Holy Order

The Holy Order of the Spring, or Holy Order, is the dominant church on Urth. The current iteration of its philosophy is called Davism, though there are still scattered chuches of Old Believers who reject the Davite teachings - specifically its hatred of magic. Its followers are called Followers of the Spring, Davites, or Orderites.

History
The Order's history is shrouded in mystery, for its founding predates the written language. What is known has been passed down through oral tradition. In the beginning, the people of Urth were lawless and godless, slaughtering each other indiscriminately, living like animals with no concept of goodness or light. The Lord of the Springs was disgusted to look upon their brutality, but He saw their resemblance to Him and so He was merciful; He came to those people and gave them laws, raising them above the animals of the land and the sea. He taught them to worship Him, and by doing so gave them life eternal. From that day forth, the men of Urth were enlightened and began to build civilizations and societies.

All monarchs of Lithmore and most of its citizens were Followers of the Spring in the years leading up to the Consolidation. Indeed, the Holy Order was already the largest religious organization on Urth at that time. Every city in Lithmore and the surrounding kingdoms had a church or chapel dedicated to the Order, with at least one priest and, in larger municipalities, a bishop to herd each flock.

In 109, King Dav of Lithmore approached the Cardinals of the Order after the assassination of his family by mages. He charged them with beginning an Inquisition into the Heresy of Magic, naming the Cardinal of Lithmore "Grand Inquisitor" and giving him exclusive right to select worthy priests to bear the Inquisitorial ring. Within a year he had dedicated his champion, the Seneschal, into service in the Holy Order as the Earl Marshall. Strengthened by the might of the king's best warriors and the power he had granted them, the hierarchs of the Order executed their charge with fervor. They recognized in Dav the ability to give the Order power enough to utterly surpass those other faiths which had been permitted to exist alongside it. In exchange for their increased power, however, they would have to give away their independence: in 110, Dav would declare himself the Patriarch of the church, which meant he now outranked not only each of the Cardinals but even the Holy Synod itself. The Holy Order of the Spring altered the tenets of its faith into a philosophy now deemed Davite.

The Followers of the Spring nevertheless had no reservation as they began to execute their new charge. Soon, sermons sounded across the land decrying the use of magic. From the pulpits, the priests named those who used magic as heretics and threats to the True Faith - and Dav's pious knights acted on their denunciations. Those known as mages were arrested at once and tortured until they publicly renounced their abilities. Only then were they executed, either by hanging or burning at the stake.

The threat of magic is less immediate now, and so today's Order is less zealous than in those early days; public works are nearly as important as the eradication of magic. Yet Dav's charge is not forgotten. There remains a branch of the Order which is answerable only to the Grand Inquisitor and&nbsp which is focused on nothing save the Inquest. And none ever forget this branch. The almighty Inquisitor is feared by all - from highborn to lowly peasant - for with a single word they can bring the mighty arm of the Order and their fearsome Knights Knights Lithmorran crashing down upon a suspected heretic.

Nevertheless, for all that the Inquisitors are the most notorious members of the Order, the majority of its clergy are but common priests and priestesses tending to their flocks. They preach, give succor to the poor and destitute, and also arrange for the education of the nobility and those fortunate commoners able to pay for teaching. The Order also works closely with the Knights Lithmorran, and so people interested in joining the Knights should now seek information regarding the Order.

Members of the Order are easily identifiable by their skullcap (males) or wimple (females) denoting their affiliation.

Ranks
The ranks within the Holy Order are:
 * Patriarch/Matriarch - The leader of the Order and the voice of the Lord of the Springs on Urth. Dav was the first Patriarch; since then, the role has always been filled by the monarch of Lithmore.
 * Cardinal - An overseer and adviser to the Patriarch.
 * High Inquisitor - The highest judge of faith within the Order and the overseer of the Holy Inquisition.
 * Archbishop - The head of an archdiocese and a judge over religious matters.
 * Bishop - The head of a cathedral. Traditionally, also a diplomat and a political adviser to lords.
 * Inquisitor - A clergyman charged with conducting the Review of Faith.
 * Dean - An administrator in charge of tithe collection. Often a layperson.
 * Priest/Priestess - Holds mass and tends to the spiritual needs of the community.
 * Acolyte - Assists in ceremonial duties and mass. An acolyte has not yet taken holy vows
 * Abbot/Abbess - The head of a monastery. Celibate. Has a rank equal to that of a noble.
 * Monk/Nun - Lives a communal life in a monastery, devoting life to spiritual studies.
 * Friar - Serves the community and takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Patriarch
The Patriarch (or Matriarch) of the Davite Church is also the King or Queen of the Realm. When Dav first created the charter of the Holy Order, he himself in the role of the Patriarch led the crusade against magery in his kingdom. In the generations since, however, his descendants who have inherited the title have found their time more and more occupied with secular matters.

