The New Hrestoli Idealist Church

Expanded Sect Description

Gloranthan Folk Tales

Gloranthan Songbook

Moonie Madness

Carmanian Sources

Malkioni Scriptures

History

The Hrestoli Church is the oldest and largest sect of Malkionism. Founded by Prince Hrestol, the Second Prophet, at the Dawning of the World, it revitalised the then-moribund Brithini religion. The sect was established before the end of the first century as the official religion of Akem (later Loskalm), and is thus the oldest established Malkioni Church. In the First and Second Ages, all pious Malkioni worshipped in the Hrestoli manner. The God Learner heretics who deviated from this path were all wiped out with the downfall of their Empire. Thus was the Will of God made manifest in the world.

At the start of the Third Age, the Kingdom of Loskalm was a troubled realm: weakened by the collapse of the Middle Sea Empire, it shook under the assaults of barbaric enemies, and was torn by internal strife between many great noble families, each seeking to secure power for its own selfish ends. The peasants were oppressed, the strictures of the church largely disregarded. Worse yet, all the highest offices of state were in practice hereditary, in blatant disregard of the key principles of Hrestolism. While the hereditary nobles fought incessantly, aided by venal priests and bloodthirsty knights, all forgot the common heritage oftheir Loskalmi blood. Only when the intrepid Prince Snodal saved the land from certain destruction at the hands of the traitorous Zzabur were these squabbling forces brought to their sen

The New Hrestoli Idealist Church of Loskalm was established by King Siglat the Wise, son of Prince Snodal, during the tranquil peace of the Syndics Ban. After defeating and pacifying his unwise opponents within Loskalm, Siglat laid down the sword and through meditation managed to renew the the ancient Hrestoli religion. Widespread visions and manifestations brought by Saint Hrestol himself to members of all classes of society proved that these reforms in every way embodied the Ideal form of what the Prophet had desired.

The Ban allowed national introspection on a previously undreamed-of scale, and under it Loskalm blossomed into the just and fair nation it is today. Attitudes of Duty, Chivalry and Equality are inherent in everyone: only a few ancients can remember the Bad Old Days before Siglat's coming. The rulers of the land are now seen as Ideals in themselves, and their elevated state makes every public act and pronouncement into a symbol which reinforces the bedrock of the society: the Hrestoli Idealist Church.

Now that the Syndics Ban is ended, the Kingdom of Loskalm has the opportunity to teach virtue by example, uplifting the lesser states and peoples of Fronela to join them in the perfection of the Idealist State.

Theology

The Hrestoli Idealists proclaim that there is only one God and that he is the Invisible God and his Prophets were Malkion and Hrestol. In this they uphold the unanimous declaration of the Fifth Ecclesiastical Council of Malkionism. They reject as invalid the decisions of the Sixth Council (which they know as the "Blasphemy of Leplain"), which ranked Rokar among the Prophets; their histories show that members of the delegation of pre-Idealist Loskalmi Bishops were corrupted by Seshnelan bribery to vote against the Will of God.

Tapping: The sect follows all the Laws of Malkion including the Third Law, "Do not ruin that which you love," which King Siglat the Wise interpreted as a prohibition of all Tapping. The spell may not be learned or used by any member of the Church, on pain of Excommunication and Execution. Instead of Tap, Hrestoli Wizards now employ the less morally objectionable spell of Drain Soul.

Class: The Idealists of Loskalm declare that God created all men equal - that upward mobility through the class system is a right open to all, regardless of birth, wealth, or status. They recognise the fourfold class system instituted by the Sons of Malkion: Farmer, Knight, Wizard, and Lord. Everyone is born into the Farmer class, and can only rise above that lowly status by first mastering its mundane skills. When an individual has fulfilled all requirements for advancement, he is ordained during an appropriate religious festival: the popular Fairs and Tourneys, and the more solemn Examinations and Investitures.

Women: The official Idealist teaching is that women are spiritually equal but different to men, having been created second and thus in some ways more refined than the original (male) form of humankind. Just as a man can achieve salvation through his own merit or through the intercession of a perfected Saint, so a woman can achieve higher social class through her own merit or through marriage. A married woman holds the same social class as her husband, though if she wishes she can rise separately.

