Lojo613

This is a good rewrite, +1 from me, and I would make an orc to play an elementalist

The Life and Works of Father Goren FSSCT Goren Cardinal Kovacs, Bishop of Johnstown A biography Father Goren was born in 1746 in the Holy Orenian Empire of Arcas to a peasant family living in the heartlands of the Empire. This family, being of low birth and pious stock, carried no surnames and a rather unusual habit of naming children after the Exalted, with the caveat that one letter be changed or added to the name as to give each child a unique yet holy identity. The second Eldest of four children, Goren proved to be the weakest yet most apt with the skills of reading and writing. As such, according to family tradition, he was sent as a tithe to the Church. He arrived in Helena following the election race of Arthur Cardinal Helena, and requested of him to be made an acolyte. It was not long until he began to write a series of theses on topics of a wide range, from free will to mercy. Goren was ordained by Cardinal Helena shortly before he left for pilgrimage, upon which he never returned. Shortly after being ordained, Father Goren then met Bl. Father Seraphim of Leora, Father Manfried, Father Griffith, and Father Pius of Sutica, joining the Fraternity of Saints Kristoff and Jude. During his tenure as a resident Father in Helena, Goren would spend most of his time writing or doing charitable works, his rather reserved and introverted nature influencing his unique style of tending to his flock. Often seen writing at a table in the center of the square with a sign "Questions on Canonism? Faith? The Holy Scrolls? Ask away!", Goren loved nothing more than to help others in need, which most likely influenced his near constant gardening work in the city fields, restocking the poor chest daily with homemade pies, bread, soups, and cakes. Goren then made his first mission to Johnstown to meet with the emerging group known as the Aemesh, which he wrote a report on and sent back to His Holiness High Pontiff James II. It was at this point that the man, now in his mid-30s, fell in love with the sleepy rural community, and requested to be stationed there that he might not only write in the comfort of nature but further work to bring the Aemesh into the greater Canonist flock. James II made Goren the bishop of Johnstown, and Cardinal of the surrounding diocese Kovacs that same year. This did not end his charitable acts, though, on the contrary, with the greater supply of grain and increased number of mouths he could feed, Goren would often walk between Johnstown, located past Haense, and Helena, carting bread and other foodstuffs between the two to give to the poor, as well as restock a wayshrine which had free food for travelers in Haense. It was through his love of botany and the fruits of the Earth that he befriended Grouch Carrington, who proceeded to mentor the priest, now Cardinal, in the school of alchemy. Goren would then proceed to combine his learning on Alchemy and his opinions on Free Will into a complete manifesto of what he claimed were hidden truths of the Holy Scrolls, known as "Extrapolations on Divinity: Exegesis on the Holy Scrolls", which he considered to be his masterpiece. Goren personally helped the Vuiller family and Manfried Cardinal St. Julia construct the Holy Palatinate of Aquila, designing the extensive gardens and parks alongside Manfried and personally filling the Pontifical Library with nearly 50 hardcover books transcribed from manuscripts in the Church archives. Goren then went missing for many years, lost in the frozen north during the Crusade against the Inferni and only managing to return to his flock via raft after the destruction of Arcas. Although many of his friends survived, Goren would now watch as both His Pontiff, and his friend Pius of Sutica, perished. Only a day later, his Archbishop, Alfred Cardinal Jorenus and his friend Johan Lay-Cardinal Aquila would be removed from office by the newly elected Laurence Cardinal Albarosa. Goren was given the role of Auditor of the Tribunal, and oversaw the trial of Cyril Cardinal St. Publius and Father Dima, perishing shortly after announcing the unexpected Not Guilty verdict. Goren, throughout his life, was a man troubled by violence. Goren, during his tenure as Father in Helena, helped fight against an Undead Yeti, which was only halted through the valiant sacrifice of an individual which was burned alive in front of the now impaled and bleeding Goren. Goren