A high priest (fem. high priestess) is the generic title given to the ultimate ecclesiastical leader of certain religious cults of the Old World. Some cults have a figurehead who is the ultimate authority, and essentially represents that god's presence in the mortal world. Their specific title depends on their cult of origin but they are generally referred to as "high priests." In the Cult of Sigmar the senior most high priest is the "Grand Theogonist"; while the Cult of Ulric's senior high priest is called the Ar-Ulric; in the Cult of Shallya, the chief high priestess is known as the "Matriarch."[2a]
In certain cults with highly centralised organisations, the term "high priest" is also used generically for senior priests in the cult's hierarchy who rank above their fellows but are not the overall leader of the cult, who usually bears a more cult-specific title. In others, the cult may have several senior priests with the title who each lead different sects of the cult, represent rival sects of the cult, or simply serve a god whose cult is decentralised, allowing multiple senior priests of the highest rank to exist simultaneously. In each case, the priest bears the title of "high priest."[2a]
Every cult has a different way of appointing its high priest. They might be elected by Lectors and Arch Lectors, elevated according to signs and portents, or bequeathed the position by the previous high priest.[2a]
For instance, in the Cult of Myrmidia a council of high priests of the goddess governs and administers the cult, seeing its tenets are upheld from the high temple of Magritta.[6] The high priests devoted to Myrmidia are determined by a ritual duel.[2a]
Of course, as most of the cults are spread throughout the Empire and even beyond, the high priest is not necessarily going to be from the Empire itself. For example, again in the Cult of Myrmidia, which was founded in Tilea, the most devoted followers could not countenance the esteemed office going to an Imperial.[2a]
A high priest is the living embodiment of their god's will in the Old World. They are fairly rare, as few individuals have both the strength of character and the boundless faith in their deity it takes to reach such a lofty post.[1a]
High priests, with very few exceptions, will operate out of one of the primary centres of their faith. Pilgrims will travel the breadth of the Empire just to speak for a few moments with such a being. High priests tend to either reject the physical world, retiring to a monastery, or embrace the temporal, becoming powerful secular leaders.[1a]
Notable High Priest Titles[]
- Ar-Ulric - The high priest of the Cult of Ulric.[2a]
- Custode del Portale - The high priest of the Cult of Morr.[8b]
- Dominus Ultor - The high priest of the Cult of Solkan.[8a]
- Grand Theogonist - The high priest of the Cult of Sigmar.[2a]
- Fay Enchantress - The high priest of the Cult of the Lady.
- Hierarch - The high priest of the Cult of Taal.
- Occhio dei Cacciatori - The high priest of the Cult of Stromfels.[5a]
- Patriarch of the Sea or Matriarch of the Sea - The high priest or high priestess of the Cult of Manann.[4a]
- Supreme Patriarch - The Supreme Patriarch is the high priest of one of the traditional Kislevite cults who also serves as the de facto high priest of the newly-formed Great Orthodoxy, a faith which is a combined organisation uniting the hierarchies of the Cult of Ursun, the Cult of Tor, the Cult of Dazh and the Cult of Salyak.[3a]
- Ultima Aquila - The high priest of the Cult of Myrmidia. Usually there are two high priests of the cult, one sponsored by the High Temple of Remas, and one by the Archecclesiatium of Myrmidia in Magritta due to the rivalry between the two centres of the Myrmidian faith in Tilea and Estalia.[4b]
Notable High Priests[]
- Ar-Ulric Emil Valgeir - The current high priest of the Cult of Ulric.
- Fay Enchantress Morgiana le Fay - The current representative of the Lady of the Lake in the mortal world and the high priestess of the Bretonnian Cult of the Lady.
- Grand Theogonist Volkmar the Grim - The current high priest of the Cult of Sigmar.
- Supreme Patriarch Kostaltyn - The current Supreme Patriarch of the Cult of Ursun and the de facto leader of the relatively new Kislevite faith of the Great Orthodoxy as a whole.[3a]
- Tzar Boris Bokha - The former high priest of the Cult of Ursun and former Tzar of Kislev.
- Ultima Aquila ("High Eagle") Isabella Giovanna Luccelli - The current Tilean high priestess of the Cult of Myrmidia sponsored by the High Temple of Remas. She also serves as the ultimate authority of the Myrmidian templars who comprise the Order of the Eagle. Despite being Tilean, she has sworn faith to the temple in Estalia, causing no small amount of controversy. She is currently seeking to calm the constant rivalry between the Myrmidian faithful of Tilea and Estalia over the birthplace of Myrmidia.[4b]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 72
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Signs of Faith - Advanced Religion and Blessings (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 21
- 3: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
- 5a: pg. 88
- 6: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Rough Nights and Hard Days (RPG)
- 7a: pg. 84
- 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of The Empire III (RPG)