Ivenne
The Ivenne (pron: ih-ven-nuh), the trusted leader of the local house of worship, is something akin to a pastor or rabbi, but in the context of a temple and the Faith.
This is a position always occupied by a man of the faith, one which is under intense scrutiny by both the council and congregation. There is little to no tolerance if the Ivenne happens to stray or turns out to be not what he says he is—which is for good reason and a must in a world where the darkness and evil is a very real and visible thing. The followers of Avva'ai cannot afford to lose connection with the Truth when the Undoer spends every moment looking for a weakness.
Career
Qualifications
Becoming an Ivenne is a lengthly and intense process, and is the kind of profession one needs to be fully invested in before embarking on the years of learning and training. The qualifications are thus:
- A strong faith in the Creator, Avva'ai.
- The heart and desire to guide others in the faith of the Creator.
- Many years of learning to ensure a clear understanding of the Creator's teachings.
- Years of training under an established and trustworthy Ivenne.
Career Progression
- During their late teens, an applicant leaves their current schooling and goes to train at a Faith School.
- When they finish their schooling, they are assigned to a temple lead by one or more Ivenne-el, where they take up the position of Vano-ivenne, meaning "studying Ivenne" or "novice Ivenne".
- After a couple of years of studying under a senior Ivenne, the vano-ivenne is entrusted with duties such as missionary work—which is more than simply spreading the love of the Creator and teaching about Him. This also includes:
- taking up the position of a school teacher if their destination is in need of one,
- taking up a position in healing halls if help is needed,
- tend to the poor, or
- fulfill whatever other roll that involves supporting those in need.
After a few more years of working as a vano-ivenne, they finally graduate into a fully-fledged ivenne, and usually stay at the temple they trained in—though around a third of them choose to move to another temple or choose to start a new one in a town or settlement that might not have one.
- After many, many, many years of service, some ivenne are given the opportunity to teach at a Faith School.
Payment & Reimbursement
The life of an ivenne is one sustained through the charity and help of others. The days of the ivenne-el are filled with leading and teaching and aiding all those all around them. There isn't time to find a job or to have one, and the credo of ivenne-el is that they should focus on the Faith and not where money is coming from. "Pay" and room and board comes from the temple. This helps to ward off assumptions of greed and corruption that might be levied against ivenne-el.
Other Benefits
Ivenne-el are looked up to due to their father-like role in the community. They are trusted for their clear understanding of the Creator's teachings and the advice that can be given based on those teachings.
Operations
Workplace
An ivenne is usually found working within the confines of the local temple or out amongst the people. The temples are usually made of stone with three levels (basement, ground level, and second floor), but sometimes they are made of wood or brick, especially when the settlement it's located in or near is far from a source of stone or is populated with middle or lower-income earners. In warm to hot environments the living quarters of an ivenne can be found on the basement level of the temple, but in other environments the room can be found on the second floor.
Most of the main (ground) floor is taken up by rooms dedicated to the teaching of the faith and hosting events meant to gather the community together. The largest room is the sanctuary, in meaning of the word as the main place of worship. The floor is mostly filled with seating which varies between regions and cultures, such as cushions in Beht'adur and benches (or pews) everywhere else. Also located on the main floor, staggered around the sanctuary, are a kitchen that is used for both the ivenne-el to cook for themselves and others (if needed), "guest rooms" for those in need of temporary shelter, and a main area used for socializing after services and for hosting events. Public outhouses can be found out back behind the temple.
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