Church of Milil

The Church of Milil was the primary religious organization of the followers of the deity Milil, the Lord of All Songs. The clergy of Milil were known as Sorlyn, although the reason was long forgotten.

Dogma
"Life is a song: strive always to make it more beautiful. Destroy no music nor instrument, nor stop a singer before the tune is done. Listen to the world around as well as filling it with your own sound. One singer's music is another's noise, so still no bad music if its making be joyful. [...]"

- Charge of the novices

Practitioners of the Mililan faith viewed their life as a song, which started with their birth and would end at their final moment. They strove to find new songs and tunes or to create original ones, to master new instruments, and to share their knowledge with others. They considered songs as more than just lyrics and music, but as a complete whole, a process that included the initial idea until its completion.

Attitudes
Worshipers of Milil shared a love for music, and a need to take an active part in it. They were musicians, singers, composers, but never simple listeners. They tended to favor an hedonistic lifestyle, enjoying fine foods and drinks, and the company of others. They loved beautiful things such as well-build edifices, works of art, and natural wonders such as the invigorating radiance of the sun rising over a magnificent natural landscape.

Activities
"[...] Spread the teaching of song and musicianship always. Sing to Milil every day. Music is the most precious thing folk can create&mdash;so encourage its training, use, and preservation at all times and in all possible ways. Awaken a love of song in all folk you can, and offer its performance freely around campfire or on the trail. Cease not in your own seeking for new tunes, new techniques, and new instruments to master."

- Charge of the novices

Creation and retrieval of knowledge
The majority of the clergy spent their life away from adventuring, preferring to create new songs and to hone their musical skills. Sorlyn both has a role as artists, creating new pieces; and as keepers of knowledge. They used the singing stone spell in order to create repositories of tunes, making some available in their temples and hiding other in caches to ensue the survival of music against all odds.

Teaching
It was customary for Milil priests to offer singing courses and training with instruments to their flock in exchange for donations to the church. The price of such a service would vary, from a simple meal or drink for commoners to a hefty price for the very wealthy. They would also gratuitously teach craftsmen how to create instruments.

Adventuring
Part of the clergy, especially tuneservants, were more adventurous and would join adventurers on their quests in order to compose ballads narrating their exploits. Others embarked on solitary expeditions, trying to find rare instruments or recover forgotten songs from ages past.

Clergy
About half the clergy was made of clerics. The remainder were tuneservants, a few bards and mystics, some spellsingers, spelldancers, loresingers, and an order of paladins.

Titles
Sorlyn considered titles as something important, and used them carefully. Tuneservants were an exception to the rule&mdash;they were pretty lax about formal titles of other clergy members, which was seen as acceptable.

The church used both titles and temple ranks, in addition to a few more specific denominations.


 * Titles (in ascending order of rank)
 * Mute One (novice) &bull; Chanter &bull; Chorister &bull; Soloist &bull; Lead Voice &bull; First Voice &bull; Songmaster &bull; Mistress of Song &bull; Glorian


 * Temple ranks
 * Castellan &bull; Master Tutor &bull; Master Wind &bull; Master Serenader &bull; Chantmistress &bull; Master Librarian &bull; Master Instrumentalist &bull; Prior &bull; Patriarch


 * Patriarch of Song:
 * The single source of authority within the church


 * Harmonian:
 * Title used by tuneservants to address each other, regardless of rank or accomplishments

Orders

 * Priestly orders:


 * Knightly orders:
 * Harmonious Order


 * Other groups:

Holidays

 * The Grand Revel (Midsummer)

Ceremonies

 * The clergy of Myth Nantar went on pilgrimages into the depth of the Sea of Fallen Stars in order to join whale pods and sing memorial songs in honor of Naahal, a Great Whale bard deceased during the Twelfth Serôs War.
 * Pilgrimages to the dancing place

Religious services

 * For a fee, some Sorlyn would bless musical instruments.

Temples

 * The Arbalest's House in Athkatla
 * The Temple of Good Cheer in Waterdeep
 * The Halls of Inspiration in Silverymoon
 * The Happy House of Splendor and Song in Tantras
 * The House of Song in Selgaunt
 * The Evensong Tower in Berdusk
 * The Descantor temple in Myth Nantar
 * The Abbey of Highsong, northwest of Nashkel
 * A temple to Milil could be found within the Scholar's Priory of Calimport

Known Shrines & Other places of worship

 * A shrine to Milil could be found in the cities of Arabel and Suzail
 * A shrine can also be found in Candlekeep
 * The Theater of Joy in Crimmor, used as an informal temple for Lliira, Milil and Sune

Relics

 * Sharptongue&mdash;Milil's holy rapier, which was sometimes loaned to his clerics.
 * Wythyndle's round book&mdash; a book of holy spells bestowed by Milil himself to its clergy during the 10 century DR.
 * The bellows of Milil&mdash; a powerful pipe organ housed in the Arbalest's House temple

Others

 * Clerics of Milil particularly valued rods of tuning for their ability to create any pure, clear note.
 * Sorlyn created the first of the joyful star song scrolls

Sorlyn Magic
Some of the spells bestowed by Milil to its clergy could be cast by followers of other faiths as well. Doing so imposed powerful constraints on the caster though, and could anger their own deities.


 * Battle song
 * Dispel silence
 * Song of compulsion
 * Singing stone
 * Forgotten melody
 * Harp of war
 * Elsewhere chant
 * Searing song &mdash; A powerful attack that bypassed magical barriers.
 * Song of healing

Relationships

 * In Serôs, the some dolphins were priests of Milil, and the clergy was known to employ whales to sing whalesongs for the them.
 * Sorlyn were wary of the worship of Finder Wyvernspur, viewing it as a threat to their deity's power.

Notable Members

 * The Patriarch of Song, overlord of the church
 * Arkiem Arren, co-founder of the Temple of Good Cheer
 * Ansril Ammhaddan, High Songmaster of the House of Song
 * Uluene Maertalar, Chantmistress of Evensong Tower, circa 1367 DR
 * Elassuara Narithan, High Mistress of Song of the Happy House of Splendor and Song, circa 1358 DR
 * Velmos Sonder, founder of the Abbey of Highsong
 * Ilmer Yuskalorn, a wealthy minstrel of Selgaunt who contributed to creating a custom of "personalized entrance tunes" for important people
 * Daretha Haelimbroke, a bard who worked with wizards to find a way to link spells and tunes, allowing spells to be triggered whenever specific melodies were played properly.
 * Beldor Thrivvin, Songmaster of the Halls of Inspiration, circa 1372 DR
 * Eather Heilean

Other Members
I might drop those if they turn out uninteresting, but let's keep a trace for now...
 * Hansol Ynnilross, proprietor of Silverale Hall
 * Shyrros Harpson, cleric of the Theater of Joy, and his half-brother Tahrun Harpson, a bard
 * Madame Garah from Waterdeep
 * Morala, a priestess of Milil and senior Harpers who contributed to banishing Finder Wyvernspur to another plane

Appearances

 * Novels


 * Magazines


 * Video Games


 * Board Games