Adherents
by Patheos
What do Adherents do?
Adherents and Divine Magic
In the year following a Novice's graduation to Adherent status, the Adherent's Divine Magical abilities supplied to them by their Holy One will begin to manifest. Over the next five years the Adherent will grow into their powers learning how to best channel them and use them in their duties. The Magic is directly from the Holy One and the Adherent's body is able to act as a conduit to the Holy One's magical energies.
These abilities are tied directly to aiding an Adherent in their duties to the Holy One. If the Holy One doesn't support the action of the Adherent the magic will not be granted to them. Each magical ability has specific usage and limitations. In an emergency the an Adherent can try to extend or bend the purpose of a magic, but almost always it might work for a matter of a moment, or not at all. Adherent's magical abilities depend on the duties they perform for their Holy One, so orders tend to have clusters of magical abilities that are typical to their order. Individual Adherent's often have at least one ability that is specific to them as an individual. Please see a specific order's page for what magical abilities Adherents may have.
Complusive Research by Sara Winters
Who can be an Adherent?
Anyone can become an Adherent. Although Zaygel has two very effective methods of birth control, temples will take in foundlings. A foundling may live in the temple in exchange for chores and errands until they are 13. Many of these foundlings become adherents themselves, but they are not required to do so. Others future adherents join without any previous attachment to that, or any specific Holy One. Some join up much later in life than the Apprenticing Age of 13. Being 13 or older, is the only requirement for joining an Order.
Who can be an Adherent?
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What Holy Ones can have Orders? Does the Holy One have to be Benevolent?
The majority of Holy Orders are dedicated to benevolent Holy Ones. However, the laws of the Government and Liturgical laws do not forbid any Holy One from formation of an Order. That said, all Orders are strictly held to the Government and Liturgical law that specifies that Orders will disbanded with extreme prejudice and immediacy, if they harm the citizens or try to topple the Government. Activities such as Inquisitions or enslavement are forbidden and beyond negotiation.
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Adherents, Celibacy and Families
The vast majority of Holy Orders in Zaygel do not require Adherents to be celibate. Marriage is allowed, but depending on how much in demand their duties to the people on the behalf of the Holy One are, marriage may be discouraged by an order. As an example, a Holy Lawyer of Sheem of Protective Justice will have to spend many hours working and traveling, and they are asked to put their service to Sheem first. The services of the Holy Lawyers of Sheem are needed constantly. That said, busy as they are, the Holy-Lawyers aren't forbidden from marriage, only cautioned against it.
If an Adherent does marry (in Artrella) they can live in a city Insula apartment with their partner. If the couple have children, then the children taken with the Adherent for education and chores at the temple of their parent's Holy One. Once that child is of the Apprenticing Age of 13 they can choose to stay on in their parent's order, or they can choose to join another Holy Order, or they can move on to being a Non-Adherent Citizen.Structure
Orders have Initiates, that then graduate to Novices. Novices are placed with a Mentor to teach and guide them. The period of Mentor/Apprentice varies from pair to pair, but to speed through this process isn't the objective, and it takes years. Above Novices and Adherents, there are the Seniors. In the majority of orders there is a council of Seniors who: problem solve, manage placement between Novices and their Adherent Mentors, make and give tasks and manage donations to the temple. Depending on the order some Seniors might have special positions to fulfill, such as performing special rituals, or acting as an Avatar for the Holy one in certain rituals. If the order has a Lex-Sacrata (a leader) among the Seniors, after a tenure period (which varies among orders) the roll is switched from one member to another. All Seniors were once Adherents, after a tenure period (which again can vary between orders) Seniors may request an Adherent or multiple Adherents to become a Senior or Seniors. Orders have temples in every village, town, and city, with cities often have the most spectacular temples. Some orders are more itinerant than others with their adherents traveling from temple to temple throughout their home country. Adherents of other orders stay based at their home temples, but travel out through their city, town, village, or much further afield. The itinerant of home base nature of an order is due in part to the nature of its Holy One and the duties the Adherents carry out in service to the Holy One for the people.
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Public Agenda
The Holy Orders are formed in adoration to the Holy Ones, and to serve the people as a manifestation of the Holy Ones' love of through their Adherents. Temples are places of worship, but they are also places of charity to the poor through @Temple Tokens. Temples may also be places of education. Orders usually have specific educational specialties determined by the aspects of their Holy One and the duties Adherents will do for them. Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic is given to foundlings and orphans without family who live at the temples. Due to this the great majority of Zaygellian peoples are literate.
The Governments of Zaygel are seen to be in a mutually supportive relationship. The Government will give alms to temples and in turn the temples will use this to help those in need and generally strengthen the community they're are established in. The Government is seen as a magnum opus of people. While the network of temples, and service by Adherents is seen as divine work of the Holy Ones.
The Liturgy of the temples is not to interfere with the smooth implication of government. However, if the Government oppresses a groups with the population, or implements unbearable taxes and or wages, or cruel and unusual punishments then the clergies of the Holy Ones will intervene in accordance with the will of the Holy Ones.
The inverse is true for the government. If any of the holy orders implemented payment for services, oppressed groups within the population, or gave cruel or unusual treatment then the government would be required to intervene for the Citizens and stop the activity or potentially disband the order. So far in Zaygel's recorded history there has not been a case of the a holy order or individual of the clergy disbanding a government.
Assets
Certain orders have warehouses of tools and supplies that are available for Adherents to use in the course of their duties.
History
The majority of orders are as old as the Governments they were formed within.
All Adherents serve their Holy One, but they also serve the people.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
It depends on what Holy One the Adherent serves.
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