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The Genesori

In the world of Aeledd, there is but one divine pantheon: The Genesori. The world and all things in it were created by them, and each took a piece of creation as their domain. They are:

The power of the Genesori is such that their direct intervention in the world invariably leads to large scale upheaval and destruction, and since the living gained Purpose, they have stayed their hands and instead choose to act through their agents in the mortal world. In fact, the last time a Genesori touched the world was the final blow struck in the War of the Heavens, where Garioch reached his fist to the world and struck the last army with enough force that the continent of Rues was pushed entirely through the world.

In the past, churches rose up in worship of the Genesori - each a sprawling organization devoted to the exaltation of a single deity. Often these churches became powers rivaling nations, either politically or militarily. This shaped the world in many ways both good and ill, but the Genesori, in their eternal wisdom, decided that the world being shaped in the image of the Genesori stunted the Purpose and free will given to the Purposed beings.

Thus, many years ago, A great revelation was passed from the Genesori through their Zeniths and the heads of their churches - That the churches would be dismantled, and the worship of the Genesori would be directed to serving and bettering the pieces of creation belonging to each of them. This revelation was known as The Desuetude Pronouncement, and began a new age of the Purposed.

Faith

Faith is the belief an individual has in the Genesori. In the world of Numina, the presence and influence of the Genesori is a tangible and real thing, and only a very confused individual would deny the existence of the Divine. That does not mean that everyone in the world is faithful to the Genesori or actively gives them worship. It does happen that people live out their lives without giving any credence or heed to the Genesori, but even those individuals would not go so far as to say the Genesori are false or imaginary.

While most common folk of the world have faith in the whole pantheon of the Genesori, there are those who are called to the service of one or more specific Genesori. This service may take many forms or titles, including Priest, Cleric, Monk, … or any of a number of titles based on the specific role the individual undertakes in the service of the Genesori. Often, this service is referenced as calling oneself “Faithful” to a Genesori or Group of Genesori or “Devoted” to a single Genesori. Individuals will often have small personal shrines or small temples within a community dedicated to their favored Genesori.

The Zenith, The Chosen, and the Exemplars

Though the Genesori have divorced themselves of mortal churches, they maintain the need for a small number of beings that serve them directly and exact their will upon the world. Those beings are known as the Zenith, the Chosen, and the Exemplars.

The Zenith

The Zenith is a being of duality - of both the pure divine and of the mortal world. To achieve this duality, the Zenith is actually two* separate beings that are linked together through their Genesori.

*In the case of Koreel, the Divine Zenith and Mortal Zenith frequently share a body; this has been the case since Matriarch Phyllida Vondran in the Age of Piety.

The first half is the Divine representation - an ageless and eternal being that is the manifestation of the divine influence of the Genesori. Though these Zenith were once mortals, they have transcended mortality and can now travel both the mortal world and the realm of the Genesori. They are tasked with the furtherance of the metaphysical aspects of their Genesori’s domains.

The second half is the Mortal representation. The mortal Zenith is born and lives their life like any other individual, but at some point was chosen by the Divine Zenith to become their counterpart. This process is voluntary, though none have ever refused this calling. The Mortal Zenith gains insight and enlightenment into the realm and domains of their Genesori and is tasked with the maintenance of the tangible and physical aspects of their Genesori’s domains. This job is not always permanent. On occasion the Zenith chooses to pass on their role before their death and another is chosen to replace them. This often comes at times of great crisis, when the current Zenith feels someone with a particular mindset or skillset would serve the Genesori better than they do. The Divine Zeniths are:

The Chosen

Chosen are, like the Zenith, divine servants of the Genesori. They were all once mortals and each of them lived a life that exemplified something that the Genesori wanted remembered and honored. For example, there is in the service of Metioch a Chosen of Loyalty who served as the last general of Metioch’s armies in times long past when armies marched under the flags of Gods. He willingly served even to the point where death was inevitable, and was honored by being taken into the Divine service of Metioch. Chosen work as agents of the Zenith, as the Zenith has the broad portfolio of a Genesori to serve and cannot attend to all things. The exact number of Chosen is not known, as they often do not make themselves known to the Purposed until it becomes necessary to seek aid or intervene in a particular event.

