MPLT Setting Info: The Saint Church

A common fixture on worlds allied with or guarded by the Time-Space Administration Bureau, The Saint Church is one of the few institutions from the Ancient Belka that is still tolerated and respected by the people.

The Past
Originally created during the late Imperial Era as a cult of personality focusing on the office of the Sankt Kaiser, the Saint Church was notable in the fact that it actually broke away from the Belkan Empire in response to what its leaders felt were 'inexcusable acts unfitting of the sacred office of Kaiser.' The Saint Church allied itself with the worlds that would later form the Time-Space Administration Bureau's founding members, bringing with them extensive knowledge of Belkan magic and technology. When the Unification War ended with the defeat and fragmentation of the Belka and the loss of the Imperial Family's sacred warship at the hands of Sankt Kaiser Olivie Sägebrecht, the Saint Church was granted the right of self-administration by the Time-Space Administration Bureau in exchange for their continued assistance and aid.

The Present
The Saint Church is present on nearly every world allied with or protected by the TSAB, making them one of the largest religious organizations humanity has. Despite this, the Church is fully committed to protecting and safeguarding local religious traditions, which in addition to their long history of humanitarian work and assistance has granted them a surfeit of goodwill. The Saint Church also maintains numerous Reliquary Sites, which stockpile, preserve and contain dangerous magical and technomagical items such as Lost Logia.

Organization
Officially, the reigning head of the Saint Church is die Sankt Kaiser, the legendary deified 'king' that the Church seeks to emulate. In practice, however, the organization is run by the 'Saint King's Aide,' known as a Kardinal-Ritter. The Kardinal-Ritter is elected to office by the heads of both the priestly and military arms of the Church, and is typically a Knight or Mage of great experience in both areas. Beneath the Kardinal-Ritter are the Bishops, who administer planetary holdings in TSAB space, and the Algemein-Ritter, who lead cohorts of Knights on missions. Beneath them are the Priests and Knights of the church, who tend to oversee day-to-day duties and missions of the Church.

Liturgy
The Saint Church's liturgy is surprisingly liberal considering its roots as a personality cult. The Church seeks to emulate the tenets of the Saint King, with particular emphasis on the last Saint King, Oliviie Sägebrecht, whom many view as the 'ideal image' of the Sankt Kaiser. Outside of this, the Church emphasizes duty to one's lessers, protection of the weak, selfless actions towards greater goals and a constant striving for improvement. The Chuch does not shy away from violence; rather, its adherents view combat as a forge to cultivate ones-self and as an obligation when protecting those without power. The black cassocks of the Church are often the first seen when dealing with local disasters or marauders, and its citadels and chapels are often used as sanctuaries and staging sites, often being one of the few places with easy access to advanced, TSAB-level technology.

Recent Controversy
Recently, the Saint Church has been facing a possible heterodoxy, thanks to the appearance of the Equestrian Princesses. Those who staff the church holdings in Equestria have been putting for the heretical ideal that the Princesses (particularly Celestia and Luna) may represent the ideal images of the Sankt Kaisers, seeing as they are nigh-immortal, noble rulers possessing vast magical power. This idea is hardly popular with the older members of the Church. Nor is it particularly popular with the Princesses in question, though their official line remains that they are not, in fact, deities. However, this has not stopped the Church from gaining more than a few Equestrian converts.