The Church of the Morninglord

## History

The Old Church is as old as the land of Barovia. The earliest text of the Morninglord is of the Testament of the Herald of Dawn. Therein, there are a collection of deeds and sayings of the miracles of the Morninglord.  The people of Barovia were mixed in response, many were subdued in the face of miracles, for they had witnessed the horrors of  dark magic. But some followed his light and hearkened to the holy light of the Morninglord through his avatar, for the herald was the light of the Morning.

### ? Miracles

Many saints came since the Herald, each famed for their ability to perform miracles. Over time, Priests of the faith were granted with powers in accordance with the rights of the Herald. Acting as he did in the moment of miracle, their effects were emulated.

The Rite of Water.

For the Herald took water, and in his hands blessed it with his light and it was made holy, and protected the faithful from those who would harm them.

The Rite of Flame,

For the Herald took his symbol the sunstar 6 times he did light aflame and from its light the wicked did flee from his wrath.

The Rite of Breath,

For the Herald spoke holy words, and his breath was light and life, and the wounded did heal, the deaf did hear, the blind see, and the lame rise to his cause.

The Right of Earth

The Herald did make the land for the threshold of his people, and though the hordes of darkness encroached, all who crossed the threshold were stricken down by the wrath of the Morninglord.

### The Three Saints

In 434 BML During wars with the Druids, and other dangerous monstrosities harraying the land. St. Arius the Hill Martyr, St. Bertorm the True, and St. Astyr led crusades against the dark.

The Three Saints storm the Druid Cursed stronghold of Yester Hill.

The Suffering of Arius

At Yester Hill Arius is Captured, and tortured. His hands are bound with cord and tightened constantly. He is racked, and scarred. In a daring mission, St. Bertorm and St. Astyr, with the help of Vistani sequester St. Arius from Yester Hill. They find Arius mutilated and broken, but recover him. St. Arius begins his ministry with the message that those who walk in the light take on the suffering of others, his followers were able to perform great feats of Healing.

The Valliance of St. Bertorm

Gulthias led the Straw men tribe and used dark magic to imbue them with supernatural strength. St. Bertorm saved the village of Orasnou from the Straw Men. Meeting their leader Statsilo in single combat, he was slain.

* Lead all into the light of Lathander, but those who would see it snuffed out are as those who would extinguish the dawn leaving nothing but death and darkness in their wake. Give Death and Darkness to them in turn.
	+ The Light of Truth

St. Astyr’s travails

St. Astyr was a most powerful warrior. His exploits in slaying Witches and Warlocks and Druids lent name to his works. The Hammer of Light. All revere his exploits.

### Strahd

It is clear that Strahd was a believer in the New Church. During his invasion of Barovia, he supported most folk despite their sectarian affiliation. He was even tolerant of other faiths that are native to Barovia, such as the Vistani’s Mother Night. Many of the Old Church view this affiliation as proof of the emptiness of the New Church’s teachings. The New Church believes that Strahd was divinely inspired, but corrupted by Dark Powers.

## New Church

Vallaki

St. Andral’s Cathedral

Berez

Tenets of the New Church

Prayer of the Home of Heart.

“Home of Heart, place of Peace and Font of Life, make still the enemies of your earth, accursed be all those who defile and sever the land and its people, our faithful. Blessed are the protectors of the people of Light, dwellers of the blessed land. Harken spirits of Light! Defend the Land, Gift of the Morninglord!”

* Confessions of St. Andral

Word of Law

The light of the illumined are as law. Fear the law as the light of dawn that smites the wicked and corrupt and rejoice the law of Lords of Light that walk amongst you.

Festivals

Festival of the Burning Sun

## Old Church

Barovia

Church of St. Bertorm

Kresque

Abbey of St. Markovia

Tenets

The Midnight Clarion

“Suffer not the beast that feasts on the blood of the Innocent. Strike down the undead wherever they may be found. The kiss of the blade is the kindness of the Morninglord”

The Dawn of Justice

The laws of men aid our peace, but where those laws defy the light of Justice, let the light of justice burn those laws as the whispers of great deceivers.

