A softly glowing sphere of deep golden colours intercut with red veins, Panoply is sometimes referred to as the Sphere of Golden Folly, referencing the epic heights and tragedies that pursuit of its favour has pushed some to. The glory that Panoply encourages is a glory in all things - it is the ambition and struggle involved in all successes. It is achieving great heights and then using those heights; Panoply has no love for the lazy emperor or the timid general. It is the sphere of those who would forge their own place in the world and then make use of that place. Some see Panoply as the Sphere of the Merchant, and while its drive towards ambition and growth is at home in the golden-hearted, there are merchants of all walks in The Concord, and many devotees of Panoply have nothing to do with mercantile ventures.
For many, however, Panoply is The Sphere of Glory
See also Panoply Ceremonies for more information.
Doctrine of Panoply
Seek your heights, Ambition is your blood
At no point should you not be reaching for more as it is this drive that will push you forward.
To struggle is divine
While it may not feel it, the journey towards a goal is as important as the goal itself - as long as you are doing what you can to push forwards.
Failure is a Consequence of Progress
You will meet failure in some of your endeavours. While this might change your goals, it should not remove your drive to succeed.
Goals Realised are Goals Spent
When you reach your heights, spend your success. Coin hoarded is coin wasted, power unused is no power at all.
What Panoply is not
Vindictive
While Panoply can certainly be greedy and power hungry, it doesn’t push its followers to punch down, but to acknowledge your successes and strive for higher rungs on the ladder. Too much abuse of those below you breeds enemies and opens up weaknesses, which is not good for one’s future ambitions.
Priests of Panoply
To be a Priest of Panoply is to constantly be working to facilitate and assist others in achieving their ambitions. While Priests of Panoply tend to be wealthy and powerful, with many ambitious followers of the Golden Sphere being drawn to the Priesthood for its power and connections, the true measure of success for a Priest of Panoply is not in one’s own success, but in the success of those they lead to glory and success. In this, Panoply priests often take care to not be in competition with those they minister to, attempting to facilitate their growth, rather than directly stymie it.
This leads Priests of Panoply to be financial and political advisors, campaign managers, and publicists, all in service to utilising their own power and talents to support and raise others to success, while reaping their own rewards from the success of those they support.
High Priest of Panoply
In addition to seven extra votes on Church matters, the Concordian High Priest of Panoply is invested with some control over the Church’s funds, and is granted a 5th of the total liquid funds of the Church Treasury immediately after their investiture, or at the beginning of the Summit, depending on whether the position is up for election or not. These funds are intended to be spent for the good of the Concord or the Church, but the exact nature of their usage is entirely to the discretion of the High Priest.
Realmic Traditions of Panoply
Iron Valley - Gravers
The Priests of Panoply within the Valley are often referred to as Gravers (Gravers can also be priests of Cervitas or worship both equally). Once a joking insult, it has become a title of respect.
Priests of Gold have for the longest time been the greatest advisors, Reeves, and leaders of the Valley, and it is their task to make hard choices that lead to their reputation and disposition. It is the task of a Graver to consider the ways in which any action might lead to weakening the Iron Valley, and to ensure that such risks are known. In a macabre fashion, Gravers carry a single human skull on their person, a reminder of the weight of their task.
Greenweald - Diplomats of Coin
The primary external contact that the Baronies have had has not been diplomatic, but economic. Until recent times they have not had a need for allies, and no one had a need for them. Wealder mercenaries performed their own advertising, and the forest insulated them from the struggles of the world around.
The Baronies have, however, had an immense need for trade - hemmed in my the forest, their society would quickly fail without being able to trade for the things they could not create themselves, and to sell the resources they have in abundance.
Over time, this has created a diplomatic niche for Priests of Panoply uncommon to their kind in other Realms. Priests of the Golden Folly are seen as great diplomats among the Baronies, and while they are not the only ambassadors, they do commonly serve in such positions.
Followers of Panoply
To strive to embody Panoply first and foremost in one’s life is a fundamentally egotistical way of living. Living life as an aspirant to the Golden Folly is to say that the wealth or power or influence that you covet is more deserving for you than to any others who might possess it. As such, it is sometimes a very isolated endeavour, perhaps sometimes even more so than Arcadian, as it pits each and every aspirant against each other for the Glory that they seek to obtain.
While not the path for those without ego or ambition, there is no shame to be had in walking the golden path - someone must, after all, be the most successful soldier, the wealthiest merchant, and the most powerful politician in the land. Without these strong cornerstones, a country is weak, and so to strive to be worthy of greatness is something that we must all rise to, even if it is not our religious calling.
To be a devout follower of Panoply, and to be considered successful by Church standards, one must not only achieve the successes they yearn for, but also enact change or foster change once there. Coin unspent is wasted, power unused is pointless - the true measure of a successful Panoplian life is what laws they changed, what buildings they built, and what opulence they shared and enjoyed.
Followers of the Golden Sphere can be seen to be Blighted in their calling when they delay or discard their ambitions at the whims of others, are too timid to take the next step on their path, are stymied by indecisiveness, or fail to act with the power and wealth they have obtained. Though ‘Failure is a Consequence’ as the adage goes, it is still Church tradition for Panoply aspirants to note their Failings, whatever they may be, and offer them up to an Eternal for atonement and guidance.
Symbols and Aesthetics
Panoply’s symbol is that of a gold or yellow Corinthian Helm - it is said to be a sign of good favour and ambition to wear one, or to have a symbol in a similar style. Beyond this, the three Eternals of Panoply are represented by a Pile of Coins, a Pair of Lipstick Marks, and a Raised Scepter respectively
Spheric Beings of Panoply
Common Worship of Panoply
While each area has its own unique Rites for Panoply, a common one seen across much of the Church is the Rite of Ambition. This is a rite where each devotee brings a pre-arranged amount of coin to a meeting, and each is given turn to stand and openly proclaim their ambitions and what they will do to achieve them. At the end, each attendee then give the coin/s they brought to the person they deem the most worthy of them - they cannot be kept, nor given to oneself, and the act of giving indicates that you are watching the actions of the person receiving; both to learn from their actions, and also to see that your coin is not being wasted.
Common Prayers of Panoply
The Coinmaster
Sphere of Gold, Sphere of Ambition, Sphere of Power, shine on us.
O Coinmaster, you whose balance weighs our hearts as well as our coin, we lift up to you our = Blights and Failings - forgive us for falling short of your example.
Protect our investments, keep us far from pickpockets, and grant us the insight and courage needed for us to prosper.
Take our hand and lead us back to the path of the Journey, that we may return to you in Grace.
In the Spheres’ Light, we pray.
The Esteem
Sphere of Gold, Sphere of Ambition, Sphere of Power, shine on us.
O Esteem, as your whispers fill our ears with the truth and the way, we lift up to you our Blights and Failings - forgive us for falling short of your example.
Grace our tongues, that we might always have the words we need when we need them, and bless our countenance, that we might appear to others just as we truly seek to be. Let not the slander of our foes stain us, and give us the wisdom to succeed honourably in turn.
Take our hand and lead us back to the path of the Journey, that we may return to you in Grace.
In the Spheres’ Light, we pray.
The Prominence
Sphere of Gold, Sphere of Ambition, Sphere of Power, shine on us.
O Prominence, surely as we follow the instructions of others, we follow your divine instruction, and lift up to you our Blights and Failings - forgive us for falling short of your example.
Be in the ears of those we might command, that they accept our instruction with an open heart and enthusiastic minds. Be in our voice, that it might carry loudly to those who need to hear us in the bustle of the street or the roar of the battlefield, and rouse those who hear it to action.
Take our hand and lead us back to the path of the Journey, that we may return to you in Grace.
In the Spheres’ Light, we pray.