The Mortal people of Zealot, like the Gods themselves, are diverse. They are, however, bound by not only the laws of the Pantheon but also the overarching structure of the realm itself.
Political Structure
As the Gods rule Circadia, the hierarchy among Mortals is both complex and fluid. The vast majority of Mortals are members of The Layfolk/Folk Civil–pious people of varying class, profession, and culture who, while observant, have not dedicated their lives to the Gods.
The Devout are the elite class of Circadia. Faithful people who have dedicated themselves to the service of the Gods, they are responsible for upholding the safety and wellness of the Layfolk and the larger Realm.
Some individuals, Devout or Folk Civil, have amassed enough wealth to take on the title of Noble. This is a complicated position tied into Circadia’s economy.
Most powerful of the Mortals are The High Councils: the highest ranking priests who serve as direct emissaries of the Gods.
Within this complex political structure, the economy of Circadia orbits around the strange, magical currency of Perennia.
The Devout (PCs)
The truly Devout–those particularly blessed by their Patron god–bear physical manifestations of their gods. These take various forms but represent the players individual devotion.
All players are considered members of The Devout. Through religious service to a God, they have come to wield Divine powers. These powers are considered Gifts and, should service falter, can be lost.
All Devout are equal in rank to one another. The only Mortals they report to are the High Council.
The Devout are divided into three Orders: Paladins, Clerics, and Worship Leaders.
Paladins are the most martial of the Orders and generally the most skilled at (and enthusiastic for) combat. They are often the people frequently called for the most dangerous of missions.
Clerics are the Devout healers of the realm. They are caretakers of not only Mortals but also the natural landscape. While less martial than Paladins, Clerics are often the emergency personnel helping at the frontlines of battle and environmental devastation alike.
Worship Leaders are, in many ways, the heart and soul of religious life in Circadia. They serve as teachers and servants to Devout and Layfolk alike. Particularly since the Blood War, they have been instrumental in making sense of loss and destruction.
The High Council
The direct representatives of The Pantheon, The High Council are the theocratic mediators of the Gods’ wishes and the general political structure of Circadia. While these positions sometimes rotate, The High Council’s “election” is usually divinely influenced and decided upon by Devout of the relevant god. Equally frequently, Gods will directly choose their High Priests, offering Mortals–even the Devout–much in the way of choice.
The Dynasties
While the High Clergy are the most prominent Mortals in the Realm, they are certainly far from the only important Circadian Mortals. Indeed, there are various Dynasties associated with their longtime worship of the various Gods. While some may consider these families “noble houses” the nobility is only sometimes associated with monetary wealth–indeed, some of the Dynasties are of humble means but nevertheless garner extraordinary respect. Read more about the most significant of the Dynasties here.
The Layfolk
The people of Circadia both common and noble, The Layfolk are worshippers who haven’t committed the entirety of their lives to religious observation. This does not mean they are disconnected from religious life–far from it. They are the people who make worship meaningful. While subject to The Devout and The High Council, many wield more social power than Devout. Many more are common folk happy to serve the good of Circadia.
Non-Believers
It would be nearly impossible to truly reject the power and ability of the Pantheon: to do so would be to refuse the reality of Divine magic that occurs day-to-day. Nevertheless, some people reject the supremacy of the Pantheon and believe that the Pantheon are not divinely powerful themselves but are instead vessels of some larger force. They consider the Pantheon to be one in a rotating series of very powerful people to channel such power. Many Non-Believers are content to live their lives quietly and peacefully distant from the Gods. Some, however, present active danger to the Realm.
Heretics
Non-Believers are, importantly, not Heretics. Indeed, many Heretics believe fervently in the power of the Gods. Heretics are those who challenge the place of the Gods, either through active confrontation or subtler machinations.
Heretics follow three general tracks. The first is that of those who were traumatized by The Blood War: these disillusioned folk–often former Devout or faithful Layfolk–refuse to accept that The Pantheon is just or good. This faction of Heretics are generally ignored due to the larger population’s sympathy for their plight; most of them lived through The Blood War and still grieve the carnage of the God-lead battles. This type of Heretic is only reprimanded, sometimes by capital punishment, when they actively do harm to followers of The Pantheon.
Another brand of Heretic are the followers of the Fallen Gods. In general, observance of the Fallens’ former power is not considered heretical–afterall, many of the former gods occupied Realms of magic that are no longer controlled and were themselves once Divine. However, there are many Heretics–especially those of Hyrnednha and T’rer–who preach that the current Patheon has wrongfully taken the place of the True Gods. These Heretics are punished with little more than a quick and informal hearing. Many followers of Mynair still openly hold to her practices, which is more or less allowed by all Gods except for Steramestei. These Heretics were former Devout but no longer have access to true Divine Power. Those who have accepted a new Patron God (their primary God) but continue to observe the tenets of a Fallen are not considered Heretical.
Finally, there is a small group of Heretics who wish to circumvent Divine Power and activate Magic within the boundaries of Mortality–these folk are called Magicians and are considered one of the developing dangers of Circadia.
Zealot Larp 