First Writ of High Keeper Sølvi Faretto

[LaviniaTheRider 60]

 

First Writ of the Morsgradic Hearth Council

Issued Snow’s Maiden 1742 by High Keeper Sølvi,

 

---

 

 

INDICES 

 

I. MATTERS OF THEOLOGY

    a. A CORRECTION CONCERNING RECOGNIZED PATRONS

II. MATTERS OF SACRED LAW

a. ON THE AUTHORITY OF FATHERIST CLERICS

b. THE HEARTH MILITANT

    d. CONCERNING THE SANCTITY OF ‘MARRIAGE’

III. GUIDANCE FOR THE LAITY

    a. A PRAYER GUIDE FOR FATHERISTS

    b. CLARIFYING FATHERIST RITUALS

IV. ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS

    a. ON THE HIERARCHY OF THE HIGH HEARTH

 

---

 

ARTICLE I. ON MATTERS OF THEOLOGY

 

a. A CORRECTION OF RECOGNIZED PATRONS 

Through the centuries and lifetimes that the Faith has been relevant, there have been many codices and lists of paragons to the Father. The main conflict between the two most recognised codexes is the ability to properly recognize the Paragons listed within them to have been living people. The ‘old’ lists, account for the documented living list of Paragons, lifted to their status from deeds done throughout life. Meanwhile, the ‘new’ list, mainly Tyr’s codex, accounts for new Paragons that are not documented to have lived, but represent strong moral standpoints of the culture and Faith. 

From this conflict of codices has come confusion. To amend this, the Keepers and myself will be writing a new version of the Codex of Paragons. This new codex will be a combination of the past works of my predecessors, and we will be looking through the history of the Faith for documented people who constitute the morals that Tyr’s Paragons represent. Along with this, we will be cutting some Patrons from the list, as they no longer suit the Faith and what we represent, and perhaps are better fitted to be lessons to learn from than ones we pray to. 

 

 

---

 

ARTICLE II. ON MATTERS OF SACRED LAW

 

a. THE AUTHORITY OF THE FATHERIST CLERGY 

Any union that is not approved by the High Keeper or a Luminary is not sanctioned under the Faith or the Flame. This is done purely to protect our Faith and our culture from those who are not a part of it. A High Keeper has divine right to ensure the two being joined through ritual flame are true to the Faith and the Father. 

 

b.THE HEARTH MILITANT

    In the past we, the Faith, have had Purifiers as our Hearth Militant. It has been a long while since there have been any Purifiers about, perhaps our last one being Aeyn. While we expand the Faith in a general sense, I would also like to expand the use of Purifiers once more. These Purifiers would be used as they have always been used, as a flame against the darkest of nights. Their aim will be to drive out the magic users, the dark undead creatures, and all else that would threaten the Father’s flame and the citizens of Morsgrad or any city with a Holy Hearth. 

 

c.CONCERNING THE SANCTITY OF ‘MARRIAGE’ 

Recently one of the Faith initiates has brought up a thought that has led to debate within the Keepers. Does the Cannonist ideal of ‘marriage’ fit within our Red Faith views? 

After reading Rosalia’s thoughts on the topic, it brought to mind my own marriage and what it represents to me and my own husband. In the Faith, a marriage is a bond, a commitment to a partner. This is not a commitment in terms of faithfulness to one another, as multiple partners has always been a part of the culture surrounding the Faith, driven by the desire for children. Marriage, or what should be and will be from here on be called Union within the Faith, should be thought of as a promise from one to another to keep each other in the Light of the Father, and to protect each other as shield partners do. This union, which can be monogamous or not, should not be driven by pacts or power. In this case, I entirely disagree with and dismiss unions done in the name of politics and all other forms of so called ‘marriage alliances’. How are you to trust and promise yourself to someone you do not know, driven by power and politics. How is this person, who may not even be a part of the Faith, supposed to keep you within the Light of the Father, or guard you from the darkness? Why would you commit yourself to them, and why would you guard them in return? There is no faith or flame in a union of greed-driven strangers. 

