Aphist Order, The

The Aphist Order is the highest level of government in Silitra. It is composed of seven priests, each of whom specialises in a different role related to the governance of the state. In order of seniority, they are the:

• High Priest

• Death Priest

• Legislative Priest

• Educational Priest

• Economic Priest

• Welfare Priest

• Infrastructural Priest

History

The concept of the Aphist Order was established long before the founding of Silitra. The original Aphist Order began as a band of travellers who used logic and reason to protect themselves and others from the dangers of the Outlands. None of the priests of the original order is alive today, and none of their identities is explicitly known. However, stories of their exploits in the Outlands have been passed down through oral tradition for centuries.

In the Aphist year 10, the then Educational Priest Aarnol commissioned a study of these folk tales with the intention to compile them into a sacred text for public consumption. As of the Aphist year 15, the book remains in development, although the priests have related some of the most notable stories in weekly sermons, including:

• Archie the Educator and the Illogical Poor

• Geraint the Undertaker and the Unreasonable Traveller

• Eros the Economical and the Unprepared Lovers

The Aphist Order and the Namane Brewery founded the town of Silitra after stumbling upon ruins of the old city during their travels. The priests had been travelling the Outlands for years, searching for a logical place to settle. Upon finding the ruins of the old city, each priest agreed it was the safest place any had seen in their lifetimes.

Each of the seven priests conducts a service in logic and reason on a specific day of the week. The services are as follows:

• Marsdae: Infrastructural Priest

• Haridae: Welfare Priest

• Pepdae: Economic Priest

• Nesdae: Educational Priest

• Maccadae: Legislative Priest

• Galadae: Death Priest

• Sundae: High Priest

Teachings

The central teaching of Aphistry is to hold no belief without sufficient evidence. On top of this core belief, the Aphists teach Methodism, which operates as a way to use logic and reason to infer truth and bypass illogical thought patterns.

The Aphists encourage the exclusion of the irrationally inclined from society for fear of allowing the spread of incongruent notions, ultimately leading to the destruction of Earth's last known society.

Controversies

There are no known controversies regarding the Aphist Order which have not turned out to be slanderous.