then fought alongside Alfred Cardinal Jorenus during the final siege of the Scyflings on Haense through the sheer accident of having been in the city to purchase bread when the gates were shut. Goren was pulled from the walls by a group of Scyfling Shamans only to watch in horror as these men, who surrendered and laid down their arms, were burned alive before his eyes by a poorly timed barrel of Carrion Black. Goren then attempted to stop two children from investigating a strange hole in the wall of the Helena farms only to find an Inferni incursion below, resulting in two children burning alive in malflame with Goren only just barely escaping. Perhaps foreshadowing his own demise, Goren's own last moments would also be spent aflame, with nothing but a charred corpse left behind in the Baptistry of the city of Providence, a Martyr for his decisions as Auditor. The Theses of Goren On Respect, Love, and Fear - A Three Part Thesis, an excellent work according to Pius. Our GOD given Rights - A Holy Scrolls interpretation on the Rights of Man. Free Will and Predestination - An often debated interpretation of the Scrolls based in indeterminism, which led to a few later arguments with Pius of Sutica. A Prayer Book written for military use The Crusader's Cant & The Litany of St. Godwin - Written by Goren during the Inferni Crusade, this work was inspired by his own battlefield experiences and is the first time the Litany of St. Godwin, Goren's patron saint, is recorded. Goren's Reports The Aemesh Report - The first known interaction between the Canonist Church and the Aemesh The Saulite Report - A report on a mysterious but short lived heathen religion which cropped up in Arcas as commissioned by Alfred Cardinal Jorenus A Report on Invasive Plants in Helena - A short report on the botanical rather than religious The Mysteries of Canonism, Philosophy, and Alchemy Extrapolations on Divinity: Exegesis on the Holy Scrolls - Goren's masterpiece, a culmination of those previous theses and his learning on Alchemy Participation in the Council of Providence Goren's arguments with Father Pius during the council of Providence - A series of alterations to the law in hopes of expanding exorcism to nuns and confession to laity Work as Auditor Call to Trial of Cyril Cardinal St. Publius and Father Dima Verdict of the Trial of Cyril Cardinal St. Publius and Father Dima - The final act of Goren, issued hours before his death and immolation in the baptistry of Providence A note left behind by Father Goren in his belongings which have now passed to next of kin: "To whomever may now be reading this, Assume that I have perished. With growing fear and anticipation I do pen this final address. I fear that this trial I am about to adjudicate shall have many men on both sides who would see me perish for my verdict, no matter the outcome. Yet, I shall act as GOD has guided me, and should I die, Goren shall rest amongst his friends once more in the Skies. I have penned a letter to Manfried regarding my Will and Testament and who they ought to be addressed to. Yet, I must say goodbye to those I loved. To Casper, you are the son I never had. To Johan, you are my brother, and I hope you had considered me as close as I did you. To Alfred, you were a wonderful superior, I am sorry Laurence removed you, you were always fatherly towards me. To Manfried, you are my best friend, and my brother, Cardinal, Bishop, Father, and Judite, thank you for everything. To Beatrice Virosi, High Pontiff James II is one of the greatest men to have walked this Earth, I am glad to have been there for his last moments. To Father Griffith, I forgive you, fear no retribution. To Sister Anabel, you were right about the nature of time. To the Aemesh Vicarage, I concede on all points of argument. To Tirilan, your wife is lovely, I wish I could have seen you one last time. To the barkeep of the Victory whose name I never got, may your business prosper. To Grouch, I am sorry we never finished those lessons. To Dresden, I am sorry I was not around to aid in the Crusade more. To Aaron Falkenrath, you are a great man, you shall be in Heaven for you good deeds. Should I die, please, compile my works, I wish not to be forgotten. Goren, if you are reading this, burn this letter and write a new one discussing how the trial went. I go now, I must make my way to Karosgrad, I wish to be a few Saints Hours early to the Diet. Goren, once Cardinal Kovacs, once Bishop of Johnstown, always a servant of GOD."

