Sins and Atonement

Sin is the term for behavior in Davism that works against the two pillars of the faith: purity and goodness. When an individual sins, they are called by religious duty to confess their sin to a priest or priestess and undergo cleansing, in order to wash the taint of their sin from their soul. Failure to do so promptly and with a willing heart can lead to rejection from the Lord's presence after death, leaving one's soul cast out as food for demons - a fate most wish to avoid.

As such, confession and the cleansing that goes along with it are feared at times even by the most loyal Davites. However, confessions between priests and supplicants are forever sealed and private-- only able to be breached by the Patriarch himself. Additionally, known sinners who refuse to repent on their own will often receive a visit from Church Inquisitors, and avoiding their reach is punished far more strictly than by those priests conducting confession.

(Note: It's fine for you to RP your character as receiving confession from an NPC, so long as the sins are minor and you confess to a PC Orderite occasionally. Use your best judgment on what you feel is "minor.")

The official list of sins is maintained by the Holy Synod with the occasional edit, but has remained fairly similar to the initial list published in the very first Erra Pater.

• 1. Magery: Magery is a demonic taint of pure evil, anathema to the Lord.
• 2. Heresy: Rejection of the Lord's words.
• 3. Murder: To end someone's life outside of legal bounds.
• 4. Betrayal: To break a solemnly sworn oath.
• 5. Fornication Without Blessing: The sexual union of bodies outside of holy matrimony.
• 6. Impurity: Miscellaneous sins such as lying, drunkenness, and being quarrelsome.
• 7. Acedia: Sloth or indifference toward religion.
• 8. Lawlessness: The breaking of lesser laws than murder.
• 9. Greed: A desire to benefit oneself at the expense of others.
• 10. Denying One's Station: To fail to uphold one's role in society.