Considered a heresy of the most heinous sort by the Orienites, Vesperans worship both the god (who they also call Orien) and the Goddess (who they call Occasa) equally. The Vesperan faith is primarily limited to Castana, with a smaller foothold in Avanne.

Though the structure of the Vesperan church is similar to the Orienite (being descended from it), it allows women as members of the priesthood, and is ruled by both a man and a woman. It is based in the capital city of Castana, Esharra.

The most important difference between the Orienite and Vesperan faiths lies in their views on magic. The priesthood of the Vesperan church actively trains mages, though not all members of the priesthood are capable of using magic. This training begins after hopeful acolytes of the church pass puberty, and ends at a final test, where the prospective mage is ritually sterilized. If blood continues to flow of its own without intervention from a healer, the test is failed. If, on the other hand, the blood welling from the site of the wound turns to iron, staunching the blood flow, the test is successful (read about this under 'Magic').

The Vesperan heresy has roots nearly as ancient as the Orienite faith. In fact, in its beginnings, the Orienites worshipped both god and goddess, though Orien was always exalted above Occasa (or Uxa as the Orienites now call her). As that disparity grew and grew over the course of many years and through the influence of the priesthood, those who held to the older ways and viewed the goddess as a benign, if remote force, found themselves increasingly shunned and eventually persecuted and hunted. And so it would remain for many years. The Vesperans remained a silent minority, fearing for their lives among the tightly controlled Orienite society of the Vicenan Empire.

As the Empire grew in size and breadth, encompassing lands with their own gods, the Vesperan heresy began to grow again, finding new converts in the polytheistic tribal occupants of the lands that are now Avanne and Castana. Even still, it was not until the fall of the Eastern Vicenan Empire that the heresy began to take on a form with any real power. The Castanan people conscripted to fight for the Empire against its eastern invaders were nominally converted to the Orienite faith, though they were far more amenable to the Vesperan. When they returned home, many retained their new faith, but far from the direct eye of the Empire and its Church, they promoted the joint worship of God and Goddess, and allowed a place for it to flourish.

Here in a new land, a more tolerant land, the Vesperan Church began to take the form recognizable in modern times. Its beginnings were modest, setting up in the capital city of Castana, where it could be protected by the crown, and drawing new converts to form the first centralized priesthood since the schism that declared worship of God and Goddess heresy.

The revelation that true believers in the faith were often capable of wondrous feats of magic drew more into their ranks, and soon Vesperan cathedrals had spread across Castana. While there were many in Avanne that privately followed the teachings of the Vesperan Church, their lack of a centralized government and nearness to Vicena prevented it from taking as strong a hold in this nation. The growth of the 'humanita amator', or culture of love, in Avanne in the past hundred years, however, has resulted in greater interest in the Vesperan Church, to the point where many of the nobility in Avanne have begun openly declaring their affiliation with the Vesperan Church, much to the displeasure of the Praelocutor of the Orienite Church.

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While the official stance of the church is that it is less rigid and more tolerant than the Orienite Church, to the outside objective observer, there is little practical difference between the two in this regard. Both have very defined ranks and methods for advancement in those ranks. Both are controlled rather tightly by its highest rank. There are two major differences, however. First, the Vesperan Church allows women into the priesthood. Second, they promote the use of magic and actively train some members of their priesthood to become mages.

The heads of the Vesperan Church are the High Priest and Priestess. While they are declared upon their ascension to be "wed to each other and to the people", there can never be physical consummation of this marriage, as both must have undergone magical training, and passed the final test of this training. They need not be the most powerful mages, and often are not. The High Priest and Priestess are always promoted at the same time. Indeed, they must be, as the ritual performed during their Ascension ties their hearts together, so that should one of the two die, the other will follow seven days later, to the exact moment of the other's death.

Below the High Priest and Priestess, there is a council of eight Elders -- four men and four women, none of which are mages, that is responsible for the naming of a new High Priest and Priestess upon the passing of the previous ones. This election takes place between the passing of one of High Priest or Priestess and the passing of the other, though the actual Ascension ritual does not take place until after both High Priest and Priestess are dead. It is rare that the Elder council does not accept the recommendation of the High Priest or Priestess in naming the successor, but it has happened a few times in the past, though it usually creates a fair amount of dissension in the church. When one of the council members dies or resigns their position, their successor is chosen by the remaining members.

Below these two levels, there are two hierarchies within the church, one for mages and those in training to become mages, and one for those that are not mages.

