The Holy Order

The Holy Order of Dav is the religion that unifies the Kingdom of Lithmore, omnipresent from the furthest isles of Tubor to the deepest deserts of Farin. It was officially founded in SC 109, following a revelation given to the reigning King Dav ab Harmon by the Lord of the Springs: a divine epiphany that magery was inherently a tainted force that had to be opposed at all costs.

King Dav fought a decades-long war to unify the land into one central Kingdom beneath his leadership, bringing Vandago, Farin, Tubor, and Vavard officially into the fold as subjugated states - and spreading the new faith to their people.

Now, centuries after Dav's victories, the Holy Order is enshrined as truth throughout the entire Kingdom. Its beliefs are spelled out clearly in the Erra Pater, a book used to teach the faith's principles to all.

As an organization, the Holy Order has three branches: the priesthood, the Inquisition, and the Knights.

The priesthood makes up the majority of the Order's members. Priests provide confession and penance to the sinful, counsel to the doubting, and blessings to the afflicted. They also serve in works of charity and education, as the Order preaches the importance of looking after one's fellow citizens. Priests swear oaths of chastity, agreeing to never marry lest they be tempted to put Urthly concerns above the spiritual.

The Inquisition is drawn from among the priesthood. These specially trained priests hunt out signs of heresy and magery among the population, putting suspects to the questions with any means necessary when sufficient evidence exists to justify what is called a Review of Faith.

The Knights are the Order's martial arm. Their primary purpose is to apprehend the mages that the Inquisition warrants for Review, and more generally to protect the populace from magical threats such as demons. They also tend to serve as the Kingdom's generals and military leaders in times of war. Unlike priests and Inquisitors, Knights are free to marry.