Dark Priest

"I will remember all the sins committed by my fathers and mothers."
"The agony that their evil has brought will be left upon my shoulders."
"I will grimly announce all the wicked misdeeds I witness and perform."
"I will forever remain resolute and continue speaking my Martyr's legacy,"
"If it means enduring flames, I will continue speaking."
"If it means boiling in the deepest Pit of Sulfur, I will continue praying."   -Vows of a Dark Priest

    Dark Priests are the ordained clergy of The Sixth Church. Traditionally known as Sixten Priests, Dark Priest was originally a term that branded them as witches and warlocks by faiths outside of their own. They've long since adopted this as a part of their identity -- and happily accept themselves as a necessary evil in a world filled with sin.   Becoming a Dark Priest is an arduous journey that is marked by countless hardships.

The Path to Priesthood

Dark Priests are normally not willingly ordained. Many members of the Sixth Church inherited their position of through teachings brought down to them by their parents; this is an important part of Sixten tradition referred to as staining. A Dark Priest's lineage is stained with the weight of their sins, and their commitment to the faith must continue through each generation.   Most Dark Priests were also likely criminals in the past, or can trace their lineage to a life of crime that lead to their desire to atone.

The Stain

Tache foncée is the belief that sin stains generations and continues to stain it until the generation after has atoned for the sins of their fathers. When a Dark Priest is appointed by the Sixth Church, their generation is stained, leaving their children to become Dark Priests themselves.

Appointment

 

Inheritence

Most Dark Priests inherit their role from their fathers or mothers; this method is through staining. Children that have inherited membership of the Clergy are spared no mercy and must undergo the same burdens and practices followed by their fathers before them.   Uniquely, children who inherited their role are branded the Alchemical symbol for Sulfur between their shoulder blades to mark that they're the final generation before their ancestry is considered scoured of sin. They receive this brand when they're five years of age.  

Atonement

Those wishing to join must go through a process called Atonement; wherein they announce their desire to scour their sin during a sermon. Those wishing to atone will do so in front of the flock, rising to the stage to announce their desire to burn the sin from their flesh.   Depending on the weight of their sin, the flock will then decide whether or not their ancestry will be stained, or if their sins are light enough to be burned away within their lifetime.   Should the clergy find their sin too light to consider proper atonement, they will continue confessing their sins until they either can no longer think of a sin worth confessing, or until the flock determines them in need of atonement.   If the flock determines the atoner to be sinless, they will simply continue on to the next step after a moment of congratulation.

Penance

The Dark Priest begins by reciting their vows to the clergy after they've made their atonement. Afterwards, they undergo the Six Trials.

Fasting

The Priest spends a week of fasting in a single room filled with smoke. During this, they are encouraged to reflect on all the deeds they have committed. At night, they are visited by the Presbyter; who will request them to speak of what sins they have reflected on.   After three days of fasting, the Presbyter will provide a slice of bread and water.

Scarification

For every sin that the Presbyter heard during their moment of fasting, they are given brand at their back. This brand symbolises the sin that they have committed and cleansed from their flesh.

Witnessing

The Priest will endure two weeks of fasting, however, they will be free to walk within Church grounds. The Presbyter will not provide them any food; instead, if they wish to eat, then the Priest must request the Presbyter to dine.   The Presbyter will guide the initiate to lay witness to sin being punished; traditionally, the Presbyter leads an initiate into a specialised chamber in the local prison yard, where criminals are persecuted and tortured for their crimes. They will be allowed to eat while they watch the prison undergo torture.

The Grand Confession

The Initiate will be taken to the front of the Church, where they will preach every sin that they have committed regardless of whether the Clergy is standing witness. They are to fast during this, and are to never sleep; the preaching will continue and repeat until they collapse from the exhaustion.

The Sulfur Pit

The initiate is to be tossed into the Pit of Sulfur; a mimicry of the The Sulfur Pits. These isolated holes are dark at all times of the day. Five ordained Deacons are chosen to begin reciting the sins that they've committed at night. In the morning, the Presbyter arrives to shake boiling water down into the pit.   Food can be requested before the Deacons begin their recital; and this continues for the final week.

The Final Walk

A bed of hot coals are laid out in front of the Church. Here, the initiate is expected to walk barefoot across the coals. After they've successfully crossed the path, they will be officially absolved of their sins.

Ranking

Deacons

Deacons are members of the Clergy that have managed to endure the Six Trials; they are instructed with aiding the Presbyter and speaking in sermons for the flock.

Presbyter

Presbyters are in charge of leading sermons through a Church; they are the equivalent of a priest.

Archpresbyter

The Archpresbyer is a high ranking Presbyter that oversees the Churches across the country of Ignan. The Archpresbyter form a council of six and appoint Presbyters from Deacons.

Pontiff

The Pontiff is the highest ordained rank within the Sixth Church. Pontiffs preside over the council of Archpresbyters at large; but rarely speak and typically lead by example. It's a Pontiff's duty to perform public sacraments and rituals across the country to spread awarenes of his faith.   Pontiffs also serve as the seventh vote to determine ties whenever the Archpresbyters remain undecided in a vote.