Church of the Saints of the Sun and Moon

The Church of the Saints of the Sun and Moon, or simply the Isidoran Church, is a religious organization based in the city of Tarnwick and governed by the Apostolic Council, a body composed of appointed members of the Isidoran faith and headed by the sovereign of Tarnwick, who has been a member of the House of Rhodes since its inception. The Church officially conducts its business in the Dodecan Hall, or the Basilica D’Andrea Vitruvi, in Tarnwick. As the Isidoran faith is a highly concentrated regional religion in Lynnmore, the Church’s authority is most strongly felt in that territory.

History
Formally established after the settlement of Tarnwick by the prophet Rodos and his tribes of Bophanites, the history of the Church is largely one shared with the city it was founded in. The organization of public works projects, management of early settler affairs, and planning of future expansion were some of the tasks the Church took in its infancy and in the early days of Tarnwick. As other smaller tribes of Bophanites came to join the settlement, the Church was often found assisting these groups in finding housing and establishing themselves in the growing town on the condition that they joined the faith. This broad and unconditional support of members of the faith in helping them find shelter and purpose within Tarnwick is characteristic of the Church, and is a policy which it has maintained throughout its history.

The early Church was led first and foremost by Rodos, who appointed his Three Companions and nine others to the first Apostolic Council. Rodos and the Apostles began the task of solidifying the faith through writing down their history in what would become the Book of Isidor and other related documents. Saint Ades, for example, introduced the Adesian Creed as a statement of faith for all those to recite as part of their induction into the faith. Saint DeMorgan developed the laws of the faith, which saw themselves applied to not just the faith but to the city itself. The third of Rodos’ Companions, Saint Oakes, saw that the history of the Bophanites and their new religion was adequately maintained and readily distributed throughout the settlement. Other members of the first Council made similar contributions, such as planning the construction of Fort Oakcrest, or the distribution of fish caught in the lake their settlement rested on to the settlement’s new inhabitants weary from traversing the mountain range.

Organization
Isidoranism as a centralized local religious tradition organized itself around the city of the Bophanites, Tarnwick, after its annexation by Theios-Essukdal. Thus, the Church of the Saints of the Sun and Moon emerged. The Apostolic Council started by Rodos and his companions was succeeded by generations of Dukes, Apostles, and Prophets, and eventually that body founded and expanded the Church. The structure of the Church is as follows:


 * The Church - The primary source of authority on canon law.
 * Apostolic Council - The governing body of the Church.
 * Domain - Encompassing large swaths of land, intended to roughly be the size of small nations, they are headed by Bishops.
 * Ward - Within Domains, smaller divisions are made for groups of churches and congregations. They are headed by Wardens.
 * Congregations - Individual churches and their communities. They are headed by Elders, who make up the vast majority of the Isidoran clergy.

All members of the clergy are appointed to their position, with the Council being able to appoint a Bishop, who is able to appoint a Warden, who is able to appoint an Elder. A member of the clergy may appoint someone to any position below theirs. Bishop could appoint an Elder and Warden, for example, while Wardens could only appoint Elders, and Elders can only induct people into the faith.

The Apostolic Council is overseen by the heirs of Rodos who traditionally hold the title of Duke of Lynnmore ruling in the city of Tarnwick. The other twelve positions in the Council are for the Apostles. Apostles either appoint their own successors or, if a successor is not chosen when an Apostle dies, the Duke appoints a devout follower of the faith to fill the seat. It should be noted that the Duke is considered an Apostle, although he does not often take that title, and is widely recognized as the head of the Church. Additionally, there have been periods in the history of the Church both when there were multiple prophets sitting as Apostles and when there were no prophets among the Council.

Throughout their history, Isidorans have constructed a number of buildings and monuments for their faith. The purpose of the most commonly erected structures are listed below:


 * Temple - Ornate marble structures made under the supervision of a domain’s Bishop. Their purpose is for more intimate ceremonies and worship with access to them being largely prohibited outside of these functions. Examples of these include the two temples on Isidor’s Ridge, constructed out of marble collected in the mountains immediately following the arrival of the Bophanites.
 * Cathedral - Large buildings made for the faithful to visit just as frequently as they may attend a church for prayer or any other religious service. They are generally where Wardens manage their wards from.
 * Church - Anything with a roof where Isidorans can assemble for worship is considered a church. To the Church, a residence turned house of worship is as valid a place of worship as a pavilion in the middle of a field.

