THE CHURCH OF SEMPITERNUS ✥ GUIDE & CENSUS ✥ WIP

[align=center]THE CHURCH OF SEMPITERNUS

INTRODUCTION

Our story begins centuries ago, at the site of disaster. The legend goes that the Church was founded by a group of sick cats seeking shelter from a Plague that had destroyed their home. It is said that, in an attempt to save themselves, they had travelled for days to find safety, and in their travels, they found The Everlasting Pool. In today's age their names have been lost to time, and nobody knows the true story of what happened, all that is known is that the Plague will some day return, and there is no stopping it. It can only be delayed... But for how long?

[div style="padding-right: 5%;"]The Plague is believed to have been the result of a war between our three main deities, Vita, Mortem, and Fatum. It is said to have been the final blow of a centuries long war of the three. To this day, the belief that the Plague was brought on by Mortem as a final blow is maintained, and this is why it is important to placate him and delay his inevitable uprising for as long as possible.

HEIRARCHY

The Church's heirarchy works in a way similar to that of a clan or group, although they don't operate in the same way.

The Head of the Church is called the Reverend, and there can be as many as two at a time. The Reverend's word is law and they are to be obeyed at all times, unless they have committed crimes against the Church or broken laws, at which point they may be voted out. A new Reverend will be picked from the Bishops based on a majority vote. Reverends are referred to as Mother and/or Father.
Reverend Father, Ragnar Castemont-Sempiterne, follower of Mortem.
Reverend Mother, Tourmaline Argentum, follower of Fate.

There are three Bishops for each subdivision of the church, each based around one of the three deities. Each Bishop will be selected by the Reverend from the Followers within each subdivision. A Bishop is referred to as Brother or Sister. Bishops are considered the Heirs.

Members of each subdivision are called Followers. They are the normal members who have no personal responsibilities other than the serve the Church and its Reverends loyally. There may be an unlimited number of Followers at any given time.

CULTURE

The Church has many traditions that can be enacted at the will of the Reverends.

MONTHLY GATHERINGS are held at The Everlasting Pool as a chance for all members of the Church to bond and get to know each other, and familiarize with each other's faces. It is not uncommon for there to be a feast at this event. It is considered a peaceful event, and any infighting will be punished accordingly.

SEEKING is a tradition for new Followers of the Church. They are sent to The Everlasting Pool for one day and one night, during which time they should drink from the pool and sleep, in which they will dream of the three deities and choose their subdivision. This is not always a solitary event, and multiple new Followers may participate at one time.

SUBDIVISIONS are the names for which deity a Follower will worship. There is typically multiple Followers worshipping each deity, which is why they are considered a subdivision. Which deity a Follower worships is shown by which trinket they wear; a Follower of Fatum should wear a ring with an eternity symbol, a Follower of Mortem should wear a bracelet with a Scythe charm, and a Follower of Vita should wear a necklace depicting the tree of life.

RELATIONS & RULES

It is important to note that Followers of the Church aren't always blood related in any particular way, however should a Follower of the Church marry into another family, the Church considers them a relation.

The Church is related to the Castemont family through its current Reverend Father, Ragnar Castemont-Sempiterne.

There are a select few rules that the Church adhere to at all times.

1. Children and pregnant creatures are not to be harmed by any Follower of the Church.
2. There will be no infighting amongst Followers of the Church.
3. The Church does not allow for Followers to also follow any other religion, though punishments are not usually handed out for this particular rule.
4. Having children before marriage is considered a sin, though once again there is no particular punishment for this rule.
5. Any form of sexual assault is condemnable.