The Venae have five official ranks: Acolyte, Initiate, Ferratus or Ferrata (male or female), Magus and Master. Acolytes are those members of the order who have just begun their training. Initiates are advanced trainees who are preparing to undergo the final testing ritual. A Ferratus/Ferrata has passed his or her final test and has seen the first evidence of iron on their bodies. Most Venae rise no higher than this rank, and have a wide range of duties both within and without the church. All are required to spend a year at some point in their lives training the Acolytes and Initiates, but most travel and join society at large where they might spread the teachings of the faith. There are very few Venae that reach the next rank of Magus, and there are rarely any more than five, never more than ten, at any one point in time. One of the Magi is responsible for supervising the training of the Venae, while the others are typically involved in magical research or seeking out new sources of power in the world. There are never more than two Masters at any one time, and if there are two, they must be a man and a woman. Many times, there are no Masters at all, as the long study and usage of magic typically becomes fatal well before the requisite amount of knowledge to qualify for Master status is gained.

The Excola also have five offical ranks, similar to the Venae: Acolyte, Initiate, Servant, Enlightened and Elder. Acolytes and Initiates participate in rigorous religious and secular education, making them knowledgeable at a wide range of topics and preparing them for work as teachers, diplomats, academics and more. It is this work that occupies the rank of Servant. The Enlightened are responsible for many of the day-to-day functions of the Church and are typically powerful and respected members of the Vesperan community as a whole. The rank of Elder is discussed above.

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"A marriage is rarely easy. When the natural ebb and flow of emotion is complicated by fractious children, it is further natural to bear differing views on the proper methods to discipline them. This is true of man and woman as well as God and Goddess. Many would have you believe that Occasa turned her back on the world permanently, never to hear the cries of her sons and daughters. I tell you now that nothing could be so far from the truth, my children. Does the moon not appear in our sky, evidence of Her watchfulness? She only waits for us to seek her, my children, to devote ourselves to earning her forgiveness for our fall from her grace."

-- Julira Mendesa, High Priestess of the Vesperan Church, _The Lessons_, 873 C.Y.

In the view of the Vesperan Church, Occasa did indeed turn her back on humanity after the fall, but did not permanently leave. Instead, she set herself in the sky as the moon so that man and woman would have to seek her and ask her forgiveness. In turn, she watches over them at night as Orien's power wanes. Though she no longer walks among mankind, her light provides the promise of safety against the fears of darkness, and waits to take them into her embrace at the end of their lives. She has endowed some with the gift of her power, the power she has allowed to remain behind to serve as evidence of her continuing love of mankind.

The Vesperan Church sees the relationship between Orien and Occasa as an often contentious one, as evidenced by the fact that they often do not appear in the same sky together. However, it is not a permanent parting, as further evidenced by the appearance of the moon in the morning and evening skies, and the rare solar and lunar eclipses. These last events are among the holiest of days in the Vesperan faith. Still, even a father and mother that do not always agree with one another maintain a deep and abiding love for their children.

In the Vesperan view, birth and death are both under Occasa's power, as is love and marriage, the Goddess viewed as mother, daughter, sister, wife and lover. Orien is viewed as the god of war and battles, weather, the earth and sea, and other worldly matters. A true Vesperan is expected to pay tribute to both Orien and Occasa throughout their lives, as appropriate. The Vesperans worship both deities equally, not simply Occasa.

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Everyday Worship

As with many religions, times of day and certain seasons are held as sacred. Dawn and dusk are particularly special to the Vesperan faithful, as tangible evidence of the coexistence of god and goddess as heavenly powers. Because of this, many of the rituals surrounding the faith are centered around this tenet and timed to coincide with specific times of day.

Worship services occur at dawn and again at dusk. These are informal affairs, a remnant of the days when the Vesperan religion was a widely scattered group of believers fearing persecution from the Orienite church. It is not required that one visit a Vesperan temple in order to worship the god and goddess; in fact often a household will have its own shrine, as small or as large, as plain or ornate as the owner wishes and is capable of creating. These shrines must, however, be consecrated properly by a priest and priestess of the church and must contain symbols of both Occasa and Orien.

Within a temple, services are conducted together by a priest and priestess of the church, to reflect the coexistence of Orien and Occasa. Logically, therefore, celebrations of faith within individual homes are geared toward leadership by both mother and father.

Temples

By tradition and historical necessity, a Vesperan temple, even within major cities, is a humble structure, though as the church has gained followers, temples have grown more opulent. Recently, for example, landholders have used the beauty of temples newly constructed on their holdings to boast - albeit quietly - of the family's wealth. Temples are maintained by acolytes, although penitents are sometimes used for the more tedious tasks. Temples in major cities are often decorated with mosaics or other glass work depicting scenes of Orien and Occasa together performing one task or another. Where possible, much of the temple's grounds is left open to the sky so that the faithful may view the sun and moon, weather permitting.

Temples are not to be used as havens for criminals, and those who attempt such are considered heretical. Very few temples contain living quarters; acolytes live at home or in dormitories adjacent to the temple. However, all temples maintain a handful of rooms to shelter pilgrims and the persecuted of their faith, the smaller temples having only one or two of these rooms, and those extremely modest.

