#Faith and Priesthood Service

[trberman]

A Royal Priesthood: Understanding Our Sacred Calling as Bridge builders for the Kingdom of God

1975-76 Personal study Guide for the Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Part One | Introductory Lesson: “Teach One Another the Doctrine of the Kingdom” D&C 88:77 NOTE TO READER: This is an update and adaptation of the 1975-76 Melchizedek Priesthood personal Study guide published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. This is part of a…

[kdmiller55]

God Cares For His Own

8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every…

[loveerran]

Please make sure to click the article link and read the bios of these amazing women! Note the diversity in their life experiences.

I also want to point out that the church has endorsed its first female military chaplain, previously a role restricted to men and one which required two changes to official policy to make happen:

Being a chaplain traditionally involves some very specific duties, as noted in the church website's description:

Female Chaplains

Female Latter-day Saint chaplains may perform marriages, funerals, memorials, worship services, counseling, classes, and other needs of ministry. If services or ordinances are needed beyond the scope of one’s authority, the chaplain will facilitate the service taking place with authorized personnel. This protocol is also used for administration of the sacrament and priesthood blessings.

[radyo-kabaw]

Ayon kay Alejandro, nakababatang kapatid ni Mabini, ang kinagigiliwang laro ni Kaka Pule (palayaw ni Apolinario) ay sipa. Dutong ni Alejandro, tahimik lamang ang kanyang kuya at laging nagbabasa ng libro.

the above quotation came from a photo of a museum display I came across online while trying to look something up!

when I was sketching this out, I was imagining the rosary was his mother's.

The mother always yearned for her son to become a priest, and it was she who first taught him the cathechism [sic]. Believing that the priesthood was the highest office a man ought to aspire for, she did not spare any effort that might lead her fondest child to aspire for it. […] A time would come, however, that he would lose this religiosity. And so it was that when Mabini wrote his major work, La Revolucion Filipina and dedicated it to her memory, he explained that though it was his mother's wish that he become a priest, such was not his destiny.

-Apolinario Mabini, Revolutionary, Cesar Adib Majul

also here's the dedication in Mabini's La Revolucion Filipina that's mentioned in Majul's biography because it lives in my head rent free:

To My Mother:

When, still a child, I told you that I wanted to acquire learning, you were overjoyed , because your heart's desire was that a son of yours should be a priest; to he a minister of God was for you the greatest honour that a man could aspire to in this world.

Realizing that you were too poor to meet the expenses of my education, you worked as hard as you could, heedless of sun and rain, until you caught the illness that took you to your grave.

But I was not fated to be a priest. I am, however, convinced that the true minister of God is not one who wears a cassock, but everyone who proclaims His glory by good works of service to the greatest possible number of His creatures, and I shall endevour to be faithful to your desires as long as I have the strength to do so.

Now, wishing to place on your grave a wreath woven by my own hands, I dedicate this humble work, to your memory; it is a poor thing, unworthy of you, yet the best so far woven by the artless hands of your son,

THE AUTHOR

(trans. Leon Ma. Guerrero)

(I'm updating all my socmed links bc the internet is in shambles so for now I'm going to skip over the usual 'other places to find me' closing lmao)

[talonabraxas]

Temple of Ra Talon Abraxas

In ancient Egypt the people closest to the gods were the priests. To better understand them, we will journey through a day at the temple of Ra.

The Egyptian priesthood that served Gods such as Anubis and Ra was established in the Early Dynastic Period in Egypt (c. 3150-2613 BCE) but developed in the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE). During this period, priests became immensely powerful, rich, and political, as they represented a check on the power of the pharaoh. Their decline and disappearance came during the 4th century, due to their corruption and the rise of Christianity.

What was a Priest in Egyptian Religion?

The defining feature of an ancient Egyptian priest was his one single duty: To take care of the god of their temple. Compared to priests from other faiths, priests in ancient Egypt did not perform any functions or preach, nor did they convert the unfaithful.

Furthermore, both men and women could take the cloth, and they would perform the same duties and receive the same wages. However, in most cases, women served female gods, while men served male gods. Exceptions were the worship of Serket and Amun, where both genders could worship them. Worshipers of Serket could be doctors, and priestesses of Amun could rise to the position of Wife of Amun, rivaling the king in power and influence.

The high priest was always assigned by the pharaoh. He would perform the most important rituals, was seen as the prime mediator between men and gods, and managed the business of the temple. Consequently, high priests were seen as figures of both political and religious authority.

The driving force of Egyptian religion was the important principle of Ma’at (harmony and balance), maintained by Heka (magic). Heka and its godly personification, according to Egyptian religion predated the creation of the world and the first gods. Every social category in Egyptian society had to respect Ma’at by performing their duties. Priests play a vital role by honoring and caring for the gods daily.

What Types of Priest Were There?

By gender, male priests were known as hem-netjer and females as hemet-netjer (servants of the god). The priestly hierarchy started with the lowest tier, wab, and ended with the high priest (hem-netjer-tep). The wab had an auxiliary role taking care of the temple or assisting at or preparing for festivals.

Between the wab and the high priest, everyone who performed a certain activity withing the temple complex, such as kitchen staff, janitors, porters, and scribes were priests due to their relationship with a god. Singers and musicians were required to train with priests to be able to perform their duties. The hour-priests were astronomers whose activity was to keep the calendar, interpret signs and dreams, and decide lucky and unlucky days.

The priests who had medical training were known as the swnw (general practitioner) and sau (magical practitioner),trained in both the ways of magic and medicine. A priest paid by a family to perform the daily offerings at the tomb of a deceased relative was known as a Ka-priest (or ka-servant). Sem priests were tasked to preside over mortuary rituals and conducted funeral services. They were the embalmers who performed the mummification of a corpse and recited magic incantations while wrapping the deceased. They were held in high esteem for their service and spells, which would guarantee eternal life to the dead.

Right below the high priest was the lector priest (hery-heb or cheriheb). His tasks were to write down religious text, instruct other clergymen, and recite the “authoritative utterance,” the heka, in the temple or at festivals. As the position of the priest passed down from father to son, we do not have records of female lector priests, although there is circumstantial evidence which proves their existence.

