Church of Harbinger

The Church is defined by a strict yet simple, and relatively commonplace church ranking system. At the bottom of the faith's organizational employees are the Inductees, those who wish to train in the word of the Emperor and his religious creed. They are young, often in their late teens early twenties, and wish to begin their life in service to the Church.   Unlike many organizations inside the Empire, advancement through The Church is not primarily meritocratic, as the metrics used would be almost entirely subjective. Instead, it is based on perceived holiness, zeal, and respect for the religion and its tenets.   Above an Inductee is the first real rank, that of Priest of the Church, or just Priest. Priests are typically appointed or delivered to small towns, outposts, or generally smaller demographic areas where they are needed. In these smaller, more controlled environments they may have some manner of control and power over the locals, but typically this is more due to that specific town or hamlets increased reverence versus other towns that might adhere more loosely to the creed. After some time, and devoted service with many sinners cleansed and rites delivered, the next rank is granted.   Red Priest is the next rank granted, these higher ranked priests are granted more genuine autonomy and power, granted more prestigious posts typically at small military outposts as the resident religious leader, and larger towns. They are typically given command over small churches and cathedrals with up to 11 Priests of the Church underneath their purview.    Bishop of Hatred is the next rank granted, or just 'Bishop'. Bishops are extremely religiously devoted individuals who have risen above the typical priests of the church to display extraordinary piety. They extol the virtues of hatred and will. Often, Bishops can be elevated early, without undergoing the trials and timelines of the previous two ranks, as typically Bishops are the battlefield clerics, priests, and holy warriors that keep their assigned unit's morale, piety, and loyalty in check. Often seen as the pinnacle of their detachments, they hone their minds, body, and souls to be weapons of war against the unclean, the otherworldly, and anything foreign to the creed of Harbinger.   Beyond this the road becomes hard, for many will fall in their role as Bishop. Beyond this lies the rank of High Bishop of the Church and Willpower, or just 'High Bishop'. These are proven warriors who have shown time and time again their overwhelming devotion to their god. It is at this point that a member of the church gains true power, being assigned control over entire the entire abbeys of large cities, gaining tremendous religious, political, and militaristic clout and power, as large attaches of Imperial Army, and Immortals even are assigned to these abbeys and to protect their symbolism and the High Bishop that lies within. It is said that at this rank, one gains access to the upper echelons of the Empires massive bureaucracy, able to access the higher ranking officials and petition for true change. It is such that the High Bishops can be some of the most influential members of their cities and towns, having the ability to inflict true change, or true suffering.   Above this lies the rank of Theologian. There are only 7 Theologians, one for each continent of the world that has major intelligent life. They preside each in a special Abbey Primus, typically in the largest or most culturally, militarily, or spiritually important city of the continent. Theologians wield immense power, being individuals who have devoted their entire long, and gifted lives in service to Harbinger and the Empire. Typically very powerful both politically and militarily, as well as personally, Theologians are often seen as a prime example of what it is to serve the Empire, and what one can aspire to be by taking the Church into their hearts.   Finally, above this is the rank of Theologian Primus. One of the limited members that sit upon The Council itself, the Theologian Primus is one of the most powerful persons in the entire Empire, as are all those who sit upon it. From this position, they can dictate the entire course of the religion of the Emperor, and how it is perceived. While checks and balances exist between The Assembly, The Army, and The Church, they are limited, seeing as The Church holds the lions share of cultural power, having brainwashed innumerable masses to its side in worship of their God-Emperor. For this reason, the Theologian Primus is greatly respected, revered, hated, and feared.

The culture of the The Church is that of a demand of absolute and unwavering loyalty to The Empire, The Church, and Harbinger himself. It is a culture of extreme quid pro quo, outright corruption disguised as fair play, political assassination and more. Ironically, The Assembly conducts itself more fairly, genuinely, and honestly than The Church does, and this is an open secret. The cultural power that is wielded by the members of the clergy is immense, and highly valued. It is not unheard of for an 'undeserving' priest to meet an untimely and grisly end in a strange and unusual way that raises some eyebrows, but as long as the general status of The Church, its ideals, and its grasp over the people is not swayed, the greater body of the church does not mind.    It is a place of extreme rigidness, rivalry, hatred and unbending willpower and opinion. Despite this and the fanaticism that Harbinger has seemed to foster in his believers, it is said that the God-Emperor rather prefers the infighting both physically and ideologically, as often times fierce debates can be heard across many a Church chamber, debates about the word of their god, its interpretation, and what it truly means.