Aw, thanks for my apology @frill! I'll let it slide that it isn't 500 words long. Goodbye forever.

Some music I think is pretty, no other reason Hey guys, I'm taking a break, stepping away, who knows how long it will be. This whole thing with the Church has been horrible to be honest. I always try when I play this server to act cordial and nice to people oocly, and act with the best intentions of my character irply. But when mineman politeeks start to get involved, the waters between character action and friendship and trying to not get blacklisted from the things you enjoy doing become murky. When I wrote up my decision regarding the trial, Draeris and james2k asked me why I did it, and I told them my ooc motivation, rather than the IC motivation. James then told me that I had admitted to metagaming, which isn't true in the slightest. Father Goren as a priest had been around for a long time. Those characters which he had interacted with on a near constant basis consisted of Johan Vuiller (Played by HaraldMarron) and Alfred (Played by Froschli), as well as James II (VIROS) and Manfried (_GoldWolf_), even Pius of Sutica (thesmellypocket). These characters share not just years of history with Goren, but decades. These people, as far as Goren is concerned, are his family, especially being a celibate priest. In the course of one in game month, which would be one real life day, James and Pius both died, Johan and Alfred were both stripped of their titles, and a feud had started between Manfried and Johan. He was watching his family crumble, and could not think of what to do. At first, he thought of assassinating the new pontiff, but he never did, instead deciding to serve faithfully. But as time went on, as he saw how his brothers had been tossed aside and new strangers filled their roles, how deeply it grieved Johan most of all, he steeled himself to do what was right, when the time came. Hearing all of the allegations wavered his faith in Pontiff Owyn III, and he could no longer support the reign of this man. Goren was made Auditor of the Tribunal, and was assigned to bring the men purporting the schism to justice. While he did not know these men personally, they wanted a recount, and more importantly they wanted a recount which included his friends Johan and Alfred. He knew in his heart of hearts that he had a choice at this point, his family, or his obedience to tradition. And he chose his family. The way he did that was by rigging the trial, which he believed was a sham anyways, and hoped would save the lives of two men just a bit longer so that they could hold a synod and elect a new pontiff which would be more favorable to those he cared about. Now some may ask then why I bothered telling Draeris and james2k about my ooc motivation at all. Well, it is because I assumed it was probably what they were most curious about. Every time people act on the server in a way like I had done, I assume that there is always some ic reasoning. But I cannot think of one person who does not also have ooc motivations in their actions, because given the interconnected nature of the medium of a roleplay server it is inevitable you must make some choice which also is influenced, at least to a degree, by forces other than purely "what would my character do now?". For example, if I wanted to live in a place with better architecture, is it metagaming to move my character there? Similarly, if you find a community to be unpleasant to roleplay in, although your character might now suddenly have the thought pop into their head "I think I should leave" the player most certainly will, and may lead a character down a roleplay path that results in the desired ooc outcome while also fulfilling the development of the character. This is what I meant by my statement, the waters get murky. In times of turmoil, our ooc motivations become just as driving as our ic motivations, and it prompts actions that, while within the scope of the character, also fulfill an ooc desire. I do not think james2k will bring up a BR against me for this, given how flimsy the case is, especially since I have logs of Goren talking to characters an irl day before the trial telling them about his emotions regarding it as well as his plans for it. As for that ooc motivation, the Church had become increasingly toxic under Draeris. This is the fault of Draeris, but it was not intentional, nor really a result of him being toxic at all, actually. Unfortunately, some of the people Draeris brought in to be a part of the Church were toxic, although the one who pushed me out was frill. Frill seemed to dislike me, and target extra passive aggressive comments and rude responses to me. He would often play coy when I called him out on it, and at one point I literally snapped and insulted him, asking "why are you acting like a c-word." To this he responded by ignoring it for hours, and then at 3am pinned it. I said that was pretty neat, and he started playing coy again, so I just started to banter, I asked if he was salty about earlier, then he said he wanted a 500 word response so, taking this to mean he hadn't really been upset, I jokingly asked when I was going to receive it. I hadn't realized frill was being serious, and was embarking on a lovely little powertrip. He removed my role, and demanded to Draeris that I apologize to him because "he wasn't gonna take any back sass from on of Draeris' little kids." Draeris gave him ADMIN perms, after he abused them for no reason other than he was upset that someone got mad back at him when he was intentionally inflammatory, and threatened to leave. His inflated sense of importance and ego were toxic, the way he treated me was gross, and I can confirm he is part of the reason for others leaving the community as well. When I left the Church, I called frill a stain on the community before I exited the chat. So keep your eye out for that epic little easter egg in any conversations he might have with some recent posts. Maybe he's a good person once you get to know him and tolerate is mannerisms, maybe he just acts like a jerk to some people, maybe he is exactly as I describe him and a passive aggressive bully, who knows, but all I saw and got was toxicity. Furthermore, while I said that Draeris was for the most part not toxic, there were times when he would do things like call VIROS a retard that angered me and bred a desire to leave. I guess I am too old to be playing now, and the luster of things like minecraft politics just didn't appeal to me enough that I would allow my character to go down a path which would leave me in that increasingly toxic community. I do not like being treated like **** constantly from someone in a videogame which I do not have to be playing, and I was not going to give them the satisfaction of simply logging off and not giving my character the finale it deserved. As a disclaimer to all you out there who feel trapped in shitty online communities because you have some sort of "political" investment, just... leave. Burn it all down before you go if you like, or tie up your character's tale, but it isn't worth playing a game not to have fun or submit under the heel of those whose entire joy in life is derived from discord politics. I think it is childish to look at this game as if it bears any importance, and to accept being in such a negative community, rather than just sucking up the **** and dealing with it. Because you don't have to. I want to say @Drumoldththat I did not rig the trial oocly. I was telling you that because I wanted Draeris to think that is what I had done. Goren had been expecting to be faced with a trained ecclesiastical prosecutor in an absentia case, with you most likely playing defense attorney. He expected the defense to be given an unfair trial, and it to be obvious when he had given his not guilty as an act of rebellion, a rigged trial, yes, but all in character. I hope you understand that, if I had not been playing IC, it would have made more sense for me just to have stabbed Draeris in the Cathedral when I had the chance than go and hold a trial and do everything which I had foreshadowed I would do for a week in character. I like you, I hope you don't pk your priest, but if you do, just take a breather and stop playing lotc for a while or join a different community. To @dmitrisagain, it wasn't all ooc. I am sure that is probably what you got from everything I was saying, but it was extremely heavily in character. It just so happened that a lot of the various ooc arguments involved in the schism as a whole were directly tied with characters who had been removed. I hope you don't find yourself soured from what I did, because of how I explained it when asked at first. I owe you an apology for that. To anyone else who I won't speak to again and doesn't have me on discord and I can't chat with outside of this medium, I enjoyed rping with all of you. It'll be nice to take a breather. Goodbye.

