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Weapons Supported: Dagger, Pick, Knife, Fauchard, Trident, Fork, Hook Fauchard, Sickle, Scythe, Kama. Specifically, those things with sickle or scythe like blades (i.e. resembling a claw or tooth). As Ohramin once said, "Fighting is your last option, but if you are going to fight, fight like a true dragon. It is hypocritical to think that bludgeoning someone to death with some bloody big morning star is more spiritually enlightened than hacking them into tiny bits. Dead is dead."
The most traditional weapon of the church is the war scythe, a large type of polearm with a short top spike and a 2- to 3-foot scythe blade. It is not only a weapon; ornate variations of the weapon appear as ceremonial symbols of office.
Notes: The clergy of the Church of Bahamut can be thought largely as a group of honorable and worthy priests, headed by an incredible den of vice.
Church hierarchy goes something like this:
priest -> vicar -> bishop -> archbishop -> cardinal -> pope
monk -> abbot -> bishop ... and so forth
That is, a Bishop heads either a geographic area or the entirety of a particular order. A vicar heads a smaller area, and an Abbot heads a single abbey.
Bishoprics are seldom given to those remarkable for their piety, zeal or intelligence; instead they are treated as little more than feudal fiefs and are subject to many of the same conditions and privileges of such posts. Just like the nobility, the clergy has seized upon the idea of dispensing justice (the right of the clergy) thus establishing ecclesiastical courts. In addition to cases involving any priest, these courts also control any issue involving knights in service to the church, pilgrims, lepers, ecclesiastical servants, widows and orphans. Typically, they also handle cases such as usury, adultery, schism, heresy, anything concerning dowries, the status of children, wills, the use of official seals, inventories and civil contracts as well.
The office of "bishop" is so highly esteemed, and offers such huge immunities, that it is eagerly sought out by members of the nobility. It is even given to men who have not reached their majority, if the price is right. Trafficking in ecclesiastical posts is common-place. Indeed, in YR 179 at the Council of Scarborough, 49 vicars and 27 priests admitted to having paid for their posts in cash. It is not uncommon, naturally, for such people to neglect their duties.
Oddly enough, however, it is the monasteries of the Church which serve as the true centers of learning and art in the Realm. Painters, writers, sculptors and the like are not at all uncommon in such places --- particularly the cloistered orders, for there are few other places an artist can ply his trade without having to worry about his next meal. There is generally friction between the monastic orders and the general priests of the church -- the one being less often purchased and far more rigid than the latter.
The general softness of the ruling bodies of the Church make it possible to intermix secular and religious power in this manner. As it is, the bishops primary loyalty is not to the Church but often more to the lord which granted him the title.
Following is the First Book of Bahamut, part of a larger body of theological writings that make up the Church of Bahamut. Some of the other works are alluded to in this book, as are some interesting mysteries. This book describes the origin and basic tenets of the church, and should be sufficient for now to use as a guide for the church's stand on various actions in the campaign. Note also that, as with any organization, there are those who abuse their privileges, thus the used-car- salesman reputation of many of the Bahamut priests. The actual tenets of the religion are not materialistic, though they don't denounce material wealth. Basically, it is OK to seek after a little wealth, as long as doing so doesn't compromise your commitment to Bahamut and as long as it doesn't harm anyone else. Soliciting donations to the church isn't considered harming anyone, because such a large organization does, after all, take money to run. Similarly, the church explicitly forbids doing evil in its own name. But, then, evil is always a term open to interpretation.
The masses tend to regard all dragons with awe and treat them as Gods, but this is just a result of ignorance and misinformation. Even some of the priests and other clergy of the church hold to this view, though it is almost heretical by strict standards. As the Book of Bahamut says, most of the dragons on earth -- meaning the colored dragons -- rebelled against Bahamut and are indeed evil.
The higher-ups and some of the lower members in the church know the truth but don't do much to change this opinion. Their reasoning is that the dragons are more useful alive than dead, even if they are evil. The leaders of the church don't fear the dragons, because they are able to control them through the Claw of Bahamut. One of the chief properties of the Claw is that its wielder can command even hostile dragons to do his/ her bidding. Any dragon will perform any command or follow any instruction issued by the wielder of the claw as long as the command is not obviously suicidal. Dragons are extremely powerful beings however, and they do have the ability to interpret the instructions as they wish. So, even though the dragon will follow your instructions, it may not do so in the way you would have chosen. Asking a dragon to commit suicide or perform a suicidal act, even with the Claw, can have dangerously unpredictable results. Remember, also, that the Book of Bahamut specifies that the Claw cannot be used with evil intent.
This is how the green dragon in the forest is controlled. Even though it is evil, it cannot help but obey the Claw of Bahamut which is held by the high priest. The Claw of Bahamut would not be nearly as effective against Tiamat herself, of course.
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