The public agenda of The Church officially and behind the scenes is to 'promote the religious unity of the people of The Empire, it's institutions, it's military, and it's general day to day life'. This is pursued through various avenues and methods, such as preachers in the streets, zealot mercenaries and warrior companies, general mandatory worship every Yers, the Day of Union.    Other such events are often such as official and mandatory celebratory holidays, parades, days of remembrance, and more.

The assets of The Church as an entire entity are nearly limitless, as much as The Assembly holds in some respects. It is believed that The Church retained control and secret authority over forbidden, archaic and borderline uncontrollable weaponry that Harbinger himself brought to bear from The Other during the great wars of consolidation that devastated cities. The Church maintains an entire section of The Armed Forces of The Empire for itself, typically referred to as the 'Zealots of the Church'.   Beyond this, various religious, magical, political artifacts remain in their possession deep inside vaults of magic wards, hard steel, and reinforced rock, as well as uncountable riches in copper, silver, gold, and gems, claimed from the conquests of long past.

The history of The Church of Harbinger is unique and extensive. The Church was founded really during the initial outset of the war. When Harbinger emerged from The Other, mortals who were right, who were smart saw the writing on the wall and began to flock to this new messiah, this new true god. He was not a distant, far off parasite who took but never gave, who commanded so much but couldn't even so much as present their worshippers with their forms. He was real, he was tangible, and he was utterly glorious.   Quickly, a cult formed, and it began infecting the continents, countries, and cities of the world that had yet to fall. Word of this true god, walking the earth spread quickly. The stories of his might, leadership and unwavering dedication to the saving of the people of this plane were inspiring to the downtrodden, to the lost and forgotten, to those who felt as though they had nothing else. This cult helped bolster the morale of the now burgeoning defector legions that flocked to the side of their gods. In their minds, Harbinger was his namesake, the harbinger of a new beginning, gone from the absent gods, deliverance from the destitution and abandonment they had become used to.

The Church indeed carries its own military force while also borrowing from the Imperial Army itself. The dedicated yet Army connected units are known as 'Paladins' as a catch-all term. Typically heavily armored and armed warrior-monks, Paladins are usually trained from childhood in the arts of combat and the tenets of The Creed. Oftentimes they are magically or psionically gifted, enabling them to be rather dangerous individuals. They are smaller in number than a true standing army such as the Imperial Army might be, but they are nonetheless highly dangerous and have access to a great number of assets. The leader of the Paladins has a rank of Lord Paladin, and reports to the Theologian Primus himself and executes his will.

The official, and only accepted religion of The Empire is that of The Creed of Harbinger. This is the religion that The Church perpetrates amongst the masses. It holds immense sway over normal citizens, and is engrained into all the minds and souls of The Empire's people, ensuring they are loyal and dedicated followers to their sole, living god.    All other worship of any other deity, creature, idol, or any other form of religious idolatry of any being that is not Harbinger is explicitly, severely, and utterly banned. This law is punishable by extreme measures, including state sponsored torture, 're-education', experimentation, execution, and more.

Laws inside The Church are somewhat more alien and unexpected than in general life, where most standard laws that are kept by civilizations are enforced. Typically, laws in relation to The Creed are enforced heavily in the church, ensuring the purest of minds and bodies of the faithful who dictate their gods' word.    For example, to not use one of Harbinger's many honorifics, or a respectful phrase after referencing the Holy God-Emperor, such as 'be he preserved' or 'the wise and all seeing' is considered a crime, and is punishable by 30 lashings with a knot, a month imprisonment with daily and intense re-education, or really any punishment that is deemed fit by the adjudicating council.   Murder and other violent crimes are strangely not as routinely or as rigidly punished, with the only real restrictions being upon the fact that if a murder is to take place it must be 'just, righteous, and for the greater good of The Empire and its people.' This has enabled broad interpretations, essentially legalizing murder inside the Church. Commonly it is justified by claiming the victim was a threat to the Church, and their position combined with their dangerous, incompetent or otherwise unfit mind could have endangered innumerable people both inside and outside of The Church.