Early Morning Rituals and Awakening the God

Ancient Egyptian priests started their days like everyone else. They got up and dressed, getting ready for a new day. However, all priests were expected to be ritually pure, which meant three main things. First, after dressing up, priests had to shave off all the hair on their bodies, even their eyebrows and eyelashes. Furthermore, every third day, they underwent a hair removal procedure to keep their bodies incredibly smooth.

Second, they were required to bathe several times daily in the temple’s sacred lake to remain as clean and pure as possible. Finally, they gargled with natron salt solution before dressing in linen robes and reed-woven sandals. They always wore white linen clothes as a sign of purity. All of this happened right before the dawn. After these preparations, the first ritual of the day took place. Known as the Fire Ritual, it gathered all priests in a sacred room close to Ra’s shrine to re-enact the first sunrise by lighting a fire in a brazier.

Once the sun was up, a priest had to prepare to sing a morning hymn, “Awaken in Peace, Great God,” which as the name suggests, was meant to awaken their sacred god, Ra. The next ritual, Drawing the Bolt, had the senior priest walk right to the center of the temple. Here, he unsealed the sanctuary doors, and performed a ritual prayer four times over the image of Ra. This ritual represented an exchange, where the priest gave his soul so the god could take a new earthly physical shape. After awakening the god, it was time for breakfast.

After breakfast, priests sprinkled water over the sanctuary and the image of Ra. They left by saying a final prayer and sealing the doors of the sanctuary. At noon, the high priest re-entered the shrine, this time burning myrrh resin while sprinkling water to further purify the temple’s shrines and sacred spaces.

[herharmonyenemy]

Did anyone else notice how all of Paris' sons have religious names? Aaron appears in the Torah, Bible, and Quran. He was called onto by God to serve next to his younger brother (Moses), and free the slaves (with said brother). Aaron was the traditional founder and head of the Israelite priesthood Adam is pretty self-explanatory although there's little connection with Adam Kent himself. Adam is the first man to be created, which can be said that Adam had come up in the book before Aaron. James is more difficult to place because its not as 'big' of a name as the other two. Also, there are many James' in the Bible. One is James, the brother of Jesus. He was the first leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. James is also a variation of Jacob, which means follower. Aaron emphasizes service and intercession, Adam highlights humanity's origin, nature, and challenges, and James underscores faith and commitment in the context of discipleship. And I think that fits in fairly with their characters.

[dailycharacteroption]

Priest of the Fallen (Spiritualist Archetype)

(art by Animarcus on DeviantArt)

Mortal but still possessing the spark of the divine, the Hero-Gods of Iblydos are a perfect demonstration of the quasi-deific power that one can achieve with the spark of mythic might.

However, with very few exceptions, most of these hero-gods never ascend to true divinity, and therefore, pass away. Many may be content to honor these departed figures in a mor historic and secular sense, but for the priests of the fallen, the divinity of these blessed heroes does not end at the grave.

Indeed, while most souls of hero-gods move on to final rewards and places of honor, they nevertheless leave behind spiritual echoes that reflect their paragon status in life. Don’t assume that being something other than a soul makes these phantoms any less, though, for they are still full beings that act and behave as their counterpart did in life.

These priests of the fallen learn to invoke various hero-gods through these phantoms. While their bond is less intimate, they can change things up each day be invoking a different spirit, giving them some flexibility, though perhaps with less depth compared to a more permanent bond.

Each day, these priests can call upon a different spirit reflecting one of their fallen hero-gods, allowing them to get slightly different power suites each day, but at the cost of them being unable to store the phantom inside their minds and gain the benefits of such.

These aspects that the phantoms invoke can include the offensive and battlefield control of the archmage, the combat skill of the champion, the defenses and durability of the guardian, the blessings of the hierophant, the inspiration of the marshal, and the underhanded strikes of the trickster.

As partially-divine casters, these mages can channel energy to heal and harm depending on their beliefs.

Sometimes a different phantom is needed for the situation, and in an emergency, these mystics can banish their current ghostly partner and call forth a different one as needed.

Like many spiritualists, these priests can transfer mental effects to their phantom, though obviously they vanish back into the ether rather than into the mystic’s mind.

Powerful priests even gain domains, complete with knowledge of casting domain spells.

The most powerful of these mystics can finally bring their phantom into their own heads, albeit temporarily, to gain the benefits they would normally gain from doing so.

This archetype is interesting. As a clear hybrid of spiritualist and medium, the archetype has some flexibility to it, but while thematic, the spirit legend-based foci lack depth despite their thematic abilities. Even still, it can prove quite useful, and be sure to use each spirit as needed.

I can imagine that this archetype might seem controversial outside the culture that it is from, calling upon phantoms of the long dead that to some may seem sacrilegious. However, from the inside perspective, it may not seem that way at all, instead seeing it as a way to commune with and honor the dead.

In the land of Kotorogi, soldiers that fought and died in the service of the nation are enshrined at a temple where they are considered minor gods, and the priests there can call upon their spirits to make use of their skill set as needed. However, not every regime in Kotorogi has been just, and the actions they died performing were not always noble, even if they served the will of the ruler at the time. This has led to some controversy, and rumors of a schism within the priesthood.

Though they possess little faith of their own, the android known as Archer-11 finds themselves able to call on spirits of past androids with a similar circuit pattern to their own. These past lives are multifarious in skillset, but they all fight loyally. But this begets the question: Why do they come to them? For what purpose?

On the world of Aggaelis, heroes are immortalized in the stars by the gods, reshaping or at least repurposing the arrangement of the heavens to find a place for such blessed beings. Those with the know-how can call upon them as well, conjuring translucent figures lit from within by the asterism that represents them. However, now the figure of Halkas the Mighty, the earliest known hero and undine son of an ocean god, has begun to fade from the heavens, and the gods have been strangely silent about this.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Lore: Priesthoods and Temples

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Priests & Temples | Deities Shar | Selûne | Bhaal #1 | Bhaal #2 | Mystra | Jergal | Bane | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | --- WIP

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An overview of temples and priesthoods in Faerûn as a whole.

