The Order of the Elders/Charter

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The Order of the Elders:

The following articles are hereby regarded as law by the Order of the Elders, and are to be followed upon pain of excommunication and eternal damnation in the underworld at the mercy of Hel. Changes to this charter will be proposed to the elder members of the Order, and will then proceed into a mandatory three day discussion period upon being seconded by another elder member. A 2/3rds majority is required to ratify any proposed changes. For the sake of simplicity, all pronouns will be male, but will pertain to persons of both genders.

I. The Seer:

The Seer is the leader of the faith, anointed at by the Gods themselves, the Seer is in charge of the administration of the Order, as well as all ecclesiastical matters of the Order. The Seer will delegate the execution of all administrative duties of the Order to the Paragons. The Seer has the authority to appoint their successor by the laying on of hands, passing his authority onto them as the Gods granted his authority. The Seer in its current state of office differs from the first generation of Seers who were granted their authority by the Prophet, and thus were subordinate to the Prophet. Seers from Thain Himoura onward will be regarded as equals of the Prophet in standing, although the Prophet will always be regarded as the First among equals, owing to the divine nature of their appointments, although it recognized the Prophet was the first so appointed.

II. The Paragons:

The five Paragon ranks are: the Eye of Odin, the Warlord, the Voice of the Underworld, Lietongue’s Shadow, and the Stormrider. They are considered equal to each other, although the administration of each office is separate, and will be covered in the following sub-articles. Each Paragon is charged with the doctrine of their respective deity, second in such matters only to the Seer. Each Paragon will be selected for their duty from either the disciple ranks of the God they are to represent or a lesser Elder rank if they have been called to fulfill such a duty. The Seer’s appointment will be confirmed by a simple majority of the other Paragons. A paragon once appointed is only removed from office upon retirement, death, or excommunication.

  • I.) The Eye of Odin: the Eye of Odin is responsible for the preservation and translation of ancient writings pertinent to the faith, as well as for the safekeeping of relics pertaining to Odin. The spear Gungir, is entrusted to the Eye of Odin, and may serve as his badge of office, or be gifted to his champion. The Eye of Odin is required to be a priest, and is also responsible for ensuring that the priests of the Order are focused and converting heathens, pagans and heretics.
  • II.) The Warlord: the Warlord is responsible for commanding the armies of the faithful during a Crusade, the training and promotion of Templars, Crusaders, and Paladins, as well as the appointment of High Paladins. The Warlord is also responsible for the safekeeping of relics pertaining to Hildr. The sword Lævateinn is entrusted to the Warlord, only to be wielded at the express command of the Seer. Additionally, the Warlord is expected to always remain a warrior.
  • III.) The Voice of the Underworld: the Voice of the Underworld is responsible for the administration of justice among the faithful and the administration of the Inquisition. The Voice of the Underworld is responsible for the administration of the Witenagemot. The Voice of the Underworld is also responsible for the safekeeping of relics pertaining to Hel. The dagger Famine is entrusted to the Voice of the Underworld, to be utilized as he sees fit.
  • IV.) Lietongue’s Shadow: Lietongue’s Shadow is responsible for the administration of the Order’s shadow walkers. Lietongue’s Shadow is also responsible for the safekeeping of relics pertaining to Loki. The ring Andvarinaut is entrusted to Lietongue’s Shadow, to be utilized as he sees fit.
  • V.) The Stormrider: the Stormrider is responsible for the treasuries of the Order and the Order’s diplomatic relations. The Stormrider is responsible for the nomination of the faithful to be promoted to the rank of Norn. Additionally, the Stormrider is responsible for the safekeeping of relics pertaining to Thor. The Prophet’s Hammer is entrusted to the Stormrider, to be utilized as he sees fit.

III. The Godi and the Þegn:

The Godi and Þegn are the top ranks priesthood, the Godi being elder members. They serve as senior members and advisers of the faith. They are primarily tasked with assisting the Eye of Odin in the recovery, safekeeping and translation of ancient documents pertaining to the faith, and overseeing designated areas of the continent in regards to matters of the faith. These areas include, but are not limited to: the conversion of heathens, heretics and pagans; temple maintenance and expansion, and treasury upkeep. They serve as the religious heads of different bodies of government. Typically a Þegn will govern a large duchy or a small realm, while a Godi will have charge over a large realm, or an empire. Þegn may serve underneath a Godi to ensure an area receives proper attention. Additionally, the Godi and Þegn may be tasked by the Paragons or the Seer to aid in the fulfillment of their duties. The following sub-articles will explain the methods of appointment and dismissal of the Godi and Þegn.

