The Eternal EmperorDivine Ruler, Ordainer of the Law, Creator of all the World, the Golden Sword of Justice, the Eternal Emperor is not depicted anthropomorphically. It is considered blasphemous to limit the Supreme ruler of creation to a human form. His symbol is a gold coin with a sword on one side and the Imperial Crown on the reverse. The Eternal Emperor is more akin to the Beast Gods than the other deities described, in that he is not the essence of one of the great Dragons, but a manifestation of human belief in Empire. However, his Empire is shaped by it's worshippers far more than the Beast Gods. Whilst the Eternal Empire is represented by the priests as unchanging and inflexible, it in fact changes to represent the current beliefs about the Golden Empire. Since beliefs about the Empire are many and varied, many different kinds of priest are capable of drawing power from it's multi-faceted Essence, cruel as well as kind, expansionist as well as peaceful.
BeliefsThe current Emperor of the Golden Empire is considered to be the receptacle of the Divine Authority of the Eternal Emperor and is the titular head of the Eternal Church. However, the Emperor can only be appointed by the high priests of the Eternal Church and the throne does not pass automatically from father to son. Therefore in practice a weak Emperor can become wholly the tool of the Eternal Church. The Eternal Emperor has his own Court, from where he rules the Universe. The court of the Golden Emperor is organised to mirror this Eternal Court. The Eternal Emperor is the supreme god of the World (in the view of his followers). He is said to have created the World and set in motion the Laws for it's running - the length of the year, the seasons, the flowering of plants, the migration of birds and the movement of the sun and moon, etc. Human Law should be a reflection of this Divine order, being designed to keep society functioning smoothly. The Eternal Emperor is worshipped mainly in the Golden Empire, where he is considered to be the patron deity of the Empire. Many followers of the Eternal Emperor consider his worship to be the one 'true' religion and use this to justify the expansionist wars of the Golden Empire. After death, the soul of the dead person must seek audience at the Eternal Palace. The officials of the Eternal Court decide whether the soul is worthy. Worthy souls are admitted to the Palace, to fulfil a role determined by their loyalty to the Eternal Emperor in life. The souls of the less devout must carry out the menial task of Palace life. The souls of sinners, heretics and worshippers of the Dark are cast out of the Eternal Empire to starve and suffer terrible agonies in the wilderness for all Eternity. It is possible for a person to worship a different deity but by being lawful and worthy to be admitted to eternal life. However, they are not admitted to the Palace, but must toil in the fields of the Eternal Empire. Therefor, priests of the Eternal Judge consider it their duty to convert others. Followers of the Endless Night are considered blasphemous breakers of the Eternal Law. There is some debate in the Courts as to whether it is possible for a follower of the Endless Night to redeem himself, or whether the stain on the soul is so great that there is no possiblity of conversion. Areas of Influence
Church and worshippersThe Eternal Emperor is the most widely worshipped deity of the Golden Empire, although Amairya is also worshipped, especially in the countryside. Many humans outside the Empire follow the Eternal Emperor, as do some Dwarfs who live in human cities. The temples of the Eternal Emperor are known as Courts. They are typically imposing stone buildings, richly decorated within. The judicial system of the Empire is operated largely by the Priests of the Eternal Emperor, who use the following titles to denote their rank:
Priests always wear a sword and the sword and Crown symbol of the Eternal Emperor. The type of sword indicates the rank of the priest within the church. CeremoniesWhile services are held daily at the Courts of the Eternal Emperor, there are larger weekly ceremonies which are attended by most of his worshippers. Rather than being a day of rest, followers of the Eternal Emperor consider these especially auspicious days on which to conduct business. The largest ceremonies of worship of the Eternal Emperor are not fixed dates, but are determined by his priests using various astrological phenomena and numerological calculations. There are usually three per year - near the spring and summer equinox and at the beginning of the 'Spiritual Year', which is usually a major planetary conjunction of some kind. The Spiritual Year is variable and not usually a solar year in length. Priest Progression
Priest ProgressionSense X Shape X (Life - healing. Death - causes injury) Talk to X Awaken X - creates a sentient elemental from the appropriate element. Can also be applied to animals and plants for Life and, of course, to corpses for Death. Shapeshift to X Travel to Plane of X - allows the Priest to enter the mind of their respective Dragon, or to travel to the home of the Essence of the deity in the Dream. Special Blessings
ObligationsThe undead creations of priests of Eternal Night, of all kinds, are especially hated by priests of the Eternal Emperor. The ultimate order of the Universe (the division between the living and those who have gone on to Judgement) is violated by their existance. If such abominations are discovered, the priest who found them must ensure they are destroyed. This may be done personally, or by informing his church of their whereabouts. Priests of the Eternal Emperor must never break secular laws, unless these laws directly violate the higher laws of his Church. This applies especially to the laws of the Empire, but also holds true of the local laws of whereever the priest may be. Obviously, the highest duty of the priest is to the Eternal Empire, it's divine ruler, and it's worldly mirror, the Golden Empire and Emperor. This must come before all personal feelings. If they knowingly commit an act against the interests of the Empire (material or eternal), they must seek out a higher level priest and do penance as precribed by the Court. |