Nobilitatem Deus

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The Beginning of Nobilitatem Deus

Claude Finsternis is the youngest brother of the Finsternis house,and he became a member of The Church of Sartan immediately upon his arrival on the Far East Island. He spent most of his young adult-hood as a faithful member and advocate of The Church of Sartan. Even through his meteoric political rise he was a devoted follower of Sartan. After a time away from politics due to the death of Claude's mother, he returned to the Far East Island and was appointed as Lord of Azros. This time though, things seemed to be different. The Church of Sartan had become a theocracy, a powerful realm that seemed to be straying from the intense discipline Claude believed Sartan required. Soon, Claude began to be visited by powerful visions sent by The Maker, visions that spoke of true nobility and honor, visions that would not let him keep living the way he was.

This book is the first collection of writings Claude has put together since his visions began, and is intended to be an introduction to Nobilitatem Deus.

The Name

In the second vision, Claude was presented with the name Nobilitatem Deus for the new religion The Maker indicated Claude needed to found. The name, Claude was told, refers to the absolute nobility of God, and is designed to remind nobles constantly that their lives are a test of their character and nobility.

The First Vision

One day Claude was sitting in his library in the great castle of Azros when he suddenly realized that his limbs refused to move and he had been struck dumb. Soon, in what he thought at first must be total madness, he began to experience revelations about the nature of nobility and humility. These revelations lasted for six and a half hours, and when they had finished, he fell asleep for two full days.

The Second Vision

About a week after the first vision struck, Claude had reached his limit. He couldn't understand whether he had truly lost his senses or whether he possessed enlightenment far beyond anything he had known before. What worried him was the tough nature of the first revelation. Now, everywhere he looked he could see nobles abusing their so-called nobility by living self-serving lives of little distinction and quiet desperation. While taking a walk in his garden, he was struck again by another long vision, one that would change the course of his life. Whereas before Claude thought he was simply supposed to call others to account, it now became clear that he had been given the responsibility of creating a new faith for nobles to follow, a new faith to call the world to true humility and nobility.

The Third Vision (Creation)

Two weeks after the second vision, Claude was reading in his study when he was given a vision that was simply called "The Creation." This vision made it clear that the universe came from One Maker, that the abundance of the worlds and continents all came from the same unified Creator. Since daimons cannot have the power to create, this vision was given in order to provide the proof that the visions were not demonic delusions, but rather a divine gift direct from The Maker, and no other. Daimons and the undead are not a part of The Creator, nor are they properly classified as human. Rather, they would be better understood to be a part of the world we live in, designed to challenge our nobility and to test the societies we live in and help to lead as nobles.

The creation began with the glimpse of the unity of the primal light, light brighter than the stars that shine in our sky. The light was then divided into brightness and shadow, color and absence. As the division from one-ness continued, the solids and the liquids,the Islands and the seas began to form and dissociate from one another. Throughout all of this The Creator was oneness, but divided the cosmos into space and time with the thought, "I'll a world."

The Fourth Vision

After the establishment of the first temple of Nobilitatem Deus in Azros, Claude received the Fourth Vision. This vision focused on the new relationship that Nobilitatem Deus would have with the world, now that it had been officially incorporated as a faith in the Kingdom of Cathay. The vision centered around one particular word, conflict, what to do what it arises. Conflict is something inevitable in our world because of how it was created to be a test for the Nobility. Although our system of oaths and loyalty might seem simple, in reality we often find ourselves in conflict with others because of our othas and our hearts. When we find ourselves in conflict or being drawn into it, we must ask whether we are being asked to break our oaths or dishonor our principles, and if so, whether that is truly necessary. One of the biggest challenge any religion faces is how to interact with the realms and religions around it. In this vision Claude was instructed to form a court of members that would examine and evaluate the relationship of Nobilitatem Deus to other realms and religions. The criteria used shall look at how these other bodies strive to follow the principles of Nobility. Conflict shall be avoided when possible, but shall not be shied away from when necessary. Part of the test of Nobility in this world is whether they have the courage to stand behind their beliefs.

The True Principles of Nobility

Introduction

One of Claude's first visions contained The True Principles of Nobility, a collection of principles that when followed, lead a noble on the path towards true glory, true humility, and true nobility. It was made clear in this vision from The Maker that these principles are at the heart of Nobilitatem Deus

The Vision

  1. The Maker is due all glory for the creation of the world and the cosmos.
  2. Nobility are due glory for their humility to The Maker, their fulfillment of their oaths of fealty, and their care-taking of peasants
  3. Peasants are due glory for fulfilling the simple tasks of their life, as they were created to be a test for those who claim to be nobles.
  4. Nobility are to be the stewards of the earth, gaining glory and renown for their actions, but only insofar as they uplift the peasants they serve.
  5. Nobles gain glory through faithful service to those above them and below them in the social hierarchy, a hierarchy ordained by The Maker to order the earth and test nobles in their duties
  6. Honor is found in humility through obedience to those you have sworn to. Obedience is not always an easy path, but that is why great honor is found in it. Choosing a hedonistic life is always an option, though no honor for nobles is found in simply following the desires of the flesh.

