Fellinar

The fellinar (Old Exekian, "lamp-bearers") was the religious branch of the Old Exekian Empire. Consisting of leaders from each of the Empire's major cities, the fellinar acted as the head of the Akhenist faith.
In addition to their role as the head of the faith, they also possessed a great deal of power within the government. They had their own courts in which their members could be tried, and the right to rid society of heretics. Their power meant that they frequently clashed with the other branches of the government, particularly the Emperor/Empress and the hunyadi.
Members could be both male and female, although females typically covered their hair with a veil or headdress and males would shave their heads. The higher ranking clergy would incorporate feathers into their headdresses, or sometimes even whole birds. Most religious artwork depicts them holding a lamp in reference to the original meaning of the word, "lamp-bearers".
Their most infamous act was to covertly alter the sacred texts of their faith, the Mandorlin, over the course of several centuries. They claimed this was done in the best interests of the common folk and slaves, most of whom were illiterate and uneducated. They considered their work merely "updates" to match the changing times, and while some in the intelligentsia tried to undermine them, most did not care.
Category:Prophets, seers, and religious figures