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The Church of the One God

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It was believed, at first, that the One God's light could refract justice, mercy, and strength in its triad of flames. But Man, ever hungry to create His own truth, snuffed out all light to declare Himself the sole beacon in the darkness.
—From the Book of the First Prophet

The Church of the One God once represented harmony between three divine aspects: Avestar, the embodiment of justice and strength, Abraxis, the spirit of mercy and compassion, and Mushtarie, the mother of creation. Together, these three gods guided the Arcadian faithful through the trials of life, each aspect balancing the other. Clergy devoted to Avestar carried out the law with the weight of divine judgment, acolytes of Abraxis tended to the wounded and sick, and peasant priests in the service of the Mother offered absolution and hope to the downtrodden.

This balance was shattered during the Schism of the One God, a rift driven by political ambition as much as theological difference. Declaring mercy a hindrance to strength, the Church exiled the Orders of Abraxis and Mushtarie, and their High Priests. Many of its clergy fled to distant lands, while others were hunted to extinction. What remained became the Hierarchate of Avestar, a unified order dedicated solely to the One God’s aspect of judgment. In this transformation, the Church became an unyielding instrument of power, wielding the fiery brazier of Avestar to create Prophets, seers and executioners who enforce its will.

The Fall of the High People amplified the Church’s reach. With the High People no longer mediating the balance of divine powers, the Hierarchate rose to prominence in Moruin, entwining itself with the Empire of Arcadia. The High Priest of Avestar now presides over its vast clergy, who interpret the Decree of the One God to justify the Emperor’s conquest. Meanwhile, the exiled acolytes of Abraxis and Mushtarie cling to their faith in secrecy, their numbers few and scattered.

Despite its dominance, the Church of Avestar is not unassailable. The old teachings of the triad remain hidden in forbidden texts, sparking quiet dissent among the faithful. Some whisper of a prophecy that foretells the return of Abraxis and a reckoning for those who betrayed its mercy.

Adventure Hook

The Church of the One God reflects the dangers of dogma and imbalance in power. Encounters with the Church could position the party to make moral choices in the absence of a higher authority, which may liken them to the Inquisitors themselves. What makes the party’s view of good and evil superior to that of the Church?

In the wake of the Church’s reformation, clerics of Abraxis have fled in all directions from the Empire. If the party should encounter one, they might gain valuable intelligence about the Hierarchate and how it’s been restructured. The only problem is that the Emperor’s spies are around every corner, and who can trust that the fleeing cleric indeed worships Abraxis? Perhaps an Imperial defector approaches the party, claiming to have found a hidden temple containing the Lantern of Souls, an artifact capable of rekindling the Church’s lost aspect of mercy in the form of its magical Brazier. The temple lies within the ruins of Castle Nephris, which is now patrolled by inquisitors loyal to Avestar. The party must infiltrate the ruins, recover the Lantern, and restore the Brazier of Abraxis—or die trying.

How will the party navigate such dangerous terrain without being exposed by the Imperials as heretics?
What hidden truths about the Church and the Prophets could the party uncover within the Castle?
How might the party’s actions sow seeds of rebellion—or fear—among the faithful?

Tags: Religious Orders

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The Church of the One God

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