from Zariste’s Concise Guide to World Religions

Over the millennia, the priesthood of the Goddess have developed a hierarchy as well as different occupations. Both men and women are called to join the priesthood and are collectively called priests, while individuals are called priests if men or priestesses if women.

All people called to be priests start as novices once they present themselves to a temple and declare their intention to enter the priesthood. Smaller temples often send these novices to a larger temple for training, although novices can technically study at any temple. Novices study to become priests for three to five years. Once they complete their training, they are examined by three priests (none of whom are their mentor, although that mentor often attends their examination.) During an examination, a Goddess laurel is placed between the priests and novice to call the Goddess’s presence to ensure the examination remains fair and a Goddess approves of the novice. If novices pass their examination, they will be ordained as full priests the following Longnight in the afternoon after Sext. Only around 25% of people who enter the novitiate become full priests; however, those that do tend to remain active priests for the rest of their lives.

Above full priests are elder priests who are the leading priests of an area, large temple, etc. And above that are bishops (one per duchy) and high priests (one per kingdom.) When priests become eligible for a higher rank, they are mentored by a priest of that higher rank for one to two years. Then they are examined for investiture similarly to being ordained. If they pass, they will be invested as their higher rank the following Longnight.

Beyond hierarchy, priest separate themselves based on the area of their duties: community, worship, learning, healing, magic, and temple. Each of these areas wear different trims on their robes.

Community priests focus on helping parishioners and account for two-thirds of priests. They often specialize in different areas, but they simply call themselves community priests and don’t subdivide into special types (except for death priests) because they want everyone to focus on their duties rather than their rank.

Around half of community priests run local temples and perform the priestly care for the communities their temples serve. If a temple only has one priest, that priest is nearly always a community priest (although occasionally he/she may be a worship priest.) Larger temples with multiple priests may have other types of priests, but most are still community priests. Elder priests of larger temples may or may not be community priests.

Some community priests specialize in performing services for parishioners, like weddings. Those that specialize in funerals and grief counseling are called death priests (the only special type of community priest who also wear black trim on their priest robes.)

The remaining community priests specialize in various community programs. Some focus on charity, like serving in almskitchens, family refuges, or other service organizations. Some focus on spiritual growth and either serve in prayers houses (oddly, most who serve in prayer houses are priestesses) or provide spiritual guidance for programs not run by temples, like orphanages, veteran’s societies, and prisons. Other community priests focus on engaging youth and serve in youth guilds that foster education, spiritual growth, and community through activities. (Some of these priests also help with Queen Kiera’s education initiative.) And finally, some community priests focus on soliciting donations to sustain charities and community programs run by temples.

Worship priests lead the four services held every day at temples. They fall into three types: liturgy priests who run the service, pulpit priests who give the sermon, and bard priests who handle the music.

Scholar priests are those that concentrate on theology, study, and instructing others. In addition to instructing priests at the temple, scholar priests in Ormas also teach at the secular Learning Academy. They also often work closely with community priests focused on engaging youth or helping with Queen Kiera’s education initiative.

Healer priests handle healing. Those that handle physical ailments are called healer priests (or witch healer priests if they have healing magic.) Those that handle mental and/or spiritual ailments are called mind healer priests. In Ormas, healer priests will also help train witch healers at the secular Healer Academy.

Witch priests are those with magical powers. They cast all of the spells temples need for themselves as well as those they distribute to parishioners. In Ormas, witch priest often help run the holy witch shop Charmed Blessings, tend the Great Temple’s Magic Garden, and help teach at the secular Witch Academy.

Temple priests specialize in tending their temple. At most temples, novices do all the cleaning, but they are overseen by temple priests. Temple priests also act as porters, messengers, and the like. Kitchen priests are those responsible for the temple’s kitchen (which is usually beneath the priest quarters.) Garden priests are those responsible for the temple’s gardens, although they do accept help from witch priests for magic gardens.

And outside of the six normal types are warrior priests. They are extremely rare, so not many outside the priesthood realize they exist. Warrior priests travel across Damensea defending the innocent and righting wrongs with their warrior skills. Most often, they are former soldiers, mercenaries, or noble warriors who later became priests.