The Verdict By the power invested in me by High Pontiff Owyn III as Auditor of the Tribunal, I hereby make the following ruling regarding the trial of Cyril Cardinal St. Publius, FSSCT and Father Dima Carrion, FSSCT: Being Schismatic: Regarding the crime of being schismatic, you are found NOT guilty. The reasoning on the ruling is as follows: As defined in Canon law §I.I.2.1 the Church represents the body of the faithful led by the High Pontiff. Although the law is unclear whether this only pertains to the current High Pontiff or includes the office of the Pontificate as a whole and therefore also includes the rulings of previous High Pontiffs, precedent and context alleviates the problem. The college of Cardinals as seen under Canon law §II.II.2.8 has the right to rebuke a Pontiff if the vote is unanimous. Under the interpretation that the faithful must be led by the current High Pontiff alone, such a proceeding would be impossible as these same said Cardinals would instantly be schismatic for declaring such an intent to both rebuke and remove said High Pontiff. Therefore, it is not merely the High Pontiff as an individual which leads the Church, but the High Pontiff as an office. This therefore means that so long as this disagreement with the manner by which the Pontiff is elected is promulgated by an active Cardinal (Which the accused is) first and foremost, and does not extend to the office as a whole, it is not considered schismatic. Since a Schismatic is defined according to Canon law as “One who worships God and recognizes the Holy Scrolls, but does not submit to the authority of the Church,” these individuals cannot be found to be in schism with the Church of Canon. Falsification of a miracle Regarding the crime of falsification of a miracle, you are found NOT guilty. The reasoning of the ruling is as follows: Precedent dictates that the only requirement for the legitimization of a miracle is that there be multiple witnesses. Ironically, there happens to be two witnesses, both who stand accused today of lying in joint. There is no way to prove that this miracle did not occur, just as there is no way to confirm that many past miracles which were confirmed by the account of a few witnesses can be confirmed. Joining a group which has plotted against the Church Regarding the crime of joining a group which has plotted against the Church, you are found NOT guilty. The reasoning of the ruling is as follows: As noted earlier, the Church is defined as those lay faithful led by the High Pontiff. As also noted earlier, the fact that Cardinals may vote to rebuke the High Pontiff divests the High Pontiff as an individual from the position of the High Pontiff, which includes the authority as inherited from previous High Pontiffs. So long as the accused does not claim that they are no longer led by the High Pontiff, they are still active members of the Church, and the act of forming a synod to preserve the office and authority of the High pontiff does in no way harm the Church as previously defined. Inciting Sedition Regarding the crime of inciting sedition against the Church, you are found NOT guilty. The reasoning is as follows: There is no proof that the statements made by the accused led to the incitement of sedition against the Church, since the church is defined above as being led by the office of the High Pontiff, but that questioning the aptitude of the individual occupying the office does not fall within the jurisdiction of questioning the authority of the position itself. Therefore, promoting such a question is not itself sedition. Violation of the vow of Obedience Regarding the crime of inciting sedition against the Church, you are found NOT guilty. The reasoning is as follows: The vows of obedience made by those being ordained, as defined by §VI.I.3.2, are directly to GOD, and include instruction in the virtue, and guardianship of the holy scrolls. No explicit vow of obedience to the High Pontiff is made, and therefore no proof has arisen that vows have been violated. In regards to the trial in absentia; Due to being present, it is impossible to claim that individuals have evaded Church authority. Therefore, the accused rightfully preserve their Ecclesiastical offices. Addendum: An earthquake occurred during the Prosecution’s case in chief during a claim regarding the will of GOD. Although this is not necessarily definite proof of anything, this incident is significant enough to be noted.

