Ansil & the Black Church
“Balance is the blade that cuts through chaos and order alike.”
Alignment: True Neutral
Realm of Influence: The Material Plane, Shadow, Judgment, Balance, Death
Current Status: The Black Lady of Citragadda, Mistress of Silence and Stillness, Slumbering Warden of the Age of Ruby, the Third Lady of the Black Church
Ansil in various forms
Summary of the Black Church
The Black Church is one of Kol’s oldest religious institutions, dedicated to Ansil, and centered on the belief in karmic balance through cycles of retribution and silence. Spiritually, it represents the inevitability of consequence, stepping in to administer justice where other faiths may favor mercy. Its members accept impermanence, embracing roles as enforcers of cosmic equilibrium.
Operating behind the scenes, the Black Church exerts political influence across Kol, from royal courts to hidden guilds. It discreetly aids marginalized groups while removing corrupt powers, often through assassination or karmic interventions. Its actions, while harsh, are measured and deeply tied to its philosophies.
A key element of the Church’s power is the Undead Legion, an army of revenants led by the Ainheria, ancient witch-generals who sacrificed their mortality for eternal servitude. These spectral forces are summoned only during cataclysmic events or through sacred rites, binding them to the Black Church’s cause.
The Church is structured with a clear hierarchy, from the High Mother/Father of Ashes down to Shadowbinders and Hallowed Reapers. The Sable Inquisitors stand as the arbiters of karmic debt, tracing injustice across generations to decide who must face judgment.
Despite its grim reputation, the Black Church is not viewed as evil but as a necessary force within Kol’s spiritual ecosystem. It shares a yin-yang dynamic with Ceslida’s Golden Clemency, working together to restore balance to the world when darkness or mercy alone prove insufficient.
Tenets of the Moon
1. Darkness is discreet. Embrace the light and dark aspects of your being. Know you must use wisdom and discretion to use both.
2. Darkness is Cold. Walking away from the light is cold with fear, doubt, and loneliness, but at the end lies the power of your Moon.
3. Darkness is life. With Darkness, life will not go extinct.
4. Darkness is clarity. Your heart and mind must stay clear, for eventually you will be forced to admit defeat. While every creature can be redeemed, some are so far along the path of evil that you have no choice but to end their lives for the greater good.
5. Darkness is Void. For something to go backwards, it must have gone forwards first. With the power of the Moon, there will be no stagnation.
6. Darkness is Sincere. There is no abuse. There is no selfish motive. There is no Great Lie. Darkness blesses everything a return to the Void and a rebirth through the Dream.
7. Darkness is Strength. The Moon leaves you to your own fate. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.
8. Darkness eliminates suffering. Darkness will take all your pain away and give you the means to function without it.
9. No Mercy for the Wicked. Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not.
10. By Any Means Necessary. My qualms can't get in the way of exterminating the foes of Darkness.
Structure of the Black Church
The High Mother/Father of Ashes
The supreme leader of the Black Church. They are both spiritual arbiter and master tactician, interpreting karmic omens and commanding the Undead Legion when called.
The Veiled Circle
An inner council of senior witches and clergy who oversee regional operations, karmic judgments, and the deployment of Ainheria. They are masters of the karmic balance.
Sable Inquisitors
The Sable Inquisitors are solemn arbiters who specialize in divination, spiritual trial, and judgment. They act as neutral observers within the Church, called upon to oversee karmic disputes both within mortal courts and among the dead. Their decisions are binding and may result in mercy, enforced penance, or sanctioned retribution. Their authority is revered, as they alone interpret the deeper web of karmic debt—tracing cycles of injustice across generations if needed.
The Shadowbinders
Clergy and assassins who execute karmic sentences. They operate discreetly, carrying out both political influence and blood-soaked resolutions.
Hallowed Reapers
Ritual specialists who maintain the rites of the Ainheria and prepare offerings to the Undead Legion. They act as liaisons between the living and the bound spirits.