The mythology of The Church teaches that Harbinger hails from an unknown realm, where that from a boy he was hardened against the wrath of the gods. He hailed from a world that was inhabited by people who prayed to gods that never heard them. Crops went dry, prayers unanswered, conflicts unresolved, plagues uncured. The gods were fickle in their pleasures and hardly every showed it to the mortals who toiled away and gave their lives to them. Harbinger's father was one of such victims, made sickly, weak, by an unknown and uncaring plague upon their lands.   It was said that Harbinger, a boy whose name was lost to time grew up in this terrible world and knew the suffering it caused. Like a good sheep though he became a devout follower of the creed his terrible gods fed him, another slave to grind away and toil to dust underneath the unspoken but ever present shackle they had put upon his people. Astoundingly thought, one day, something unexpected happened. An angel fell into his field, the field of his father, who was deathly ill. The angel cured his father with the last of his power after some time, and died in the arms of the adolescent Harbinger, teaching him of the cruelty of the gods, that they would cast down one of their own to die in the arms of a mortal.   This hatred was further reinforced by actions years later, by the very illness they had prayed away, returned and ravaged his father, upon his deathbed, Harbinger's father prayed for forgiveness. Not for mercy to his wife, to his children, but to himself. He died on that bed, sweating, feverish, sickly. Harbinger would never be the same. And so from that moment forward he grew alone, swearing off that forsaken farm, promising to punish the gods for what they had done. It was in that time he grew in power, from a boy, to a man, to a god, through the trials and tribulations of the universe.   He fought devils, destroyed demons, defied fate, defied the gods and the heavens themselves to ensure he and his people would never again know suffering. The gods lashed out, destroying the world they had created, only to find themselves on their knees at the mercy of Harbinger, begging for his forgiveness. It was a forgiveness that the now god of war, hatred, and tyranny, would utterly refuse to grant them.   From there, he crossed to the rubicon into the Material Plane as it is understood in this world, swearing to conquer the plane and destroy its gods, saving the people of this realm from eternal, unrelenting torment.

The religion of the Emperor, of Harbinger, came from the now long destroyed cities of the old world. Ancient cults, churches and occult groups gathered in worship of their new god, the one and only Harbinger. The god of war, hatred, and tyranny who swept across the land. Primarily from the cities of what would be known as Cenesal, Roruan, Kelkastar, Morunan, and others would the cult come to power.    Rituals and teachings developed in the aftermath of the conquests of countries and cities, as the subjugated peoples would see the awesome power of the force they had so foolishly fought against. Furthermore, they would see the rituals perpetrated by the growing, following cult that trailed in the footsteps of the immense host.    The practice of ritual combat to settle issues, typically to the death, of declaring rivals from those who had wronged them until a specific condition was met, and more. These ideals spread and spread through the masses, until eventually Harbinger had completed his conquest, and the official religion of The Empire was placed.

Ironically for a religion that commands the utter loyalty and disavowing of all other gods, the history of the world and the fact that other gods do indeed exist is not hidden from the populace, but actively taught, including their names, domains, forms and other information, so that a citizen may more properly fight their influence off and know the names and shapes of these parasitic devils.   The world, as it is taught, formed in a cataclysmic explosion of mana and energy, birthing the universe and the planes themselves. The Gods walked the planes first as supernatural and immensely powerful entities that assumed the shape of the first people. They would bring children, mortals into the world to have something to rule over, as their selfish and greedy souls would tell them to do.

The general tenets of the Church of Harbinger are as follows, as dictated by Harbinger himself, allegedly:  

Hate deeply. Those who have wronged you in a way that harms you deserve retributions.

Conflict causes evolution. War, suffering, and death are a part of life and through these you and all beings may become more perfect.

Abjure the False Ones. The beings that reside in their crystal palaces upon the heavens are not gods worthy of worship, only charlatans amassing power akin to greedy dragons.

The strong rule. It is the right of the strong to dominate and conquer the weak, and it is the job of the strong to guide them into prosperity.