Goren thinks back on Boniface as he works, his anemic form pouring over lawbooks and through chronicles from his filthy room in Providence. He thinks to that man who saved his life, who he did confess even his darkest secrets to. "If he yet lived... perhaps he could have judged this, and us" he says, signing the Lorraine

A Call to Trial With the Authority vested by His Holiness, High Pontiff Owyn III, the Auditor of the Tribunal hereby calls Cyril Cardinal St. Publius, FSSCT and Father Dima Carrion, FSSCT to trial on the following charges as set forth in the Codex Iurius Canonici Danielus Ponifex (“Canon Law”): I. Being Schismatics, for denial of the authority of His Holiness Owyn III (Canon Law §V.II.2.1) II. Falsification of miracles, for the false claim that Bl. Seraphim of Leora appeared to you (Canon Law §VII.II.1.1) Conspiracy against the Church, for the creation of a group that intends to violate Canon Law through an unlawful synod. (Canon Laws §V.II.2.5 and §II.II.1.8) III. Sedition, for making this declaration public rather than privately addressing concerns to the Curia and, therefore, defaming the Church through your actions. (Canon Law §V.II.1.1) IV. Violation of holy vows, for disobedience to your superior Owyn III and for the falsification of miracles. (Canon Laws §V.II.1.5) The date for this trial has been set for ((6PM EST)). The location shall be the Karosgrad Cathedral, in Haense. Should the accused not appear before this fair and lawful trial as requested by His Holiness at the set date and time, they shall be tried in absentia. Failure to show up for trial and, if found guilty, accept judgment is considered to be evading ecclesiastical authority, and the accused will lose their ecclesiastial offices as detailed under Canon Law §I.II.2.6.4, that is, “a person is automatically removed from ecclesiastical office if they have evaded ecclesiastical authority.” It is advised that this removal, done automatically through Canon Law, also falls outside of the action of the reigning Pontiff. Therefore, said removal does not come into conflict with Canon Law §II.II.2.7, which states “the High Pontiff shall not remove from that office more than one cardinal in each year.” Since these penalties are applied automatically, terms of penance will immediately be issued regarding these penalties as stipulated in Canon Law §V.IV.1.6, that is “if an ecclesiastical penalty is issued automatically by force of law, terms of penance should be issued by the appropriate authority when it becomes known.” https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-PpW_w8n-2eclLNdIxUUGtPdRkXwGEf8BY9wQjBYNUc/edit?usp=sharing ((All credit to @Burnsiderfor the formatting and editing of the document))

Goren smiles at the publication, looking to heavens. “I shall work to disseminate your work” he pauses, chuckling “even our disagreement on Free Will, do not fret.” At that, he’d begin to work on further scribing the writing of Pius into hardcover books.

“Absolutely heretical” says Goren, sending a letter to His Holiness

Goren signs the Lorraine “A weak man may hide himself away, and in silence hold his mistakes close. A strong man confesses his errors. His Holiness has proven not just the humility of the Church, but her strength! I stand beside you, your Holiness, and shall preserve the unity and sanctity of the Church.”

