Anuirean Churches

[Azulthar]

I'm still pretty new to Birthright. Downloaded the main books + the books about Rjurik, Brechtür, Khinasi and Vosgaard from svgames. Now I've read the main books, but I still have a lot of questions about the numerous churches in Anuire. How many are they? What do they stand for? Where can I find more information about them?

Thanks in advance,

- Azulthar

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by Azulthar@Jan 20 2004, 04:41 PM
I'm still pretty new to Birthright. Downloaded the main books + the books about Rjurik, Brechtür, Khinasi and Vosgaard from svgames. Now I've read the main books, but I still have a lot of questions about the numerous churches in Anuire. How many are they? What do they stand for? Where can I find more information about them?

Thanks in advance,

- Azulthar
Try the Book of Priestcraft which lists the dogma of 'most' of them.

[Raesene Andu]

Also the uncoming Atlas of Cerilia will have a description of each of the temples mentioned in ruins of empire and the other expansions. Here is an example of what these descriptions will look like. (Note: This is just a draft version, there may be some changes before it is released).

Orthodox Imperial Temple of Haelyn

Regent: Lavalan Briesen.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Status: Recommended (Cleric).


Holding Level Province Domain
Temple 4 Aerele (4/1) Diemed
Temple 3 Bliene (3/6) Diemed
Temple 6 Ciliene (6/0) Diemed
Temple 3 Duene (3/2) Diemed
Temple 5 Moere (5/0) Diemed
Temple 2 Tier (2/3) Diemed


Treasury: 8 GB / 10 RP.
Income: 15 GB / 23 RP.
Expenses: 12 GB (Military 6 GB; Fortifications 1 GB; Court 5 GB).
Fortifications: Avelerine Cathedral (level 4).

The Orthodox Imperial Temple of Haelyn in Diemed claims to be the true heir to the word of Haelyn. Its priests claim the distinction of being the first church of Haelyn founded after Deismaar. The original Book of Laws, the most sacred text in the church of Haelyn, resides in the Avelerine Cathedral in Aerele. The church draws from centuries of study of the Book of Laws to defend its exacting dogma, which at its heart holds that a society can thrive only by adhering to a strict rule of law. Laws, the church believes, exist to regulate a person’s inclination to place his own needs over those of the society. The only way to preserve the rule of law is to ensure that every member of a society has a specific, unchanging function. As it is the responsibility of the ruler to guide the endeavours of his people, so it is the responsibility of the ruled to follow their prince’s dictates.
Where the Orthodox doctrine has encountered opposition is in its inflexible view that draconian adherence to an unchanging set of laws and the institution of a rigid social hierarchy are the only ways to preserve order. The Orthodox clergy argues that its views are supported in the writings of the Book of Laws, a claim that has brought about numerous debates and has caused at least one rift within the church. Of the many ceremonies that are part of the Temple’s rituals, most emphasize the importance of maintaining the strength of the social order.
The Orthodox Imperial Temple argues that it is the direct continuation of the original Imperial Temple of Haelyn, and, as such, should be accorded a position of primacy by the other temples of Haelyn. Orthodox priests further argue that this primacy is reflected in the fact that temple is based from the oldest church built to honour Haelyn, as well as its role as the keeper of the Book of Laws. This view has done much to alienate the other branches of Haelyn’s religion.

Locations:
The most important site in the Orthodox Imperial Temple, and indeed in all of Haelyn’s religion, is the Avelerine Cathedral, which sits atop a bluff overlooking the city of Aerele. Most Haelynites recognize the cathedral as the oldest temple to Haelyn in Cerilia. Though little more than a small chapel when originally constructed in 1 HC, the site has since been expanded and built up to the point where it is now the largest cathedral in Cerilia, and quite possibly the most richly appointed. It has had in its vaults the treasures of a thousand years of empire, and many of these served to finance the expansion of the temple’s property. It houses an army of scribes, supplicants, and priests, and remains the most powerful and influential church of Haelyn.
Adding to the cathedral’s mystique is the fact that the holy Book of Laws is kept within its vaults. The Book of Laws, written in Haelyn’s own hand, appeared Avelerine chapel on the 6th of Pasiphiel in 1 HC, a day now celebrated by Haelynites as the Day of Holy Justice.

