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.
Organisational Structure
Hierarchy of the Iron Faith
The Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist") commands the Iron Faith across the known world.
The Pave for Nova Vaaa commands the Iron Faith across Nova Vaasa and the Pave for Hazlan commands the Iron Faith across Hazlan.
Four Aerkebiskop command the Iron Faith in four Nova Vaasan regions and four Aerkebiskop command the Iron Faith in four Hazlani regions.
One Biskop commands the Iron Faith in each dommer.
One Kontor commands the Iron Faith in each fane, leading the actual rites of worship.
Orders of the Iron Faith
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.
Iron Obedience
Within the Church proper low ranks do as they are commaned by higher ranks. Rebellion against the order of one's better is treason.
Orders have their own internal hierarchy. Beyond this, they and their members answer to only to the Pave of their land and the Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist").
Personnel of the Iron Faith
The Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist") commands the Iron Faith across the known world from the Black Citadel-Fane in Kantora
Himmelsk Naeve Pieter Jergaar, male, Clr16
The Pave of Nova Vaasa commands the Iron Faith across Nova Vaasa from the Crimson Citadel-Fane in Bergovitsa
Pave Lod Ragnaar, male, Clr13
The Aerkebiskop of Arbora
Aerkebiskop Bearnt Chekiv, male, Clr7
Aerkebiskop of Kantora
Aerkebiskop Mathias Bolshnik, male, ?
Aerkebiskop of ?
?
Aerkebiskop of ?
?
The Pave of Hazlan commands the Iron Faith across Hazlan from the Iron Citadel-Fane outside of Toyalis
Pave Stavroz Vatsisk, male, Clr12
Previously Pave Haakon Aramsen, male, Clr15, LE
Aerkebiskop of Sly-Var
Aerkebiskop Melkior Vadnais, male, Clr8
Aerkebiskop of Toyalis
Aerkebiskop Verzin Lols, male, Clr10
Aerkebiskop of ?
?
Aerkebiskop of ?
?
Notes
Each Aerkebiskop commands the Iron Faith across a region. The Aerkebiskop of Arbora, a Chekiv, probably commands the Iron Faith across the Pommel Duchy of the Chekiv family. Likewise, the Aerkebiskop of Kantora, a Bolishnik, probably governs the Iron Faith across the Heartland Duchy of the Bolshnik family. More speculatively, the other two Nova Vaasan aerkebiskop are probably of Liara and Bergovitsa. The divison of Nova Vaasan territory between them is even more speculative. The Aerkebiskop of Liara would assuredly command, at a minimum, the Iron Faith across the Borchava Duchy of the Hiregaard family and likely be a Hiregaard. The aerkebiskop of Bergovitsa would probably command the Iron Faith across the Altid Duchy of the Vistin family and Ivlis Duchy of the the Rivtoff, giving the two families all the more reason to fight for control of Begovitsa.
Additional responsibility is possibly assigned to aerkebiskops. The Aerkebiskop of Liara might also be in charge of the Iron Faith in Tepest. The Aerkebiskop of Begovitsa might also be in charge of the Iron Faith in Barovia or the West. The Aerkebiskop of Aroba or Kantora might also be in charge of the Iron Faith on the islands of the Nocturnal Sea. Alternatively, these responsibilities may fall to biskops or be retained by the office of the ("Divine Fist").
The additional two aerkebiskops in Hazlan and the division of Hazlani territory among them is not clear in the least. There will not be an Aerkebiskop of Ramulai. No places in existence has a mission more opposed to the message of the message of The Lawgiver than a town built to host a school of arcane magic. Aerkebiskops assigned alone ethnic lines would result in an unacceptible overlapping of responsibilities with the Aerkebiskops of Sly-Var and Toyalis. Perhaps an Aerkebiskop of Western Hazlan responsible for all that lies west of the immediate vicinity of the Toyalis and an Aerkebiskop of Eastern Hazlan responsible for all that lies east of the immediate vicinity of the Toyalis and outside the vicinity of Sly-Var.
Haakon Aramsen is tentatively being deemed to be the former Pave of Hazlan. 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: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6847. Its resolution is being discussed in the thread. His death, from natural causes given his advance age, would tie things up neatly. His disappearance, without a trace, would make for a good hook.
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 Bergovitsa 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 Toyalis 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
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Ravenloft Third Edition |
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Ravenloft Third Edition - p52 | |
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Ravenloft Third Edition - p54 | |
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Secrets of the Dread Realms - p46 | |
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The Iron Tyrant |
