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Unionism V2: Electric Boogaloo

Holy Orders

Nonnatean Order of the Silent Sisters
- Burial and Caretakers/Nuns
Dogartan Order of the Pious Brothers
- Monks/Friars
Crimson Order of the Holy Inquisition
- Secret Service
White Order of the Helerian Guard
- Military

Feast Days

No such thing as days off of work, so make them community feast days/lunches and stuff

Feast of the Emperor, May 22nd
- Regalian 4th of July/national founding day. Celebrates the Empire as a whole with the Emperor as an easy focal point
Feast of Love, Valentine's Day
- Duh
Feast of all Souls, Halloween/Day of the Dead/
- Remember the dead. Throw in trick or treating, also jack o' lanterns for Undeath Terror
Feast of Summertide
- Summer Festival
Feast of Wintertide
- We have Saint Nicholas. He was Regulus. Draconists have a gift-giving holiday the same month. Yay religious appropriation.

Priestly Hierarchy

Within the Unionist College exist several ranks of priests, otherwise known as Celates. These ranks hold various responsibilities within the College, and thus those with higher offices are consider the most versed in matters of theological and bureaucratic knowledge. Below is a list of all priestly ranks, in order of seniority:

The Primae-Everian was the official head of the Unionist College, considered to be the Unionist equivalent of a pope. Their duties included presiding over Holy Diets (a gathering of Celates to discuss religious dogma) as well as serving as the chaplain of the Imperial Palace. The last Primae-Everian was Piete Kade, who was assassinated by radicals within the College for attempting to reconcile with the various Schisms. While the Emperor is able to appoint a new Primae-Everian, the Concilly Council has advised him to leave the position vacant, out of respect for the previous officeholder.

The Concilly Councillors are a group of well-learned Celates who are responsible for overseeing the vast bureaucracy of the Unionist College. Due to the prestige associated with bei9ng a Concilly Councillor, this position also suffers from political intrigue, with various faction plotting to place, or keep, their preferred Celates on the council. Despite this potential for corruption, Concilly Councillors are nevertheless very competent in their duties, as only those most theologically gifted can hope to be appointed to this position.

The Arch-Everians are Celates who administer the most populous cities within the Regalian Empire, with their Celeries often including one of the Arch- or Grand- Temples of Unionism. Arch-Everians are highly influential figures, and often compete with the secular Dukes over authority within their cities (as the line between secular and religious boundaries starts to blur in these areas). Arch-Everians are formally appointed by the Primae-Everian on the recommendation of the Concilly Council, though it is well-known that the regional Duke also plays a notable role in suggesting their preferred candidate.

The Everians are senior-ranking Celates who oversee a collection of Celeries within a geographic area. The position is usually appointed by the local Duke or Count, and confirmed by the Concilly Council. Everians are often the highest rank achieved by Celates, as higher offices start to involve political games that remove well-meaning yet naive Celates from rising in the ranks.

The Celates are the standard rank of priest within the Unionist College, achieved after completing clerical training and becoming ordained by an Everian. Most priests remain Celates for life, though this lack of upward advancements is hardly met with frustration due to the fulfilling experiences most Celates have with the faithful. While higher ranks become more focused on administrative duties, Celates are more focused on the spiritual needs of Unionists, and so spend most of their time providing various services to others.

