S4 -- ASoIaF Careers: Faith of the Seven

Two different careers:

A) Of the Seven, or the "Godsworn"

The "godsworn" leaders and followers of the Faith institution are called "septas" or "septons" according to their gender - "septas for women and "septons" for men". When they take their vows, they set aside their surnames, even if they come from noble families. Septons often wear white robes, seven-stranded belts of different colors, and a crystal about their necks as they perform their duties, which include leading worship with incense, censers, and songs. Septas do not lead services, instead they perform many other rites and can even become something like governesses, teaching generations of noble girls as a maester might. Where there are villages are too small to support a septon, a septon from a neighboring village might visit twice a year. Other times, wandering septons, or septons who travel from village to village without a specific to serve, might visit these small villages. And these septons perform the necessary holy services, consecrate and lead marriage ceremonies, and absolve sins. Both men and women often live in monastic, sequestered, self sufficient complexes called either a "septry" (men and boys), or a "Motherhouse" (women and girls).

B) The Faith Militant

The military "arm" of the Faith sworn to serve the gods under the command of the High Septon himself and His Holiness' alone. There are two orders: the Poor Fellows and the Warrior's Sons. The two orders are also known as the "Swords" and the "Stars" for their respective symbols. This branch has been outlawed by the crown for a time, but there are always lingering resentments and an eagerness to show one's svalor for the gods....

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The Godsworn

Base Level

"Novice": You are a person who will join the godvow-sworn numbers of Seven-faithful order from the years as low as five. You do not really interact with most external persons except when a the supervising authority figure is assigned to you and you are not permitted to be alone most often. Hopefuly, you can gain some friends while you work your way up. If you are a novice of the order of the Silent sisters, you have had to shave your heads, consistently take cold baths, eat meatless meals, scrubbed with horsehair brushes, and wear roughspun robes. If you are disobedient, you can be caned.

Branches

• "Septas": The female members of the institution, the septas mainly live together in relatively self sufficient, monastic communities of sisters called "Motherhouses". They sleep in a communal dormitory, eat in a communal refectory, and individuals are forbidden to leave the Motherhouse or have private property, so they are also expected to relinquish their possessions. The rules and lifestyle can be very similar to those in a male septries. Holy sisters take vows of chastity, renounce worldly goods and devoted themselves to prayer, religious studies, and helping society's most needy. Many produce religious literature and music, and many others or the same keep and create histographical records, but septas who copy and illuminate texts for the Faith are known to alter or remove texts they deem unacceptable. can receive confession from believers in the Seven. Many septas teach noble girls how to do needlework, read, write, and do sums, and they also educate about piety, deportment, and the mysteries of the Faith.Many serve as governesses in noble households, teaching girls. Often they are chaperones and guardians when their female charges are in male company. however, they cannot perform marriage rites. [con't]
  
• "Septons": The male members of the institution, humbler male members of the Faith, the "holy brothers" mainly live together in relatively self sufficient, monastic communities of brothers called "septries". They sleep in a communal dormitory, eat in a communal refectory, and individuals are forbidden to have private property, so they are also expected to relinquish their possessions. The rules and lifestyle can be very similar to those in a female motherhouses. Like other sorts of septons, holy brothers take vows of chastity, renounce worldly goods and devoted themselves to prayer, religious studies, and helping society's most needy. However, they also have been known to father a many bastard. [con't]
  
• "The Begging Brothers": Mendicant holy men who rely chiefly on alms to survive and preach but are not to be confused with wandering septons, as the latter are one rank higher in the Faith's hierarchy. Wandering the realm as a begging brother might be done as a penance. They often wear robes of undyed wool belted with hempen ropes. While septons wear a crystal about their neck on a leather thong, begging brothers instead have a bowl.
  
• "The Silent Sisters": Also known as the Stranger's wives, death's handmaidens, and the handmaidens of the Stranger, these are women part of the order of those who prepare bodies for a noble person's burial or internment. They are sworn to the service of the Stranger, have taken vows of chastity and silence, but they shouldn't confused with septas. Due to their work being so closely associated with the mysterious aspect of the Stranger, silent sisters also are avoided otherwise by a many people. They are shrouded in grey robes and keep their faces cowled except for their eyes. Girls and women are sometimes sent to become silent sisters as a punishment, and it is said that the silent sisters are always glad to welcome widows. They also can be skilled barbers, as they might need to trim beards and cut hair. They can remove the bowels and organs and drain a body of blood, stuffing it with salts and fragrant herbs. Silent sisters often dress the deceased in their finest attire, such as tunics or armor. To allow for easier transport or burial, silent sisters can strip flesh from the deceased's bones through boiling or beetles.

Levels of the Septa Branch

• Septa: You have taken your vows and live your life as any number of sorts of a sister.
• Obedientary Sister: You are a senior-level septa and a lesser official who the superior appointed to assist in the running of the motherhouse. You may have very specific duties assigned maybe on a rotation basis, such as looking after the motherhouse's wine cellar, the garden, the infirmary, or the library and scriptorium (where the illustrated texts and manuscripts are made).
• Proctor Sister: Also can be called the "procteress", you assist the Mother in government of the Motherhouse. You rank below her, but give her and your own orders to senior holy sisters.
• Mother: You have absolute authority and are likely a widow or a never-married daughter with some experience of managing your deceased husband's, father's, brother's, any male relative's estate before you joined the motherhouse. You're assisted by a proctoress and a number of senior holy sisters (or obedientaries, obedientary septas) who you or others gave specific duties.

