Organizations and Offices of Westeros

The Faith of the Seven

The High Septon
The High Septon is elected by the Most Devout and is usually, but not always, chosen from their ranks. He is always a man, and he relinquishes the name of his birth upon donning the crystal crown, hereafter only being referred to as The High Septon or His High Holiness. It is thus common for nicknames to be invented to better distinguish him and his predecessors from each other, which sometimes is necessary as it is not uncommon for a High Septons to be appointed in the twilight of their lives. Some nicknames have been unkind, but the most common is to use his most memorable trait of his appearance or mannerisms. It falls upon the High Septon to be offer the ultimate interpreter of the Holy Word and serve as the voice through which The Seven makes their will known to man. The High Septon serves for life.

The Most Devout
The number of the Most Devout has varied throughout history on account on needs and circumstance, but there must be at least seven times seven to fill the seats on the Star Councils, and usually there is a few more at each location of such a council to be able to temporarily hold a vacant seat until such a time as the High Septon might appoint a permanent member. 77 is oft considered a suitable holy number, and it has commonly been deemed fortuitous for that amount to be present at the seat of the High Septon to assist with the governance of the faith. In the Testimony of Mushroom, Septon Walder, one of their number, has reportedly quipped that most of his work involves stroking a lord's pride by having one of the the High Septon's close confidantes (of which there are near a hundred) be available for long hours of prayer and consultation. This description is likely not wholly inaccurate, but the Most Devout often have responsibilities to ensure the quality and uniformity of the training of new members of the faith, and otherwise assist The High Septon with such tasks as one men cannot possibly have the time to perform all by himself. Appointment to the Most Devout are made by the High Septon upon nominations from The Star Councils. It is sometimes customary to address members of the Most Devout with "Your Holiness" or speak of them as "His/Her Holiness", but this is mostly a honorific, and to an extent a pragmatic way to specify that it is Septon Roswyn of the Most Devout that one refers to.

The Star Councils
There are seven Star Councils, headed by the septon who tend to the Great Sept where the council holds it's seat. The High Septon appoints members of the Most Devout to sit on the Star Councils, it is always a septon leading each council, and by custom the other seats are filled by three septons and three septas. Their primary role is to ensure that the Faith of The Seven's teachings are unison and that the High Septon's edicts are followed. Though most of their work involves administration, such as filling vacant posts at Septs and in the households of nobles. Until the days of Maegor the Cruel, the Star Councils were also tasked with overseeing and coordinating the Holy Orders of the faith Militant.

They also perform judicial functions, under the Gardener Kings, the faith held the authority to try any man or woman having taking the holy vows to join it's ranks as septons and septas, or any sworn sister or brother of the holy orders. Many a petty king of bygone ages had allowed the faith to sit in judgement against those accused of adultery and other sins, as well, and some lords continued this tradition until the days of King Maegor the Cruel. Under the unified legal code introduce by King Jaeherys The Conciliator, adultery and many other acts deemed sinful are no longer punishable, and now only the Hightowers and some of their bannermen still hold the custom of allowing The Faith to sit in judgement of their own. Now the Star Councils only rarely convenes in the form of Star Tribunals, their power is limited to censure septons and septa's who have sinned grievously, disallowing them from holding sermons and speak of The Seven, and often posting them to the scriptoriums, septrys or motherhouses where they may serve The Seven Who Are One in a humbled state. Far more often, those found to be at fault are simply quietly reassigned to such duties at a Grand Sept without any form of formal censure.

In the extreme case, a Star Tribunal may recommend expulsion from The Faith. Only The High Septon may effectuate such a sentence. Whether Godsworn or otherwise, one expelled from the faith may no longer enter a Sept, Septry or Motherhouse, no longer recognized as knights by The Faith and barred to speak of the will of The Seven to others. Any children born to such men and women from the twelfth moon of their expulsion and until the twelfth moon after they had been granted formal absolution would be considered bastards. After the twelfth moon of expulsion, their spouses could petition The High Septon to free them from their marriage vows. It was common in the days of petty kings that one expelled from The Faith no longer had the right to have his case heard by the lord of the land or demand trial by combat. Most such instances ended with the offending person walking barefoot to the Star Council having called for this measure to do penance, The Warrior's Sons would usually intercede to ensure that their enemies would not take advantage of their weakened state of one showing sufficient signs of repentance, the lack of such protection would usually doom those expelled.

While the High Septon does tend to The Great Sept of Baelor, and thus chairs the Star Council of King's Landing, the other demands of his office means that one of the Most Devout stands ready to serve in his stead when the need arises, this septon is often the one holding sermons and chairs the council when smaller matters are being discussed. The Maester's of the Citadel believes that this position was created to ensure that The Faith will be fully able to function in the event that the strength of the High Septon fails him due to advancing age. The Holy Texts attributes this to the prudent guidance of The Crone. An old tale still told in Oldtown and other places that The High Septon who created the office wanted more leisure time at his favorite House of ill repute, an establishment torn down so long ago that it's name and location has been lost to history.

