Sibyllism

**Sibyllism** is the dominant religious belief in Morgaea. It is based on the Holy Tome, a series of teachings written by Sibylla, the prophet of the Watcher, and her disciples. Various religious groups interpret these teachings differently, the largest of which is the Ministry. There are two main branches of the Ministry: the Maudesian Ministry, based in Ducailles and dominant in every human nation save the Adamantium, which has it's own branch; the Adamantine Ministry, based in the City of Adamantium. Followers of both branches refer to themselves as Sibyllans.

## History

The Ministry originated as one of the many cults emerging upon the legend of Sibylla's martyrdom. Known as the Cult of the Watcher, it was without central leadership and its followers were oppressed. The clerics had to hide their lore from Adamantine magisters by way of ciphers and encoded scrolls. In **-130D**, cult practitioners organized Sibylla's teachings, creating the Holy Tome, leading to their spread in popularity.

There were various cults of the Watcher until Caecilius Volantus, who would become the first emperor of Maudet, unified them by the sword and formalized them into the Ministry in **-3D**. Volantus established Sibyllism as the national religion. The first Matron, Augora I, was declared four years later. Though her appointment caused significant frustration in the Adamantium, which had been organizing Sibyllism on their own for over a century, they initially attempted to appease the newly created Maudesian Ministry by transferring authority over the faith from the Archon to the grand clerics.

Volantus's military successes during the Second Scourge significantly expanded the borders of Maudet and, soon after, the conquered lands converted to the faith. While these lands would later liberate themselves from Maudesian rule following Volantus's death, Sibyllism remained.

The Anderan Accord signed in **1A20** brought the Vigilants of Sibylla and the newly created Institute of Magic under the Ministry's authority. The Vigilants of Sibylla divided into two new orders: the Templar Order, charged with looking over the Institute, as well as hunting apostates and maleficists, and the Inquisition, overseers of the templars and special agents of the Matron.

By **1A45**, the teachings of Sibylla had been popularized in Lysadore. The Lysadoren Ravens started as an arm of the Ministry. In the hills north of Trevain, an order of monks used the herbs grown in the gardens of their abbey to oppose the rule of a despotic duke in the only manner the monks could.

Tensions between the Adamantine and Maudesian Ministries came to a head during the Third Age over disagreements on the meaning of the commandment "magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him". In the Adamantium, where magic had long been a valued trait, prized and nurtured through selective breeding in the upper classes, the clerics preached that magic must serve the greater good and not be used to control the minds of others, which they believed was best accomplished by allowing mages to take part in government. When the Maudesian Ministry finally learned of this in **3A87**, Matron Amara II demanded they revert to the Maudesian version of the Holy Tome. The Adamantium refused, claiming corruption within Ducailles. Matron Amara II declared them all heretics, leading the Archon to appoint Grand Cleric Severian, a man, and a mage of the Institute, to the position of Patron.

With so much influence over the people, the Ministry can exert considerable political pressure on the ruling classes in many areas of concern. In extraordinary times, and in respect to Sibylla, the Matron may also be moved to declare a Crusade. These religious wars have mobilized armies of thousands to destroy the heretical enemies of the Watcher. The first Crusade after Sibylla's death was against the elves of the Sylvandale, which led to Matron Rayne I's decree to create enclaves as well as to destroy any Ministry art and references to elves; save a single original mural of Febrion with his ears cropped. A faithful copy exists at the University of Maudet. The next five were against the Adamantium, and the most recent were against the Orcimar, with the support of the Adamantine Ministry.

## Beliefs and Practices

The fundamental belief of the Ministry is that the Holy Tome must be spread to all four corners of the world and to all races, as only when all peoples have accepted and practice its teachings will the Watcher return and restore the world to its former glory. As such, the Ministry in Morgaea can be described as deistic in that the Watcher abandoned the world, and he will not heed prayer or perform any other function until His favor is regained.

Members of the Ministry often worship in temples. These temples are present in almost every village, town and city and some will also maintain a Minister's Board, where members of the community can put up requests for aid. Temples also deliver practical services to the community, caring for the sick and collecting alms for the poor. The Ministry provides hospitality to travelers and a public network of communications. Should an illiterate commoner need to send word to another town, the Ministry's educated priests write and send the letter for them. Revered mothers are also able to officiate wedding ceremonies and legalize marriages.