The ethics and beliefs of The Church are somewhat strange and often times contradictory in some aspects. Hypocritical would be another observation that a dirty sinner could make of The Church, as they preach holiness, devoutness, and zeal yet often times many are the exact opposite of what they preach.   What is common are the general tenets of the faith to be followed by all, especially those who reside inside the church itself. Conflict is constant and eternal, with new rivalries being declared for perceived slights, old ones being reignited by new disrespects, and other banal occurrences. Violence, typically conducted through intermediary agents, is relatively commonplace, especially in areas of the organization that are highly competitive.    To be pious, one needs to hate, have an unbending will in the face of opposition, and pursue their hatred to its natural end. This fosters a highly aggressive culture that has led to various all out small scale wars between powerful members of The Church, with very little in the way of purposeful intervention to stop it. This is allowed as long as the conflict is seen as a chance to strengthen those involved, The Empire, and or The Church and all those involved. This can and does extend to the general populace, but typically it is far more controlled in an effort to limit widespread civil uprising and disobedience.   Sinning is a subjective and somewhat fickle subject inside The Church. For members of The Church itself, sinning can be as simple as actually not pursuing a perceived slight, or as complex and dangerous as conducting oneself in a manner that is contrary to The Empire, to The Creed, and more.

Worship in The Church is an every day and commonplace thing. It is expected of all faithful be they the Theologian Primus all the way to the lowliest peasant, that they seek to follow the four core tenets of The Creed every day. Typically, standardized worship is held on Kato, the first day of the week.    A typical service takes place in one of the many stone, ominous and imposing churches and cathedrals dotted throughout towns and cities across The Empire. It is headed by one of any rank of official church member, depending on location and availability. A normal service lasts about an hour, with priests reading off scripture from the various religious testaments and documents that have been maintained and written over the course of The Empires history.    Rituals are many and numerous. For example, when a boy becomes the age of 15, that of a man, he is expected to make a blood offering to The Empire, and to Harbinger. A horizontal slice from right to left is drawn across the right palm by a Red Priest with Szel Dagger, and the hand is placed upon the base of the mandatory statue of Harbinger that is in every religious institution in The Empire.    When a girl comes of age at 15 as well, she is required to offer a blood sacrifice from her left hand, from left to right. In both of these instances, the cut is then cauterized on site. If the victim screams, their family is shamed for raising a weak child. If the victim passes out, their family is noted for re-education. It is through this simple ritual that The Empire is able to determine the pious from the unclean and sinners.   When marrying, the couple is to put their scarred hands against one another, and they then recite an oath of moment to one another, before drinking a liquid that is a mixture of each others blood and wine, and then kissing.    When a child is born, it is delivered by a Red Priest who consecrates the infant and its soul and mind, painting its forehead with the blood of its mother, and a drop of blood from the Theologian Primus.

The priests of The Church are outlined in earlier sections. Their ranks are distinguished, faithful servants of Harbinger who are rewarded for their piety.    Appointment is not meritocratic, but rather subjective to their superiors as to how one obeys and observes the tenets of the faith.    Inductees wear the grey robes of a Priest, but without a hood, and with no golden trim on the cuffs and neckline of the robes. Furthermore, Inductees are required to carry a 50 pound pebble inside their robe pocket, simulating a fraction of the weight their god carries upon his shoulders.    Priests wear robes with a hood and golden trim on the hood, cuffs, and neckline. They are freed of the 50 pound pebble and instead replace it with an oddly heavy necklace, the centerpiece being the churches symbol of a drop of blood falling into a hand.    Red Priests are easily identified due to the fact that their robes are primarily a deep crimson red in color, with the same golden trim. Furthermore, each Red Priest is required to carry a ritual Szel Dagger, a curved and ornate magical dagger that is used for special rites that only Red Priests can perform.    Bishops are denoted by their specially branded and curated Church given plate armor that bears the emblazoned symbol of the Church upon the breastplate. Furthermore, the helmet of the Bishops is a unique magical helmet that obscures the face and eyes, similar to Harbinger's 'face'. The eye sockets glow a fierce orange-red and the voice is projected as a steely and ominous inflection. These helmets are only granted to Bishops.   High Bishops can be seen by their golden Church plate armor with red underlying chain and cloth, as well as the eyes of their helmets glowing a deep blue.    Theologians wear a deep purple monk style robe and wear a black iron, barbed necklace that digs into their neck, often drawing blood. It is said that this necklace feeds upon the Theologians blood, and protects them from attacks.    The Theologian Primus wears a night black robe with highlights of magically enhanced crimson red, and trim of gold.

