Church of Ilmater

The Church of Ilmater was the primary religious organization dedicated to the worship and service of Ilmater, the Crying God.

Initiation
Initiation into the clergy of Ilmater was uncomplicated. A novice expressing an interest in joining went on a simple walk with a senior priest who, as they talked, explored that individual's views on life. Then they dined, and the novice was given wine that induced a slight trance so that their mind could be examined with magic. This was done with the full knowledge of the novice, and performed by various other clerics or wizards sympathetic to the Ilmatari. They closely examined their loyalties, goals, and true feelings and determined if any deception had occurred, or whether the novice was genuinely suitable for the faith. This practice was introduced to prevent false applicants from joining simply to learn the church's healing knowledge and steal their medicines, as had happen often in the church's early history. Deceit, a devotion to evil, or loyalties to another faith or to a secular organization or authority disqualified the applicant.

If found genuine, then the novice was accepted as a full member of the clergy. They were dressed in the simple gray robes and pronounced one of the Adorned.

Titles
The clergy of Ilmater were known collectively as "Ilmatari", which was also the adjective for the faith. Another collective term was "Ilmats".

Monks, clerics, and specialty priests in the Ilmatari faith were known as the Adorned. Specialty priests of Ilmater were simply called "clerics" around 1358 DR, but were known as painbearers by 1369 DR. By 1479 DR, all priests of Ilmater were called "painbearers".

The clergy referred to each other as "Brother" or "Sister". Senior clergy were called "Revered", such as "Revered Sister". Those who were leaders of temples, monasteries, and abbeys were addressed as "Mother" or "Father", and "of the House" was added to their title, such as "Revered Father of the House". No other titles were commonly used. The greatest of the faith were called "Saint", and often bore a unique title.

Hierarchy
The Adorned had a fairly loose and informal hierarchy, organized around the Revered Father or Mother of the nearest large temple, monastery, or abbey. All Ilmatari in the region reported to his person, and were loosely ranked under them. The abbeys and monasteries, though usually located separately from the churches, were often linked to a specific temple, adding an extra level in this hierarchy.

There was no overall leader of the faith nor a governing council. Instead, the senior clergy occasionally met in informal conclaves.

Activities
The Ilmatari dedicated themselves to helping and healing the sick and injured, the oppressed, the deceased, and the poor. They provided healing, care, and treatment for those who suffered injuries or disease. Ilmatari also shared what they had with the needy, by donating food, drink, and firewood to the impoverished and starving, and providing shelter for the homeless. They offered moral support and counseling to those who needed it, and spoke up for the persecuted. In addition, they served as guides for those who'd become lost and buried the deceased. To fund their work, they toured the wealthy areas of towns and cities seeking donations to help cover the costs of the church.

However, their primary focus was on healing injury and disease and they were known as some of the best healers in the Realms. They operated the greatest number, the largest, and best quality infirmaries and leper sanctuaries of any church. The Ilmatari were trained from the time they were initiated in the skills of healing and herbalism, learning to recognize and treat every injury, known disease, and other ailments. Senior clerics cast programmed illusions that demonstrated a variety of injuries and diseases so that junior priests could learn to accurately diagnose them. They continually gathered herbs and prepared medicines to be ready for future need. Many priests were also able to brew their own potions to sell and spread their healing further.

The Ilmatari went where they were needed to reduce suffering, and so were often found in some of the worst possible conditions, areas stricken with poverty, plague, or warfare. If war was impending, then the Ilmatari would gather supplies in order to treat the dying and wounded, with litters, tents, bandages, splints, healing potions, and shovels by the wagon-load, and the Ilmatari would flock to the battle.

They also joined adventuring groups, where they were often the ones who took all the risks to save people in danger or perform other acts of heroism, putting the needs of others above their own, to the exclusion of their personal safety.

Although Ilmatari monks were commonly based in abbeys and monasteries away from the temples, some monks did reside in the temples. There they served as teachers of specialist knowledge, educating other Ilmatari, or they were defenders, using their martial arts to protect the temple and those who dwelled there.

In those lands where orphans and unwanted babes were left at churches and monasteries, those of Ilmater were a popular choice. The priests and monks did their best to raise these children, and they grew up within the faith, sometimes adopting their views.

Rituals
Clerics of Ilmater prayed for their divine magic once per day, in the morning, They ritualistically prayed a further six times a day or more, every single day.

The clergy observed no annual holy days and celebrated no regular festivities. However, an Adorned could make a Plea of Rest to Ilmater requesting a special dispensation for time off. The Rest was a tenday during which time they were freed from the rules laid out by Ilmater's faith. This was normally called for if the Adorned was emotionally exhausted by their work, but some exploited the time to perform deeds that Ilmater would normally disapprove of. Some church leaders depended on this tradition, using the Rest to send their best fighting or adventuring clergy out to perform deeds they could not normally do, such as covertly bringing down a tyrant instead of making an open confrontation.

Clerics of Ilmater were duty-bound to convince the dying to pray to Ilmater, in a ritual of the highest importance called the Turning. If a dying person turned to Ilmater, praying for his comfort, then they would receive his blessing before they died. However, this did not change their patron deity or alter their destiny in the afterlife. Even in death, it was believed Ilmater's healing powers grew with greater veneration.

Temples
Temples and shrines to Ilmater were often manor houses on traveled routes, named after Ilmatari saints. It was common for these houses to contain an area for treating the sick and injured. There was no single leader of a particular temple; instead, a collection of senior clergy met on occasion to make decisions. A temple to Ilmater often had an abbey or monastery affiliated with it or contained within it.

