Heramacles

The Temple of Heramacles
The Temple is a large building near the middle of the citadel. It is said to be the same building that Heramacles chose as the temple to his Ancestors, when the people first came to Armengar. It is two storeys high, and about twice as long as it is wide.
The Temple is approached by a short flight of shallow steps, which lead up to a deeply in-curving porch. This is furnished with stone benches, and is a popular place to sit and talk. Some trick of the acoustics in this porch makes it almost impossible to overhear a conversation there, even if you are sitting right next to it. For this reason, it is a favoured place for exchanging confidences, and it is believed that if you betray something told you in the Temple porch, the wrath of Heramacles himself will fall upon you. It has also given rise to such expressions as "as secret as the porch", "this is porch business" and "keep it under the porch".
At the back of the porch, a small, heavy door leads into the main hall of the Temple. This hall runs across the building, the door being centred in one of the long walls. Two more doors in that wall lead to small rooms on either side of the porch. These are currently used as storerooms, though they are equipped with arrow slits for defence.
The main hall of the temple rises the full two storeys in height, and is lit by tall, narrow windows at either end and along the porch wall (the porch and the rooms to either side of it being only one storey high), under the roof. A walkway beneath the windows is accessible from the private rooms of the Temple.
The altar, a solid block of red granite polished to a high gloss, stands at one end of the main hall, with the symbol of Heramacles on the wall behind it, beneath the windows. The only other furniture is a few stone benches set along the walls. At night, the hall is lit by oil lamps on tall stands.
There are usually at least one or two people in the hall; members of the congregation may drop in to ask Heramacles' blessing on some item or endeavour, or simply to sit for a little while in the coolness and peace of the room. At least one priest is always in attendance, to aid visitors as necessary.
At the far side of the hall from the main entrance door, in a corner of the one windowless wall, another door as heavy and defensible as the main one leads into the rest of the Temple. It gives onto a colonnade which runs most of the way around the Temple garden. This, too, is open to the public, and many people come to enjoy the sound of the fountain and the scent of the flowers. The red roses in the Temple garden are said to have been planted by Heramacles himself, and to grow nowhere else in Armengar (certainly, no-one has seen roses like them outside of the Temple).
The garden is completely enclosed by the Temple building, as is common in Armengarian architecture. Most of the remainder of the ground floor is taken up by offices, storerooms and the Temple library (a small collection of scrolls and a few items such as the scythe used by Heramacles and an ancient shackle said to be a relic of the people's enslavement). On the upper storey are living quarters for the priests; some of them choose to live in the city, but many of them make their homes in the Temple. Fionnuala and her children live here; the High Priestess, as well as most of the senior priests, must live in the Temple, so that they can always be found at need.
The Inner Sanctum of the Temple is located at the far side of the garden from the door to the main hall. The colonnade around the garden does not go this far, and access to the Sanctum is from a private interior corridor. It is a relatively small room which seems smaller than it is since, like the main hall, it is two storeys high. Unlike the main hall, however, it is unroofed. The walls of the room are clad in the same red granite that forms the altar (though the rest of the Temple is constructed of the same stone as the rest of the city). Its floor is a mosaic, the like of which is not to be found anywhere else in Armengar. Small pieces of brightly coloured stone form intricate and beautiful designs, the significance of which are unknown.
The Sanctum is lit only by the sun, moon and stars; it is said that no artificial light will burn there. It is also unfurnished, though the High Priestess has been known to bring a cushion when she plans to meditate there.
The Inner Sanctum is the High Priestess' private place; she may choose to invite another in, but none may enter there without her permission. Although there is no rule against it, it is unheard of for a High Priestess to invite any but another member of the priesthood within, and even that is not common.

