by Nick Brooke and David Hall
History
The Perfecti are a mystical sect who possess the True Secrets of Hrestol's Second Revelation.
Prince Hrestol, as everyone knows, was the first man to transcend the limits of Society by mastering all of the arts known to man. The knowledge that enabled him to do this came to him as he sat in silent vigil, meditating upon the foes who assailed his country. His ancestor, Malkion the First Prophet, granted him dispensation to follow the promptings of his Heart, and not the stale word of old, dead Laws. Flushed with pride, Hrestol rode out as a shining knight, questing in dark forests and deep within the bowels of the earth to seek out and slay the enemies of his people.
This was his first Revelation, which we Perfecti call the Liberation of the Body. But it was not enough. After achieving all that he could do within the framework of society, and splendid in his victory, the Prince was cast out by his own people, banished into the Wilderness. (In this tale we see demonstrated the vanity of worldly pomp and success). And it was now, as a rootless wanderer, that Hrestol sat his second silent vigil, contemplating not the worldly concerns of his youth - fighting, battles, dynastic strife - but rather turning his mind inwards to ponder the state of his soul.
And then came the second Revelation, the Liberation of the Heart. This was the realisation that although his mundane, outer self had been changed by the skills and arts he acquired as Farmer, Soldier, Wizard and Lord, he had failed to transform his inner self. There is a state of mind which corresponds to each of these orders of society: where before, the Prince had remained a Prince, he now strove to master his inner make-up, and to become a truly Perfected Man.
This was a mighty ordeal. These were no mere mortal foes to be overcome, but rather the personal demons of habit and desire. No mundane crafts and skills to be learned, but the harmonious completion of every person. For in attaining his state of Perfection, Hrestol had to become each and every one of us. It was only because he had achieved this that his glorious martyrdom could reopen the paths to Solace for us all.
Theology
Against the false claims of the Hrestoli "Idealists", we Perfecti know that the institutions of the Loskalmi state are inimical to holiness. No progression through the classes can 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. Their rites of passage Fairs, Tourneys, Examinations - are mere outward shows, a hollow display lacking true substance. Our purifications achieve in reality all of the ends these tawdry pageants can merely claim.
Through ritual and meditation, aided by the secrets of Silence, members of the Perfecti carry out a spiritual process of development and purification, in which the aspirant to perfection gradually refines his soul and transcends the four aspects. The few who have achieved this are known as Perfecti: rather than being "Lords" as the Idealist Church proclaims them, they embody all four of the social classes at once.
Hierarchy
There must be no Hierarchy! God created all men equal -- all men can achieve perfection through their own efforts! Those Perfecti who have transcended the limitations of humanity and become One with the Whole, can offer salvation to the masses, leading them to Solace in Glory by the perfect holiness of their lives. Those who recognise the perfect and virtuous state of the true Perfectus are themselves assured of salvation. Like Hrestol, the Perfectus need not fear Death, for a transcendent reward in Solace is sure to await him.
