The cleric class is interpreted differently depending upon the culture it serves.

Iconian Clerics - Templars

Templars are very common in Iconium, but rare in Faerie. Templars are the fighting order of the clergy - trained in both military skills and ecclesiastical lore. (In strict game terms the priest class performs most "clerical" duties: ministering to a flock, running a church or shrine, etc.) Templars are army chaplains, temple guardians, protectors of pilgrims, and bodyguards to high-ranking clergy. Others act as priests, or administrators within the church, but these are political/ecclesiastical appointments — they are not automatic roles for templars. Successful (high-level) templars often find themselves as bishops or assistants to the Logothete himself. Quite a few Logothetes over the centuries have been templars.

Within Iconium, many people spend time as templars, much as some join the military out of a sense of nationalism, many humans see a year or three as a templar as merely repaying a dept to god and church. It is not uncommon to take up the orders and leave them a while later.

Templars must be a member of one clerical order, and may not join more than one. While all of the saints are venerated, each templar and priest normally chooses one to cleave to more than the others. Some templars and priests never choose to join a cult of saints.

A character may select any two spell domains from those available to his order as well as the cult of the saint he venerates (if any). So a Domenican templar dedicated to Saint Aoife would be able to choose two of the Good, Healing or Strength domains.

While women never find employment as common soldiers on the battlefield, women are accepted as templars. As with paladins, a calling to serve god overweighs common prejudice. Female templars tend to join the Domenican Order and the cults of Ionna and Petronella, but these choices are not exclusive. Quite a few women have found high standing in the Valerian order, but Justinians tend to frown upon female templars - if admitted, they never rise far.

While there are no alignment restrictions, Domenicans tend towards neutrality, Justinians are lawful (big surprise) and Valarians are likely chaotic. These are trends, not absolutes.

Some of the best templars are chosen to become Templar Knights, a holy order of knighthood pledged to defend sacred sites and relics. This order is almost unique in the church in their freedom from church politics. The Knights Templar rule themselves, but are limited by their appointments. So, while they are not dependent upon the local curia for money, they only have the "freedom" of the site they have been charged to protect. This does not mean that Knight's Templar distain the wishes of church leaders, but they do have the right to disobey if a pastor's order, for example, comes into conflict with their duty as a knight.

Clerical Orders: Choose one order and one or two domains

Saint Cults (optional): Choose one saint and one domain

Rule O: Templars and priests gain spells because they are confirmed by the sacraments of the church. Therefore, while most priests begin the game with an alignment close to their patron saint, they may "stray" without that causing the loss of their class abilities. (Not that this is common or encouraged.)

Excommunication from the church, either performed by a cleric of higher standing, or by one of the supernatural entities of Logos, severs a clergyman's ties with the church and so ends the class abilities of a templar or priest. This rule reflects that multiple, major and minor heresies exist within the church. So one clergyman may be excommunicated due to heartfelt, but unpopular beliefs, while a corrupt, yet secretive priest may still gain and cast spells.

This condition reflects another aspect of mankind's religion. Logos is a distant god, who communicates through numerous intermediaries -- most notably his apostles and saints. The logothete and the paladins are the only people believed to commune directly with Logos.

Unlike most other d20 worlds, in Palaestra there is no personal tie with Logos reflected in the game systems. This is not to say that the worshippers of Logos do not feel connected to him, but this is a matter of faith. Most importantly it underlines the power of the Church of Logos. The church, invested with this power via the apostles of Logos, holds great mystic and political power.

Fae Clerics - Ollaves and Praise-Singers

Fey clerics are called praise-singers or ollaves. They are part of the triune Druidical Order, but make up the smallest percentage of the whole. Praise-Singers, unlike druids, dedicate their lives to one god/cultural hero of the fey. This close connection gives them great power, but also limits their perceptions (according to the fey). Fey ollaves are specialists, while druids are generalists, who see "the big picture."

Praise-Singers are not quite the same thing as priests. A few take up residence in sites connected to their deity, but most wander from festival to festival telling tales of their hero-god. Many take up the dress and personality of their deity as well - seeing themselves as living exemplars of their god. This makes powerful ollaves of dark gods, like the Morrigan, kind of scary to be around for long. Not all ollaves take their devotion to this extreme, but all pass up no chance to praise the virtues of their god and most cover themselves in the symbology of their god via tattoos, colorful clothes, atworks and jewelry.

Seelie and Unseelie

The fey do not see things in terms of good and evil, but use another measure which most refer to as seelie and unseelie, some would translate as light and dark. While the ultimate expression of unseelie behavior would be seen as bad by most beings, the point of this fey philosopy is that by giving vent to unseelie emotions and recognizing them as part of life, they can be controlled or funnelled into productive energy. In fact, if you don't you are in trouble.

That is why many gods have unseelie and seelie natures or have a conterpart that is their opposite. That is why a barbarian cimbri can bathe in the blood of his enemy on one day, and be bouncing his child on his knee the next and no one thinks that he is crazy. (Except most Iconians, that is.)

Seeile concepts: altruism, light, fire, Summer, birth, family, feasting, air, fire, rationality, free will

Unseelie concepts: self-indulgence, darkness, Winter, death, lust, sex, war, gluttony, water, earth, insanity, fate

Faerie Gods

See the racial descriptions for listing of gods.

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— Atrribution