#but jacobanism is about fearing the watcher | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

morgaine2005 · 8 years ago

Text

Tressia BACC: Jacoban Religion

So, you know, it’s been a few ... months ... but I finally got around to doing Hat’s questionnaire for the Jacoban religion! Just in time, too, because I finally have a Jacoban cathedral and clergy member joining the hood.

And speak of the devil. I’ll be putting pictures of that cathedral in this post, because otherwise, nobody’s gonna read a nearly 30-page word doc except me.

As with the Peteran religion, feel free to borrow ideas/steal ideas/question my assumptions and logic. Credits go to Hat for coming up with the questionnaire and TSM for coming up with the Jacoban faith.

Everything else is going under a cut because this thing is fucking massive. Including more pics!

Religious Figures

Pretty fountain. I imagine that once I get some Peteran teens, soaping the fountain will be a popular prank.

-- Not every religion has to be about a Deity, but there has to be some kind of central figure holding the code together, even if this figure is a philosophy, a list, or a celestial body.

Is this religion built around a single god (monotheistic), many gods (pantheistic), or are there even gods at all (philosophical religions, ancestor veneration)?

The Jacoban religion centers around a single god, the Watcher. What's the Deity (central figure) of the religion like? If the Deity is more like a philosophy, what's involved in the philosophy?

Jacobans believe that the Watcher is a controlling, vengeful, and wrathful god who demands absolute obedience from the Sims in all things. (Or at least that’s what they say in their press. They’ve actually gotten quite good at rules-lawyering their way out of things while claiming to follow the letter of the Watcher’s laws.) The Watcher created the Sims and watches over them; in return, the Sims are expected to do as their told and follow the Watcher’s laws … or else.

The Watcher is nearly always referred to as male in Jacoban iconography and texts. However, Jacobans do believe that the Watcher is beyond gender – it’s understood (at least among theologians, etc.) that referring to the Watcher as male is just a convenience. But unlike in the Peteran church, there is no subculture of people referring to the Watcher as female as a thought experiment (or if there is, it’s very, very deeply buried). The Jacoban hierarchy does not approve of thought experiments. If there's a pantheon, who else is in it? What are they like? (If you don't have specific ideas yet, get down broad strokes-- 'the pantheon is basically the Deity's family and extended family,' or 'it's less a pantheon and more a lot of nature spirits'-- both work well and leave you room to edit or add more so you don't write yourself into a corner.)

No pantheon, monotheistic. If the religion is monotheistic, are there other non-central figures that are more divine than mortals but less divine than the deity? If so, what are they like? Are any of them adversarial to the Deity?

Like the Peterans, Jacobans believe in the Holy Llamas and the Grim Reaper. Unlike the Peterans, they view the Grim Reaper as an antagonistic figure to the Watcher. It is their belief that the Grim Reaper was once a Holy Llama who angered the Watcher (See creation myth for more details). As punishment, he was cast down into the Underworld with his followers, who were turned into cow demons. (Yes, I’m bringing the cow demons back.) The Grim Reaper “rules” over the Underworld, a place of torment for the unrighteous. He is also forced to convey the righteous into Paradise, so that he must glimpse time and time again what he will never again be allowed to join. Do the figures of the religion, if there are multiple figures, have associations? What sort of pattern do those follow? (Thor, god of thunder or Jude, patron saint of lost causes, or the Olympian model, where top-tier gods have less-specific associations than lower tiers, so you have the God of the Sky, the God of the Sun, the Goddess of Rainbows, et cetera...)

In addition to the Holy Llamas, Grim Reaper, and cow demons, the Jacobans have a communion of saints. These are Jacobans who were so virtuous that when they died, their entrance to Paradise is considered to be assured. These saints take the same name formation as Jude, patron saint of lost causes. They are considered to help the Watcher and the Holy Llamas run the world from the afterlife. The Jacobans believe that in that communion of saints, there is a hierarchy, with the extremely holy at the top (martyrs, Proxies, great converters, etc.) and the merely decent at the bottom (people who made it into Paradise without doing anything special).

Followers

Eating area. Eating during services isn’t encouraged, but outside the cathedral is fine.

-- Most religions exist (and persist) for the same handful of reasons: to explain the unexplainable, to offer comfort in difficult times, and usually to provide some kind of moral framework for the faithful. What does the religion promise to gain or retain followers? Does religious doctrine revolve around hope, fear, love, retribution, power, defiance, something else?

Fear is the primary driver of Jacoban faith. Jacobans believe (or at least claim to believe) that the Watcher is one curse word or one ventrilo-fart away from unleashing fire and death down on the Sims. Even if the Watcher isn’t interested in genocide this week, individual Sims always have to reckon with the possibility of being sent to the Underworld if they bring down the Watcher’s Wrath upon them.

But with fear comes, oddly, hope. Jacobans believe that while terrible punishments await the disobedient, those who are pure and virtuous have an unparalleled reward awaiting them in the hereafter – and also, possibly, in this life, since it is believed that the Watcher shows favor to those who are righteous in his sight. Do good things, and good things will happen to you. Do bad things … and, well, it was nice knowing you, buddy. How does the religion attempt to explain the unexplainable, the seemingly random, and natural disasters? How would religious doctrine or tradition answer when asked "Why did Bob get struck by lightning?"

It is the Jacobans’ belief that the unexplainable, the random, and natural disasters are the result of the sins of the Sims. However, there is a great deal of debate within the church as to whether those Sims are general or specific. Do hurricanes, thunderstorms, earthquakes, etc. always strike because of specific sins that the Sims in the area committed? Or do these things exist because Sims are, as a whole, disobedient and unruly, and so sometimes the righteous get swept up in the same flood that strikes the unrighteous (who, as far as the Jacobans are concerned, vastly outnumber the righteous in any case)? Most Jacobans believe that the answer is probably a mix of both.

In terms of “Why did Bob get struck by lightning?” the first thing a faithful Jacoban would do is ask what Bob has done lately. Has Bob been wrathful, disrespectful, or indiscreet? Has he engaged in unlawful sexual practices or theft? If the answer is “yes” to any of those questions, then most Jacobans will stop looking for further explanation. Bob was unrighteous and was punished. Fin.

But if all evidence suggests that Bob was a righteous Sim, then the Jacobans will start looking farther afield: Bob’s family, his neighborhood, his hometown, even his country. Perhaps Bob was struck by lightning as a warning to them. Perhaps some other disaster is about to strike the area, and Bob was struck by lightning as a means of sparing him a worse fate. (The Watcher can be merciful – he just often chooses not to be.)

However, Jacobans also believe that there is no pain or torment of body that holds a candle to the tortures that await the unrighteous in the Underworld – and that any amount of pain of body is preferable to an eternity in the Underworld. They also hold that it is the Watcher’s final judgment at death that really matters to the Sims, not anything that happens in the mortal world. It doesn’t matter whether Bob dies peacefully in his bed, is struck by lightning, or dies on the scaffold – if he was a righteous Sim, he’ll go to Paradise, and that’s all that matters. How does the religion comfort its believers and see them through in difficult times? If Bob dies of an infected guinea pig bite, leaving Betty widowed, what does religious doctrine say she should do now? Does it have any instructions for her neighbors, friends, or relatives (by blood or through Bob, or both if there's a difference)?