The Rite of Marriage

Weddings occur at dawn, followed by a day of celebration. Occasa, in her guise as guardian of birth and marriage, blesses the new union as the night turns into day, while Orien watches over the new "life" created by the marriage as the day comes into full bloom. Wedding ceremonies are performed jointly by a priest and priestess of the church. Divorce is not possible under the strictures of the Vesperan church, as it encourages its members to strive for the example that the god and goddess have set. Despite their differences, they remain wedded. The church is not as concerned with estrangement, however, as they recognize the marriage of Orien and Occasa to be a contentious one, with each of them often travelling their own path. Discreet affairs are thus tolerated...as long as a scandal (e.g., a child) does not occur.

Birth and Life

Some of the best midwives are Vesperan priestesses, as they are trained in such arts under the belief that Occasa oversees the creation and birth of new life. Children born under a full moon are considered blessed by the Goddess, and those born at midnight under a full moon even more so, and are considered to have powerful magical abilities -- in the past, such children have been sought out and killed by the Orienite Church as witches. Children born at high noon are likewise considered blessed by the God.

Funerals

Funerals occur at night, no earlier than full dark, two days following the death when possible (a day to celebrate the deceased's life, for Occasa and a day to mourn the death, for Orien). The body of the deceased is entombed and a prayer to Occasa is said, in her guise as the final gatherer of the dead. The nearest relation of the deceased is obligated to provide an offering of appropriate size to carry the deceased's soul in comfort. Other relations and friends may do the same as well, and the wealthy and well-loved are often sent off with many gifts, at times extravagent. The gifts remain with the entombed, and the catecombs of the kings and duke are said to contain vast fortunes of such death-gifts.

Feast of the Shadows

Solar and lunar eclipses are considered the holiest of days in the Vesperan faith, representing an accord between Orien and Occasa, and there is a group among the priesthood devoted solely to study of the movement of sun and moon so that they may determine when these days will occur. The day and night of an eclipse is named a festival day, the Feast of the Shadows, and by tradition, the celebrations become rather uninhibited in all respects, especially among the priesthood. Quite a few children are born into the world nine months after a major eclipse, and those thusly conceived, illegitimate or no, are said to be particularly blessed.

Rituals Within the Church

There are three rituals familiar in some respect to the populace at large that occur only among the priesthood. These are the elevation of an Excola Initiate to the rank of Servant, the final testing of a Venae Initiate to join the Ferrati, and the raising of a High Priest and Priestess.

Elevation of an Excola Initiate

This is a humble ceremony, open to both the priesthood and the lay populace. Many Excola often are guided in their training by a specific Servant, and this man or woman is the one who performs the ceremony. The simple woolen robe that Initiates wear during their training is discarded, and the Initiate stands naked before the Servant. Like a new convert to the faith, consecrated earth is sprinkled atop the Initiate's head, and then he or she is bathed in holy water. The newly raised Servant is then given a new robe, deep blue for a priestess and sky blue for a priest.

Testing of a Venae Initiate This ritual is far more secretive, and there are more wild rumors about the truth of it than there are real facts known. The testing is hardly ever spoken of outside of the Venae order, though the Excola are familiar with the details.

Raising of a High Priest and Priestess This ritual does not occur often, though when it does, it is a very serious and important event for those of the Vesperan faith, as the High Priest and Priestess are seen as the earthly hands of Orien and Occasa. The ritual can only begin once both of the previous titleholders have passed to Occasa, and commences the next sunset after this occurs. The next man and woman to hold the office are announced publicly by the council of Elders at this time, though many already know privately. The candidates spend two full days and nights together in private prayer and contemplation. At high noon of the following day, they come before the Magus in charge of the training of the Venae. The Magus performs the spell that links the man and woman together irrevocably. The spell joining their hearts is an indication of Occasa's favor, under the noon sun that demonstrates Orien's favor. The ceremony can be witnessed by anyone. Prominent members of Vesperan society will attend if at all possible, and all members of the priesthood are expected to come, though not all do, due to various obligations.

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The Vesperan religion is a dualistic faith, seeing the heavens as the domain of the god Orien and the goddess Occasa, both of which watch over humankind. This is in opposition to the traditional Orienite view, which honors only the god, while believing the goddess, whom they call Uxa, no longer holds any sway over mankind after turning her back on them.

In the Vesperan school of thought, while Occasa did retreat from direct action in the earthly sphere, she did not leave entirely, instead requiring that her children prove themselves worthy of her attention, asking that they show their humility and beg her forgiveness for their past transgressions. However, in contrast to popular Orienite teaching and belief, the Vesperans do not worship only Occasa, instead seeing the goddess as equal to the god in power, honoring both in all their ceremonies and services.