Sin: The Hrestoli teach that humans have a divided nature: part of us wants to sin, while part wants to do good. We must continually emphasise and express the Ideal part of us which does Good, while suppressing and diminishing our flawed and evil half. By doing good deeds, we encourage Good and improve our soul. When we slip, and do a bad deed, our Bad side grows and threatens the survival of our soul.

Conscience: A conscience is Good, because it helps us to know which deeds are righteous and which are sinful. Every Loskalmi is imbued with a functioning conscience through his Idealist upbringing. Pity the hapless pagan, who sins and sins again without even knowing that he is destroying his soul by doing so! Whether their consciences are innately deficient, or whether they are stunted by false teachings, many Loskalmi now see it as their pious duty to nurture foreign peoples to conscientious self-awareness under their benign supervision.

Life after Death: Saint Hrestol showed us that acting in accordance with the dictates of conscience can bring about a perfected state of spiritual harmony, which he named the Joy of the Heart. If, at death, any human has managed to tip the balance of his soul sufficiently in favour of Good, then he will enter the Malkioni paradise of Solace in Glory. This is the perfect home of the Invisible God, where the immortal soul of the righteous worshipper remains eternally, in total bliss. Failure to achieve Solace condemns the recreant sinner to Waste: he dies, and everything about him dissipates as if he had never been.

In theory even a non-Hrestoli could achieve Solace if, during his life, he performed enough Good and refrained from Evil. It is easier, the more Truth that is known and followed. Thus other Malkioni, even members of lapsed or non-Hrestoli sects, have a better chance of reaching Solace than do pagans. Non-humans have no hope of attaining Solace: their time of glory in this world is past, and Man is the master race now.

Funerary rites include burial of the corpse, followed by the ancient prayer of Blessing and Banishment.

Hierarchy

New Hrestoli Idealism is the state religion of Loskalm, and the sect's doctrines are pervasive throughout Loskalmi society. To rise to the highest offices of the land, it is necessary to study the lore of wizardry, and satisfy the examiners of the Watchdog Council with one's mastery of the arcane arts. This requirement ensures that those who become the Lords Temporal of the Realm - chief among them being the eight Princes who serve the King - are in every way as magically accomplished as the Lords Spiritual.

King Siglat's comprehensive reform of the institutions of Church and State swept away the old family-held feudal domains and bishoprics, replacing them with an egalitarian and meritocratic structure of royally appointed Principalities and Cardinalships.

There are many zealous Idealists who believe there should ultimately be no distinction between the Loskalmi State and the Hrestoli Church, seeing no difference between the military, civil and ecclesiastical structures of society. They decry the current separation of functions as an unnecessary compromise with the Bad Old Days, and call for reform.

The Hrestoli Church of Loskalm is headed by the Ecclesiarch of Southpoint: this is the oldest established position in the Malkioni Church, and its incumbent possesses spiritual authority over all Malkioni. The current holder of this sacred office is Gaiseron the Mystic, an ancient wizard who together with Siglat the Wise shaped the modern form of Hrestoli Idealism. Beneath him are the College of Cardinals, the Lords Spiritual of Loskalm, who head the Church in the eight Sees of the Kingdom. Within each See are a great number of city cathedrals, town churches, and village chapels, each tended by one or more clerics of the Idealist faith.

Loskalm's influence now extends beyond the borders until recently defined by the Syndics Ban. Various petty states of Junora have adopted its doctrines to a greater or lesser extent; in some cases through pious zeal, in others through political expediency. Whether or not these regions accept the Ecclesiarch's authority will vary, depending on the circumstances that brought them into the fold.

HRESTOLI SOCIETY

The Hrestoli Idealists believe that an individual must strive to perfect himself in all classes. One must rise through all four social classes to achieve earthly awareness of the Invisible God. However, it is possible to attain paradise without doing this, through the intervention of Saints and holy men. Through saintly intervention, a Hrestoli who has spent his entire life as a Farmer can receive Solace upon death without going through the stages of Knight, Wizard, or Lord.

Each class has certain prerequisites which must be met before the next class is officially attained. When an individual has fulfilled all requirements for social advancement, he is ordained during an appropriate religious festival.

