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Every occupation in an imaginary world brings something to the table. They all help breathe life into an otherwise static environment where storytelling just isn’t possible. Out of all of them, the fantasy clergy focuses on something not commonly associated with the others. This lets it stand out amid all the different jobs found in the world.
Clergy in fantasy primarily revolves around the religion of the world and the community. Some worlds have one major religion whereas others have multiple ones which causes conflict between people. The clergy devotes all of its time calling for all people to do good things to help make the world a better place.
The fantasy clergy is split into several kinds of positions. While many are largely based off on their real world counterparts, there are some positions that were created specifically for the world itself. Each one of them has its own role to play in the overall religious community.
Having dedicated their lives to serving the deity of their world, the clergy is bestowed with great powers. Many of these powers are capable of smiting evil since the wicked cannot withstand the power of the holy light. Only a select few clergy are blessed with these powers and they’re usually high up in the religious community.
Mirroring their real world brethren, the fantasy clergy endeavors to be a beacon of hope in a world that sees a lot of suffering and pain. Their goal is to inspire people to not succumb to the many temptations found in the world and guide them on a righteous path where they can find enlightenment by worshipping their deity. They spread gospel and advise people on doing the right thing.
This is article number fourteen in the fantasy occupations series. Many more articles can be found on our blog page!
The clergy in fantasy is a large community. For the purposes of this article, we’ll simply look at several key positions, ones you’re likely to see in fictional worlds. These positions all serve the community in their own way and you can always modify them to suit the needs of your world!
One common type of fantasy clergy is that of the nun. They chose to renounce materialism, instead serving the deity by being humble and working on his behalf to aid people in need. While many of them prefer the sanctity of holy places, others go out in the world and perform acts of charity like giving food to the homeless. They believe there is always someone who needs help.
The second position is the priest. The minister prepares and orates a sermon each week to the faithful, seeking to motivate them to do good things. When he isn’t standing in front of them, he listens to them confess their sins and he helps put them back on the right path. All the priest wants is for people to see the light within themselves and use that light to help guide themselves and those around them.
Next up is the bishop. This position holds importance amongst the clergy in fantasy in that he speaks to a larger group of people than that of the priest. As his superior, he is considered closer to the deity by virtue of his position and he holds more sway among the faithful than his subordinate.
Fourthly, the cardinal is more powerful than the bishop. The cardinal is able to formulate religious doctrine in addition to spreading gospel to the faithful. Due to their positions, cardinals can speak to people across the realm and draw larger crowds than a bishop can.
There is only one position above the cardinal and that would be the leader of the faith. The leader is considered a messenger of the deity and the faithful believes the deity is speaking to them through his words. With his position, he establishes and guides religious policies that everyone else must abide by while at the same time, spreading messages of hope and inspiring people to do good.
You can always come up with your own if you want to! These positions for fantasy clergy shape the world people live in, for good or ill. Furthermore, you can go into detail how they operate and so on to make unique positions that your audience would be hard-pressed to forget.
Having dedicated theirselves to a life of serving the deity, the clergy is capable of wielding powers that not many people can. As the emissaries of light, they are stalwart warriors against the malevolent forces of evil, wielding weapons that inflict devastating harm to them while preaching the virtues of goodness.
Many holy powers are bestowed upon high-ranking members of fantasy clergy. One such power is the ability to smite evil. All the servants of darkness cannot withstand holy light which makes this power one of the most important tools to use against them. Just one little touch can make an evil creature dissipate to nothingness!
Healing is another holy power you see with clergy in fantasy. It ranges from curing people of the common cold to cleansing them of diseases like cancer. They are considered miracles by the faithful and divine proof that their deity exists and is looking out for them. This power is only used seldom and in extreme cases though.
The power of the truth enables those who have it to easily distinguish the truth from lies. This particular power is used to assess the veracity of what people say, especially those accused of falsehoods. Those found to be lying are punished whereas those who aren’t are rewarded for being good, virtuous people.
Many fantasy clergy are blessed with the power to mesmerize the faithful. They do so by speaking in a powerful voice that makes people pay close attention to what they’re saying. Priests and other officials use this power to compel people to do good and to banish the evil lurking in their hearts.
These four powers mentioned above are just several of many others. The beauty of creating a fantasy world is that you can make your own and there’s no shortage to what you can think of!
All fantasy worlds take inspiration from the real world. One way they do so is to have many temptations; these temptations help make the people of these worlds feel more real since it’s something they have to struggle with on a daily basis. To prevent people from overindulging themselves and losing sight of what matters to them, the fantasy clergy steps in and endeavors to help them put themselves on the right path.
People in the real world sin in many different ways. Some are gluttons, adulterers, murderers, and so on. The clergy in fantasy works to help them see the problems they have within themselves so that they can pursue a path that results in them overcoming them, thereby being the best versions of themselves. Priests and other religious officials push the faithful to always do the right thing.
Besides helping people overcome their sins, the fantasy clergy also preaches uplifting messages of hope. All worlds are full of pain and suffering; people endure things like the sudden loss of a loved one or the demise of a friendship long cherished. Hearing the clergy’s messages that they can always choose to make things better inspires them to make it happen. Their deity’s love for them compels them to endeavor to make the world better than it was when they found it.
The clergy in fantasy continually works to push the faithful to chart the road to salvation by helping their fellow citizens. They prod them to selflessly dedicate time to helping the needy, whether that be preparing meals for them or giving them clothes to wear. The clergy hopes that by doing this, it strengthens the bonds of friendship between people, leading to the world becoming better.
All members of the clergy work on behalf of the deity of the world. They spread what they consider to be his will, acting as intermediaries. They believe that acting as his servants, they do what he wants done which is to help people and work to make the world a better place. The faithful flock to them to learn what they need to do to make it happen.
The clergy in fantasy is an instrumental part of the genre. Through them come messages of hope and goodwill to a world sorely in need of them. At all levels, the clergy works with the people of the world to improve their conditions and help shine some light upon the climate of gloom that’s taken hold in their hearts.
There aren’t just one type of fantasy clergy. Nuns, bishops, and priests are just a few that comprise the clergy in fantasy. They’re also ones you’re most likely to come across since these positions are ones your audience are familiar with. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from devising your own!
One aspect that makes fantasy clergy stand out is their capability of wielding holy powers. These powers are used to keep the forces of darkness at bay and give good a fighting chance to vanquish them, for they cannot endure the blinding holy light. Other powers such as those of healing enable the clergy to help people in different ways.
In times of gloom, the faithful flock to the clergy, seeking counsel on how to turn things around. They hear nothing but positivity and that they have the power to change the world for the better by doing something, no matter how small it is. These messages of hope uplift their spirits and give them the strength to keep going on, even as the world seems to be coming apart at the seams.
The fantasy clergy is a fascinating part of the genre. If you’re interested in bringing it into your world, you can’t go wrong with it!
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Sunfire
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