PETROSIAN CHURCH

The Petrosian Church was a major denomination of Aldarosianity. After its formation in 5225, the Petrosian Church played a prominent role in both western religion and politics. Its foundational doctrines were based on the intrepretations of Magesterius, Melathon, and Petros on the Sacred Mandate, the Ankoric Canon, and the teachings of Aldaros.

The Teachings of Magesterius
The Petrosian Church, though not formally recognized as such until some time after its inception, found its roots in the teachings of two controversial theologians during the first years of the 53rd-century. The first was a man named Magesterius. He was born in the year 5144 and raised in a wealthy family in Arkenrim, enjoying a life of luxury and pleasure. However, after the Akinorii Crisis swept across the continent, Magesterius realized that, while his and many other wealthy aristocrats' riches endured, hundreds of thousands of others had lost everything. Ridden with guilt, he left his riches behind and began serving the oppressed. It was here that his theological seeds were planted.

In 5199, shortly after the Akinorii Crisis' end, Magesterius was ordained as a pastor in the Aldarosian Church and served the poor dutifully. Seeking to restore the broken lands of Elator left ravaged by the Akinorii, he began preaching sermons emphasizing earthly manifestations of Ankor's heavenly kingdom. His doctrines were centered around the belief that while the true kingdom of Ankor had been ushered in by Aldaros, it was the duty of his followers to establish this kingdom on Anim, which would be characterized by a loving and abundant community. Many church overseers condemned his sayings, especially since Magesterius was a pastor and not a preacher, but the lay people clung to his every word, for he promised them the riches of Aldaros' kingdom on Anim. Correspondingly, the rebuilding of Elator increased and many began to follow him. He was a heralded as a hero of humanity and a harbinger of prosperity. With his handsome appearance and charismatic charm, he won the people over and the influence of the church started to wane.

Aemulus' Objection
Subsequently, there arose a bold challenger to Magesterius: a prominent theologian named Aemulus. Born in the Kingdom of Ligonia and raised in a doctrinally-traditional education, Aemulus taught that the kingdom of Ankor was the body of all true believers who hailed Aldaros as their king and that it would fully culminate upon his return. Though orthodox, his belief was rejected by the people, who favored Magesterius' words over his. The few remaining traditional Aldarosians defended Aemulus and his teachings, but one of his own proteges, a young man named Melathon, abandoned him, lured away by the enticing sayings of Magesterius.

Melathon's Additions to Magesterian Doctrine
In 5213, Elator was invaded once more, this time by the Gondol Horde, led by Warlord Don'tai. Much to the dismay of Magesterius, the Gondols conquered the Palentor and effectively dismantled the Kingdom of Arkenrim, destroying its many church buildings and writings. As a result, the Aldarosian Church suffered immense setbacks, allowing Magesterius and his followers to seize even more control over the religious landscape of Elator. However, the Gondols would occupy the holy lands of the Palentor and surrounding provinces for many years.

This situation was most advantageous to Aemulus' former protege, Melathon. A young artist born in 5169, Melathon left Aemulus to follow Magesterius in 5203 and quickly became his closest disciple. A skilled preacher and accomplished theologian, he obsessed over the works of the secular high elders of the 39th and 40th-centuries. Melathon made use of his vast knowledge of art and culture to expand on Magesterius' teachings. One of his most notable additions was the concept of "kingdom beacons", as he called them, which included relics, sacred music, and majestic cathedrals. The Aldarosian Church challenged his viewpoints, much like they had done to Magesterius before, and put forth an ordinance to excommunicate him. However, when Magesterius himself publicly endorsed him to serve as the church's first high elder since the days of Vulker's War of Vengeance, the people hoisted Melathon up as a hero. The church could do nothing but watch, their influence nearly disintegrated by Magesterius' influence and the recent Gondol Conquests.

In the year 5225, Melathon was instituted as the church's new high elder, thus forming the Petrosian Church, though it would not be recognized as a separate entity from the Aldarosian Church until eight years later. In order to suppress opposition to his teachings, High Elder Melathon outlawed congregants from possessing private copies of the Sacred Mandate. He justified his actions by explaining that only educated clergy were responsible enough to read the mandate for themselves. Over time, the Petrosian Church would fall into superstitious and false doctrine that would corrupt it for centuries. Aemulus publicly rebuked his former protege but was captured and imprisoned under Melathon's orders. He remained in prison until his death in 5235. During his time in chains, he was known as the Mad Tiger for his religious fervor against the Magesterian Tradition, a moniker he bore with secret pride.

In 5227, Aldarosians in Poliim rejected Melathon as their religious head and formed their own church, which would become known as the Poliimic Church. They, too, would see a gradual decline in theological alignment to the Sacred Mandate and fall into superstitious beliefs.

The Church Under Petros
Melathon, hampered by constant physical ailment, perished in 5232 and was replaced by a more conservative high elder, named Thaddeus. Thaddeus, however, died only weeks into his tenure at the young age of 32 and was immediately succeeded by a man named Petros. Petros was an avid follower of Magesterius and Melathon and sought to bring their vision for the church to fruition. He declared the Magesterian Tradition to be a higher religious entity than the traditional Aldarosian Church that had formed after Aldaros' resurrection. Thus, all those under Petros and the Magesterian high elders preceding and succeeding him became known as the Petrosian Church.

High Elder Petros' first act was to establish a holy city, which that had not been done in centuries. Known as Pakorel, this new city housed the temple wherein the high elder and his family dwelt, and also acted as a storehouse for the many relics recovered by Melathon's devout followers. Furthermore, and most importantly, Petros remodeled the basic political structure of the church. Instead of the traditional form instructed by Aldaros' disciples, there would be three branches under the high elder: elders, theologians, and principals. Elders oversaw a certain number of congregations and were designed to maintain church order and also acted as candidates for the position of high elder upon its vacancy. Theologians were concerned with writing literature for the church. Principals were in command over the liturgy of worship services and were often expected to hire a musician for their congregation. Under these three branches were the two offices of priest and inquisitor. Priests served as the heads of individual congregations and acted as candidates for the position of elder. Inquisitors were an armed force meant to hunt heretics, suppress opposition, and defend the church militarily. Finally, the lowest tier of Petros' new model were the monks, who served in all manners, including janitorial, musical, ministerial, and various duties to priests and inquisitors.

Persecution of the Aldarosian Church
It only took a few decades for the Petrosian Church to achieve a firm grip on Elator as its chief religious body. While the church in Poliim remained independent from the Petrosian Church, true Aldarosians were persecuted and dwindling in number each passing day. Nevertheless, they remembered Aldaros’ proclamations that the high elders, holy cities, and oracles were fulfilled in him and that after him they would all be abolished. They met in secret, much to the frustration of the Petrosian church leaders, who sought always to capture them and put them in prison, as they had done to Aemulus. In regards to this, the Aldarosians clung to Aldaros’ promise spoken shortly after his triumphal re-entry into Elator, “There shall come a time when those who claim to follow me persecute my true brothers and sisters. Waiting for these vile evildoers is judgment, for I shall come again to take my beloved to glory with my Father and lay waste to the imposters of faith.”