The Priesthood
According to the Lore, Heramacles had little time for strict hierarchies and complicated rank structures. Thus, his priesthood is very simply organised.
At the bottom of the pecking order are the apprentice priests. Anyone may, at any time, declare to the priesthood their desire to become a priest of Heramacles. If they are still of the same mind a year and a day after such declaration, and are over the age of twelve, they may be accepted as an apprentice priest (or not, if the priesthood as a whole feels them to be unsuitable).
Apprenticeship in the priesthood of Heramacles lasts for three years, during which time the apprentice priest is usually assigned to a full priest to learn the Lore of Heramacles and the duties of the priesthood. He also undertakes assorted chores around the Temple, such as sweeping, cleaning, weeding, etc. At the end of this period, the priesthood convenes to decide whether or not to instate him as a full priest; if he has learned everything properly and shows no signs of unsuitability, he will be instated in the next scheduled instatement ceremony. He may also be asked to spend longer as an apprentice, if he seems suitable but has not managed to learn all he should. Or he may be politely told that the priesthood of Heramacles is not the place for him.
This last, however, is rare; at any time during apprenticeship, an apprentice priest may withdraw his candidacy if he feels he cannot, after all, become a priest (Heramacles wants no unwilling servants). Also, at any time during apprenticeship, if the priesthood feels the apprentice is somehow unsuitable, they, too, may sever the apprenticeship.
If, as usually happens, an apprentice is accepted as a full priest, he joins the main body of the priesthood as a junior priest. The junior priests carry out most of the day to day duties of the priesthood such as performing the morning and evening rites and visiting the people.
Junior priests may or may not progress to become senior priests; some remain junior all their lives while others are promoted quickly. The senior priests are not, despite their title, to be greatly envied by their juniors; though they have a greater degree of authority in Temple matters, they also have greater responsibilities. They are those entrusted with the overall running of the Temple and the priesthood, their specific duties being assigned according to their individual skills and abilities. One senior priest, for instance, takes overall responsibility for the apprentice priests, and must supervise their curriculum and the allocation of their chores, judge their complaints, punish their misdemeanours, and so forth. Another is in charge of all housekeeping arrangements and must ensure adequate supplies and allocate resources, as well as making sure that the chores are done and supervising the Temple servants.
(The Temple has a few servants who are not priests; they include the cook as well as those people who keep the priests' private chambers clean, and a nursemaid to take care of the younger children of the priests, in such cases as where a priest is unmarried, or has a spouse who has other duties to attend to.)
In many respects, all priests are considered equal, and Temple decisions are generally made by discussion of the full priesthood, which may be followed by a vote if agreement cannot otherwise be achieved. Generally, however, the junior priests follow the lead of the seniors. This includes such matters as whether to sever an apprenticeship or accept a candidate who has completed his apprenticeship.
The duties of the priesthood are as follows:
* To protect and defend the people of Armengar in whatever ways necessary;
* To perform the appropriate rites of Heramacles on the appropriate days;
* To bring comfort and aid (of whatever kind) to those who need it;
* To give freely and fairly the blessings of Heramacles;
* To perform marriages;
* To lay the souls of the dead to rest;
* To celebrate the births of new Armengarians;
* To study the Lore of Heramacles and to seek out new Lore, that we may know more of our Ancestor (as literacy has become more widespread, this function becomes more important; we have old scrolls that must be deciphered);
* To set an example of honour, courage and loyalty to the people of Armengar.
Although the Temple of Heramacles deplores violence as an end in and of itself, and prefers to seek peaceful settlements to disputes when possible, it has no objection to (for instance) war in defence of the people, and all priests are expected to be competent fighters. Literacy is not yet a requirement, though all apprentices are now being taught to read and write. They are, however, also required to train their memories, and adjured not to rely upon the availability of written documents. All priests of Heramacles are also Incantors, though the ability rarely appears until shortly before an apprentice takes his final vows. If the ability fails to appear at all, this is generally taken as an indication that Heramacles has found the apprentice unfit, though in some cases he may be allowed to continue his apprenticeship in the hope that the ability will yet appear.
Above everyone else in the priesthood is the High Priestess (or High Priest). She has final say in all matters of the Temple, and may overturn or veto any decision of any other priest or the priesthood as a whole. She is considered to be closest of all to Heramacles, and is expected to make his will known to the rest of the priesthood and to the people.
The position is generally a lifetime one, though High Priests may resign at any time if they feel unfit to carry out their duties. A High Priest may also be removed by a unanimous (and secret) vote of the rest of the priesthood; however, for such a vote to be called, clear evidence of severe wrongdoing must be brought, and a minimum of three-quarters of the priesthood must call for a vote to remove a High Priest. (It has happened once.)
When a new High Priest must be chosen, this is done by discussion and vote of the priesthood. In this instance, apprentice priests (who normally have no voice) may vote, and are also eligible to be elected to the position (technically speaking, at least; in practice, no apprentice priest has ever been elected High Priest). Priests may vote for whomever they choose; there is no set list of candidates - though the senior priests may strongly urge a particular candidate. A simple majority is all that is required, though if the vote is very close between two candidates, a second vote may be called with everyone required to vote only for one of those two (this rarely happens; usually one of the candidates will step down). However, the voting is most often spread such that a few priests gain one or two votes and one priest gains a noticeable majority. Unanimity, though, is uncommon.