The Exemplars

Exemplars are those who served as an example of faith in their lives or in their deaths. Each and every Exemplar is dead, as only after death can the Zenith or a Chosen announce that someone has been made an Exemplar. Exaltation is generally done as a memorial, so the acts of a person will be remembered and studied as an example of faithfulness to the Genesori. On occasion certain rituals can be performed that can call upon a saint for advice, guidance, or council, but calling on an Exemplar is no different than calling on the spirit of any other deceased individual.

Convocations

During the Desuetude, a new way to pay homage to the Genesori spread throughout the world. Where once there were powerful churches devoted to each individual Genesori, instead new organizations rose up to offer faith through the support of the purviews of the Genesori. These organizations defined their purposes for existence, for example a group setting its purpose to Exploration and Discovery of ancient lost cultures might take as patrons Bahadur for the sense of adventure, Thiacris for the discovery of the unknown, Jormic for the cataloging of that which they find, and Severrin for the honoring of the departed. These groups are commonly called Convocations, and while there are a great many throughout the world, there are some with greater influence and spread.

It is not required for a PC to be a member of a Convocation in game. Conversely, should a PC wish to be part of more than one Convocation, this is permitted. PCs are not required to have or use a Divine Magic Source to become a member of any Convocation. The Convocations presented here are large enough and world-spanning enough that they are recognized and known throughout all the cultures of the world, even in places where they may not be welcome.

Most small convocations are offshoots of the large Convocations listed here, and it is rare for a Convocation to spring up without at least an origin among one of them. It is also possible for a PC to be a member of a smaller Convocation of their own design if desired, but with the understanding that Plot may not be able to account for all PC created Convocations and other players will likely not have heard of these player-created Convocations.

World Spanning Convocations of Faith

The Hearthguards

Defense Against Aggressors, Personal Honor, Self-sacrifice

Patrons: Bahadur, Metioch, Istarum

The Hearthguards were once a mercenary company in Ancient Moskeyna. During a war in which Moskeyna was beset by many neighboring kingdoms, the Hearthguards were hired into service to protect the Capitol following the destruction of the standing army. The Hearthguards formed a defense that held true for three years, protecting not only the capitol but all the refugees who had fled there for sanctuary. In the second year of the siege, the money and the supplies had run dry. The invaders approached The Prime Warlord of the Hearthguard, offering to issue payment on the contracts that could no longer be fulfilled, with the only condition being that the Hearthguards abandon the capitol. For two days the Prime Warlord prayed to the Genesori, after which he approached his soldiers with the following direction - The Hearthguards would from that day forward accept only contracts that asked them to defend a nation’s borders against attack. They would take in payment only that which could be afforded - Money from the rich, Food from the agrarian, and if needs be nothing at all from the poor. The Prime Warlord offered that each of his soldiers could decide for themselves whether this decree was acceptable, and there would be no ill will for any who laid down arms and walked away. According to legend, none did. The Prime Warlord was re-titled Paladin of the Hearthguards, and through divine providence their company held the defense even with no known supply of food, soldiers, or succor for nearly two years. So began the service of the Hearthguards as a Convocation of faith, with the charge of defending nations from aggression.

It has become well known that The Hearthguards will accept only the payment that a people can afford, but will demand that such payment is made - a rich nation who choses to pay a pittance will be turned away while a poor nation that would impoverish their people finds themselves with defenders almost at no cost. As the Hearthguards’ soldiers can come from anywhere, a foundational rule of the Convocation is that no member may be forced to act against their conscience. If a soldier finds their unit dispatched to a nation whose soldiers burned their home village in a long past war, that soldier may refuse to accept the posting at no penalty. Likewise, this morality holds true throughout the Convocation, and the Paladin of the Hearthguards will refuse any contract to defend any nation whose morals or actions would cause a stain on the honor of the Convocation.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Notable Descendant Convocations

The Harriers

This convocation has decided that the best way to counter an aggressor is to make it expensive and difficult to continue a war. Harriers do not march in armies but instead act alone or in tight knit bands to harass the supply, logistics, and infrastructure of their enemies. This also means that the Harriers often respond quickly and on smaller scale than the Hearthguards would. Harriers will often use more dubious means to defend a victim, but they maintain a rigorous morality similar to the Hearthguards regarding their chosen causes. Harriers do not often ask for formal contracts or wait to be asked for aid, they simply find the places they can best do their duty and strive to do so.

