The Genesis Theocracy

Genesis is a small continent on the southwestern hemisphere of Lamaziel, ruled by the Church of Genesis. The Church's primary cathedral is located in its capital, Origin City. Doctrine states that all heroes of the eras, sometimes referred to as Children of the Primis, appear within their borders.

The Church hierarchy is divided into four simple denominations: the Divine Cardinal, the Lord Bishop, the Exarch and the High Priest.

Divine Cardinal
The Divine Cardinal is the spiritual leader of the entire Church of Genesis, devoting the majority of his or her time to studying the scriptures and speaking around the world at key events. The Cardinal also acts as the sole ambassador for Genesis, convening with leaders of the world and offering guidance and minor miracles on behalf of the Church for the people.

The process in which a Divine Cardinal is selected is a well-guarded secret, even among the clergy. Some speculate that the Primis themselves deign to mark a future Cardinal at birth with some sort of mark, be it visible or not; this mark is said to resonate with the marked whenever they are near a Genesis Church. Those marked are said to work their way up through the clergy from cleric to High Preist to Exarch, Lord Bishop and finally Divine Cardinal.

Lord Bishop
The four Lord Bishops of the Church of Genesis serve as regional governors of the country, acting as a sort of council to lead in the absence of the Divine Cardinal as he or she travels Lamaziel. Aside from their collaborative duties, the Lord Bishops assist their individual Exarchs in governing their cities by providing necessary resource allotments in addition to tariff collections, about 20% of which go to road maintenance.

Exarch
Exarchs act as town mayors or leaders, handling the day-to-day governing of their respective cities. In addition to their governing duties, the Exarchs serve as their city's spiritual chief. They accomplish this by writing sermons, speaking publicly for their constituents and helping pay bounties for quests taken by adventurers.

High Priest
High Priests are the leaders of Church branches outside of Genesis. These men and women are typically clerics that have distinguished themselves in some fashion in their city or region either through great deeds or successful proselytizing.