Becoming a priest.

Different classes amongst the clergy: The four divine spellcaster classes, and sorcerers continue to annoy the people around them. No, you don't need to be a cleric to join the church.

Temples and Shrines: The various generic (mostly) universal functions of temples; homeless shelter, school, hospital, post office, bank, landlord...

Evil gods and why 99% of them are legal to worship.

And some other stuff.

-

While almost everybody in Faerûn has a patron deity they revere above all others, very few people chose a henotheistic approach to religion, these exceptions being fanatics and followers of more megalomanic gods like Cyric, Shar and Bane (and, strangely, followers of these gods tend to be fanatics...). And, of course, the clergies, who devote their lives to the service of their patron deity. Priests don't necessarily hold other deities in low esteem, but they generally do not actively worship them - following the full doctrine of one faith is a full time job. Trying to fit anymore in would run you into the ground.

Sometimes an individual serves more than one deity, which usually indicates that the two gods are allied and involves specific religions that are structured to support worship of multiple gods (for example the Three of Rashemen - Mystra, Mielikki and Chauntea worshipped as a trinity). Even then one may expect some "tug-of-war" to crop up between the gods involved.

Excommunicated clergy will often find themselves unable to join another faith, as other churches don't trust that their faith won't waver again. (This isn't a firm rule though, nor necessarily reflective of what the gods think, and many deities actively try and poach followers from their enemies (Selûne and Shar spring to mind))

Deities are aware of mortals who are compatible with their portfolio and will try to sway them into worshipping them, sending minor miracles and dream visions. Some who respond to these omens in ways that particularly click with the deity will continue to receive them, and the most devout will follow the road towards priesthood.

Deities cannot force a mortal into service and generally won't try; and a mortal of weak faith will find the deity as useless to them as they are to the god.

Those who feel called will generally reach out to a temple or local preacher. Some will undertake pilgrimages and vigils at holy sites for further guidance, and receive vivid visions or even have their deity manifest before them (a minor manifestation is much, much more likely than a full avatar). When joining a church, each one has its own way of testing, training and confirming their supplicants.

Some priests are singled out further, and are called by their deity to serve them directly as what is known (mechanically) as "specialty priests." Sometimes becoming one is simply a matter of the head of the temple taking notice of a prospective priest and putting them through the training, although it's up to the god to accept them or not. Every specialty priest receives blessings and powers unique to their deity, and their rank is known by a name unique to their faith (Corellon's specialty priests are the Feywardens, Selûne's are known as Silverstars, Bhaal's are the Deathstalkers, etc). (These are not the same as Chosen, though it's a similar thing.)

While clerics are the first form of clergy that springs to mind; paladins, druids and rangers are also "priest classes". On Toril all four classes must receive their spells from a patron deity, and paladins and rangers serve their gods as their secondary function.

Being a divine spellcaster is not a requirement to join the clergy - any class may be found in the ranks of a temple, although clerics and druids often hold the power due to their strong connection to the divine. Only those two classes can lead in ceremonies and rituals, due to the divine power they wield.

Divine spellcasters receive their spells by praying to their deity, and they pray for their spells at specific times of day, as decided by their religion and usually relevant to a time connected to that deity (Sharrans pray at night, for example). The spells are given to them, not chosen; whether a priest receives healing spells or a more warlike repertoire depends on what use the deity plans to put them to.

Sorcerers of the divine soul subclass (formerly known as a separate class known as the Favoured Soul) often pose some difficulty for the established hierarchy. They are holy, directly blessed by and possibly related to their deity, but due to the fact that their divine magic is innate rather than earned through study and service, such holy figures often question established dogma and hierarchy based on their own intuition - they are chosen ones after all, don't they know their god better than you who only knows them through interpretation of man made texts and vague omens?

All clergy are to do their best to be exemplars of their deity's teachings and values in their daily life (and reflects well upon that god to outsiders of the faith), and to serve that deity's goals to the best of their abilities. They are also charged with expanding their faith. Whenever an opportunity presents itself the priest must explain their faith and its teachings to the uninitiated, placing an emphasis on the benefits and rewards of following their god. Adventuring priests are usually on missionary work.

All priests must support their churches by tithing (typically 10%) of their earnings to its upkeep and goals.

Divine spellcasters must meet every requirement of their faith, or else they will cease receiving spells until they've made reparations. If they piss their deity off sufficiently they will be stripped of the power their god bestowed upon them and cease to be of their class - fallen paladins being the prime example of that (many of whom may turn to darker sources of power and become blackguards/oathbreakers). Evil deities, and some neutral ones, tend to kill their apostates.

While gods will accept worshippers of any race, non-humans and their pantheons frown upon their own people joining the clergy of human gods. The nonhuman clergies respond to their gods' disapproval, and demihuman priests of the Faerûnian pantheon may enjoy a negative reception ranging from cool disdain to full-on hostility amongst their own people. (There are exceptions where human gods have syncretised with other pantheons: Gond is known to the gnomes as Nebelun the Meddler, and halflings consider Tymora to be the human disguise of a halfling goddess called Shalamora; both are worshipped by them as gnome/halfling deities, but they are both comfortable enough amongst humans to worship them in their human aspects. Mielikki is known to the elves as the half-elven goddess Khalreshaar, and Sharess is known by her original elven aspect of Zandilar the dancer.)

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Not every city will have a temple for each god with a full staff of clergy. Those temples that are available also serve as the permanent residence of the priests that serve there. More often the gods will be venerated in public locals shrines, as well as private household ones. Wealthier families may have their own private chapels.

Temples in the Realms usually hold services at least once very two days, if not daily. Sermons are the usual faire - news and gossip, carefully slanted to paint their deity in a good light (or their enemies in a bad one) and the importance of the creeds of the faith and its aims. At the end of the sermon the priests will generally bless the laypeople, while trying to motivate them to do things in service of the deity.

In rural areas temples provide charity to their community - offering food and shelter to the disabled, the desperate, the poor and the homeless. Those seeking sanctuary are to repay the church as they are able by assisting with chores around the temple. Temples also provide basic education to the local children, and are the typical source of schooling.

