It has come to my attention that newcomers to Innistrad are unaware of our plane's culture, let alone its current state. I, Kresick Sorackle, Priest of the Elgaud Grounds, shall be making a series of posts rectifying this.
Today's topic shall be one of the most critical aspects of Innistradi culture, the Church.
Eight years ago, at the beginning of the Travails, the Church was in charge of everything, from defeating the creatures of the night, to education, to religious practices and most things in between. The death of Avacyn, Gisela, and Bruna, along with the corruption of the Lunarch Council have left the Church shattered and its beliefs scattered to the wind. Here are some groups, where they maintain power, and what they believe.
This name describes a trio of groups with sway over Gavony and parts of the other provinces. These sects tend to uphold the tenets of Avacyn with a strictness no longer common among the cloth. They tend to shun festivals like Harvesttide, and refuse to allow harmless inhuman folks to remain in their areas.
They are centered in Wittal Parish with some activity in the Moorlands, and control the Bower Passage through the Ulvenwald.
Associating themselves with the Flight of Goldnight, the Archangel Gisela, and the Feast of Goldnight, they currently have the largest host of Cathars and archmages, although very few priests.
Their symbol is a red sun. A priest of this sect is unlikely to be dangerous to an outsider, but a cathar or mage will be.
This group covers Effalen Parish, Videns Parish, and are active in the Moorlands. They watch all roads out of the ruined city of Thraben.
Their stated goal is to prevent any further of the corruption of the Travails from escaping the city, though some insist they are studying the remains of the corrupted bodies. Many question why they watch to begin with, as all signs of the corruption faded after a couple years.
Their symbol is a white eye. The current Bishop of Gavony belongs to this order.
Based in Drunau, but have been found operating in many of the towns along the River Alrun, into Kessig and Gavony.
There is very little to know about them, except they are vampire hunters. They do not bother to represent themselves on what remains of the Lunarch Council. They do not wear symbols in public, and the signs to recognize one another are secret, however it is possible to contact them. I will not be revealing my methods here, as the Stromkirk's do wish to extinguish them.
These orders are focused in provinces outside Gavony and have more lenient views of non-humans.
Holds sway in Stensia and are establishing a presence in the Elgaud Grounds.
The Order is identified by Geist work, frequently allowing geists of former cathars to possess them in combat. They are regarded as heretical by some other sects, including the Traditionalists, for this Geist work.
There is no singular symbol for the Order, though common ones include a representation of "The Holy Digit of Saint Traft" which came to be a common symbol of Traft after his death, or the former seal of the Guardian of Thraben, the position the Order's founder Thalia once held, a representation of the Helvault against the moon.
Based in Selhoff and in control of the surrounding Morkrut, along with controlling the base of Ziel Path.
This group has most of the few remaining Cathars of the Gryffbond Order and have assembled into a decent naval force, though they have yet to attempt to challenge the Stromkirk supremacy over southern waters. Their access to the waves, however, means they also are the only ones with access to the wild Gryff nests along the cliffs of northern Nephalia.
Their symbol is a blue Gryff.
Nephalia's Bishop belongs to this order.
The only sect on the other side of the Ulvenwald, based in Gastaf.
Gastaf Grotto being where Avacyn’s cursemute temporarily created the wolfir, there is, at this point, almost a decade of alliance between the humans of Gastaf, and the local werewolves. This sect, using what leverage the very few remaining wolfir have over their wilder cousins, allow werewolves to become members, so long as they do not harm humans during their transformations.
Their symbol is the Wolf of Kessig.
Kessig's Bishop belongs to this order.
Having been relocated to the remote town of Ollenbock, the Lunarch Council consists of the bishops of each province, as well as a senior priest and cathar of each order that receives official Council recognition and cares to represent themselves, and the Lunarch Marshal, who only votes in the event of a tie.
Currently, the position of Bishop of Stensia is open. Every time a new Bishop is appointed, they die before reaching Ollenbock.
Avacynians - A term that once described the Church as a whole, it has now come to describe only those who continue to worship Avacyn as the primary archangel.
Sigardians - Those who worship Sigarda as the primary archangel.
The Old Ways - Religious practices and rituals from before the time of Avacyn. Harvesttide is a festival that falls under this category, and many commoners now incorporate these rituals and practices into day to day life. Traditionalist orders find this inherently blasphemous.
