Holy Terran Chantry

[Here, you can put a quote that reflects the religion in some way. Be sure to avoid spoilers.]

— [e.g. Hadrian Marlowe, Empire of Silence, chapter 8]

In this section, you can put a general, non-spoiler introduction to the religion.

Below are listed the headers that contain more in-depth information on the religion. Unused headers can be removed.

Only link the first appearance of another religion, character, polity, etc. Avoid duplicate links. Links used in lists, quotes, and the infobox do not count toward the link count.

If there are any categories in the infobox that are not applicable to the article, remove them entirely.

References are at the bottom of the article. Cite them like this.^[1] Then manually write your reference in the list below. Avoid duplicate references.

Appearance and Vestments

Describe the appearance and dress of members of the religion, if uniform.

Beliefs

Mythology

Describe the religion's beliefs about creation and the end times.

[e.g. Twelve Abominations]

Describe the key beliefs of the religion.

Practices

[e.g. Sacrifices]

Describe any routine religious practices of the religion.

Lexicon

Below is a glossary of terms related to the Holy Terran Chantry.

Scroll right to see entire table

Term	Definition	Notes
adorator	A member of any antique religious cult maintained by the Empire and tolerated by the Chantry.
anagnost	An initiate in the Chantry clergy.
Assumption of Earth	In the Chantry religion, the departure of Mother Earth following her destruction. It is said she will return when men are worthy.
bastille	Chantry judicial and penal center, usually attached to a temple sanctum.
Cantos	The Chantry holy book, a collection of songs, laws, and parables.
cathar	A surgeon-torturer of the Holy Terran Chantry.
chanter	The average priest or priestess of the Chantry religion.
Cult of Earth	See Holy Terran Chantry.
Dark / Outer Dark	Space. In the Chantry religion, a place of desolation and torment.
Elegy for Earth	The Chantry call to prayer performed at sundown each day. A funeral hymn for Mother Earth.
Exodus	The expansionist period following the environmental collapse of Earth. The peregrinations from Old Earth System before the Foundation War.
Foundation War	The war between the early Empire and the Mericanii, in which the Mericanii were destroyed and the Sollan Empire was founded.
Four Cardinals	In the Chantry religion, the four most important icona: Justice, Fortitude, Prudence, and Temperance.
Golden Age of Earth	The mythic epoch leading up to the Exodus, culminating in the Assumption of Earth and the colonization of the solar system.
High Litany	In the Chantry religion, a weekly ritual held to commemorate the destruction of Earth and to pray for a better future for humankind.
Holy Terran Chantry	State religion of the Empire. Functions as the judicial arm of the state, especially where the use of forbidden technology is involved.
icona	In the Chantry religion, a spirit or god embodying an ideal, virtue, or natural law such as Fortitude, Evolution, or Time.
Index	The catalog of punishments—monetary, corporal, and capital—maintained by the Chantry and enforced by the Inquisition.
Inquisition	The judicial branch of the Imperial Chantry, primarily concerned with the use of illegal technologies.
inquisitor	A Chantry official tasked with conducting judicial investigations and overseeing the torture of criminals.
Mother Earth	The deified homeworld of humanity and principal god of the Chantry religion.
Peregrination	Any of the historical evacuations from Earth’s system for the extrasolar colonies.
praxis	High technology, usually of the sort forbidden by Chantry law.
prior	In the Chantry clergy, the chief cleric in a prefecture.
sign of the sun disc	A gesture of benediction made by circling thumb and forefinger and touching forehead and lips before holding the hand up to the sky.
Synarch	The highest ecclesiastic office of the Imperial Chantry. Their most important function is the coronation of new Emperors.
Synod	The ruling body of the Holy Terran Chantry; a college of archpriors presided over by the Synarch.
troglodyte	A human being without higher brain functions either voluntarily for personal or religious reasons, or as the result of an accident.
Twelve Abominations	The twelve most grievous sins according to the Chantry’s Index. Legal privileges do not apply in such cases.
vate	Any preacher or holy man who is not formally a part of the Chantry clergy.
warden	Any member of the Chantry’s private armies used to defend holy sites from unwanted incursions and pillaging.
White Sword	A ceramic greatsword used by Chantry cathars for formal executions, especially of the nobility.
Writ	The Chantry’s legal and moral code, enforced by the Inquisition and the Index.
Your Reverence	Form of polite address for members of the Chantry clergy, particularly priors.

History

[e.g. The Founding]

This section should describe the known history of the religion organized by major event or revelation.

Organization and Hierarchy

[e.g. Synarch]

Describe the leadership of the religion.

[e.g. The Choir]

Describe the different divisions of the religion.

[e.g. Inquisitor, Prior, Chanter, etc.]

Describe the different ranks of the religion.

Notes and References

1. Empire of Silence, Chapter 13
2. Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, "The Demons of Arae"
3. You can also put clarifying notes here.
4. Highmatter Books, Shadows Upon Time