AIYANISM MAIN - HEPTOVANIA MAIN

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CHURCH HIERARCHY

Unsurprisingly, such a long-established and authoritarian religion as Aiyanism has developed an elaborate church hierarchy. The emergence of rival factions has only confused things further.

*These offices can be held by women only in the Parajenic Church.
**These offices can be held by women in both Sinjenic and Parajenic Churches.

The various offices are listed alphabetically below:

ALSAKERDATON
Beneath the guurati stand the alsakerdates, or 'high priests', of which there are several kinds. Alsakaderdates Territoria are responsible for administration within a particular area, or districts of a city. There is usually one in every town, two or more in large towns or cities. Alsakerdates Kurionata hold posts within the Kurion of Druthion. Alsakerdates Administrata oversee the various duties of the guurati. An Alsakerdaton Katedrali administers a cathedral.

The Parajenic Church can appoint a woman to the post of alsakerdatina, but only a parajenic guurat would countenance a woman holding so high a position within the Church. No alsakerdatina has yet made it to the Zurrut in Druthuin, though some optimistic parajenics believe this is only a matter of time.

ALTERGUURAT
For every guurat there is an alterguurat, representing the guurat in the Kurion of Druthuin. In theory guurati and alterguurati hold the same political position, the alterguurat being merely the voice of the guurat he represents. In practice this is often far from true.

DEPUTATON
The elaborate bureaucracy of the Kurion is administered by the Deputates, these being second only to the Kaiat in rank. These three offices attend the Kaiat just as Zaron was attended by the Trilumi, the three great saints of Obas, Mor and Eth. They are chosen from the ranks of the Kurion, and the post is normally held for life. Although one of the Trilumi - Eth - was a woman, no woman has ever since reached the hypothetical rank of Deputatina.

GUURAT
Beyond Druthuin, the Church is very much in the hands of the Guurati. The original Guurati were holy men appointed by Zaron to administer the outlying churches, the first of these being at a place called Guurat which was at one time under siege from the faithless. (This town still stands, even though all the land around it went beneath the waves during the Cataclysm. Miraculously, the town of Guurat was lifted up, and now tops an island hill protruding from the waves.) For each guurat there is an alterguurat, his representative in Druthuin. Candidates for the post of Guurat are recommended by the relevant alsakerdates, but actual appointment is made by the Kurion, with final approval by the Kaiat. Guurati, among other duties, are responsible for appointing alsakerdates within their region of influence. Only one woman, Iuliana Pro-Hittar, has made it to the post of Guurat, and she was ousted within the space of a few months. The very progressive 338th Kaiat, who approved her appointment despite the protests of the Deputates, stood down not long after, and it will probably be a long time before another kaiat dares to challenge orthodoxy in such a blatantly radical manner.

There is a guurat in most cities within Aiyan territory, and some cities can boast several (often a sinjenic and parajenic existing side by side). Most guurati have their seats in Umerund, but in Heptovania guurati hold seats in:
Tarin Obas, Tarin Mor and Tarin Eth (Armoria)
Stonngard and Argund (Sudenin)
Umgeador (Saro), Turuka and Castilmare [3 guurati]
Ingroth, Aganti, Nerenas, Inguente [2], and Castilona (Rhannagon)
Olport [2], Haversmund, Ravensberg and Coristano [2] (Morantia)

There are therefore 22 guurati in Heptovania, as well as an Irguurat in Tol Morrin (this post being unique to the Barandori Church).

KAIAT
The single most powerful figure in the faith, the Kaiat is the Ambassador of Aiyas, Zaron Surrogatis, Patron Magnos Fidele, Lurigon Aiyanare - the Surrogate Zaron, Grand Patron of the Faith, and Steward of the People of Aiyas. He is acknowledged as the supreme head of the Church by both sinjenic and parajenic strains, and also by the kronetics. He does not receive such recognition from the Hittars. The original Kaiat was appointed by Zaron to rule the Church in the prophet's stead, until Zaron should return. Each successor has taken the name Kaiat, and in the year 1400 YL the 350th Kaiat has been on the Holy Seat in Druthuin for 24 years.

KROGUURAT
The kronetic equivalent of a guurat, with corresponding responsibilities. Kroguurati do not have an alterguurat representing them within the Kurion.

KROSAKERDATON
The kronetic equivalent of an alsakerdaton, with corresponding duties and responsibilities. There are, however, no krosakerdates kurionata. Kronetics are not represented within the Kurion.

KURION
The Kurion is the administrative heart of the Church, a labyrinthine bureacracy within the enclave of Druthuin known as the Zurrut. Administered by the Deputates and the Alterguurati, staffed mainly by alsakerdates and lesser priests, this is the place to be for those who have set their sights on the very top. The Kurion maintains records, assiduously updates the Libris Annales, oversees the collection of tithes and keeps a close eye on expenditure, collates information from correspondents throughout the Church, keeps files on all prominent clergy (and sends out enquiries where information is thought to be needed), and assesses threats to the Church and advises on how they might be countered. Agents of the Kurion may travel freely throughout the domain of the Church, and they expect their demands to be met. They can act as judges in the name of the Kaiat when matters of Clerical Law must be decided.

PARESON
A Hittar priest. A pareson or paresina often takes his or her office through unspoken common consent, emerging as the leader of the informal services that are the norm within the Hittarin church. They are often equivalent to the lay preachers that do not receive official recognition within the orthodox Church.

PRIMARON
The highest rank within the Hittarin church, being the effective leader of one of the many sects and cults that make up this complex of doctrines. The office can also be held by a woman (a Primarina). Many primares are founders of new sects, which they lead throughout their lifetime, the sect often then dying with the primaron.

PRONOVITON
The lowest rank within the orthodox priesthood is the pronoviton (fem: pronovitina). Pronovites are priests in training, assistants to the sakerdates. They cannot conduct services or holy rites such as funerals, though they are usually present on all such occasions. They may take the Lektion or Admoniton at services - these rites are often rotated around pronovites and akapites, being taken by a hatted priest only on dates of particular importance.

SAKERDATON
The sakerdates are what most people mean when they talk of a priest. A sakerdaton is responsible for a single church, where he conducts services, marriages, burials and other important rites. Sakerdates kefalos (sinjenic) or sakerdates kapelos (parajenic) are 'hatted' priests, senior to sakerdates akapitis, who do not have the right to wear sacred headgear. A kefalon (more properly, diokefalon, or Head of God) is a conical, richly embroidered hat, whilst a kapelon (fidelkapelon, Hat of Faith) is a soft, broad-brimmed headpiece. A regular priest is often known simply as a kefalon or kapelon.

In the parajenic church, a woman can hold the post as a sakerdatina kapelos (known more colloquially simply as a kapelina).

In the kronetic church, a sakerdaton wears a simple cowled robe. He is authorised to carry out the rite of Preskriptum.

SAKERDATON AKAPITIS
A sakerdaton akapitis (literally, a 'headless priest') is somewhere between a trainee priest and an assistant, and this is the highest rank that women can expect to reach within the sinjenic church (but not even this far in the kronetic church, which does not permit women to be ordained at all). An akapiton or akapitina can only conduct a service in the absence of a hatted priest, otherwise he or she performs such ancillary duties as striking the gong. He or she cannot perform the rite of Extransmiton, which bestows the Essence of Zaron upon the congregation. Most hatted priests have at least one akapiton to hand, usually several.

A kronetic akapiton cannot carry out the rite of Preskriptum.

SEKUNDON
In the Hittarin church, a subordinate to a Primaron. Sekundes are often co-counders or early followers of a sect developed by its primaron. Most sects have only a handful of sekundes.

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