Goren's eyes pour over the letter again and again. His hand quaking, he goes to pen a letter, but stops himself. Tears flow freely from his eyes, and he shakes his head at his foolishness. There would be no more letters to Pius. No more arguments, and no more... anything. Blinking away tears forming, he instead kneels. With quaking voice, through a quiet sob, he instead prays. "Oh Pius, I know you must now reside amongst the Fifth Sky, surely. Yes, what I say is heretical since it is not yet confirmed by the Church, but, as you said in your letter, it is your intent to watch over all of us and if GOD is infinitely just and merciful, you shall be there." Goren pauses, wiping his eyes "Although I shall never see you again, I know you can hear me. Thank you for being who you were Pius. Every word I have ever written, even in disagreement, has been inspired by you. Please, find His Holiness, let him explain everything about me to you. It was so long ago, but I wish for you to know, that I never abandoned the FSSCT. This world is worse without you in it. I loved you like a brother, you and Griffith who played such a big role in my youth. I shall see you again at the end of days, Pius. For now, I must find Griffith." Signing the Lorraine, Goren rises with the aid of his cane, emotionally drained from the loss of not one, but two of the most influential people in his life.

Goren smiles, and repeats “Requim aeternum donna eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis, luceat eis.” The final refrains of the hymn sung over peaceful body of High Pontiff James II.

“Nay” Goren states “on the grounds of exorcism not being extended to nuns.”

Goren smiles, thumbing through the work. "Bless you Father Pius." Goren then gently sets the parchments down, shakily and slowly penning a letter to the good Father. "Dear Pius, I am honored by the inclusion of a few of my penned prayers in this great work. May the Lord shine upon you forever and ever, and His manifold blessings fall upon your brow as the Waters of Gamesh. Would you mind if I transcribed this work into a pamphlet which can be distributed to libraries and soldiers on the battlefield? with utmost respect, Goren"

What changes do you think need to be made in the server to create a more dynamic roleplay environment? Which ye olde map was best, including things like Fringe and Thales?

Goren’s themes - POV you meet Goren Goren’s two battle themes - Goren’s life theme Tancred’s song-

Goren’s bony hand rises to his beard, stroking the tangled and unkempt mass thoughtfully. His dark, sunken eyes drift inquisitively over the rest of the room, studying the faces of his peers. With a nod to himself, he rises, as sure and slow as the passage of time. “Father Pius and I may debate this topic for centuries” Goren says, his voice warm and gentle. “But someone must always have the last word in a debate, and for the sake of those listening I shall argue no longer. I stand by all statements I have made, and still urge the Council to find in favor of the changes I have proposed, but as of now I shall make no further rebuttal.” Goren pauses, and then, following a short series of coughs, he states “Let those present draw their own conclusions based on all said up to this point, and take my lack of further argument not as a forfeit of my position.” Goren smiles to the congregation, bowing to Pius in particular, before seating himself. A simple serenity settles across his form as he looks towards the High Pontiff, awaiting a ruling.

Goren responds, his feeble body rising once more like the tides on the forgotten shores of lost Arcas. “It is not my advice I give. It is not from my life, from my experiences, which answers are drawn. All advice is that which is granted by Him, in His words. And as Father Pius has noted, we have both presided over very different flocks. When men and women come to me, they do not come begging for forgiveness, or the mercy of GOD. Those who have such spirits are often the least likely to have sinned at all. In my time, those who have been the most ardent attendants of Confession are those who do not truly know if they have sinned, or have mired themselves so deep within the twisting black garden of Iblees that they cannot find the light alone. They come with questions, not requests. As for the matter of the Sacrements, GOD is indeed the Author of these most holy of rites. That being said, the priesthood is an organization which represents GOD and may administer and organize itself as it so pleases. While established by GOD, it is the right of the Church to rule itself in a just manner. This includes the manner by which it affirms who is and who is not capable of performing the Sacrements. The nature of the Sacrement does not change, as there is no innovation in faith, but the manner by which the priesthood determines who can perform such a Sacrement is, and always has been, subject to the whim of the Pontiff who was appointed as the Vicar of GOD and builder of bridges. If such a thing were rigid, it would not be within Pontifical power to alter the age at which youths may enter the priesthood, nor within the power of bishops to ordain new priests. By the grace of the Church, we may create hierarchy within the priesthood, and restrict or let the Sacrements out as is necessary, as we see with the manner by which the Sacrement of Ordainment is reserved for Bishops rather than granted freely to all priests. A solution, or compromise, would therefore involve the creation of a new rank within our clerical hierarchy which would see that women and monastics may perform the Sacrement of Ablution, while being unable to perform other Sacrements which are reserved for the priesthood. Aside from that, the only recourse I see is to allow all monastics to take Confession, but not grant ablution. The Church is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it, and all who do are happy. It connects Terra and Heaven, and the sap which runs through its body are the Sacrements. A Tree is alive, it grows, and it is not rigid, but sways in the wind, unbroken by the storm.” Goren finishes with a hacking cough, his body sinking once more to a seated position.

