It's a Story

Letters are a big part of this game... it's pretty much the only way to interact, in character, without being in front of someone.  The IC/OOC divide strains because IC letters arrive as OOC email, and often, people will want to send responses quickly.  However, in nine months (wow) of game time, we've largely worked this out, with new people either inquiring as to how messages work or picking it up from IC conversations or checking the wiki.

One thing that seems to confuse some people, however, are the Greens.  They view them either as a medieval email server or as a network of spies, neither of which are entirely accurate.  Instead, I would like to use the Greens as an example of how Lloegyr works when you're not looking.

When you send a message, I assume it arrives by the Greens.  If you want to send it by some other method, you better have some other method bought and paid for on your sheets... otherwise, your message has just gotten the storytellers attention.  Not sending a message through the Greens is like refusing to use the postal service or UPS/FedEx for your mail: sure, maybe you don't want one of those organizations handling your mail, but how are you going to send it?  Unless you have a named messenger or some sort of holding that can be used for such a thing, I assume that the message travels by the Greens.

And most of the time, nothing happens.  The Greens are good at their jobs, and they hold a place in the world.

But when something happens, it's not that there's a network of spies or a plot device.  What I do is I take a character, either PC or NPC, and they do something.  There's named Greens out there... you've met some of them at game.  They have fears and desires and flaws and virtues like any other characters.  And sometimes a message ends up in their hands.

Every letter is a story, and the Greens are part of that story.  I understand that your character might not want the storyteller messing with any of his or her letters.  Understandable... but how important is it to your character?  Is it more important than that +1 to hitting something with your sword, or convincing someone that you're not lying?  Because there are characters out there who are trying to do things, and sometimes they come into conflict, and my job as a storyteller is to resolve what happens when one character comes into conflict with another, and be fair about it... not to minimize the opportunities for these conflicts and stories to occur.

A lot goes on with the Greens, and with letters in general.  It's no so hard to keep a particular message from falling into the wrong hands... reserve that effort for when it's important, and when it's not, enjoy the story.

Orders of Arim, Part III - Specialized Orders

The Faith of Arim is a massive organization, and most priests are quite different from the stereotypical white-robed preacher seeing to the masses.  A tremendous number of different duties maintain, promote and facilitate the functioning of the largest religion in the world.  In Tiber, the Faith resembles a far more advanced organization, with a bureaucracy that dwarves even the most complex Merovian structures, and this bureaucracy is reflected by the specialized orders that make up the bulk of the Faith's clergy.

A specialized order exists because the Faith needed it.  The Golds exist because the Faith needed soldiers, while the Greens exist because the Faith needed messengers.  Gradually, their roles expand or contract, but in all cases, a specialized order consists of priests who serve the faith in some world manner.  This is not to say they are not faithful, nor to dismiss the sacraments they offer.  However, to a Green priest, the primary duty is not to see to the sacraments, but to deliver messages securely.  Their vows ensure their loyalty and allow them to see to each other's sparks.  But their training is vastly different than a White or a Blue's.

A priest of a specialized order only administers sacraments to others of his or her order.  A Drab priest, for example, has no right or ability to see to the penance of a Black priest, or even a commoner.  Their vows vary, but generally there is not a prohibition against marriage or property, as much as there simply is no time for it: a messenger has no time for a spouse, and if they did, they would likely not rise up through the ranks of the messengers.  Further, they resemble priests less than others of their profession... a gold appears to be a warrior, a yellow, a Wahlan noble.

The most numerous of the specialized orders are Order of the Broke Sword, also called the Golds.  The Golds were founded far to the east in the early days of the Faith, before it had been consolidated around Timber, and its founder, St Benjamin, is still the matter of much conjecture and legend.  To hear the Golds speak of him, he was a contemporary of the original three Archons, but most scholars assert he was a warlord (probably from Ravar) who led a small kingdom in the early days of the Faith.  That kingdom fell, but his soldiers travelled to Timber, and have guarded the holy places ever since.  There are many legends of him and St Sylvia the Black, and they may have been contemporaries, but even the most stubborn scholar will admit there are things the Faith does not know about its past.

Today, the Golds serve as the martial arm of the Faith.  They are purely defensive in nature, as most kings and nobles become very uncomfortable about a standing army in their midsts.  The golds are the most diverse of all the priesthoods, as they take nearly anyone who is willing to arm a post.  They also are a refuge for criminals, as taking a mantle absolves one of previous sins.  However, the peasantry form the single largest recruiting source for the order... they are always well fed and live in warm cathedrals, so it is an attractive life for a strong youth who doesn't want to work the fields from sunrise to sundown.