The idea of Paradise is the Jacoban’s primary comfort to the afflicted. No matter what followers go through in this world, if it gets them to Paradise, then it’s all to the good. Jacobans also believe that even the most heinous of sins can be absolved in a follower sincerely repents – even if the repentance occurs on the follower’s deathbed. This enables them to offer comfort even when the conduct of the deceased in life would make one doubt s/he would end up in Paradise.

In terms of widows/widowers, Jacobans believe that they should enter a period of strict mourning, usually about a year. After that time, they are free to begin to live their lives again, including searching for another spouse if they should so desire. (This is not compulsory.) As for instructions for Betty’s neighbors, friends, etc., Jacobans believe that doing good deeds is a good way to gain the Watcher’s favor. They would encourage them to help out when/if they are able, but would not compel anyone to help in any particular way. What's the religion's overall moral code? What does 'be good' mean to the religion, and what are the consequences of failing to be good? If the religion bans Theft (hypothetically), what does its doctrine say awaits Betty if she steals Sylvia Marie's lawn gnome?

The overall moral code of the Jacobans is strict. The highest virtue is obedience – obedience to the Watcher’s Will as expressed by the Jacoban priests. Obey the dictates of the Jacoban priests, the thinking goes, and everything will be all right. Even if individual priests lead individual followers astray, the Watcher won’t punish the followers, as they were practicing the virtue of obedience as they ought. Most of the rules Jacobans are supposed to obey center around docility, hard work, and respecting one’s betters.

If Betty steals Sylvia Marie’s lawn gnome, then Jacoban doctrine says she’s in for a world of trouble. The Watcher may decide to punish her right away, via lightning or a natural disaster or a slew of bad luck. Or the Watcher could hold out, bide his time, and wait for Betty to die – in which case, Betty would be thrown into the lake of fire that sits in the center of the Underworld, to be tortured for all eternity.

HOWEVER, Betty can still save herself! If she confesses her sin to a Jacoban priest, sincerely repents her evil deed, and completes whatever penance she is assigned to the best of her ability, then Betty can still have a place in Paradise. But she’d better hurry, because she has no way of knowing whether the Watcher will call her to reward/punishment today or in twenty years … Are transgressions against other mortals considered more or less serious than transgressions against the Deity (or the central philosophy)? If the religion bans Same-Sex Romance (hypothetically), what does its doctrine say awaits Melissa and Claire if they have sex?

Transgressions against the Watcher are considered far worse than transgressions against other mortals. Transgressions against other mortals can be excused or written off as misunderstandings. Transgressions against and flagrant disobedience of the Watcher is the worst sin a Sim can commit, and Sims who do this can expect the harshest possible punishments.

So let’s move to Melissa and Claire. By sleeping with each other, Melissa and Claire are subverting the Watcher’s natural order, which is that men and women are supposed to sleep together to create little Jacobans children. If Melissa and Claire only do it once, sincerely repent and are absolved, they should be fine. But if they make a habit of it and refuse to repent or be absolved, then they can expect an eternity in the Underworld.

Mythology

No church is complete without a graveyard. At least not in my hood.

-- Most religions have some mythology attached. These stories help to codify a religion's explanations, comfort, and morality, but also teach worshipers why deities should be respected, feared, or loved. It isn't necessary to know all the stories right away (in fact, it can be better not to, so you can write yourself out of corners later), but broad strokes of the mythology are good to know especially any stories that are likely to be reflected in daily life or regular worship. What are the bones of this religion's creation myth? Who made the world? Why? Is the central figure the same figure who made the world? Why or why not? What's the world made out of? Why are things how they are?

In the beginning, there was the Watcher. The Watcher was all that there was in the universe.

But the Watcher was not content with this state of affairs. So the Watcher started to create.

First, the Watcher created the sky and the stars, the land and the waters. But that wasn’t enough. So the Watcher created plants and animals, birds and fish. That still wasn’t enough. He created also the Holy Llamas, but they were limited company. Finally, the Watcher created creatures in his own image – the Sims.

The Sims were the most precious of the Watcher’s creations. They were his dearest darlings and the apple of his eye. Though his love for the Holy Llamas was boundless, it could not compare to the love he bore the Sims.

One of the Holy Llamas grew jealous of this love. So he decided he would corrupt the Sims so that the Watcher would love them less and once again love the Llamas. So the evil Llama thought and thought, and finally he came upon the perfect plan.

In the realm of Paradise, there was a certain river that gave all those who drank from it the ability to desire, and also the knowledge of how to temper that desire to be ever on the Watcher’s right side. The Holy Llamas had been given this water to drink when they were first created, but the Sims were not. So the evil Llama took a flagon of this water and used it to water the plants and trees that the Sims used for food. Thus, when the Sims ate the fruits and vegetables, they were given a (pardon the pun) watered-down version of the water. They were given the ability to desire – Wants – but not the discernment to know which wants should be fulfilled and which should not.

As the evil Llama had planned, the Sims went wild. Once, they were meek and obedient, only doing as the Watcher bid and being content to bask in his love. Now, they ran around like madmen. Some jumped on couches and juggled bottles. Others pulled pranks all day long. Still more spent hours chasing butterflies and catching bugs. Some others were consumed by the desire to Woohoo every Sim that crossed their path, while others created baby after baby while scarcely paying attention to the babies they had. Yet more were so consumed by the desire to make friends, or better themselves, or make money that they forgot all about the Watcher.

The Watcher saw this and was wroth. But instead of smiting the Sims all at once, as the evil Llama had hoped, the Watcher turned on the Llamas. “Who has given them the sacred water? It is only the sacred water that would make them act thus! Tell me at once!”

The evil Llama tried to hang back, but the Watcher saw this. “You! You are the traitor! Foul fiend! You disgrace the name of Llama, so shall be a Llama no more!”

And the evil Llama was transformed. No longer did he have the figure of a four-legged herbivore, peaceful and gentle. Instead, he was transformed into a figure rather like the Sims, but woefully incomplete. He was bones only, wrapped a cloak.

He became the Grim Reaper and was flung into the Underworld, a lake of fire and place of torment.

But that still left the problem of what to do with the Sims. Some of the Llamas suggested that the Watcher smite them and start again. The Watcher was wroth at this suggestion, since that was exactly what the Grim Reaper had wanted from the beginning. He transfigured those Llamas into demons in the shape of cows, and flung them into the Underworld with one final geas: to obey the Grim Reaper in all of his commands, except for those which the Watcher himself directly contravened.

But that still left the problem of what to do with the Sims. Finally the smallest and humblest of the Llamas suggested, with a shaking voice, that perhaps the Sims could be given something like the discernment that the Llamas enjoyed, so that even if they had Wants, they would only fulfill those which fulfilled the Watcher’s Will.

The Watcher heard this suggestion and pronounced it a good one. So he gave the Sims Fears to go with their Wants. When Fears were fulfilled, they would bring the Sims low, forcing them to remember the Watcher and turn to him for aid. The Watcher also made the land of the Sims much harsher, introducing weather and seasons, making it harder for the Sims to survive so that more of their energy would be spent fulfilling their Needs than chasing frivolous and sinful Wants.

Finally, the Watcher gave the Grim Reaper a geas of his own. In addition of ruling the Underworld (which in practice means partaking of more of the torments of it than anyone else), he was to act as ferryman of the Sims. Once they died, he was to take them to the Watcher, where they would be judged. Those who were righteous and obedient would be taken into the Watcher’s Paradise; those who were not would be cast into the lake of fire with the Grim Reaper and his cow demons.

And that was how the world came to be – how the world was created, how the Sims were created, and how evil entered into the world.

