Church of Alysia

The Church of Alysia, also known as the Elvish Pantheon, is the largest religion in Alysia, with approximately 5 million baptised faithful. As the continent's oldest continuous religion, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Mundian civilisation. The church is headed by the Prior of Tallyrand, known as the Archprior. Its central administration, the August Priory, is located in Tallyrand, Sovenia.

Alysian theology is based around the idea of communion and divinely inspired hierarchy. They believe their authority derives from the teachings of the One of Many, the pantheon derived from Elvish paganism. Church religion was both sacramental and contractual, based on the principle of do ut des, "I give that you might give". Religion depended on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not solely on faith or dogma. It maintains that it practises the original faith, reserving infallibility, passed down by sacred tradition. The Church and institutes such as mendicant orders and enclosed monastic orders reflect a variety of theological and spiritual emphases in the church.

Of its seven sacraments the Theiótita is the principal one. Liturgy teaches that through ritualized feasting and song, the presence of the gods is brought to earth. Its teaching includes sanctification through faith and evangelisation of the Word as well as Alysian social teaching, which emphasises voluntary support for the sick, the poor, and the afflicted through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

The Church of Alysia has influenced Mundian philosophy, culture, science, and art. Faithful live all over the continent through missions, diaspora, and conversions. The original Imperial religion has been fragmented, with the Dwarven Communion and giant paganism splitting off slowly after the dissolution of the empire.

History
The religion is based on the teachings of prophets, who speak the Divine Word, or the will of the gods. Conflicts involving authority in the church, particularly the authority of the Prior of Tallyrand finally culminated in the splitting of the church into the Alysian Church and Dwarven Pantheons. Early monasteries throughout Europe helped preserve classical civilisation. The church eventually became the dominant influence in Mundian civilisation.

The Divine Word is recorded in the Book of Words, which records the histories and deeds and sayings of prophets throughout all time. The Church teaches that its ministry began at the institution of the Emperor after the War for the World separated the Material Plane from the Plane of the Divine. The Church of Alysia teaches that the College of Priors, led by the Archprior of Tallyrand are the successors to these legendary prophets.

Conditions in the Elvish Empire facilitated the spread of new ideas. The empire's network of roads and waterways facilitated travel, and the continental peace or Pax Continenta made travelling safe. The empire encouraged the spread of a common culture with Elvish roots, which allowed ideas to be more easily expressed and understood. During the latter decades of the Empire, the Archpriors of Tallyrand, steadily increased in authority through their consistent intervening in support of leaders in theological disputes, which encouraged appeals to them.

Alysian pantheonism, particularly through its monasteries, was a major factor in preserving civilisation, with its art and literacy. Through his Rule, St. Falxius exerted an enormous influence on Alysian culture through the appropriation of the monastic spiritual heritage of the early Church and, with the spread of the Falxian tradition, through the preservation and transmission of ancient culture.

The Church of Alysia was the dominant influence on Mundian civilisation from Late Antiquity to present. It was the primary sponsor of art, architecture and music.

When the Elvish Emperor was finally dethroned as a result of Staffbreaker's Crusade, imperial investiture was not asked for during the election of Archprior Morlinn I (who also took up the Baculum Imperator) and that the church was forced to look elsewhere for a civil power to protect it. At the urgent request of Archprior Morlinn, Artkin conquered the Rhovenians.

The efforts of Hildebrand of Sovenia led to the creation of the College of Cardinals to elect new Archpriors Hildebrand was the first to be elected as Archprior Gregorios I.The basic election system of the College of Cardinals which Gregorios I helped establish has continued to function to this day. Archprior Gregory I further initiated the Gregorian Reforms regarding the independence of the clergy from secular authority. This led to the Investiture Controversy between the church and the kings of Sovenia, over which had the authority to appoint Priors and Archpriors. Out of this came The Compromise, which placed the Church on equal authority with the Sovenian monarchy.

Academics orders were founded by Fornir, which were known as the Prioria Academia, who served both magically-attuned and mundane in all sorts of subjects. The most well known of these was the Priory of Bruxaria.