Host

“	The Host are the creators of this world and everything in it. They are unified and eternal. They protect us, their children.	„
	~ Josh

Host Inextinguishable is a triune deity, revered in Aldor and many peoples beyond its borders. It is known that the Host has shown miracles through its Shrines and clergy, but this is a matter of the distant past.

The Entity of the Host

The Host consists of several entities. Each of them serves as a Hand of the unified Order, a part of the unified Path. They are known under different names in different lands.

• The Hand of Protection helps all those whose faith is strong and mind is clear. It inspires the mighty for new feats and grants strength to the weak, so they could keep on going.
• The Hand of Retribution protects those who work honestly and fairly.
• The Hand of Omniscience blesses poets and scholars in their inquiries. The human mind is capable of many things, but only with the Host's blessing it can be channeled into something useful.

In Aldor, there are Cenobiums dedicated to the Judging Hand, Guiding Hand and Warding Hand, but most likely these are just variations of the names of the Host. In addition to the Hands, the deity includes the righteous, who merge into a single whole with the Host in the afterlife. The Triple Hand Order was especially concerned with this, and so they built impressive Necropolises for their priesthood and high-ranking leaders.

The antipode of the Host is a certain malevolent force revered by the Proselytes and called the Court. Little is known about it.

Religious Teachings

As noted above, different countries believe in the Host differently. The following religious teachings are known:

• Gnostic Hieronism - "Path of Knowledge"
• Nistrian Hieronism - "Path of Tradition"
• Northern Hieronism - "Path of Stoicism"
• Orient Hieronism - "Path of Purity"
• Eraffa - "Path of Divination"
• Alrayi - "Path of the Seers"
• Cara - "Path of Improvement"
• Zhixu - "Path of Purpose"

Those who do not believe in the Host profess one of the following:

• Dwarven Paganism - Ancestors Worship
• Paganism - Spirits / Nature Worship

Gnostic Hieronism

Gnostic Hieronism is the most widespread in Aldor, but not in the rest of the world. This teaching was held by the High Hieron, and after its schism, the newly formed churches of Brynn, Aldwynn, and Maen. It's hierarchy is described in detail in the corresponding Folio.

For centuries, the Hieron had been led by Archtheurgists, the miracle workers, the most diligent and persevering that become close to the Host in all Their Benevolent Glory. Bestowed with a fraction of the Host's grace, they could reshaping the world in accordance with the divine will. But they lost their power not long before the war, and no one knows why that happened. The only reminders of their power are the few Artifacts, the clergy staffs and the templar swords that bear the marks of the Host's Blessing.

Deserving special mention are the Tanats, also known as the First Martyrs, who are revered by Hieronites almost as much as the Host itself. A long time ago, they sacrificed their lives to hasten the coming of the Day of Truth.

In modern Aldor, the church uses Witch hunters and Vehements, who are a kind of fanatical militia that does not really understand the essence of what they are fighting, but is persistent and zealous, to combat the growing influence of the Secret Cults, Witches and other unclean monsters.

Notable Aldorian saints:

• Almot the Unerring who was engaged in missionary activity in Fjall and died there;
• St Wald, one of the first Aldorian saints, left his mark in history as a great preacher and an implacable enemy of heretics and the wicked;

Pertain artifacts:

• Casket with St Wald Relics
• Blessed Aquamanile
• Cleansing Chalice
• Codex of the Triple Hand Order
• Tanat's Skull

Pertain texts:

• The Keys of the Tetractys
• The Golden Truths
• The Aspects
• The Apocrypha
• A Sermon for a Good Hieronite
• Advice for Pilgrim

Ritual Candles, Ornate Mirrors, Liturgical Chalices, Golden Plates, Aspergillums, Censers and Altar Bells play an important role in the rituals of the Hieronites.

Nistrian Hieronism

All that is known about Nistrian Hieronism is that it draws heavily on Axonian traditions to strengthen the power of the Great Despot and the country's dominant Ksifits. The same teaching seems to be professed in the Hieroprincipality of Aeos, but it is unknown whether this mythical country actually exists.

Orient Hieronism

Orient Hieronicism is practiced in the Theocracy of Barcia and the High Kingdom of Yohara. The very foundation of Barcia is faith in the Host Indivisible, and even though the dogmas of their Hieron have some notable differences from the Aldorian tradition, the people of Barcia have the most common ground when compared to the rest of the Easterners. The nobility and the clergy of Barcia are one and the same - many cities and most of the land belong to sarcavags, the Kingdom's priests.

Eraffa

Little is known about Eraffa. The elves call the Host Dair, the Circle of Existence, but they also have a name for each Hand. They prefer meditation to prayer, and use Ruby Beads and Incense in their rites.

Dwarven Paganism

The dwarves also believed in the Host in the past, or at least they think so. Now they have rejected this teaching and gone into Dwarven Paganism. They try to attract the attention of the spirits of their ancestors by proving themselves in battle.

Nothing is known about the rest of the teachings at this time.

Page last edited during patch: 0.8.1.8