Church of Auros

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The Church of Auros in Wessex is administered by the clergy, who are neither villeins, gentry, or freemen, but are instead men of faith who exist within their own ecclesiastical hierarchy. Wessex players interested in playing a role in the clergy must remember that entering the spiritual life involves a forswearing of all claims to personal property, land, or worldy title or financial gain.

The social class called clerici is made up of ecclesiastics devoted to the Auran faith who have taken vows not to pursue worldly advancement and possessions, instead choosing a life of service to Auros and the faithful.

Church Hierarchy

Friars

Brothers of the clergy of Auros, who have forsworn worldly ambitions to join a mendicant or military order.

Any peasant, be they man or woman, may become a friar. Much like a peasant who escapes to town and buys a home there becomes a burgess, a serf who escapes to the clergy is no longer considered a serf. The form of address for a friar is "Brother" (or Sister).

Friars are guided by the priesthood and are arduously engaged in Darkfall's world environment through PvE and PvP, primarily as healers, herbalists and wielders of magic but can still play a melee focused class as long as they can somewhat heal. During the time before a peasant is accepted as a friar, he is called a novice, but as a novice, he is not yet considered part of the clergy and is still a member of the secular structure. To progress further, a friar must undergo a serious process of theological training under the direction of his bishop and the priests of his diocese. Only on successfully grasping every aspect of Morganite theology and in game lore may a friar promote to deacon.

Deacons

The diaconate is one of the three ordained offices of the Holy Church of Auros. To become certified as a deacon, a clergyman must have completed a course of study in liturgy and lore of the Church of Auros. A deacon is a candidate for priesthood.

The children of nobles or freemen may become friars if they wish, but may simply learn theology directly from a priest to become a deacon, which will constitute their entry into the clergy at that level. The form of address is "Deacon/Deaconess" and in full correspondence as "The Reverend John" (or Susan, as the case may be).

After a deacon is deemed ready (probably by the local bishop), he receives sacerdotal orders and becomes ordained as a priest.

Priests

A candidate's quality for priesthood is justified first his knowledge of the lore and capacity to act as a fixture of Auran atmosphere in game, and secondly by his ability to perform certain miraculous abilities of healing, buffing, transmutation, etc. The form of address for a priest is "Reverend Father" (or Mother, as the case may be). It's important that only those who really know the lore and are capable and desire to behave as priests in game ascend to this rank, otherwise, the position and its elite status will amount to nothing but superfluous titles.

Smaller cities and outposts have a local church headed by an individual priest, with deacons and friars that serve him. Often the second and third sons and daughters of nobles who do not become knights instead become priests or nuns, vying for promotions and benefices to elevate themselves to the rank of bishop within the Church of Auros.

The presbyterate is one of the three ordained offices of the Holy Church of Auros. An ordained priest may be appointed to head a church or cathedral or as chaplain to a military force.

Michael Blake answered your questions about friars/chaplains rather succinctly. To expound, a friar is someone devoted to the RP of Auros and the culture of Hyperion. They may be in training to become priests of more, but if they want to join the military, they enlist like everyone else to be footmen or sergeants. Chaplains, on the other hand, are ordained priests who do not fight as knights. They go to battle as the specialist role "chaplain" and not in a squad, where they use heals, curses, and chant buffs.

High Priests

• A vicar or archpriest is the second for a bishop and is addressed as "the Very Reverend ".

• A rector is a priest who is head of a seminary which teaches future deacons, also styled "the Very Reverend Father". (Any priest who is assigned to teach deacons in game, regardless of if there's an actual "seminary" building).

• A parson is a priest in an area that is too small to have a bishop yet. The parson operates on his own and reports directly to the archbishop. The parson is also styled "Very Reverend Father". Other priests in this area under the leadership of the parson are called "curates", and addressed as "Reverend Father". Any ordained priest who is not head priest of a parish is called a curate.

• An abbot is an ordained priest assigned to be the leader of a group of friars or sisters. His form of address is "the Right Reverend Father".

• A provost is a parish priest assigned to a very large church or cathedral. He may have deacons or curates serving under him. The style is "the Very Reverend".