The Black Church in the Age of Ruby
Spiritually:
The Black Church is deeply rooted in Kol’s karmic philosophies, embodying shadow, retribution, and cosmic balance. It guides followers to embrace impermanence, silence, and karmic debt. Rather than being purely sinister, the Church sees itself as an enforcer of balance where mercy has failed. Its rites are secretive, its clergy operate with restraint, and its ethos leans toward calculated retribution rather than wanton cruelty.
Politically:
In the Age of Ruby, the Black Church operates as a shadow network influencing courts, councils, and guilds behind the scenes. It often works alongside (but distinct from) Ceslida’s Golden Clemency, forming the yin to their yang. The Church advises rulers, assassinates corrupt elites, and aids marginalized groups, though always from the shadows. While it often opposes Ahriman’s cults, it strongly prefers to avoid direct wars, preferring long-term karmic "settlements." The rare moments the Black Church is called into direct war are religiously called "Crusades" or "Cath Dub Naemh"
Rituals & Dogma of the Black Church
The Rite of the Waning Moon
Performed monthly under the new moon, this ritual cleanses the faithful of attachments and misguided mercy. A ceremonial basin collects symbolic offerings (blood, ink, or shadowed water) to reaffirm their commitment to karmic justice.
The Trial of the Hollow Oath
A solemn rite where initiates swear oaths to uphold balance without compassion. Overseen by senior clergy, it is a binding contract under the gaze of their patron goddess, blending blood and ink over a blackened tome.
The Vigil of Ashen Silence
Clergy stand watch over a dying flame through the night, swearing silence until the flame dies out. This act symbolizes acceptance of loss, impermanence, and the cycle of retribution.
Black Church Prayers
The Moon’s Veil
"O Silent One beneath the Night, hide me within your veiled truth. Let my shadow be sharp, my judgment colder than dawn’s mercy. I walk unseen, as you do, among the whispers."
The Bloodlit Path
"Dark Mother, weigh my heart as you weigh the sins of the world. I offer my hands as tools of balance, to wound where mercy blinds, and to spare where suffering blooms. In silence, I shall endure."
The Pact of Ashes
"Let the stars be witness, let the moon be judge. I bind myself to the dance of retribution and shadow, where all debts are paid, and no kindness goes unmeasured."
Hymns
“Beneath the Hollow Sky”
"In silence we wander, in silence we strike,
Under moonless heavens, where shadows alike,
The wheel shall turn, the debt be paid,
By hollow night and sharpened blade."
“Ash and Memory”
"Ash to blood, and blood to stone,
Balance found where grief has grown,
In silent steps we carry flame,
Yet leave behind no whispered name."
“The Karmic Knot”
"Bound by thread of dark and light,
We weave revenge, we weave the night,
No mercy cast, no kindness spared,
We are the price, the gods declared."
Liturgical Chants
“Chant of the Weighing Moon”
"We weigh, we weigh, with empty hands,
We weigh, we weigh, beneath the sands.
Let none escape the scales unseen,
Let all be judged by shadow’s queen."
“Chant of Silent Reckoning”
"Silent is the knife, silent is the debt.
Silent are the vows, silent is regret."
Sermons
Sermon: "The Shadow Weighs All"
"The Moon sees what the sun ignores. Beneath her waning gaze, we accept that justice is not always swift—but it is always inevitable. The Black Church teaches patience, teaches silence. Mercy is given where mercy is earned; vengeance where debts fester. The scales tilt with every whispered sin, every quiet betrayal. We do not strike out of anger, but out of duty. Let your shadow be sharp, and your silence be heavier than any sword."
Sermon: "All Debts Are Paid in Time"
"There is no escaping the karmic knot. Those who believe themselves above consequence will, in time, feel the pull of the cord tighten. We, the hands of the Black Church, are but agents of what is already due. We walk the moonlit path not to punish without cause, but to settle ancient debts long ignored. Remember this: whether it is your hand or another’s, the debt will be collected."
Sermon: "The Silent Breath"
"Followers of the Black Church, know this: the silence we keep is not weakness—it is certainty. The righteous speak; we wait. The guilty wail; we whisper. The karmic cycle grinds on, and when the time comes, we breathe as the moon breathes—quiet, cold, and inevitable. In silence, there is resolve. In shadow, there is balance. Hold your tongue and sharpen your blade, for the hour of reckoning comes not with fanfare but with a silent breath in the dark."
