Temple of Melora, Aramathia

The Temple of Melora, foundation date unknown, restoration date 1781 SA, is a great temple dedicated to the Wildmother Melora residing within the city of Aramathia. It is the largest center of her worship on Medolania, with the exception of her temple in Beograd, tended to by 80 clerics, over 200 acolytes and worshipped in almost daily. The Temple provides religious services, crop blessing, provides boons to local craftspeople, offers sanctity to the hinterlands around Aramathia, is involved in the inspection of alchemical goods to ensure they are consumable for those wishing to lead a pious life etc.    Their structure of Worship is as follows:   

Matriarch [Leader of the Temple, must be female]

Sunsingers [3 of these, report to the Matriarch, oversee crop blessing, boon distribution and religious services respectively]

Wildguard [40, report directly to the Sunsingers, responsible for Temple Security, exclusively recruited from the acolyte class]

Priests and Acolytes [Remainder, come and go, responsible for day to day troubles, temple cleanliness, logistics of providing sermons etc.]

They are monitored by the Pontifex to ensure they are not overstepping their religious obligations to the populace, as all religious organisations are within the Imperium. Worship is conducted on Senthore and Panqu respectively, as well as on the last Zom of every month, to provide thanks for bountiful harvest, she is also beseeched to protect from evil monsters of the forest and grasslands. Offerings are immaterial, they can be of bread, gold or anything that an individual can bring, though an offering must be made to gain her favour.   Festivals:    The Wildlight - Occurs on the first Monder of Febran, to celebrate the beginning of springtime, three days of festival is held in which nobles and commoners alike are expected to open their doors, lay out their pantries, feed the homeless, tend to the sick and celebrate Melora's blessing for a bountiful harvest. If the harvest has been poor, it is an offer of penance in return for her forgiveness and a bountiful summer harvest. Wine, bread and Zendani cheese are local favourites during this time.   The Duskwrend - Occurs on the last Markone of Thornber, to celebrate the passing of summer and the conception of new life, both agricultural and of the citizenry. Revelry is focused around finding young men and women matches for one another for the winter, or re-homing those who fell on hard times during the summer season or are out of work for the autumn and winter months - as well as blessing and storing the winter provisions for the city, which is recorded in the Book of Gifts, keeping tally on the emergency grain supply of the Temple.    Testaments of the Temple:   The inquisition and Temple laid out the following strictures for good worshippers of Melora to follow:  

Where one goes, bring the blessing and word of the Wildmother.

In one's heart, know the right course, this is to know the word of the Wildmother.

Do no harm to those creatures of the earth bent on their harvest, be they wolf or warden, it is simply their nature.

No matter how meager your fire, if able, offer your hearth to a kindred soul.

Wherein the natural order has been corrupted, where you are able, seek out and restore the Mother's balance.

Many other strictures are laid out, however the above five cover the primary pillars of Melora, charity, compassion and devotion to preservation of the natural order of the Wildmother's world.   Temple Layout:   The layout of the public aspects of the temple are rather plain, set upon five steps flanked by green-stoned pillars holding up a white slated roof, capable of holding up to five-hundred people on the main floor during a sermon, as well as possessing an amphitheater for sermons delivered to numbers greater than 1,000 but not exceeding 1,500. Depictions of Melora are painted or stained into glass windows, as well as a large mosaic overhead, on which all members of the congregation can gaze should they look up - depicting the Wildmother protecting the city of Aramathia from forces of chaos.   Privately, the Temple is said to also contain quarters to house senior clerical staff, as well as an underground portion for grain, medicinal and water storage.