Church of Grimm

=  The Church of Grimm  =

The Origin
The church of Grimm began many years ago, with the stories of a man named Grimm. Grimm was a farmer in a small village in the Southern-East part of Rathnir. He journaled seeing ghosts, apparitions, and daemons who haunted him daily. Grimm feared what the monsters might do, so he became a recluse. While Grimm was a hermit, he studied book after book about these creatures. He found no cure, no hope that he would rid himself of this torment. One day, while tending to his farm, he stumbled upon a pumpkin, rotund and sturdy. An idea sparked! He brought the pumpkin inside and carved it into its orange flesh. He placed the pumpkin on his head, and from then on, the spirits left him alone. He cried with joy, preaching his finding to the villagers. But the skeptical people of his town grew weary and fearful. They believed he was a madman who sought to drive fairytales into the minds of their children. They selfishly pleaded to the judge, begging him to seek justice. The ruthless judge only saw the good it would bring upon his image, sentencing Grimm to death by fire. As Grimm burned, he saw the spirits one last time, now looking at him with a sickening gaze.

But one deity felt pity upon Grimm, promising him the brilliance of divinity. Grimm flowed with new power and a new sense of rage, wrought with anger at his murder. He set the village in a blaze; fire spreading from one house to the next. The people cowered in fear; they pleaded for his forgiveness and admitted their wrong-doings. Grimm thought about the lives he shared with the townspeople; he understood their fear. He gave them one order: to worship him, and him only, or face his divine wrath once more.

Core Beliefs
The church of Grimm believes that Grimm was an all-knowing man, one who saw the evils of life and found the only true way to get rid of them. To this day, worshipers wear the iconic "Carved Pumpkin" written about in scripture, retelling Grimm's tragic tale. This pumpkin is seen as a way to connect with Grimm and protect oneself from spirits.

In addition to this, the church of Grimm believes in a tight nit community, one which worships Grimm in all of his divine worth and teachings. This is usually as simple as the church living in tight quarters, houses only so far from one another.

Festivals
There are three main festivals in the Church: The Harvest, The Flame, and The Sacrifice
 * The Harvest- Occurs once every four years [a month in real time], the harvest is a celebration for new faith members and old faith members to join together. Worshipers each gather around the pumpkin patch located outside of each church, they are encouraged to try and imagine themselves are Grimm in his time of desperation. Once that is finished, everyone gathers a fresh pumpkin, relative to the size of their head, and allows the high worshiper to carve it. Once this is finished they place the new gourd upon their skull, feeling a renewal of faith.
 * The Flame- Occurring once every other year, a sermon is held by fire. The flame is used to symbolize Grimm's wrath and remind the followers of their promise. Never leave the church, because you will not make it out alive.
 * The Sacrifice- Only occurring once every 16 years, a random worshiper [or alternatively a heretic and/or criminal] is selected for the ultimate sacrifice: Their life. They are brought outside of the church to a wooden pole, to which they are tied to. In the fashion of Grimm's own death, the person is burned alive. This death seeks to connect the person with Grimm, to feel how he felt in this time of betrayal. The high worshiper will read the text, describing his death, reminding the sacrifice of why they must perish his fait.

Location
Currently, there is only one location where the church of Grimm currently houses. This location is in the province of Enithica-Novoros, in the town of Vassa.