Affiliated Orders:
The most famous order associated with the worship of Haelyn is the Holy Order of Haelyn’s Aegis. Originally a subservient order of knights committed to the defence of Anuire, Haelyn’s Aegis is now a separate temple. Today, Haelyn’s Aegis looks to the Orthodox Imperial Temple for doctrinal guidance while concentrating all its efforts on the defence of the lands of men. The Holy Order is perhaps the only temple of Haelyn in Anuire that does not openly oppose the Orthodox Temple.
See separate entry for Haelyn’s Aegis for more information.
The Guardians of Holy Orthodoxy, two units of Knights of Haelyn, are based in Ciliene. The knights are based out of the Guardian Monastery, an imposing edifice overlooking the Straits of Aerele in Ciliene.

Important Figures:
Lavalan Briesen, Patriarch of the Orthodox Imperial Temple of Haelyn (MA; C5, Haelyn; Scion of Anduiras, major, 15). The fiery Lavalan Briesen, a man in his late forties, is the youngest man in centuries to assume the mantle of Patriarch. However, his youth has not served as a detriment to his commitment to the orthodox cause. In his time as regent of the temple, he has managed to bring a kind of rejuvenated enthusiasm into the orthodox faith.
Despite the fact that the members of the temple’s Holy Synod, the advisory and governing body responsible for selecting the Patriarch, are nearly all elderly men with decades more experience than the current Patriarch, Briesen has managed to sway them to his cause and are among his most ardent supporters.
Briesen currently has two items on his agenda, which he regards as merely being the first of many steps along the road to reuniting the Imperial Temple of Haelyn. The first item is opposition to the Western Imperial Temple of Haelyn, whose moderate stance he despises and who he regards as little more than a political puppet for the Prince of Avanil. Secondly, he would like to see the Orthodox Temple reclaim its holdings on the Southern Coast, which will almost certainly lead to conflict with Medoere and the Impregnable Heart of Haelyn, both of whom he regards as little more than rebels.
The latter item on Briesen’s agenda has won him many supporters and adherents in the Ducal Court of Diemed. Indeed, Briesen has become a close friend and trusted confidant of the Duke of Diemed, Heirl Diem. Though the crown of Diemed and the clergy of the Orthodox Temple have been traditionally allied for the last 1500 years, the alliance has become even stronger of late.

Military:
In addition to the two units of Knights of Haelyn, the Orthodox Imperial Temple maintains a unit of infantry in the province of Tier and one unit of infantry in Duene.

[Azulthar]

Also the uncoming Atlas of Cerilia will have a description of each of the temples mentioned in ruins of empire and the other expansions. Here is an example of what these descriptions will look like. (Note: This is just a draft version, there may be some changes before it is released).
Wow, this looks great! Just the kind of info I was looking for. I'm really looking forward to this atlas...will it be a matter of weeks, months or years until it is released?


Try the Book of Priestcraft which lists the dogma of 'most' of them.
Ofcourse, the Book of Priestcraft...how could I have missed that one...however, I've already bought a lot of RP books lately...is it worth it? What's in it besides information about most of the dogmas? Does it have a lot of second edition rules?

- Azulthar

[irdeggman]

If you are playing 2nd ed rules then the Book of Priestcraft (and the Book of Magecraft) are important books. If not, then use the BRCS and Atlas as your baseline.

BoP has some battle magic and realm spells as well as pretty detailed info on Investiture. It also has different spells (spheres) for the different paladins. It has priest/paladin structures by church (not just deity) which have 'required' proficiencies and 'bonus' ones at later levels.

