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..."

- A charge to the novices

Beliefs
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, and dancers, but never simple listeners. They tended to favor a hedonistic lifestyle, enjoying fine foods and drinks and the company of others. They loved beautiful things such as well-built edifices, works of art, and natural wonders such as the invigorating radiance of the sun rising over a magnificent natural landscape. The church welcomed all genders equally, but was mostly composed of physically attractive members.

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."

- A charge to 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. They however didn't stay cloistered in their temples, traveling to perform their art in front of others. 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 Mililan 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 also made a good living in crafting and repairing instruments, again charging more to richer clients.

Jurying
It was traditional for clerics to act as jurors for musical contests. They were also asked to arbitrate in bardic disputes between individuals, companies, or colleges.

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. They would also protect or rescue musicians who were facing dangers, from the common minstrels to the greatest bards.

Society
While relation between clergy members were generally good, frictions sometimes happened between tuneservants and more traditional members of the church. The main points of discontentment were the usage of holy spells for selfish reasons by tuneservants, and their support of irresponsible adventurers. In addition, temples run by tuneservants used to forego traditional songs and hymns in favor of more recent works.

While all churches paid heed to the patriarch of the faith, his influence was stronger in northwest Faerûn and dwindled the further away one moved from Waterdeep. Distant congregations such as the ones in Sembia paid the Patriarch no more than lip service, and only paid attention to his most urgent communications.

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.

In Serôs, the some dolphins were priests of Milil, and the clergy was known to employ whales to sing whalesongs for the them.

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. Sorlyn believed that the Patriarch was immortal, and that as long as he lived music would flourish on Faerûn.


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

Orders

 * Knightly orders:
 * Harmonious Order &mdash; An order mostly composed of fighters, paladins and bards. The Harmonious Order guarded temples and holy sites, and regularly sent members on romantic and glorious quests.

Ceremonial Songs

 * Sunrise Song &mdash; In temples of Milil, practitioners met in the morning to sing this song in chorus together. Outside of temples, individuals would sing a personal song dedicated to their deity upon awakening instead.
 * Song of Praise &mdash; Worshipers would perform a Song of Praise dedicated to Milil at least once a day, and after important events such as military victories.
 * Song of Sorrowing &mdash; This solemn polyphonic chord-singing song was performed at the funerals of any faithful
 * Song of Welcoming &mdash; This song was sung when new faithfuls joined the church
 * Call to the Flowers &mdash; This song is performed by all faithfuls during the Greengrass festival

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, in the Dalelands, are organized by the faithful regularly since the reformation of the Harpers in 720 DR.

Holidays

 * The Grand Revel, a Midsummer celebration during which there was much feasting, dancing, parodies and satirical songs

Religious services

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

Temples
Temples to Milil are lofty cathedrals of magnificent craftsmanship and architecture. They all include choir lofts, stages that can be used by performers, and wonderful acoustics. Temples also typically provide workshops for the repair and maintenance of musical instruments, and well-furnished music libraries.


 * 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

Ceremonial Garb
Robes of the Sorlyn were made of rich crimson fabric, garnished with golden decorations such as dragons, bards and warriors. They often wore metal chimes as jewelry, but removed them if they would impede music-making. Sorlyn usually kept their hair cut short in order to better listen to tunes, and to avoid issues when playing instruments. Tuneservants that choose to keep their hair long would keep them bound in golden hair-nets instead.

Dress and Armor
It was common for adventuring Sorlyn to wear heavy armors. Those armors were ornamented, in a similar way as their ceremonial dresses.

Holy Symbols
Some Sorlyn would use a real harp as their holy symbol, whereas other would wear it as a piece of jewelry.

Weapons
When threatened, members of the clergy relied on maces and enchanted musical instruments in addition to their spells.

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 &mdash; A spell that boosted the fighting spirit of the Sorlyn and their allies
 * Dispel silence &mdash; A spell that counteracted the effects of magical silences
 * Song of compulsion &mdash; A spell that prevented creatures from taking offensive actions or using magical items
 * Singing stone &mdash; A spell that was used to store a short tune in a stone. This spell was really important to the Sorlyn as it enabled the creation of libraries of songs in their temples.
 * Forgotten melody &mdash; A spell that caused others to obsess over a tune.
 * Harp of war &mdash; A spell that created a harp of glowing force with several powerful magical abilities.
 * Elsewhere chant &mdash; A spell that could teleport creatures and items.
 * Searing song &mdash; A powerful attack that bypassed magical barriers.
 * Song of healing &mdash; A spell that could be used to heal others and was able to bypass magical silences.

Relationships

 * While not directly linked to them, the church had many ties to the Harpers, and numerous individuals were part of both organizations.
 * Sorlyn were wary of the worship of Finder Wyvernspur, viewing it as a threat to their deity's power.
 * Because of the ties between Milil, Deneir and Oghma, multiple holy places were shared by worshipers of those deities.

History
In 720 DR, four nights before Midsummer, the clergy of Milil participated to the reformation of the Harpers at the hill known as the Dancing place. During this historical event, numerous deities &mdash;including Milil&mdash; manifested themselves and took control of their followers.

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
 * Shyrros Harpson, cleric of the Theater of Joy, and his half-brother Tahrun Harpson, a bard
 * Morala, a priestess of Milil and senior Harpers who contributed to banishing Finder Wyvernspur to another plane