Religion in Goldrock
“...let us not forget, it is only when The Divine became idle that the Profane was created. When The Divine thought Their work was done and that all was right with the world did They make Their greatest folly. Let us all sit in silence for a minute so that we all may reflect and give thanks to The Divine that we have responsibilities, jobs and tasks, so that our hands might not grow idle as Theirs did in the beginning. Praise be The Divine". -Mother Superior Abagnale Silverton
The Church of The Divine
Unlike the other States of Saxum whose churches will be very independent, the churches of Goldrock are one great monolithic body, known collectively in Goldrock as ‘The Church of The Divine’ or more informally ‘The Church’. Formed on the remnants of the old church of the Golden Empire, The Church of The Divine has stuck the closest to the old ways, so much so that it even adopted the moniker 'The Church', which is how the old church in its time was also referred to. A good number of The Church's buildings once belonged to the old church, cleared out of anything that did not fit The Church of The Divine's ideals and repurposed.
The Church has a hand in almost every part of life in Goldrock, preaching from a high horse of morality. Yes, whilst it does partake in charitable acts such as workhouses and feeding the poor, it also has its own interests, both political and financial, at heart. Its Bishops might break bread with two different business owners and assist in the formation of lucrative deals (which obviously has nothing to do with the sizable donations said owners might have given the Church), whilst its Priests and Priestesses might host a Parlay in their Church between rival gangs (helped by the fact that these Priests and Priestesses might themselves lead a similar life before joining the Church).
The Church doors are always open in Goldrock, but it is Sunday mornings when everybody goes to church. No matter the social class, no matter the location, everybody attends. The whole of Goldrock comes to a stop on Sunday morning, no business is conducted, no work is done until everyone has attended church. It is often joked that you could drop a pin on one side of Goldrock and hear it on the other on a Sunday morning.
The Church and the Class System
The Church does not escape the Class system; the lesser ranks of The Church are deemed middle class in Goldrock. Bishops and the Archbishop are considered firmly upper class, with Priests/Priestesses sitting somewhere in-between, either 'upper-middle' or 'lower-upper class' depending on who they are and who you ask. Indeed, it is this elevated social standing that allows The Church to control and peer pressure the masses.
Those that join the Church come from every class in society. The rich upper classes often will try to get at least one of their children to join as it places the family in a better social position, able to influence business and political deals with the 'subtle' assistance of the Church. The middle classes might join for a myriad of reasons: to protect their small family-run business or possibly the businesses of their close community. The lower classes will often join as a means to keep them from the harsh realities of working-class Goldrock life, be it starving on the streets due to lack of work or even to escape the life of the street and factory gangs that plague every city and town. The lower and middle classes will also look to it as one of the very few socially acceptable ways to elevate their station... but better we do not look too deep into this, or we might find a skeleton or two in a Bishop's closet...
The Church is seen by a few successful crime bosses as a way of retiring from ‘the life’; their only other option is prison, joining the Army/Navy, or death, none of which are very appealing. Once they join The Church, they are untouchable. There is no judge or jury in all of Goldrock that would dream of convicting a member of The Church, lest The Church close ranks and start to apply pressure back.
Beliefs and Practices of The Church of The Divine
Be it from the pulpit or over dinner, the Church's message is simple: The Divine is everything and should be obeyed. Quite useful when they are the word of The Divine in Goldrock. They will preach about the acts of the Profane that infect all corners of Saxum, and Goldrock is no exception, how they will bring down society as we know it, how if left unchecked, it would ruin every aspect of life, but through The Divine, we can find a path to a better future.
Beliefs
The Church takes from The Divine’s creation story, preaching about being grateful for what you have, knowing your place, struggling through adversity, doing tasks to the best of your ability, and not complaining. It draws particular attention to the creation of the Profane when the Divine was idle. The main tenets are:
- Embrace what you have, for The Divine knows what you need and what you do not.
- Persevere, for to struggle is showing that you are working hard and shedding weakness.
- Suffer not the weak, for those that do less than they can embrace the Profane.
- Show gratitude, The Divine provides, and without them, we all have nothing.
- Spread the word, for all need reminding of The Divine's works.
- Hold others to account, so they may in turn hold you to account.
Practices
Whilst there is no set book, The Divine Council, the governing body of The Church, does have a collection of approved stories and sermons that Priests and Priestesses of the past have given, which are collected into volumes and distributed to Churches, Cathedrals, Abbeys, and Priories so all members of the Church can draw from their wisdom. It is perfectly acceptable to recite these stories and sermons verbatim when preaching or come up with new ones, if the true message of The Divine's story is adhered to. The majority of worship is done in the Churches and Cathedrals, but some members of The Church will take to street corners to spread the word in the heart of the places where the Profane creeps in.