The Locations of the seven Star Councils:
The Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing
The Starry Sept of Oldtown
The Sept of the Snows of White Harbor
The Golden Sept of Lannisport
The Great Sept of Gerold at Gulltown
The Castle Sept of Sunspear
The Castle Sept of Storm's End

Prior to Aegon's Conquest, the Star Council presently situated in King's Landing convened at the Duskendale before moving to The Sept of Remembrance and held their meetings in
Prior to the completion of Sunspear and the establishment of House Nymeros Martell as the dominant House of Dorne, the Star Council presently located there convened at Yronwood.

The Godsworn:
Collectively called Godsworn, those dedicating their lives to the Seven sets aside their family names and all rights of inheritance upon taking their vows which include celibacy.

Septons and Septa's typically dress in white, and often wears a crystal around their neck. Septons are typically stationed at a sept, but wandering septons makes their way across the land to perform services at villages and other places without a sept are common, and often a village will receive the septon from a nearby town once or twice a year for this purpose. It is always a septon who is put in charge of a sept, gives sermons and officiates marriages and funeral rites. The role of a septa is much more closely associated with the crone and the mother, being confidantes to noble ladies and septons and assisting with the instruction of children in the tenets of the faith. Noble Households commonly have a septa to serve as governess.

While a child might be given over to the faith, it only accepts vows from those who have reached the age of majority, when no longer required to obey their fathers, they may chose to not take their vows and leave, but few have any true choice, as a noble house would be shamed by it and thus promise a cold welcome, novices of common birth are unlikely to have any other place to go.

Holy Brothers and Sisters have also taken vows dedicating their lives to The Seven, but they live outside the usual hierarchy of The Faith, most simply seek a life of contemplation and prayer. When a woman, especially a highborn lady, is found guilty of a crime, the lord sitting in judgement may allow her to take the vows of a holy sister. Men might be offered to say their vows as well, but this is an exceedingly rare occurrence, and the Night's Watch is generally deemed a more suitable place.

The Orders
All holy brothers and sisters serves in one of the holy orders. Most live in their own closed communities, called Septry's for brothers and Motherhouses for sisters, though Great Septs typically also maintains scriptoriums and other facilities where they work besides septons and septa's. Here they perform various roles such as the copying and preservation of Holy Manuscripts, producing the illuminated versions of the Seven Pointed Star that many a noble favor keeps on proud display to demonstrate their piety. They typically also tend to their own upkeep by making goods or produce, and many of the best wines of Westeros are produced by the holy brothers. Holy Sisters are oft trained in medicine and may serve the surrounding community as midwives and offering care for the sick or injured. It is also not uncommon for noble maids to spend several moon's turns or longer as a novice in a motherhouse, ostensibly to further their education, but the most common motivation is probably the confinement of daughters of questionable temperance away from temptation.

The Silent Sisters wear gray robes leaving only their eyes visible, they have taken a vow of silence in addition to the other customary vows of the godsworn. Their task involves preparing the bodies of the dead for funeral, an honor mostly reserved for those who have the wealth to support the presence of the order or otherwise donate significant sums to The Faith. Though among the most well-known and recognizable members of the faith, their numbers are relatively few, and is by far the order with the highest proportion of members who have entered the ranks to be absolved of their crimes by the laws of men.

The Faith Militant was comprised of two orders, The Warrior's Sons were all anointed knights, giving up any claim to inheritance upon taking their vows, and swearing loyalty for life to the High Septon, but they would keep their family name and knightly title. Their ranks numbered at most 2000 on the ascension of King Maegor the Cruel, such records as has been preserved at the Starry Sept that can be considered reliable suggests that this number reflects the peak of their strength on account of a great surge brought on by the tension between faith and crown in that time. The Poor Fellows took similar vows, but they where men and women of lesser birth (As the Faith tells it, the womenfolk only served in combat roles in times of great desperation). In principle, the role of The Warrior's Sons were to fight the enemies of the Faith, while that of the Poor Fellows were to act as escorts and protectors of pilgrims on the road. In practice, many Poor Fellows served in the chapterhouses of the Warrior's Son as stewards, cooks, squires and other such roles commonly found in a castle. They would also make up the bulk of the armies of the Faith. The Warrior's Sons also were frequently used to apprehend those who were to stand before a Tribunal of the Faith. Both orders were outlawed by King Maegor the Cruel, and their members ruthlessly hunted under his reign. Such few survivors as was left were granted a royal pardon by King Jaeherys the Conciliator, but both orders were permanently disbanded, with the crown assuming the duty of protecting The Faith.

Finances
The Faith is primarily supported by the lords or knights whose land they reside upon, the construction and maintenance of a sept and those who tend it is usually their duty, and for lords not motivated by piety, a septon's influence over his smallfolk usually keeps them from shirking. Wandering Septons can be expected to have their humble needs provided for by the villages they visit. Typically a lord sets aside lands whose incomes are then reserved for maintaining The Faith or a share of the total harvest for this purpose, others simply allocate resources in accordance to his means and the needs of the Godsworn. In cities and large towns, a share of the taxes are often used to support The Faith. Some houses such as the Hightowers, Lannisters, Tyrells, Gardeners and Targaryens have donated lavishly, with the Great Septs at their respective seats a testament to their generosity.