But of course, that’s hardly the end of the story.

What are some of the prominent myths besides the creation myth? Broad strokes are okay.

Probably the next most-important myths are the founding myth of the Jacoban church and the myth of what led to the schism between the Jacoban and Peterans faiths.

Many centuries had passed since the Watcher had created the Sims. And the Watcher was close to despair. Despite the Fears that were meant to keep the Sims in check, Sims were still fulfilling disobedient and frivolous Wants. The older they got, the worse they got – for they had learned that if they died in a truly blissful state, the Grim Reaper would come for them with lovely hula zombies and a drink with an umbrella in it, and those foolish Sims never saw beyond the immediate and did not realize that what came after the umbrella drink and hula zombies was most important.

The Watcher thought that he might have to give the Grim Reaper what he wanted, smite all the Sims and start again. But he looked across the land one more time before hitting the Smite button – and found a righteous man.

His name was Jacob, and he lived in the land now called Yacothia. He was thoughtful and pious, only fulfilling those of his Wants that were holy, shunning those that were not. And the Watcher had an idea.

He appeared to Jacob and revealed his Will. He set upon Jacob an awesome task: to teach the Will of the Watcher to all of the people, so that they might learn how to avoid the Watcher’s Wrath and return to Paradise at the end of their lives.

Jacob took up the task, but he soon found himself running into trouble. No matter how enthusiastic the Sims were at the beginning of their conversion, soon they would start fulfilling those troublesome Wants once again. And even though they said they were trying to follow the Watcher’s Will, it was hard – the feeling that came from fulfilling Wants was just too intoxicating.

So Jacob thought and thought, and he went to the Watcher with a request. “Might it be possible,” he asked, “for the Sims to be given one powerful Want that, once they fulfill it, they will forever be in bliss – so that they need not worry about their other troublesome Wants, and instead can live in righteousness and justice?”

And the Watcher glowered. “The Sims are incredibly stupid,” said the Watcher. “They have no true discernment, only Wants and Fears. What if their that Want is something sinful? Some of these Sims have wants to Woohoo as many as 30 other Sims, or have 30 lovers at once, or commune with all of the unclean and unholy creatures! And even those who have Wants that are not sinful do not have Wants that are holy and centered around me.”

“That is true, O Mighty Watcher,” said Jacob, “but can any Sim live a righteous life from start to finish? If you do not give them some way to make up their mistakes, then all will be sent to the Grim Reaper, and you will be separated from them for all eternity. The Grim Reaper will win.”

“That cannot be,” the Watcher said, and with that he acquiesced to Jacob’s request. That is how Sims were given the Lifetime Want, so that they might gain their blissful state of mind early and be able to concentrate on following the Watcher’s Will thereafter. Furthermore, only followers of the Watcher were given this great gift, so Jacob’s task of converting the Sims became much easier.

So the Jacoban church was founded. Jacob compiled all of Watcher’s commands into one book, the Dictates of the Watcher. And he spoke for the Watcher, and the people were glad to hear him.

But all Sims must die, and in time Jacob was called to his reward. (He got the full hula zombie treatment, for what it’s worth.) And when he left, trouble started.

Jacob had two top disciples: a woman named Agnes and a man named Peter. Agnes was the most obedient and humble of Jacob’s disciples, but Peter Jacob loved like a son. Peter, though, was not the best of Jacobans. Curious and free-thinking, he had an annoying tendency for asking questions and a disrespectful sense of humor. He was also unfailingly kind, even to those who didn’t deserve it, and worried overmuch about suffering of the body. On the other hand, Agnes was a stickler for the doctrine, did always as she was told, and remembered always that suffering of the body was nothing compared to the torments that awaited the unrighteous in the Underworld.

The argument over who should succeed Jacob was tense and vicious, though not bloody, but eventually Agnes was chosen to be the new leader of the church. Agnes, however, refused to be called leader or head. She said she would only be called Jacob’s Proxy. It was not for her to lay down doctrine or make decisions, but only to speak for Jacob, as Jacob had spoken for the Watcher.

So the church remained as one, and though Peter and his followers were displeased with Agnes’s unflinching devotion to the Watcher’s Word and strict interpretation of Jacob’s teachings, they were silent. All of that changed, however, after Agnes and the Paladin order she founded, Jacob’s Sword, managed to forcibly convert a whole colony of Plantsims – an unholy crossbreed of plant and Sim, twisted into being by the Grim Reaper to lead Sims astray. These Plantsims were converted and cured of their unholy condition. As a result, though, many of the Plantsims (many of whom had been in this state since birth) died. They could not handle the physical and psychological strain of life with eight Needs instead of three.

Agnes and her followers rejoiced. The Watcher had delivered these Sims into the True Faith and had arranged it so that they would pass into Paradise without having the opportunity to relapse or sin again. Truly the Watcher was a merciful god!

Peter and his followers, however, focused instead on the (wholly meaningless) temporal suffering of the former Plantsims. They argued that it could not be the Watcher’s Will for Sims to die before their time to fit someone else’s idea of what was right. The arguments mounted on both sides, and to be true both sides said things they regretted, until Peter crossed the line by accusing Agnes of murder, morally if not literally.

This could not stand, but Agnes was hesitant to move against Peter – whom, remember, Jacob had loved like a son – without knowing for certain that this was the Watcher’s Will. So she retreated into prayer and contemplation to determine what to do next. Unfortunately Peter took this time to realize his grave error, gather his followers, and make his cowardly escape.

He ventured far to the east, until he found some Sims who had never heard of the Watcher. Then he began to convert them to the Way of the Watcher – but a bastardized way full of heresies and half-truths, starting with the idea that Peter was Jacob’s brother and snowballing from there.

Peter called his church the Peteran Church, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But one thing remains to be told: the eventual fate of Agnes, First Proxy, who reigned for many years after Peter’s defection. Official Jacoban doctrine holds that she was assumed bodily into Paradise without having to go through the inconvenience of dying. This was an honor that rivalled even those heaped upon Jacob, and was given to her for her unflinching obedience and humility. It also explains why there is no gravesite for the Jacobans to venerate as they do for Jacob.

This is the official doctrine, but there a couple of interesting heresies regarding Agnes’s eventual fate. One says that in her old age, Agnes’s obedience and humility became a dogmatic intolerance that was extreme even by Jacoban standards. Some say that she would stalk the streets of Yacothia, the holy city, knitting furiously as she searched for Sims who were sinning. When she found sinners (and she usually did – even in Yacothia, nobody is perfect), she would beat them with her purse until the Justiciars could be sent for to bring the sinners to justice.

Some heretics say that eventually other high-ranking members of the church grew exasperated with this behavior, so they had Agnes murdered and her body dumped in a secret place. They then invented the story of assumption into heaven to explain the lack of a body.

The second heresy largely agrees with the first, but with a twist. Though the high-ranking church members attempted to have Agnes murdered, they did not succeed: the Watcher and Jacob protected her. But she was badly injured in their attempt and was spirited away for rest and healing. When she returned, the traitorous church members had already taken over the entire city and the church, and Agnes could not retain her rightful position. So the Watcher counselled her to wait until the time was ripe.

Those who believe this heresy say she’s still waiting, stalking the streets of Yacothia in an old-fashioned Shepherdess’s habit, always on the lookout for sinners and beating the ones she finds with her purse.

What does the religion's mythology have to say about the afterlife? What happens to the soul or spirit after death? If ghosts are allowed to roam free in your game, how does this religion explain them?