## Saints

The Herald of Dawn the first known prophet of the Morninglord

This mythic figure's name remains unknown, and there is some difference of opinion of his nature.

St. John Morningstar

St. Markovia

The Golden Sun Miracle 1220.

Led a rebellion in 1222.

St. Markovia opposed Strahd and fought him in single combat. Buried in the Abbey of St. Markovia 1223.

St. Aria

St. Aria was proselytizing in Vallaki to turn the people away from Strahd, for she did not view him as of the light.

She was burned at the stake as a witch.

This is one of the more divisive saints. The Old Church views her as a saint who was martyred. The New church views her as a witch that was leading the people astray, for only later was Strahd corrupted.

## Sacred Texts

Herald of Dawn

* Testament of the Herald of the Dawn

St. Arius the Hill Martyr

* The Tome of Pain

St. Urbane the Black Hand

* The King (Apocryphal text)

St. Astyr

* The Hammer of Light

St. Bertorm The True

* The Sword of Truth

St. Alysune

* Meditations on Beauty

St. Daladda the Green

* The Garden

St Eremin of Silver and Green.

* The Garden

St Jeanne The Red Knight

* The Sword of the Sun

St. Juolus The Sacred Helm

* The Shield of Light

St. Arthon

St. Zionel

* The Forge of the Sun Star

St. Andral

* Confessions of St. Andral

St. Deneir The Candle of Morning

* Light of Wisdom

St Ezra

* The Path between the Darks

St. John Morningstar

* The Sight of Stars

St. Cuthbert

* The Light of Barovia
* The Lord of the Morning (Apocryphal text)

St. Finderway

* Light of the Lost

St. Markovia

* Healings of The Hospitalier

St Vala

* Reflections on Light

St. Bogdan

* The Wit over Knuckle

# ? The Schism

The Old Church viewed St. Andral as a holy person but who had misled his followers to focus too much on his own importance. The New Church viewed itself as revitalized and renewed by St. Andral’s Doctrines.

The Arrival of St. Andral and the construction of the Cathedral in Vallaki was demonstrative of the skill and ability of the New church and his followers. Initially, most who would become the Old church (as previously it was just the church) viewed St. Andral as a skilled warrior and leader, but not a Saint, as he had made no miracles as was the normal requirement. That said, his successors constructed the Amber Temple shortly after the arrival of John Morningstar. It took more time than this for the schism to fully manifest itself. The New church reports a miracle of the Silver Sun, in which St. Andral made the Sun Silver and emanating silver smoke that cloaked the land for a day. This miracle is disputed as the Miracles of the Old church involved Golden sunrays such as the Miracle of the Golden Sun performed by St. Markovia.

During St. Ezra’s time  in 109 BML many pilgrims came to view her shrine from far distant lands. Her followers were astonished by the conduct of some of St. Andral’s believers. Many of them were hostile to followers, taking his teaching on the protection of home and land to a xenophobic extreme. The pilgrims found refuge with St. Ezra, and many of them were welcomed by the Old Church that began to become more noticeably different.

## Doctrinal Differences

Virtue and Law.

A notable shift was from justice in itself, administered by the faithful, and virtue in all things, to a more political justice bound in the law of man, and the right of rule. This distinction was exacerbated by the New Church being more heavily involved in the state, and under the protection of the state, where the Old Church was considered to be over the state, and its priests therefore enjoyed comparatively more prestige and respect than those of the New Church.

The Nature of the Morninglord.

The New Church made more emphasis on the Morninglord appearing personally in history, viewing figures like St. Andral, John Morningstar and the Herald of Dawn as personifications of the Moringlord himself.

The Old Church views these interpretations as at best misguided, or at worst downright heretical. The Morninglord sent messengers and blessed to serve the people and protect them.

Symbol

The Symbol of the Morninglord has historically been the 6 pointed sun. However the New Church views St. Andrals personal crest of the 8 pointed star as the new symbol to represent the growing strength of the Faith.

From Bookes - History of Clan Watcher

 Aria Wachter was a noble woman from Krezk sent as a missionary to convince Vallaki to stop following Strahd, and the New Church (8 pointed star). There was a debate about the nature of the Morninglord, (mortal or purely divine)