Editing Saint Cuthbert (section)

==Church==
Cuthbertines (that is, worshipers of Saint Cuthbert) are most prevalent in the central Flanaess. The saint has churches in Dyvers, Furyondy, the Gran March, the Free City of Greyhawk, Keoland, Perrenland, the Shield Lands, Tenh, the Principality of Ulek, the County of Urnst, the Duchy of Urnst, Veluna, and Verbobonc. These churches can be large cathedrals, but most commonly are wayside shrines and small, crude chapels. The monastery-fortress of St. Cuthbert in the canton of Clatspurgen, Perrenland was the center of resistance to [[Iggwilv|Iggwilv's]] tyranny between 481-491 CY, protecting the valley through which the Velverdyva river left the realm.

In [[Sigil]] and the [[Outer Planes]] of the [[Great Wheel]], Saint Cuthbert is the most favored god of the [[Harmonium]], who appreciate the god's uncompromising nature, assurance in his righteousness, and willing to violently assert the strength of his beliefs. They have a lot in common.

In general, Cuthbert's faith is concentrated amongst rural populations, and combined with the church's reputation for both aggressive conversion-seeking and self-righteousness, there tends to be a bit of a backlash against the faith by city-dwellers. Cuthbertines have a stereotype as preachy, self-righteous, and proudly ignorant in the urban parts of the world, which can be quite a surprise to many Cuthbertines venturing out of their hamlets for the first time, and which reinforces their isolationism.

When they shed their mortal coils, those who worshiped the saint in life go to Saint Cuthbert's divine realm, called the Basilica of Saint Cuthbert or the Bastion of Law, on [[Arcadia]], the intermediary "Lawful Good/Neutral" plane between [[Celestia]] and [[Mechanus]]. Souls there act as silent observers while the saint gives out judgments from his Seat of Truth. Saint Cuthbert seldom leaves his plane unless some great duty calls him forth.

===Clergy & Holy Orders===
Saint Cuthbert's priesthood is divided into three major orders, each of whom has their own holy symbol from Saint Cuthbert's iconic regalia; the Chapeaux, the Stars, and the Billets.

The ''Chapeaux'', whose symbol is a crumpled hat, seek to convert people into their faith. They are equally divided between lawful good and lawful neutral characters. [[Paladin]]s of Saint Cuthbert, known as Votaries or Communicants, have an honorary position in the Order of the Chapeaux. Their role is not just to convert others, but to actually fight enemies of the faith.

The ''Stars'', whose symbol is a starburst, seek to enforce doctrinal purity among those already dedicated to the saint. Most are lawful neutral, and they do not shy from using mind-reading magic in order to ensure that even the private thoughts of their flock are pure.

The ''Billets'' are the most numerous of Saint Cuthbert's clergy. Most are lawful good, and they seek to minister to and protect the faithful. These are well-beloved by the common folk. Their symbol is a wooden club. The Chapeaux often come into conflict with the Billets, because the former order wants to seek new converts while the latter wants to care for the worshipers they already have.

''L'Ordre de la Croix-Rose Veritas'', or the ''Order of the Rosy Cross of Truth'', is a minor Cuthbertine order founded in 587 (CY), after the Greyhawk Wars. It was founded by Ormus, a former priest of Rao only just converted to Saint Cuthbert's faith himself. When Ormus discovered an evil warlord had been corrupted by a devil in disguise, he founded the new order in order to track down other devils living among mortals in disguise. The order has three branches: ''La Croix-Vert'', ''La Croix-Blanc'', and ''La Croix-Bleu'' (that's "The Crosses Green, White and Blue", for non-French speakers).

The Society of the Sanctified Mind focuses on ridding the world of evil [[psion]]icists. It was founded c. 561 CY by a cleric of Saint Cuthbert named Sir Jeremy Costineux, after his home village was enslaved by illithids. This society is a knightly order rather than a strictly religious one, and people of a wide variety of character classes belong to it.

===Holy Books, Parables & Relics===
Saint Cuthbert wields a powerful artifact-weapon, called the Mace of Cuthbert, which he sometimes loans out to worthy mortals - an adventure in Dragon #100 involves retrieving this weapon from real-world Earth, where he had hidden it in the London Museum to keep it safe. Other magic items associated with Saint Cuthbert include the cudgel that never forgets and the tabard of the great crusade.

