Gilded Faith

The Gilded Faith, also known more archaically as the Cult of Obzeriah, was a sect of Adenism with Deyazi roots. It grew from the teachings of the Church of the Heavens some time during the late Era of Harvest, and slowly gained influence as an alternative faith during the years to come.
Its members were known as Obzerites, and could be identified by the distinctive golden masks that they often wore when they believed Heaven could be watching.
The necromancer Lorawyn Allard, one of three ultimately nameless heroes responsible for ending the Heartstone Crisis, was a prominent Obzerite. Her raised creations wore golden funeral masks, as she often did, and much of what motivated her actions during the Long Night had roots in the faith.
== History ==
=== Obzeriah's Tomb ===
The teachings of the Gilded Faith were primarily derived from a man named Jadarzi dro Khanar, who led an expedition into an ancient Deyazi tomb some time between the years 1060 and 1063 H.E. Originally seeking artifacts, he instead discovered the writings of a priest named Obzeriah, scribed in High Nasiran upon worn papyrus.
These writings, which would go on to form the basis for the faith's holy texts, were found stashed away along with the ashes of Obzeriah himself. They told the story of a street urchin turned merchant lord, who had forged a path for himself through faith and determination, and how he would now be allowed to ascend to heaven with golden wings.
Jadarzi became infatuated with the story of how a common man with a similarly disenfranchised background could find his way to eternal paradise through dedication to his faith. He soon set about reciting the tales for his cohorts, treating the writings as the most precious discovery he had made. After scribing a new, modern copy of the texts, he became fond of reciting the tales to his cohorts and others he would meet on the road.
=== The Gilded Faith in the Common Era ===
Before long, Jadarzi had officially created the Gilded Faith, a fully fledged cult that subscribed to the developing beliefs he held. By 1099 C.E, many had heard of its name, and many more looked upon it with suspicion and disbelief. The Deyazi branches of the Church of the Heavens held a particular loathing for the cultists, ignoring the common elements of their faith and declaring it instead to be inexcusable and thoroughly unfounded heresy.
== Information ==
=== Teachings and Beliefs ===
Although Obzeriah's teachings continued to be taught alongside the Old Tome, the holy book of the Church of the Heavens, they were not an extension of the original Adenist faith. He recounted the Archangels and their servants as malevolent gatekeepers who had locked the Heavens away from the common man, in direct contrast to their traditional, more benevolent depictions.
This distinction was the reason why Obzerites appealed to the poor and downtrodden, especially slaves, to join their faith. Many allied to their cause, even in more elevated circles. Jadarzi's own additions to the teachings also reinforced the idea of antagonistic angels, urging members of the faith to be wary of those that ruled over the next life.
As such, members of the Gilded Faith held a great fear of the Weighing Halls, where their souls would eventually pass after death, as the Archangel Cethell watched closely over the gates to Heaven and would not allow them to enter freely. They dedicated themselves wholly to their faith in Obzeriah, believing that such faith would allow them to pass through unnoticed.
This belief also led to the practice of wearing golden masks whenever they believed themselves to be within sight of the Archangels, also worn as funeral masks when they eventually passed away.
=== Practices of the Faith ===
The practices of the Gilded Faith were best summarised with three tenets, each with a variety of accompanying texts. These were the three primary pillars upon which the faith stood, and they comprised what each member of the religion considered most important to observe.
==== The Way of Coin ====
The first tenet, the Way of Coin, was a widespread practice whereby members of the faith abided by a tithe. It was believed that by paying into the faith, a member was making an admirable sacrifice in the eyes of Obzeriah. Although this was practiced mostly by merchants and those wealthy individuals whom the faith had enticed, it was also sometimes observed proportionally by those with little to spare.
This practice in particular was a large contributor to the Gilded Faith's growing wealth and influence during the Blessed Era, a time during which it saw great expansion. Such wealth was typically spent financing missionaries in lands far beyond the faith's Deyazi roots, though it was not an uncommon sight to see High Priests lavishly decorating their sanctuaries with golden finery and other such luxuries.
Obzerites also invested in business and trade as part of this practice, utilising coins that had been previously collected as part of the tithe. Many ranking acolytes were merchants and tradesmen, just like Obzeriah himself, who used their enterprises to fund the ventures of the sect.
==== The Master's Mask ====
The second tenet, the Master's Mask, was perhaps the most prominent practice of the Gilded Faith. It involved the wearing of golden funeral masks which were made for each member of the faith, and for many followers yet to fully subscribe to the teachings of Obzeriah and Jadarzi. These masks were worn during ceremonies of the faith, during gatherings of members and also whenever an Obzerite believed that they were being observed by the Archangels. It was said that Obzeriah himself wore such a mask in life, and that taking on a mask of one's own was to take a step closer to joining him in Heaven.
Another key element of this tenet was equality. Obzerites wearing masks considered themselves to all be the same once their faces were hidden, and proudly invited all to share in such a practice. In a sanctuary of the Gilded Faith, a street urchin and a king could find themselves equal.
Most masks were made of gold, though some were fashioned out of bronze. Silver, however, was strictly avoided due to its association with the Church of the Heavens.
==== The Urchin's Respite ====
The third and final tenet of the Gilded Faith was known as the Urchin's Respite. It was the belief that a member of the faith should always take care to be charitable in life. The tithe collected as part of the faith's first tenet was always paid towards kitchens, clothes and shelter for the poor and less fortunate.
This was considered to be of the utmost importance, especially due to the bulk of Obzerites being similarly disenfranchised people that had long since felt abandoned by the apathetic ways of the Church of the Heavens. In comparison, Obzeriah taught that charity should be a strictly observed duty for all, necessary for passage into the eternal paradise of the Heavens.
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