| Alternate Names | The Chivalrous, The Undefeated, Sword of Justice, The Defender, The Glory of Arkalia |
| Type of Religion | Polytheistic |
| Domain | Chivalry, Honor, Justice, Truth, Duty |
| Ethos | Above all else, Honor. |
| Worshipers | Knights, squires, warriors. Most nobles and commoners in Arkalia and northern Ithria. |
| Number of Worshipers | 15,000,000 |
| Location(s) | The Kingdom of Arkali |
| Allie Faiths | Imarus, Sorrath |
| Opposed Faiths | Oberon, Draxorith, Agethos |
| Symbol | A silver hammer. |
Description
Barrinor the Chivalrous is the ultimate paladin, the perfect knight and gentlemen. He knows no fear and never fails in battle. Barrinor is best defined by honor. He believes in honor above all else. He never uses ranged weapons and always fights fairly, one on one. He always gives an opponent the opportunity to surrender and often attempts stunning or incapacitating an opponent rather than killing. Barrinor would never lie, cheat or steal. Such things are beyond comprehension for true followers of this faith. Followers try to emulate Barrinor and live as he lives every day.
Myths and Legends
There are many tales of Barrinor that tell of his origins, his life and honor and the many battles he has fought. To the uninitiated it would seem that many of these tales conflict, but the priests of Barrinor explain that they reveal many aspects of Barrinor and only by accepting all of the tales can one truly appreciate their god.
The oldest such tales tell of the humble beginnings of this great god. Some tales suggest he was forged of iron by great blacksmiths of long ago. Other tales tell that he sprang from his mother’s womb, full grown and clad in shining armor and clutching a silver hammer. At least one tale tells of a “perfect man” born to the Kingdom of Gekron who rose to be its greatest knight and died in battle against a great dragon.
Over the centuries, countless tales have been spun describing the many battles he has fought. Most tell of Barrinor driving out hordes of devils from hell and vanquishing elder demons lords across the cosmos. There are also tales that describe his visits to this world and others where he battles terrible and fearsome beasts and defends whole kingdoms from destruction.
Overview of the Church
The Church of Barrinor is massive with over 15 million members scattered across Ithria. The largest concentration, by far, is in Arkalia where it is the favored religion of the ruling nobles. It has had a strong influence in Arkalia and has helped shaped the culture there.
Geographic Placement Over 60 major temples and hundreds of shrines can be found in major cities and towns. The worship of Barinnor is strong wherever warrior cultures exist. This includes Arkalia, Normidia, Vorrik, Garrison, the War Vale and all of the Rukemian Empire. It is less prevalent, but still present, in many other regions. The worship of Barrinor is confined to Ithria and has not yet spread to Aggradar or Qeshir.
History and Origins The Church of Barrinor can be traced all the way back into the Age of Dawning. It is an amalgamation of several battle cults that were strong during the Myratz Empire. These cults arose from battle songs and warrior tales told around campfires during the Four Kingdoms War. By the time that the Thullian Empire arose, these warrior cults had merged together into a focused faith based on the warrior known as Barrinor. The refined culture of the Irenni League shifted the nature of Barrinor from warrior to knight and became particularly strong there. The faith has grown slowly and steadily through the centuries. The ranks of this religion shrank during the Purification Campaigns of the Assembly during the Age of Dreams. However, during the Great War, when noble warriors were needed most, this church experienced a revival and its ranks swelled especially in the Irenni League. Today, the Church of Barrinor is wide spread throughout the realms in all nations and cities where honor is valued.