• A prior is an assistant to an abbot in leading a group of friars or nuns. A branch of a large friary that is beginning in a new area may also be headed by a prior. The style is "the Very Reverend".

• A grand master is the head of a military order. Considered both a priest and a knight, the grand master is alloted land ownership. The style is "the Very Reverend"

Prelates

Higher than a priest, of course, is the bishop, or prelate. The bishop is a lord of society and is addressed as "my Lord" or "His Excellency" and "the Right Reverend Father". The bishop leads a diocese and assigns duties and appointments to all of the priests.

There are multiple bishops throughout an archdiocese. Dioceses roughly parallel the existence of secular baronies, so that for every lord of a territory one will also find a bishop. As lords, bishops sit in Parliament and have one vote the same as any baron. Usually, when a land/population has grown so much that a new peerage must be granted, it shall follow that the archbishop appoints an additional bishop as well.

Archprelate

The archprelate, or archbishop leads all bishops in the kingdom and is styled, "The Most Reverend and Right Honorable" and "His Grace". The archbishop represents the interests of the Holy Light. As overseer of the archdiocese he is tasked with discriminating the doctrine preached to the masses, and guiding the bishops of the archdiocese to ensure they hold the line through their ranks with what is encouraged and approved of by the Auran priesthood in the Holy City of Sol Invictus.

Rex

The king is sovereign and monarch and leads the executive branch of government, known as the Crown, which is ceremonially referred to as "the fount of law". He is liege lord of all Hyperion subjects and the head of the Church and the House of Lords.

Notes

I. Knights of the Church The Church may create its own knights, as bishops and archbishops have the power of Accolade.

While becoming a knight of the Church does not imply entry to the clergy, the very act of swearing fealty to a bishop by a knight bachelor instantly precludes him from ever receiving a benefice of land. Similarly, if the knight already possesses land it will become forfeit and he shall have to abandon the manor and estate provided him by his lord and escheat the territory back into the lord's possession.

Knights sworn to the Church may still bear the title of sir, still have heraldic arms and will still fight from horseback. However, the other knightly pursuits of courtly love, maintaining a retinue, and maintaining serfs and lands will be off limits to him.

Per feudal law, if a knight forfeits his benefice to enter holy orders, he is still bound to answer the feudal tie to defend his lord when called to battle, albeit without the support of his knightly fief, even as he serves the Church as his new primary lord (except if a release is negotiated between the two). This will naturally be a rare situation, however, as knights who are already knights who enter holy orders are likely to by and large be knights bachelor.

II. Restrictions on joining the clergy Imric, dwarves and mirdain are only allowed to become friars. The rank of Priest is restricted to qualified Mercians only. (If a Wessex player has any notion of playing in the Church in a capacity higher than friar, they are advised not to choose dwarf or mirdain as their race, or, if human, dark skin tones at character creation stage as it suggests they are of Imric heritage).

III. Paladins Adopting the prestige class of paladin in Darkfall does not grant entry to the clergy in Wessex, as it's simply too easy for any player to assume this class on their own.

Sermons, Rules, and Literature

Theodoric Brionne

• The Rule of Auros - Auran Friars
• Crusades
• Crusaders of the Holy Church
• Voice of Auros
• Founding An Order
• Solar Noon Sermon
• What is the measure of a man?
• History In Relation to Secular Power
• Ecclesiastical Laws and Behavior
• Sermon: Knighthood
• Sermon: Against the Enemy

Siverous de'Medici

• Code of Chivalry
• In Praise of the Holy Warriors of Auros
• The Place of the Church
• Edict of Primoris Placitum
• Walking the Path of Light
• A Question of Race
• Military Orders VS Chivalric Orders
• Canonical Orders
• A letter to the future Bishop
• Treatise in Defense of the Inquisition
• Rule of the Order de'Argento
• Paladinos

Aethelric Brandt

• Rule of the Hundred
• On the Lower Races

Valic Fortan

• Noble

See Also

• Auros

• Ordo Gloriosus Sol

• The Hundred

• Rule of Auros

External Links

• The Diocese of Wessex forum