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Step into the shadowed heart of the Sundering the Gods™ Saga, where the Sister Continents tremble beneath the weight of ancient prophecies and the clash of mortal ambition. Here, blood-soaked blades and whispered betrayals carve the fates of heroes and villains, while glimmers of hope—forged in sacrifice and kindled by divine mysteries—light the path through a world scarred by cataclysms. Blending the raw grit of shattered kingdoms with the soaring wonder of ages forgotten, this epic fantasy saga weaves tales of courage, treachery, and redemption. Explore the books that chronicle these struggles, meet the warriors, schemers, and dreamers who shape them, and unravel the secrets of a world both brutal and beautiful. Return for your daily fix of Tomes of the Touched as this wiki grows with every tale unearthed from the ashes of the Sister Continents!

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Eliles Hunvad wearing the white robes of a postulant. (Credit: IIDXX)

Adherent Ranks in the Church of Sol. "Sister Continents Canon."

The topic of ranks in the priesthood at Istinjoln Monastery and the Church in general was only lightly touched upon in the sagas for a couple of reasons, but the primary reason is simply that much of it is informal and based upon seniority. Without a POV character seated deep in the politics of the Church, it would’ve been more confusing than useful for the average reader. That said, there are some formal ranks outside what is discussed in the books that might be of interest to some readers.

• King Priest/Queen Priestess
  

During the Age of God Wars—some say also during the early periods of the Age of Warlords—the Silone were ruled by a King Priest or Queen Priestess. Lethality and charisma are the hallmarks of these rulers, as they ascend via election rather than the bloodlines of more traditional kingdoms.

• Lord Priesthood
  

After the Great Forgetting and as of Remembered Time, the highest rank in the Church is the Lord Priest. Each of the seven Silone clans has a Lord Priest, elected by the priesthood, and they rule with a heavy and rarely questioned hand. Some have been known to call councils for votes or to gather opinions, but for the most part, they act as a theocratic dictatorship.

• High Priesthood
  

For most adherents, reaching the High Priesthood is the peak of their aspirations in the Church, but it is also an honor that only about five percent of those achieving the priesthood will attain. In Istinjoln alone, there might be fifty High Priests, and technically, they are all of equal rank in the Church. This is where informal seniority and internal power plays set individuals apart, but the more subtle "count of scars" also comes into play. For instance, Ulrikt, with his three scars, ascended into the High Priesthood at a young age and stood above all but the eldest High Priests immediately. His elders might question his opinions, but without the backing of an eldest High Priest or Lord Priestess Sadevu herself, they would tread lightly to avoid disrespecting him. This jostling power structure does, however, have two major branches: Masters and Hallowed Priests.

• Masters
  

These are priests like Master Dareun, who instructed Eliles in Eve of Snows. They focus all their time on bringing up the younger generation, training postulants in the ways of scripture, the gods, the Elements, and prayer. Choosing the path of a Master is both an honor and, in effect, ends any dreams of the High Priesthood. Inside the Masters, there is, once again, an informal pecking order based on skill, politics, and seniority. After thirty years as a Master, one is deemed "elder," and they are accorded a certain extra level of respect that can equal or surpass that of High Priests, even if, officially, the High Priest is of higher rank.

• Hallowed Priesthood
  

These members of the priesthood serve outside of Istinjoln and the other six seats of Church power, with three tiers of power simply entitled First, Second, and Third Priest. Every citadel, major shrine, local church, temple, or monastery is headed by this trio of adherents. One of the most prominent ways to achieve First Priest at a prestigious location is to be the political opposition to a new Lord Priest. An assignment to the Temple of Erginle in Choerkin Fost can soothe the ego of a rival, while an assignment to a minor shrine can be akin to being banished or, worse, a prelude to being murdered. First Priests are often High Priests, but they lose a certain prestige by leaving the Church’s more central places of power while gaining direct power at their new location.

• Bearers
  

Message Bearers hold a peculiar distinction within the ranks of the Church that rivals that of Third Priests in prestige. Bearers also retain the ability to continue their climb into the ranks, and High Priests who were once Bearers are accorded an additional level of respect. Being a Bearer also improves the odds of achieving the High Priesthood, so long as they survive, of course.

• Priests
  

Adherents, both young and old, fall into this level of the Church. For some, it is a stepping stone to great things; for the remainder, it is the height of their achievements within the Church. Seniority plays a role here, but after a point, being an "elder" priest, for some, becomes as much an insult as a source of pride. Young priests have hope of advancing, while the old know their journey is finished. The ranks here are, therefore, full of backstabbing and nastiness on both ends of the spectrum: those waging internal wars to advance and those bitter that they will climb no higher. Outside of those known as elder priests, the only other informal name given is that of ascendant, which a priest is often labeled in the first year or two after achieving the priesthood.

• Monks
  

These folks are postulants who failed their trials. They hold the power of prayer, but the gods don’t favor them with the power priests can achieve. They are the backbone of Istinjoln and other holy locations, serving as guards or in other positions beneath a priest, such as manual labor in the brewery. On failing as a postulant, most undergo more rigorous training in hand-to-hand combat. Ranks among the monks are informal, but while seniority can play a role, there is another major factor: how many years they served as a postulant before failing. Those who were close to the priesthood earn a greater level of respect.

• Postulants
  

There are three tiers of postulant in the Church: Serving Postulant, Hooded Postulant, and Barefoot Postulant, and they are all based upon how many years the postulant is along in their training. The Barefoot is in years one through four of their training, the Hooded is in years five through eight—and is named such because they have earned a hood for their robes—and the Serving Postulant is in years nine through twelve of training. It should be noted that Barefoot Postulants are not, in fact, barefoot except during certain ceremonies. Other than these time-based tiers, postulants earn respect by their count of scars and by what Element they specialize in, with Fire being the most prestigious.

Tomes of the Touched

"The Griffon’s severed wings flail the grass,

Feathered fish floundering,
Leaving Lion to hunt savannah instead of eyrie.
Are you the Griffon, the lion, the wings?
The claws clutching grass instead of clouds?

Who are you to complain with words without wings?"
— Tomes of the Touched

Explore the Sister Continents

Dive into the rich world of the Sundering the Gods Saga:

• The Books — An overview of the series and an ever-expanding zone for discussion and theories.
• Characters — Heroes, villains, and those caught in between.
• Locations — Visited or mentioned in the Saga.
• Maps — From the world to continental to regional to cities and all the way down to the Tomb of the Touched.
• Cultures and Nation-States — Clans, Kingdoms, and Empires scatter the globe.
• Flora, Fauna, and Elemental Beasts — Plants and animals, both mundane and magical.
• History in Three Ages — Cataclysms mark the death and birth of Ages.
• Prophecy or Lies? — Prophecy is prevalent in some books, but can they be trusted?
• Tomes of the Touched — Cryptic words that reverberate across time.
• Religions of the Sister Continents — Explore the faiths of the world.
• Languages on the Sister Continents — Discover the tongues spoken across the continents.
• Timeline — Key events from the Age of Gods to the present.
• Awards and Critical Acclaim — Celebrate the saga’s achievements.

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Latest Additions

• Elements of the Silone language are in place, with the lexicon coming soon.
• The first Sister Continents Canon article from L. James Rice is live in Featured Content.
• A "clickable" world map is live, but it is only the beginning. From here, more maps will be added to drill down into more detailed locations.
• Synopses for Eve of Snows, Trail of Pyres, and Whispers of Ghosts are in place.