Today, the Patriarch has little to do with day-to-day Orderite politics, though he remains the ultimate authority in the Order in title and - if it comes down to it - in deed.

Cardinal
By both Canonical Law and Royal Charter, the Cardinal of Lithmore rules the Holy Order beneath the Patriarch. Each of the duchies is similarly led by a single cardinal. Each of these local cardinals is answerable only to the Cardinal of Lithmore and to the Patriarch; otherwise, he is the ultimate religious authority within his territory.

When a sitting Cardinal either dies or steps down, the bishops and archbishops within Lithmore or the appropriate duchy convene in a High Synod to choose his replacement from amongst their number.

Grand Inquisitor
The Grand Inquisitor of the Holy Order of Dav is the highest authority in the Holy Inquisition, though not in the Order itself. By tradition in recent years, the Grand Inquisitor has also been granted the seat of the Cardinal of Lithmore. As such, he oversees the administrative affairs of the Holy Order beneath the Patriarch and is the only Orderite authorized to grant the Inquisitorial ring and status to those clergy seeking that highest office.

Those accused of magery or heresy may appeal their case to the Grand Inquisitor, who thereafter decides to hear or dismiss their plea. The Grand Inquisitor is also the only individual who conduct a Review of Faith of a noble. It is worth noting that even he cannot Review a member of the royal family, as those who have the blood of Dav stand above those of less holy lineage.

Inquisitors
Inquisitors are members of the clergy who have been entrusted with an Inquisitorial ring and the duties that come with it. They undergo rigorous training and take special vows of loyalty to the Patriarch above and beyond those taken by other clergymen and women.

Inquisitors have vast power within the Order, and it is rare that anyone will refuse to cooperate with them for fear of the Review of Faith.

All those save members of the Royal Family may be reviewed, though only the Grand Inquisitor may Review nobility.

Inquisitors are selected from amongst those who have attained at least the rank of Priest, though most are at least a bishop when they are named. Regardless of their origins, Inquisitors have a social rank equal to that of the nobility.

Archbishops
There are fifteen archbishops within the Realm - three each for Tubor, Farin, Vavard, Vandago, and Lithmore. They serve the cardinal of their respective duchies. An archbishop is raised to his or her position during a gathering of a Synod.

One archbishop is always assigned to the capital city of the duchy, while the other two are assigned to two of the larger or more important cities. The only exception to this is Farin City, which still has an honorary archbishop in spite of the fact that the city is mostly uninhabited now.

Archbishops are of sufficient rank to bear an Inquisitorial ring and wear the color crimson. They are socially equivalent to a noble regardless of origins.

Bishop
Each city in the Realm has a resident bishop. Further, there are four itinerant bishops who roam the Realm; they provide counsel, support, and charity to those who do not live in cities and oversee priests who work outside of any particular diocese.

Bishops based in a city fall under the See of an archbishop. They are responsible for the spiritual guidance of other members of the Order. Further, they also frequently serve as religious counsels to the lords of the realm and often they act as diplomats to other realms.

Bishops are of sufficient rank to bear an Inquisitorial ring and wear the color crimson. They are socially equivalent to a noble regardless of their origins.

Priest
A priest is a member of the Holy Order who is fully ordained. He or she may hold Mass and serve the religious needs of his or her community as advisor and confessor. In rural areas, it is common to see a priest leading their local church, while in larger cities it is typically a bishop or archbishop who oversees a church's operations.

They are the lowest Order rank from which an Inquisitor may be appointed. They may only wear red if they have been raised to the rank of Inquisitor.

Synod
A Synod is a convening of the religious members of the Order of bishop rank or higher. It is generally held to select new archbishops, although it may also be convened to discuss disciplinary matters regarding a bishop.

High Synods may be convened by consensus of any three cardinals or at the will of the Patriarch. They occur rarely,&nbsp usually convened only to call one of their member to task or to elect a new Cardinal of Lithmore.

A Synod is necessary to formally canonize a saint, replace a cardinal, or excommunicate a heretic.