[CMonkey]

Originally posted by irdeggman@Jan 21 2004, 04:41 PM
If you are playing 2nd ed rules then the Book of Priestcraft (and the Book of Magecraft) are important books. If not, then use the BRCS and Atlas as your baseline.

When the Atlas arrives of course...

CM.

[Raesene Andu]

Originally posted by Azulthar@Jan 21 2004, 08:50 PM
Wow, this looks great! Just the kind of info I was looking for. I'm really looking forward to this atlas...will it be a matter of weeks, months or years until it is released?

Hopefully at matter of weeks at this stage. I have a week or two of holidays starting from Monday, so hopefully I can get the sections I need to complete done during that time. Then there is editing and so forth which will take a couple of weeks so I don't like to make a prediction of an exact date, but soonish... I hope...

[Mr.Froggatt]

Wow! When I read you'd downloaded all the core rulebooks from SVgames I assumed you meant they were free - I almost made a mess of my pants! I took a look, and was slightly disapointed that they cost money, but it still looks like a great resourse. Now all I have to do is save some cash and learn to trust internet shopping!
Cheers for pointing the website out!

[Don E]

removed text due to legal issues

Arjan

[teloft]

I saw a bad scan version at a friends hous, one thet he got of the net the same way he gets MP3. But I like books to be in hardcover.

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by Don E@Jan 22 2004, 09:22 AM


* **
<cut text due legal issues>
Cheers,
Don E


One thing that we can&#39;t do on this website is to promote illegal downloads. So we shouldn&#39;t mention how people can acquire things that way. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, a nod&#39;s as good as a wink to a blind horse, if you know what I mean.

[Lifesbane]

Other sources you could use in the meantime are some of the Players&#39; Secrets Books. The one for Talinie for the NIT in particular springs to mind. :ph34r:

[RaspK_FOG]

Well, the prices for all products in SVGames (as well as most other resources) are very low; what makes SVGames really enticing is the vast ammount of resources&#33;

[Benjamin]

All hail Prince Raesene (and the rest of the Atlas crew)&#33;&#33;&#33;

That sample of the Atlas looks WONDERFUL&#33;&#33;&#33; I can&#39;t wait now. Of course, I&#39;ve been drooling in my shoes waiting for the Atlas for some time now, trying to be patient. And I&#39;ll wait until it&#39;s done, so take your time and do it right. I just wanted you (all) to know your work is much appreciated&#33; Super kudos to you&#33;

[kgauck]

The Book of Priestcraft is a nice start, and if temples won`t figure as a

large part in your campaign, it will probabaly be enough. I suspect that

even then it needs some fleshing out. But, I am certain that if temples

occupied a central place in your campaign (if the key PC, the group leader,

is a temple ruler, or if several of your PC`s are temple rulers) the BoP is

only a start.



Kenneth Gauck

kgauck@mchsi.com

[Trithemius]

Quoting irdeggman <brnetboard@BIRTHRIGHT.NET>:

> Try the Book of Priestcraft which lists the dogma of `most` of them.



In, sadly, vastly abbreviated form.



Some people (such as myself) have developed more extensive backgrounds for a

few of them, but your best bet might be to poke around on the PBeM sites and

scavenge anything that sounds good.



--

John Machin

(trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

-----------------------------------------------------

"Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

-----------------------------------------------------

- Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.

[Anakin_Miller]

Just a note, you can normally find the Book of Priestcraft on ebay for

around $5. Take a look there. The only book that normally sky rockets is

the Book of Magecraft but it does go cheap occasionally. I`ve bought 4 off

ebay for less than $15 a pop.



-ANakin Miller

[Azulthar]

Wow&#33; When I read you&#39;d downloaded all the core rulebooks from SVgames I assumed you meant they were free - I almost made a mess of my pants&#33; I took a look, and was slightly disapointed that they cost money, but it still looks like a great resourse. Now all I have to do is save some cash and learn to trust internet shopping&#33;
Cheers for pointing the website out&#33;
Well, the main reason why I bought/downloaded the books from SVgames is that I didn&#39;t want to wait for the books to ship (I had a campaign to prepare&#33;). You can immediately download the books after you&#39;ve paid for them, and the price is certainly reasonable.