I think I’ve said quite a bit about the afterlife, how the righteous go to Paradise and the unrighteous are sent to the Underworld.

As for ghosts, Jacobans view them as the spirits of the deceased temporarily sent back to the world of the living in order to teach a lesson to those who remain. (Like the Peterans, they too have noticed that ghosts only appear at specific times and in specific places.) Generally this lesson is held to be “Repent, sinner!” Jacobans can’t conceive of any other reason for the Watcher to allow the dead back into the living world.

They also hold that one cannot tell whether the ghost of a deceased Sim is residing in Paradise or the Underworld simply by looking at them. Even Sims in the Underworld might be tasked by the Watcher to fulfill some task – and once Sims are no longer in the living world, they cannot disobey the Watcher.

Tenets

Interior shot, length of the church.

-- G-Rated and Original (with the Original romantic and sexual Tenets included to help round out the Religion. They're useful, they just conflict with things). Banning is always a flat ban, but allowing can mean anything from 'this religion encourages that' to 'this religion stays out of that.' WRATH: Does the religion ban or allow outbursts of temper, aimless rage, or shouty tantrums? Why or why not?

BANNED

The Jacoban holy book is full of stories that include the words “and the Watcher was wroth.” It is the belief of the Jacobans that Wrath is purely something for the Watcher. The idea of usurping his authority by becoming wrathful oneself is something rather frightening, as the last thing you want to do as a Jacoban is make the Watcher wroth at you. THEFT: Does the religion ban or allow taking things that belong to someone else, whether or not you can make use of them yourself? Why or why not?

BANNED

Jacobans have a highly developed sense of “mine” and “thine.” They have supreme respect for private property, and theft is punished quite harshly in Jacoban-controlled lands. It is their belief that the Watcher will sometimes indicate his favor for a particular Sim by showering that Sim with material goods – and to attempt to relieve a Sim of what the Watcher has granted them is something likely to make the Watcher quite wroth indeed.

Plus, let’s face it, the Jacobans agree that if you wouldn’t like someone taking your stuff, you shouldn’t do it to someone else. VIOLENCE: Does the religion ban or allow hostile physical contact, everything from a mean poke to make a point to feeding someone to a cowplant? Why or why not?

ALLOWED

Of course there are caveats to this. Using Violence on one’s fellow Jacobans is severely discouraged, and pretty much every Jacoban-controlled land has the usual proscriptions on assault, murder, etc. (Note: play violence like red hands or punch-u-punch-me is fine, as long as both Sims want to play.)

But Jacobans are relatively comfortable with the idea of violence, provided it’s directed against the right people (i.e. non-Jacobans). This is a religion that has no problem with spreading itself by means of the sword. There’s a church-run army. They are perfectly fine with breaking some heads if that’s what it takes to ensure that the Watcher’s Will is done.

And remember – the Jacobans believe that no bodily torture can hold a candle to the torments that await the unbeliever/heretic/sinner in the Underworld. If your ultimate goal is to stop someone from suffering an eternity in the Underworld, it’s very easy to take a “the ends justify the means” route. INDISCRETION: Does the religion ban or allow rude behavior that may be incidental or harmless as easily as petty and mean? Why or why not?

BANNED

Jacobans believe it is important to be on one’s best behavior always. The Watcher is always, well, Watching. Crass and impolite behavior is simply Not Done. Do it at the wrong time, and you might very well make the Watcher wroth. DISRESPECT: Does the religion ban or allow intentionally mean, sometimes petty, always insulting acts against others? Why or why not?

BANNED

The Jacobans are a rigidly hierarchical faith and strongly enforce respect for one’s betters. This means that those who are lower are always to be bowing and scraping before those who are higher, and those who are higher must behave with dignity and decorum in order to set a good example for the lower.

Someone waltzing in with a Ventrilo-fart is going to ruin that whole picture. Plus, they really hate it when someone soaps the pretty fountains they stick outside the cathedrals. ADULTERY: Does the religion ban or allow married people from romantic and/or sexual activity outside their marriage? Why or why not?

BANNED

Gonna be honest here – I’m really glad this one isn’t in the mod I’m using, because it lets me be more nuanced. (Also makes it easier to play Romance Sims …)

As a matter of doctrine, adultery is banned. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. And if you ask any member of the Jacoban clergy, they will say that quite emphatically.

But in practice … Adultery is a sin, but it’s a sort of sin you can be forgiven from if you went about the sin in the right way. Generally men have a bit more leeway in this than women (as men are less immediately responsible for any children they happen to engender out of wedlock than women are). It also depends on who’s doing the sinning – the upper classes are given more of a pass than the lower classes. And it also depends on who the sinner is sinning with. An occasional tumble with a prostitute is much more easily forgiven than a long-running affair, at least from a religious perspective.

(Gonna get into more detail on this in the Fornication sections below.) FORNICATION: Does the religion ban or allow unmarried people from sexual activity? Why or why not?

ALLOWED … reluctantly

If the Jacobans could have their own way in all things, they’d ban Fornication outright. But they have a problem, and that problem is that they control a physical territory, Yacothia. So as much as they’d like to ban all Fornication … it’s not something that they can actually make work.

So they work around it. Engaged couples who anticipate their wedding are not considered to have sinned, provided they actually do go through with the wedding. Courting couples who “go too far” and marry afterward get off with a light penance. Courting couples who “go too far” but don’t get married have to face a much heavier penance, but it’s still doable.

And then there are prostitutes. The Jacoban church actually tolerates them, because it’s their view that it’s better to let the people scratch their itches occasionally with a set of others who are already effectively “ruined” than risk a Fornication free-for-all. In Yacothia, these brothels are licensed by the government (i.e. the church) and heavily regulated. This regulation ensures that the workers are using some form of birth control at all times, that they receive medical care (so venereal diseases don’t spread), and that any children who are born despite the birth control are given up to the church to be raised in a “godly” fashion. Patrons are also highly taxed at these official brothels, with the tax serving as penance for the sin. (Get your sinning and your penance done at once. Efficiency!)

Church-run brothels also protect the workers from physical abuse and violence (which is not to be confused with consenting BDSM – which is allowed, as long as both parties are freely consenting). This is because the church feels that the brothels form an essential “pressure valve,” and let’s face it, the taxes are a good source of revenue.

Outside Yacothia, Jacobans who don’t have to worry about running a government in addition to a church may take a harder line toward Fornication, because that is supported by the text. They certainly won’t be licensing and collecting fees from brothels. SAME-SEX ROMANCE: Does the religion ban or allow romantic and/or sexual activity between two members of the same gender (lesbian, gay, or same-sex bisexual)? Why or why not?

BANNED

The Jacoban church sees sexual activity as meant for one thing and one thing only: reproduction. That they realize that there needs to be some kind of “safety valve” allows them to permit Fornication, that same indulgence does not extend to Same-Sex Romance. Which sucks. POLYGAMY: Does the religion ban or allow plural or group marriage (multiple spouses, of either gender, at once)? Why or why not?

BANNED

In Jacoban belief, you are allowed 1 and only 1 spouse at a time. Remember, sex is for reproduction, and if you neatly pair off 1 man with 1 woman, it’s much easier to tell whose kids are whose.

Practical Matters

Closeup of the altar.

-- These aren't playable Tenets no matter which version of Religion you use, but it's still important to ask. Where is the religion originally from? Has it spread? Dwindled? How does its origin affect its doctrine?

