 The Clergy of Lucinda like all Churches are governed by a set of precepts that are said to have been set down by the Goddess herself. Over time many additions or clarifications have been made to this core set of beliefs, yet the central doctrine of the faith remains true, a shining light guiding those on a journey along the paths of the faith. These precepts are known as Coran arta i' Tha vair maen, or Guides on the Blue Al'Noth Path. Additions to Coran arta i' Tha vair maen are considered secondary at best, with the original words of Lucinda set upon sacred scrolls, stored deep within the Holy reliquaries of Vairsaloh. These words are taken as Law.The first Coran arta i' Tha vair maen is simple, stating, “The Al'Noth is life, for it is my body and my soul.” The Clergy take this very seriously, looking at any attack on The Al'Noth as an attack on the body of Lucinda. This attack can be from verbal condemnation of The Al'Noth in whole or part right up to attacks upon The Al'Noth of a more violent nature. The Faith and Affirmed are quick to respond to threats of either nature, dealing with them as quickly and efficiently as possible. In accordance with the first Coran arta i' Tha vair maen Lucindites are expected to endorse magic in both word and deed.The second Coran arta i' Tha vair maen states, “Promote The Al'Noth in all its forms and guises, for those who touch The Al'Noth touch upon me.” Following this precept shows clearly the reason for Clergy to propagate and spread the faith, as well as promote use of magic and the arts among others. Lucindites recognize that every worshiper of every deity touches upon The Al'Noth, and in that touch worships the Goddess of Magic. Voraxians to Corathites in receiving the blessing of those they serve touch upon Lucinda's Grace, and that grace promotes and holds much of the well being of the Goddess upon Layonara. In view of the Coran arta i' Tha vair maen, we can clearly see the desire among the Clergy to spread knowledge of magic and at the very least its harmless workings freely.The third of the Coran arta i' Tha vair maen deals with the manipulation of The Al'Noth and its endless change. “Channel The Al'Noth for it is my gift to you, use it for your purposes but do not attempt to control the whole, for I am the whole and endless change is my nature. Use me as guide and the path will remain clear.” This precept is the basis for the Hosting of The Al'Noth, those gathering to compare changes in fabric of the Goddess but not attempting control any such changes. Lucindites accept Magic as an endless path of change and adaptation to new forms and abilities. The faith takes the Goddess as she is, everyday a new day in the light of Lucinda.The fourth Coran arta i' Tha vair maen deals clearly with usage of the gifts given to those who follow her paths, “Use all of my gifts to benefit The Al'Noth, and through it others. The Al'Noth is life and without that we are lost. Share your gifts with others freely, aiding where you can.” The Clergy interpret this simply, though they view it directly in line with the last of the precepts (see below), interpreting it to show Lucinda's overall good will, and the generation and regeneration of the force of magic via the essence of life. This includes sentient people to the very land itself, all are considered to add to Lucinda's form.The fifth and last Coran arta i' Tha vair maen deals directly with those who harm or oppose Lucinda. “Tolerate no harm to come to me or mine, my gifts freely given to those who follow used in defense of my body in The Al'Noth and my Soul in the Coran arta i' Tha vair maen. For as surely as that which takes from life takes from me, that which takes from me takes from life.” This precept clearly shows in the works of the Guardians and the Protectors, these two orders clearly taking the last of the laws first among the five, which aids in fulfillment of the first. All Clergy however take this law seriously, defending all set down by Lucinda with with a zeal and fervor.Clergy Favored Weapon and Clothing:
Lucinda favors strongly enchanted weapons over normal ones. Clerics of Lucinda often carry staves and wands containing useful magic, and heavier quarterstaves for melee combat. Lucinda's clerics often wear useful enchanted robes like arcane spellcasters. The colors on these robes are usually light and vivid, most often white and blue.Clergy and Temples:
The hierarchy of the Lucindite church is varied, separating into eight Orders that each concentrate on one school of magic: abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, or transmutation. Each Order consists of numerous groups that include both arcane and divine spellcasters. These orders have their own places of study and their own hierarchy. Each group with more than thirty members is led by a master of the spell school who is usually the most powerful and experienced caster in the group. All of the orders are led by a grandmaster; for instance, the Order of Evocation is led by the Grandmaster of Evocation. All the Orders are good aligned and led by the Council of Magic, which consists of the eight Grandmasters of the Orders.There are also some academies of magic and many smaller temples where spells of all schools of magic are taught to any willing students. This is the part of the clergy that is most visible to the public. These academies and temples have members of each Order of magic working in them, and they also provide healing, supplies, and shelter for traveling Lucindites. The church also sponsors a small society of paladins, often called the Chosen of Lucinda or the Protectors of the Al'Noth. They defend Lucinda's temples, protect the Al'Noth from any possible harm, and keep magical artifacts out of evil's reach. Lucinda's temples (and related buildings, such as the academies) can be of any size and any style, but they all have one thing in common: all temples to Lucinda are great works of the Art, enwrapped in countless spells, containing numerous magical items, and surrounded by an aura born of the very strong Al'Noth about the place.Whilst the Clergy are free to pray at any time of day or night and in any locale most prefer to commune with Lucinda when Her constellation is high in the night sky. Mysterious and often used to symbolize the mysteries of the Arcane, The Faithful tend to feel a strong connection to The Goddess under its pale light. Lucindites tend to seek open places where the view of the Circle of Eight is unobscured and they can be bathed in its radiance. The higher the Circle stands in the sky, the more insistent Clergy often become to pray in its glow, the connection with Lucinda becoming more clear until it disappears behind the horizon once more.Lucinda like all faiths honors certain days above others, either for memorable events associated with the Goddess herself or other more mundane yet no less joyful reasons. Lucindite gatherings are typically denoted by large shows of magical display, glamors and illusions running rampant festival wide. The Al'Noth on show both Affirmed and Clergy show the stunning beauty of the arts, weaving power for those gifted and not alike. These displays are subject to rigorous controls however, those responsible making certain that all of the art displayed is at most mischievous and contains no true harm. Tthough practical jokes are not uncommon, many an unsuspecting guest finding themselves miraculously in love for a night, watching illusionary displays of grandeur or firm in the belief of their nobility.Celebrations and Events:
The most well known events are listed below and many smaller events, like the Spellmeets at local temples and academies where local mages gather and share their accomplishments from the past year, are held throughout the year.
