Confession

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A confession is an exchange between an ordained Priest of the Holy Order and a citizen of Lithmore, during which the citizen relates his sins and troubles to the Priest and is given Penance as needed to absolve himself. Not all confessions require Penance, and no single action, prayer, or activity is required to be issued as Penance. Priests may be as creative or traditional as they prefer.

The confessional room typically adjoins a chapel or cathedral, and is marked as "in session" by hanging a red cord upon the exterior door handle. When the confessional is occupied, it is a serious transgression for anyone else to enter the room.

Confessions are sacrosanct, and as such can be a significant burden for the clergy to bear. To reveal to any outsider what was said during sealed confession is to commit heresy within the eyes of the Holy Order. This includes confessions of capital crimes, heresy, or magery. Priests contending with the confession of a mage would dedicate themselves to convincing that mage that it is rightful to turn himself over to the Holy Inquisition, not take it upon herself to break the sanctity of the confessional. To do so is to commit an act of deliberate heresy, and clergy who cannot keep their vows may count themselves lucky to be simply removed from their post.

While it isn't standard for Inquisitors to take confessions, those who do are held to their vows as an Inquisitor before their vows as a Priest. Confession with a Priest is inviolate regardless of what is confessed, while confession to an Inquisitor comes with the expectation that they are an Inquisitor first.