The other commonly encountered specialized order is the Order of the Wooden Road, or the Greens, which was founded by a Kraki priest named Krunna.  St Krunna was something of a thug but also an excellent rider... legend has it that she was also quite cunning and something of a trickster.  Very early, she fell in with Blue priests who had came to the Kraki, and started serving them as a guide and a messenger.  Her skill with words is legendary in Kraki lands, who consider her their patron saint, but most famously, she recruited others of her country to help her coordinate between the warring Kraki tribes of the time.  Her organization was so useful it spread to Merovia and later to Lloegyr, until it proved so vital that event the Tiberians had to concede the use of this distinctively Northern order.

The Greens were originally messengers of the church, but early on they realized the value of reliable messengers protected by the Faith.  They are the singular reason correspondence is so prevalent in the North (and that correspondence has had a dramatic effect on the demographics of the region over the centuries).  Anyone can use a Green, who are sworn never to reveal the contents of any of their messages.  Still, they are just men and women, and rumors of corruption occasionally bubble up.  This doesn't damage their utility: they are the only messenger service in existence: if you don't have your own messenger, then you simply have to use a Green.

The Order of the Last Retreat is a silent order, known as the Drabs, who were muted charcoal cloaks and are sworn never to speak to the living, except for each other.  The disciples of St Thomas, they are full of secrets and no one knows their origins (although they are believed to be Tiberian, and centuries old).  They exist for one purpose: they see to funerary rites amongst the Faithful.  They collect and prepare bodies for cremation, in silent vigil, whispering to the flesh as they check to make sure the spark is let out and no lingering elements of corruption remain.  While occasional rumors of necromancy invariably circulate, there is little founding to them... sometimes having secrets and mystery is merely a side-effect of unwavering devotion and a little too much time spent around dead bodies.

The last specialized order known to Lloegyr is only a decade old, known as the Order of the Western Sun, or the Yellows.  They are Wahlan in nature, and known to follow St Nella... which is, coincidentally, the name of the founder of the Onellon clan.  Their purpose is seemingly to advise other Wahlan nobles, and they occupy a particular place in their nobility... slowly becoming more and more involved in politics as the Faith of Arim takes hold in that nation.  But there is one notable element about them: rumors (mostly unfounded) say that every yellow priest has some capability for magic.  

Orders of Arim, Part II - Cloistered Orders

While most common folk will encounter a member of the Open Orders, and these are by far the most numerous, the cloistered orders probably form the spiritual core of the Faith.  Whereas the Open Orders deal only with administering the sacraments, and the Specialized Orders focus on particular tasks, the Cloistered Orders maintain the theology of the Faith, essentially defining what it means to be part of the Faith of Arim, and how the Faith functions in the world.

A Cloistered Order is defined as an order who can administer sacraments to any Mantled priest (but not Brethren or common folk).  They also forsake personal property and relations.  However, they are best known for their lifestyles: they generally live with others of their Order, devoted to a particular purpose, and often have little or no contact with the outside world.  Instead, they focus on their studies, researching and investigating esoteric knowledge, and offering vital insight to the Faith as a whole.

The single most important Cloistered Order, and also the the least likely to be encountered, is the Order of the Ancient Tome, also called the Browns.  Founded by St Barnabas, one of the original three Archons, they are (along with with the Whites and the Blues) one of the three oldest Orders of the Faith.  It is said that when Gregor, Jomar, and Barnabas brought the Faith to Timber, it was Barnabas' idea, for he was the one who wanted access the ancient libraries of that city to write his canon.  This canon is known to all the Faithful, for St Barnabas is the author of the Book of Names... it is he who collected all the ancient and holy gospels and legends, and created the first holy tome in the history of the Faith.

Today, the Browns are a small order, but their place remains vital.  They are the ones who produce the actual Books of Names, dutifully copying the tome over and over again.  However, they are also the experts on canon law and dogma, and the authoritative sources on what is or is not heretical.  They live lives in small monasteries, far away from the corrupt world, and are rarely visited, except by other priests, and the occasional Green who comes to pick up some new copies of the Book of Names.

In contrast, the Order of the Hidden Names (the Blacks) are much better known, by the nature of their duty.  Whereas the Browns focus on ancient legends and histories, the Blacks focus on the occult, and strange phenomenon found throughout the world.  They seek to understand the work of the Daemurg and demons and other supernatural events, so that they can both reconcile them with the Faith, and learn to combat them in the future.  While they often keep to their libraries, they also do field work, and are often known for their investigative abilities.

