masters of a fighting style akin to martial arts. They know many combat spells as well, but defense is the preferred tactic. "Use your enemy's own strength against him," is repeated time and again to all new acolytes. "Let your enemy wear himself down, then finish him with a single effective strike."
Priests of Myrii must uphold all Seven Virtues of Light, or risk removal from the priesthood (and losing all their powers). The Seven Virtues of Light are Honesty, Charity, Compassion, Justice, Valor, and Prudence. The priesthood is forgiving (as per Compassion), but severe violation or a clear movement into the darkness is punishable by excommunication (as per Justice).
UniformMyrii priests are less constricted that the previous two priesthoods in their style of dress, but their main uniform has been recently redesigned. Formerly, it was a simple white and blue trimmed robe, as seen on Hobb. The current robes can be modified for ease of movement, but it is basically a white robe with a green cowl neck and a face-like symbol in black embroidered on the chest. See Grievas's design as a concept of the current uniform.
Priest of Cha Za
Cha Za is the god of trade and commerce. His priests are strong advocates of the Three Virtues of Trade: Honesty, Charity, and Prudence. With these virtues in mind, any trade becomes fair and good trade for both parties. Most merchants claim to be followers of the teachings of Cha Za, but as many people know, this is certainly not the case. Many merchants seek to fill their own pockets, and priests of Cha Za do not condone such activities.
The main temple of Cha Za is located in Adan, a major trading hub for Lodoss. There are other major temples in Roid, Alan, Dragon Scale, and Raiden, with smaller shrines in other cities and towns where major trade routes pass. Unlike with other temples, training of aspiring priests may take place at any of the major temples.
Priests of Cha Za are a bit more relaxed and fun loving than priests of other orders. They are also known for dressing far more richly than other clerics. This is not to say they live it up, but rather, the priests of Cha Za understand that to live life well you must live life to its fullest. Despite the finery a Cha Za priest often wears, they should be be willing to donate their jewels and gold to those in need of charity. Their style of dress also gives deserving merchants more business by employing seamstresses, goldsmiths, silk traders, and other members of the fashion industry.
The most common spells employed by priests of Cha Za are called "Luck" and "Rack". Luck is a blessing of good fortune, which boosts the target's luck. Rack is one of the few curse spells used by priests of light and is the inverse of luck. Both are employed to help the fair or harm cheaters. Cha Za priests are also known for blessing items and weapons to boost the luck of the person carrying it.
UniformCha Za priests do not have a uniform. However, they do have a preference for white robes or dresses and jewelry. Many Cha Za priests may be quite fashionable.
Priest of Rada
Rada is the God of wisdom and knowledge. He is the patron god of the arts, and loved by all who have the creative gifts. His priests and followers are outspoken advocates of peace, and believe in total non-violence, and his priests must take a vow of non-violence upon initiation. Priests of Rada do know defensive spells, but only those which incapacitate or otherwise dissuade attackers (Sleep, Daze, or other such spells).
Priests of Rada are generally highly intelligent, well-learned individuals who prize knowledge and art above all. They are renowned teachers and their schools are open to all, offering an unprecedented educational opportunity for both children and adults.
UniformAll Rada priests are given simple, plain robes in white, but they are free to dress how they please. Most Rada priests prefer dressing simply and conservatively and put little concern into their appearance.
Holy Priests | Unholy Priests