The church is originally from the land of Yacothia, far to the west of the Tressia main hood. Yacothia is a harsh, unforgiving land, and you can certainly see that expressed in the doctrine. But more than that, the Jacobans’ are an aggressive missionary religion, determined to spread at all costs – even by the sword if necessary. And the faith has certainly spread far and wide, as has its offshoot of the Peteran church. Does the religion have any local political influence? If so, how much influence, and how does the religion use that influence?

In Tressia, the church has limited political influence. (I mean, the politics career hasn’t even opened yet …) The future royal family will be Peteran, but I could see future kings and queens being willing to take Jacoban clergy’s counsel, and Jacobans will be allowed to live and worship freely in the land.

In Yacothia (which will eventually be annexed by Tressia – it’ll be the Downtown), it’s a different story. Yacothia is a theocratic city-state. The church is the state and the state is the church. Which means that nominally, the Jacobans are in charge of everything and their word is law … but actually ruling territory means that compromises must be made, so sometimes the rulers can’t take as hard a line as they would like. Does the religion have any local cultural or social influence? If so, how much influence, and how does the religion use that influence? Does culture and/or society have as much or more influence over the religion than it has over either of them?

The Jacobans will be getting a church in Tressia this round, as you can see from the pics. With that base, they will probably attempt to exert more influence over the culture, introducing a stricter set of ethics where and how they can. But right now, culture/society has more of an influence over the Jacobans than the Jacobans have over it. Tressia is still a relatively freewheeling place, and it’ll be interesting to see how things develop. Is marriage a religious matter? Is divorce? Are there religious requirements for an engagement, marriage, annulment, or divorce?

Jacobans view marriage as a sacrament and a religious matter. Divorce is religious as well, albeit not a sacrament. In order for a Jacoban marriage to be valid, these requirements must be met:

Both parties must be of age.

Both parties must consent to the match (note that does not say “freely”).

Both parties must be followers of the Watcher. If one party is not a Jacoban, the couple must promise to raise their children in the Jacoban faith.

Neither party can be already engaged or married.

The marriage must consist of one man and one woman.

The parties cannot be too closely related (game rules apply here).

(These are very similar to the Peteran rules – one thing that the faiths have in common.)

An engagement, once entered into, can be freely broken by either party. If the couple has already slept together, this is frowned upon, but it is still permitted.

However, after the marriage, it is very difficult for both parties to get out of it (unless you go the murder route, which is strongly discouraged). The first way out is an annulment. If the parties have not consummated the marriage, it can be annulled. If that is not the case, one of the following requirements must be met:

The parties did not meet all the requirements for marriage at the time of the marriage.

There was fraud involved in the marriage, which admittedly does go along with the “consenting” bit – you can’t consent or not consent to something if you don’t know the facts.

If the parties cannot get an annulment, they might seek a divorce. In order for the divorce to be granted, one of the following must be true:

There is flagrant abuse of one spouse or the children in the household (of the marriage, stepchildren, adopted children, apprentices, etc.).

One of the parties has committed adultery.

One of the parties is no longer a follower of the Watcher, even if they were at the time of the marriage.

One of the parties has committed heresy or blasphemy against the Jacoban church, even if they are still a member of it.

One of the parties abandons the other for a period of seven years or more. Abandonment requires leaving the area completely and having no contact with the spouse. Planned voyages and military conscription do not count as abandonment. It also should be noted that abandonment is different than “missing and presumed dead” – since marriage ends at death, if one of the parties is presumed dead, then the other is free to remarry.

Jacobans do not require parties to divorce even if all of the above are true; however, in some cases, divorce might be strongly encouraged by the clergy – particularly if one partner has committed apostasy and blasphemy. In Yacothia this would be especially strongly encouraged, as it would be a way for the non-heretic/apostate party to prove that they are still dedicated to the church.

Is interfaith marriage allowed? If so, are there any special requirements for it? What are they and why? If interfaith marriage isn't allowed, is converting to marry allowed? Why or why not?

Interfaith marriage is allowed as long as both parties are followers of the Watcher – i.e., Peterans can marry Jacobans, but nobody else can.

Jacobans will view marriages contracted between Jacobans and Peterans in the Peteran Church as being valid. However, in order for the marriage to take place in the Jacoban Church, the parties of the marriage must promise that their children will be raised in the Jacoban faith. (Peterans do not extract this kind of promise.) Furthermore, non-Jacobans are not allowed to live in the city of Yacothia, even if they are married to Jacobans. If a Jacoban from Yacothia married a Peteran, s/he would either have to move or the Peteran would have to convert.

Converting to marry is absolutely allowed, but with a caveat – the conversion must be “sincere.” What “sincere” means is deliberately left vague. Some Jacoban clergy will use that as a reason to harshly interrogate the convert for any signs of “insincerity,” while others will consider that a solemn vow to raise any children from the marriage in the Jacoban faith is plenty proof of sincerity. Overall, since the Jacoban church is quite welcoming of converts, those who wish to convert to marry will be allowed to do so. How does religious doctrine define virtue? How does it define vice? Does it have a concept of sin? Are there any particular prohibited behaviors beyond the official Tenets?

Virtue is defined as doing the Watcher’s Will as expressed by the dictates of the Jacoban church. In practice, this means being respectful of church authority and “one’s betters,” hardworking and thrifty, and eminently respectable. A holier-than-thou attitude is also seen as a useful and perhaps inevitable side effect of all of this.

Vice, of course, is the opposite of all of these. Challenging church authority, flouting Tenets and the (many) other dictates of the church, laziness, and living life without a care toward public opinion are all considered examples of vice. But the most important example of vice is refusing to conform to the Watcher’s Will.

The Jacoban church likes to proscribe behavior all the time – it’s one of the ways they keep the faithful in line and on their toes. Proscribed behavior can range from forbidding the wearing of certain colors to dietary restrictions. Usually these proclamations are rolled out with great fanfare and then ignored after a sufficient amount of time has passed that everyone has forgotten them. Are there any particular activities the religion prohibits only at Places of Worship? Is there an expected manner of dress at Places of Worship?

Respectful, quiet attendance is expected at Places of Worship. This would mean that behavior that disrupts the service is prohibited. This can range from a game of red hands/punch-u-punch-me to excessive PDA … which is to say just about any PDA. This sort of thing mostly applies in the church itself and on land owned by the church – if the lot has a large sidewalk/outside “public” area, then this kind of behavior might be tolerated in that area, but not in any gardens or cemeteries the church owns.

Jacobans expect that Sims will attend their Places of Worship in their very best attire. They believe that the Watcher is always present in the Places of Worship; therefore, it is incumbent on the worshippers to be on their very best behavior – and that includes their appearance.

Jacobans also favor a modest form of dress at Places of Worship, although it should be noted that “modest” mostly refers to “skin covered and cut not too revealing.” Rich fabrics, jewelry, etc. are not prohibited and often even encouraged, although some clergy members will get into a snit if the congregation’s attire outshines their ceremonial vestments. Who builds and maintains Places of Worship? Where do the funds to do so come from?

Jacoban clergy are responsible for building and maintaining the Places of Worship. This does not mean they are doing the actual work themselves (although some are heavily involved in the design if not the actual physical work). Usually, they will build the Places of Worship through a mix of paying for the work needed and extracting necessary work from professionals via penances.

