Church of Alarath
The Church of Alarath is the church of Alarath. Its records and teachings are among the few accounts of the distant past: what happened at the end of the First Age is still unknown, because, at least in the Lands of Exile, no objective information exists apart from religious texts.1
Teachings on the past
According to the records of the Church of Alarath, at the end of the First Age The Dark One somehow emerged from the void and attacked Teneris.1
The church teaches that the gods' living among mortals left all of Teneris vulnerable to the Dark One, and that the best way to protect mortals is to watch over them from above.1
The church also has its own account of the ancient crater in which Vansreik stands. Scholars say a meteor formed it, but the Church of Alarath attributes it to a clash between the archangel Shamyhaza and a colossal demon.2
Clergy and knighthood
Knighthood and chivalry are embraced by the cult of Alarath far more than by any other. Alarath is well known not to be a forgiving god, and swearing allegiance to him carries a heavy responsibility.3
Many figures in the clergy of Alarath follow the guidance of the archangel Shamyaza, the Saint of Blades, and believe it to be Alarath's most powerful lieutenant.4
Ties to other institutions
The Holy Inquisition is not affiliated with the High Church, but thanks to a shared ideology it soon gained the protection and blessing of Alarath's priests.5
In the mining town of Grand Serrin, which lay between the lands of two feuding noble houses, each house had its own churches, and both were linked to the united church of Alarath.6
Notes
Sources
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