Goals
The Church of Barrinor has several specific goals:
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Establish a knightly order in every major city and kingdom |
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Defeat the Church of Draxorith which worships an elder demon lord |
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Wipe out demon worship in all its forms in all places |
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Promote chivalry, honor and justice in all lands |
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Bolster the armies of Vorrik, Kitar, Rukemia, Mercia and Garrison in the hopes of bringing about the downfall of the Coalition and Duthelm. |
Temples, Churches and Holy Sites The main Church of Barrinor is known as the Arbarrinall and it is located in the heart of Strathon, the capital city of Arkalia. TThis church rules over all other Barrinor churches, establishs all church law for the other churches to follow and controls the entire faith. It is a magnificent structure of white stone, flying butresses and vaulted ceilings. It's brilliant white stones are washed daily daily and gleam brightly in the light of the suns. Colorful banners drape the outer walls and shining silver spires reach toward the skies. The Arbarrinall is ruled over by His Holiness, the Grand Bishop of Barrinor.
Worshipers All who would hold honor, truth and justice as their guiding ideals find that Barrinor suits them. While many who worship are soldiers and guards, this church also attracts judges, merchants, craftsmen and even common farmers. Honor and truth are not limited to those with money and power.
Priest knights of Barrinor often preach to the ranks of Warrior Guilds and teach at warrior guild halls. They recruit new members into the church from young men eager to join the militia or national army. Often, the Church of Barrinor is closely tied to the military. In Arkalia, the Church of Barrinor is tightly interwoven with the military. Arkalia's capital, Strathon, is the center of this church and the main temple of Barrinor is located there.
Allied and Opposed Faiths The Church of Barrinor is generally allied with all of the other Elder Thullian Gods including Carrikos, Imarus, Semorjon, Sorrath and Assytia. The Church of Barrinor is all evil faiths including Oberon and Draxorith.
Tenets
If one were to distill this religion down to just two words, it would be Honor and Truth. Barrinor stresses that honor and truth are the highest ideals that one can aspire to and these twin beacons of light should guide the faithful in every moment of their lives. Honor is everything and one must always hold it above any other concern. To betray a friend, to turn a blind eye to injustice or to shrink from responsibility is to stain oneself with dishonor. Truth is held in equal regard. The first duty of the faithful is to Truth in all its aspects. Honor and Truth. These two words sum up the entire faith. Of course, there is much more to this religion than that simple definition. Barrinor teaches that his followers should always lend a helping hand to those in need. They should defend the helpless, support the weak and give wherever and whenever possible. Life is a constant struggle against the forces of darkness and chaos and each of us must help out, everywhere we can, in every way possible. Only together, through constant acts of kindness and support and courage can we possible hope to push back the darkness and wipe the scourge of chaos from the world.
Scripture
The most holy book of the Church of Barrinor is the Sharbarin which is probably a corruption of the Irreni name “Sharul den Barin” which means “The Book of Barrinor”.
The Sharbarin is the most holy of the sacred writings in the faith of Barrinor. It is considered the founding religious document of Barrinorism and is divided into five separate books, whose themes are honor, truth, courage, justice and goodness. The Sharbarin contains allegories, historical narrative, poetry, genealogy, prayers, ritual descriptions, church laws and prophecies.
Barrinoric religious tradition ascribes authorship of the Sharbarin to various early bishops, through a process of divine inspiration. It is believed that additions and changes to this holy book continue through bishops and divine inspiration.
Symbols
The silver hammer is the symbol of the Church of Barrinor. It is the weapon wielded by Barrinor and the chosen weapon of Barrinor’s knights.
Rituals
Barrinor tradition holds a formal gathering of believers at shrines and temples once each week on the first day of the week, known as Barrinor’s Day, or Light Day. Followers of Barrinor may choose not to (or may not be able to) attend every week, but are expected to attend at least once per month. During this weekly ceremony, sections of the Sharbarin are read and sermons are given. This ceremony may also involve public promotions of rank for specific individuals and other announcements. Knights of Barrinor and other warrior faithfuls will meet with bishops of Barrinor in private audience after mass and seek forgiveness for blood spilled by their hands.
Tithes
Followers of Barrinor traditionally give 7% of any money they have earned in tithes to the Church whenever they attend weekly mass. In addition, many warriors will offer up small tokens taken from defeated opponents. Such tokens are usually small and more symbolic than valuable.