The funds to build and maintain Places of Worship come from tithes and penances. Tithes are straightforward: every Jacoban household is expected to donate 10% of its wealth to the church to remain in good standing. Penances are given out as a way of making up for sins. Individual Jacoban clergy members are given a great deal of leeway when it comes to giving out penances to the faithful, so it is not at all uncommon for a clergy member whose church needs a new roof to suddenly be giving out cash penances for everything from arson and murder to jaywalking.

Jacoban clergy can also assign necessary building work as a penance directly. However, owing to past scandals, the church has some relatively strict guidelines on this sort of thing:

The penance cannot prevent the sinner from providing for his or her family.

The scope of work must be reasonable for one Sim to perform.

Materials must be provided by the church, not the sinner.

The penance must be something the sinner can actually do (so no assigning a Sim who is afraid of heights to fix the roof).

How does the religion deal with abandoned, unwanted, orphaned, or imperiled children among its followers? Does the religion have any influence over what happens to them at all? (This may vary depending on your game setting and how reflective of reality it is. The US stopped using orphanages altogether in the late 1970s and switched to the foster care system, though not every TV writer has picked up on the change.)

There are two different scenarios to cover here: in Yacothia and outside of Yacothia.

In Yacothia: Orphaned, abandoned, unwanted, and imperiled children are seen as the responsibility of the church and are raised in church-run orphanages. There are exceptions to this – for instance, orphaned/abandoned/unwanted children who are taken in by blood relatives are allowed to remain with them, provided said relatives are in good standing with the church. The church is also not afraid to define “imperiled” rather liberally if that keeps the faithful in line, and sometimes they can be slow to react to children who are in physical danger if their parents are in good standing with the church. But the Jacobans are not heartless, and while they give parents a lot of leeway for “discipline,” they will remove a child from the home if they think that child is in serious danger.

Outside of Yaconthia: How much sway Jacobans have over the fate of orphaned/unwanted/abandoned/imperiled children depends on their relationship with the local government. Generally local governments (including Tressia’s) are happy enough to let the Jacoban church take in kids who have nowhere else to go, because this means they don’t have to. However, there might be some spats with Peterans over kids who are religiously unaffiliated that the government has to mediate. Jacobans also have far less power to take in imperiled kids unless the government backs them up and provides the muscle to remove the kid from the home. What are the religion's views on each of the playable supernatural life states (aliens, zombies, vampires, servos, werewolves, plantsims, Bigfoot, witches and wizards)? Why does the religion have those views? Are any life states favored over the others, or over regular Sims? Are any life states looked down on or forbidden from the religion?

Aliens/the Fae: Jacobans are usually welcoming of full and half-Fae. They are very attracted to power, and power is something that half-Fae have quite a bit of. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Fae like them … though half-Fae have opinions are tend to be influenced by their mortal parent, where they grew up, etc.

Zombies: Jacobans are quite suspicious of zombies. Their thought is that any being that is dead ought by rights to stay dead. Furthermore, they can’t think of any circumstances under which the Watcher would permit a soul in Paradise to return to the earth under such reduced circumstances – ergo, anyone who comes back as a zombie must have been in the Underworld. The best a zombie can expect to get from a Jacoban is an exhortation to repent, now, before it’s too late.

Vampires: Jacobans are remarkably friendly with vampires. Their reasoning is that vampires are not really dead – they have simply chosen (or had chosen for them) a different way of being alive. After all, vampires aren’t immortal; they can be killed. Ergo, they are not flouting the Watcher’s Will by remaining alive when they should not be. Jacobans also do not have a problem with violence, so the blood feeding is not a deal-breaker for them … provided the vampire is feeding off the right people, of course.

Servos: Jacobans do not see Servos as being Sims. They believe that Servos are simply magical servants who are a bit more intelligent (and certainly longer-lasting) than the usual run of magical servants. As such, Servos do not have any particular rights or freedoms in Jacoban-controlled lands, and they are not permitted to join congregations, as only Sims can do that.

Werewolves: Werewolves are in an interesting position vis-à-vis the Jacoban church. Officially, there is no doctrine proscribing their being members or clergy. But many Jacoban clergy are nonetheless suspicious of them. They will often demand that a werewolf seek a cure (or simply straight up be cured if a cure is available) in order to be a member in good standing or to join the clergy.

Plantsims: The Jacobans do. Not. Like. Plantsims. This is because Plantsims are the principal (though far from the only) adherents of the religion of the Four Ideals. In order for a Plantsim to become a member in good standing with the Church (and certainly a member of the clergy), they would have to be cured. No ifs, ands, or buts. And the fact that the cure is often fatal for born Plantsims is not a problem to the Jacobans. This prejudice spills over to Jacobans who are turned into Plantsims – the best such a Jacoban can hope for is a none-too-friendly interrogation with a grudging conclusion that perhaps the Watcher is testing him or her. But no Jacoban clergy member would withhold a cure from a church member who was turned into a Plantsim, at least not once the interrogation was over.

Bigfoot: The Jacobans are … confused by Bigfoot. They’re not exactly certain what he is. But most of them would be willing to accept Bigfoot as a convert, perhaps even a clergy member, provided he behaves himself and acts as much like a Sim as he can.

Witches and wizards: Jacobans have no problem with witches and wizards. They are happy to welcome them into their congregations and even into the clergy. Jacobans view magic as a gift from the Watcher, so dedicating that gift to the Watcher’s service is seen as one of the best possible things one could do with it. But at the same time, witches and wizards are not unduly pressured to join the clergy, since sometimes they can be a bit unpredictable and annoyingly independent. Does the religion offer sanctuary? If so, are there eligibility requirements for it and what, if any, are they?

In Yacothia: … Put simply, no. The church runs the state. They wouldn’t be offering sanctuary from anyone.

Outside of Yacothia: Jacobans do offer sanctuary in limited cases – basically, when they have a disagreement with the government over what the accused is accused of doing. They might also be willing to act as an advocate for the accused in certain cases, but these are very limited and often dependent on the whims of the individual clergy members. Basically, people accused of crimes probably shouldn’t go to the Jacobans for help and sanctuary.

Clergy

Musicians’ corner.

-- You can't designate them in the mod, but you might want them in your game. "Clergy" is used as a gender-neutral term despite the Christian shadings, intended to designate Sims who help manage the religious needs of their community in some way, putting the 'organized' into 'organized religion.' Does the religion have clergy at all? If so, what are they called? If not, how do Sims manage their own religious needs?

The Jacoban religion has an entire hierarchy of clergy! Broadly, they are called Shepherds/Shepherdesses, though there are a number of different ranks within the clergy, from the lowliest Cathedral Attendant to the Proxy him/herself.

If you are addressing a clergy member directly, usually the form is “Shepherd/Shepherdess Name.” However, higher members of the clergy may be addressed as “Your Excellency” or, for the Proxy, “Your Holiness.” Who is eligible to join the clergy? Is anyone barred from it? Why?

All Jacobans in good standing, both men and women, are eligible to join the clergy – at least in theory. Certain life states (zombies, Servos, werewolves, Plantsims) are barred from the clergy. Prospective clergy members must also be single (i.e. either never married at all or currently widowed – divorced doesn’t count) with no minor children that need looking after.

The single bit is important because Jacoban clergy are forbidden from marrying after they join the clergy. Most of the reason why they are forbidden from marrying has to do with children – the Jacoban hierarchy does not want church wealth and power leaving the church via natural inheritance. As for why the different life states are barred, that is due to the Jacobans’ feelings about the different life states, which are explained above. What does the clergy do? What rituals does the religion have that might require clergypersons to participate in? What duties do they have, sacred or secular?

