The Cantillary

The Cantillary, officially the Most Holy Order of the Cantillary, is an globally recognized which promotes the faith of the Argent Cantillation as dictated in the holy text known as The Great Oracies. The Cantillary was believed to have been founded by the last Argent prophet, Atheya some 800 years ago (0 AR according to the Cantillian calendar). The Cantillary is headed by the elected Divine Mother, currently Eularia X who operates alongside the Grandmaster of the Templar Order and the Knight-Commander of the Cloisters.

Geographically, the Cantillary posses small territories throughout the world. The most populous of which being the traditional home of the Cantillary, Villa de Luxan, and the military outposts along The Wall which are operated by the Cantillian Crusade, a join-military order under the direction of the Cantillian Templars. The clerical membership of the organization is somewhere around 210,000, half of which currently stationed along The Wall in the north-east.

Atheyan Cantillary
The Atheyan Cantillary is the period inwhich the Cantillary was organized under the last Argent prophet, Atheya roughly 800 years ago. This period is marked as 0 AR according to the Cantillian calendar and sees the formation of the clergy from the Followers of Atheya and the canonization and documentation of the preceding eleven argent prophets. Atheya served as the first Divine Mother, though she was never referred to as a Divine Mother but as simply Atheya or Prophet Atheya. Atheya led the argent masses, mostly religious exiles like Atheya herself, to the site of Villa de Luxan where they would construct a modest settlement.

During this time period the Cantillary received very limited recognition was mostly concentrated to Villa de Luxan. Mission from Villa de Luxan did not begin until 15 AR, of which limited success was achieved. The First Luxan Council was convened on 20 AR as the first clerical council of the Cantillary. At this council numerous theological and legalistic debates were put to rest and recorded in a lengthy record known as the Luxan Annals which would be amended during each successive council. The most important revelation of the First Luxan Council was the Unitarian Principle, which stated that other religious traditions were all theologically related to the Argent Cantillation. It was at this council that the Argent Cantillation was codified and from it smaller Cantillations were distilled and distributed across the lands.

Atheya typically accompanied expeditions and missions, often leaving the caretaking of Villa de Luxan to the office of the High Chroniclar, Vamira de Rova at the time. Around 25 AR Atheya ventured on the Second Alvian Expedition, this time on request from an Alvian Skylord following the proliferation of the Argent Cantillation throughout the Alvian Empire. Oppression and suppression of followers of the Cantillary was common during this era, specifically in Alvium. The execution of Saint Helyot a year prior during the First Alvian Expedition had been a point of contention between the Cantillary and Alvium, which Atheya hoped to rectify in a meeting of good faith.

During this expedition Atheya began to write the final Cantillation of the Argent Cantillation, known as the Cantillation of Apotheosis (which would become the most well-known of the cantillations). In this writing Atheya claims she has foreseen her trip to Alvium would result in her execution, but was divinely informed that no matter her actions the same fate would occur. She stated, however, by accepting her fate directly now that a greater liberation could be occurred through her martyrdom. In her last passages she laments that delaying this inevitable outcome would likely cause further deaths to those within the Cantillary at the time.

Atheya's execution would occur as she forsaw in the Alvian Empire, in 25 AR. Her death would be reported across the land, leading to what the Cantillary would describe as The Great Lamentation. A snap council met at Villa de Luxan, which sought to seek political ties to the north to grantee the survival of the Cantillary. The Luxan Council also formed the first Clerical Council and unanimously voted Vamira de Rova as the successor to Atheya as the Divine Mother. Vamira is famously attributed to have stated '(This) Holy undertaking has just begun' - which would describe the general attitude of the Cantillary following Atheya's death.

Cantillian College
The Cantillian college forms the main clerical branch of The Cantillary, and is responsible for overseeing the clergy and convening the Chanters College and the Magis College for issues of theological, political, and legalistic debate and reformation. The College is overseen directly by the Divine Mother who operates with the council to amend and approve documentation and policy from the College. Outside of executive and legislative function the College also administers members of the clergy directly, being responsible for overseeing the training of new clerics, upholding moral behavior, and other bureaucratic measures.

The College also operates as body of political mediation between different realms, often sending clerics to officiate documents or oversee legal or diplomatic meetings as a politically neutral third party. Some nobles might invite a cleric as part of their court, generally for the purpose of documentation and officiation as the Cantillary is well known for their extensive and well-kept libraries of legal and historical documentation.

Cantillian Cloisters
The Cloisters, colloquially known as the Circles or the Folds in some regions, of the Cantillary are the main governing body for mages and the use of magic. The theory behind the Cloisters stems from the Argent Cantillations, of which multiple prophets call for the regulation of magic claiming that though powerful the arcane can and will corrupt indefinitely unchecked. The Cloisters were formed, mostly in name, during the Atheyan Cantillary but did not operate extensively until the Late Revelatory Cantillary. The Cloisters are loosely collected societies of mages which are overseen by a Lord-Templar, who are assigned to oversee a given number of Cloisters in a geographical region. The two major objectives of the Cloisters are education and regulation. Education is carried out through a Cantillary approved approach to the teaching of magic, which focuses on what the Cantillary ascribes as the 'Pure Schools' of magic. Education is also heavily focused on making aware the dangers of magic. The Cantillary believes education to be mandatory for magic users, which is the case in Cantillary dominant regions. Upon graduation a mage is granted a right by the Cantillary to perform magic, however this right can be revoked at any point.

The second phase of the operation of the Cloister is regulation. Upon graduation every mage must officially register as a magic user, granting a phylactery to the Lord-Templar of their region which in turn is stored in Fort Vellen, headquarters of the Templar-Seekers. Mages are required to operate with their local Cloister, in some communities being required to live among their fellow mages. Cloisters are allowed a degree of autonomy, however they are annually inspected by a Lord-Templar.