Commentary

What is glory? Glory is best described as the honor that comes from fulfilling the purpose of the creation of the cosmos. It is related to how we generally understand honor - doing what is right - but is explicitly connected to The Creator's purpose in dividing humanity from one-ness into two-ness, from humans into nobles and peasants. This great division, which no one can cross, was for the purpose of testing the glory of those who were deemed to be noble. Glory then is contextual in our world, as it is directly connected to our responsibility as a noble to behave with honor in our world - to be exemplars of virtue, dedication, and obedience.

The Ibladeshi Gods

Nobilitatem Deus does not deny Sartan, nor the other Ibladeshi gods. The Maker is The One whom the four Ibladeshi gods embody, that all four are facets, are windows, are embodiments of the unity of The Maker from whom all came. Creation came from oneness, and that oneness of The Maker is the heart of the Ibladeshi gods.

Temples and Shrines

Temples are in many ways at the center of Nobilitatem Deus. Though generally constructed to be small and understated, their architecture is noble and refined, reflecting the humility and discipline followers of Nobilitatem Deus are called to. They serve as places for meeting and greeting, instruction, fellowship, and ceremony. They are kept open perpetually so that any interested man or woman can go to one and find information about how to begin their journey to follow The Maker. It is expected that the Lord of any region, once he or she has been granted the rank of Spectatus, will build a temple in their region as a sign of their dedication to humility, discipline, and honor before The Maker. Lords who build a temple are expected to take full care of it and never let it fall into disrepair - paying its upkeep and hiring guards if necessary to keep it safe and clean.

The first Temple of Nobilitatem Deus has been constructed in the city Azros. It is built just outside the walls of the Great Castle of Azros, and while it is dwarfed in size by the Great Castle, its architecture is well-regarded as some of the finest in the city. It serves as a holy site to mark the city where Claude's visions first began.

Priests of Nobilitatem Deus

Ranks

Novice

A novice is one who has begun to explore his or her commitment to Nobilitatem Deus. At this stage it is expected that a novice dedicate him or herself to reading the canonical writings, asking questions, and preparing for the test to enter the Order of the Spectatus.

Usually, the period spent in the novitiate is two weeks from the date of joining. During these two weeks, a novice will be encouraged to read the writings of Nobilitatem Deus and to ask questions of themselves and others about how following Nobilitatem Deus will impact their lives and the decisions they will make. At the end of the two-week period, each novice will be asked a question in front of the whole body of members of Nobilitatem Deus. Having answered it successfully, they will receive promotion to the rank of Spectatus.

Spectatus

A Spectatus is one who has passed the test required of Novices. This growth in responsibility means that the Spectatus is now held accountable for following the principles of true nobility and humbling themselves before The Maker. Once a Spectatus, one is expected to study the Great Oath of Nobility, and when ready to travel to the First Temple of Azros and take the oath publicly. The time one spends as a Spectatus is not proscribed or predetermined. Instead, this is a self-determined time in which one is given space to study the Great Oath of Nobility and contemplate the commitment that it takes to follow it. Once the oath is taken, one is promoted to full membership in Nobilitatem Deus with all of the rights and privileges so involved.

Magnus

A Magnus is considered a full member of Nobilitatem Deus. Reaching this rank is a true achievement, for it requires a time of following the principles of true nobility successfully and becoming a noble who is clearly trustworthy and dedicated to pursing a life of nobility.

Summas

A Summas is a Priest of Nobilitatem Deus. Held to the highest standards of humility, decorum, and behavior, Priests are the leaders of the nobility, as they have sacrificed many earthly pleasures to dedicate themselves to Nobilitatem Deus.

Positor

The Positor is the founder of Nobilitatem Deus, Claude Finsternis, who is charged with creating and building the infrastructure of religion for Nobilitatem Deus.

Oaths and Rites

When one joins Nobilitatem Deus, one takes an oath that overlays the standard oaths nobles take as servants of a realm, duchy, and region. An oath to The Maker is not to be taken lightly, as it is assumed that there are no circumstances in which it is acceptable to be broken. True obedience to The Maker is the calling of Nobilitatem Deus, and it is a calling that demands more than lip service - it is a calling that demands life itself.