The Lay Priests are not part of the Unionist College, or even considered clergy to begin with. Any Unionist can be a Lay Priest, which is an unofficial title given to those who are very knowledgeable about Unionism, and assist the Celates with their duties. There is no formal training required, though many Lay Priests often study Unionist theology in order to better assist their fellow Unionists. As there are no Celates within the Guided Unionist community, Lay Priests are responsible for overseeing community maintenance of the local Temples and guiding spiritual discussions.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-==The Everwatcher and Alexander, the Vessel==
+Unionism V2: Electric Boogaloo
-{| class="wikitable" style="margin:left; width: 100%"
-|- style="background:#FFD700"
-| ||
-|-
-| style="width: 1%" | [[File:Alexander.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
-* The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
-* The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
-* The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
-* The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
-* Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
-* Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
-|-
-| colspan="2" |
-<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
-To read further, expand:
-<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
-'''Description'''<br>
-The Everwatcher (not pictured) is the Supreme Being of Unionism, the source of all creation, and the final destiny of all things. Unionists believe it was the first thing created at the beginning of time, holding supremacy over all other Gods and Goddesses. The Everwatcher does not manifest in Aloria, and utilizes the Vessel-God to be the living embodiment of its divine will. Alexander is the Emperor of Regalia, and is thus the current Vessel-God of Unionism until his death or abdication (as only the reigning Emperor can be the Vessel-God). Together, Alexander and the Everwatcher represent Divinity, Sageness, Wisdom, Benevolence, Inclusivity, All-Loving, and All-Caring. The Imperial Palace is seen as the chief holy place for the Vessel God, and seen as the holiest site for Unionists. There are no Rituals for the Vessel God, as they are only divine in life, and each successor takes a different approach to carrying out the Everwatcher's will, making it difficult to find any common rituals beyond the imperial coronation and other ceremonies of state.
-'''Virtues'''<br>
+===Holy Orders===
-The Virtue of the Vessel is to be humble and aware of one's own mortality. Nobody lives forever, as even the Vessel God will one day die, so Unionists make an effort to use what time they have to celebrate their achievements and gains in life, while also preparing the way for their inevitable successors. Likewise, Unionists in positions of authority are tasked with being fair representatives of the Emperor's positive characteristics, as the Emperor in turn is representative of the Everwatcher's divinity. By being a fair and just example, Unionists demonstrate the benevolence of the Vessel-God, which helps to encourage even non-believers to emulate his characteristics to benefit the Regalian Empire and further the Great Way.
+* Nonnatean Order of the Silent Sisters
+**Burial and Caretakers/Nuns
+* Dogartan Order of the Pious Brothers
+**Monks/Friars
+* Crimson Order of the Holy Inquisition
+**Secret Service
+* White Order of the Helerian Guard
+**Military
-'''Vices'''<br>
+===Feast Days===
-The greatest Vice against the Vessel God is pride itself, and the refusal to prepare the stage for one's inevitable successor. The only way for a society to continue to improve is when one's forebears adequately prepare the next generation with the tools needed to carry on the torch of leadership. To deny and obstruct the transfer of power when the time comes not only causes the creation of incompetent leaders, but also creates cults of personality which detract from the needs of the greater Unionist community. As such, Unionists are obliged to make arrangements to ensure that stability is maintained, so that their deaths do not lead to a power vacuum or future incompetence. Likewise, the faithful should be willing to forfeit their power to another if it benefits the Great Way.
+No such thing as days off of work, so make them community feast days/lunches and stuff
+*Feast of the Emperor, May 22nd
+**Regalian 4th of July/national founding day. Celebrates the Empire as a whole with the Emperor as an easy focal point
+*Feast of Love, Valentine's Day
+**Duh
+*Feast of all Souls, Halloween/Day of the Dead/
+**Remember the dead. Throw in trick or treating, also jack o' lanterns for Undeath Terror
+*Feast of Summertide
+**Summer Festival
+*Feast of Wintertide
+**We have Saint Nicholas. He was Regulus. Draconists have a gift-giving holiday the same month. Yay religious appropriation.
-'''Legacy'''<br>
+===Priestly Hierarchy===
-Alexander was born Alexander Kade, son of Arch-Chancellor Moriarty Kade and Princess Alianne Ivrae de Sange, through whom the line of Succession passed through after the death of the previous Emperor, Justinian II. Alexander was brought up to one day succeed his father as Arch-Chancellor, though the Sanction of 302 AC saw him become Emperor instead. Emperor Alexander is actually Alexander II, as the God Brand was known as Alexander the Giant in life. However, the regnal number is often omitted, as Alexander is the first reigning Emperor with that name, and also because Alexander the Giant is referred to by his divine name Brand since his death. Emperor Alexander is the only mortal to have become the Vessel-God twice, as he abdicated the throne to his brother Cedromar before being reinstated after an interregnum period. Despite the Emperor's absence in recent times, he remains the Vessel-God, as he has not been declared dead, nor has any successor taken the Imperial Throne.
+Within the Unionist College exist several ranks of priests, otherwise known as Celates. These ranks hold various responsibilities within the College, and thus those with higher offices are consider the most versed in matters of theological and bureaucratic knowledge. Below is a list of all priestly ranks, in order of seniority:
-</div>
-</div>
+*The '''Primae-Everian''' was the official head of the Unionist College, considered to be the Unionist equivalent of a pope. Their duties included presiding over Holy Diets (a gathering of Celates to discuss religious dogma) as well as serving as the chaplain of the Imperial Palace. The last Primae-Everian was Piete Kade, who was assassinated by radicals within the College for attempting to reconcile with the various Schisms. While the Emperor is able to appoint a new Primae-Everian, the Concilly Council has advised him to leave the position vacant, out of respect for the previous officeholder.
-|}
+*The '''Concilly Councillors''' are a group of well-learned Celates who are responsible for overseeing the vast bureaucracy of the Unionist College. Due to the prestige associated with bei9ng a Concilly Councillor, this position also suffers from political intrigue, with various faction plotting to place, or keep, their preferred Celates on the council. Despite this potential for corruption, Concilly Councillors are nevertheless very competent in their duties, as only those most theologically gifted can hope to be appointed to this position.
+*The '''Arch-Everians''' are Celates who administer the most populous cities within the Regalian Empire, with their Celeries often including one of the Arch- or Grand- Temples of Unionism. Arch-Everians are highly influential figures, and often compete with the secular Dukes over authority within their cities (as the line between secular and religious boundaries starts to blur in these areas). Arch-Everians are formally appointed by the Primae-Everian on the recommendation of the Concilly Council, though it is well-known that the regional Duke also plays a notable role in suggesting their preferred candidate.
+*The '''Everians''' are senior-ranking Celates who oversee a collection of Celeries within a geographic area. The position is usually appointed by the local Duke or Count, and confirmed by the Concilly Council. Everians are often the highest rank achieved by Celates, as higher offices start to involve political games that remove well-meaning yet naive Celates from rising in the ranks.
+*The '''Celates''' are the standard rank of priest within the Unionist College, achieved after completing clerical training and becoming ordained by an Everian. Most priests remain Celates for life, though this lack of upward advancements is hardly met with frustration due to the fulfilling experiences most Celates have with the faithful. While higher ranks become more focused on administrative duties, Celates are more focused on the spiritual needs of Unionists, and so spend most of their time providing various services to others.
+*The '''Lay Priests''' are not part of the Unionist College, or even considered clergy to begin with. Any Unionist can be a Lay Priest, which is an unofficial title given to those who are very knowledgeable about Unionism, and assist the Celates with their duties. There is no formal training required, though many Lay Priests often study Unionist theology in order to better assist their fellow Unionists. As there are no Celates within the Guided Unionist community, Lay Priests are responsible for overseeing community maintenance of the local Temples and guiding spiritual discussions.