Controversially, the Cloisters maintains several extra-legal rights to manage cloisters. The most controversial of which being the Right of Revocation which allows a Lord-Templar to revoke the legitimacy of a cloister, thus causing the mages of the cloister to be considered Nullifidians. This rite extends to that the Lord-Templar may utilize whatever measures needed to restore order, which historically has been through the Revocation of the legitimacy of a cloister and the execution of its mages. Another controversial right is the Right of Pursuit, which grants Templars and Templar-Seekers the rite to pursue mages that leave the Cloister or defy the Cloisters rules (known as Nullifidians). The legitimacy of this right is dependent on the realm to which they flee, as not all realms recognize this right.

Argent Templars
The Templar Order, known officially as the Holy Order of the Argent Templars, is the military order of the Cantillary. The order overlaps with the Cloisters to some degree, as their main peacetime objective is the suppression of unregulated magic and pursuit of dark magics. Historically, the Templars were formed from the Cantillary absorbing an ancient order of spellbreakers who were adept at utilizing holy and arcane magics to negate magic and magical affects. This lineage is reflected in the rank of Lord-Spellbreaker, an administrative position which is another example of overlap between the cloisters and the templars.

In addition to their peacetime objectives the Templars also operate as a military force, taking part in wars approved by the Divine Mother for participation. Generally this type of army is only raised during periods in which there is a greater threat to the region, such as the vampiric threat to the west. The Divine Mother may call an Expedition or a Crusade during these times, invoking rights which can gather the faithful into an army. As of recent, the Eternal Crusade has been in effect for the last 50 years following the decision by Divine Mother Tara II in response to the vampiric armies in the west. Due to the Eternal Crusade, the Templars have established a rather sizeable geographical territory in the north-west in the fortified city of Dawn's Watch.

Templars on the crusade are known as the Castillian Crusade, which includes irregulars who have been recruited as well as professional members of the Argent Templars. The Crusade currently administers territory in the north-west of the continent at Dawn's Watch under a military government, overseen directly by the Grandmaster of the Argent Order and the Lord-Crusader of the Castillian Crusade.

Geography
The Cantillary directly administers two major territories, in addition to administering various chapels, sanctuaries, fortresses, colleges, and other auxiliary structures throughout the various factions and political powers of the world. These differ in that property within other political powers conforms to the laws of the realm, whereas directly administered territories are directly governed by either the Law of the Cantillary, like the Luxan Isles, or martial law of the Cantillary in martial territories along The Wall.

Luxan Isles
The Luxan Isles are a series of islands located within the inland Argent Sea. They consist of two major islands, St. Tyrus's Sanctuary and Atheyan's Isle. Atheyan's Isle is more commonly referred to as Ville de Luxan, after the island's largest settlement and the location of the Lucent Cathedral. Ville de Luxan was initially founded by Atheya and the first followers of the Cantillary, but has since expanded to include a large civil/non-clergy population. Ville de Luxan is also home to a number of influential political and economic institutions, which are generally supported by the powers of the region due to their ability to serve as neutral mediators in times of inter-realm conflict.

Ville de Luxan is also a well known site of pilgrimage for many faiths. Beyond the Lucent Cathedral numerous significant religious sites and resting places' of saints exist throughout the city. The Grand Bazaar is also a significant site, operating as an international hub of commerce. The port of Ville de Luxan is among the busiest in the region, and sees merchants from all across the globe.

St. Tyrus's sanctuary is the lesser island of the isles. It has a handful of small settlements oh which most are agrarian communities and fishing villages. The site of Tyrus' Tomb is located on the island, which holds the remains of St. Tyrus, Grandmaster of the Radiant Hammer and the Cantillary. Tyrus' tomb is treated not only as a religiously significant site but as a internationally recognized memorial site, honoring the sacrifice of Tyrus during the First Crusade.

Northsunder
Northsunder is a military territory under direction governance by The Cantillary, located east of the Wastes of Blood, north of the Emerald Empire, and west of Erythria. The region was originally a possession of the Emerald Empire known as the Beng Domain. The region was conquered during the First Vampiric Invasion, causing mass devastation to the region as it became the sight of numerous high casualty battles. The First Crusade saw the Vampiric occupiers pushed back by a joint force led by The Cantillary, during which vampiric fortifications and ruined cities were transformed into military fortifications to route the Vampiric invaders.

The armies of the First Crusade were successful in pushing back the first wave of the invasion and were able to establish a strong foothold in the region. A second wave of invasions resulting in significant casualties, and culminated in the renowned Battle of The Silvercrown Citadel - which resulted in a victory of the Vampiric threat but the death of thousands of Templars and the martyrdom of then Grandmaster of the Templar Order, St. Tyrus.

Since retaking and pacifying the region The Cantillary has remained in direct control of the territory, maintaining it as a buffer state between the Waste of Blood and the rest of the continent. Since the First Crusade, massive fortifications have been erected along the border which have colloquially been referred to as The Wall. The Templar Order and the Radiant Crusade maintain the position as watchmen and custodians of the wall, manning the fortifications day in and day out. The Hall of Tyrus is the central command structure of the The Cantillary military forces and joint Crusader forces.

The largest settlement in the region is Dawn's Watch, once a massive vampiric fortification built upon the ruins of an ancient Beng city it is now a walled city home to a number of crusaders, clergy, mages, and travelers. The city is under direct governance of the Knight-Commander of the Templar Order of Northsunder and law is generally meted through military tribunals, as opposed to a standard Canonical Court.