The House of the Broken God was the largest hospital in Faerûn, located in Keltar, Calimshan.

Symbol
The symbol of the church was the holy symbol of Ilmater. Originally this was a blood-stained rack, such as used to torture a victim by stretching. This remained in use until the mid–14th century DR. However, by 1356 DR, a new symbol entered common usage: a pair of white hands crossed and bound at the wrist with a blood-red cord. After the Godswar of 1358 DR, this was used nearly exclusively. This newer and less gruesome symbol increased Ilmater's popularity across Faerûn.

The colors of the church, like those of the god, were gray and red.

Dress
For ceremonial occasions, the Ilmatari wore plain, solid gray vestments of tunics, trousers, and tabard, or robes. They also wore skullcaps, which were gray for ordinary clergy and blood-red for senior clergy, while unadorned novices wore none. The holy symbol of Ilmater was worn on a chain around the neck or as a badge pinned over the heart. Some older members of the clergy had a gray teardrop tattooed beside one eye.

When out in the field or on missions, Ilmatari wore whatever was appropriate to the activity and the environment. However, over their clothes or armor, they often wore gray tabards with the holy symbol stitched over the chest by the left shoulder.

Equipment
When out and about, Ilmatari always had their holy symbols about them, and carried a healer's kit containing bandages, medicines, splints and so on.

Beliefs
Followers of Ilmater were taught to help all who suffered, without regard for who they were or how they suffered. They were to heal and treat the wounded and the sick and give comfort to the dying. They also had to give kind counseling to those grieving or depressed, lonely or lost, and give shelter and alms to those who'd lost everything. They had to do what had to be done and no one else would. Thus a typical follower of Ilmater was generous and sharing, giving all they could to the poor, and they placed others before themselves.

To the Ilmatari, life was sacred and suffering was holy. They were to carry the burdens and pains of others, and were taught that the truly holy took on another's suffering. They were instructed to endure and persevere against hardship and pain, and believed that if they suffered in the name of Ilmater, then he would be there to support them. Although many outsiders saw them as willing sufferers or they appeared reckless in their quests to do good, they simply cared about everyone, often without regard for their own safety. However, they did concentrate more on healing and aid efforts.

Worshipers of Ilmater also believed that all injustices should be challenged and that they should defend and aid the causes of the oppressed and unjustly treated. They were to act for and defend those who could not do so themselves. They were to stand up to every bully and tyrant, and resist them in anyway, both small and great. Ilmatari were encouraged to hold to their principles and keep to their causes if they were right and just, no matter the risk and to be fearless about it. Consequently, they believed that a death with meaning was not shameful.

They advocated the spiritualism of life over materialism and the physical body. If they dedicated themselves to the service of Ilmater, they believe, then he would provide for them. They left the pursuit of wealth and luxuries to others, and sought only medicines and alms.

Attitudes
New initiates were often overcome by the suffering they witnessed as part of their work, and could develop a cynical attitude towards life, but most persevered nonetheless, even when faced with hopeless causes. Cynicism and dark humor were common.

They did not believe in impeding desires of others, even when those desires conflicted with their own duty to provide alleviation of suffering and healing.

Relationships
Those who had a dislike of weakness (tyrants, for example) did not understand why anybody would turn to him. Followers of Ilmater were often perceived as martyrs and intentional sufferers, to the point of ridicule by some.

At any opportunity, the followers of Loviatar sought to torment Ilmater's people, finding the greatest pleasure in forcing a restrained Ilmatian to watch someone else be tortured to a slow and painful death.

History
The reputation of Ilmater was damaged shortly after the Time of Troubles when a cult professing to be Ilmatari began inflicting suffering (on others and themselves), engaging in kidnapping and rioting. The Ilmatari suspected that these cultists were under the influence of Beshaba, Cyric or Loviatar. The cult was mostly eliminated.

Saints
The faith of Ilmater had more saints than most other faiths. Notable saints included St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred, represented by a yellow rose, and worshiped from the Monastery of the Yellow Rose high in the Earthspur Mountains, and St. Dionysius.

Knightly
The Companions of the Noble Heart.

The Holy Warriors of Suffering

The Order of the Golden Cup.

The Order of the Lambent Rose.

Monastic
Most Ilmatari monastic orders had a symbolic flower that had a particular importance to them.

The Broken Ones was a monastic order whose monks were responsible for the defense of Ilmater's temples and shrines and sought to punish those who inflicted cruelty.

The Disciples of St. Morgan the Taciturn.

The Disciples of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred was a monastic order noted for the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, located in the Earthspur Mountains near to the Glacier of the White Worm.

The Followers of the Unhindered Path.

The Order of St. Uzurr was a monastic order that was devoted to Ilmater and followed St. Uzurr. They were based at the Cloister of St. Uzurr in the city of Uzurr in Lapaliiya.

The Sisters of St. Jasper of the Rocks.

The Weeping Friars were the most fanatical believers in the idea of "bleeding" for others.

Appearances
In Baldur's Gate II, a cleric of Ilmater appears in two different temples of Ilmater in Athkatla, which is located in Waukeen's Promenade, and in the Slums. Actually, he is at least two different individuals of the same appearence and as far as the game is concerned have the same kind of personality. He is humble, compassionate and working constantly to help the poor and insane in Athkatla. He declares the statement that there is a great need for the Crying God's compassion in Athkatla.