Ezra is Lawful Neutral, as is the majority of clergy in the Home Faith. The majority alignments of the clergy in the other sects are Lawful Good in Mordent, True Neutral in Dementlieu, and Lawful Evil in Darkon.[1][2][4] Individual priests are not required to adopt the alignment most prevalent to the sect they come from.[4]
The title of Warden represents an anchorite who is a wanderer who performs Ezra's will outside of a given temple hierarchy. The title of Toret represents an anchorite working at or founding a temple of less renown in a community. Sentires lead temples of major influence, and the four Bastions are the four leaders of the major sects of the Church. The Praesidius is the religious leader of the entire church.[3][11]
History
The religion originated through the prophecies of one man, Yakov Dilisnya. At the age of 25 a horseback riding accident left him delirious for five days, at the end of which he recovered and penned the First Book of Ezra. Over the next few years he displayed increasingly miraculous powers, but gained few followers until he left his native Mordent for the newly formed Borca. There he convinced his young half-sister Camille to help finance the construction of the Great Cathedral, and set about making many more converts. According to the history set forth by "S" in the fourth volume of the Doomsday Gazetteers, Yakov cemented Camille's cooperation by depicting the Church as an effective tool for social manipulation.[12]
When one of Camille's tantrums led to Yakov's death, it led to a schism in the church. Camille's fear of fanatic reprisal led to an apology in the form of a statue of Yakov for the cathedral, but she privately demanded that the church avoid fomenting rebellion. The question as to whether the Church ought to accept demands from an earthly ruler--and a corrupt one at that--caused Felix Wachter to separate himself with a small group of like-minded faithful and return to Mordent.[13] There he penned the Second Book of Ezra. The controversy and split would later become known as the First Schism.[13] The Rite of Revelation was later developed to handle future schisms by separating genuine divine revelations from mere heresy.[4]
The rift between the two sects eventually healed[13], but when wandering anchorite Joan Secousse entered the new domain of Dementlieu, another rift occurred, eventually leading to another book. Secousse had discovered Ste. Mere des Larmes, an abandoned cathedral dedicated to Ezra that nevertheless predated the entire church to date. Secousse penned the revelations she received from her study of the cathedral, and a new sect was born.[14]
684 BC - Yakov moves to Borca[16], and convinces Camille to support the church, mostly on the basis that the the religion would serve as a useful tool to control the masses. Camille's support includes financial backing for the Great Cathedral of Levkarest[17]
685 BC - Construction begins on the Great Cathedral of Levkarest. The Church of Ezra is spreading across Borca.[13]
698 BC - Camille Dilisnya holds the Dinner of Death.[21][22] Yakov Dilisnya is among those poisoned by Camille. Blame upon her for the murder of their leader spreads far and wide among Ezra's faithful. Borca's streets erupt in open violence. Under advice, Camille quells the riots by building a monument to Yakov on church grounds and demonstrating great acts of (apparent) mourning.[13]
709 BC - Following the creation of the Third Book of Ezra in Dementlieu, local attention in Souragne turns to a Book of Ezra Ti-Maman is supposedly writing.[25]
There are four sects of the Ezran religion, though some followers expect a final fifth.
The four sects are the Home Faith in Borca, the Pure Hearts in Mordentshire[35], the Erudites in Dementlieu and the Zealots in Darkon.
Beliefs and Practices
As one might expect, Ezra's true nature is a subject of contention among the different sects, congregations, and theologians of the Church. However, the general consensus among major traditions is that she was once a mortal woman, whom offered up her life as sacrifice to the Mists in order to protect the people in the face of rampant evil in the world.[2] Her followers venerate her for her role in protection and healing of her people<[1], though her followers recognize that she cannot save those who do not accept her in spirit[2].