Aeinhera in the Forest of Dolls on Grahmbraid Island.
Culture and Origin of the Ainheria within the Black Church
The Ainheria are ancient revenant-warrior witches, originating from a covenant forged in the early shadowed ages of Kol. They were once powerful mortal champions and demigods who willingly bound their souls to the karmic cycle upheld by the Black Church. Upon death, instead of passing on, they rose as eternal generals—guardians of the karmic scales. Each Ainheria was handpicked for their resolve to pursue unyielding retribution and balance through sacrifice.
Culturally, the Ainheria represent a harsh but revered archetype: those who have transcended mortality to become instruments of cosmic justice. Within the Black Church, their names are treated as sacred mantras, chanted to call upon their wisdom, courage, and wrath. Their sigils are often marked on altars, tombs, and blackened banners, with the faithful invoking their presence when balance must be violently restored.
Ritual of Binding to the Undead Legion
Name: The Rite of Blackened Breath
To become bound to the Undead Legion, an initiate must undergo this forbidden rite under the guidance of an Ainheria or senior Black Church priestess.
Location: A burial site consecrated by the Black Church, deep beneath moonless skies.
Trial of Karmic Weighing: The initiate faces a supernatural reckoning, where their past deeds and karmic debts are judged by spectral Ainheria. If found "worthy" (meaning heavy with unfinished duty or vengeance), the ritual proceeds.
The Blackened Breath: The initiate breathes in the ash of sacrificed blood mixed with ink from the Trial of the Hollow Oath. This symbolically "snuffs out" their mortal breath.
The Binding: A fragment of the Ainheria’s essence is burned into the initiate’s soul, marking them as one of the Undead Legion. From here on, they are eternally tied to the Legion's fate, existing between life and undeath.
Rituals Surrounding the Undead Legion
The Black Oath (Summoning Ritual):
In times of great need, senior Black Church clergy perform The Black Oath. Under the light of a moonless night, blood and bone are sacrificed at a sacred burial site. The chant of the Ainheria’s names—sung in 2/4 time—is central to awakening the Undead Legion. Once invoked, the Ainheria lead spectral legions from hidden shadow-realms to wage war.
The Silent Vigil (Honoring Ritual):
This rite is performed on the Night of Hollow Moons (an annual holy day). Black Church followers place iron tokens or shards of obsidian at cenotaphs while chanting Ainheria hymns. The faithful fast and remain silent from dusk to dawn, symbolizing their acceptance of karmic duty and veneration for those who eternally serve.
Futha - War Chant of the Undead Legion
Ainheria = Once Fighters who prepare for a cataclysmic battle
**The time signature of the chant seems to be in 2/4 time.
Voices 1, 2, & 3:
Auriel Hildr
Bolt
Xenn Nyx
Malar
Gudhur Sigrún
Grimgrdh Hjoerthrimul
Vesna Hithorn
Goendul Kaura
Sama Hrist
Aerin Thornwin
Sirrine Galaadon
Mary Hervoer
Mist Tallwood
Herja Oelrun
Herthoegn Alvilda
Jeznia Nyx
Hermu Sveidhr
Hjalmthrimul Sigurdrif
Skaga Tallwood
Randmey Randgridhur
Skegjoeld Reginleif Ouskmey
Thrudur Svipul
Tangnidhr Sigrún
Thrima Skalmoeld Blotlokur
Skoegutl Visna Sangridhur
Bast Nyx
Voglind Sverdhgaldr
Svava
Thoegn Valgunth Lidgaendi
Ayo Jabe
Aspen Galaadon
Ansil Blackbow-Ashryver
Voice 4
"Ainheria" is chanted on every other 1st beat.
"Futha" is chanted every other off beat. "Reginleif" is chanted the other off beats
Voice 5
"Arevay" is chanted every 8 measures on the offbeat
"Once Fighters" = Ainheria
Futha = "pump up" "motivate" "rise to the occasion"
Reginleif = Daughter of the Gods