Basel Level of the Septon Branch - "Holy Brother":
You have taken your vows and live your life as any number of sorts of a brother.

Sub Branches

• Traveling Septon: Lone septons who provide services for poor villages.
  Base Level - "Wandering Septon": You provide services to poorer and more isolated villages when you come across them.
• Holy Brothers: Those septons who live in septries, or communal monastic communities.
  Levels:
  1) "Septon" - You have taken your vows and live your life as any number of sorts of a brother.
  2) "Obedientary Brother" - You are a senior-level brother and a lesser official who the superior appointed to assist in the running of the septry. You may have very specific duties assigned maybe on a rotation basis, such as looking after the septry's wine cellar, the garden, the infirmary, or the library and scriptorium (where the illustrated texts and manuscripts are made).
  3) "Most Devout" - You assist the Elder Brother in the government of the septry. You rank below him, but give his and your own orders to senior holy brothers.
  4) "Elder Brother" - Selected by senior holy brothers, you will hold this position for indefinitely until your death or unless the High Septon decides to remove you for some reason or other. You have absolute authority over the monastery and are assisted by a prioress and a number of senior brothers (or obedientaries, obedientary septons) who you or others gave specific duties.
• Lower Septons: Those septons mainly in Oldtown who work under the High Septon.
  Levels:
  1) "Priestly Septon" - You are one of many septons based in Oldtown, you also lead worship with incense, censers, and songs.
  2) "Administrative Septon" - You are an assistant to the Most Devout.
  3) "Most Devout" - You are one of those septons who have the highest ranking clergy in Westeros and are part of a council, who also usually vote amongst them who gets to become the next high Septon after the last dies, though it's not an offical requirement for one to be amongst your numbers. You wear cloth-of-silver vestments and a crystal coronal.
• The High Septon: Formerly known as the Septon Pater, this is the head of the Faith of the Seven holding titles such as Father of the Faithful, His High Holiness, and Shepherd of the Faithful. Historically, the High Septon rules from the Starry Sept in Oldtown. He and the Most Devout convene in the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, a vast building of white marble with seven crystal towers. [cont]
  Base Level - "The High Septon": You are the head of the Faith of the Seven and are the avatar fo the gods to mortal people. Typically, you wear long white robes and a crown

Base Level of the Begging Brothers Branch - "Begging Brother":
You are a traveling brother who spreads the word of the Seven as you beg for alm in your vow of poverty.


Base Level of the Silent Sisters Branch - "Silent Sister":
You prepare noble persons' bodies by removing the bowels, other organs, and drain bodies of blood to stuff them with salts and fragrant herbs.



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The Faith Militant

Base Level

"Devotee": You are one completely dedicated to the Faith's causes and will inflict violence on any who dares encroach on its authority.

Branches

• "The Poor Fellows": Also known as "the Stars" (as they used a red seven-pointed star as their badge), this order consists of mostly smallfolk sworn to the Faith of the Seven, so they form the bulk of the entire military order and outnumber their counterparts. The Poor Fellows obeys and answers to the High Septon alone, as they believed the High Septon spoke for the Seven. The red star of the Poor Fellows on their surcoats -- bleached white -- had its origins in the days of the Andal invasion of Westeros, when zealous warriors carved the seven-pointed star into their chests, and many Poor Fellows still do. Having acted as a militant counterpart to begging brothers, Poor Fellows have been defenders of wayfarers on the road, escorting pilgrims between septs; now they mainly underground and secretly preaching along the back roads of the Seven Kingdoms. [con't]
• "The Warrior's Sons": Also known as "The Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior's Sons" or just "the Swords", this is an order of Westerosi knights sworn to the Faith of the Seven. They are part of the Faith Militant. Their counterparts are the "Stars", also called the Poor Fellows. The Warrior's Sons obey and answer to the High Septon alone, as they believe the High Septon speaks for the Seven. All are anointed knights and in its strongest and most prestigious era, one must come from noble families -- though most in the first revival had been household knights or hedge knights before joining. When they join, they take vows, giving up their lands, titles, rights to all such, and gold. [con't]

Levels of the Poor Fellows Branch

• "Drugder": You are one of many lower-classed "Stars" and may be a part of another smaller brigade under a leader, or commander.
• "Commander of Poor Fellows": You lead a brigade of commonborn fighters sworn for the Faith and taking orders from his Holiness himself alone.

Base Level of the Warrior's Sons Branch
"Holy Knight": You are part of the order of Westerosi knights sworn to the Faith of the Seven and likely hail from a noble house with all your extensive militant training.

Sub Branches

• "Chapterhouse: King's Landing"** --> this goes on for Oldtown, Gullstown, Lannisport, and Stoney Sept
• "The Grand Captain": The leader of every single chapter of the Warrior's sons order, usually elected by the vote of the members of the order.

Levels of the 5 different Chapterhouse Branches -

• Warrior Son of __
• A Commander of __ Warrior's Sons

Base Level of the Grand Captain Branches - "Grand Captain"
You are the the overall leader of the Warrior's Sons.


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THINGS NEEDED:

Lot51's Core Library


TOOLS USED:

• Sims4Studio
• Mod Constructor (V5)