The priests and devout followers of The Creed can and are granted abilities that are far and away beyond that of what a normal mortal can achieve. Harbinger does not have a limited or preferred set of boons he grants, he simple grants as he sees fit. Increased speed, durability, or intelligence. Resilience against fire, poison, or necrotic energies.    Typically, upon achieving a new rank within the church, a member is granted one boon of their request, within reason. This need not be solely a grant of power, it may be legal, financial, or really anything provided it can be done reasonably and is acceptable for the rank of the requester.    The Theologian Primus is known to be a highly, highly dangerous individual who essentially requires no bodyguard due to the boons and often rigorous combat experience and training they have acquired across their long services.

The Chuch exists in an utterly inconsolable manner with the general political system. To be a politician, to be successful, to even live in The Empire is to be a highly devout member of The Church. Through this manner the Church wields immense political power, able to smear, slander, destroy and kill those that might pose a threat to their ideological, cultural, and spiritual power and clout.   Bribes, threats, persuasions and other such actions are common place from The Church to the political scene, yet typically it is noted that overt and obvious manipulations are scrutinized and avoided, as to not present an obvious undermining of the political base of The Empire.

The sects of The Church are numerous and ever changing. Sects fall in and out of favor and popularity amongst religious scholars in The Church, while some are bedrock foundations of the organization and some even despised, looked upon with suspicion, or outright persecuted and banned.   The two most common sects with the most numerous subscribers are that of The Otherans and The Primes. This divide comes from a simple disagreement upon the ultimate fate of The Empire, and whether Harbinger would take his flock into The Other, back to his original world, leaving their desecrated, and spoiled world to itself, or if Harbinger seeks to create a new utopia here, in this plane.   Venturing to more obscure, strange and downright odd sects are that of The Timesent. They believe that Harbinger is a being from the future who ventured back to save their world from an inscrutable disaster that is coming in the near future. Some say it is the apocalyptic return of the gods, others say it is a man made apocalypse.    Then there are The Combinationalists. They believe that when the gods have been destroyed, and all of existence lies under the control of Harbinger, all beings, souls, and matter will fuse into him, and a perfect world will be birthed from the fusion, where all souls will live in unity and harmony under the gentle yet firm rule of Harbinger.   Moving to more dangerous and outright heretical sects, a perfect example of a barely tolerated yet highly disliked sect is that of The Godrulers. This sect states that Harbinger's end goal is not the obliteration and absorption of the gods, but instead to make them bend the knee, and submit to his rule. It is argued that if all planes are to bow to him including their residents, then surely the ultimate statement of power would be to subjugate the very gods themselves. This is dangerous, and disliked due to the counter narrative it paints against the general and mainstream preaching of The Church that Harbinger seeks the destruction of all gods.   An example of a banned and persecuted sect is that of The Successionists. This highly controversial and publicly banned sect proclaims that by Harbingers own tenets, his death is the natural and ultimate completion of The Creed. They state that there will come an individual borne of such strength that they will defeat their holy god in battle, and assume the mantle of God-Emperor. While this creed bears its adherents, it is highly persecuted by other members of the more 'loyal' sects.   To further progress down the line of insanity, there are The Hellwalkers. These are preachers of a word that states that in order to truly defeat the gods, Harbinger seeks to ally himself with the Hells and its infernal legions to destroy the order of Heaven. While somewhat aligning with typical tenets, this sect is banned due to its reliance upon xenoplanar entities, an explicitly banned reliance. Furthermore, it is banned and hunted do to the usage of ritualistic devil summoning, contract forging, and possession.   Finally, one of the most dangerous, crazed, and violent sects, The Obliterationists. Obliterationsits are anarchists of such thirst, of such violence that they seek nothing more than the complete and utter destruction of all ordered civilization. In their interpretations of The Creed, they see the natural end being a war between classes, species, and planes that ends with one being dominant over all others. This, to them, is the ultimate representation and obeyance to their god's creed. They seek utter chaos, infighting, with no order to stop it as to produce the most capable warriors. They are violent terrorists, genocidal, insane, and stop at no border to secure what they want. Contracts with devils, employment of demons, control of xenoplanar entities, magical items, and more. Obliterationsits are one of the truly universally despised organizations in The Empire, with their only allies coming from within.