Ichbin - Religion in Corwyth

Know ye that there is only one to be worshipped in Corwyth, the God Ichbin. Know ye that there are no avatars of Ichbin, for such is not his way.
Know ye that there are Temples of Ichbin, though they be hidden from careless eyes...
Know that Ichbin's way is peace and love, not hatred and foulness as are the ways of those who traffick with the horrors of the Daemon Dimensions.

The Temple

Just outside Pallmor, it is said, there is the most famous Temple of Ichbin called Bright Temple. It is on no map, it is difficult to find, for it is hidden – or so the locals say. The clerics of Ichbin, who both live and serve in the Temple, say that it is the blindness of the people themselves that causes them not to see the Temple.

Be that as it may, the Temple CAN be found… although rarely in the same way twice.

It is extraordinarily large, both in width and height. Its tower spires dizzily upwards, so high that the bells that ring out from the spire cannot be seen from the ground. The bluestone Temple has high windows made of pure coloured light, and the arched doorways leading into the main part of the Temple are ornate and beautiful.

In the main ave of the Temple is an altar… the Altar of Eternity. Made of a pale wood, and carved with the symbol of Ichbin, it exudes holiness and peace. It is immediately apparent that this is no altar for bloody sacrifice – but an altar of great power and love.

The Clerics

The clerics of Ichbin dwell in the adjoined House of the Clerics, in which each cleric has a room for himself/herself, as well as the general rooms for eating, sleeping, and so on. In the centre of the House is an open area known as the Training Square. The rooms are comfortable without being luxurious.

The clerics may marry – but only another cleric. The reason for this is simple: in order to be a cleric, one must serve within the Temple. It is not possible to have non-clerics actually dwelling in the House of the Clerics.

If a cleric wishes to marry a non-cleric, then he/she is obliged to leave the Order – but the leaving is not considered a leaving of Ichbin. In fact, the leaving is often considered a positive step – for Ichbin can be served in many ways.

The clerics wear tunics in sparkling white... reaching to the knees. Underneath, matching braes... Their boots are black and very solid, unusual for clerics, one might say. The tunics are not hooded. These clerics never hood themselves.

When on a quest, they also wear chain mail.

Sometimes the clerics will come out from the Temple to mingle with other people... But usually, they are found only in the Temple and on quests.

Any cleric may seek a time away from the Temple, in order to do the Will of Ichbin. During those times, he may choose to wear ordinary clothing, but with the symbol of Ichbin upon his shoulder. (This symbol is always an embellishment of a circle, which signifies eternity. Upon the circle is the older form of the letter "I", or the five points of honour - which are love, peace, courage, integrity, modesty.)

Powers and abilities of Clerics

The clerics of Ichbin are pure of heart... and utterly dedicated to Ichbin, to purity, honour, valour, and goodness. They are closely allied to Paladins, but although the clerics have great power, especially over daemons, they cannot use this power without destroying themselves, unless they are summoned for a holy quest.

They have utterly dedicated their lives to Ichbin, and will help the weak, the frail, and so on.

They have the ability to discern lies.

They pray for many hours a day... and they can bless water so that it becomes holy water indeed...They have no natural immunity to death or wounding, except in the cases where Ichbin has plans for them. Then holy protection may be granted... but at all times, the clerics know they are laying their lives on the line.

The clerics are called in their dreams, and the Cleric Prelate dreams too... and thus is the calling known. The training for clerics is intense... they train in combat as well as prayer, but never use their combat skills except to defend. NEVER.

Society in Corwyth

Know that ye are of a rank and class within this feudal system, wherein the rulership and levels are delineated in an ordered fashion. Choose of which stock ye shall have been born.

The Empire of Corwyth is benevolently ruled by the Empress and Emperor of Corwyth. These imperial positions are not part of a democracy, so cannot be gained through election promises or vote-buying. As the No. 1 authority in Corwyth, the Empress and Emperor shall pardon, permit, discourage, etc., where appropriate, and shall be seen as the supreme court of appeal. No further appeal exists.

In immediate contact with the Empress and Emperor are the Councillors of the Speckled Chamber. The councillors meet regularly to show that they really do know how to run a meeting. One of the most dreaded members of this Council is the Councillor of the Exchequer, who is responsible for taxes.

Viceroys and other heads of authority are either elected by the Crown or given approval to continue in their positions, as local rulers of towns, cities, or islands.