The Blacks were founded by St Sylvia, who was one of the first priests to convert the Tets and Burgens in ancient days.  Predating what we now consider Merovia, the Blacks were long associated with the four Dukedoms, as St Sylvia was known as a counselor to kings, and her counsel was highly valued for her insight into pagan practices.  The highest concentration of Blacks is still in Merovia (particularly in Burgen and Naever), but their dark reputation has spread far and wide, and they are often valued as advisors due to the belief they know some bits of folklore and magic that could give ruler an edge over his or her rivals.  St Sylvia herself was believed to be martyred on a mission to Ravar... it would be hundreds of years before that area would convert.

While the Blacks are well-known, in the North, the most commonly encountered Cloistered Order are the Order of the Sacred Cup, the Purples.  Their purpose is a bit strange... they trace their founding back to St Adrian the King, who was an ancient king of a hall that is between Vexspar and Krakspar in what is now Kraki.  Adrian founded the Order after abandoning the crown to his son, and vowing to keep the ways of his people alive in this new faith.  As such, the stated purpose is the preservation of the Dragon Relics... remains of the ancient faith of the North.  However, in practice, the order has a far more particular purpose: the practice of medicine.

The Dragon Relics allow the Purples to practice alchemy, along with a number of other academic studies, which have proven valuable for healing, and over the centuries their purpose has shifted toward healing, with the preservation of the relics being secondary.  They are also probably the least centralized of the Cloistered Orders, preferring personal exchanges of knowledge in a network of priests, as opposed to centering their studies around strongholds.  This is, of course, due to the nature of their niche: they need to be where the sick are.

Orders of Arim, Part II - Open Orders

The most vital duty of the Arimite clergy is the administration of Sacraments, and thus the most vital of Mantled Orders are the Open Orders, who deliver the Sacraments to the masses.  To date, three Saints have become known as Archons by initiating Open Orders, and these three Orders form the public face of the Faith of Arim.

First and foremost, there is the Order of the Heavy Mantle, who are also called the Whites.  When a commoner thinks of the Faith of Arim, they almost certainly think of the Whites.  The local abbot who runs the village church, the Vicar of a major town, and the Bishop of a great city are all always Whites, who are tied to a particular geographic place in a very specific hierarchy.  They also administer the lands and holdings of the Faith, and have a significant amount of political power.  The Primate is almost always a White (with the recent exception of Augda, who was actually of the Black mantle).

The Whites were founded almost a thousand years ago, and are believed to have been the Browns believe they were the first Mantled Order.  Along with the Browns and the Blues, they are considered an Ancient Order, meaning their founding is apocryphal.  However, it is agreed that they were founded by St Gregor, first of the Archons, who knew Arim when the latter had clothed himself in flesh (it is tradition, but not canon, that the Archons each have had a personal vision of Arim).  St Gregor, along with St Barnabas and his cousin St Jomar, were said to have brought the Faith of Arim to the city of Tiber, and established the worship as we know it today.  In particular, St Gregor is said to have formalized the Sacraments, and the rituals and liturgy used today are called the Gregorian Protocols, for the man who wrote them down.

It should be noted that White organize slightly differently than other Orders... due to their numbers, they have multiple Bishops within a Primacy (essentially, the Primate functions as the "Bishop of Bishops" within a geographic area).  With in the Primacy of Lloegyr, there are six Dioceses: Caerlot (which is always administered by the Primate), Kenton (with parishes in Merleton and the surrounding villages), Timber (which had a parish in Roost), Lothan (with parishes in Senton and the surrounding villages), Lamark (which included Bessex and the entire Lamar peninsula), and Farpont (responsible for the entire Eastern Shore).

In contrast to the Whites, who are geographically tied, the Order of the Sublime Sea, or Blues, spread far and wide, but have few really bases of operation.  An order of proselytizers, their function is to travel into areas that do not yet tend their sparks, and convert them.  They are remarkably good at what they do: they are universally affable people, both likable and respectful, who possess a number of valuable and rare skills as well as an unshakeable faith.  Their modus operandi is to enter an area and live amongst a foreign people... learning their ways while merely demonstrating their own faith.  Through the strength of their character, they typically earn a few converts... who promptly learn to read, write, and gain superior trade craft in a field like medicine.  Most villages that encounter a Blue are turned within three years; the entire culture of the Wahla (the most recent converts to the Faith) gave up their old ways in less than ten years.

The Blues, like the Whites, trace their roots back to one of Arim's original three Archons, St Jomar.  Whereas the nature of the other two Ancient Archons means that there is a fair bit of evidence for their existence, the acts of St Jomar are completely shrouded in legend.  She is the one who was charged with the conversion of the Tiberians and actually gaining an audience for St Gregor's sermons.  He was already an old woman at the the time of the legendary Tiberian mission, and numerous local legends around the world claim a visit from her in her younger days.

