The Church of Sartan/Organisation

Overview

The Church is run by the High Priest and the Synod of all elders of the Church and Lay-Cardinals convened in Ossaet. However, as the Synod meets only rarely to discuss major organisational changes or theological issues, the day to day running of the Church is handled ultimately by the High Priest but, in practice, by those appointed to take charge of the Church in various adminstrative units.

These various administrative units are explained below.

Congregation of Sartan

The Congregation of Sartan encompases the entirety of the Church and is the overall structure wich binds the Church together.

The Holy Synod

When formerly convened in Ossaet, the full Synod meets to elect a new High Priest upon the death of the incumbent, to discuss matters pertaining to the Church as a whole, to resolve theological disputes and to try those members of the Church accused of heresy or of breaching the Code of Sartan.

The Synod is composed of the Cardinals, Bishops, Archbishops and other elders of the Church.

The Guardians of the Church

The Guardians of the Church are charged with the defence of the Church and with rooting out and bringing heretics and blasphemers before the Synod for trial and judgement. The Guardians are few in number but operate outside the normal structure of the Church and are subbordinate only to the Cardinal placed in charge of the Guardians and to the High Priest themself.

Currently Cardinal Caspius is in charge of the Guardians.

Congregation of Sorraine

Sorraine is a realm dedicated to Sartan and ruled by the Church annointed Holy Sartanian King. The overall responsibility for the Church within Sorraine falls under the Archbishop of Ossaet.

Archdiocese of Ossaet

Ossaet contains the greatest and oldest temple to Sartan - founded before the destruction of Old Sartania it the spiritual successor to the destroyed Great Temple of Niel. In recognition of this fact, the city of Ossaet itself remains an eternal gift to the Church from the kings of Sorraine and the Margrave of Osssaet is chosen by the Church.

The Archbishop Jatha of Ossaet is also the most senior of the various Church positions withing Sorraine and is responsible for presiding over the coronation and annointing of the Crown Prince of Sorraine (the coronation and annointing of the Holy Sartanian King of Sorraine is presided over directly by the High Priest).

Diocese of Ozrat

Ozrat is Sorraine's capital city and the Bishop Mathilda of Ozrat serves as the personal chaplain to the King as well as having responsibility for the Church around Ozrat.

Deanery of Westhaven

Westhaven is the county town of Hosiel and the province itself is run by the Church under the Deanery of Westhaven and its parishes. Currently the Dean of Westhaven is a position held by High Priest Selene and therefore is outside the normal structure of the Church - however, normally the Deanery of Westhaven comes under the Diocese of Ozrat.

Congregation of the Dark Isle

The Dark Isle was once home to the now vanquished foes of Sartan; the Arcachonians and the Adgharists. Now a great effort is under way to convert the pagans of the Dark Isle and to bring them into the light of Sartan.

Dark Isle Mission

The Mission of the Dark Isle is the name given to the vast missionary efforts being carried out there. Azgath, Keeper of the Flame has been given personal responsibility for the Mission and for building the organisation of the Church on the Dark Isle in due course.

Congregation of Arcaea

Arcaea has traditionally been a bastion of Aneilists, however, in recent years their strength has waned and converts to Sartan have sprung up across the land. Arcaea also contains the sacred city of Niel - the old capital of Old Sartania.

Arcaean Mission

Parts of Arcaea have formal Church structures but much of the land is unconverted and dominanted by heathens. Therefore the Mission of Arcaea exists to conduct missionary work and to convert the heathens to the true faith. The Mission is currently headed and overseen by Martin, Cardinal of the Church and Bishop of Niel.

Diocese of Niel

The sacred city of Niel is the ancestral home of the Sartanian faith and was the capital of Old Sartania - a realm now lost and passed into the annals of history. However, despite the brutal extirpation of the faithful from Niel by the Arcachonian infidels, the city remains the spiritual centre of the Sartanian faith and has a Bishop who acts as head of the Church in Arcaea. The current Bishop of Niel is Cardinal Martin Octavius.

Ibladeshian Sect

Following the fall of the Church of Ibladesh, many Ibladeshians fled to refuge in the Far East. After discussion, the elders of the Church of Sartan agreed to allow the creation of the Ibladeshian Sect.

The Sect is outside of the normal church hierarchy though it still answers to the High Preist and to the Synod. Crucially, the Ibladeshian Sect sre free to follow the rites, sacraments, prayers and other practices of the Church of Ibladesh, including honouring all the gods equally, on the condition that members of the sect offer additional prayers to Sartan twice a year.

Diocese of Ibladesh

The diocese of Ibladesh is a symbolic diocese representing the Church of Ibladesh and has dominion over all those who follow Ibladeshi practices and worship all four gods equally and the Bishop of Ibladesh is charged with providing spiritual guidance to the members of the Ibladeshian Sect. The current Bishop of Ibladesh is Lendin Bendix.

Proposed Missions

Despite it's greatly increased size, the Church still has much more to do and sometimes lacks the resources to immediately achieve all it would like. Therefore there are several missionary efforts that have been proposed but are still awaiting priests to undertake them.

Southern Mission

This is a proposed grand Mission to convert the nobles and peasants of the south and to rebuild the temples and shrines that once existed there.

Overseas Mission

This is a proposed Mission to spread the faith of Sartan beyond the Far East and overseas to the other lands of the known world.