 

 

---

 

ARTICLE III. N MATTERS OF GUIDANCE

 

a.A PRAYER GUIDE

As many of the codices of the past have pointed out, the Paragons or Patrons of the Red Faith have particular wants and desires when it comes to sacrifices and offerings. Truly, the Faith should be a following of personal growth and individual thought and prayer. In this way of thinking, most of my own prayer has been done in silence, while alone, and with great care. For example, my Paragon is Thor’ o’ myr, or The Bulwark. One of my preferred sacrifices to him is stonework and masonry work, or finely made tools. Whenever and whatever I sacrifice, it is something that I hold dear, or that will cause me pain to destroy. Many of the things I have sacrificed over the years, would have benefited my life, or are simply stunningly beautiful pieces of art made of stone. So when I am praying, alone and in deep thought, I take these beautiful things and destroy them at the shrine of Thor’ o’ myr. Not all prayer must be like this, or follow this exact ritual, of course. As I said, prayer within the Faith must suit the Paragon as well as the Fatherist, it must be thoughtful and it must be meaningful, lest you anger your Patron. 

 

b.FATHERIST RITUALS

Individual rituals and personal, private sacrifice should be a strong, central point of our Faith. When it comes to prayer and rituals lead by Keepers, each Keeper will have a varied way of performing the same ritual. Personally I have a preference for sacrifices, with larger rituals and prayer requiring living sacrifice. When leading or performing a living ritual sacrifice, the whole carcass should be used in the aftermath and the blood should be saved for future anointment and tributes. 

This blood can be used in many smaller rituals, and even personal prayer. Should one want to use blood from a larger ritual in their own personal prayer, all they need to do is seek out a Keeper and ask. 

Other rituals that are important within the Faith are things such as a birth, a death, or a war. Many of these celebrations start with prayer and sacrifice. For a birth, the child should be anointed with a drop of bull’s blood on the forehead and the parents should choose a suitable paragon to guard over the infant until they come of age and can decide upon their own. For a death, many will sacrifice an animal for a feast to celebrate the life of the individual, along with a prayer to match the paragon of the deceased, and of course burning the flesh to release the flame from the sinful flesh. And for a war, there should be prayer and sacrifice relatively regularly for the general health and wellbeing of our soldiers, and a plea for the fallen to find the Father. Of course there are many variations of these rituals, and this is simply a vague guideline to follow for my Keepers. There are also rituals for health of family, guidance to those who are lost or conflicted, a plentiful harvest, etcetera...

 

---

 

ARTICLE IV. ON MATTERS OF ADMINISTRATION

a.THE HIERARCHY OF THE HIGH HEARTH

 

High Keeper - The leader of the Fatherist Faith, guide to those wishing to learn. The Keeper of the Holy Hearth Flame, and protector of the Faith. 

 

Luminary - A strong and loyal council to the High Keeper, guide to the laity, to the Flament, and to the Initiates, when the High Keeper is not available for comment or question. 

 

Flament - A trusted member of the keepers, one who watches over the Hearth flame and helps protect and teach the initiates along with providing them with the proper scrolls and guidance as they are exposed to the Faith.

 

Initiate - A newly joined member, still learning the basics of the Faith and culture surrounding. 

 

 

---

 

Sølvi Faretto

 

[Aquaquean 80]

An illiterate child screws up her face and wrinkles her nose as she holds the paper to her eyes. After several long moments, she heaves a disgruntled sigh and sets it back down on her bedside table. “If only there was a school!” she mumbles to herself.

[Draiden 326]

Tyr would take a moment to look over the missive as it was thrust into his hands from the local crier of Morsgrad. Seeing the Burning Sigil of his faith, he figured it wasn’t one of the flowery exposition and long-windedness of national politics, so he sat down in the tavern and read by the light of the central hearthfire. It didn’t take long of a read, since he only read about halfway before rolling his eye, crumpling up the missive and tossing it into the fire with a heavy sigh. He turned his gaze to the flames, for he had much to think about.