Shepherds (going with the masculine for convenience and to spare my poor fingers) are responsible for building and maintaining the Places of Worship (cathedrals), absolving the laity of their sins, penning local proclamations and spreading the proclamations of the Proxy, and in short, keeping the faith. They are expected to act as leaders of their congregations, keeping their sheep on the straight and narrow and offering moral advice and precepts.

In the city-state of Yacothia, the clergy also run the city and government. Not all government jobs are taken up by clergy members, but pretty much all of the higher ones are.

In addition to the sacrament of absolution, Jacoban Shepherds also participate in the marriages, baptisms, final rites and funerals of their flocks. Are there different levels of clergy? If so, what are they?

These are the levels I’ve put into my custom Jacoban clergy career, which should be on the Keep in a week or two (once I’m sure it doesn’t blow up my REAL game):

Cathedral Attendant: Servant to the clergy. In charge of keeping the cathedral clean, fetching and carrying, all that fun stuff.

Acolyte: Shepherd(ess)-in-training. Is learning how to give sermons, absolve Sims of sins, etc. May be allowed to sermonize/officiate at weddings, funerals, etc., but cannot yet grant absolution.

Shepherd(ess): The rank-and-file clergy members. Backbone of the church. Can perform all sacraments, but has very little power within the church hierarchy. Cannot yet lead a congregation independently, but can help with the training of Acolytes.

High Shepherd(ess): Functionally the same as a Shepherd; however, has more seniority and respect within the church hierarchy. Can lead a congregation independently and train Acolytes.

Eye of Jacob: Overseer of a group of Shepherds (and High Shepherds). The highest-ranked clergy member in a particular subhood. Usually the nominal leader of a congregation, but might leave a lot of the congregation-running work to a Shepherd and/or High Shepherd.

Eye of the Watcher: Based in Yacothia. (All levels from here on up are based in Yacothia.) Oversees a group of Eyes of Jacob. May also participate in helping to run the city-state of Yacothia. Eyes of the Watcher are the electors who choose the Proxy.

High Priest(ess): Only 1 Sim can hold this role. S/he is in charge of politically running Yacothia, managing civil society, diplomacy, etc. Since most of the High Priest(ess)’s duties are concerned with the secular minutiae of running a government, this person has (relatively) little power in the church as a whole.

Grand Convincer: Only 1 Sim can hold this role. This Sim is in charge of spreading the faith and ensuring that conversions occur and/or overseeing the education of young Jacobans.

Keeper of the Faith: Only 1 Sim can hold this role. Second in command to the Proxy, this Sim is in charge of ensuring that Jacobans stay faithful. They root out heretics and advise and assist the Proxy with matters relating to the ultimate interpretation of the faith. The Paladins in Jacob’s Sword and the Justiciars both report to the Keeper of the Faith.

Proxy: The ultimate leader of the Jacoban church. The Proxy speaks for Jacob, as Jacob spoke for the Watcher. In Yacothia, this Sim’s word is law. Even outside, this Sim’s word holds the key to salvation. Needless to say, this job is a Highlander.

What do laypersons expect of the clergy?

Laypeople expect that the clergy will make clear the Watcher’s Will to them, so that they can stay on the right path and go to Paradise when they die. They expect the clergy to provide emotional support and comfort during the tough times. They also expect the clergy to provide discipline to the congregation in a tough-but-fair way. Finally, Jacoban laypeople expect the clergy to take the lead in charitable works in their communities. Are any vows attached to joining the clergy? If so, what are they? Is the clergy expected to do anything in particular differently than laypersons?

Jacoban clergy members must pledge conversion of life, chastity, and obedience. Conversion of life means that the Jacoban clergy member pledges his/her entire life over to the Church. While Peterans allow their clergy members to be doctors, teachers, etc., Jacoban clergy members are expected to be strictly focused on the Church. (In game terms, this means every Jacoban clergy member goes into the Jacoban career.)

Chastity is pretty self-explanatory – once you join the Church, no sex for you! (That being said, if you do screw up, absolution is always available from a higher-ranked clergy member. Jacobans are more worried about their clergy marrying and leaving Church wealth to their children; a stray roll in the sack with a prostitute or even a long-term lover is less worrisome.)

Obedience is simple too – Jacoban clergy members always pledge to obey those who are higher in the Church hierarchy than they are (and expect to be obeyed by those lower & the laity). Even the Proxy is not immune to obedience, as s/he is expected to obey the dictates of Jacob and the Watcher. How are clergypersons fed, clothed, and housed? Not only in terms of special proscriptions, but-- are clergypersons expected to pay rent/bills? Grow or buy their own food? Make or buy their own clothes? In whole or in part (cassocks provided, boxer shorts not)? If the clergy isn't expected to be self-supporting, where do the funds and/or goods to support them come from?

Jacoban clergy members are supported via the tithes collected from the faithful. They are not expected to grow their own food, make their own clothes, etc. In fact, too much time spent doing this kind of manual labor is discouraged, because it takes time away from running the Church. (Gardening or embroidery as a hobby is fine, but true self-sufficiency is time-consuming and it’s much easier to just hire someone else to do the work/pay for the things you need.) Jacoban clergy are expected to husband the tithes they collect wisely while sending some to Yacothia. They are also permitted to raise cash by assigning cash penances and/or assigning necessary labor around the church as penance.

In terms of how the clergy dress, richness is the order of the day. I will be using the habits Andavri made for me for the lower-ranked Shepherdesses (Cathedral Attendants and Acolytes). Shepherdesses will also veil their hair at the lower ranks. Once a clergy member gets into the upper ranks, s/he will be using the Jacoban clergy outfits VampireKisses converted from TSM. I’m still working out what I’ll be doing for hair, but Wawa’s papal tiara will probably be involved at some point.

Ritual

The crypt, because sometimes there just isn’t enough room in the graveyard.

-- Because raising Faith can just be talking to other Sims of the same religion, but it doesn't have to be. Remember, a ritual can be as elaborate as an official coronation or as simple as blowing out the candles to Happy Birthday To You. Does the religion require regular meetings to worship, or is private worship enough? Either way, how do members worship?

Jacobans are expected to come to the local cathedral for services every Sunday. (See what a service consists of below.) Communal worship is held to be very important, as this allows the clergy to check in with everyone and ensure the people are properly obedient. Skipping “too many” services is held to be a sin and of itself. (What counts as “too many” varies based on circumstances. If you’re snowed in/sick/laid up with a broken leg and miss services, that’s all right, but if you’re deliberately skipping, expect a visit from your local Shepherd and a lecture.)

The local cathedral is expected to be open seven days a week for services and absolution-granting, but attendance for services is only compulsory on Sunday, and attendance for absolution is only compulsory at Shrovetide (see below). Are there any regular rituals for the average meeting or private worship session? If so, what are they?

A service consists of a reading from the Dictates of the Watcher, followed by the Shepherd’s explication of the reading. The order of readings is set down by the Proxy and follows a three-year cycle. In addition to the explication of the reading, there may also be a sermon relating to current events/daily life. (Sometimes the explication and the sermon are one and the same, other times the Shepherd just can’t relate the reading to what he really thinks he needs to talk about.) Interspersed will be songs and psalms. The music at Jacoban churches is usually quite good and well worth attending the service for.

I’ll be using the Jacoban pulpit @cindysimblr made for me for the sermons, so there won’t be any skill-building attached, unfortunately. Does the religion have any holy days (holidays)? If so, what kinds of holidays are they? What do they mark?