Temples operate under something of a Hippocratic oath, and should never refuse to treat the injured and sick brought to them. Still, priests may be reluctant if the patient brought to them is considered a monster (say, an illithid, orc or drow). They also tend to be hesitant to tend to clergy of other gods, and if possible will move them to the care of one of their own temples as soon as they can.

While every faith has its own niche it makes money off of, temple income tends to come from a variety of sources.

For a small fee and an offering to their god, one can receive a pardoning for their sins from a priest (although it seems that they will hear confession for free). Asking for healings, resurrections and blessings carries a fee. Having a church bless a wedding, journey, new business, burial, funeral or birth or whatever also costs money. Some shrines and temples do a side business in selling minor holy relics and good luck charms.

Some faiths basically run protection rackets: keep up with your regular offerings and our god won't ruin your life and/or kill you horribly and/or destroy everything you hold dear.

Information networks consisting of children who are paid to report back to the priests with what they see and hear are also common (although they wouldn't admit it, simply making some vague statement of their god's mysterious all-knowing ways.)

But the major sources of income for churches is the postal service, banks and land ownership.

Temples run courier services; if you take a message or package to a temple and give them the address the temple will pass it to the nearest temple in a chain, until it reaches the shrine or temple closest to the destination, where a priest will deliver it to the recipient. Priests are under divine oath to protect the parcel and the privacy of the people involved, and violating that promise will result in their deity withdrawing their favour and immediate excommunication.

Temples provide banking and money lending services, and will also keep objects safely in storage for a fee.

Clergy are also encouraged to invest their income into buying land and properties, bringing in money from the tenants. They are not allowed to discriminate against potential tenants based on faith - a Loviatan who owns a house cannot refuse to lend it to a woman on the basis that she's Ilmatari, and she cannot forbid that woman from carrying out her religious practices or using the house for religious purposes. Sometimes the temples come into possession of land when devout people leave it to them in their wills. Temples in general tend to own vast amounts of real estate within cities.

Churches often squabble amongst themselves for wealth and power (or to depose the faiths of enemy deities). Lay worshipers, for their part, mostly just watch from the side-lines and keep up their offerings for both - giving a better portion of their worship to whoever's doing best and switching sides when need be.

-

The phrase "necessary evil" applies quite firmly in Faerûnian religion - the gods are here to stay, they are powerful and prideful and there is nothing anybody can do. Rather than devolve the world into constant chaos trying to fight a war of good vs evil that will never end, governments tend to work out peace treaties.

...Besides, they can be quite useful friends to have, when you have to play politics! Like that time in Cormyr where nobles hired Malarites to "accidentally" unleash monsters onto a rival family's estate, and now the priests aren't allowed to unleash beasts without supervision and permission from the authorities. (Not to mention that many of them are followers of the darker gods.)

The average denizen of Toril is just resigned to this as a fact of life. Many of them sensationalise these religions, and gossip abounds about whatever must be going on behind those temple doors.

There are rules that many churches must follow:

They can't disrupt public peace or oppose the ruling class - temples are generally hidden from sight (usually underground) and shrines must also be out of public view. Worship cannot be done in public, and there may be laws forbidding the faithful from publicly declaring their religion. -

They must not oppose the government in any way. -

Activities such as human sacrifice are to be kept as silent and out of the public eye as humanly possible, and performed under agreed upon limitations - generally that they must not harm "innocents, citizens, or government representatives." If you want to target criminals, adventurers or anybody nobody is particularly going to miss, however, knock yourself out. -

The church must also make itself useful to the local government and the realm as negotiated. -

Some governments may chose to monitor the activities of the clergies. -

They cannot force their faith on the unwilling - nobody is to be harmed in rituals or forced to convert (for example, as a Loviatan you may beat a man bloody in your goddess' honour as long as he has consented to it; should it turn out that you coerced him into it, through whatever methods, expect a backlash.) "No evil clergy anywhere in a well-ruled land or city would dare to use drugs, blackmail, or other coercion to gain converts or subjects for rituals."

People are wary of offending the gods, and nobody will insult even the most hated deity - but that doesn't mean that their holy status will keep the common priest from being executed under the law if caught doing something illegal. Many rival churches - especially those of good-aligned gods - will jump at the opportunity to put a careless priest in the spotlight. A priest who makes themselves unpopular within their own temple may find their own siblings in the faith directing law enforcement to their home. The most common result of getting caught rocking the boat is either for the church to excommunicate the priest, or else for that priest to suddenly, silently be removed from their post and reassigned by the church somewhere else outside of the jurisdiction of the realm with the promise that they will be disciplined. The latter happens "more often than the general public would be pleased to know".

Of course that's the common priest - the highest ranks in a church are powerful and well connected enough that they can generally get away with whatever the hell they like. Murder? Torture? Slavery? Go nuts.

By necessity, religions that operate based on fun rituals like theft and human sacrifice have to court the good will of the government to survive (usually while scheming to infiltrate the halls of power and change the laws in their own favour). They study the ways of their society, and learn to manipulate them to their ends.

"In public, the clergy of evil deities are models of good behavior. As such, although average citizens respect or fear and avoid said clergy, they will almost always not attack, deride, or dispute with them. Everyone in the Realms believes in all the gods, and so understands and accepts the purpose and major aims of every faith. This doesn’t mean everyone necessarily agrees with or supports every religion, but that they tolerate and understand the place in society each faith occupies."

Some faiths follow gods that actively promote the overthrow of established governments, which makes it difficult for them to function under such agreements (examples include Shar, Talos, Cyric and Tiamat). While they can establish themselves in areas of political unrest, they rarely become worthy of note in stable regions and are usually outlawed, mostly existing as underground cults preying on the desperate. They do tend to seek out people in positions of power to seduce and corrupt, however, and may wield some influence that way.

"Even priests of the most violently evil faiths are seldom foolish enough to draw daggers and seek to carve up soldiers or Crown agents in the streets. A dead foe is just that: dead, and soon to be replaced by another. An influenced foe, on the other hand, is well on the way to becoming an ally, increasing the sway of the deity."