Holy Days
Any day that sees battle is seen as a holy day in the eyes of Barrinor. Followers will pray for Barrinor's favor before a battle and offer up thanks afterwards. In addition, the first day of the nine day Khorrasian week is known as "Barrinor's Day" in most civilized lands throughout Ithria. The first day of the year is considered particularly holy to followers of Barrinor as it ties in to several legends about Barrinor. The faithful of Barrinor are forbidden to fight on this day.
Artifacts
The holiest symbol of this Church is the silver hammer which Barrinor wields as his primary weapon. This holy artifact is magically enchanted such that it is particularly effective against demons. A symbolic replica of Barrinor’s hammer is held by the church in Strathon. This is said to be a copy of Barrinor’s hammer, albeit a less powerful version. Even so, the hammer is powerfully enchanted and a formidable weapon in combat.
Many worship and follow the teachings of Barrinor, but few are equal to the tasks required to be a priest of Barrinor. One must be honest, loyal and pure of heart. One must be confident and have unshakable courage. To become a squire of Barrinor, one must be sponsored by a Warrior and this must be approved by a Knight. However, most who seek to serve are welcomed by the Church.
Commanding the Church is the Grand Bishop... currently Lord Jon Tenral.
The ranks of the church of Barrinor, from lowest to highest, are as follows:
| Title | Description | Granted Powers & Rights |
| Squire | Squire is the lowest rank. It consists of the thousands of young workers, apprentices, squires, choir boys and hopefuls waiting for their chance to serve a warrior or meet a knight. | None |
| Warrior | The backbone of the Church is the second rank - the warriors. These battle hardened warriors complete quests faithfully, escort dignitaries, serve the knights, protect the bishops and more. Several hundred of these men and women serve the Church. The goal of each, to been seen worthy in the eyes of Barrinor and achieve Knighthood. The warriors use a variety of weapons and armor, but most try to emulate the knights and so will work hard to acquire the best armor they can (preferably a good breastplate and chain mail). | The right to sponsor a new member to the rank of Squire. |
| Knight | Those few warriors who serve exceptionally well are granted knighthood in a special ceremony. Knights wear plate mail armor and fight with sword and shield. | The right to approve a new Squire. Heal self, Detect Evil |
| Knight Commander | After many years of service, a knight may be promoted to Knight Commander as a member of the High Guard. This always coincides with a vacancy in the High Guard as that prestigious group must always number 50, no more and no less. Knight Commanders are often called upon to complete (and often lead) the most dangerous and important missions. Knight Commanders wear only the finest heavy plate armor (usually enchanted) and fight with massive war hammers. The High Guard serve the King and Grand Bishop directly. They are often on hand at diplomatic ceremonies, guarding the palace grounds and serving at religious holidays. Once each year, at the King's Festival, the Grand Bishop of Barrinor chooses one of the High Guard, whomever he deems most worthy, to be Praemus Nuchet (First Knight). This high honor is held for a year. During that time, the First Knight is given the privilege to carry the Church's most holy artifact, the Hammer of Barrinor, a massive silver and adamantine hammer which is ensorcelled with the most powerful magic. | Heal self, Cure disease, Detect evil, Remove curse, Immunity to disease |
| Bishop | Usually after a lifetime of service, a Knight Commander will "retire" from active duty and be promoted to the rank of Bishop. At this time, the sword and armor are put away and he dons the robes of his new office and serves the Church in a much more spiritual and advisory role. The Bishop effectively retires from field work and quests to take on administrative and social duties. Bishops wear light blue robes trimmed in white. | A wide spectrum of curative spells, divination spells, detect evil, remove curse, immunity to disease, turn undead. |
| Grand Bishop | Commanding the church is the Grand Bishop who is always chosen from the ranks of the Bishops by Barrinor himself (or so it is said). The Grand Bishop wears white robes trimmed in blue with a variety of ornate head dresses depending on the circumstances. | All granted powers of a bishop plus the ability to commune with Barrinor |
This page last updated Wednesday, December 24, 2008. Copyright 1990-2009 David M. Roomes.