Church of Orsam

The church of Orsam is a instituition that has stood as a bastion of faith and guidance for over a millennia. Its influence stretches far beyond the confines of its hallowed halls, shaping the culture, traditions, and even the politics of the lands it touches. Worshippers gather in grand cathedrals adorned with intricate carvings of the Children of Orsam, their likenesses immortalized in marble and gold. The air within these sacred spaces is heavy with the scent of incense, said to carry the prayers of the faithful directly to the divine.  

The Beliefs

The Children of Orsam, though a single entity in name, have intricate layers of belief and practice. The original faith, referred to simply as "The Divine Order of Orsam", emphasizes strict adherence to the tome and its guidance for humanity’s purpose. The offshoots, while diverse in their practices, all revere the prophet as Orsam’s true messenger.  

Sacred Practices:

  Skin Paintings: The most devout worshippers adorn their skin with intricate paintings representing Orsam and the Children. These are temporary for most, but some dedicate their lives by engraving them as tattoos. It is said that the Primus Sanctus bears a unique painting that appears to shift subtly, a divine mark of their chosen status.
Incense and Cleansing Flames: Worshippers burn incense in ornate braziers before shrines and during communal gatherings. The Cleansing Flames ritual involves tossing written sins or confessions into a sacred fire, symbolically offering them to Orsam for absolution.
Night of Radiance: Once a year, the faithful gather for the Night of Radiance, an all-night vigil where shrines across the land are illuminated by thousands of candles. This symbolizes Orsam’s light guiding humanity out of sin.
  Orsam is a long-established religion with a single god and a handful of minor gods, or as their full name, Children of Orsam. Their main teachings revolve around divine rule and belief, and these teachings are often passed on through communal praying sessions and studies of their religious works.   Orsam's teachings come from an ancient tome supposedly written by a prophet to cleanse the world of sin and give mankind a new purpose. Many of their religious symbols are represented in the form of shrines, skin paintings and incense.      

Organization

Being a long-established religion, Orsam has split into several different variations, but the original is the biggest by far.
Primus Sanctus is the highest-ranking authority witihin the church of Orsam, serveing as both the spiritual leader of the faith and the voice of Orsam's will on Kuarilia.
 

Duties of the Primus Sanctus

  Keeper of the Tome:The Primus Sanctus is the guardian of the ancient tome believed to have been written by Orsam's prophet. They alone are permitted to interpret its most sacred passages, which guide the church’s doctrine and actions.
Spiritual Guide: The Primus Sanctus oversees communal prayer sessions and ensures that the teachings of Orsam are disseminated faithfully. They also mediate disputes between the various sects of the faith.
Symbol of Unity: In a faith fractured into many variations, the Primus Sanctus serves as a unifying figure, reminding all worshippers of their shared devotion to Orsam and the Children.
Blessing of Shrines: The Primus Sanctus regularly embarks on pilgrimages to consecrate new shrines and maintain the sanctity of existing ones, reinforcing the faith’s connection to the divine.
  Those devoted to Orsam and his children are usually met with either indifference or respect from those outside of this religion.