Rites and Ceremonies
The Rites of the Temple of Heramacles are, for the most part, fairly short and simple; Heramacles is not said to have much love for elaborate ritual, and for many years, there has been little time for lengthy, complicated ceremonies.
The basic rites are performed daily, at sunrise and sunset, and are usually carried out by a junior priest. Followers of Heramacles are not expected to attend every rite, but those who rarely attend and then appear seeking blessings are frowned upon. Most people would attend one or two rites in every seven days.
The morning rite gives thanks for another night safely passed. The Night Candle is extinguished and offerings are placed on the altar; the presiding priest places the normal Temple offering of token amounts of grain and wine. Members of the congregation may choose to place offerings of their own, of any type: these may be offerings to the Temple, which will be used by the priests, or offerings (usually token or symbolic) to Heramacles himself. These last, like the grain and wine, will later be burned in a ceremonial fire. Protection for the coming day is requested.
The evening rite is a little longer than the morning one; it gives thanks for another day safely passed. The Night Candle is lit to provide light and safety throughout the hours of darkness. One of the Tales of Heramacles is told, and may be interpreted in light of current events or needs. Those who wish to give offerings and could not be at the morning rite do so now, but the Temple makes no offering in this rite. A song of praise may be sung.
Both morning and evening rites end with the priest invoking Heramacles' blessing on those present, and on Armengar.

Instatement of New Priests
This ceremony is usually held in late Autumn or early Winter, a few weeks after the departure of the Calebii. It takes place after the evening rites, and is generally well-attended as the family and friends of the apprentices about to take their vows all come to lend their support (there is usually more than one apprentice ready to become a full priest).
One by one, the apprentices are led before the High Priestess, each by the full priest who has been teaching him. The High Priestess asks the priest if he considers the candidate ready for priesthood, then asks the apprentice if he truly wishes to become a priest. The answers being in the affirmative, the apprentice then swears to protect the people, defend the city, distribute the blessings of Heramacles and obey the Temple. When all have taken their vows, the High Priestess blesses them and welcomes them to the Temple.
General celebration usually ensues.

Births, Marriages and Deaths
These rites are usually performed by a senior priest and often by the High Priestess; thus intention must be communicated to the Temple in advance.
Soon after birth, children are brought to the Temple to be Named. This takes place during the normal morning rites; after the offerings the child will be brought to the altar. There, the High Priestess will tell the child her name(s) before holding her up and formally introducing her to those present. Heramacles is then asked to bless the child.
Marriages are most often held during the evening rites, though they may also be celebrated at some point during the day. Due to the necessity to hold off the Calebii, they have rarely been performed during the morning rites. The High Priestess formally asks both parties if they are still desirous of wedding, and asks all present if they know of any reason why the two should not wed. If the two still wish it, and the congregation presents no objections (nothing of the sort has happened in over a century), she binds the sword-hands of the two together with a ribbon (such marriage ribbons are often elaborately embroidered, and passed down within a family) and pronounces them wed, to support and defend one another and Armengar as long as they live. The marriage is then sealed by their jumping over a sword, held by a close family member or friend (it is considered an honour to be asked to hold the sword for a marriage). The ribbon is loosed, but not unknotted until another family member needs to use it, and the couple is blessed.
There is no set time to hold the death rites, but they have often taken place late at night. A time for family and friends to pay their last respects is set aside, usually (but not always) after the evening rites. After this time, the funeral is held. The High Priestess speaks of the deceased, drawing what parallels she can between the actions of the deceased and those of Heramacles. She then invites his family and friends to speak of their own memories of him. After this, the body is brought to the Place of Pyres, where the dead are burned (if there is no body available, as sometimes happens, some item dear to the deceased, a favourite shirt or other possession, may be brought instead). The High Priestess requests someone to light the torch (it is considered an honour to do this), and that person lights a brand and with it, the pyre. The deceased's spirit is commended to Heramacles and the Isles of the Mighty as the pyre burns up, and a funeral hymn is sung. After this, most mourners retire to drink and tell tales of the deceased, though this is not a formal part of the ceremony.

