| Other Names | The Benevolent, Father of Kindness |
| Status | Greater God |
| Area Of Control | Virtue, Truth, Honor, Humility, Justice, Peace |
| Ethos | In all things, be virtuous. |
| Pantheon | Human |
| Worshipers | Mostly commoners and peasants. |
| Appearance | Imarus appears as a human male with long flowing white hair, a white beard dressed in shimmering silver robes and leaning upon a gnarled oaken staff. Eyes glow white. Usually depicted with radiant clouds behind him or illuminated from behind. |
| Symbols | White feather, white cloud, white star, a single glowing white eye. |
Imarus is one of the older deities of Khoras, having been worshiped by man long before the Sundering. This faith helped many victims of the Great War cope with those difficult times. Imarus is seen as a all-knowing and all-loving god responsible for all of the goodness in the world - the beauty of a sunset, the joy of music, the happiness of a loving family and the serenity of silence. He is seen as the protector of the common folk, the shield against evil, the light in the darkness, the answers to all questions.
The origins of this faith stretch all the way back to the Myratz Empire, an ancient culture which preceded the Thullian Empire by several centuries. According to Imarusian faith, Imarus is the father of the world and it is he that forged the lands and the sky and the seas. He then created all living things, including man. After the battle of Four Kingdoms, man came together in harmony upon the bloodied battlefields and united to form a great empire. Imarus, seeing that man was worthy, choose twelve men and women, to share his knowledge with. These twelve disciples were gifted with godly wisdom in their dreams. These twelve united to lead the people. Thus, the Church of Imarus began. It has grown and spread steadily for centuries. Titles, rank, protocol and tradition have developed and become more elaborate with each passing century. Through famine, plague and war, this Church has survived and thrived. It appeals primarily to commoners.
The Church of Imarus emphasizes "living a virtuous life" by adhering to the basic tenets of honor, truth, wisdom, humility, kindness, faith and loyalty. Priests of Imarus are healers, spiritual counselors and, in some ways, community leaders. The Church of Imarus is on very good terms with the Church of Barrinor and their territories often overlap. The worship of Imarus is common in the Rukemian Empire, Arkalia, the grumman nations, the War Vale and Ithell. Priests of Imarus hold to the belief that Imarus is the first and most powerful god. All other dieties are minor demi-gods with cult followings - corruptions of faith. Even Barrinor is seen as a warrior knight who serves Imarus.
The church of Imarus has a well defined hierarchy of priestly ranks. Through service to Imarus, they cleanse themselves of mortal impurities. Therefore, the color of the dress reflects their "purity".
The Acolytes - The lowest ranks are the acolytes, usually young men, who are studying to be priests. Acolytes where white cotton robes under thick brown woolen robes. They must always be barefoot to learn humility. Their service as an acolyte always lasts at least two years, but may be longer. The acolytes of Imarus can be found in almost every setting. They serve the priests and bishops both in the smaller country churches in town and in the larger, more ornate, cathedrals in the larger cities.
The Priests - The priests of Imarus form the bulk of the clergy, holding services in the smaller country churches and tending to the masses in rural areas and towns. Imarusian priests dress in simple grey cotton robes and grey leather boots.
The Bishops - Above the priests are the bishops who preside over the larger city churches. Bishops dress in neatly trimmed gowns of shimmering sammite and wear elaborate head dresses with long cloth parts that drape down the front and back. The larger city cathedrals are ornate stone buildings and will typically have one bishop presiding over several priests and acolytes.
The Arch Bishop - At the head of the church is His Holiness, Arch Bishop Tanus. His Holiness presides over a truly colossal cathedral in the heart of Aridon. This massive and very ornate stone building is home to His Holiness, a holy council of one dozen bishops, several dozen priests and over 200 acolytes. The Emperor himself attends church at this cathedral The cathedral of Imarus in Aridorn is renowned for its bells. In total, it has 120 bells, some of them quite massive, which are rung each week to call the faithful to mass.
The Monks - Imarus is also served by monks, that is, men who devote their lives to the worship of this god, but who do not administer to the masses. Imarusian monks gather in huge stone abbeys (usually a few kilometers outside a city or town). Each such abbey will often have a village grow up around it. Such abbeys are massive stone buildings with several inner courtyards. These abbeys are not just places of worship. Besides being a communal gathering places and hall of residence for the monks, each abbey will typically contain a large library, an herb garden, a hospital, a bathing hall, guest chambers, a training hall for new monks, a school for the children of nobles, a smithy, a tannery and a mill. Abbeys usually own several dozen acres of farmland around them which will include a large pond and a vineyard. Abbeys are considered private institutions where the serious work of Imarus is done - transcribing books and scrolls, debates, the preservation of holy writings.
This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.