Goddess of the Moon, Sister to Ishtar. One of the celestial gods.
Located in the City of Beer and dedicated to the Moon Goddess Sin, goddess of strength and slayer of demons, Beer is a Nyrundic city with low representation in the Theocracy.
The clergy, beyond their sympathy for the poor, underclass, and refugees and their miracles to bring donated food, apply their miracles to summoning moonlight that does damage to Demon/daemon/devil-kind, blessing weapons to harm such creatures, and providing strength. The church is tolerant, liberal, and supports play and entertainment (after the hard battles) and social programs.
Due to the proximity of Beer to the Celadon Forest, half-elves and elves as well as other forest folk can often be seen in the city. Beer is often suffering some punishment from the Theocracy due to its very liberal politics (especially for talking to elves), though the church's pivotal role in holding back the forces of the lower planes prevents the Theocracy from eliminating the church or weakening it too much.
Clerics of Sin vote in the liberal block with clerics of Ishtar, Gibbil, and Gula (and often Anshar and Ea).
The Church of Sin is supported with food sacrifices from all Nyrundian cities each month, on the 14th, during the New Moon, when Sin goes down to the lower planes to battle directly. The sacrifices are offered to help give her the strength to return from the depths. When moon is eclipsed, it is believed that the seven evil demons are attacking Sin, all must make sacrifices in order to strengthen her.
Sin is the closest to a god of strength that the Nyrondic pantheon has.
During times of no moon, the clerics lose all their power as does the Church Crescent as Sin travels down to the lower planes to fight demons directly. That's when attacks from D-kind in the forest often come, although it has almost been a year since the last attack.
The top spire of the church made out of silver forms a crescent like the horns of a bull. Towering high above the city and the trees of the forest, it catches the moonlight and gleams for miles away. At night, in moonlight, the sight of the crescent will turn demons, devils, and daemons as a seventeenth level cleric. Additionally any within 100 ft of the church take 10hp per round no M.R.
The Church maintains the paladin knighthood of the Warriors of Sin as well as a large armoury of demon fighting weapons and artifacts. The church will usually have a few out of town guests (visiting clerics or Nobles or messengers from such). And the infirmary will usually have a 2-3 patients.
During the festival of Sin, two great totems are put up - each nearly fifty feet tall and each made of silver. These are the Chains of Orakesh, an artifact that binds and drains the strength of any D-kind chained between, to the point that their soul can be destroyed. Supposedly, the totems have been used to permanently kill Demon Lords sent by the Overking to crush Nyrond. The totem is raised by two clerics who carry it out on their backs!
The festival of Sin on the 14th of every month, for Beer is a very serious matter. Often demons try to stop the offerings. It is the warriors who stand to stop this. The chief sacrifice to Sin is food, silver alloy, or iron ore. The silver and iron are used to make weapons to fight D-kind. Unfortunately, due to the impoverishment of Sin's subjects, not a lot has been donated and thus few weapons are made.
The most common Patron Saint for these people is St. Cuthbert.
Bishop Cal'Alia--Performs morning mass(w/ Ninevah) and evening mass on feast days. Casts the Q spell "Festival of Sin" on feast days. Responsible for Doctrine and Dogma of the Church of Sin. All High Priests/priestesses report to the Bishop.
Note on Bishop powers:
Bishops may write or revoke Writs of
Pilgrimage
which designate a
person
or group of people as official Nyrundian Pilgrims which allows free
passage
on The Ways (the bridges). A bishop may also Petition any Saint for
intercession.
(i.e. may pray to any saint for spells outside her sphere). Bishops may
also vote in the Theocracy and in this case is Beer's official
representative.
High
Priest Niniveh--conducts
morning mass on feast
days. In charge of intelligence
on nether activity, handles problems in the city or church, and serves
as the resident demonologist. Holds Sin's Eye - a crystal ball that can
track
nether
creatures. Handles special scroll requests. Sometimes called on by
Theocracy
to give special reports to the
Archcleric or the Council of
Cardinals
on
nether activity on Oerth. May quest paladins under special
cuircumstances.
High
Priest Kedanu
of Beer--Oversees
daily
operations, evening mass on non-feast days,
in charge of non-clerical church staff, responsible for the Clerical
Fonts
and all preparation of Holy Water)
Priest
Helahm--Runs the
infirmary and serves as head groundskeeper.
Reports to Kedanu.
High
Priestess
Setai (Setai Adamu)--coordinates
warriors and defense, conducts
morning mass on non-feast
days, afternoon mass on feast days. The paladin order
"The
Warriors of Sin" report to her,
with the Woman-at-Arms
as her direct
subordinate. Setai is responsible for working
with
the paladins to set up church and city defenses against nether
incursions.
She see the paladins are sent for proper clerical training. She may
place
Quest spells on paladins.
Priest
Kemper--Reports directly
to
Setai. In charge of the church's repository of magical and nonmagical
weapons
and demon-fighting supplies, also coordinates weapons storage. In
charge of special requistion orders
within
the church excluding scroll requests.
High Priestess Aj'ad (refered to by initiates as Mother Superior)--Conducts afternoon mass on non feast days, responsible for recrutment and training of new clergy. All lower level clerics reprimanded go to her. Sets up prayer schedules, sabbaticals, cloistering, special vows. In charge of the confesional - does confessions for 5-8th lvl clergy. Plans acolyte assignments and duties. Handles most scroll requests. Handles official church communications.
Matriarch of Novices--Reports
to Aj'ad.
Responsible for duties and training of 1st-4th lvl clerics. Handles any
requests from 4th or lower level clerics.
1st
Daughter or
1st Son (currently First
Daughter Anna)--Right hand to
the
Matriarch of Novices. Usually a 4th lvl cleric. Sometimes directs
disciplines
proclaimed by the Matrirach.
Wizardess
Faustina
Kobael, Advisor to High
Priest
Ninevah. In charge of 6 wizard
apprentices.
Other clergy...
there are at least 20 clerics of 1st-3rd level within Beer and half as many abroad.
there are at least 10 clerics of 5th-8th lvl within Beer and half as many abroad.
there are about 15 new initiates training to become clerics, most likely only half will makes it. Probably in the next year. Many of these take care of minor church cleaning, etc.
there are approximately 10 non clerical church personnel (not counting Paladins which are usually kept separate). These include groundskeeper, accountant, specially trained guards, StablesMan, procurers and assistants.
Warriors of Sin - there are probably 25 total (all levels) within Beer at any one time and you dont know how many are abroad. The Woman-At-Arms for the Church is a Warrior of Sin and the main guards employed for the church are all Warriors of Sin who report to the Woman-At-Arms and through her to Setai.