Those Who Walked Away

Fighting Against Injustice, Aid to the Downtrodden, Resistance

Patrons: Garioch, Gwennara, Severrin

In every unjust society, there are those who see injustice and choose to take action. Sometimes that action is protest, sometimes sabotage, sometimes rebellion, and sometimes that action is to turn and walk away - to be unwilling to participate in a society that violates their personal morals.

The original founders of Those Who Walked Away were among this last group, those who left when they might have had the power or ability to stop things. The Convocation was originally founded as a penitent order, dedicated to making up for what the founders perceived as their cowardice in fleeing instead of taking a stand. Their foundational mission is to fight against oppression, abuse, mistreatment, and injustice by a nation against its people, and to use any means necessary to do so. It is by no means necessary any longer to have turned your back to an injustice to join this Convocation, only to have a desire to take action against such things wherever they are found.

Those Who Walked Away are not a rash or aggressive Convocation. They stress understanding and planning, and when they take action they counsel decisive, precise, and ruthless methods. While the Convocation will smuggle goods to the hungry, secret away people held in bondage, or lend support to political forces, they are also very capable of sabotage, fomenting unrest, and even assassination when the need calls for it.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Notable Descendant Convocations

The Rabble

The individuals who eventually became the Rabble were all members of Those Who Walked Away who succeeded in overthrowing the oppressive regimes that they sought to combat. Having succeeded, they realized that success was not a one time event but instead was an ongoing struggle. They turned their attention not to ensuring a new government’s ideals, but instead to preparing the population to fight back should the new government become tyrannical like the last. The Rabble see preparing the citizenry as the only defense against oppression, and believe that while help from the outside should come when needed, what stops tyrants is a population that would rather die than be oppressed.

Alessa’s Hand

Exemplar Alessa of Bahadur was not born to simply wait around to be asked for her help. From her earliest days she was known to be headstrong, wild, and zealous, with a deep abiding hatred of anyone who would inflict suffering on others. She spent her youth traveling from battlefield to battlefield not for the purpose of fighting, but of relieving the suffering of anyone she found in pain. As her legend spread she developed a following of like minded individuals, and as this following grew it formed into a Convocation of its own. The Hand don’t stop to think about why there is suffering, only that it exists and it can be combated. They are well known as not only healers of the injured and ill, but as smugglers who will attempt to run any blockade to get food and medicine inside a siege. They are as likely to be found distributing blankets in winter as they are to be breaking open a silo of hoarded grain to feed the starving.

The Wildland Compact

Wild Places, Nature, City Planning, Exploration

Patrons: Eilona, Metioch, Koreel, Gwenara

In the world there is far more space untamed and unexplored than there is planned, plotted, and structured. The Wildland Compact is comprised of those who have set their mind and purpose to these places in one way or another, though the shape of that devotion is as varies as the wild places themselves.

Unlike many Convocations, the Wildland Compact can not point to a single origin or inciting group. In fact, as long as people have lived there have been those who espoused the ideals of the Compact. Only after the Desuetude did like minded people begin to join with individuals and organizations to begin the Compact, formalizing their behavior and desires into official devotions. In fact, the Wildland Compact is most easily recognized not by gathering halls, livery, or organized events but instead by gatherings of the faithful that crop up almost instinctively when a need or desire arises for community action.

The majority of those in the Wildland Compact join for the expected reasons. Those who seek to protect the wilderness, to oversee the wild beasts of the land, or to live away from civilization alone and at peace with the wilderness. But those are not the only folk who find themselves drawn into this convocation. Explorers and cartographers join the compact due to the time they spend in those wild places. Most surprisingly are city planners, road builders, and builders who see it as a sacred duty to respect the world in their designs, spending their time deciding the exact needs of a village so as to use the least land for houses and fields or the best route to place a road so as to minimize the damage to land and wildlife.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Harbingers

To be Present at Momentous Times, Journalism, Prediction

Patrons: Garioch, Thiacris, Jormic, Bahadur, Severrin

There were a few who saw the Desuetude in the days before it happened. When the world was in mourning, their vision bound them together and they began to seek out others who were also sensitive to the huge changes that affected the world. The group now makes it a point to travel to find others like themselves. However, no matter their talent, one cannot be named a Harbinger; it can be decided only by the individual.