Society in the Empire of Corwyth is based upon the feudal system. The highest level, passed on by direct descent, is that of the Empress and Emperor. Immediately below are the various court nobles who hold responsible positions within the Empire and are directly responsible to the Crown. Then come the high ranking nobles in this order - Dukes and Duchesses; Marquises and Marchionesses, Earls and Countesses, Viscounts and Viscountesses, Barons and Baronesses, Sir Knights and their ladies (the ladies at this rank being granted a courtesy title of "Lady" if they are wed to a knight, but being given the rank of Lady Knight if they have gained the rank themselves), and then the untitled gentry. Below them is the middle class, largely made of merchants and those who are goldsmiths, doctors, and so forth. The lowest class includes peasants, servants, landworkers, blacksmiths, tapsters, flower sellers, performers of menial work and so on. Education is available for all classes, but it is not compulsory, which explains why many of the lower class citizens refuse to continue attendance once they've learned how to read and write, know a little history, and have become familiar with trigonometry. Er... sometimes they don't even bother with the trigonometry.

Councillors are addressed as "your Worship"; dukes and duchesses as "your Grace"; marquises and marchionesses as "my Lord" and "my Lady", as are all the lower ranks down to Barones and Baronesses; knights and knight ladies are addressed as "Sir" and "Lady"; untitled citizens are addressed as "good sir", "good lady", "my good man", "my good woman", "Master" (if a master goldsmith or if by an apprentice or servant), "madam" or "ma'am", and so on.

While rank is for the most part impermeable, even a peasant may choose to improve his/her fortune by joining an Order. Corwyth is unusual in that it permits such upward mobility through noble questing within the Orders. Citizens of Corwyth will have been born into their social class and degree of wealth. It is not possible for a peasant to become a Marquis or other high rank, but a peasant can request permission to join one of the Orders, train hard, and work to become a knight. There is no gender requirement, and ennoblement to the entrance rank of sir knight or lady knight is possible upon exceptional prowess in quests being confirmed by the Crown.

Whatever one's rank, all citizens are valuable members of Corwyth, and it is entirely up to the vagaries of birth as to a member's position in society. A roleplayer chooses his/her rank while creating the character.

Citizens of Corwyth are entitled to the benefits of its laws, protection, assistance, and any grants that may be made available.

Citizens are entitled to work within any of the professions available to those with the qualifications to do so, such as archaeologist, mage, painter, minstrel, free-lance warrior, quester, juggler, clown and so on. All aid wiill be given to ensure that citizens gain what they seek. Those wishing to become clerics are welcome to apply, and permission to become such shall be granted upon understanding of the responsibilities of a cleric of Ichbin. For those wishing to pursue this course, any character should seek the advice of Edwyth a'Woodham (who can be found at the Fair Justice Keep).

Merchants are able to sell goods upon being given merchant approval by the Crown. Approval is subject to a citizen's established presence in Corwyth, so that the work involved in such approval (setting up a stall or shop, getting the ink dry on the paperwork) is not in vain.

It would behoove a merchant to have sufficient money to make possible his/her purchase of a stall or shop, warehouses, goods, import taxes, and so on. Furthermore, it would behoove a merchant to have sufficient time to ensure he/she is available when needed by purchasers.

Paladinhood is open to all who pursue it. It is somewhat arduous to gain, but all who are courageous, determined and pure of heart may seek this goal. To be a Paladin is a noble cause indeed. Enquiries at the Imperial Barracks, of Commander Edyth a'Woodham, shall elicit further information.

Guards appointed as such to protect the city shall act with the authority of the Empire in keeping peace, pursuing and arresting malefactors, preventing crime if possible, and swapping wisecracks and drinking the occasional tankard of something foaming and cold, as appropriate.

Any citizen may become a guard in any of the Orders of Corwyth. Training will begin at the appropriate level, and the guard shall be considered a trainee until he/she has fulfilled certain requirements. Payment is commensurate with the trainee's level. A guard's first duty will be to the protection of Corwyth, and as such shall be dedicated to working within the Order joined rather than leaving upon personal quests.

Thieves are required to be members of the Thieves Guild (although this does not exist. No. It does not exist.), and functioning within that Guild means that unapproved sorties and thefts are not carried out. All tasks allotted to thieves shall be designated by the Chief Thief or one of the Guild's Big Guys.