The Church

Summary

The Church is a religious institution that built the Sanctuary in the Sky, a holy refuge above London whose public rooms welcome peaceful travellers. Music and cocktails coexist with sacred restrictions, while a history of corruption and reform complicates its authority.

Description

The Church’s most surprising invitation hangs above London: a sacred building whose bar welcomes peaceful travellers and whose corridors open into a nightclub. Devotion still hums through the stone even when the bass is shaking it. The institution behind this welcome also carries the memory of Jedia the Faceless and the reformers who resisted his corruption.

That history makes its hospitality complicated. The Sanctuary’s public rooms can bring different beings together, while the holy Presence in its restricted depths can destroy a demon who crosses the wrong threshold. Faith here has doors, rules and consequences.

Background

The Church operates as the spiritual and militant arm of faith in a world where the supernatural is undeniably real. While publicly maintaining the facade of conventional religious practice, their inner circles wage holy war against entities and forces that threaten humanity's soul and survival.

Origins & Mission

Founded centuries ago when the first clerics discovered that faith could manifest as tangible power against darkness, The Church has evolved from a small group of believers into a worldwide organization. Their mission is clear: protect humanity from supernatural corruption and maintain the sanctity of the divine order.

Unlike The Order with their academic approach to magic, The Church views supernatural power through a religious lens. They believe divine authority flows from unwavering faith and righteous purpose. Their warriors—Paladins, Exorcists, and Inquisitors—channel this faith into weapons against those they deem threats to spiritual purity.

Structure

The Church maintains a dual structure. Its public face operates traditional religious institutions, providing spiritual guidance to ordinary congregations who remain ignorant of the supernatural. Behind this facade, secret chapters train warriors, maintain armories of blessed weapons, and coordinate operations against supernatural threats.

The Vatican serves as their ultimate authority, though regional Cardinals command significant autonomy. In London, The Church maintains several sanctified grounds that serve as both refuges and staging areas for their operations.

Philosophy & Methods

The Church takes a hardline approach to the supernatural. They view most magical creatures as inherently corrupt, believing that only through divine grace can supernatural power be wielded righteously. This absolutist stance creates friction with organizations that take more nuanced approaches.

They condemn technomagic as blasphemy, seeing it as an attempt to bypass divine will through artificial means. Holy Items receive grudging acceptance only because Fate herself crafted them, though some within The Church question even this.

Current Operations

In recent times, The Church finds its resources stretched thin. The frequency of supernatural incidents overwhelms their capacity to respond. Internal debates rage over whether their rigid doctrines serve or hinder their mission. Some younger members advocate for cooperation with groups The Church has historically opposed, while traditionalists view such suggestions as dangerous compromise.

Key Divisions

• High Cardinal (Leader)
• Paladins
• Exorcists
• Inquisitors
• Sanctuary in the Sky