The Avatarian Church

 

Since time immemorial Yew has been dominated by its priesthood. Before the rise of the Avatarian creed, and the enforced conversion that followed, it was a realm dominated by its Druids, a caste of men whom held supreme authority over all affairs, not just religious, but political, judiciary, and on occasion martial. Though the faith may no longer be the same, and the Druids themselves long dead, their legacy lives on. Nowadays the Church of Yew bears more authority than any other religious organisation on mainland Sosaria, able to exert their might on all levels of mainstream Yewish society.

The history of the Avatarian faith in Yew is both bloody and long, though it remains hard to come by – with so many details kept hidden by the Church itself. What is clear for all to see without the need for historical tomes is that the conversion of Yew was no simple or speedy thing. Such is evidenced by the presence of heathenish or out-right godless communities in the dense woods and far north of the province. It owes its present incarnation to the forsaken Church of Deepwater, a loose gathering of local priests and wytch-hunters, and the two brother-knights Sir Gottfried and Sir Hugo of Aldemar. Prior to the brothers' forced unification of the Church into a single entity, there existed disparate communions, far-flung missions, and minor chapels vying for the flock. Those early days were a time of differing interpretations and daily declarations of apostasy between rival priests, though they were also the days of many great saints: Saint Helen, the Mother of Preachers, who led the faithful eastwards to convert the folk beyond the Crimson Plains. Saint Llelan, who bore the Holy Scriptures to the Celtic clans – with varying degrees of success. And Saint Celestine, who bravely routed out the Wytches and Druids that plagued his homeland with nought but his farmer's pitchfork and unshakable piety.

Without a doubt the Yewish sect of Avatarianism is the strictest and most puritanical of all. Because of this the Church has made its fair share of foes. Though on the outside Yew may appear a province of zealots, it has throughout its history been subject to countless heresies, anti-Clergy revolts, and blatant displays of Guardian-worship. To combat this, the Church's inquisitorial element – the Magistrate – have become increasingly prevalent. Since their rise, all internal sedition – both political and religious – has duly been crushed, and always in spectacular fashion. The Magistrate now hold such power that they could in fact be considered the heirs of the pagan Druids, exerting much the same influence, and holding equal powers of life and death over their fellow Yewmen. Though unless one wishes to end one's existence on a pyre, it would be best to keep such comparisons private.