Holidays
The two great holidays of the Temple of Heramacles are the Arrival at Amnor and the Sacrifice of Heramacles. The Arrival is celebrated at mid-Summer, on the summer solstice; this is supposedly the day upon which the people, led by Heramacles, landed on Amnor and found themselves thus a free people once more. On this day, a special thanksgiving is said at the morning and evening rites, and more people than usual tend to make an effort to attend the Temple. The rites for this day are always performed by the High Priestess.
Since summer has, for a long time, been "fighting off the Calebii" season, the morning rite is of necessity short. However, all Armengarians pick sprigs of myrtle, which they give to one another as they go to the battle lines, as a reminder that this is their safe haven. The evening rite for the Arrival is longer than usual, and people again exchange sprigs of myrtle during it. The Tale of the Exodus is always told on this day, and a special thanksgiving song is sung by all. (The exchange of myrtle has become, in part, a courting ritual; young people give their sprigs to those they wish to be with, as an indication of intent.) There are also, of course, more secular celebrations of the day.
The Sacrifice is celebrated at mid-Winter. This is said to be the day upon which Heramacles went down to the camp of the besieging enemy, and there gave his life to ensure the safety of his people. (There are two schools of thought amongst the priesthood on this matter; one holds that no-one with any sense would make war in winter, and that the timing of the festival is a matter of convenience. The other believes that the would-be conquerors found themselves trapped by winter, not having realised how long it would take them to subdue the island, and thus that the Sacrifice actually happened upon this day. Be that as it may...)
Mid-Winter is also the day between the years. All fires and lights are extinguished at sundown on the preceding day (excepting only those necessary to the health of the ill or injured) and the morning rites of Heramacles are held in the dawnlight through the windows of the Temple. On this day, the rites end not with the usual blessing, but with a ritual keening and mourning for the death of the Protector. In past times, the current Protector was ritually slaughtered at this point; now, he merely bows his head before the sword of the High Priestess, but she does not actually kill him. He does, however, spend the rest of the day in seclusion within the Temple, which is closed to all but him and the priesthood.
At sundown on the day of the Sacrifice, new lights are kindled in the Temple for the dawning of the new year, and the light and warmth are brought from there to the households of Armengar. As the lights are brought out, so is the Protector (in ancient times, the new Protector chosen to take the place of the old), in token of Heramacles' ancient vow to protect Armengar always. The priests and people sing a song of joy and thanksgiving, and all make merry for the rest of the night.

The other main holidays of Armengar fall on the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. The Spring rites are for fertility; after the morning rites in the Temple, the priests go out to bless the fields and livestock in order to ensure a good harvest in the coming year. In times past, the priests shed their own blood in these rites; now, however, wine blessed by the High Priestess is sprinkled. The other practices associated with this day, such as the jumping of the bonfires, are of a more secular nature, though this day is also a popular choice for weddings.

The Autumn rites celebrate the harvest (and, in latter years, the annual departure of the Calebii). Offerings of grain and other produce are brought to the morning rite in the Temple (often making said rite a lengthy affair!), after which the priests again go out to bless the fields and livestock in thanks for their yield.