Foreigners who wish to join the sect must demonstrate their devotion to the Idealist way of life, and must swear allegiance to the Kingdom of Loskalm. The class at which they enter the Church is determined by the Lord who accepts their oath; normally this will be the Loskalmi equivalent to their former station, but hard-line Idealists may insist that all who enter the sect do so as Farmers.

Farmers

For native Loskalmi, formal ordination into the Farmer class takes place at twelve years of age; the local Lord assigns each youth to an appropriate task. There are many to choose from, as this class of society includes the vast majority of Loskalmi subjects, not only field workers but also herdsmen, merchants, craftsmen, artisans, sailors and servants to the upper classes (this last category includes both knights' Squires and wizards' Acolythists).

Farmers are taxed to support the other classes, who in turn preserve and direct the nation. In normal times, taxes amount to approximately 15% of their income. Most farmers spend 5% of their time training with their local militia; these unarmoured units are mustered only for defense, never to invade other lands. This amounts to 20 hours' training every season in 2H Spear or Self Bow.

Most Loskalmi farmers never seek to rise from their class; those who master the skills of the common folk end up as country squires, town guildsmen, ship captains, and the like. In rural areas these local dignitaries are commonly termed Squires; the "squirearchy" they comprise exists outside the meritocratic structures of the Idealist State, and allows the government to extend its influence to the lowest levels of society. These "squires" are not the servants of knights, but are rich Farmers who have taken on some of the responsibilities and privileges of Lords.

A Farmer will be taught one Sorcery spell every five years, but may learn no other magic skills, not even Intensity. The spells available to this class are therefore very limited in scope, and are usually specific work-related blessings.

Soldiers

The Loskalmi Army is one of the best in the world: it is professional, motivated, well-equipped, and magically powerful. Each Principality fields a Battalion of 5,000 men; three additional battalions recruit from these regional forces and make up the core of the Royal Army. There is also a navy, consisting of two fleets of longships. In order to rise in Loskalmi society, it is almost always necessary to acquire military rank through the Army.

To enlist in his local Battalion, an applicant must demonstrate 60% ability in two Farmer-class skills (usually Plant Lore and any Craft) to a recruiting officer at a Country Fair. Other tests or contests are frequently held, at the recruiting officer's discretion. He must demonstrate himself to be a true Loskalmi patriot, strong, fit and eager to serve his nation. He must swear Hrestol's Oath, declaring his readiness to die for his people, and sacrifice 1 POW to Hrestol's Idealism.

The soldiers of Loskalm defend the countryside, administer justice, and protect the people. Those not suited to the army life may be pensioned out to garrison duty or service in the town guard. All soldiers are issued with appropriate armour and weapons; they are paid a wage which amounts (after deductions) to one silver coin for every day's service: the King's Shilling.

The army of Loskalm is a standing army, and soldiers must serve in it for 90% of the time, leave being awarded at their commanding officer's discretion. Soldiers must obey the commands of knights, wizards and lords. They may not ride horses in battle: this privilege is reserved for the knights.

Free training is received in military skills: these always include weapon attacks, parries, Listen, Scan and First Aid.

Soldiers are trained in the magic skills of Intensity and Ceremony, and are taught one sorcery spell for free after every five years' enlistment. Additional training in magical skills can be purchased from the Battalion's wizards.

Many soldiers learn Treat Wounds, Damage Boosting, and perhaps Enhance (Characteristic).

Knights

A knight is an officer in the Loskalmi Army, a leader of men. He is also an exemplar of Chivalry, carrying on the great tradition of Prince Snodal, Saint Talor, and the Prophet Hrestol himself.

An applicant for knighthood must be serving as a soldier. There must be a vacancy in his Battalion for a new officer. He must demonstrate a melee weapon attack of 60%, a parry of 60%, and one other military skill (such as Ride, First Aid, Conceal, or a missile weapon) at 60%. He must live in an exemplary manner and impress the Grand Master of his Battalion's Order of Chivalry. If acceptable, he will be dubbed a Knight after completing a night-long initiatory vigil, which can be approximated as a Test of Holiness (roll POWx3 on D100). If an applicant is devoted to any Saint, success in the vigil is automatic.

