Mitra: A primer
There is no greater god more worshipped in Talingarde than the divine Mitra. In fact, to someone born in Talingarde it might seem that there is only one god. Mitra’s worship is so dominant, so pervasive, that rivals are hardly noted.
No god is more present in the lives of average Talireans and yet Mitra remains mysterious. His statues (and the deity is always described as a ‘he’) have no face. In his holy booka “Mitra” is revealed to not be his true name. Mitra simply means “friend”. To know his true name is to be part of Mitra and no living mortal can accomplish this.
Further, Mitra is not one deity. One of the central tenets of the Mitran faith is that while Mitra is one, he is also three. These three aspects have individual names and natures. They are Mitra the Shining Lord, Mitra the Beneficent Sun and Mitra the Fire Undying. Different priests and sects emphasize different facets of Mitra and thus it can seem they are worshipping very different gods.
The Shining Lord is a god of kings and conquerors. This is the god of righteous might and great civilizations. He is a patron of the strong and the lordly. The Shining Lords bids that those with power use it for the greater good. He is lord of paladins and heroes, true enough, but he is also the patron of scholars and sages.
He urges all to seek a greater purpose and to find within this world the truth. Together we can make a better world and if we will but keep the faith, then one day all will be light. When portrayed in stone the Shining Lord is often portrayed a great king wielding a sword, wearing a crown and resplendent in the finery of kings.
The Beneficent Sun is more passive. Yes, we should help those in need. But it is more important to be at peace and to find within ourselves the light. The sun shines on both the wicked and the worthy. Its blessings extend to all. This aspect is much less anthropomorphic. In fact, it would be easy to say that this aspect is not human at all.
Instead this is the aspect of peace, healing and abundance. Mitra made all life and with his warming light he sustains it. Everything that happen, weal or woe, is his will. Be at peace with this truth even in dark times. The Sun may set but it will rise again. When portrayed in stone, this is the god of healers often clad in a robe with arms outstretched.
The Fire Undying is not so patient as the gentle sun. This is the inquistor’s god – the god of the pyre and the witch hunter. The Fire Undying seeks out evil and burns it from this world. The Fire cares nothing for civilization or serenity unless they aid in this unyielding cause. The fire of war has been lit. It was not Mitra who started it. This war for the souls of all mortals was started in the pits of hell. But now the war cannot be ignored and it is a struggle that the Fire must win. When you extend mercy to evil, you are only allowing it fester. The Fire will burn the rot out and from the ashes, we will at last have peace.
These three aspects may seem at odds with each other, but the true theologian of Mitra sees their hidden unity. Behind them all is a great benevolence and a will to see the mortal races improve and ennoble themselves. The three aspects have different methods – but they all have the same goal. They would see the free peoples of the world turn their backs on evil and embrace nobility and goodness. Behind all three here is the light of Mitra.
Priests and Politics
The Church of Mitra touts itself as a non-political organization that does not care to meddle in matters of kings and countries. This is quite frankly a blatant lie. The Church of Mitra is an immensely political organization deeply involved in the politics of its day.
The Church of Mitra has three objectives which inevitably entangle in political matters:
1) Keep House Darius on the Throne of Talingarde
2) Keep Foreign Gods out of Talingarde
3) Limit the Influence of Scholars and Wizards
The first goal is not particularly controversial. The overwhelming majority of the people and aristrocracy of Talingarde support King Markadian V. There is no serious movement to dethrone him.
But the second goal puts them in direct conflict with both merchants and the Duke of Ghastenhall. Merchants want open trade with anyone who cares to visit this island. Open trade means foreign influences and where foreigners congregate, the inevitably bring their heathen faiths.
The Church is realistic that it cannot ban outside trade but it has petitioned for a rule that foreign ships can only dock at Matharyn. Docking at the capitol would mean that the Church could keep a close eye on foreign visitors and in its orthodox stronghold the chance of any outside gods gaining much purchase is basically nothing. This ban is vehemently opposed by Duke Hadrian. The duke has grown rich taxing foreign ships eager to do business with this rich but isolated island. So far the duke has managed to keep this ban from gaining any serious traction but the Church is patient. It has not given up.
