Doctrines & Tenets

## Tenets of the Faith

1. The Faithful shall seek religious inspiration through devout prayer and holy confession.
2. The Faithful shall base their faith on the sermons of Holy Church's ordained priests; do not follow false prophets.
3. Take action to diminish suffering, and advance the well-being of the downtrodden.
4. The resources placed on this world belong to Oriens and must be protected from waste, heathens, and the Darkness
5. Honor those that came before us and remember those who will benefit from your actions and faith.
6. Oppose and vanquish any Evil that you see. Suffer not the monster, the mutant, the Infernal.
7. Protect the weak, the innocent, and the helpless in the Light's name.
8. Spread righteous guidance to all those who believe and bring the Light to those who do not.
9. Defend these Tenets and those who adhere to them.

## Code of Chivalry

The Code of Chivalry, known more commonly as The Code, serves along with the Tenets as the core of life for the Faithful of the Church.

* Thou shalt learn from all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
* Thou shalt defend the Church.
* Thou shalt respect the weak, and shalt constitute thyself their defender.
* Thou shalt honor the land in which thou wast born.
* Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
* Thou shalt make war against Evil without cessation but have mercy on those who show true remorse.
* Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties if they be not contrary to the laws of Oriens and His Church.
* Thou shalt never lie and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
* Thou shalt be generous and give largess to those in need.
* Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

## Virtues and Vices

### The Five Sacred Virtues

Honor, Humility, Generosity, Piety, Order

### The Five Profane Vices

Treachery, Vainglory, Avariciousness, Heresy, Chaos

## Stances on Nonhumans and Supernaturals

Though originally founded primarily as a human-centric holy order, the Holy Church began accepting elves, orcs, dwarves, and other races into our ranks well over a thousand years ago. Even during the earliest battles against the demons who plagued Eastrallis, dwarves were known to be among the ranks of the Army of Light.

### Anthromorphs

Also known as Animalkin or Beastkin, Anthromorphs have been accepted into the Church since the Conversion of Parm when the various Anthromorph tribes of the Parmian Plains were united by Saint \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and converted to follow Oriens.

### Celestials and Aasimar

Celestials of gods whose spheres fall in similar purview as the Church, and in particular those who are dedicated to Oriens, are always welcome in our ranks. Demigods and aasimar of various sorts are, of course, welcome among our number.

### Infernals and Tieflings

Infernals are not always true infernals. In many cases, they are people or a bloodline different from the local norm and given that label out of ignorance or fear. Or they may have diluted Infernal blood, such as Tieflings. True Infernals, those who hold their aura of pure evil, are forbidden from Holy Church and should be exterminated, but the Holy Inquisition should dutifully observe and make judgment on the potential applicant to determine their status. Tieflings who go against their infernal, or abyssal, ancestry are always welcome among the Lightborne for theirs is a noble internal battle.

### Therianthropes

Therianthropes are in many cases welcomed with open arms, provided they do not hide their affliction. If it is a transformation that can be controlled, they may live normal daily lives as any other citizen. Those who lack control are expected to turn themselves in to be restrained and kept under watch during their transformations. Provided a therianthrope is not feral, harming the innocent, Holy Church welcomes them into the Light of Oriens.

### Vampires and Other Undead

Vampires and other undead are a much more tender subject for Holy Church. For many, many centuries, the Church has actively fought and opposed undeath where it has been found. This ranges from traditional blood-sucking vampires to their soul-hopping vampyre kin, from necromancers and liches, all the way to skeletons, zombies, and the various types of spirits. This is why Church policy includes mandatory cremation for all dead.

Undead range from sapient (their minds fully intact) to mindless hordes. The former are, once freed from control of whatever brought them back from behind the veil of death, offered the choice between service to Holy Church or being returned to their final rest. We do not wish them to suffer nor can we risk them being returned to the thrall of those who would control them. The mindless, or those husks are reanimated with lesser souls or infernal pacts, are to be put down and destroyed without question.

The fate of vampires depends on many things. Have they been turning others to Vampirism? Have they been feeding on other sapients? There are, in fact, vampires within the ranks of various Orders within the Church, serving the Light in their own way and having previously been victims of vampires turning them against their will.

Vampyres, however, are considered kill on sight. While they may drink blood recreationally, it's not a necessity and many go an entire lifespan without a drop of blood. These creatures were once powerful magi seeking immortality. To accomplish this, they tapped into forbidden soul magics, devouring a soul and transferring their essence to that soul's previous host, while maintaining their own memories and magical prowess. There is no redeeming these creatures of darkness.

While the Holy Church's Inquisition does in fact employ necromancers, it's purely for research purposes so their skills can be countered and their tomes better understood. Most, however, are not so cooperative and must be killed with them and their belongings incinerated. Liches are also in the same situation, beyond redemption for perverting the natural order.