Cardinal of Ashla
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To flesh out a more centralized religion based on current Ashlan beliefs, as well as the connection between the faith and the Ashlan Crusade.
Image Credit: For Honor
Canon: N/A
Permissions: Cedric Grayson
Links: Ashlan Crusade, The Followers of Ashla,
Cedric Grayson
,
Pietro Demici
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: The Holy Ashlan Papacy
Classification: Religious organization/church
Affiliation: Cedric Grayson, Pietro Demici, Ashlan Crusade
Organization Symbol: Same as the Ashlan Crusade symbol (shown above).
Description: The Holy Ashlan Papacy is the newest iteration of the wider Ashlan belief system, focusing on unification and centralization of the Ashlan faith, as well as the elimination of the Dark Side.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Bosph
Domain: They are the most concentrated within Ashlan Space, but have locations scattered throughout the greater galaxy.
Notable Assets: With the Papacy being heavily involved in the governing functions of the Ashlan Crusade, they mutually share resources with the government. The Ashlan government provides the Church with assistance, and in turn the large coffers that the Church possesses from member donations are used to help fund the Crusade’s campaign.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: The levels of hierarchy within the papacy are as follows;
Grand Orator of Ashla: the head of the Papacy, and the final say in most of the big picture decisions. The Vicar is considered to be “Ashla’s vicar” within the galaxy, acting as the primary designated voice of Ashla within the Papacy as a whole.
Cardinal: Second to the Orator, acts as the liaison between the Vicar and the lower ranking officials. In the event that the Orator dies or steps down, the Cardinal will take their place and choose one of the Council of Archbeacons as a new Cardinal.
Council of Archbeacons: Their number is in accordance to the number of planets within Ashlan space. Each is the head of the Papacy on a single planet, acting as the authority within their individual jurisdiction.
The Holy Jury of Ashla: A branch of the Papacy that specializes in hunting down, arresting, trying, and executing heretics, religious criminals, and followers of the Bogan.
Beacons of Ashla’s Light (a.k.a Beacons): The bridge between local and planetary management, often overseeing large regions of a planet’s religious base.
Illuminators: In charge of individual temples, managing the Papacy’s will on the local level.
Friars: At a similar level as Illuminators, but in charge of security rather than logistics.
Misc. staff: The Papacy employs a large number of individuals to carry out the more mundane tasks. They also take volunteers, many of which act as missionaries on planets outside of Ashlan Space.
Membership:
In total, the number of clergy members are in the tens of thousands, spread across many different locations. As for the number of followers, their numbers are estimated in the millions within Ashlan Space, though the amount of followers outside of Ashlan Space is unconfirmed.
All that it takes to become a member of the Papacy as a basic member is belief. If you follow the will of Ashla, and carry her light with you, then you are accepted as a member of the Papacy.
When it comes to rising through the ranks, the process is more complicated. Individuals must distinguish themselves through acts of devotion, loyalty, dedication, and personal sacrifice. Good works and active participation are key methods to catch the Papacy’s eye. The Papacy questions and investigates any individual that is considered for promotion. This occurs each time a member is promoted. The only exceptions are the Vicar and the Cardinal, as the Vicar is the head of the Papacy, and the Cardinal is personally selected by the Vicar.
When being promoted, there is a small ceremony, usually with the individual that is above you in the ranks saying a prayer and providing you with new robes. At the upper levels, there is a longer ceremony, mostly involving a speech and a process similar to knighthood. This is done with a preserved leaf of the Great Oak, which is tapped on the head of the individual receiving a promotion.
(OOC note: if you wish to make a ranking member beyond the local level, you must be a member of the Ashlan Crusade. Individuals that break away from the Papacy’s goals are seen as heretics, and will be excommunicated and/or hunted down).
Climate: At the lower levels, the Papacy is very warm and welcoming to most individuals. They even see the presence of non-believers as an opportunity to spread the word. They also carry out humanitarian works when not handling immediately pressing matters. At the higher levels, there is a more intense energy, filled with zealous ideas and purpose. Their primary goal is to eradicate the Dark Side, and those of higher ranks are utterly dedicated to this objective. Overall, they are pious, devout individuals, and will openly accept others. The only exception is those tainted by the Dark Side, as they see these individuals as heretics and enemies of the Papacy.
Reputation: The Papacy has a varying reputation, depending on who you ask. Many that don’t share the faith still see it as a beacon of light, working to make the galaxy a safer place. Others see them as a necessary evil, and others see them as overzealous fanatics, and potentially even dangerous. As for darksiders, they often find themselves in direct opposition with the teachings of the Papacy, due to the Papacy wishing to completely eliminate them.
Curios: Followers of the Papacy often wear small pendants, either of the Ashlan symbol, or of a leaf representing the Great Oak of the Graywall. Currently there is no universal religious text, as the leading members of the religion are still in the process of compiling the work into a singular text.
Rules: The general rules of the Papacy revolve around righteousness, piety, and striving to improve both the self and the greater galaxy. As with previous incarnations of Ashlan faith, positive emotions such as love and joy are encouraged, but destructive emotions and behavior are largely frowned upon. They teach methods of self-control that are similar to traditional Jedi teachings. At the lower levels, it is preached that those who are tainted by the Dark Side should be pitied. Followers are encouraged to attempt to save such individuals, but in the event that they can’t be saved, it is their duty to put them down as an act of mercy. At the upper levels, the tolerance for darksiders becomes less present. The leaders of the Papacy are actively seeking to eliminate those that follow the Bogan, and will stop at nothing to make it so.
Goals: The primary goal of the Papacy is two-fold; to spread the word of Ashla across the galaxy, and to exterminate the Bogan in its entirety. These are the foundations upon which the Papacy was founded, and remains at the core of their belief system. Beyond these primary goals, the Papacy carries out missions to heal the galaxy through a variety of humanitarian acts. Furthermore, the current standing of the Papacy is to support the Ashlan Crusade to the fullest extent, as they are the faction that is the most active within their system of belief.
MEMBERS
Pietro Demici
: head of the church (has yet to declare himself Grand Orator until the Papacy has a more centralized powerbase).
Cedric Grayson
: primary benefactor/co-founder of the religion.Many within the Ashlan Crusade are followers of the faith to various levels.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Ashlan faith has existed in various forms for many, many years, though it was largely fragmented among different individual sects. They eventually came together under Cedric Grayson during the Grayson Imperium, but in the wake of its downfall, their influence had been reduced. Since then, they have slowly been regaining traction, which culminated in the first meeting between Pietro Demici and Cedric Grayson on Ruusan. The two hit it off immediately, finding that they shared many of the same views. Pietro was already the largest religious figure within the religion, and used his weight to add support to Cedric’s cause. Once the Ashlan Crusade had formed, they met once again, discussing the need to reorganize the religion into both a single, cohesive entity, and an organization that could further the goals of the Crusade.
In the following months, Pietro worked to gather those that he trusted most within the religion. Various individuals had proven their worth time and again in the name of the faith, and were in turn given positions in the upper echelons of the Papacy. They adopted the symbols of both Ashla and the Great Oak leaf, the former showing their connection to the Crusade, and the latter representing the place of their initial inception. They have since taken up residence on Bosph, although they plan to eventually move to a planet where they can have a proper, central location for the Papacy. Several members have also taken on responsibilities within the Crusade’s governing body, particularly Pietro, who acts as Cedric's Minister of Faith. They now continue to throw their weight and resources behind the Crusade, and move to create a galaxy that is free from the darkness once and for all.
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