The third goal also has earned the Church no small number of enemies. The City of Ghastenhall is a center of learning and the scholars chafe under the ever growing number of outside books that are banned because they contain some tiny amount of content the Church considers dangerous. The Great Library of Ghaster could be one of the great repositories of learning in the world if only the Church of Mitra would lift its bans.
In this matter the Church currently has the upper hand. The King has no patience for heretics and any scholar who steps outside of Church orthodoxy could find himself meeting with an inquisitor in less than pleasant circumstances. It is not illegal in Talingarde to believe in other gods besides Mitra. It is however illegal to blaspheme against Mitra. Blasphemy is a very vague law and exactly what it means can depend on how greatly someone has offended the Church. Every year or two, a scholar steps over the line and earns himself a trip to the pyre. Every time it occurs the hatred between scholars and priests only deepens.
Wizards too chafe under Mitran rule. Mitran priests willfully spread distrust of arcane magic amongst the people. There are whole hosts of avenues of magical study that are forbidden to pursue under the edicts of the church. Knowing even a little necromancy or how to summon a fiendish creature can earn you being purged with flame.
Time and time again the Church has shown it has no tolerance for arcane casters who question their authority. This means that there is a very powerful group of largely good aligned wizards who would love to see the Church disappear. How this will effect Church power remains to be seen.
The Inquisition
The Inquisition is the Church’s most secretive, feared and misunderstood arm. First, understand that the Inquisition is not actually part of the Church. The Inquisition exists by royal decree. When Markadian I called the Victorious came to power he made blasphemy against Mitra, heresy and witchcraft crimes. They had not been crimes before. The Barcan regents had rules against destructive magics and certain forms of summoning, but those pragmatic monarchs could care less what and how you worshiped.
To enforce these new crimes, the King needed special investigators who could detect and punish these often elusive criminals. He turned to the High Cardinal of the Church of Mitra and asked for assistance. Most Holy was only too glad to offer aid. He gathered his finest witch hunters and had them pledge their service to the Victor. Thus the Inquisition was born.
All members of the Inquisition are members of the Church of Mitra. They must be, because only the High Cardinal can recommend them to the crown and he only recommends members of the Church in good standing. They then put aside their other church duties, swear oaths of absolute loyalty and secrecy and join a special group of high priests (Tier 4) tasked to hunt down those who violate the Victor’s sacred laws.
The royal warrant that these Inquisitors receives is incredibly broad. It empowers the inquisitors to go anywhere, question anyone and deliver Mitra’s justice. All inquisitors must be able to cast divine spells of Mitra (thus they are either clerics, inquisitors, oracles or paladins of Mitra). Therefore, it is presumed, as long as they still have Mitra’s blessing and can still cast spells they are clearly doing the god’s will and need no oversight.
What this means is that the Inquisitors are a law unto themselves. When an Inquisitor condemns you there is no appeal and there is no recourse. You are condemned. The Inquisitor may take you to a prison to hold you temporarily but in the end your fate is sealed.
There are thankfully not many Inquisitors. There are less than twenty operating in all of Talingarde. Few have the talent to take on the role and those that do often die in their duties. Constantly hunting evil is a dangerous task even in a place as comparatively peaceful as Talingarde.
Magic Amongst the Faithful
Most priests of Mitra go their entire life without casting a single “spell”. Actual spellcasters remain a rarity within the Church. Very few of the High Cardinals have been spellcasters. And even now only three of the Cardinals can perform even a few minor divine spells. This doesn’t mean the other clergy are unfaithul or somehow lesser. Mitra chooses few to channel his divine might so directly.
Official church orthodoxy is this. Being a spellcaster does not entitle you to any special treatment within the church hierarchy. It means that Mitra has a purpose for you. Spellcasting is never bestowed without a reason. It is your sacred duty to find that purpose and see that it is fulfilled. The hierarchy of Church tries their best to both recognize and respect these callings. Unfortunately this is not always the case.
Jealousy is an ugly thing and a petty emotion that the Church downplays. But there is no denying that many powerful men within the Church are envious of those who Mitra has chosen to gift with the power of divine magic. Why are they chosen? Why not me? What have I done, great and powerful Mitra, for you to forsake me? These are common questions amongst those who are denied.
