Helheim Cathedral

Details

History

Throughout the history of Sincadere and Helheim, The Four stood as the tetrad of deities which created the realm, guided its first inhabitants and then watched over them throughout the realms earliest days.  They have been a staple of The Faith, going through various iterations and interpretations, but always maintaining certain core tenants.  Much like the Gods themselves, The Faith has been through various different chapters of its history, from militarised, to dormant, fervent and now as one of the pillars which holds up the Crown of Helheim.  Overseeing The Cathedral is The Crown, but day to day it is run by a free clergy of The Faithful who maintain the Cathedral's archives, take its sermons, conduct the rituals, maintain a soup kitchen for the poor and many other tasks.

Once upon a time, the Faithful were under the name of The Basilica, a humancentric institution, which after the abdication of King Tyr Spurius in his quest to find his lost wife, led to a period of upheaval and realignment, in which it became known as The Temple.  A period of austerity followed for a number of years, until the Faith was rehabilitated in to the shadow of the Crown, where it now stands proudly.

The Greater God

Many interpretations of the writings of Helheim's history, including in The Cathedral's archives, have come and gone, but more popular now than before is the notion of a singular God.  A much more contemporary interpretation of The Four, aligning with certain older texts, holds that these four are in fact demi-gods as they would be known in literary circles, all of which make a whole and singular god - four and one - unknowable in nature.

The Mission

Followers of the Faith are willing to lend a sympathetic ear, to guide participants through rituals and to oversee the holy events within the Kingdom.  Some specialise in maintaining the archives, while others take a more specialised approach in service of their chosen god.

Currently, the Cathedral welcomes all faiths to practice within its walls, providing it is done with a level of respect and deference to The Four and said faiths align with the teachings of Helheim.  Thus, excluded are many deities of pestilence, death, criminals and the like.

The Faith operates a soup kitchen in the lower parts of Helheim, providing food to the needy, often through donations or unwanted food from the markets.  Created by the hard work of the clergy and sympathetic citizens, most Initiates to the Cathedral spend part of their time serving there.

Faith and Arms

In the past, the Basilica represented a militarised faction of the faith, exerting power, which ultimately created cracks in the unity of the Kingdom at a time in which non-human numbers were growing.  Eventually, as the Kingdom was restructured, military power was concentrated in the Royal Guard.  To meet the requirements of Mikhail's followers that their arms are blessed, only the most revered Knights of Helheim and members of the Royal Guard the rank of Guard and above are permitted their weapons in to hallowed grounds, to be sheathed except for ceremony and ritual.  Likewise the use of magic is limited to all that which is considered necessary by the clergy.