The Night of Flesh and Magic Lucindites and Xeenites have a special night of celebration once a year called The Night of Flesh and Magic, which celebrates the birth of Lucinda's daughter Xeen. Usually more Xeenites than Lucindites join this event, as it mostly concentrates on worldly pleasures rather than magic. Hosting of The Al'Noth This is a time of gathering for the Nightwoven who travel the land. This coming together details changes in The Al'Noth, new magical locales and adds variations in old magical environments. It is hosted at Weavehome by the Warder and The Grandmasters. Accumulated knowledge is shared, clarified and recorded for dedication to the appropriate library. It is also a time when many Threadborn choose to arrange a meeting for advancement, being one of the rare occasions when so many of the potent Clergy are gathered in one place. The Hosting of The Al'Noth is held twice annually starting on the third of Janra and third of Junar respectively. The gathering can last anything from a week to a month depending on the amount of information to be shared and categorized. Massive times of change have even been known to keep Nightwoven and Warder tied up for longer periods of time though this is a rare occurrence. The Rites of Affirmation This is a time of celebrations for Lucindites as new ranks are officially distributed among the Clergy and Mages are raised from Potentiates to Affirmed. Affirmed Mages and Sorcerers are also expected to bring to one of these gatherings students they are training personally to be introduced to the Faith, so that they may be inducted into the ranks of Mages supported by the Church. These rites are held quarterly, last the span of one evening and are presided over by The Warder. Normally all those who are to be raised or Affirmed are lined along the path to Weavehome with other members looking on as the Warder moves through those gathered officially bestowing the new ranks upon them. Afterwards a celebration is held for those who have found new title, the displays lasting into the early hours of the morning before abating once more to peace and silence. The Rites of Affirmation are held at Weavehome on Mar first, Junar first, Seplar first and Decilar first. Lucinda's Flare The most holy of days celebrated by the Lucindite Church is the Festival of Lucinda's Flare. It is on this night that Lucinda’s constellation, the Circle of Eight, flares up in the night sky, bathing the lands below in a bluish light. There is no real set date for the start of this Celebration of The Al'Noth, nor is it possible to predict in advance when it will happen, as it seems to occur random. It has been known to occur twice in a single year, but it has also been absent for years as well. It is on Mistone, where the Faith has the most followers, that Lucinda's Flare is celebrated most. Vairvand will be lit like a beacon trying to emit as much light as the constellation does. Huge crowds gather to view this phenomenon and join the celebrations of the Clergy as they then set out from Spellgard to journey into the surrounding lands, spreading the word of the Lady of Spells and weaving wondrous magics to show all the splendor that is Lucinda.
Constellation:
The constellation of Lucinda, the Circle of Eight is an odd one for sure. Seeming to be nothing more than eight bluish stars forming a perfect circle, As a whole, it seems to never brighten nor fade throughout the year, yet individual stars sometimes do. It is widely believed that the eigth stars represent the eight schools of magic.Her Circle moves slowly across the night sky over the seasons. However, on a seemingly random basis, the Circle of Eight flares up brightly for an entire night, shining brighter than any other star. Nobody has managed to discover a pattern on when this happens, so predictions run wild, but what is sure is that if this heavenly display happens, the entire Church has a night of festivities called Lucinda's Flare.Aliases:
Race: HumanAlignment: Neutral GoodWorshippers:
Mostly Humans, Half-Elves, and Elves; fewer worshippers among other races.Cleric Alignments:
Domains:
The Trickery domain is restricted to the sect of the Guardians (see handbook), which requires an expanded submission and a CDQ before using its domain powers or spells.Governs:
- Magic
- Sorcery
- Spellcraft
- Health
Allies and Enemies:
- Allied:
- Friendly:
- Neutral:
- Unfriendly:
- Enemy:
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