[fromtheempress]

Fish Fridays feature: Naga of Cataclysm: The Sira'kess and Spitescale tribes

In Vashj'ir, in the zones known as the Shimmering Expanse and the Abyssal Depths, the Sira'kess naga, led by Lady Sira'kess, await the heroes in two very different types of encounters. In the quest "By Her Ladys' Word", the hero, assuming the role of the Naz'jar Battlemaiden in a vision of the past conjured by Wavespeaker Valoren (Alliance) or Wavespeaker Tulra (Horde), meet the Sira'kess naga for the first time. According to Wowpedia, "They appear to be one of the three castes in  Vashj'ir, likely focusing on spellcasting and/or the priesthood." The Lady Sira'kess herself leads them, being one of the questgivers in "By Her Ladys' Word", speaking to the Naz'jar battlemaiden Nar'jira about obtaining the "Crucible of Nazsharin" from the Kvaldir.

Lady Sira'kess. (Image source: Wowpedia, Hearthstone)

The crucible is successfully obtained for the Lady Sira'kess in the vision of Vashj'ir past; much later, however, she appears as one of the killable objectives in the quest "Defending the Rift", in which the player is to kill 15 naga attacking the Throne of the Tides, Neptulon's realm beneath the waves. As Lady Sira'kess and her naga are defeated in this encounter in the Abyssal Breach, neither she nor her naga are seen in the game again.

The Sira'kess Tribe are as follows:

Lady Sira'kess- Leader, Mistress of the Tides

Fathom-Caller Azrajar- Ritualist

Unnamed:

 Sira'kess Guardian

 Sira'kess Tide Priestess

Sira'kess Sea Witch

Sira'kess Zealot

(source: Wowpedia)

For more information on the Naz'jar Battlemaiden, Nar'jira, please see my previous post:

Led by the Sea Witch Zar'jira and her consort Naj'tess, the Spitescale naga appear on the Echo Isles in Durotar. They are the killable objectives in the quests "No More Mercy" and "An Ancient Enemy", as the hero must aid the Darkspear trolls in retaking the Echo Isles, their former home. According to Morakki, the questgiver for "No More Mercy", "Da naga have committed great atrocities on our people" (Wowpedia). The Spitescale, therefore, are shown the same ruthless treatment and slain.

Zar'jira, the Sea Witch. (Image source: Wowpedia, Hearthstone) It is revealed, during the quest "An Ancient Enemy", that Zar'jira was the one who had slain the Darkspear leader Vol'jin's father and taken the Isles, driving the trolls out of their home. Once the hero helps the trolls take vengeance on Zar'jira, the trolls are free to live on the Echo Isles once more.

The Spitescale are as follows:

Naj'tess- Consort of the Sea Witch.

Zar'jira- Sea Witch and leader of the Spitescale.

Unnamed

 Manifestation of the Sea Witch

 Spitescale Siren

 Spitescale Wavethrasher

 Captive Spitescale Scout

Fun Facts and Speculation:

In the quest "An Occupation of time", the hero finds a statue In Vashj'ir, in the Quel'Dormir gardens, of a woman named "High Priestess Sira'len". There is a plaque stating the following:

"Let this statue stand as an everlasting testament to High Priestess Siralen in the name of all she has done to nurture Quel'Dormir Temple into a glowing beacon of faith. May her newfound service under Queen Azshara herself shine as a testament to the potential of the noble birth nurtured in our beloved, Vashj'ir". (Wowpedia).

The quest-giver, Levia Dreamwalker, acknowledges that this and several other statues are "...some of the first definitive proof of other members of the Vashj family." (Wowpedia). It was also speculated, at one point, that Lady Sira'len may have become Lady Sira'kess, (also a priestess in the drowned city of Vashj'ir), as a naga. There is no longer any definitive proof of this, however.

On the Darkspear Islands in Warcraft III, the murlocs on the island have an altar dedicated to their goddess, none other than the sorceress and Sea Witch Zar'jira, who after a brief conflict issues a dire warning to the departing trolls. As the trolls end up leaving these islands in Warcraft III, they are not in World of Warcraft. It is speculated however that the Spitescale naga "may have previously operated in (the Darkspear Islands) as well." (Wowpedia)

“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of  Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.

Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.

[peaceheather]

A year-end update on my original novel concept

Hey friends, it's been awhile since I've been able to put in any work on this! But I've been doing some world building and altering a few things, and thought it might be nice to send you an updated summary of my original novel. It is tentatively titled "The Pilgrimage", but who knows, that might change as well.

Alays Webster is a weaver in a small town on the edge of the Barrens in a country called Codor. Life in her hometown is pretty sedate, and more or less ruled by the country's religious hierarchy and its tenets, observing festivals and attending service and what have you. It is expected that everyone will go on pilgrimage to the capital at least once in their lifetimes, to witness miracles and see the Sleeping King himself, where he lies in state while battling in the spirit realm against false gods and keeping them out of Codor. Alays, though, was always a sickly child, and still has occasional bad days now that she's grown. So she’s put off making the pilgrimage until her childhood best friend, Vezian, now a priest, comes and cajoles her into making the journey with him.

The Barrens are a dead wasteland that surround Codor on all sides; as far as anyone knows, no one can live there, and the area is considered to be forsaken by everyone, even the Sleeping King. On her pilgrimage, Alays learns that her proximity to the Barrens causes others to look down on her, and she encounters concepts that she had never considered before, everything from how criminals are treated to “witches” and “demons”, from whose magic the Sleeping King's priests promise protection.

Alays's ill health improves the closer she gets to the capital, and this is touted as a miracle from the Sleeping King himself. It turns out, however, that Alays is sensitive to magical energies, and her health is improving because she is traveling through healthier land that has more magic available for her to draw from. Magic is secretly but strictly regulated by the priesthood, and anyone who tries to use it outside of their purview is labeled a witch, and sentenced to a terrible fate: either death, or “alteration” into Misbegotten monsters. Alays is now in terrible danger through no fault of her own.