The last Open Order is more recent, a development that came about in Southern Merovia several centuries ago through the work St Franna of Cutane (St Franna is considered the patron saint of Cutane, coincidentally).  The Order of the Unending Walk, or the Roses, wear pink mantles and eschew any sort of home, but rather bring the Sacraments to individuals who may not be part of a parish.  In areas with larger stretches of land, the Roses are absolutely vital, and they are also called upon to administer the Sacraments to travelers in lands where Arim has no permanent presence.  Generally, they serve as an alternative to the White mantles when establishing a church is not necessarily feasible.  They are relatively rare in Lloegyr, and are generally known only in Wahla, when there were no existing temples appropriate to the Sacraments already in existence.  

Orders of Arim, Part I - Mantled Orders

The Faith of Arim has grown around the acts of Saints... individuals of legendary devotion to the Faith who, in their piety, see to the prosperity of the faithful and the proper care of their Sparks.  These saints are generally of two sorts... Heroes of the Faith, which include martyrs and others who have done great deeds that the Primate of Tiber choose to recognize, and the Archons, who found a Mantled Order.

The priesthood of the Faith exists for a single purpose: to attend to the Quality of Mercy through the Seven Sacraments.  These Sacraments are the core of the faith: the reason Arim created the priesthood was to see that the Spark received the proper attention.  However, there are only a handful of priests that actually see to the Sacraments... the vast majority of priests serve some special function within the sprawling organization that is the Faith of Arim.  These functions require specific study, which is why all priests of Arim take a mantle... it denotes what their function is, and how they fit into the Faith's hierarchy.

Of note are the "Gray Mantles" which are not actually part of an order.  All those who join the Faith are Gray Mantles (called Brethren) until they join a Mantled Order.  Nearly half of all priests, however, are Gray Mantles, and they fulfill the vital functions associated with day-to-day tasks... these range from cleaning the altars to tending the gardens to manual labor to caring for orphans.  Generally, if there is an unskilled task to be performed, Gray Mantles do it.

However, Gray Mantles are not Mantled, and therefore suffer no restrictions on their behavior.  By the same token, they are not allowed to administer the Sacraments in any manner.  Instead, this privilege happens after an individual receives the Sacrament of Mantling, which creates them as a mantled priest. This (typically) requires them to give up all worldly ties (i.e. Status and marriage).  In return, they receive the ability to administer the Sacraments, and become Abbots (Status (Religion - Arim) 2)... which allows them to direct any Gray Mantle they might encounter.

Mantled Priests exist in a particular hierarchy, where Abbots answer to Vicars of their Mantled Order (and only their Order), Vicars answer to Bishops (who are generally the highest ranking individual in an Order in a given area), and all priests answer to a single Primate (who alone has the ability to command all members of the Faith).   There are exceptions... generally the Order of the Heavy Mantle (called the Whites) have multiple Bishops in a single Primacy (as Whites are the most numerous order, and most tied to particular locations).  Further, there are rarely enough priests of the Sublime Sea (called the Blues) to justify a Bishop in any given Primacy, as they spend most of their time abroad.  However, the import an thing to understand is that a White Bishop and a Black Abbot do not answer to each other... they have their own chains of command that lead to the Primate.

There are four different kinds of Mantled Orders... each will be described in a subsequent entry.

• Open Orders include the Whites, the Blues, and the Roses.  These are the only Orders that can administer the sacraments to the unmantled (and as such, they are the most common).  Priests of Open Orders almost always display their colors, and are easily identifiable as priests due to the nature of their calling.
• Cloistered Orders include the Blacks, the Browns, and the Purples.  They are different from the Specialized and Hidden Orders in that they can administer the Sacraments to any Mantled Priests (but not Brethren or common folk) and that they have to forsake personal property and relations.  Generally, they focus on esoteric knowledge (such as the Blacks and the Occult, or the Purples and the body).  
• Specialized Orders include the Golds, the Greens, the Yellows, and the Drab.  The difference between a Cloistered Order and a Specialized Order is that priests of Specialized Orders cannot administer sacraments to anyone outside their own Order, even Mantled Priests of a different Order.  They generally have a very particular function (for example, the Golds are guards, the Greens are messengers).  
• Hidden Orders include the Reds and the Silvers.  These Orders are invisible and their membership secret (to the extent that they may actually hold Status outside of the Faith).  They have very particular roles that require their identities to remain unknown.