  • I.) Godi: The Godi are senior priests of the Order, and chosen exclusively from the ranks of the Þegn. In order to be eligible for promotion, a Þegn must have served in their post for two years, and must not have a negative balance with the church (this may be waived by the Seer if the individual in question has been utilizing the gold for approved church activities). A Godi serves as the religious head of a large amount of territory, typically a large realm, or coalition of smaller realms. They speak for the faithful of their territory, and no judge of an Order theocracy may be of lower rank than Godi. To be appointed, a Þegn may submit a request to the Paragons and Seer, who will spend three days in discussion before voting to approve the request. A simple majority is needed to approve the promotion of a Þegn to Godi. A Godi holds their rank at the pleasure of the Seer and the Paragons, and may be demoted if found lacking in their duties, or unorthodox in their teachings in a formal Witenagemot. The area under the supervision of an Godi is to be referred to as an Arch-Wapentake.
  • II.) Þegn: The Þegn are accomplished priests of the Order, chosen from all paths of the Gods. At the very minimum, there should be at least one Þegn for every faithful realm. The number of Þegn however, is completely dependent on the availability of priests. A priest who is in good standing with the Order and who has a positive balance with the treasury (this may be waived by the Seer or any Paragon if the individual in question has been utilizing the gold for approved church activities, or if other extenuating circumstances exist) may be nominated by the Seer or any Paragon, and the nomination must be confirmed by a simple majority of the Seer and the Paragons. In addition to nominating an individual for the rank of Þegn, the nominating official must also designate an appropriate area for the Þegn to supervise, which will be referred to as a Wapentake. No two Wapentake may be comprised of the same territory, although a Wapentake may fall under an Arch-Wapentake. A Þegn serves at the pleasure of the Seer and the Paragons and may be removed from office as a result of negligence in their duties, unorthodox teachings, or any crime against the faith as decided by an official Witenagemot.

IV. The Norns:

Norns are elder laymen of the Order, elected for a term of two years. The election shall begin three days after the first day of winter. Campaigning for the position of Norn will not take place prior to the first day of winter, and must cease after the elections begin. The election period will last for three days, and the elder council will tally and confirm the votes. Only full members of the faith may vote. Each member of the faith gets a number of votes equal to the number of Norns to be elected. There shall never be more than three Norns, although the Seer may decree that fewer will be elected for the term if there are not a sufficient number of full members of the faith. Norns campaigning for re-election must step down from their position and demote himself to his previously held full member rank. Failure to comply will result in disqualification from the election. A Norn is an adviser to the elder council and is invited to speak and vote on matters before the elder council. A Norn serves at the pleasure of the full members of the Order and can be demoted if found guilty of violating the laws of the faith as decided by an official Witenagemot.

V. The Witenagemot:

A Witenagemot is called to determine the guilt or innocence of those accused of crimes against the faith and determine the punishment. Any person may accuse someone of a crime against the faith, and the Voice of the Underworld will determine whether or not the case has merit and will be heard. If the Voice determines the case will be heard, the Witenagemot will be assembled. The Witenagemot will be lead by the Voice of the Underworld, unless it is the opinion of the Seers and the Paragons that the Voice would have a conflict of interest in the case. The Paragons will then appoint two neutral parties to the Witenagemot and together the two neutral parties and the Voice will hear the case, gather evidence, discuss the merits of the case, and come to a verdict. The following sub-articles will define some crimes against the faith, but is by no means an all inclusive list.

  • I.) Heresy: heresy is deliberately deviating from orthodox teachings to point of danger. Those whose beliefs are so fundamentally different from the teachings of the Order that they risk the anger of the Gods are to be excommunicated until they recant and prove they have reformed. Those who do not recant are to be burnt at the stake to save their souls.
  • II.) Aiding and abetting enemies of the faith: those who aid the enemies of the faith are committing a grave sin against the gods and the Order. This may include many things, from a Ruler allying with a realm opposed to the Order, to a Knight giving financial assistance to a hostile priest. Sentencing should vary based on the nature of the offense.
  • III.) Blasphemy: the act of cursing or reviling the gods is not to be tolerated.
  • IV.) Destruction of Order Property: the Order’s property is its own, and held on behalf of the Gods. To destroy or steal this property is sinful.

VI. Crusades:

Inevitably the Order will come into conflict with those hostile to the Order, and when those hostile to the Order pose a threat to the faith at large, military options must be considered. The Warlord can propose a Crusade against a hostile party at any time. The Paragons will vote, with a 2/3rds majority required to pass the measure on to the Seer who then can approve or reject the proposal. If the Seer rejects the proposal he may send down to the Paragons his suggestions for broadening or narrowing the scope of the Crusade, or may outright reject it. The Paragons may vote to override the veto, with a unanimous vote, or if the Seer has recommended changes, they may submit the new proposal with a 2/3rds majority. During a Crusade, all holy warriors are expected to make themselves available to fight, all followers of Loki able are expected to follow the instructions from the Lietongue’s Shadow to support the Crusade, and all members of the Inquisition are to focus on limiting the influence of the hostile parties.

VII. The Inquisition:

The Inquisition is comprised of all followers of Hel and lead by the Voice of the Underworld. They are responsible for investigating and suppressing religious unorthodoxy, daimonic activity, and occult activities. They are also responsible for ensuring that excommunicated individuals are truly cut off from the support of the Order and its members. They may not undertake actions to kill or seriously injure members of the faith without express consent of the Seer.

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