Vezian’s mentor, Father Marcellus, explains this to Alays, and arranges for her to escape to the Barrens via airship, piloted by a man named Lucas. In my original version of this story, Lucas is a shady fellow who almost certainly can not be trusted, and Vezian is exiled along with Alays. In the updated 2023 version of this story, I want Alays to go to the Barrens alone, taken there by Lucas, while Vezian is left behind without even the first clue what could have happened to his childhood best friend. In that case, Vezian has to hunt for Alays himself, and learn a great deal about the secrets the upper echelons of the priesthood have been hiding from him. Though Vezian doesn’t know it yet, Lucas will be instrumental in helping him find Alays once more.

This is, incidentally, a plot that I write over and over again, no matter how hard I might try to to get away from it: “Character A is separated from Character B and they must reunite,” except that once they do reunite, Vezian discovers that Alays is dying, and with Lucas's help must go on a dangerous journey across the Barrens and into the unknown in order to save her life.

What follows is a tale of adventure, exile, betrayal, and trust, that tests not only their faith, but everything Lucas, Vezian, and Alays thought they ever knew. There will be magic, and gods, new lands not seen in centuries, and old tales not heard in just as long.

(My worldbuilding for this is extensive, and highly distracting. Now if only I could get the story itself to be half as interesting.)

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Sunday Afternoon Session

Conducting: Quentin L Cook

Come Rejoice

D Todd Christofferson

A limiting trait is not being valiant in your testimony

Wholehearted devotion is what we should strive for

To make it to and stay in the Celestial Kingdom we must have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ and act on that testimony

Being Valiant in your testimony of Christ

Includes nurturing and strengthening that testimony

Heading His messengers

Encouraging others by word and example

We will not let anything keep us from being together forever

Do the things Jesus shall teach and command you

Taylor G Godoy

God hears our prayers and answers them in a personalized way

Mosiah 5:12

This life by its nature brings about experiences

Call Him, don’t fall

Just because you aren’t answered immediately doesn’t mean your call wasn’t answered at all

Confidence in the Lord’s answers requires accepting that they are not always what would expect in our minds for them to be.

The Lord is the first option for help

Call Don’t Fall (pray)

After prayer do all you can to obtain the answers you pray for

Humbly accept His answers

Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling

Gary E Stevenson

Where is the foundation of your bridge?

The two towers are love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor as thyself – these are the towers that the bridge of the gospel is supported by

Loving the Lord leads to eternal Happiness

Bridges our heavenly upward gaze to our heavenly outward gaze

Love of the Lord is not complete if we do not love our neighbors

Loving your neighbors includes Christlike deeps of love and service

How are you building your tower of love?

“did God call on you specifically, or were you simply the one who listened?”

These towers need to function together in balance, equal devotion, and harmony

God loves everyone and so should we; we seek out those in need and serve them regardless of race, wealth, gender identity, sexual orientation, or anything else

God commanded us to love one another. Leave judgement up to Him

How do we build our own bridge of faith and devotion?

Early drafts become polished blueprints

Mathias Held

Consequences are a part of agency

Repentance is where growth happens

Seek to learn and accept support from the Lord

In the darkness of night we can turn on our lights

We can still choose how to respond to things out of our control

We are agents not objects.

Opposites don’t exist apart from each other, they can complement each other.

Where there is sunshine, shadows must be there too. Floods brings destruction but they bring life as well

Our difficulties do not define us – it is our attitudes and choices that define us much better than our situations

How Firm a Foundation

Niel L Anderson

It is breathtaking to see the works of God

Discipline your faith, what does that mean to you?

Eleazer Cearcy – sealing story – this is why listen to promptings

Angels have charge over us

Through the power of the Holy Ghost we are filled with strength and peace and joy and unspeakable hope.

Many different ways to see the face of Christ and no better place than in His holy house

Mark L Pace

Transform our homes into sanctuaries of faith

The scriptures are here to help us draw closer to Him

How can you avoid personal apostasy?

We are responsible for our own personal spiritual growth

The most important copy of the book of Mormon is the one you read

Heavenly Father wants you to know yourself – but you must put in the effort

Russell M Nelson

Called to apostles 40 years ago!

Six temples when he was born

Ponder what the Lord’s promise means for you personally

The priesthood was restored prior to the church – to ensure that the church could be organized with the correct authority

The priesthood keys are the only way we get the essential ordinances and covenants, the only way we can have blessings the way we do – we can extend all the blessings promised to/by Abraham to all God’s children

D&C 110

The gathering of Israel is evidence God loves all of His children everywhere

The gospel of Abraham is further evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere

The sealing power is supreme evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere and wants them to return to Him

Study Kirtland temple dedicatory prayer in D&C 109

Regular temple worship will enhance how you see yourself

The temple empowers us to take on the challenges of life

You do not have to face life alone

What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?

No combination of wickedness will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord

Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than attending the temple as regularly as you can, nothing will protect you more, nothing will bolster your testimony of Christ and His atonement, or recognize the significance of His plan, nothing will soothe your spirit more, nothing will open the blessings of Heavens more

15 temples:

Uturoa, French Polynesia

Chihuahua, Mexico

Florianopolis, Brazil

Rosario, Argentina

Edinburgh, Scotland

Brisbane, Australia South Area

Victoria, British Colombia

Yuma, Arizona

Houston, Texas South Area

Des Moines, Iowa

Cincinnati, Ohio

Honolulu Hawaii

West Jordan Utah

Lehi Utah

Maracaibo, Venezuela

Now Let Us Rejoice

[orthodoxydaily]

SAINTS&READING: THURSDAY, 30 JANVIER, 2025

janaury 17 _ january 30

St Anthony the Great

St. Anthony the Great, Troparion, Tone IV — Emulating the demeanor of the zealous Elijah, and following the Baptist with forthright steps, O father Anthony, thou wast a dweller in the desert, and hast made the whole world steadfast by thy supplications. Wherefore, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Kontakion, Tone II, "Seeking the highest" — Having cast off the tumults of life, thou didst live a life of stillness to the end, emulating the Baptist in every way, O all-venerable one. Wherefore, we honor thee with him, O Anthony, first among the father

THE HOLY EMPEROR THEODOSIUS THE GREAT (395)

The Holy Emperor Theodosius the Great during his reign (379-395) delivered a decisive blow to paganism by issuing an edict, under which any sort of service to the pagan gods was considered a violation of the law. The zealous proponent of Orthodoxy promulgated many laws in defense of the Church and against heretics. He convened the Second Ecumenical Council (381).