Throughout the history of Isidoranism, countless smaller organizations have branched out from the Church due to minor disagreements with the canon or the organization itself, although most of these die out within a generation due to how isolated they become from the rest of the faith’s followers.

It naturally follows that while Isidorans understand that other religious organizations exist, such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Cardinals of Soleannen, they do not recognize them as definitive voices on their theology. Rather, they are viewed as too far split off from the true church, their own, that while they view them favorably and welcome members of that faith into their own with open arms, they are still seen as misguided or ignorant heretics.

Religious Orders
In order to more easily facilitate the efficient expansion and protection of the early Church and its home city, members of the faith have historically organized in officially recognized religious orders. These orders are typically led by a Grandmaster. Grand Priors follow, being tasked with leading a region where the order is present. A region then contains monasteries led by Priors or Prioress. The vast majority of an order’s ranks are composed of Knights, Monks, and Friars, depending on the order, who reside in these monasteries.

The Servants of Ciantha, or the Cianthites, was founded to properly care for the dead. They swear a vow of silence, devoting their lives to preparing bodies for burial, maintaining and protecting cemeteries and gravesites, and venerating the angel Ciantha through this work. Due to their vow of silence, they are often found writing theological and political literature, as well as composing religious music. Many hymns used in funerals and other ceremonies originate from the Cianthites. The mysterious Grandmaster of the Cianthites, Clay O’Donnel, joined the order decades ago, appearing in Tarnwick in a battleworn, archaic suit of armor and greatsword he has never been seen without. He is expected to be well into his seventies, although no person has seen him without his armor.

The Order of the Clerics of Saint Oakes, or Clerics, are an order of scholars who express their devotion through the collection, reproduction, and distribution of historical, political, and religious texts. Founded by Saint Oakes, who asked members of the clergy to assist in documenting the history of Rodos and the Bophanites, the Clerics are recognized as the memory of the Isidoran faith. They maintain libraries, teach in monasteries, and travel in search of knowledge they can collect and deliver to the Grand Library of Lynnmore.

The Order of Knights of the Church of Rhodes, or the Knights of Rhodes, developed from a group of warriors in the early days of the faith who devoted themselves to the protection of the prophet Rodos. Their charge later expanded to the heirs of Rodos and the new House of Rhodes, who would then task the Knights with defending not just the line of Rodos, but the faith as a whole. The view of the order is that Rodos and his successors were the foundation of the Isidoran Church, and so they often refer to it as the Church of Rhodes, or Rodos’ Church. As such, they are often seen defending the sovereign of Tarnwick, watching over ceremonies conducted in churches and halls, and enforcing the will of the Church as defined by the Apostolic Council and its head. Members of the relatively young House of Chaldecott are often found serving the order, with the current Grandmaster and Apostle, Charles C. Chaldecott, also serving as the head of his house.

Holy Sites
The Church uses its authority to officially recognize sites deemed important to the history and development of the faith. These sites are then declared to be under the protection of the Church, which then tasks an order, or several, with preserving and protecting it.

Beþenk-dum
The ruined capital of Khuzdurin and where Rodos received his First Revelation. Isidoranism is considered to have been born here. The Cianthites, Clerics, and Knights of Rhodes are all present in some capacity due to its importance, performing duties related to their order’s charge here.

Temples of the Sun and Moon
Two sister temples constructed atop Isidor’s Ridge in Tarnwick out of large marble deposits following the arrival of Rodos and the Bophanites. The Temple of the Moon stands above a set of marble stairs and is used by the Apostolic Council for larger, more meaningful religious ceremonies while the Temple of the Sun has to be reached by traversing the ridge. This temple is reserved for use by members of the House of Rhodes when formally granting a seat on the Apostolic Council.