Atome Panhellenic
Structure
The Atome Panhellenic is made up mosty of Practitioners, those who practice the healing arts of Atome. Practitioners often answer to priests of the Order of light. The vocation of priests is mainly worship and the counting of miracles performed in Atome's name. The penultimate status within the church is the High Priest or High Priestess. These individuals are privy to an ever expanding lexicon of the healing arts and are often able ro raise the dead of those they deem worthy. The High Priests answer only to Saints, the only current Saint being Saint Madeline. While Saint Madeline is the figurehead of the church, the High Priests are able to act mostly with autonomy and even able to circumvent orders from a Saint should their religious preorgative deem it necessary.
Culture
The Atome Panhellenic is a charitable organization and most of its members live within the walls of temples and hospitals or the halls of castles as on-site healers. Their charitable nature causes them often to be at the complete whim of those they serve, hinging survival on the good will of others, even to the point of squalor or starvation. The rationale of the Atome Priests is that if the charity is insuffecient to maintain the care they provide, then those responsible to provide are unworthy and thus deserve to loose the service. Members of the Atome Panhellenic often wear modest clothing that cover all exposed skin in order to avoid infectious disease. Upon induction into the organization, members are given a mask made of illusory metal to conceal their identities which they often offer up as a sacrifice to Atome. It is often forbidden for a member to remove their mask in public and may only reveal their faces in the privacy of their living quarters. While it is generally frowned upon for members to wed, it is not unheard of. Members of the church of light often reveal their faces to those whom they trust with their lives and no less. High Priests and Priests often wear solid white colors while the clothing of a practicioner is closer to that of a surgeon.
Public Agenda
The worship of Atome drives the members of the church towards healing as a type of corruption purge. They view illness as curroption by the Dismal God Churgath and enact crusade against the fiend by offering their curing services. The Church of Light is often ininvolved in politcal matters and will not travel to places where they feel unwelcome. The public view these idividuals as doctors and healers and few find ire in the practice of Atome Worship.
Divine Origins
The organization began with Saint Madeline as a memer of the Wolfram Monks. While a talented Monk, Madeline failed to garner inspiration from her studies of discipline and began to work as a traveling healer, something she had trained in for quite some time. When her magic alone was ill enough to heal a stanger she met on her jounrey she tapped into the potential of The Blackflame. This meanuver almost cost her life, however in the throes of being consumed by the flames Madeline was struck with a vision. She would later describle the vision as a blazing white star fuled by healing runes and radiating benevolence. She remembers little else from her vision beyond the name seared into her mind: Atome. From then on, the living saint would preach what she has experianced and before long, gained an audiance of devotees who were able to commune with the new god. Since then the church has expanded greatly, reaching most corners of Cinder's Hope and beyond.
The Light Heals, the Light Protects
Founding Date
548
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
Church of Light, Healing Church, Order of Light
Leader
Founders
Deities
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