He ended his life in Milan in 395 at the age of fifty. Saint Theodosius often said that he was more fortunate to be a member of Christ’s holy Church than an emperor.

St. MACARIUS KALOGERAS, HIERODEACON OF PATMOS (1737) (1737).

He was born to a prosperous family on the island of Patmos. As soon as he was old enough to leave home, he attended the Patriarchal School in Constantinople, where he distinguished himself. He became a monk, then a deacon, but always refused to be ordained to the priesthood, though the Metropolitan of Nikomedia wished Makarios to be his successor. Instead, he returned to Patmos in 1713 and entered the Monastery of St John the Theologian, where he remained until his death.   Though he lived in great asceticism and constant prayer, Saint Makarios was moved by a concern for the salvation and education of the Orthodox people, who often lived in great ignorance, even of their own faith, under Ottoman rule. He established a school in a building adjacent to the monastery and offered courses free of charge to any who could come. Modeling the curriculum on that of the Patriarchal School, he served more as a spiritual father than a worldly professor. The school grew steadily, partly due to generous contributions from a few wealthy Greek families and trade guilds in Constantinople. However, many of the students were very poor and still had to pay for their own needs, and Saint Makarios used his own funds to aid the poorest of them. In addition, he secretly distributed any money that came to him personally to the poor on Patmos. The school at Patmos became famous throughout the Greek Church, and its head became a spiritual father to his students and the Greek nation. Bishops often asked him to write homilies; about sixty were published in book form as The Trumpet of the Gospel, which is still widely read today by the faithful. Having greatly edified thousands while laboring tirelessly for the salvation of his soul, Saint Makarios reposed in peace in 1737. 

Hebrews 13:17-21

17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us; we are confident that we have a good conscience in all things, desiring to live honorably. 19 But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. 20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 6:17-23

17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said: Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

[the-aether-temple]

Greetings! Welcome to my digital temple. I am an ordained minister (Ordained in 2014 within the multi-faith organization known as the Universal Life Church) and have over the last few years slowly but steadily converted to kemeticism. I am considering myself on a personal pathway towards a priesthood but do *not* consider myself a priest, yet.

I will only be offering digital religious services when my inbox is open. It is at the time of this writing, **closed**.

I look forward to sharing the light and joy that the netjer have brought into my life with the rest of the world and by association all who visit this tiny temple.

Go in peace, and may the netjer guide you to your oasis.

[eliteseven]

Hi. I read the new chapter. Left a comment but I wanna come here to say: AAAAAAAAAAA.

I have a question about the Sharran characters from Shadowheart's past. Are these actual Forgotten Realms characters or did you create them? If you did create them please tell me more!!!

Oh, what a cool question!!!! 😄💕 Thank you so much! Tbh I think the research is actually what makes writing this one so time consuming lol.

Every Sharran character mentioned by name in this chapter (and the Cormyrean Lionar/Capt. Morand!!) was fabricated by me lol. But not without some research!

(Sorry, this is a DOOZY of an answer lol)

So as usual, I took quite a few liberties with the world building- but I did consult my main two resources: The BG3 wiki and The Forgotten Realms wiki, respectively.

First, I read about the BG3 hierarchy:

Ranks of the Church of Shar from highest to lowest: Dark Justiciar Mother Superior of Shar Justiciar Crusader Sharran Fidelian Sharran Sentry Sharran Novice

Then, the FR iteration of the Church of Shar:

Titles

The church of Shar utilized a number of different titles for its clergy. Hundreds of years before Dale Reckoning, titles the church included:

Dark Heart, the leader of a temple.[23] Mother/Father Night, used to address superior priests.[17] Sister/Brother Night, used among most of Shar's clergy.[17] By the mid–14th century they had changed to: Flame of Darkness, an archpriest or direct servant of the Lady of Night.[2] Nightseer, the overpriest for the faithful within a given realm.[2] Darklady/lord, a senior priest that led a single cell.[2] Hand of Shar, an experienced priest that led Sharrans in battle or on quests for the church.[2] Watcher, the lowest-ranking order of the priesthood.[2] Adept of the Night, the title given to novice priests and priestesses.[2] Around a century later, the titles were simplified to include: Dark mother/father, leaders within the faith, with the suffix abbot or abbess[4] Dark sister/brother, fully-trained clergy members.[4] Initiate, novice members of the church.[4]

From here, it was just going to be about the experiences Shadowheart endured in the cloister, and building characters to fit. Now, not all these titles were applicable, but gave me a feel for what life in the cloister might have looked like. So:

Blademaster "Dark Brother" Kaelith: An arms master bearing responsibility for maintaining the armoury, training initiates to use arms, and maintaining order for Viconia. Could be a promoted Sentry, but it's not really a priest's position; so he gets the colloquial "Brother" as his title. He’s very clearly a zealot and a piece of shit, so…perfect! He quite literally would try to have the compassion beaten out of Shadowheart.

Overseer Serathia: Closest to a "Hand of Shar" but not quite; her position is that of a torturer or even an executioner. I don't think open combat is her specialty...she thinks she's an artist...or even A spymaster, if you will. She's good at getting secrets out, and teaching initiates to endure torture, mainly by just...inflicting it upon them. I leaned into making her an elf because that helps with the "years upon years of service to Shar" storyline, but also because I kind of liked the idea of Shadowheart being ostracized for being a half-elf. The idea of carving Shar's symbols into Shadowheart's flesh came from Shads' concept art tattoos!!!!