Goren rises to his feet once more, bowing deeply to Pius. “God bless you brother, and you do not need to refer to me as Cardinal any longer. Your argument is strong, and I see that you are correct, that the law ought to emphasize the simplicity of the Confession, and that it therefore ought to be entirely connected to the Sacrament of Ablution. Yet, Confession is much deeper than a simple act of humility. Perhaps this is my experience alone, but of all the Confessions I have taken, the vast majority of individuals confessing have not already made their penance, but seek something deeper, they seek advice. And advice I give, always drawn from the Texts. I recount to those wayward souls the stories of Owyn, of Horen, the laws as well as the end of days. I recount to them these that they might find both comfort and context for their own lives. I firmly believe that this is the purpose of the act of Confession, the personal education of a lost soul in the same truths that gird us of the priesthood with so much comfort. Some men never find ablution, yet they still come to confession, they still come for advice and to learn the truth and be shown the proper path with love and grace. All I ask is that the women of our church, the monastics and abbots of our faith, be given the same right. There is no innovation in faith, but I do not propose we change our faith, only the way we guide our flock towards the same unchanging truth we have always upheld. We know that the ministry is but a tool of God, something which changes as best needed to serve His will. Perhaps this great council may find a compromise, and instead of opening the gates of confession to the laity, we create a new category within our ministry that properly separates the monastics from the laity and gives these men and women duties which we know that they are capable of performing. If we knew ablution to be the renewal of the Baptism, then perhaps this act may be performed by monastics? This edict would join the rites of Confession and ablution once more in simplicity, but subsequently expanding the roles of our convents and abbeys.” He pauses before going on “Oh, and as it is not being debated, I still hold firm to my statement that the nuns are wives of God, just as the Pontiff is His Vicar, and should retain the right to perform exorcisms.” He then sits down again.

A letter finds its way to the mailbox of Father Pius. “Dear Most Learned and Wisened Father, firstly, I am elated to know that you too yet live, and am saddened to hear of your state as noted to us by His Holiness during the Council of Providence. May GOD in His mercy keep you, and restore you in health and spirit to us, for though surely the greatest of rewards await thee nearest to Him, there is yet so much work to be done here that the world would truly be worse without you in it. In response to your letter, I wish to both agree and disagree with the published tract. I agree that the act of Confession as defined currently does have a great religious value, and is entirely holy and righteous in all its forms, and I agree that the act of confession is necessary for the renewal of the Baptism. Yet, the current state of the separation of the Sacrement of Ablution and the rite of Confession is necessary and correct. The act of Confessing is the acknowledgement of ones sins to another, whether in private or public. Under normal circumstances, and under the prevailing Church doctrine for many years, Confession would be immediately followed by ablution, such that to use the term Confession would have it go hand in hand with the term ablution by implication. Furthermore, confession to priests was, and still is, the most convenient, if not necessary, requirement to recieve ablution. The necessity of separating the rite from the sacrement becomes clear precisely due to the fact that layman can hear confession. Yet, not only laymen can hear a confession, but theoretically, anyone with ears may hear a confession, even a pagan. It is an argument similar as to why the rite of prayer is not considered a sacrament, despite having a clear effect on the souls of men and forming a pillar of virtue. Anyone may pray, anyone may venerate GOD, and anyone may Confess their sins to whomever. It is the individual who acts, in these circumstances, just as it is the individual who resists temptation and the individual who adheres to virtue. A priest may hear a confession, but refuse ablution, yet is the man who confessed not bettered by his act? If not, it proves that confession has no effect beyond being a vehicle for ablution, but we know, as stated by the great Church Doctors, that the very act of confession does have an effect, an effect which functions independent of the Church and the ritual of ablution. For ablution to occur, a man must confess, or perish in martyrdom with the grant of an indulgence from His Holiness, this much is true. Yet, often before a man can recieve his ablution, he must make penance for his sins, and before that can occur he must tell the priest, or rather, anyone listening should he so choose, his sins. Confession as currently defined is the act of admitting you are flawed, and asking for forgiveness, and this makes it holy. This is also where the great distinction between rite and sacrement lies, for it is not the priest who must admit you are flawed, nor is it the priest who must draw your confesssion from you, but rather you who takes this act upon yourself. Compared to every other sacrament, Confession would be the only Sacrement where the priest would not necessarily have to play a direct role in the completion or validity of the ritual. To be reborn, one must have his sins cleansed by a holy and pure cleric, and to be joined in marriage the priest must beseech GOD to make the matrimony official and holy. A man cannot simply declare that GOD has made him reborn, or that GOD has seen his marriage as just, for a layman is beyond such ordainment. Yet, the virtue of admitting ones own fault lies entirely within the command of the individual. A Confession, so long as it is truthful and good, is a confession, and only the individual confessing and GOD know the truth. Such is the way the meaning of the word has been sieved from its combined meaning. Again, I hope you are well, Father Pius and would dearly wish to see you once more. Your humble servant, Goren”

Goren stands, slowly and shakily, raising his weary voice to be heard. "The ritual of ablution was separated from the act of Confession for a reason, so that we might not deny the right of our pious women their duty, to root out Iblees from amongst the tribe of man just as St. Julia did. As it is written, "Thus informed, Julia went into her family’s tent, their holy tabernacle, and she gathered their three sons. She bade them to remain in the tabernacle as she walked the camp, looking for Iblees. So Horen went into the east, and followed the path ordained for him. Iblees observed his absence, and went into the camp of Horen’s people, and began to tempt them. But Julia was wise and recalled her husband’s warning. She revealed Iblees, and the Denier was cast out of the camp, and he was very wroth." From the book of Horen, lines 19-23, I ask you, how did Julia know that Iblees was tempting them? She took their confessions, and through following the web of sin which Iblees was weaving was able to find and reveal the Deceiver. We grant the wives of clerics the right to exorcise daemons, just as Julia exorcised Iblees from the camp, but not the right to take confession? What is a mother which is unable to listen to her children, a sister which cannot tend to the spiritual ailments of her brothers, and an exorcist which cannot hear the confessions of the afflicted. Confession is not ablution, and while the clergy alone can grant this sacrament, the right to hear confession should not be reserved to them alone. What of the lay abbots and lay cardinals. Can an abbot no longer be a confessor either? What of those who are in lay brotherhoods, and are not monastics at all? Allow those of pure soul and mind, even without the title of cleric, to perform this sacred act. Allow for the monastic to guide his brothers and sisters to contrition, and ablution to follow only when a cleric deems it good." Goren pauses, looking amongst the crowd "And furthermore, why can a nun, who is married most notably to GOD alone, not hold the same right to exorcise daemons as the wife of a cleric. Is not GOD himself the superior of all clergymen? Is not the Pontiff His Vicar? " Goren signs the Lorraine cross "I argue against the restriction of confession to the clergy alone, and argue for an expansion of the right to exorcism to the convents. Should my brothers not see the reason in one, surely they must see reason in the other." he says, finishing off his speech with a long, bone rattling cough. The weary man would then seat himself again, closing his eyes while he attempted to catch his breath.

With a quiet tapping of his cane, Goren hobbles into the building, his weary and feeble form taking a seat amongst the throngs of priests.

This. What makes High Quality RP? Caring about the beliefs and mindset of your character and how they would react is far more important in my opinion than how much you write, and that reaction is what people will be looking for, everything else is just for flavor. What makes Low Quality RP? Not caring. Simple as that. Not caring about your character and not caring about how your character would react in rp. You can rp as a dog, or a child, or a 1000 year old dragon, or a farmer, a crazy man, or a grizzled warrior. So long as you care, and rp as you honestly believe that character would, you will create a positive roleplay experience. So long as you care about that character, it is not meme rp or low quality. I have had silly characters before, and serious characters. I have been new to the server, and tired, and any other reason to have short or lackluster emotes. But so long as you act with the intent to create a good rp scenario through your own character’s reaction, that is High Quality Rp. Favorite Niches? Smithing RP, got interested in it in The Fringe, have been doing it ever since, honestly what I love to do when not participating in my other favorite niche (because I like helping people and being at the crossroads of rp) The most hated niche by a majority of the server population, Religious RP (Specifically Church of Canon)