The Church of Bes

1. The Whimsy of Fortune: The core belief is that all blessings, curses, and turns of events are random whims of fortune. Rigid planning, excessive piety, or adherence to strict law is useless against the arbitrary nature of fate. Followers are encouraged to embrace spontaneity and chance.
2. The Sacredness of the Laugh: The innocence, safety, and laughter of children are the purest manifestation of Bes’s spirit and must be protected absolutely. The sudden, inexplicable laugh of a child is a sign of Bes’s invisible presence protecting the home.
3. Protection Through Joy and Visage: Evil is best repelled not by structured magic, but by joy, music, drink, and the frightening, grotesque visage of Bes himself. Ugliness and spontaneous revelry are sacred forms of defense.
4. The Art of the Gamble: Life is the ultimate gamble, and followers are encouraged to respect the chaos of games, chance, and gambling, as these mirror the randomness of the cosmos.

The Church of Bes is defined by its embrace of the arbitrary nature of fortune, focusing on joy, luck, and protection rather than rigorous spiritual duties.

Everyday Practices (The Rites of Chance and Hearth)

Daily life is dedicated to recognizing Bes's influence in the immediate world and maintaining home sanctity.

• The Hearth Blessing: A mandatory daily ritual involving placing or touching a small, grotesque Bes charm near the nursery or hearth. This simple act invokes Bes’s protection over the home and wards off ill spirits.
• The Daily Wager: A personal ritual where the worshipper dedicates the day's first unpredictable event (a coin flip, a roll of dice, or a guess) to Bes. By accepting the outcome with cheer, they honor the principle of The Whimsy of Fortune.
• Spontaneous Act of Joy: Followers are spiritually obligated to commit at least one spontaneous act of laughter, music, or generous revelry each day to propagate joy, which is the god's spirit.

Weekly Service (The Merry Chorus)

The main communal service is decentralized, reflecting the god's preference for public enjoyment over solemn temples.

• The Merry Chorus: These gatherings occur spontaneously in local taverns, gaming halls, or public squares, led by a traveling Minstrel of Fortune. The service is characterized by music, dancing, drinking, and ethical games of chance, dedicated to collective merriment and joy. The service is often chaotic and informal, serving as a social and spiritual hub.

Sacraments and Ordinances (Limited)

The Church of Bes avoids complex sacraments, focusing only on rites of protection and initiation.

Festivals and Holy Days (The Most Numerous)

The Church of Bes has the most festivals and holy days in the entire Draconian Pantheon, as any local outburst of joy can be consecrated as a holy day.

• The Festival of the Long Laugh (Annual): A major annual festival dedicated entirely to prolonged, organized merriment, music, and harmless chaotic fun. This is a day where the strict laws of decorum are temporarily suspended.
• The Feast of the First Step (Localized): A highly localized festival, spontaneously declared by the Warden of the Hearth whenever a child in the regional congregation takes their first step. It is a day of communal feasting and celebrating the Sacredness of the Laugh and the child’s safety.
• The Day of the Fortunate Roll: A major day dedicated to communal games and ethical gambling, with special proceeds collected for the protection of local children and the upkeep of household shrines.

I. Organizational Structure

The structure is intentionally informal, reflecting the god's preference for household shrines over rigid bureaucracy.

II. Ordination and Promotion

The process is defined by its simplicity, often incorporating an element of luck, and adhering to the necessary oversight rules established by Ra's Law (Lex).

I. Priesthood Succession (Highest Offices)

II. Delegation of Presiding and Ordaining Authority

Authority is quickly delegated to the local level to accommodate the Church's decentralized, regional worship model.

III. The Rite of the Unseen Hand (General Principle)

All ordination ceremonies for this Order are referred to as The Rite of the Unseen Hand, often involving a brief game of chance administered by the ordaining priest.

Paladins of Bes: The Vindicators of the Laugh

The Vindicators of the Laugh are individual, solitary champions of Bes who interpret his divine whim through the lens of absolute Law and Goodness. Their existence is justified by the spontaneous need to protect the vulnerable and maintain the sanctity of joy against those who would destroy it.

I. Theological Resolution (Lawful Good Vindicator)

The Paladin of Bes reconciles their Lawful Good alignment with Bes’s Chaotic Neutral nature by focusing solely on his Good and Protective domains.

• The Lawful Interpretation: The Paladin sees Bes's Luck and Spontaneity not as true Chaos (Apothis’s domain), but as the arbitrary nature of fate. Their commitment is to bring Law and Order to the moment where arbitrary fate or malicious intent threatens the innocent.
• The Good Vow: The Paladin dedicates their Lawful conviction to the immediate defense of children and the integrity of the hearth, which are Bes's sacred elements. They enforce Order by eliminating the threat to joy.

II. Structure and Authority

The Vindicators operate as highly autonomous agents, bypassing the centralized hierarchy of the Church of Bes.

• Organization: None. They have no official ranks, no chain of command, and no quorum. They are individual, wandering champions.
• Highest Authority: The Master of the Merry Chorus (High Priest) and his delegated local representative, the Warden of the Hearth, hold the spiritual authority to consecrate them.
• Alignment: Lawful Good (Strictly enforced by the divine connection).

II. The Vow and Consecration

The path to becoming a Vindicator of the Laugh is rare and often spontaneous, reflecting the arbitrary nature of Bes's blessing.

• The Vow of Spontaneous Vigilance: The Paladin's oath is centered on absolute honor and spontaneous, protective intervention. They vow to defend the innocent, uphold honesty, and use their powers to disrupt tyranny through quick, decisive, and often unconventional action.
• Consecration: A candidate must perform a spectacular, spontaneous act of protection or courage that draws the attention of a high-ranking priest.

Paladin Ranks

I. Rank Structure (Personal Mastery)

The ranks reflect the stages of a paladin's embodiment of Bes's virtues (Luck, Spontaneity, and Protection).

II. Consecration and Promotion Process

The ordination process is delegated to the local level to accommodate the spontaneous nature of their calling. The High Priest retains ultimate authority but delegates the day-to-day spiritual licensing.

The Affiliation Score (AS) for the Church of Bes reflects commitment to Spontaneity, Protection of the Innocent, and the Whimsy of Fortune.

I. Affiliation Score Criteria (AS)

The modifiers reward spontaneous acts of protection, the promotion of joy, and acceptance of chance.

II. Cleric/Priesthood Ranks, Benefits, and Duties (3 Ranks)

This track is focused on maintaining household shrines, performance, and the collection of charitable funds.

III. Paladin Ranks, Benefits, and Duties (3 Ranks - Vindicators of the Laugh)

This track is focused on the spontaneous, Lawful Good defense of the innocent, relying on luck and quick action.