"One cannot do gods' work, until man's work is complete."
- —Typical priestly admonishment[2a]
A Human priestess
A priest, also sometimes called a cleric, is an ordained man or woman of many mortal races who administer to the spiritual needs of their faithful throughout the Known World. Their gods gift some priests of especially strong faith with the ability to channel small amounts of divinely-granted magical energy to aid in their works, which is classed as Divine Magic to separate it from the more mechanistic magical workings of arcane magic-users like wizards and sorcerers.[1a]
Many priests will be assigned to a specific region or church, others are wanderers who go where they feel they can do the most good. The receptions they get are directly linked to how the deity they serve is perceived by others.[1a]
For instance, a priestess of Shallya is likely to be received warmly no matter where she goes, whereas a priest of Ulric is likely to only be heartily welcomed when a great battle is in the offing.[1a]
Sacred Work[]
"A lifetime's devotion to the gods transforms us. Our souls become charged with the power of the divine."
From morning prayer to evensong, a priest's day is long and laborious. After all, work is worship and idleness a mortal sin. After matins, a hundred chores await the priest, from tending the altar fires to toiling in the temple's fields or gardens.[3a]
The worst of the drudgery can be passed down to the initiates, allowing time for important tasks, such as writing sermons or preparing lessons, though education of the initiates is another responsibility for full priests. Prayer and ritual infuse everything a priest does, and they must drop everything when the temple bell summons them to worship. The only relaxation they receive is during those few hours snatched for private study before evening devotions.[3a]
Sometimes a priest is allowed to escape the rigours of temple life to wander among their parishioners, offering prayers, guidance, and arbitrating their disputes. Bringing their god's blessing to the community is an important function.[3a]
On feast days, worshippers flock to the temple to partake in the sacred rites and sermons, and the priests must tend to their spiritual needs. A priest should always remember that they are a servant not only of their god, but also of their congregation.[3a]
Non-Human Priests[]
There are differences enough between Men, who claim mastery of the Old World, and the other mortal races with whom they share it. There's the issue of physiology (no one would ever confuse a Dwarf for a Human), culture (has anyone met a Halfling who was not obsessed with pies?), and personalities. These are minor differences, trifles really. And, all differences aside, the four great peoples of the Empire are all united against common enemies: the Greenskin menace, the hordes of Chaos, and of course the vile Skaven. But between conflicts, these differences can be exacerbated.[2b]
Naturally, the one difference that none of the Old World's mortal races seem to be able to reconcile is their differing views on the gods. Whilst Humans are content to leave matters of faith to the wise and the blessed, the other races have no need of such intermediaries. The role of religion as Men view it is utterly foreign to the Elves, Dwarfs, and Halflings, even though in many respects their deities can and do overlap.[2b]
Dwarfs[]
Dwarfs, of course, have their own perspective on the matter of religion. As they cannot work magic of any kind, excepting their mastery of runes of course, Dwarfs do not become priests in the conventional sense. Certainly, there are plenty of Dwarfs, called "lorekeepers," who bless the babies, recount the tales of their ancestors, and advise their leaders in times of war, but the very idea that Dwarfs can channel the power of the gods directly is utter nonsense (despite heretical claims to the contrary).[2b]
It is important to remember that the Dwarfs view their ancestors as divine entities. They receive insight from the deeds and actions of those who came before, which is why it is so vital to Dwarfs to record the heroic acts that bring them glory and the treacherous betrayals that lay them low, for it is in these events that the divine speaks to them.[2b]
Dwarfs also have less of a need for a priesthood because they view their Ancestor Gods as deities to be emulated, rather than to be appeased.[4a]
Elves[]
During the Reign of the Everqueen, the Elves worshipped and placated their gods at certain places in Ulthuan that were held sacred, with priests acting as stewards of these places. During the expansion of the High Elf colonial empire in the Old World during the reign of the Phoenix King Bel Shanaar, the role of the priest was transformed, as Elven priests now actively founded places dedicated to the gods and imbued them with divine might, carrying the blessings of the gods across the Known World.[6a]
Many of the beings that make up the Elven Pantheon are direct antecedents to those still venerated in the Empire today.[2b] In fact, some Elven theologians contend that their own pantheon is the only true one, and that Men are simply worshipping aspects or facsimiles of their deities.[4a]
However, the Elves claim they are in direct communication with their divine patrons, sharing a constant mystical link with their gods. In a sense, all Elves thus act as priests, directly communing with the spirit that binds their society and people together.[2b]
The Elven gods do not manifest themselves in the form of miracles or petty magic, as the gods of Men do. Instead, the Elves view all magic as a blessing from the gods. Thus, Elven priests are also always spellcasters. A priest of Kurnous might specialise in wielding the Wind of Ghyran, while a priest of Asuryan would be adept at channeling Aqshy or Hysh.[4a]
Halflings[]
Of the four major mortal races of the Old World, Halflings are the most irreverent. Setting aside the fact that Halflings have no talent for magic, the small folk are so completely unsuited to the idea of venerating anything that to even broach the topic to them would result in endless gales of laughter, perhaps followed by a proper robbery to teach the uncultured fool a good lesson.[2b]
The Halflings do have their gods, certainly, but no Halfling could be bothered to commit themselves to daily and nightly prostration in the name of anyone, let alone some invisible presence that does nothing but sit around and eat and have dalliances with its siblings.[2b]
When a pious mood does settle on Halflings, a festival results, and a few locals are selected to officiate the affair, being bribed heavily not to get overly drunk so that they may maintain at least the appearance of ceremony.[2b]
Other Races[]
While the four mortal races described above may have the clearest distinctions of who is a priest, most of the mortal races of the Known World have some manner of divinely-based occupation.
Perhaps the best example of this is the Skaven Grey Seer. These horned ratmen, always white or grey in colour, emulate the services of the more noble mortal races of the surface, holding unholy masses to honor their lord and channeling magical might in the name of their minor Chaos God, the Horned Rat.
Orc Shamans serve as a living link between the Greenskin gods, Gork and Mork, while the Shaman-Sorcerer of the Northlands may act as an agent for one of the Ruinous Powers, a lesser Chaos God, a notable Daemon, or all of the previous at once.
Perhaps one exception to this rule is the Bray-Shaman of the Beastmen. The Children of Chaos give worship to their creators among the Dark Gods, but as the Cloven Ones are driven to tear down the edifices of Mankind, so too is the Bray-Shaman obsessed with the temples and priests of Men. Whereas the Grey Seers are a dark inversion of the priests of the more noble mortal races, performing similar rites and rituals in the name of a far darker being, Bray-Shamans stand more as the anti-priest, dedicating their efforts, their worship, and their magics to the destruction of the gods of Men and all who worship them.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 81
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 3a: pg. 168
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 215
- 5: Nagash the Sorcerer (Novel) by Mike Lee
- 5a: Ch. 26
- 6: Malekith (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
- 6a: Ch. 9