This jealousy is made worse because of the way that spellcasters are treated by the common man. Anyone who can cast a divine spell of Mitra is welcome with open arms into a thousand small towns through Talingarde. The people flock to these miracle workers. They want to see these amazing deeds. They want to hear what these miracle workers have to say. Who cares what the cardinal thinks? What does a true cleric of Mitra have to say on the matter?
This jealously means that the spellcasters are sometimes poorly treated by the hierarchy. Ironically the Church has from time to time dealt with its most powerful and gifted agents like they were enemies and outsiders. Spellcasters may find themselves denied resources and assistance. They may discover that a local cardinal or bishop is too busy to speak with them.
The Order of Saint Macarius has unsurprisingly suffered this discrimination more than most. The Order should be treated like one of the Church’s most valuable resources. But because of jealously, they are often left to fend for themselves.
Holy Symbols and Heraldry
Mitran priests are unusual amongst the faiths that they do not have a standard holy symbol. Some priests use graven wooden symbols, other use silver and still others have more expensive custom symbols adorned with sapphire. Those who wish to emphasize the fiery nature of the sun god often have golden holy symbols decorated with stylized images of flame. The Hierarchy of the Church seems to care little about this issue and so holy symbols are often seen almost as a mode of personal expression.
Wooden holy symbols connote humility and poverty. They reveal a priest unconcerned with displaying the wealth of this world. Ironically, wooden holy symbols are often not cheap. They can be made of fine teak and ebon wood. They can be lacquered and varnished almost to a mirror shine. The workmanship can be every bit as exquisite as anything a metal worker has ever made. The fine details within the wood can only be expressed by a true master of the craft.
Silver holy symbols are actually the most common holy symbol in all of Talingarde. So many of these icons has been made over the years, it is doubtful that another ever needs be produced. And yet still, the white smiths in every major city busily keep producing them. This is understandable. They sell.
These holy symbols come in a million variations and are worn not just by priests but by devout followers of Mitra. The most common symbol on such a holy symbol is of course the Mitran sunburst. But also common are the phoenix, the eagle, the fire, the long sword (the Shining Lord’s preferred weapon) or a stylized M or a V (for Victor -- the first Mitran king). Trying to describe how a standard silver holy symbol appears is like trying to describe a standard snow flake.
With the preferred color of the Mitra priesthood being blue it is no surprise that sapphire holds a special place in their hearts. The pure blue found in a flawless sapphire instantly appeals and in fact some priests call sapphire by the name “Saramanda” -- celestial for the sacred flame.
Sapphire however is expensive. There are no sapphire mines in Talingarde and so it must all be imported at great cost. Therefore to have a holy symbol adorned with sapphire is not just a symbol of devotion, it is also a symbol of wealth and influence.
Mitran lords, knights and warriors do not show their devotions only through holy symbols. They also use a wide variety of heraldry to show their piety for all to see. The most common heraldric iconography are all variations on the blue white Mitran sunburst.
Here again there are thousand variants. The Knights of the Alerion (their shield is shown below) adorn their heraldry with the double headed eagle. The Princess Belinda uses a unicorn as a symbol of purity. The Order of St. Macarius employs angel wings and the inscription VMI – Via Mitra Invictus (by Mitra I am invincible).
Every minor knight and noble throughout Talingarde wishes both to show their allegiance to the House of Darius and the Church of Mitra. But they must follow the laws of heraldry and use unique symbolism. After all these years that can be quite challenging. Some of the shields seen in support of the Church trying to be both original and pious can be almost humorous.
Famously one knight when into battle for the Victor with a shield that read “Fermeta”. When later the knight distinguished himself, the King asked to meet good sir Fermeta. No one came forward.
Only later did the Victor learn that Fermeta was the illiterate knight’s best attempt at spelling “For Mitra”. Such errors and in particular degenerate celestial quotations proliferate on the shields of country knights even to this day.
What is certain is that throughout Talingarde thousands of knights etch the heraldry of Mitra on their shields because they conceive of themselves as agents of his will. They make lack theological sophistication but not dedication. The will die to protect the Undying Flame.