Simply put, Occasa, represented by the moon, holds sway over the unearthly and mysterious, while Orien, represented by the sun, holds sway over the earthly and tangible. Under Occasa's power are birth and death, love, marriage, the night, the seas, magic and the arts. Under Orien's power is the earth, the sky, the day, war, and life between the moments of birth and death. As many of these spheres border and tie in to one another, a person of the Vesperan faith pays tribute and prayer to both Occasa and Orien throughout his or her day. A sculptor, for example, would ask Occasa's inspiration for his art, while asking Orien's inspiration for the earth he uses to create the work. A sailor honors Occasa as maiden of the seas, while honoring Orien to bring the land into sight at the end of a journey.

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As a religion constantly under the threat of persecution from the other two primary faiths of the world, Vesperans actively seek out converts to their faith. One of the primary duties of the newly initiated members of the Vesperan priesthood, whether they are Venae Ferrati or Excola Servants, is to travel the world seeking out those that might wish to return to the loving embrace of the god and goddess as equal powers. Their work must be done carefully, however, as it is performed mostly under the watch of the Orienites or the Lumites. New converts to the faith are treated as long-lost relatives returned to the fold of the family, as converts are the lifeblood of this faith. Orienites are targeted more often than Lumites, as the Vesperan faithful see the Lumite faith as somewhat akin to their own, as it acknowledges the power of the goddess, while the Orienite faith denies that power.

Conversions are performed in the morning or evening when the moon and sun occupy the sky together, indicating the favor of both god and goddess. Consecrated earth is sprinkled atop the convert's head by a priest of at least Servant rank, and then the convert is washed in holy water by a priestess of at least Servant rank. The convert is then expected to spend one sunrise and moonrise in contemplation and prayer before becoming officially a member of the faith. Food and drink is brought to the convert by both priest and priestess, indicating their roles as servants to the flock.

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The training of the Vesperan priesthood depends on which order one wishes to join, as the training of the Venae (those who use magic) and the Excola (those who do not) varies significantly once past the first year. Anyone is allowed to petition the church for acceptance into the priesthood -- male or female, young or old.

The first year of training can be completed at a local Vesperan temple, or at the central temple in the city of Esharra. This first year of training is primarily focused on teaching secular subjects such as literacy, history, religious doctrine, and so on. As such, this training can be offered by anyone that has reached the rank of Servant. If the trainee wishes to join the Venae, they -must- receive this training at the temple in Esharra, where they will receive basic instruction in the use of magic in addition to their normal studies.

The second year of training is where the two orders splits most significantly. While those in the Excola continue to hone their abilities and knowledge of politics, history, culture and religious doctrine, the Venae continue their studies of magic. The studies undertaken starting in the second year continue for three more years before the final tests are taken in both orders.

The Excola

Training in the Excola order is much like study at a university, lectures given by learned scholars of the Vesperan faith on all manner of subjects. Excola are expected to be educated in a wide range of areas, in addition to serving the communities they choose (or are assigned) to reside in once finishing their training. Some of the Excola go on to become scholars themselves, some political advisors, adventurers, local priests and priestess in small villages, soldiers for the church, and so on. Most often, an Excola trainee is allowed to select their own path of study based on their skills and goals. Some are encouraged one way or another by their teachers based on exceptional ability in one area or another. The final tests to gain the rank of Servant last for a week, and cover all the subjects one has studied in the past four years of training, the specifics of which are determined based on the student's progress and abilities, administered by the heads of the school.

The Venae

At the beginning of magical training, the focus is primarily on teaching a student to control their will and train their mind to open themselves to the distant power of the holy sites. For much of the first year of training, the student is only capable of small feats of magic -- moving objects across a table, lighting small fires, producing a light, and so on. The second and third years teach the student to focus that power more properly to perform larger tasks. Advanced trainees ready to take the final tests are able to leap long distances, create a limited invisibility about themselves, produce and cast fires, affect the temperature of a room, heal minor wounds, among other similar tasks. It is not until the final testing ritual that their powers can grow with additional independent study, as the sacrifice and proof of their faith in the power of the Goddess opens them to the greater potential power of the holy sites. As described above in Rituals, this final test does not entail any personal performance of magical ability -- no one incapable of performing the feats expected of a Ferratus/Ferrata would be allowed to take the test -- rather it involves the sacrifice of one's ability to reproduce. If the wounds heal on their own by deposition of iron at the site of the wound, the test is successful. If not, the wound is healed by the Ferrati administering the test, though the student does not regain any ability to reproduce. The student is given the option to remain in the church as a lay servant (they can no longer be a priest or priestess, as the unsuccessful test demonstrates their lack of true faith) or to leave the church with a bit of coin to start another life. Those that remain in the church are referred to as the Castrati. There is no way for this final sacrifice to be reversed, regardless of whether it was successful or unsuccessful.

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