However, the quality of the scans is rather poor, and I (like most people) prefer real books for reading.

- Azulthar

[Mr.Froggatt]

.....So SVgames gives you scans rather than PDF? that doesn&#39;t sound like such a good deal all of a sudden - scans surely take up a lot more space on a hard drive, and aren&#39;t as easy to brouse through or print
.... Maybe I&#39;ll stick to ebay after all.....

[CMonkey]

Originally posted by Mr.Froggatt@Jan 25 2004, 03:40 PM
.....So SVgames gives you scans rather than PDF? that doesn&#39;t sound like such a good deal all of a sudden - scans surely take up a lot more space on a hard drive, and aren&#39;t as easy to brouse through or print
.... Maybe I&#39;ll stick to ebay after all.....
Actually, they&#39;re scanned and the images made into a PDF. No OCR, half-arsed bookmarking, poor resolutions, large files. Never again. Never again. :angry:

CM.

[teloft]

I would like to see a update of some them to 3.5 then the Birthright comunity can publice them as thay public the new rule system. :)

[Cruelsader]

The Book of Righteous by Aaron J Loeb, William Simoni, Chris Pramas (Green Ronin Publishing, July 2002) has been praised by many reviewers. Has anyone tried to use this book to give Cerilian churches more depth?

P.S. Here is editorial review of the book

Book Description
The Book of the Righteous presents the most comprehensive pantheon ever seen in the d20 System. This massive, 320-page hardback provides more than 20 pick-up-and-play churches corresponding to gods that feature in most fantasy campaigns (god of war, god of justice, etc.). Each church features lavish detail, including in-depth information on its clerics, holy orders, dogma, prayers, and rituals. These churches can be used in any campaign to bring a whole new level of detail to the religious characters. Plus, for those who don&#39;t have a complete cosmology in their game, The Book of the Righteous provides a comprehensive mythology that unifies all of the gods in the book. That mythology, and its corresponding cosmology, is not tied to an existing campaign setting, making it as portable and useful as Green Ronin&#39;s critically acclaimed Freeport series. The Book of the Righteous also features a new core class, the holy warrior, and new prestige classes, feats, spells, domains, magic items, and artifacts. Third in Green Ronin&#39;s Arcana series, The Book of the Righteous is a divine sourcebook like no other.

[Raesene Andu]

I think it would be a better idea, if someone wanted to do something similar for BR that is, just to focus on a single church or faith (e.g. the IHH) and present a vast amount of detail on that single church. Nothing like this will be featured in the Atlas, although it is something that we could see somewhere down the track, as sort of Player&#39;s Secrets of a single church.

[accasey]

Thats a good idea that yourself and John M have... One of the things that I liked about the Book of Priestcraft was the little bits of additional info on the various churches.. Imagine how much better that would be if there were so much more information on them&#33;&#33; B)

[Trithemius]

Raesane Andu:

> I think it would be a better idea, if someone wanted to do something

> similar for BR that is, just to focus on a single church or faith (e.g.

> the IHH) and present a vast amount of detail on that single church.

> Nothing like this will be featured in the Atlas, although it is

> something that we could see somewhere down the track, as sort of

> Player`s Secrets of a single church.



A good plan.

I am doing one (sort of) for a temple I am playing in a PBeM, and usually do a

potted version for the temples in any game that I run. I frequently put more

effort into if I am the player though ;)



Perhaps it would be better to do "Players Secrets of <Deity`s> Faithful", so

that it could contrast a bit more, and discuss how they relate? Printing costs

aren`t exactly an issue for online distribution I expect, and I prefer

fewer "meatier" books to the little PS books from the 2e days. Even doing PS

books by subregion ("South Coast" instead of "Ilien", etc) might be better IMO.



--

John Machin

(trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

-----------------------------------------------------

"Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

-----------------------------------------------------

- Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.