The Church of the Next Shepherd
The Church of the Next Shepherd is a Dulkani religion that worships a figure known as "The Deity". This Deity is a very mysterious man who is at the center of the Dulkan Merchant Commonwealth. The religion has expanded past the Dulkan Merchant Commonwealth and has spread to neighboring countries. With the right trajectory, this religion has the chance to become the next major religion in all of Syken. In a world where the Gods are dead, this Deity wants to shepherd the world into a new era of faith.
Mythology & Lore
The sole figure of power within the Church of the Next Shepherd is a figure hailed as "The Deity". In a godless world, this Deity is said to have been one of the only people to awaken a Divine Rite, but contradicting the myth, the Divine Rite is said to be one he created for himself.
In the Mythos of this religion, this Deity was a Human man named Loreno. Loreno hailed from a small village that was ravaged by a band of marauders. Due to what the church calls "divine intervention" Loreno was spared. In a moment of emotional frustration and anguish, Loreno rage caused the village to sink beneath the land. The ruins can actually be found of this village to the South of Klaman. This gives some historical accuracy to what has happened to Loreno, but the cause of the sinking of this village is truthfully unknown.
Loreno after his outburst of emotion found some sort of mental clarity. This clarity led to him reflecting on the past and deciding that these people need a shepherd to guide them so that this doesn't happen again. Loreno made the weeks long trek through the Sinback Mountains and gained a sense of clairvoyance... Which has guided this new Deity to this exact moment in time.
Divine Origins
The Church of the Next Shepherd was first practiced over 300 years ago around the formation of the Dulkan Merchant Commonwealth. During this time before the Commonwealth was on its feet, the people needed something to believe in. The Dulkani needed hop that everything was going to be alright. This was before the people of the Commonwealth were controlled by money, greed and the idea of wealth. With this sense of ideology paving the way forward, a wave of pacifism took over the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth used it's wealth and financial power to raise it's influence across Syken.
However, in the modern day, the beliefs of the Church of the Next Shepherd have altered slightly. They still maintain their disdain to war, but now their drive has shifted to the idea of paying their way into the favor of the Deity. They can pay off their sins and ensure they resurrect into a better life. This disillusion towards money has caused some to fall out of favor with the Church, but it's influence has grown greatly especially in the governmental realm.
Tenets of Faith
The new Tenets of Faith for the Church of the New Shepherd are as follows:
- Shepherds. We must guide the weak, for they cannot guide themselves without a strong leader. The weak can only become strong with a strong shepherd.
- Indulgences. In order to reach salvation, one must pay off their sins to the Church to ensure their soul is cleansed of all wrongdoings.
- Way of the Quill. We must revoke war, we cannot fall back to the time of constant war and death. We must avoid war as much as we can.
Priesthood
There are various titles that are used within the Church of the Next Shepherd and the Divine Synod. In order from lowest to highest are the following ranks:
- Frau. This title is given to priests of the Church. Each Frau is given control over their own church or place of worship, but other than that their control doesn't extend past that.
- Arch-frau. This title is given to priests that control over a set of Churches within a Quarter of the Dulkan Merchant Commonwealth. There are only a handful of them in the country, but their power extends to many facets of the country.
- Saint. The next title within the hierarchy of the Church and the Divine Synod. The Saints are personal followers of the Deity and are personally allowed to meet and converse with the Deity. They are even given a sliver of his power as a result of their loyalty to their cause.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Over the course of centuries, the Church of the Next Shepherd has grown massively. Not only grown in the numbers sense, but grown politically as well. The Church seated itself high within the upper rung of the Commonwealth's political elite. The Church eventually fused with a smaller reconnaissance faction known as the Synod and formed into the Divine Synod. The political growth of the Church of the Next Shepherd caused it to mold itself to the views and ideology of Dulkan Merchant Commonwealth.
"May the Deity guide the lost."
Type
Religious, Monastic Order
Alternative Names
"The Church of the Deity"
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
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