Cleric

Priests of Alu

A cleric is both a class and a rank in the Trijan Faith. Clerics are the lowest and most common member of the clergy of the Church that one might encounter. Many travel to spread their faith some work in temple with priests to tend the local flock. That is the title, the profession however, is every clergyman of the Church. From the lowest clerics to the pontiff himself, all are clerics.

The class of cleric is anyone who draws their power to harness the Anon (Magic) through ritualist prayers that could very well be likened to other magic using Casting. While many have the ability to cast, thanks to ancient Elf bloodlines, especially in the Northern Trijan Church, many do not. Clerics do not require the bloodlines to unlock their magic. They study, meditate, and open their body, spirit, and soul to the divine energy of Alu from Beyond Aldern.

Drawing this power to cast is called a divine gift by the Church. A gift from God to his faithful. In many ways it is. It is a path to accessing magic that does not depend on bloodlines or contacting powerful entities such as Dragon or Archfey. It differs from Warlock in that, while many faithful have a deeply personal relationship with Alu, that is not what unlocks the ability to cast. It is not a contract, pact, or deal made between man and God. Anyone joining the church can learn the rituals, prayers, and actions that can give them some clerical casting ability. Some in the Jenuwan Order have come to believe there is an aspect of the Anon, on par with Solanon or Kianon, that scholars have yet to record and understand. Other call it a purifying of the soul through a relationship with God that opens up the natural Daanan in the body, allowing casting. A half-dozen other theories also exist trying to explain the phenomenon that defies the commonly understood nature of the Anon and how we interact with it. At the end of the day the official church stance is that God wills it to be so, so it is.

As stated, anyone that studies and learn the clerical way of casting can cast. To a limited extent. The afore mentioned purity of soul through a relationship with God seems to have some merit. There are many recorded cases of lowly clerics able to do divine magic far beyond even pontiffs. In this it seems the personal connection to God can grow one's casting ability. But it is also true that corrupt individuals can cast as well, even if it is weaker magic. It is one of the many unexplained mysteries of divine magic that, like so much of faith, is as understandable as it is confusing.

The clerical profession has been divided up into 'domains'. These domains focus on differing aspects of God, such as life, light, knowledge, and so on. Most holy orders of the Church focus on one or two of these domains that that the clergy will dedicate their life to understanding. The most famous of these are the Jenuwan Order, which focuses on the Knowledge domain, or the Mericine Order that are dedicated to the healing arts of the Life Domain.