by David Hall and Nick Brooke
History
The history of our church begins with the Lightbringer's Quest when Orlanth, Creator and Invisible God created the world with the Great Compromise and with Time. Afterwards his son Malkion, Hrestol the First Prophet, and the Lightbringer Saints carried his worship across the world.
However, over time, the forces of Chaos returned to the world and from its foul seed arose Gbaji the Deceiver. Gbaji played upon the common people's ignorance, and he deceived them into thinking that his many ways were better than Orlanth's one way. His missionaries spread across the world changing, subverting, usurping, and, above all, confusing the worship of Orlanth.
When Gbaji the Deceiver held almost all the lands of the world in his evil grip, in the West arose Arkat, Hero and Prophet, to counter his evil machinations. He was a son of Saint Humakt and he led the united nations and religions of the West in a crusade against Gbaji. However, at the very point that he had freed the western lands he was defeated and imprisoned in the underworld.
From the lands of Dragon Pass there then came another hero, Harmast Barefoot, inspired by Orlanth to seek the Light in the West. Amongst his followers was his Knowing Companion, Aeol. After an epic journey Harmast found Arkat deep in the underworld and freed him.
Harmast recognized Arkat as Humaktsson, and taught him the Orlanthi ways of Dragon Pass. Arkat recognized the true origin of both ways and spread this amongst his followers: Orlanth and the Invisible God were one in the same and always had been.
With this new knowledge Arkat was strengthened and he led the combined forces to Dragon Pass to combat Gbaji's Lieutenants, Palangio the Iron Vrok Lord and Lokayamadon. Soon Dragon Pass was freed of Gbaji and Arkat prepared to march on Peloria and then on to the heartland of Gbaji, Dorastor.
However, Arkat was defeated twice, both times by the Sun worshippers of the Pelorian lowlands. Many of his followers despaired, thinking that Arkat had somehow miscalculated or offended Orlanth. Then came another Hero to Arkat, his name was Kwaratch Kang, and he was a troll from the Castle of Lead. Kwaratch taught Arkat the ways of the Trolls and from him Arkat learnt of yet another aspect of Orlanth the Creator, the missing aspect that would give him victory over Chaos. With this knowledge Arkat was able to defeat Gbaji in Dorastor, and thus was Chaos forced back for another Age.
Many people think that Arkat betrayed the secrets of the Lightbringers and Solace and Joy when he embraced the forces of Darkness to destroy Chaos. But the truth is that he discovered deeper truths of the Invisible God.
Arkat later founded and ruled a great Dark Empire in Ralios which worshipped Orlanth in the same way that he had been worshipped at the beginning of time. He also set his followers to guard all of the places on the heroplane and in the underworld where Chaos might seep in again.
Saint Aeol was a companion of Harmast, and then Arkat, and when he returned home from Arkat's Dark Empire he brought with him Arkat's knowledge and taught it to us. Now that the Dark Empire is no more we are the last people who follow the correct form of worship according to Arkat.
In the Third Age Chaos has returned in the guise of the Red Goddess and the Red Emperor. We must fight her and seek a new Liberator who will unite the forces of the West, the Orlanthi, and the Trolls, in the correct worship of the Creator. Only in this way can Chaos be defeated!
Theology
We believe in one Creator, whose name is Orlanth. Orlanth is sometimes called the Invisible God.
Orlanth's son Malkion, and his prophets Hrestol and Arkat, taught that Solace can only be found through him, in his pervading Spirit which guided the prophets, and in his incarnation as Orlanth Lightbringer to recreate the World after the Sun Emperor had brought Chaos to it.
We follow the Law of Malkion including the prescription on tapping. Tapping is a Chaotic activity which spreads Chaos' evil seed across the world.
We believe in the seventeen castes of Orlanth: king, archbishop, prince, councillor, eorl, bishop, chieftain, thegn, priest, goldentongue, bard, huscarl, craftsperson, carl, cottar, thrall, and stranger. All are born into one of these castes, but have the freedom to change if they meet another caste's requirements.
