The Unified Church

Overview

The Unified Church is the religious organization founded around the ancient belief system of Elementism. It is headed by the Pope, formerly the Dragon Pope, the supreme mortal authority on the Elemental Spirits.

Hierarchy

The highest mortal authority in the United Church is the Pope. The pre-Conquest title for this position was the Dragon Pope, a legacy kept from the first Pope, St. Finnegan. A former prince, he was saved from insurgents by a Flame-born dragon, whose name has not survived history, so she is known as St. Savior. A new Pope is only elected if the current one dies, retires, or commits a crime befitting of expulsion from the church.

The Pope is elected by the Conclave of Elemental Cardinals. There are one hundred twenty-one Cardinals, of which at least three-fourths must agree to elect a new Pope. The Cardinals are elevated from the Elemental Temples, from the ranks of High-Mage Bishop to High-Mage Priest, though High-Mage Paladins or Chaplains from the Standing Element Guards have been elevated on occasion.

Aside from the Authority at Aether Citadel, the highest of Elemental Authorities are the High-Mage Bishops of the Major Elemental Temples.

Tenets of Faith

The United Church follows the most basic principles of Elementism:

Thou shall only worship the true Gods of the Elements, their children, the Gods of the Aspects, and the Sun and the Moon.
Thou shall love all Beings.
Thou shall labor to love all Beasts.
Thou shall only commit harm when thou ist defending oneself, Beings, or Beasts that are in need of defending against forces that cannot be dissuaded.

The major difference sbetween the United Church and the other branches of Elementism (the Church of the Sands, the Church of the Spirits, and the Dragon’s Church) are as follows: