Power, Politics, and Pulpits

Power, Politics, and Pulpits
In many lands, the church and State have long Shared a mutual distrust of one another. While the State is responsible for the wealth and Security of the realm, the church's concern is for the mortal Standing of the population. It is is said that when one intrudes upon the domain of the other, discort is inevitable. In no other place has this been more unpleasant than Kolyma. The feud between the two institutions there dates back many decades.

In the days of the late Count Kraestromb, the Lord of KolymaSpoke openly of the need for change, chiefly regarding the education of the common people. The Church of the Faith maintained that the "Simple people" were of the land; they knew their rightful place, and thus, their Path was Secure. Years later, the young and idealistic Count Calder (Kraestromb's heir) declared the Church of the Faith had purposely been holding the people back, retaining their ignorance of literature and the wider world for their own Selfish benefit. Naturally, the church resented this insinuation, and in turn declared Caldaur a heathen.

At that time, the mood of the population had tensed. Stability in the realm had weakened as dissention between the church and State rose. It may have continued to do So, had the Situation not been anulled by tragedy. The count befell a terrible injury while in the forest one night which later proved fatal.

While it expressed its condolences to the family of the fallen Lord, the Church of the Faith asserted that only through its own vision for Kolyma, not the rulers, could the people find their truth Path.

It is a curious point to note that no new leader has been chosen to replace Caldaur, though it has been many years since his passing. When questioned about this, the townsfolk are likely to either ignore the inquiry altogether or cast a furtive glance in the direction of the nwo inaccessible castle.

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