Church of the Lawgiver

Doctrine

Domination

Domains

Bindings, Death, Evil, Law, Scrutiny

SPECULATION on political situation

The Church of the Lawgiver has a far tighter grip on affairs that matter to it in Nova Vaasa than Prince Othmar Bolshnik imagines. And it is willing to bolster his authority precisely to the extent that the result is a strengthening of its own position. The leaders of the Church would be threatened by the reincarnation of Sainted Prince Gorkyn. What they see in Othmar is rather a whelp that can be made into a reliable watchdog with sufficient time and sufficient bones.

The situation of the Church in Hazlan is far more complex and far less satisfying. The reception of the Lawgiver's message among the Hazlani could hardly have gone better. Rich and poor, slaver and slave, Mulan and Rashemani all found a great deal in the doctrine to take to heart. And perhaps the satraps appointed by Hazlik to govern in his sted benefitted from it most of all. But bloodless success left the Church in the extraordinarily uncomfortable position of blessing the authority of an individual that it finds contemptible in nigh every respect. Worse, just as Hazlik madly tore up the law in his land forbidding the practice by others of arcane magic in his land, he could wake up tomorrow and ban religion. Sainted Prince Gorkyn could be trusted to make the most of such an invitation to invasion. Othmar Bolshnik might well ignore it as a distraction from his scheming with lawless rabble or, worse, might well be defeated in Hazlan and overthrown at home. So the Church of the Lawgiver counts the days until death claims the aged and despised wizard, all too well aware that such powerful individuals rarely go easily or quickly.

Hierarchy

The Church of the Lawgiver is led by a Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist")
One Pave for Nova Vaasa and one Pave for Hazlan serve the 'Himmelsk Naeve
One Aerkebiskop per region for a total of four in Hazlan, and likewise four in Nova Vaasa, serves the respective Pave.
One Biskop per dommerserves an Aerkebiskop.
One Kontor presides over each fane, leading the actual rites of worship.

Hierarchy

The Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist") rules the Iron Floak across the known world from the Black Citadel-Fane in Kantora

Himmelsk Naeve Pieter Jergaar, male, Clr16

The Pave of Nova Vaasa rules the Iron Floak across Nova Vaasa from the Crimson Citadel-Fane in Bergovista

Pave Lod Ragnaar, male, Clr13

4 Aerkebiskops each rule one of four geographical regions of the Iron Floak across Nova Vaasa

Aerkebiskop of Arbora

Aerkebiskop Bearnt Chekiv, male, Clr7

Aerkebiskop of Kantora

Aerkebiskop Mathias Bolshnik, male, ?

The Pave of Hazlan rules the Iron Faithful across Hazlan from the Iron Citadel-Fane outside of Toyalis

Pave Stavroz Vatsisk, male, Clr12

4 Aerkebiskops each rule one of four geographical regions of the Iron Floak across Hazlan

Aerkebiskop Melkior Vadnais, male, Clr8, Sly-Var
Aerkebiskop Verzin Lols, male, Clr10, Toyalis

The present hierarchy:

Himmelsk Naeve Pieter Jergaar, male, Clr16, Kantora

  Pave Lod Ragnaar, Pave of Nova Vaasa, male, Clr13, Bergovitsa

     Aerkebiskop Bearnt Chekiv, male, Clr7, Arbora

     Aerkebiskop Mathias Bolshnik, male, ?, Kantora

  Pave Stavroz Vatsisk, Pave of Hazlan, male, Clr12, Toyalis

      Aerkebiskop Melkior Vadnais, male, Clr8, Sly-Var

      Aerkebiskop Verzin Lols, male, Clr10, Toyalis

Recently retired or deceased hierarchs:

Pave Haakon Aramsen, male, Clr15, LE, Toyalis

Note: Haakon Aramsen is 'tentatively' being listed as being dead. He is described as being the leader of the Hazlani Church of the Lawgiver (Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I, p53). But Pave Stavroz Vatsisk is described as being the Pave of Hazlan not once but twice: first in Authority Figures insert for Toyalis (Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I, p60); and second several years later in the Hierarchy and Terminology section for the Church of the Lawgiver (Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V, p127).

This was an editoral error: See http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6847.

Its resolution is being discussed in the above thread."

Orders

'Kunduktørs (“Guardians”) are a monastic order who tend to the dead, take vows of silence, and study the nature of death in the search for understanding of universal and eternal law. Hazlani Kunduktørs spawned the heresy that the Great Upheaval marked the destruction of the Lawgiver, draining the faith and its rites of life.

Gudkædes ("God-chains") are the marshal order sworn to the defence of the Church and the destruction of its enemies. They are not quite the force that they once were, for want of occasion to exercise their strength.

'Jernspørgsmålers ("Iron Inquisitors") are the fire fighters of the church, extinguishing the lives of heretics and traitors. They creep into every corner of the institution, often donning the cloth of their prey.

Didakti ("Teachers") are the fire inspectors of the church, ever seeking and testing flaws and weaknesses of character or of reasoning that could be the fuel or the spark of heresy or treason. They work closely with the Jernspørgsmålers, but are far more given to pondering the descent into, and nature of, iniquity.

Orders have their own internal hierarchy and are answerable only to the Pave of their land and the Himmelsk Naeve himself.

Members of the orders

Johan Bolshnik, Jernspørgsmåler ("Iron Inquisitor"), male, Clr3/Rog1, Kantora

Heresies

• The Great Upheaval marked the destruction of The Lawgiver, draining the Iron Faith and its rites of life. This heresy was spawned among Hazlani Kunduktørs ("Guardians"). The breadth of its acceptance among this order is unknown, but undoubtably continues to be under investigation by Jernspørgsmålers ("Iron Inquisitors") and Didakti ("Teachers").

Heretics

Lukas Duremke, male, Clr6, Arbora

Rites, Ceremonies, Holy Days

Spells are prayed for at highnoon, in the full-light of day, that the Lawgiver might see and weigh all.

Services are held nightly, after the working day has ended, with twice weekly attendance being expected at a minimum.

During the Day of Penance, on the first day of the New Year, the faithful are expected to undertake an accounting of their failings of the past year and prepare themselves to make a better showing in the year to come.

During the Celebration of the Reemergence, which recalls the end of the Great Upheaval and is held in August upon the first full moon, the Lawgiver is thanked for his return and his success in restoring to the world its proper order.

Seats of Authority

The Black Citadel-Fane in Kantora is the seat of the Himmelsk Naeve, currently x, who rules his charges across the known word.

The Crimson Citadel-Fane in Bergovista is the seat of the Pave of Nova Vaasa, currently Pave Lod Ragnaar, who rules his charges, under the direction of the Himmelsk Naeve, throughout Nova Vaasa.

The Iron Citadel-Fane outside of Toyalys is the seat of the Pave of Hazlan, currently Pave x, who rules his charges, under the distant direction of the Himmelsk Naeve, throughout Hazlan.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Ravenloft Third Edition Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V
		Ravenloft Third Edition - p52 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p53
		Ravenloft Third Edition - p54 Domains of Dread - p70 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p53,58, 59,60 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V -p38,39,40,128-130
		Secrets of the Dread Realms - p46 Ravenloft Third Edition - p17,2,122,134 Domains of Dread - pp67,70 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p52-54 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V- p32,38,125-130
		The Iron Tyrant The Black Lord The Iron Faith Bane