In the early days after the Convocation was formalized, it was common for Harbingers to be denied entrance. The groups simply took the denial as the sign they were waiting for and published that fact as far and wide as they could. Some people think that the appearance of a Harbinger automatically signals something frightening, but nothing could be farther than the truth. A Harbinger might request entrance to a royal military tent, but they are just as likely to appear to celebrate a child’s birth or to enjoy a harvest festival.

Harbingers travel in groups called Circles. The group can be made up of any configuration of talents, but usually include an Oracle, one or two Witnesses, and some who are battle experienced. There is no single reason for a Harbinger to be somewhere, and they may not always know why something is momentous. Sometimes they are simply present, sometimes they record, and sometimes their presence or participation in a momentous occasion is what is important. After the event has occurred, whatever it may be, Harbingers make an effort to report it to the masses so that everyone from a High Priestess down to a humble painter knows exactly what has happened.

Notable Descendant Convocations

Ink Filigree

Named to reflect the reach of the Lattice, this sect of the Harbingers is known for supporting the necessary network of information that must flow throughout Aeledd.

Timekeepers

The people of Aeledd all experience the passage of time, but a few are called to record time itself in the hopes to predict what might come next. People who follow the movement of the sun and stars, observe the Constellations, or watch the seasons will often join this Convocation. Farmers and Rangers have been known to join as well, since they are the first to see through weather and soil what might happen next. Healers, teachers, and politicians can all be found in the Timekeepers. While the entire convocation agrees their work is necessary, it is often very solitary.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

The Civil Lyceum

International Diplomacy, Education, Communication

Patrons: Thiacris, Jormic, Istarum, Metioch

Ambassadors, Teachers, and their counterparts have always existed on Aeledd. After the Genesori pulled back from the world, Ambassadors from all nations struck out to meet in Eltiel. The meeting created the Civil Lyceum, for it was confirmed that despite the upheaval, passage of information and education must continue, for it was as the Oathtaker had said: “society needs a framework”. They take over from the Harbingers by interpreting the news that has been announced and making sure that even the smallest of villages understands what the news means to them.

The Civil Lyceum stands out for their continued willingness to travel distances short and long to make sure that these services are readily available. The Lyceum considers it their sacred duty to make sure that information is available, accurate and impartial. A few Ambassadors seek to assist only in the spreading of information, and do not impose their own beliefs or interpretations on it. The majority have come to the conclusion that understanding information requires knowledge, and so the Civil Lyceum proudly takes on responsibility for education as well. Some scoff at any Convocation trying to control education; schools should be able to teach what they will, how they will. The Lyceum sees it differently: once someone has learned their letters and numbers, they should have an opportunity. The availability of education is a strong tenet of the Civil Lyceum, though when it comes down to it, most members teach what and how they will.

Notable Descendant Convocations

Voices of Validation

This Convocation began after three people witnessed a L’Dahn deciding a case with exceptional impartiality.

“Where are the voices of those who were hurt?” one asked. “There should be someone who speaks for them as well.”

Anyone can speak on behalf of anyone else, but those that are called to the Voices have a passion for advocating for the weak and helpless. Those from the Voices are often called to become formal Court Advocates and Interpreters of the Law. A subset of the Voices dedicates their skills solely to the defense of children.

Forum of Excellence

If you have a question that you cannot find an answer to, you might go to a Forum for help. If you revel in finding questions and discussing the answers, then the Forum could be the right place for you. The forum is known for dispatching scholars to the smallest of towns if an intriguing question arises. They seek to find answers, interpret them, and provide education wherever it is wanted.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

The Cycle of the Wheel

Everything has its Place and Time

Patrons: Gwennara, Severrin, Eilona, Metioch, Istarum

Once long ago, in the time before purpose, the living had lives governed by Fate. Those lives had a beginning and an end predetermined by a grand orderly plan. When Fate was sundered and the living beings of the world became the Purposed, their births and deaths were still overseen by the grand cycle of existence governed by Gwennara and Severrin.

