Council of Kirvan Patriarchs

The **Council of Kirvan Patriarchs** is the ruling body of the Kirvan Church.

## Overview

In the mid-5th century A.U., the Council of Patriarchs represents the largest body of mutually recognized Kirvan churches and authorities. Despite its name, the Council is not exclusively open to men, and historically has had slightly more female than male members – though 6 is Kirva’s holy number, complex systems of numerology can justify almost any number of members as political necessity dictates. The Council is housed on Bishant, generally accepted to be Kirva’s most sacred world.

## Patriarchs

The Council is dominated by Shantine figures and consists of the Patriarchs of Bishant (Shantine), Brumaire (Shantine), Highveldt (Shantine), Korinth (Shantine), Ahlam (Alusian), Aeldrum (Aeldman), Sevalne (Sermaye) and the “Outremer” seat. Each Patriarch sits atop a regional hierarchy, which varies according to local political conditions. In all cases, the archbishopric is the atomic unit of authority: archbishops receive their mandates directly from a divine source, and all must confer at least once in their lifetime with a Kirvan angel (usually, this involves a summoning ritual in which the angel interrogates the nominated archbishop and renders judgment on their suitability).
Notably, while the other Patriarchs traditionally submit their approval of the Shantine Emperor, the coronation of the Emperor need only be approved by the Shantine patriarchs. Traditionally, the Grandmaster of the Knights of Adarnum is also granted an honorary seat on the council.

### Shantine

Within the Shantine Empire, The Council of Patriarchs sets the doctrine of the Kirvan Church (at least those Kirvan churches which recognize the Council), administers land grants within the Empire, judges sainthood and performs genealogical and occult services for the court. The Council also confirms and crowns the Shantine Emperor: though traditionally the firstborn child of the preceding Emperor (or the next closest relation by primogeniture), the Crown Prince of the Empire does not always receive the blessing of the Council. Historically, when such a prince does not abdicate to a preferred candidate, the result has been assassination or civil war (not always favoring the Council).

In the Shantine Empire, a Patriarch is elected for life by the bishops and archbishops of the Patriarchate and serves not only as an envoy to this highest conclave but also as the supreme religious authority within the Patriarchate itself, answerable only to unanimous decrees of the archbishops.

Since the divine ascension of Theoboda I and the manifestation of the angel Leandra, the Patriarchate of Bishant has become the hereditary seat of the Emperor of Bishant.

### Aeldman

The Aeldman Patriarchate was recognized in the 3rd century A.U. as a means of appeasing Aeldman anticlericalism by nominally distancing Kirvans on Aeldrum from the specter of Shantine influence (while keeping most of the actual ties between Shantine and Aeldman clergy).

In the Aeldman Patriarchate, the Patriarch is *primus inter pares*, an archbishop (usually associated with one of the Aeldrum Spires).

### Other

The Patriarchate of Sevalne was formed in the 1st century A.U., after the secession of Alusia from the Shantine Empire, with the well-understood intention of blocking the expansion of state-oriented “Alusian” Kirvanism at the expense of the supremacy of the Shantine religious tradition (which places the church coequal with or above the state).

The Outremer and Korinth Patriarchates were both recent innovations: the Outremer Patriarchate was formed in 363 A.U. to administer religious missions in Celestial Space and reconcile the Shantine-dominated Kirvan church in Imperial Space with its distant cousins in the Celestial religious traditions. After the neutralization of the Pin-Jump in 398 A.U., the Outremer Patriarchate was rendered defunct and replaced shortly after by the Korinth Patriarchate, which took a similar role in administering the conversion and subsequent protection of Kirvans in the newly formed Fialta Confederacy. Since the reopening of the Pin Jump in 412 A.U., some attempts have been made to revive the Outremer Patriarchate, but its functions have largely been absorbed by the Aeldrum Patriarchate, as Aeldrum has enjoyed a greater monopoly on Celestial trade and colonization (the Aeldrum Patriarchate is also responsible for the small Kirvan populations in Naga Space and under the Orcish Directorate).

## Notes

1. ↑ An attempt to change the name in the 3rd century A.U. resulted in years of linguistic argumentation about gendered nouns in ancient Shantine; when the matter escalated to an extremely heretical discussion of Kirva’s gender (understood by the Shantine to be female), all further discussion was barred, and records were sealed.
2. ↑ Though often puppets, “Council Picks” from outside the primogeniture have also included some of the Empire’s most successful rulers, include its only ruling prophet, the Empress Kalnida (who ultimately purged the council that appointed her).