Positions and Duties within The Church of The Divine
There are several titles members of the Church can hold:
| Title | Style | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop | Ealde Father/Mother/Cennend Superior | Higher and Highest Rank. The elected head of The Divine Council. In charge of The Citadel, the Cathedral of Goldrock Capital. |
| Bishop | Father/Mother/Cennend Superior | Higher Rank. A member of The Divine Council. In charge of a Cathedral. |
| Priest/Priestess | Father/Mother/Cennend | Higher Rank. In charge of a Church. |
| Abbot/Abbess | Reverend | Mid Rank. In charge of the Abbey attached to a Cathedral. |
| Prior/Prioress | Reverend | Mid Rank. In charge of the Priory attached to a Church. |
| Cannon/Canoness | Brother/Sister/Sibb Superior | A lesser Rank. The Head Monk/Nun assigned to a church or in charge of a Missionary. |
| Monk/Nun | Brother/Sister/Sibb | Lesser and lowest Rank of the Church. |
Priories and Abbeys will house Monks and Nuns assigned to several Churches as well as the Church or Cathedral they are connected to. Churches can become Cathedrals but must be located in a city. When this happens, the Priest of the Church often becomes a Bishop. Monks and Nuns can be assigned to a Mission, led by a Canon or Canoness, but will often have to live away from a Priory or Abbey. The Mission can become a Church if deemed worthy by The Divine Council. When this happens, the Canon/Canoness will become the Priest or Priestess of the Church.
A note on Titles and Styles: lesser ranks may not hold more than one rank, but higher ranks can. It is possible for an individual to oversee both a Cathedral and Abbey or a Church and Priory, but due to this being normally too much, a lot of Priests/Priestesses and most Bishops will forgo the rank and responsibilities of the lesser position, allowing for another person to be appointed. Some members of the Church who have not given up their lesser rank and responsibilities are the Reverend Father James Fathom, Priest and Prior of St. Martha's Church and Priory in Port Joyous, or the Reverend Mother Jessica Silverly, Bishop and Abbess of St. Thomas’s Cathedral and Abbey in Shafton City.
The Church of The Divine and The Divine Church of Saxum
The Church of The Divine, specifically its Divine Council, is a strong influence in The Divine Church of Saxum’s Grand Choir. Whilst other states will have many representatives who attend to cast their votes, The Divine Council will send specific members to cast votes on behalf of all members of The Church of The Divine.
Whilst the members of Goldrock’s Church of The Divine who sit on The Choir can be of any rank and will hold a vote, in practice, The Divine Council will only ever let Bishops cast votes (...however, if a rogue Priest/Priestess who has a seat were to turn up in person, there would be very little a Bishop could do in the moment to stop them from casting their vote as they see fit. The ramifications outside of The Choir are a different matter entirely).
The Divine Council
The Divine Council governs the workings of the Church. Every Bishop of the Church is a member and has a place on the Council. They do not have to attend every meeting unless the Archbishop deems it necessary, or it is to vote for a new Archbishop. They also oversee all the Church's interests (Land, Businesses, etc.).
The Council is always held in The Citadel, the Cathedral of Goldrock's capital city, and convenes at least once a month. No members of the public are allowed at these meetings, and only those members of the Church that are invited by the Archbishop are allowed in attendance. It is unknown the exact proceedings of the Divine Council's meetings as there are no known minutes or documentation of any kind, but what is known is that this is when decisions are made that will affect life for a great number of people.
The Divine Council also spends a great deal of time reviewing the stories and sermons that members of The Church have preached to the masses and, if they deem them worthy, adds them to The Church's collection of approved texts, to be distributed to the churches, missionaries, abbeys, priories, and cathedrals.
Clothing of The Church
Whilst there will be slight variations in clothing style, every member of the Church's clothing must be appropriate for their station.
- Long coats, robes, or habits in red for the Archbishop and black for everyone else.
- A mantle or the veil of a habit in red for Bishops and the Archbishop (required), black for everyone else (optional).
- White collars, caps, serre-têtes, neckerchiefs, bandeaus, coifs, and guimpes are worn by all stations, not all at once, but at least one of these items.
Saints of Goldrock
There are many a Saint appointed by the Church of The Divine. These are individuals whose actions can only be explained by The Divine truly working through them. At present these are not acknowledged by The Divine Church of Saxum.
| Saint | Description | Celebration Day |
|---|---|---|
| St. Frederick | Patron saint of canal workers | 15th of the First |
| St. Martin | Patron saint of sailors | 1st of the Second |
| St. Thomas | Patron saint of tin miners | 1st of the Third |
| St. Anthony | Patron saint of blacksmiths | 15th of the Third |
| St. Jemima | Patron saint of trains | 8th of the Fourth |
| St. Abigail | Patron saint of coal miners | 1st of the Fifth |
| St. Kyle | Patron saint of landscapers | 15th of the Fifth |
| St. Andrew | Patron saint of jewellers | 8th of the Sixth |
| St. Robert | Patron saint of accountants | 28th of the Sixth |
| St. Holly | Patron saint of criminals and justice | 1st of the Seventh |
| St. Michael | Patron saint of commerce | 15th of the Seventh |
| St. Annabel | Patron saint of the clergy | 1st of the Eighth |
| St. Rebecca | Patron saint of animals | 1st of the Ninth |
| St. Alexandria | Patron saint of tailors and seamstresses | 15th of the Ninth |
| St. Simon | Patron saint of gunsmiths | 1st of the Tenth |
| St. Sebastian | Patron saint and founder of Goldrock | 1st of the Eleventh |
| St. Martha | Patron saint of alcohol | 8th of the Eleventh |
| St. Jerry | Patron saint of potters | 1st of the Twelfth |
| St. Edmond | Patron saint of chemists | 1st of the Thirteenth |