The Cycle of the Wheel evolved from the ancient Church of the Eternal cycle, but following the Great Revelation the church changed its role to encompass far more than the cycle of creation and destruction. The Cycle of the Wheel understands that all things happen when they are meant to. That is not to say they believe in the ancient Fate, but that cycles of Birth and Death, passing of seasons, harvest, and even natural disaster all happen when the Genesori need them to. Being as these things will occur on the schedule of the Genesori, The Cycle of the Wheel must be there to assist with the event or the aftermath. Most hospitals and Hospices in the world bear the sign of the Cycle over their doors, and likewise do many storehouses of grain and supplies that the nations hold in reserve for the time when such things again are necessary.

While assisting the Cycle seems as though it is a passive calling, the Cycle of the Wheel also takes up the cause to ensure that things and people that attempt to break free from the cycle are placed back where they belong. This duty calls for a much more militant expression of faith than normally expected from adherents of the Cycle.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Notable Descendant Convocations

Merciful Ones

Merciful Ones have taken the enforcement of the Cycle as their sacred charge. While they recognize the beginnings of the Cycle to be of importance, their attention focuses solely on the ending, and specifically enforcing that things end when the Cycle ordains them to. Merciful Ones seek out anything and anyone who has broken free from the Cycle and corrects this aberration, either through persuasion, negotiation, counciling, or as a last resort, by force. A notable feature of Merciful Ones is their insistence on anonymity in their religious duty. Many will never note their membership in this Convocation and nearly all swear oaths to eschew fame and renown in their lives so that not even their legend outlives the Cycle.

The Enkindlers

This Offshoot of the Cycle of the Wheel sees their duty as the fostering of life, no matter the difficulty in doing so. The Enkindlers work hardest to begin the cycle in the most difficult places, seeking blighted land to grow crops, drought-stricken plains to irrigate, and even to work magic and aid to assist with difficult conception and childbirth. To an Enkindler the Cycle cannot be a Cycle if it never even starts, and they see it as their charge to ensure that the wheel begins to roll at all costs.

The Grand Conservatory

Philosophy, Research, Collection of Knowledge, Seeking the Unknown

Patrons: Koreel, Bahadur, Jormic, Thiacris

Considered by many to be the oldest of the Convocations, The Grand Conservatory began at the end of the Age of Piety to preserve the history of that age. That time was also the beginning of the Age of Discovery, with people of different continents learning and relearning one another. Many of those same people trying to preserve records of what had come before them were also creating records of the new things they were experiencing. Moreover, those days saw the disbanding of the individual churches. The confluence of all these events allowed for the ease with which The Grand Conservatory arose.

Members of The Grand Conservatory are passionate about knowledge and all that can be learned through exploration. Whether that exploration is through tomes in a library or dangerous new territory, they seek answers at all costs.

Many members of the Grand Conservatory also hold membership in either the Harbingers or the Civil Lyceum in order to support their ability to spread the word of what they learn.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

The Revel

Celebration, Aid to Those in Need, Entertainment

Patrons: All Genesori

The Revel is an interesting group in that it likely has no true fixed origin, but it has a widely accepted mythology about its beginnings. Throughout the years, the Purposed of the world have developed many festivals and celebrations, from Brother Otis’ Day to Kith Kindle and more. Individuals, families, and larger congregations within society have taken the steps in good times and bad to make these celebratory days feel special. In that respect, the Revel has always existed. However, the story told about the Revel’s origins is one of a group of Bards, all of whom worshiped a different Genesori, who stumbled into a village that had recently been visited by terrible storms. The people of the village had little interest in sharing with strangers. But the clever bards began asking for single items from the villagers; space in the square to set up a cauldron for soup, permission to gather storm-torn branches, a match to light a fire, water from the well. A carrot here, an onion there, and before long, they had a pot of soup simmering cheerfully. Next, the Bards looked for anyone living on the street and invited them to share in the soup they had. Many tried to decline, saying that there hardly seemed enough to share, but the Bards insisted. The story then claims a miracle, that no matter how many villagers came for a bowl, the cauldron of soup never got closer to empty. And as the villagers came and ate, they enjoyed each other’s company, and begged the Bards for a song. The Bards obliged, and the simple meal of soup turned into a feast for the spirit. When the Bards left the village the next day, they knew they were leaving it far richer, and their hearts were so full that they elected to travel together deliberately searching for villages in need of good cheer. And so the Revel was created.