The Jacoban Church, like the Peteran church, has holidays throughout the year. These holidays are strictly controlled by the clergy in Yacothia, though different ones are emphasized in different places. The bulk of the holidays are saints’ feast days, which are solemnly observed by a service in the local cathedral. The Jacobans have enough saints to fill up the entire calendar, so different saints are emphasized in different areas. Like the Peteran church, certain saints’ feasts will be celebrated in ways that make sense given that particular saint. A saint well-known for his or her scholarship will be celebrated with scholarly activities, etc.

There are 4 main holidays celebrated throughout the entire church (1 per season), as follows:

Agnestide: Held in Spring, Agnestide celebrates romantic love (and irony). Agnes, the first Proxy, is well-remembered for the steps she took to encourage marriage and the regular order of romantic life. (The fact that she did this by whacking people with her purse is generally forgotten/elided.) Getting engaged/married during Agnestide is considered to be lucky, as the saint is supposed to smile on people who use her feast time to properly order their romantic lives.

Watchtide: This holiday is held in Summer, when the constellation known as the Watcher’s Eye is clearest in the sky. The Watcher is held to have come to Jacob in Summer, so this holiday celebrates the founding of the Jacoban Church. Jacobans are encouraged to use this time to deepen and strengthen the bonds of community, to keep watch over each other even as the Watcher watches over all. (Whether this “keeping watch” is “hey, I’ve got your back, buddy” or “I’ve got my eye on you” varies from case to case.)

Shrovetide: Held in Fall, this is the time of year when seeking absolution is compulsory for all Sims. As the natural world “dies” around them, Sims are encouraged to reflect that death and the Grim Reaper may come for them at any time and make preparations accordingly. While the Jacoban clergy would prefer this time be spent in solemn reflection and penance, usually what happens is that the faithful has an enormous party celebrating the harvest season … and once they’ve had their fill of fun, then they go to absolution and get forgiven for all the sins they committed along the way.

Jacobtide: Celebrating the birth of Jacob, this holiday is held in Winter. Jacob is said to have been born on the darkest day of the year, for it was only after he came into the world and began his holy work that the light began to grow again. This holiday emphasizes the family bonds that link the entire church. In addition to services, feasts among family members are also common for this holiday. Does the religion require any special observances of holy days, if it has them (feasting, fasting, celebrations, obligatory services or personal rituals)? If so, what are they and why are they required? Are there optional special observances for some of the holy days? If so, what are they and why are they optional? Why would someone choose to observe them or not observe them?

See above.

Pretty much every celebration starts with a worship service; some holidays have multiple worship services throughout the day, but Sims are usually only expected/compelled to attend one. Most of the observances listed above are optional. Some, like the feasting that precedes Shrovetide, are very optional if not entirely discouraged by the clergy. Are there ritual requirements, observations, purifications, or optional blessings for significant life events (birth, age transition, death, marriage, divorce, illness, miscarriage, sex?)

Birth: Jacobans baptize all babies at birth. In emergency situations, this can be taken care of by anyone, but as long as mother and baby are healthy, usually the baptism will take place a few days after the birth at the local cathedral. (Like with the Peterans, this is more of a story thing than a playing thing, as it’s not easy to bring a baby to a community lot.)

Age Transition: Jacobans usually let most age transitions pass by without comment. (This refers to the clergy – people can celebrate their own/family members’ transitions as they wish.) The exception is the transition to the Teen stage, when a Sim picks his or her aspiration. Teens are presented in the local cathedral soon after their transition and announce their aspiration to the Shepherd. They also make their first “adult” confession, as they are now considered old enough to commit serious sins. The Shepherd will usually use this as an opportunity to explain a little about the Sim’s chosen aspiration and show how a Sim can have that aspiration and still leave a holy life, while also going over some of the common pitfalls/opportunities for sin.

Marriage: Marriages are supposed to take place in the local cathedral. Before the marriage, both parties are expected to attend absolution so that they can enter into the marriage in as clean a state as possible. The marriage consists of a full church service with the vows said at the end. If the couple wishes to marry at home, they must pay $5000 to the local clergy member to have their marriage registered and considered legitimate. If there is no local cathedral, there is no financial penalty for not marrying in a church.

Miscarriage: No rituals, though Sims who suffer one can go to the church for comfort.

Sex: No rituals. Do you want to talk about sex with a Jacoban priest? Neither would anyone else.

Divorce: There is no real ritual, even though the divorce has to be granted by the church.

Illness: If the illness is severe (i.e. likely to result in death), a local Shepherd will attend the dying Sim and take their final confession, granting one last absolution before the Sim faces judgement.

Death: After a Sim has died, the body is prepared for burial on cathedral grounds (so long as s/he is in good standing with the Church). A funeral service is held to give the survivors time to grieve and remind everyone else that You Could Be Next. Does the religion use ritual to cleanse or forgive worshipers' transgressions, or does it expect practical restitution, or have any way to make up for mistakes at all?

Confession and absolution are BIG in the Jacoban church. Confession consists of a strict accounting of one’s sins to a Shepherd. Once the confession has been heard, the Shepherd assigns an appropriate penance. The Shepherd has a great deal of discretion about this penance. Usually it consists more of making things right with the Watcher than with one’s fellow Sims, though depending on the sin, the penance can consist of making things right with one’s fellow Sims. The penance can be made of prayers, donations to the church, or other good deeds. Absolution is provisionally granted after the confession but not considered to be fully granted until the penance is complete (and only the Watcher knows when that is).

Special Notes

All lit up at night. Don’t think too hard about who has to light all those candles up in the niches. I know I won’t be.

-- There's definitely something about your religion that I haven't covered, something that you really want to write down. What else is there about the religion that's important to know?

One thing I want to bring up is that the Jacobans are HUGE patrons of the arts, music, and culture. Jacoban vestments are sumptuous and luxurious and their churches are highly adorned. Religious music is also very important, and Jacobans will not hesitate to pay top dollar for top musical talent.

While Jacoban clergy members typically aren’t artists/writers/musicians themselves, they view creativity to be one of the highest gifts of the Watcher. Sims who can create are believed to have received the Watcher’s highest blessing, and as such, they are usually excused their little “foibles” and “peccadillos,” especially if they create/donate art or music to the Church.

In fact, this idea of having the “Watcher’s favor” is common and applies to more than just creativity. Sims who are born into or achieve a high social position are also believed to have been blessed by the Watcher. In short, Jacobans believe that it’s easy to see whom the Watcher favors – just look at their life. (Peterans, by and large, DON’T believe this – they think that the Watcher’s ways are a missing, and the Watcher is not one for being completely obvious.)

One last thing – university studies. If Peterans (clergy) tend to cluster in the sciences, Jacobans tend to cluster more in the arts. While no Jacoban clergy teach, they will subsidize professorships in fields like Rhetoric (Political Science), Geometry (Art), Music (Drama), and Law (History). Arithmetic (Economics) is also viewed to be important for managing Church finances. They will even sponsor professorships in the Black Arts (Psychology), as being able to control demons could be a useful parlor trick. Jacoban laity, however, are free to take whatever classes suit their interests, even if it means taking classes from *gulp* Peterans.

And that’s a wrap!

if you made it this far, I congratulate you. Feel free to send me feedback/question my logic. And I hope you enjoyed the pics.

Thanks for reading, and happy Simming!

#tressia bacc #tressia bacc: rules #tressia bacc: religions #sims 2 religion mod #jacoban religion

5 notes · View notes