The greatest enemy to the divine worship of the Creator is Chaos! Chaos is evil and constantly fights to destroy the worship of Orlanth or change it. Chaos must be fought at every opportunity.
Remember that the Sun is always the harbinger of Chaos. It was so with the Sun Emperor before the Greater Darkness, with the Broken Council before the birth of Gbaji, and with the Dara Happan Empire and the Yelmalions before the birth of the Red Goddess.
We also hold the following views:
Women's role in life is different from men's role, but both are equal in spirit. The woman's role is that of the life-giver and nurturer, the man's role that of the protector and provider. Both need to work in concert for the good of Creation. The exact role each person takes in his or her life depends on his or her choice, so that women may become Warriors of Saint Vinga, or men may become White Healers of Saint Chalana Arroy.
Animals are the brethren of mankind and their companions, just like Saint Yinkin was companion to Orlanth. Their path to Solace has been decreed by the Creator through their divine ancestors, and thus it differs from mankind. Orlanth's other sons, the shepherd and the hunter, taught us how to care for animals and their spirits. They are part of His Creation.
Alchemy, Astrology and similar practices have been severely abused by the God Learners and the Dragon Empire. This must not happen again. Therefore the priests of the Guild are encouraged to study these activities, to prevent another abuse.
Priests are the teachers of the ways of the Creator, and an example to all. Therefore they are allowed to marry and have children, to teach man's capacity for Creation.
Hierarchy
The Archbishop of Durengard leads the ring of the bishops from Durengard. He is first among the seven bishops of the ring, who jointly look over the spiritual welfare of the Church.
The High Church on Mount Passant is a Holy Place to us as it is where Saint Aeol is buried. The Bishop of Mount Passant is second amongst the seven.
Important Saints and Prophets
Hrestol, the First Prophet showed that the castes of the Brithini were wrong. Through him Orlanth showed that a man or woman could change their caste, and that there were seventeen castes in total. He is best known for teaching the laws of Hospitality and Honour.
Arkat Liberator, the Second Prophet, was the Hero who destroyed Gbaji the Deceiver by liberating the true worship of Orlanth. We of the Aeolian Church are the last to follow his teachings in the correct way.
Saint Aeol was a tribesman of the Orvantes tribe of Heortland. He was the Knowing Companion of Harmast on Harmast's first Lightbringer's Quest which freed Arkat. When Harmast refused to accept the later actions of Arkat, Aeol became the Knowing Companion of Arkat instead. Aeol followed Arkat to Dorastor and was one of the few survivors of the battle with Gbaji and his minions. He then accompanied Arkat to Ralios and helped to set up his Dark Empire.
Eventually, Aeol decide to return home to Heortland, where he set up the Aeolian Church and taught us how to worship Orlanth in the correct way.
Saint Humakt was the brother of Orlanth who broke his oath by cutting down the Harbinger of Chaos, the Sun Emperor. For this necessary act the Creator was forced to cut his ties of kinship with Humakt. However, through his later heroic actions Humakt was accepted by the Creator as his Saint of Warriors and thegns.
The Lightbringer Saints accompanied Orlanth on his Quest to recreate the world. They lent their powers to Creation, and are revered for this. The greatest orders of the Aeolian Church have them as patrons.
Attitudes to Other Sects
Rokari
This church has turned away from the freedom of the Creator back into the rigid castes of the Brithini. They scorn women and believe that they have no right to authority, or any soul. Their erroneous ways were forced upon our flock for far too long under Richard the Tigerhearted and almost destroyed the land. We know now that this usurper was not the prophesied Liberator from the West.
Hrestoli
This church is enlightened as it accepts caste mobility. However, like all of the other churches of the west, they have forgotten the teachings of Arkat. They only have four castes which is far too few.
Borists
The Borists are an evil sect that worships chaos by tapping chaos creatures. All Chaos is Evil! All tapping is Chaotic!