Ezra's church is called upon to help and defend the diseased, the injured, and those in danger[1], though Ezra's prerogatives are interpreted differently by the four different sects.[2] Although proselytizing, the Home Faith tends to its flock while dermarcating and excluding nonbelievers without too much concern for their fate.[36] Both the Mordentish Sect and the Nevuchar Springs Sect belief strongly in conversion, though it is only the latter that believes in conversion by the sword.[35] Another difference between the Mordentish and Nevuchar Springs sects is of focus. The Mordentish sect focuses the most on promoting Good in the faith's name[35], whereas the Nevuchar Springs Sect places the most emphasis on destroying the Legions of the Night- for all tempters and abominations in their ranks must be purged from the world.[37] The mystically inclined, True Neutral sect of Dementlieu is more inwardly focused, fulfilling Ezra's wishes by diligently studying esoteric knowledge related to who and what she was.[2]
Worship services meet every five days[1][3] at noon and contain both hymns and sermons.[3] During these services, church goers are required to don white clothing.[1] Beyond these generalizations, church procedures, rituals, and practices may vary from sect to sect and even from domain to domains. Worshipers from one sects are welcome to attend churches of another sect, but differences in church practices may unnerve said visiting worshipers.[1]
n the time before, in a land cloaked in Mists, there was a woman, and She was Ezra.
Ezra was a healer of the sick and protector of the weak. Such was Her lot in life. Such was Her role in the grand scheme. Ezra took pride in the role Fate had given Her. Her duty was Her joy.
For many years, Ezra healed the lame and watched over Her people. Yet as time went on, Ezra began to see the Hollow. From the Mists of Death came horrors of the night. They were the drinker of blood and the stealer of breath and the beast that rends. Many were their legions. Many were the roles played by darkness in the Grand Scheme.
Ezra knew that Death would come for Her, as it comes to all in time. When Ezra entered the Gray Land, there would be no guardian to fill Her role. There would be no one to stand between Her people and the Legions of the Night.
Ezra set forth on a quest to find a guardian for Her people. She sought the One Pure Heart who would assume Her role. Ezra sought for the One Pure Heart in many lands, but ever did She seek in vain.
In time, Her quest brought Ezra to the end of all things. Behind Ezra stretched all the lands of the world. Before Ezra rose only the Mists of Death.
Ezra spoke to the Mists. Asked She, “The world is yours. You set its shape. Why do you allow its people to wander, lost and afraid?” But the Mists did not answer.
Again Ezra spoke. “Why have you filled your world with the Legions of the Night?” Yet the Mists would not answer.
A third time did Ezra speak. “All things have their role in the Grand Scheme. The Legions of the Night have their place, but Guardians and Guides have their roles in turn.” Still the Mists offered no reply.
Ezra spoke once more. “I have searched all the vastness of your lands, but I have found no Guardians for My people. I have found no Guides for the lost.” Again the Mists were silent.
For the last time did Ezra speak. “You have failed the Grand Scheme. You have created a Hollow that must be filled. If you will not watch over your people, then that task falls to me.” Upon the fifth entreaty did the Mists of Death reply.
From the Mists came a Voice, and the Voice spoke, saying, “Turn back, Mortal. You know nothing of the Grand Scheme. You know nothing of the Mists. You have reached the end of Your world. Continue and You shall find only Your destruction, nothing more.”
Yet Ezra held fast against the Mists, saying, “You cannot bid Me enter, yet I cannot turn away. I offer Myself to you so that you may know the suffering of My People. If I must be destroyed for them, then that is what must be.” The Mists of Death fell silent.
Then the Voice spoke once more. “Enter the Mists if You must, Mortal, but not as You are. Your kind has no place here. To enter the Mists, You must become as one with the Mists. Never again shall You leave them. Will You forever sacrifice Yourself to watch over these few mortals?”
Spoke Ezra, “Such is My role in the Grand Scheme. So must it be.” And with these words did Ezra become Our Guardian in the Mists.
689 BC - Franklin Tennyson, Ezrite missionary, comes to Souragne.[18]