A knight must give his possessions to his heirs, or sell them. He may only own the tools of his new trade: this will normally include full armour and traditional knightly weapons. He must serve in the army of Loskalm for 90% of the time, though it is possible to appeal to the General for a year's Leave of Errantry.

Knights may not labour with their hands for profit, except with the permission of their lords. Their job is to defend the countryside, upholding Truth, Justice, and the Loskalmi Way. The knights serve as officers in the Army and Navy, and are subject to the commands of wizards and lords.

Where possible, knights receive the use of iron weapons and occasionally iron armour. Such artifacts must be returned to the lord if the knight goes on to become a wizard. Knights are allowed to ride horses in battle; this is the distinguishing mark of this social class.

Training in the knightly skills is free while serving with fellow-knights: these include weapon attacks and parries, First Aid, Human Lore, Listen, Orate, Ride and Scan.

Though a knight is taught no more magic than a soldier, he is likely to have long-duration spells cast upon him by wizards and to be granted lessons in the arcane arts in reward for services rendered.

Wizards

The Wizards of Loskalm are teachers, religious functionaries, administrators, scribes, and, of course, magicians. In wartime, some support the knights, while others fight as the Grand Knights of Loskalm. In peace, they sustain the spiritual needs of the land and its people. They are directed by the nobility, who are all adept wizards.

An aspiring wizard must be a shining example of Hrestoli Chivalry. He must have a melee weapon attack of 90%, a parry of 90%, and one other knightly skill at 90%. He must demonstrate his prowess in a Tourney, and win admiration.

He must also fulfil all the normal requirements to become a sorcerer's apprentice: a magic skills category modifier of +10 or better, and the following skills at 25% or more: Read/Write Western, World Lore, Intensity. An Adept must be prepared to take him on as an apprentice wizard (this can be simulated by a POWx3 roll), and the candidate must submit to the Apprentice Bonding ritual (costing 1 POW).

Wizards are fed, housed, and appropriately honoured for the labours they perform for the kingdom. Some work as village chaplains, town priests, or in the courts of nobles. Others study in the universities, or serve with the army as Grand Knights.

Loskalmi wizards are still students of sorcery, equivalent to apprentices in other sects; those who master sorcery are the Adepts. A wizard must spend 90% of his time performing various religious and mundane duties, studying and maintaining his sorcery skills. Each year he will receive 400 hours' teaching (a full season) from his Adept master. Wizards may learn all the arcane arts of Sorcery, including the skills of Range, Duration and Multispell, and will devote much of their time to mastering these.

Adepts

Adept wizards are masters of sorcery. To qualify as an adept, the aspiring wizard must have the following skills at 75% or greater: one Ritual or Lore, two sorcery skills, and two sorcery spells. Moreover, he must satisfy his master with his Hrestoli piety and his understanding of the mysteries of the Idealist Faith: this can be simulated by a Test of Holiness (POWx3 on 1D100).

Lords

The Lords of Loskalm rule their society. They answer only to other, more potent, nobles. The class can be broadly divided into Lords Temporal, Lords Spiritual, and Lords Militant, depending on whether their prime concern is with administration of the State, Church or Army. Above all the Princes, Cardinals and Generals is the King of Loskalm.

An aspirant to the rank of Lord must be an Adept wizard. He must devise a new application for sorcery, and submit it to the scrutiny of the Examiners of the Watchdog Council; success in this test can be simulated by a POWx2 roll on D100, attempted once per year. He must also be an honourable man, faithful to the laws and customs of Malkion and Hrestol, and must have proven himself to be Idealistic, Chivalrous and Pious in his past service. There must also be a need for a new lord at the time of his investiture - this last requirement is often the hardest to fulfil.

The investiture of a new lord is cause for celebration throughout his assigned domain. A lord is the final arbiter for all those under his rule. If he is a Lord Spiritual, his pronouncements on ecclesiastical matters are supreme. If he is a Temporal ruler, his judgement in mundane and legal matters is final. If he is a Military leader, his decisions in battle are followed without question. All taxes are delivered to the lord to use as he sees fit.

