The Wolrd After: The Hierarchy

The Hierarchy is the sponsor of most clerics. It is the oldest institution of man, being the only one to pre-date The Harrowing of the World. Interestingly, even the most senior members of it know little more than the rest of the world of true nature of The Harrowing.

Dedicated to order and the preservation of that order The Hierarchy embraces only two principles, justice and wraith. The maintenance of civilization is their first and only real goal. As such many members of the The Hierarchy may be cruel or even evil in maintaining order. While the Hierarchy has never endorsed torture, tyranny, or similar practices they have accepted them both from their agents and others as long as civilization is preserved by them. This dedication to order often brings them into conflict with elves, who see themselves as agents of chaos to positive ends.

The Hierarchy takes no official position on the cause or result of The Harrowing but they have been known to be opening to fighting along side Devils against the Demons intent on consuming the world. In fact, the only absolute penalty of death endorsed by the Hierarchy is consorting with Demons.

Finally, just because The Hierarchy is a large, structured organization that does not believe it is uniform in its believes or even teachings. While all Hierarchs have absolute rule over clerics in their district (generally a single city) the office of Principal Hierarch has gone empty since the days of The Harrowing. The Principal Hierarch of the time was killed in The Harrowing and although a successor was proclaimed a few days later in Quavveniec he disappeared within a handful of days himself. The reason no successor has been named to this day is a cause of much speculation among the laity and minor clerics.

Many Members of the Hierarchy (Roll a d20 three times)
1	Endorse physical punishment for crime (flogging, stocks, etc)
2	Study a formal school of painting, music, or sculpture
3	Use a handled baton as both their primary weapon and staff of office.
4	Are trained in dispersing mobs
5	Can practice law in many City States
6	Play rugby
7	Believe that spreading team sports encourages order
8	Have training in some form of traditional medicine (herbalism, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, etc)
9	Are celibate
10	Will walk everywhere unless the speed is riding is absolutely necessary
11	Eat dates or lamb whenever they can
12	Have spent time as a shepherd
13	Use bronze greaves and bracers
14	Are exceptional mathematicians
15	Invent it
16	Invent it
17	Invent it
18	Invent it
19	Invent it
20	Invent it

Some Members of the Hierarchy (Roll a d16)
1	Have the means (such as a true name) to summon a minor Devil.
2	Have an irrational fear and hatred of elves.
3	Believe elves are the unholy spawn of Demons and women.
4	Have served as part of the internal guard of a City State in the past
5	Are trained in raising mobs
6	Play cricket
7	Discourage games of chance or individual achievement
8	Wear only black and white
9	Tend to blame witches (those who traffic with Demons) for bad events
10	Wear bronze helmets
11	Believe general poverty helps prevent chaos from spreading.
12	Invent it
13	Invent it
14	Invent it
15	Invent it
16	Invent it

Common Traveling Gear for The Hierarchy (Roll a d16 1d3 times prior to spending starting gold)
1	A combination staff of office/weapon (similar to a modern police nightstick)
2	A copy of "The General Commentary on the Black Law"
3	A token of office from the guard force of a City State
4	A set of prayer beads
5	A book of common prayers
6	Incense and a censer
7	Paper, pens, and ink
8	Personal seal and wax
9	A bronze holy symbol (generally a sun cross or a simplified Celtic Cross)
10	Reading glasses
11	Brushes and pigments
12	Blessed incense and a thurible
13	A shepherd's crook
14	Invent it
15	Invent it
16	Invent it

This work by Herbert Nowell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.