In these times, the Revel is a more stationary group, as most communities have at least a handful of people dedicated to providing comfort and cheer. It is considered to be the most populous convocation for similar reasons, but also because members of the Revel will claim as their own individuals who carry out the Revel’s mission without formally declaring membership.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Notable Offshoot Convocations

The Order of Ayreaux

An early member of the Revel once it formalized as a Convocation, Ayreaux d’Siniste was a man whose mission was to celebrate the quiet joys of life and to bring a smile to everyone he met. He was the type to sing to crying children or point out a beautiful cloud. His calm kindness brought him many followers and he led them by his example. Members of this order become the self-appointed Aunties and Uncles of their communities, uplifting those around them through small, constant acts of acceptance and affirmation. The Order of Ayreaux will be the ones who, after a large seasonal celebration, encourage reflection on the delights of the event, counseling one to keep those feelings of happiness with them throughout the year.

The Sublime Miracle

Philosophy, Mysticism, Magical Exploration, Exploration of Purpose, Astrology

Patrons: Koreel, Thiacris, Garioch

The Sublime Miracle began as an offshoot of The Grand Conservatory, created when many of the more philosophical members of the Conservatory began to feel that they were being persuaded to find answers, rather than to simply explore questions. For example, while the Conservatory is content with the history of Fate’s Sacrifice creating Purpose, members of The Sublime Miracle wonder if Fate always knew that his time of Sacrifice would come, or if he chose in the moment; they ask what meaning that has for people; they ask what drives an individual’s Purpose and why some Purpose is stronger than others.

Many members of The Sublime Miracle have a hermetic bent, isolating themselves for years to ponder their questions. Still others prefer the challenge of discourse. One of the most public-facing roles that members of this convocation have established is the performance of marriage ceremonies, as a reflection that Love and why people fall for one another remains one of life’s great mysteries.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

The Flame Ardent

New Experiences, Games, Travel, Zeal, Dueling

Patrons: Bahadur, Eilona, Gwennara, Garioch

Unlike many Convocations, there is no single group or event that precipitated the creation of the Flame Ardent. Instead, the Flame Ardent is an amalgam of many smaller convocations that came together over time due to their intense passions and drive. What binds the Flame Ardent together is not a storied history or ancient oath, but instead is a need for the new, novel, exciting, or unique. From warriors who always seek the greatest challenge to gamblers who look for new games and connoisseurs who travel the world for new food, those in this Convocation want nothing more than to experience greatness and share it with the world.

While many in the Flame Ardent take this challenge personally, there are also those who seek not just to find personal experience but instead look outside themselves and share with the world. A chef who pushes the boundaries of cuisine and a traveling band of warriors seeking new enemies both only serve their objectives if others are present with them to either join or witness. Even when something new is done alone, most of the Flame Ardent find a second great joy in sharing or retelling the tales of these events to others.

Consider this Convocation for your Character if…

Notable Offshoot Convocations

The Divine Society of Mediating the Influence of Corruption through Occasional Moderate Indulgence (Commonly known as “The Moderates”)

This order is listed as a descendant of the Flame Ardent, when it might be better to describe this order as one that was subsumed by the Flame Ardent but then reemerged as an entity in its own right. The name for this organization says it all. They believe that the best way to the Influence that the Lesser Corruptions still exert on the Purposed is to experience these flaws in controlled ways. For example, when the Moderates meet, they are encouraged to vent about something or someone that irritates them, briefly allowing themselves to express Hatred of that thing or person, possibly doing violence to an effigy of that thing, in an effort to purge those negative feelings. Moderates look out for one another, and intervene if they believe that indulging in a Flaw is doing more harm than good.