Organized Temples of Skorm

Overview

The Organized Temples of Skorm, or Skormism is a religion that has been a secretive cult that has for the last thousand years been hidden in the shadows in order to preserve it's existance within the Empire of Khallayne. But with the Proclamation of Religious Freedom by Empress Diane this elusive cult has begun to make headway within the Empire with over 20% of the population claiming Skormism as their faith.

Current Prior (Leader)

Prior Gerald ew'Hai Cormanda

Hierarchy of the Organized Temples

The Hierarchy of the Organized Temples is built on the Consul of Thirteen and the Prior is the "First Among Equals" of that Consul and holds the tie-breaker vote should the other Consul Members not agree on issues.

Beneath the Consul are the High Priests (women are also refered to as "High Priests"), they are in charge of a Main Temple in a Major City and preform the proscribe rituals as required by the Temples. They also are in charge of all temples within a 50 mile radius of their temple and manage everything in the name of the Consul and are answerable only to the Consul of Thirteen.

Beneath the High Priests are the Priests and Priestess of the Temple, some run individual Minor Temples at the request and pleasure of the High Priests, others teach and educate others about Skormism.

Then at the bottom are the Students, anyone studying for the Skorm Clergy.

Hierarchy----

Prior

Consul of Thirteen

High Priests

Priests/Priestesses

Student

• Note, gender is never an issue in Skormism as the Temples consider all men and women equal, women as well as men have been Prior's or members of the Consul of Thirteen

Beliefs and Practices

Skormism is a monotheistic faith, it is believed that there is one Almighty God who's name is Skorm. The Organized Temples is the earthly organization who's goal is to spread this true religion as the purest vehicle of Skorm as far and as wide as possible. Skormites believe that Skorm is a deity of a supernatural flesh and blood and bone in an other dimention that needs to be nourished with the prayers of his believers in order to maintain his powers, most of which he sacrificed when he created the universe. Skormism also uses ritual magic in order to gain power over others within this universe since Skormism teaches that there is only one life and one must live it to the fullest and to the hilt all in the name of Skorm.

A disturbing aspect of Skormism is it's practice of both animal and once a year human sacrifice in it's religious rituals and magical practices. Currently however the Temples have postponed the human sacrifice aspect of their faith until negoitations with the Khallaynan Government are complete on this issue, which has created quiet the stir on the national scene.

The Temples have (like the rest of Khallaynan Culture) been open to all minority groups and as a result has tended to be very popular in areas that Khallayne had just conqured during it's Conquest Years.

Holy Texts

The Book of Bones- Describes the rituals that must be preformed and when

The Book of Blood- Hymns and prayers of Skorm

The Book of Flesh- The offical text that contains the main teachings of Skormism

History

The history of Skormism is shrouded by the veil of time and history, what little archeological evidence shows is that the worship of Skorm dates back over five thousand years before even the beginings of civilization in Khallayne. But it is known that when Khallayne conqured the island kingdoms to the south of it's Empire during the reign of Hixeres I the records of the Empire indicated that the native people's were hostile to the missionaries of The Way of Peace, clinging to Skorm Worship fiercely.

In secret and in shadows the religion grew among the disenchanted, the poor, the ignored, and the people of Khallayne who were not content with the corrupt Holy Order of The Way of Peace. Despite the best attempts of the Religious Enforcers to break Skormism by banishing or (during the reigns of Cameron V and Giusecchio III) execute the Skormites.

The current Hierarchy of the Temples was created out of necessity, a hidden consul able to make desicions on the fly to ensure the survival of the faith in a hostile land. The Consul of Thirteen has controlled Skormism since the reign of Emperor Cameron V, or The Butcher when the very existance of Skormism was brought into question by the purges.

Many aspects of Skormism remain hidden in shadows despite it's comming out after the Proclamation of Religious Freedom and will be known only to the faithful, but one of the things that remains unknown is where the future will take this intriguing religious order in a nation that has only just discovered the benifits (and pitfalls) of diversity.