The only real restrictions upon a lord are those enjoined by society, his God, and his liege. He is supposed to judge fairly and administer competently and wisely. Blatantly incompetent or dishonest lords may be arrested by their outraged peers, and brought before the High Council of Loskalm.

Major Saints

Prince Hrestol, Saint and Prophet, received a vision of the angelic Prophet Malkion, one year after the Dawning. He was inspired to break the traditional bounds of society in order to rescue the Kingdom of Seshneg from its barbarous enemies. He is credited with discovering the rank of Knighthood and the spirit of the Crusade. Yet before his final victory against the Basmoli, he was exiled from the land for offending against the evil Serpent Queen, Seshna, his new stepmother: after years of journeying through the Isles of the Western Ocean, he was condemned as a heretic by the Brithini, and gloriously martyred in Sogolotha Mambrola. Hrestol was assumed bodily into the Solace of Glory, and no relics are known.

Most of the locations of his life are now underwater, having sunk with Old Seshnela: the precise site of his martyrdom in Sog City is known, and is a popular pilgrimage site for pious Malkioni of all churches.

King Siglat the Wise is hailed as a Saint by the Church he founded. The offspring of Prince Snodal's liaison with the magical Damosel of the Black Veil, who dwelt in far-distant Altinela, his more-than-human wisdom revealed itself through his actions as ruler of Loskalm. When the kingdom was imprisoned during the Syndics Ban, Siglat's divine visions enabled him to guide his people in the paths of Idealist Virtue: a perfect monarch and a perfect man.

Saint Talor, the Laughing Warrior, was a companion of Arkat who redeemed the Kingdom of Akem from vile Deceit in the Chaos Wars which brought the Dawn Age to a close. He smote the Tarjinian Bull, and cursed the pagan Telmori people, revealing them for the brute beasts that they were. In a painful struggle, Talor and his alliance of soldiers of Akem, Orlanthi, and savage Rathori barbarians drove Gbaji's Bright Empire from Fronela. Talor cleaned northern Peloria of its curses and marched into Dorastor at the same time as Arkat's horde of trolls. Arkat's and Talor's armies met, witnessed Gbaji's destruction, and made great celebration.

Afterwards, when Arkat's Stygian darkness overcame Ralios, Talor warded it from his land, instead shining for all his people as a beacon of pure Light and hope. He is remembered as the Perfect Knight, and saviour of his kingdom. His song of battle enables the Hrestoli to achieve strength through joy.

Queen Xemela was the mother of Hrestol, who gave all that she had to save her land from a terrible affliction. For her selfless sacrifice, she is revered as patron Saint of healers by all Loskalmi. Indeed, the oath taken by Xemela's Healers is almost the same as that sworn by Soldiers in the Army, declaring their willingness to die if necessary to save their people. This is one of the instances where individuals can rise through the classes of Loskalmi society without achieving military rank, following a different (though no less arduous) path to achieve personal and spiritual fulfilment.

Church Institutions and Popular Movements

The High Council of Loskalm: King Gundreken of Loskalm has followed tradition by appointing five other Hrestoli Lords, including the Ecclesiarch and the head of the Watchdog Council, to advise him as members of the High Council of Loskalm. This august body determines matters of key importance to the State: it formulates foreign policy, decides on matters of war and peace, and is also responsible for the appointment and rotation of Princes and Cardinals between the eight Principalities and Sees of the Kingdom.

The Watchdog Council is an arm of the New Hrestoli Idealist Church of the Kingdom of Loskalm. Its purpose is to scrutinise all developments in Loskalmi theology, sorcery, science and ideology. Anyone within the Kingdom who wishes to publicise a new concept (be it a spell, a slogan or a doctrine) must first obtain the imprimatur of the Watchdog Council: without this, his work will be publicly shunned. Researchers working in sensitive areas may be called in to explain their work. Lines of inquiry are carefully vetted, and those who ignore the Council's decisions may be officially discouraged.

State Orphanages and Schools: In their desire to destroy the hereditary system altogether, some pious Lords have endowed state orphanages and schools. Places in these are awarded according to need and merit, with no account of the child's background. In these establishments, children from all backgrounds are treated to identical conditions, none of them being presented with any advantages denied the others. They are brought up away from the insidious influence of parental love, receiving their education under the benign but dispassionate tutelage of approved instructors. This schooling instils a profound sense of Hrestoli virtue and fair play in all its students; their boyish high spirits are contained by a regime of strict discipline.

