Story of the Church, Introduction

Introduction
No religious organization is as familiar in a medieval setting as the Catholic Church, and it makes the perfect vehicle for crafting a religious background in a fantasy campaign. For the DM, most of the work has already been done. Players, through exposure to movies, books and personal experience, should easily recognize the structure, icons, beliefs, rituals and history of Catholicism, it's good works and intentions, its dark aspects, its simplicity and grandeur, its art and architecture. For these reasons and more, it has been chosen as the dominant faith in the human lands of Shadow Empyre, where it is known as The Church, Christianity, Crisendom and Cuthbertism. Per omnia saecula saeculorum (for ever and ever.)

The position of Savior is occupied by Saint Cuthbert, but this is not the Cuthbert of the D&D manuals, a narrow-visioned, head breaker intent on justice and retribution at any cost, even at the expense of his own followers. Instead, this Cuthbert is more like Jesus, the faith being based on love and mercy, although when Cuthbert walked the earth he was not always a pacifist, and he did carry a cudgel to "fight off the wolves." Clerics of Cuthbert are not restricted in their use of weapons, though the use of poison is prohibited.

There are many references which are used and easily recognized; A Bible (though there is no "Old Testament/New Testament," simply the collected teachings and writings during and following Cuthbert's time.) There is the story of the Nativity, the Virgin Birth, visitations by saints and angels, corrupting demons and an Antichrist, miracles, the Crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. The Vatican is represented by the "Basillica," and the pontiff is called the "Cardinal." And what campaign of this nature would be complete without the dreaded Holy Inquisition? Libera nos a malo (deliver us from evil.)

The Church in Shadow Empyre is built on many well known basics, too numerous to list and with little detail required (the DM will decide how it all applies,) so a few will simply be listed; Cuthbert's 10 Commandments, the Beatitudes (mercy, kindness, charity, etc), the concepts of Sin, Confession, Atonement, Forgiveness, Damnation, Salvation, Hell and a Heavenly Afterlife, Seminaries, the Mass, Baptism, Missionaries, donations to the poor, care for the sick, orphans and elderly, and the potentially corrupting powers of a strong, wealthy organization with tremendous political and social influence. Members of the Clergy will be found to be heroic and villainous, self-sacrificing and greedy, involved in honorable works of charity and embroiled in intrigue and skullduggery, faithful and faithless, good and evil and lots of in between... just like the rest of us.

Creating such a rich and detailed background from scratch would be impossible. Here is a "ready made" setting, filled with history and wonder, just waiting to be employed. How can I resist? Although the Church and its many details are covered here and in other previously-issued works in the campaign, no endeavor is ever a definitive work, and as always the DM will be required to fill in the blanks and make adjustments as he sees fit.

In Shadow Empyre, Catholicism has been skewed, tweaked and altered to fit the author's needs, and the needs of the campaign. Many of the references to Catholicism and medieval Christianity are accurate both historically and in the present day, but they are also filled with errors and fabrications. Some are intentional (to suit the campaign and the author's poetic license) and others are unintentional (due to simple ignorance... the author is a Catholic, but not a seminary student or a priest.) Nothing is intended to be offensive, nor is it intended to represent Catholic doctrine.