The Lord of Faith is the main religion of Perisno, practiced through the institution of the Church of Faith.
Beliefs
Worshippers of the Lord of Faith believe that the Lord began as a mortal man, who lived in Perisno in the years before 1 AE. During this time, a great darkness was descending on the land, and a great power vacuum existed in Perisno as there were no major kingdoms to maintain order after the collapse of the Venetor Empire. In this vacuum, the previously repressed Demon Worshippers began to re-emerge from their places of hiding to practice chants and summoning rituals for the True Demon.
At this time, the only vestige of power remaining in Perisno was the Third Legion, holed up in their outpost and clinging desperately to the culture and traditions of their old empire. The other inhabitants of the land, namely the elves in the west, the desert tribes to the east, and the giants farther east, were at this time very dissociated and isolationist groups with no interest in the greater realm. Therefore, the Third Legion and their people became the main target of the Demon Worshippers, who wished to rid Perisno of any opposition to their practices. As Worshippers began to amass their forces in Third Legion territory, the leader of the Legion, Atanos Octiem, took note. He made every preparation necessary to defend against the demonic horde, but he would still be hopelessly outnumbered in any battle.
The Lord of Faith lived on his own just outside of the Third Legion fort, and also realized what was bound to happen. In an act of selflessness and valor for the realm, he chose to act instead of sit back and let the demons devour all civilization. As the Worshippers continued to build up their forces, the Lord took off into the countryside atop his swift white mare. First to the elves, then to the sparsely inhabited northern territores, and finally around to the desert nomads, the Lord of Faith rallied the disorganized populace under his banner in the defense of their homeland. His great charisma and stirring speeches drew great admiration from his followers, and it was at this point that his fame became noticed by the Demon Worshippers.
Outside the Third Legion outpost, the two forces were on the brink of battle. As the Lord of Faith was still marching his militia force back to the outpost, the Demon Worshipper's general launched the assault. In the initial stages of the battle, the Third Legion's defense was valiant but they quickly started to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Worshipper troops. That is, until the Lord of Faith arrived.
In one of the most defining events of Perisnoan history, the Lord of Faith personally led his militia in a charge against the beseiged outpost. In the fight, which came to be known as the Battle for Enlightenment, the Lord's small army of hastily trained men devestated the force of Demon Worshippers. Those who did not flee were sandwiched between the Perisnoan and Third Legion troops were cut down. The outcome of the battle was the complete disruption of Demon Worshipper operations in Perisno, who were thus forced back into hiding as they had been in the days of the Venetor Empire.
From this day onward, the Lord of Faith was worshipped as the savior of civilization and protector of the realm from the evils of the demons. Through the sheer power of raw belief, the Lord of Faith transcended his human nature and mortality, becoming a superior being in the eyes of his followers. As long as the inhabitants of Perisno maintain their faith in the Lord, he returns with protection from the wretched ways of the demons and other dark forces that stalk the land.
Practices
The Lord of Faith is worshipped in a variety of ways, depending heavily on which part of Perisno the worship is practiced. In the Kingdom of Tolrania and Elintor, citizens gather in common spaces to sing hymns of praise to the Lord and tell stories of great triumphs against the Demon Worshippers. The Hakkon Empire practices in a very similar manner, however the High Inquisition preaches a more strict and altered version of the commonly told history. In Drahara, where animals hold greater societal significance, ritualistic sacrifices often will take place on very special occasions, for example on the anniversary of the Enlightenment.
Demographics
Although it is overall the most common faith throughout the land, there are certain areas where belief is more or less commonly found. For example, the Church of Faith is very prevalent in Tolranian, Hakkon, Elintoran, and Draharan society. However, in the Reich des Drachen, where citizens have yet to integrate with Perisnoan customs since their arrival from the Isle of the Dragon two years prior, the Lord of Faith bears little significance in the average household. In Maccavia, the Old and New Gods dominate religious life and are defining elements of Maccavian culture, leaving little room for external religions like the Church of Faith. In addition, the Church of Faith's influence is relatively limited to the Perisnoan mainland. Nations like the Aroulo Ojibwakan, Valahir Clan, Kuu-lan Horde, and Bakhal Giants are isolated from the common reach of the Faith's Paladins, through recent missionary expeditions have attempted to reach these more remote areas.
Organization
The Church of Faith has an organized clergy with an internal heirarchy as follows:
- Grand Paladin
- Council of Paladins
- Followers
- Templars
- Defenders
- Disciples
The Council of Paladins is responsible for electing a new Grand Paladin upon the previous one's death.