- Scale: 10
- Capital: 10
- Alignment: Lawful Good
- Symbol: A Diamond
- Active Regions: All of Muriah, except the Great Untamed and the Orclands
- Special: Must profess faith in Astalus, and only Astalus. May not worship other deities.
Background: The Church of the Pure was founded at the coming of the New Gods. As a political force, however, the Realignment of EK 931 established the idea that the worship of Astalus should come above all other deities. It also led directly to the founding of the Holy Republic of Astalon, to which the church has considerable ties.
Organization: The Church of the Pure has a rigid hierarchy, and reporting structure, consisting of three branches: The Word, the Arm, and the Mind. The Word comprises the lay priests: those members who go out and attempt to spread the word of Astalus, converting heretics, and performing missionary duties. The Arm are the militant branch, who actively seek out evil, and attempt to destroy it. The Mind are the higher order priests, who oversee the activities of the lower groups.
All members of the Church of the Pure have mandatory vestments, which are used for services and special holidays. The vestments consist of pure white robes with gold hem, and golden vestments, and a white phylactery. Members are also required to own a canon, laying out all the deeds of Astalus for his followers to try to emulate. The holy symbol of the church is a diamond. Higher ranking priests typically adorn themselves with more ornate, or ostentatious, jewelry centering on the diamond motif.
Advancement in the church is likewise structured, with immediate supervisors sending off word of the individuals deeds to a regional review board, who then decide if the individual merits a promotion. This review happens once a season (every three months). There are means for bypassing this system, if one feels that their superior is treating them unfairly, though this often calls down an inquisition from the Inquisitus Divinicus.
Goals: The goals of the Church of the Pure are simple: convert all living creatures to the worship of Astalus, destroy all evil in the world, and undermine the other faiths (so as to better accomplish the first).
The Church also wishes to set itself up as the de facto government, as it has in the Holy Republic of Astalon, since it feels it is best at determining what is right for the people.