Orders of Chivalry: Every knight must join one of the orders of chivalry, guardians of the great Western chivalric tradition. The Orders uphold the Laws of Chivalry, the cause of Knight Errantry, and ensure that their members always personify the best that the Loskalmi Way has to offer. Each Battalion of the Army has a unique Order of Chivalry into which new knights are inducted. Other orders exist, such as the Golden Banner of Flame and the Order of the Swallow, which are open by invitation only. A knight may only be a member of one Order of Chivalry, and to be stripped of that privilege means dishonour and the loss of their status as a knight.

Muscular Hrestolism: This is a spontaneous popular movement found in Sog City and throughout Junora, which manifests itself in clubs of keen and enthusiastic followers. They celebrate the virtuous spirit of Loskalmi Hrestolism in a patriotic and hearty manner, wearing uniforms modelled on those of the Battalions, and parading to demonstrate their support for the kingdom's policies.

Heresies

The Perfecti: The most widespread heresy within modern Hrestolism is that of the Perfecti, or Pure Ones. These believe that the institutions of the Loskalmi state are inimical to holiness, and that progression through the classes cannot be achieved within the structures of the established church, as the lords and wizards of Loskalm are too interested in the trappings of worldly power to provide for the salvation of the masses. Through introspection and self-denial, they carry out a spiritual process of development and purification, in which the aspirant to perfection gradually refines his soul and transcends the four aspects. Few have achieved this.

Miscellaneous Notes

Isolationism

Many older Loskalmi are sure that isolationism is the best policy for the kingdom. Loskalm should serve as an Ideal to which other nations can aspire, turning its energies inward to perfect itself. Spiritual harmony would not be possible with knights always riding forth to do battle in foreign nations. Loskalm can remain strong, and defend itself against any aggressor: what need for martial bravado when Right will invariably triumph in the end?

Others accuse them of turning their backs on the outside world, and ignoring the ravages of the Kingdom of War at their very doorstep.

Imperialism

In the Second Age, the kingdom of Loskalm stretched up the Janube Valley as far as the city of Eastpoint. All of Junora and Dona were included in this realm of Greater Loskalm. Among the younger generation, many see it as their manifest destiny to extend Loskalm once again to these "natural frontiers." The Grand Army of Loskalm will liberate these regions from their oppressive, ignorant rulers and integrate their populace once more into the harmony of the Loskalmi State. The barbarians who charged in to despoil these regions at the end of the Second Age, bestial savages from the hills and forests, will be driven from the proud cities back to their native haunts! Forward, ever Eastwards!

Virtue or Hypocrisy?

Foreign critics often comment on the apparent divergence of Ideal from Reality in the Kingdom of Loskalm. They say that although everyone professes to adhere to the pure and virtuous path of New Hrestoli Idealism; few are prepared to admit that this egalitarian doctrine, remarkably successful though it is at keeping the masses content, has made little difference to the actual balance of power in the Kingdom.

They say that behind the facade, the great offices of state are still controlled by the same class of people who held them centuries ago: the old rulers, their personal friends, and those able enough to overcome the obstacles placed in their way by the System. Despite the cant about openness and a "land of opportunity," the reality of Siglat's Dream is that nothing essential has changed. The names and faces are different, but the old structures are still present.

Of course, the noble members of the Watchdog Council heartily refute such suggestions as the tattle of bitter and envious men. They can point out the many men (and women) of lowly birth who have risen to positions of power and influence. They also explain that the Loskalmi Way is not one of power-seeking, but of loyal service to one's Ideals and one's country: something which the most humble farmer is as capable of doing as the King himself!

The New Hrestoli Idealist Church was written by Nick Brooke, with David Hall, Sandy Petersen and Greg Stafford, and was published in Tales of the Reaching Moon #13, the Go West! special.

Glorantha, HeroQuest, Hero Wars, and Issaries are trademarks of Issaries, Inc. The contents of this page are copyright by Nick Brooke , 2001; any material derived from Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha is also copyright by Greg Stafford. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission.