Church Doctrine and History

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Church doctrine is derived from the founding document called the Constraints of Forgiveness, written around the year 2360 by Inthex of the Verboo system. Inthex was a high priestess who followed the teachings of the ancient spiritual leader and ethical philosopher Zoroaster. Outside the Verboo sector, her sect was not especially influential nor particularly well-known, but by the age of 40 she had established a reputation as the preeminent religious leader of the area.

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Little is known of the events leading up to Inthex breaking from the Zoroastrian sect. By 2350, it is known that she had garnered a large following of her own and was no longer affiliated with the sect. For the better part of a decade, Inthex wandered from system to system throughout the Verboo sector, preaching her own brand of religion, developing the doctrine that would ultimately become the Constraints of Forgiveness.

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Formed from a myriad of teachings she’d studied during her time as a member of the Zoroastrians, she wrote the Constraints originally to further inform her followers, many of whom were unable to travel to the evangelical style meetings she held across the sector. The document, shaped over the decade saw its final draft in 2360 (give or take a couple of years), about the same time the rogue A.I. Draco was ravaging parts of the outer rim, murdering and subjugating untold millions of people. Inthex was drawn to the horrible war front, eager to care for the broken and injured, and to give them the Light of Salvation in the form of the Constraints of Forgiveness.

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Her followers grew almost exponentially. With each passing day hordes of new followers reached out to her, begging for salvation from the sins of man manifest in Draco. With Draco’s defeat, Inthex immediately called for a meeting of her followers on her home world of Verboo Prax and announced the foundation of the House of Mary Church.

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Taking from the teachings of Judaism, Buddhism, Catholicism and Islam, as well as dozens of other minor religions of the era, the House of Mary Church condenses these belief structures into a homogeneous, single path to salvation, or forgiveness in the form of penance. Penance, for the Church is the very definition of constraint. In the Constraints of Forgiveness, one is not able to achieve true freedom, or oneness with the essence of God without first casting off all worldly possessions and giving in to the Will of God as manifest in the teachings. To begin this journey, self-restraint and service in the form of sacrifice are key.

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With the Silence, the Church in Red Sector A was cut off from the controlling influence of the Church proper, headquartered in the Verboo sector. Doctrine has remained virtually unaltered from the time of the Scream, however the influence it holds over events has not. Over the last 600 years, the Church has grown to become the most powerful entity, in both government and business throughout the sector.

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Church Clergy

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As it was before the Scream, all newly ordained clergy of the Church retain no possessions of their own. A vow of poverty is taken prior to the ordainment ceremony and from that moment on, all physical needs are met by the Church. Chastity is taught and encouraged by Church hierarchy, though not required. Church sanctioned marriage is reserved solely for followers of the Church and clergy members are not permitted to marry.

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Most Church clergy wear simple robes of earth tones. They generally display no rank insignia, military or otherwise. Clergy are usually entirely bald, though some higher-level members do keep their hair. Clergy born on Jelq often wear more colorful attire and jewelry as well. There are no official guidelines regarding attire, though most follow the standard set by the Dow Saffer, who wears a simple, sand colored, cotton robe, flat, basic leather shoes and no hair, jewelry or other distinguishing accessories.

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While men are ordained every day and many serve in high levels of both the House Guard and the Church proper, there has never been a male Dow, nor a male Panchen. There are currently (January 3200) fifteen male Gyalwang Drukpa members. Most positions of authority throughout the Church, sector government and military are held by women, while the House Guard and sector military enlisted ranks are virtually evenly mixed.

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Church Organization

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The House of Mary Church is led by a single supreme leader called the Dow. The Onmyou, a group of four, answerable only to the Dow, control the entire Church organizational structure, including the military. Through the Onmyou, the Dow controls everything the Church is involved with, including the sector government, and military, the House Guard and thousands of business interests across the entire sector.

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The Gyalwang Drukpa, a group of one hundred forty-four clergy, led by the Onmyou handle the business of the Church, convening committees and tribunals, setting Church policy and deciding when and where Church money is spent.

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Eternal Light, the Church intelligence service answers directly to the Gyalwang Drukpa with its agents called Instruments. Instruments are sent on missions throughout the sector and carry out the will of the Gyalwang Drukpa, fulfilling duties such as infiltration, spying and assassination. Eternal Light is not known of outside the Church and is usually not talked about within the Church general membership.

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The Church's own university system, the Universal Seminary of Eternal Penance operates full fledged campuses on Jelq, O'Render and Midland as well as annex facilities on a dozen more worlds. The annex on Hvelfiham trains House Guard special ops teams. Graduates, called Saltiques train for the same sorts of careers secular universities teach, including government and military. The Church also sanctions several university degree programs at secular colleges throughout the sector. These are usually in conjunction with the annex facilities, mostly located in the outlying regions of the sector.

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Church Military Organization

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The Church fields its own military units in the form of The House Sector Guard. The personnel assigned to the Guard are 100% ordained. The Guard operates under a wholly independent and self-contained structure, though Guard units often work in conjunction with the sector military. In these cases, the Guard takes precedence over sector military with respect to command and jurisdiction. 

 

The House of Mary is also highly embedded within the sector military through its Chaplain Corps. This enables easier control of assets throughout the sector where the House Sector Guard has limited or no presence at all.

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The House Sector Guard is under direct control of the Gyalwang Drukpa. The Guard maintains each of its own units in parallel with the sector military. They have a smaller number of personnel as they cannot draw from the general population, however, their units are generally considered the best in terms of training, equipment and discipline.

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New members of the officer corps of the House Sector Guard are appointed once every 30 days by the Gyalwang Drukpa from the Saltigue. The enlisted ranks are taken from the Dastur on a continuing basis as necessary.

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Church Clergy Structure of Command

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Dow 

                The supreme leader of the Church

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Onmyou

                Appointed by the Dow, usually from the Gyalwang Drupka, who serve at the pleasure of the Dow.

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Panchen

                A temporary body of clergy, chosen by lottery from the Gyalwang Drupka. After the death of a Dow, they are responsible for choosing a new supreme leader. Once their task is completed, they are disbanded.

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Gyalwang Drukpa

                The highest level a clergy member may attain through their works. This body is comprised of one hundred forty-four clergy members. Within 10 hours of the death of a member, the body meets, nominates a replacement and votes. At least 124 of the members must vote in favor for the new member to be approved. By the highest Church law, they are not allowed to leave the planet Jelq. Several members of the Court of Justice, the sector ruling body are members of the Gyalwang Drukpa.

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Hakham

                The chief clergy of a planetary system. The Hakham is appointed by the Gyalwang Drukpa by simple majority. This position carries weight with respect to the planetary government as the Hakham reports directly to the Gyalwang Drukpa and local government officials are generally eager to curry favor.

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Chaplain

                An ordained representative of the Church who is embedded into a non-Church military unit. The Chaplain serves as a spiritual guide for the unit and reports their activities to the Gyalwang Drukpa.

 

Saltigue

                Ordained clergy who have graduated from a Church owned or sanctioned university. These members of the Church are sent throughout the sector to act as the eyes, ears, arms and legs of the Church. A Saltigue has the option to request to be placed into the House Sector Guard.

 

Dastur

                Ordained clergy who are either not college educated or educated in a non-sanctioned college. The Dastur work as general or skilled labor with the Church’s many businesses across the sector.

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The House Sector Guard Structure of Command

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Seventy

                An honorific, given to House Guard officers who have distinguished themselves in combat

 

Doyen General

                Commander of a multi-system level military unit

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Pirani General

                Commander of a system level military unit

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Gabbai

                Commander of a planetary military unit

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Mohel

                Company commander

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Sensei

                Platoon commander

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Maw’lawi

                An officer of the Dow Guard Corps

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Preu

                An enlisted of the Dow Guard Corps

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Gymnosoph

                Senior enlisted, planetary system level

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Archmandrite

                Senior enlisted, company level

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Enlisted ranks: Light Private, Light Corporal, Light Sergeant, Senior Light Sergeant