Ferg Drogher (Sharran sentinel, demoted back to lookout) : Idk I just think he's greasy and would do that type of shit. Also I think those shared dorms were just a fucking minefield for uncomfortable encounters. His comment when you meet him in Rivington about not wanting to believe rumors about "the company Shadowheart keeps" and then glaring at Serena always made me feel like he was a little into Shads. Unfounded but I just ran with it. Really- this scene is meant to highlight the one fucking time Viconia bothered to act maternal towards Shadowheart. She's cruel, she's abusive, but by Shar keep your greasy predatory fingers off her daughter chosen acolyte. This was inspired by the banter Jaheira has with a Selunite Shads about how Viconia may have loved her...in her own awful way.

Nightseer: He's a powerful overpriest who's been tasked with conducting this ritual for Shar. I took liberties with the name "Nightseer"- I believe his specialty lies in the ability to manipulate one's dreams, to do Shar's bidding, as he is with Serena. He is by far the most powerful person left in that cloister.

[angeltreasure]

hey so question, I think I went to the weirdest short mass ever. So a deacon? Not sure who he was, blessed congregation, did readings, did the communal prayer faithful or whatever its called, did the lamb of God, went straight into communion and sent us on our way. Was that a communion mass? I've never seen one before and I'm just so confused. Luke, I'm sure the host was consecrated beforehand since it came from the tabernacle and all.

This is exactly what I just experienced this morning, not a Mass, but a Communion Service, where the hosts are already consecrated beforehand. Communion Service may not be the official name for it but that’s what they said this morning. Today was the second one I ever experienced in my life. We have such a shortage of priests, let us pray for abundant, fruitful vocations to the priesthood.

[ofandrastes]

andres trevelyan, dragon age verse

statistics.

FULL NAME Andres Maxwell Trevelyan.

NICKNAMES Dre, Trevelyan

RACE Human.

GENDER & PRONOUNS Cisgender male, he/him/his.

SEXUALITY Bisexual.

NATIONALITY Ostiwicker.

RELIGION Andrastian.

POSITIVE TRAITS Noble, Courageous, Disciplined, Humble

NEGATIVE TRAITS Impatient, Paranoid, Rigid, Headstrong

AFFILIATION Herald of Andraste, Inquisitor

skills & abilities.

CLASS Warrior.

SPECIALIZATION Templar.

WEAPON Greatsword.

biography via the keep

As the youngest child of the Trevelyan noble house, Andres grew up in the Free Marcher city of Ostwick and have enjoyed a life of privilege. With close family ties to the Chantry, and many relatives among the priesthood and the templars, Andres was always expected to follow a similar path in service of the Maker.

In 9:41 Dragon, several members of House Trevelyan attended a Chantry conclave seeking to put an end to the Mage-Templar War. Included among the delegation was the youngest child of Bann Trevelyan, who was sent to assist their relatives or, if a mage, formed a part of the Mage delegation.

additional headcanon

Andres was betrothed to Marcello Freyette, the second son of an Orlesian Marquis, an engagement borne out of political allyship and, later, love. Marcello was also present at the Conclave and, unfortunately, was one of the many killed. This devastated Andres greatly, though in the time passed since he's had little time to grieve -- the title of the Herald of Andraste, the Inquisitor, does not afford him that privilege. First, he must save the world, and then...

decisions under cut

EXPLORING THEDAS reached the inner sanctum, investigated the dwarven ruins, rescued troops from the avaar, helped refugees, did not gain cultists' allegiance, fairbanks revealed to be a noble, fairbanks defeated the freemen, closed the lake's rift in crestwood, imshael was slain, captured suledin keep, claimed griffon wing keep

OPERATIONS inquisition forces deployed regularly, sutherland's company wasn't formed, jecin and celeste married for love, contacted johi

THE WRATH OF HEAVEN inquisitor accepts being chosen by andraste

CHAMPION OF THE JUST inquisitor went to therinfal redoubt, templars leashed, ser barris is alive

IN YOUR HEART SHALL BURN player declared for order

HERE LIES THE ABYSS grey wardens rebuilt, warden contact left in fade

WICKED EYES AND WICKED HEARTS celene rules, reconciled with briala, empress celene lived, grand duchess florianne killed

WHAT PRIDE HAD WROUGHT morrigan drinks from the well, respected temple tradition & allied with guardians

DOOM UPON ALL THE WORLD leliana is divine

JUDGEMENTS AT SKYHOLD inquisitor was a recruiting judge

companions & advisors

DORIAN romanced, planned to return to tevinter, reconciled with his father.

BLACKWALL recruited and stayed, left prison as rainier

IRON BULL recruited, saved the chargers, tal-vashoth

CASSANDRA rebuilt seekers, discovered book of secrets

SERA recruited, killed harmond

COLE recruited and stayed, more human

SOLAS freed his friend

VARRIC tracked the red lyrium source

VIVIENNE gave snowy wyvern heart

CULLEN encouraged not to use lyrium

JOSEPHINE did favors for du paraquettes

LELIANA steeled

TRESPASSER disbanded inquisition, stop solas at all costs

SHIPPING in my canon gameplay, andres ends up with dorian but truthfully i can see him with anyone. he's a big romantic, and sharing his faith will most likely bridge that gap quicker than others, though he's not opposed to those who do not believe or have different beliefs. please keep in mind that andres, through my personal headcanon for him, is very much grieving the death of his fiancé, so that will be an obstacle to overcome.

CLOSED SHIPS: Dorian

TEMPLARS VS MAGES as a trevelyan, andres' ties to the templar order run deep and go back generations. at the beginning of the game he is less sympathetic to the mage's plight hence why he chooses to approach the templars to enlist. however, seeing as they are just as capable of being corrupted, he begins to soften his stance hence why he leashes them by the end of champon of the just. also, if he is romancing a mage, that helps him balance his opinions better as well.

ANDRASTIANISM andres grew up a devout andrastian, and i don't believe that changes by the end of the game. he does struggle with the notion of being the 'herald of andraste', however, torn between feeling like a fraud and wondering if he actually could have been chosen for this -- which then makes him question pretty much everything. however, by the end he's faith is reaffirmed, believing that although he may not have been a prophet chosen by the maker, he was set on this path toward victory for a reason.