### Maudesian Ministry

*Main Article: Maudesian Ministry*

As the larger of the two denominations of the Ministry, the beliefs of the Maudesian Ministry can be found throughout Morgaea. It is the dominant religion in Nordain, Anderlay, Maudet, Lysadore, the Freemarks, and Netheren, and has a notable following in Ghallen. While some of the nations vary in their specific practices, such as how Anderlay practices different funerary rites, they share core beliefs, unlike the Adamantine Ministry.

First, they hold a core belief that magic is a corrupting influence that must be regulated. This is largely due to their similar belief that ancient magisters were responsible for the destruction of the Golden City, and the creation of fiends. This is known as humanity's Second Sin, and is often cited as proof of how magic gives rise to the desire for power and glory at any cost. Due to these beliefs on the dangers of magic, the Maudesian Ministry has direct control over the Institute of Magic as well as the Templar Order and the Inquisition. They also strictly control the supply of lucenium, which they provide to the Institute for the crafting of enchantments or the use in the Ascension of apprentices, as well as to the templars who use it to develop their quasi-magical abilities.

Pointing to Thetsoll's betrayal as an example, they also believe that men are unsuited for leadership positions on spiritual matters. As a result, men are barred from reaching stations above that of Brother.

### Adamantine Ministry

*Main Article: Adamantine Ministry*

The Adamantine Ministry broke away from the Ministry of Maudet in **3A87** over their differing interpretations of Sibylla and her teachings; especially regarding magic. As a result, it has a much smaller prevalence in Morgaea, being the dominant religion only in the Adamantium, as well as a minor presence in Verullus. They intrepret the Holy Tome's message of "magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him" to mean that mages must use magic responsibly, and that the rule of the magisters serves the greater good. They also claim that Sibylla was herself a mage of great power.

Unlike in the Maudesian Ministry, the upper echelons of the clergy of the Adamantine Ministry is open to both men and women. In fact, the Patron, whom the Adamantines consider to be the "true" spiritual leader, is always male, unlike the Matron of Maudet, who is always female.

In addition, the Adamantine Ministry denies the Maudesian belief of the Second Sin, instead claiming that they are merely tales; fiends have always existed, and Magisters and the Scourge are not related at all.

The Adamantine Ministry also does not have direct oversight of the Institutions of Magic within the Adamantium, which are instead governed by high-ranking Magisters. While the Adamantine Ministry has their own Templar Order, they are unaffiliated with the templars of the north and do not consume lucenium to counter magic. As a result, Adamantine Templars primarily act as soldiers to enforce the law of the Adamantium. There is no equivalent to the Inquisition within the Adamantine Ministry.

After the schism, the Adamantine Ministry rejected the Maudesian Ministry's calendar, which begins with the election of the first Matron, Augora I, and reverted to using the Adamantine Calendar, which begins with the founding of the Adamantium.

## Heresies

While the two Sibyllan Ministries represent the predominant religion in most of Morgaea, they began as one of many Sibyllan cults. These alternative interpretations of the Watcher, and his prophet, are considered heretical by both groups, though a few survived the centuries through the expansion of Sibyllism.

### Blades of Janerius

The Blades of Janerius are a secret society that believes they have been chosen to bring Sibylla's judgement down on the weak and corrupt. They trace their origin to an Adamantine slave named Avusing, who purportedly received the very sword that killed the prophet from Sibylla herself after her death. Ever since, they have considered the bearer of the sword to be her instrument and their leader.

### Daughters of Sibylla

The Daughters of Sibylla, which despite the name included men though they called themselves "daughters" as well, were a hedonistic cult that venerated the "union" of Sibylla and the Watcher before every other consideration. The cult was centered on the village of Virelan in the Fields of Ghislaine. They refused to arm themselves when Caecilius Volantus's armies razed Virelan and captured or killed most of the cult.

### Empty Ones

The Empty Ones were a short-lived apocalyptic cult based in Anderlay. They believed that Sibylla's death heralded the end of the world as the Watcher's wrath would soon destroy it for her death. They came to believe the Scourge was the Watcher's chosen instrument in this, and sought out fiends to aid them in bringing about the Scourge. The entire cult was predictably killed after marching into the path of a fiendish horde during the Second Scourge.

### Order of the Fiery Oath

Originating in the chaotic time of the Vigilants of Sibylla, the Order of the Fiery Oath believes the world must be ended in order to be reborn as a paradise. The Vigilants of Sibylla crushed the "Oathbound" in open battle, but they have persisted through the ages and occasionally reemerge to challenge the Inquisition, whom they see as usurpers.

### Cult of Masked Sibylla

The Cult of Masked Sibylla is a splinter denomination which worships a hunter aspect of Sibylla prominent in eastern Maudet.