Church of the Shaper

The Church of the Shaper binds and sustains the social fabric of the Five Realms. Five Realms society is highly martial in its outlook and values, and without the Church to guide it, it would have dissolved into endless warfare long ago. The core of the Church's beliefs relate to the Shaper.

The Virtues of the Church

The Shaper’s Church holds up 10 virtues that mortals should strive for in their lives, with each Order of the Church focusing on different Aspects. The 10 virtues are: Ambition, Prosperity, Loyalty, Compassion, Duty, Perseverance, Clarity, Wisdom, Vigilance, and Courage. While the Church generally avoids dictating what their children should not do and considers honest atonement possible for most transgressions, there are two big exceptions which are generally unforgivable crimes: wilfully raising Undead Abominations (an act known as Graverobbing) and knowingly conspiring with the Gwyllt.

In the realm of the Shaper, their power is without limit. In the mortal world, their power is opposed by the power of the Gwyllt, evil beings who come from another realm to corrupt and devour the Shaper’s children. The children of the Shaper must protect themselves against the Gwyllt, or else they will be lost.

Cinnire and the Five Orders

For more information, see Cinnire

The Church of the Shaper venerates all aspects of the Shaper, and the cinnirí dedicate their lives to the Shaper’s service and lead the people in this worship. The cinnirí have over time realised they can best aid the Shaper’s children in certain ways, and this is the origin of the five Orders as they stand today. The Orders do not hold themselves apart from Five Realms society, since that is not the Shaper’s way. They have families and they work and fight alongside other people. There are five Orders: the Teachers, the Counsellors, the Hospitaliers, the Necromancers and the Torchbearers.

There is no one figure in charge of the Church of the Shaper, though there is the Council of Prelates, the six heads of the five orders. Each is the recognised head of their respective order, generally as the most expert or knowledgeable in their field. While they provide the benefit of their experience to members of their order one of their main duties is to advise the Réig and provide them with the services of their order (for example, the Prelate of the Counsellors is the Réig’s personal confessor). While no Prelate is above the others, the Prelate of the Counsellors is expected to chair any meetings of the Council of Prelates and be the tie-break in any deadlocks.

Treatment of the Dead

Given the prevalence of undead in Tirneach, funerary rites and proper treatment of the dead and the bereaved is important. Though the specifics vary from region to region, there is a general common form.

First, as soon as possible after the death it is established if the Quicken the Inevitable Solace ritual will be necessary. This is more common in small rural communities than in larger cities, where the threat of the undead seems much more pressing than the benefits of preserving knowledge through the ages (and as some in the cities snidely say, much less knowledge worth preserving.) But it is not unheard of in cities, particularly where the deceased might have secrets the living would prefer lost to time. If it is going to be performed, it happens as soon as possible, with just the closest friends and family present (and any necessary help to perform the ritual.)

Following this is a vigil period that varies in length depending on the perceived safety of the environment and the status of the person, this is the window in which displays of grief are considered appropriate and acceptable. Vigils tend to be longer in Siabhal and shorter in Bruid; a gallóglach in the field generally has a very brief vigil. Once the vigil has ended the body is disposed of and there is a celebration that varies in length depending on practicality and the status of the person.

Methods of disposal are highly regional; cremation is most common in Siabhal, cairns are common in Baol though the more Siabhal aspirational lowlanders have moved to cremation, Uasa typically uses their rivers and sea to dispose of their dead in ships of size and quality depending on their status, massive and impenetrable tombs are common in Draíod particularly for the most learned of scholars, and in Bruid the more northerly areas favour cremation or burial at sea if it is a coastal settlement, while in the forest proper people speak of the dead being left in clearings for the animals, with varying degrees of ceremony and ritual. But while these are the common trends, every village and settlement will have its own specific customs.

Important Locations of the Faith

Citadel of the Shaper

Located in Corroch, Uasa, the Citadel of the Shaper is primarily where the Council of Prelates are based, so that they are on hand to advise the Réig in their respective fields. Though cinnirí do not hold themselves apart from society, many do consider the Citadel a home away from home and visit regularly to consult with their prelates. As well as meeting chambers, lecture halls, gardens, and training fields the citadel is also home to the Carrot and Stick Tavern, run by the Order of Teachers.

The Great Library

Based in Uaircinn, Baol, the Great Library is a repository of knowledge, primarily dedicated to the many aspects of the Shaper, which rivals the greatest libraries of Draíod in terms of non-arcane content. It was founded and is maintained as a joint effort between the Iarlas of Baol and the Order of Teachers.

The Shrine of the Shaper

Located deep under the ground in Crag Oscionn, Draíod. The Shrine of the Shaper is a huge diamond-shaped chamber carved into the rock itself, and pilgrims traverse it by means of steps, platforms and walkways. It is said that the Shaper’s presence can be felt by those who go there on special feast days. When the Réig makes their pilgrimage there no-one except for members of the Council of Prelates is allowed to attend.

The Shaper’s Steps

An archipelago off the northeastern coast of Siabhal, located in the Shaper’s Sea, which was known as the Howling Sea before the coming of the first Réig. Stories tell that the First Réig caused gigantic rocks to rain down from the sky, creating a land bridge from the Eastern Reaches all the way to Tirneach. Over the years almost every trace has disappeared except for the largest rocks near the end of the crossing, which now form the islands known as the Shaper’s Steps. Despite their name, the island is not a part of the Five Realms and is not under the jurisdiction of the Réig.

The Shaper's Table

“All may eat at the table of the Shaper in their hour of need”

The Shaper's Table is a tradition which is practiced throughout Tírneach in almost every place of worship. Offerings are placed on the altar, most often food, but also other needful things like bandages. Anyone who needs something may take it, but when they are able, they must put something on an altar in its place.

This tradition takes many different forms; a rough-hewn slab at a wayside shrine might have a bottle of water, some dried fruit stored in a jar to keep insects away, and perhaps some kindling similarly protected from the elements. By contrast the church altar in a prosperous town might have a number of Hospitaliers working to ensure that large donations left by wealthy townsfolk eager to help their community (and demonstrate their wealth and piety) are properly stored and distributed. A band of Gallóglaigh will often have a small shrine that they take with them from one mission to another, taking pride of place in a communal tent. An altar made by the Gallóglaigh will always have bandages.

From time to time, there are stories of miracles, where an altar seems to keep giving even when no one around has more than a prayer to give. Lost children in the wilderness who find everything they need on a wayside shrine when it only held the blackberries they placed there when they went to bed. Communities hit by crop failure, sickness or shipwrecks who don’t have enough to survive the winter, but somehow there is always enough for one more day on the altar until times are better. There are also stories of the terrible fates that befall anyone so low and mean that they would take from an altar and not return anything.

OOC: You can find the Shaper’s Table in the command tent. It will contain fruit and other assorted things that are IC useful. There will be a box that will contain things that are OOC useful such as safety pins, cable ties, bug spray, sunblock, sanitary products etc. The principle of the thing is pretty much as explained IC, take a thing now, give a thing later. Pay it forward, the Shaper is watching you. Double Check to make sure nothing you place on the table contains nuts. Even if we haven’t declared a nut free site, we can’t risk contaminating the set dressing.