The primary holy book of Saint Cuthbert is a short (usually no more than 30 pages long) instructional text called, simply, '''Saint Cuthbert and Common Sense''': sort of an easy-to-read Cuthbertine bible. It explains the tenets of the Cuthbertine faith - obey the law, be good, and use your common sense - albeit with some slight personal interpretation of the author, and does so with simple language and easy to read letters. It also instructs readers on how to handle problems of faith, such as failing to live up to the Saint's virtues - namely, turn to your community for advice & support whilst also praying to the god for clarity from confusion. Copies of this book are often illustrated, but are done so in a plain fashion, and the book is usually not made too decorative; gilded illuminations and elaborate calligraphy are not in harmony with the Cuthbertine aesthetic.

The most iconic book of Cuthbertine teachings, so popular it is practically a secondary bible to them, is '''Parables of the Wise Fool'''; a collection of fables in which an uneducated rural man faces common rural problems - agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts, fending off beasts, fighting, etc - and solves them with common sense, often showing up well-meaning but self-important "book smart" individuals in the process. These tales are hugely beloved amongst Cuthbertines; "I may be a fool, but I am a wise fool" is a common Cuthbertine rejoinder to anyone commenting on their reputed lack of smarts. It's telling that the most hated [[heresy]] in the Cuthbertine church is a book called '''Tales of the Vulgar Fool''', which features a version of the Wise Fool who uses cunning and common sense to indulge in thievery and lechery; Non-Cuthbertines see these stories as humorous parodies of uptight Cuthbertine homilies, but the church considers it a deep and serious assault on their faith, and the Stars order spends much of its time trying to root out copies of the book and quash heretics who seek to learn from it.

'''The Saint Among Us''' is a minor holy book that tells Saint Cuthbert's purported origin as a mortal shepherd on a distant world who lived such a simple, blameless, charitable life that he was rewarded by the gods by being brought to Oerth, where he walked the world as a holy man teaching evil the error of its ways, and ultimately ascended to godhood on the strength of his saintliness. The book is mostly a parable, seeking to serve as a guide by example to Cuthbertines.

One of the most commonly told Cuthbertine parables is "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" - which, on a D&D world, is sometimes converted into "The Boy Who Cried [[Orc]]" instead.

===Sacred Days===
'''Saint Cuthbert's Day:''' Celebrated on the 4th day of Growfest, Saint Cuthbert's Day is the largest festival celebrated by Saint Cuthbert's church. It involves locals and pilgrims gathering at a city's gate at dawn and parading and singing along a major road until they reach the local shrine or temple. Children swipe at everyone within reach with switches in a custom known as "the cleansing" - but the marchers are guarded by members of the Billets, who swiftly crack down on non-Cuthbertines who seek to take advantage of this to vent some anti-Cuthbertine sentiment. At their destination, a cleric brings out a replica of the Mace of Cuthbert and there is a great feast from noon until dusk, and then a bonfire from sundown until midnight that the faithful believe can remove curses and misfortune.

'''Breadgiving Day:''' This is a new event that began only after the Greyhawk Wars, originally as a charitable event for refugees. Subsequently, it has become a day dedicated to feeding the hungry in general. Cuthbertines take the opportunity to preach and gain converts, and provide security for the event. The faiths of Pelor and Rao also participate, and try to keep the Cuthbertines from getting too sanctimonious or aggressively preachy.

===Inter-Faith Relations===
In general, Saint Cuthbert respects any Lawful Good god, although he and his followers tend to believe other such gods aren't as smart or as capable as Saint Cuthbert himself. His church is on its best terms with [[Rao]],  [[Delleb]], [[Heironeous]], [[Pelor]] and [[Lendys]].

He is staunchly critical of Neutral Good deities, whom he regards as "not trying hard enough" and of most Lawful Neutral deities, who he thinks tend to forget about using their common sense. He despises the Chaotic Good gods, although he does consider them marginally better than the Chaotic Neutral ones, who are the closest things he has to enemies amongst the non-evil gods. He's also contemptuous of True Neutral deities, whom he sees as wishy-washy and unwilling to take a stand.

His fiercest non-hostile rivalry is with [[Pholtus]], as the two gods share so many of the same faults that they can't stand each other.

Naturally, Saint Cuthbert is most opposed to the gods of evil. Whilst the Chaotic Evil gods are obvious enemies of him, he has just as much enmity, if not more, for the Lawful Evil ones, whom he sees as perverting the fundamental nature of law and order. Whilst he battles all evil gods, his most prominent enemies are [[Vecna]] and [[Iuz]].