Solaris

The Solar Ecclesiarchy of Erses (High Pyrrhian: Ecclesia Solari Erses), also known as the Ecclesiarchy or Solaris, is a large religion with 35 practitioners, being the state enforced religion of the theocratic monarchy of Solar Pyrrhia. The Ecclesiarchy is headed by the King of Kings, who has always traditionally been the head of state of the High Kingdom of Ceiltea, the subsequent Union of Collectivist Council Republics and now Solar Pyrrhia. The King of Kings additionally holds the titles of Solar Emperor and Voice Erses. They are the formal and effective head of the Faith, and reside in the Solar (holy) capital of Solar Pyrrhus, close to the Solar City of Armenelos.

The Solar Ecclesiarchy teaches that the Solar Emperor comes from the bloodline of Erses, the sole God of the Faith, and thus is given a divine mandate from the heavens. The hierarchy of the Ecclesiarchy is built upon various Ecclesiarchs who are handpicked by the Solar Emperor to run important temples and shrines, cities or offices such as the Solar Inquisition. Lower than the Ecclesiarchs is the Proper Priesthood which consists of all priests given a parish or temple to attend to of lesser importance than those of the Ecclesiarchs. Lower than the Proper Priesthood is the Lesser Priesthoods, who serve mainly as scribes and bureaucrats in the doctrinal, administrative and inquisitorial offices of the Ecclesiarchy. Lesser or Proper Priests in training are titled Acolytes, and attend training at the Solar City of Armenelos.

The Solar Ecclesiarchy is monotheistic, in direct comparison to it's predecessor religion, Ceiltean Druidism, which was polytheistic. The old Grand Order of Druids had a pantheon split between the Higher Thrones and the Lower Thrones, with the major gods sitting on the Higher Thrones and minor gods sitting on the Lesser Thrones, though Erses remained the primary god of the pantheon. With the Great Reformation undertaken by Melevor II, who made direct communication and was commanded by Erses to reform the outdated and defunct Grand Order both doctrinally and historically in what Erses called the "Great Error". Through Erses, Melevor II compiled the Solar Codex, an easy to read and understand collection of revised Solar texts, which fitted with the corrected history which Erses had bestowed knowledge on Melevor II of. The former gods of the Ardaithe pantheon were miscommunicated as being gods themselves, when in reality they are fragments of Erses' soul charged with specific patronages of elements or skills, and so have been placed down to a lower level as "Patron Spirits".

Worship by followers of the Ecclesiarchy is held both in private and public. Privately, the vast majority of Pyrrhians pray often, when they get up in the morning, before eating and before they sleep. Publicly there is daily church services, which is again in contrast to the former Ceiltean Faith, which strictly limited the Faith to being performed outside in standing stones and to be done mostly privately. The reversal of this tradition has led to the emergence of churches, chapels and cathedrals across the new Empire of Solar Pyrrhia, and a drive to spread the Faith internationally.

Erses
WIP