The Divine is the leader of the Chantry organization at large, based out of the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux. The Divine of the Chantry is always female. The Tevinter Imperium however, have their own Divine, who is a male as well as their own version of the Chantry—the Imperial Chantry. The Andrastian Divine is informally known as the White Divine while the Imperial Divine as the Black Divine.
Duties
The duties of the Divine include the well-being of the Chantry and the organisations which are affiliated with it as well as the further spreading of the Chantry's message in the known world. However, if a Divine is too senile to rule, then her role is largely ceremonial.[2]
Another known duty of the White Divine is to accept in a ceremony the newly appointed senior enchanters of the Circle of Magi.[3] It is rumored that some White Divines are also major players of The Grand Game.[4]
Election
In the Andrastian Chantry, it is customary for a Divine to leave the name of her chosen successor before her death, but this does not guarantee their ascension. Upon the death of the current Divine, every Grand Cleric is required to travel to Val Royeaux for the Grand Consensus. There, they elect a new Divine from among themselves, or choose another member of the Chantry. The vote must be unanimous for a new Divine to be properly elected.
The election of the latest Divine, Justinia V was controversial, as rumours abound that many of the Grand Clerics were reluctant to elect her due to her colourful past, despite Revered Mother Dorothea (as she was then known) being the first choice of her predecessor, Beatrix III. In the end, she was successful, and began her reign in 9:34 Dragon.
Known Andrastian Divines
Divine Beatrix III
Official robes and headdress of the Divine[5]
- Justinia I — The first Divine. Elected in 1:1 Divine. Chose her name to honour the disciple who recorded Andraste's songs.
- Ambrosia II — Reigned during the Divine Age. Wanted to order an Exalted March against her own cathedral after protesting mages barricaded themselves inside.
- Hortensia I — Reigned in 1:99 Divine. Named the Glory Age.
- Renata I — Reigned during the Glory Age. Declared the Exalted March of the Dales (2:10 — 2:20 Glory). Ordered the establishment of Alienages afterwards. She also ordered the destruction of all Chantry art in Orlais depicting elves save a single original mural of Shartan with his ears docked. A copy exists at the University of Orlais.[6]
- Galatea — Reigned during the Glory Age. Granted the Right of Annulment to all grand clerics of the Chantry to purge Circles of Magi ruled irredeemable (after 2:83 Glory).
- Joyous II — Reigned in 3:86 Towers. Died in 3:99 Towers.
- Clemence I — Reigned in 4:46 Black. Commissioned the writing of the Litany of Adralla.
- Justinia II — Reigned in 4:99 Black. Named the Exalted Age.
- Rosamund — Elected in 5:16 Exalted. Died in 5:71 Exalted.
- Amara III — Elected in 5:71 Exalted.
- Theodosia I — Reigned in 5:99 Exalted. Named the Steel Age.
- Hortensia III — Reigned in 6:99 Steel. Named the Storm Age.[7]
- Faustine II — Reigned in 8:99 Blessed. Planned to declare the Sun Age, but abruptly declared the Dragon Age instead after a high dragon rampage occurred.[8]
- Beatrix III — Reigned in the beginning of the Dragon Age. Died in 9:34 Dragon.[9] Used the templars to pressure the Viscount of Kirkwall.[10] It is stated that she held the office for almost 50 years[2] which however is conflicted with the reign of her predecessor.
- Justinia V — Elected in 9:34 Dragon.[9] Reigns as of 9:40 Dragon.
Other Andrastian Divines
These Divines cannot be placed chronologically or their existence has been implied by the names of other Divines (for example, there could not have been a Justinia V without a Justinia III and IV), but no other information is provided about them.
- Amara I
- Amara II
- Ambrosia I
- Aurelia[11]
- Beatrix I
- Beatrix II
- Faustine I
- Hortensia II
- Joyous I
- Justinia III
- Justinia IV
- Theodosia II[12] — it is known that she invited the King of Antiva to tea.
Known Imperial Divines
- Valhail - The first Imperial Divine. Elected by the Imperial Chantry in 3:87 Towers.
Trivia
- The Divine plays a role similar to the Pope in the Catholic Church, being both the leader of a religion and a powerful political player. The schism between the Chantries and multiple Divines echoes the schisms in Christianity; there are in fact two major religious leaders: the Pope of Rome (Roman Catholicism) and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodoxy).
- The moniker "Black Divine" echoes the term "Black Pope", coined in the sixteenth century by European Protestants to refer to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
See also
Codex entry: Chantry Hierarchy
References
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