Chantry

The Chantry is the dominant religious organization in Thedas. It is based on the Chant of Light, a series of teachings written by Andraste, the prophet of the Maker, and was founded by Kordillus Drakon, the first emperor of Orlais. The Chantry's followers are known as Andrastians. "Chantric" is also an acceptable adjective to refer to something or someone that is of the Chantry religion.

The Chantry's goal is to spread the Chant of Light to all four corners of the world and to all races. The view of the Chantry on non-humans is that they need saving—they have turned even further from the Maker's grace than humanity has—a view that has lead to much of humanity to look down on them. There are no known Andrastian Qunari. The elves worshipped, and in some cases still worship, the Elven pantheon, and dwarves venerate the Stone. Once all peoples have accepted the Chant and practice its teachings, the Maker will return and restore the world to its former glory. As such, Andrastian religion in Thedas can be described as deistic in that the Maker abandoned the world, and he will not heed prayer or perform any other function until his favor is regained.

The Chantry calendar is used everywhere in Thedas, save for the Imperium, and is the source of the names of the Ages.

Early Founding and Roots
The Chantry originated as one of the many cults emerging upon the legend of Andraste’s martyrdom. Known as the Cult of the Maker, it was without central leadership and its followers were oppressed. The clerics had to hide their lore from Tevinter magisters by way of ciphers and encoded scrolls. In -130 Ancient, cult practitioners organized Andraste's teachings into hymns, creating the Chant of Light and the cult popularity spread.

The cult remained fragmented until it was formalized into the Chantry by Kordillus Drakon, the first Emperor of the newly formed Orlesian Empire, in -3 Ancient. Drakon established Andrastianism as the national religion and was himself a fervent believer in the Maker. Three years later the first Divine, Justinia I, was declared. Drakon's military successes during the Second Blight significantly expanded the borders of Orlais, and soon after, the conquered lands converted to the faith. While these lands would later liberate themselves from Orlesian rule following Drakon's death, the Chantry's practice remained.

The Nevarran Accord signed in 1:20 Divine brought the Inquisition and the newly created Circles of Magi under the Chantry's authority. The Inquisition divided into two new orders: the Templar Order, charged with looking over the Circle and hunting apostates and maleficars, and the Seekers of Truth, overseers of the templars and special agents of the Divine.

The Antivan Crows started as an arm of the Chantry. In the hills north of Treviso, an order of monks used the herbs grown in the gardens of their abbey to oppose the rule of a despotic duke in the only manner the monks could.

During the Towers Age there was debate in the Chantry over whether Andraste was truly divine. It was largely the Imperial Chantry's belief that she was not divine that led to the schism in the Chantry and the eventual founding of the Imperial Chantry as a separate religion in 3:87 Towers.

With the start of Mage-Templar War in 9:40 Dragon, the Chantry lost control over the Circles of Magi, Templar Order and the Seekers of Truth due to Lord Seeker Lambert declaring the Nevarran Accord null and void for the Divine Justinia V's interference with the mage revolt at the White Spire.

At a later stage of the Mage-Templar War, Divine Justinia V managed to organize peace talks between representatives of both mages and templars at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. However, Corypheus infiltrated the conclave to use Justinia as a ritualistic sacrifice. The ritual was interrupted and the following massive explosion killed the Divine and most of the Grand Clerics worthy to succeed her, creating the Breach in the sky and ushering in a rash of Veil Tearsthroughout the area. The Chantry was, until the Breach, "the thing keeping the lid on the pot of Thedas." After the Breach and with no Divine to guide them, Chantry leadership succumbed to chaos with no clear successor for the Divine. What's more, Chancellor Roderick used his influence to convince the remaining clerics to publicly denounce the reformed Inquisition, calling them heretics for harbouring the sole survivor of the conclave attack, the Inquisitor, who had been labeled the Herald of Andraste.

The Inquisitor and his Hands traveled to Val Royeaux on the advice of Mother Giselle to address the clerics and give them reason to doubt their denouncement, as the opposition's strength was in their unity. The Chantry was further humiliated when Lord Seeker Lucius Corin refused to bring the templars back into their fold.

As the Inquisition gained great renown, the Chantry started reaching out to the Inquisition for the Hands of the late Divine, Cassandra Pentaghast and Leliana, to stand as potential candidates for the title of Divine. In 9:42 Dragon, Leliana took the Name Divine Victoria and was elected to lead the Chantry and instituted controversial reforms.

Teachings
The Chantry's faith is rooted in four core principles: Until the Maker's return, the faithful believe that the Maker watches, a patient observer rather than an absent god. They do not believe the Maker will perform miracles on their behalf, but he will shed a tear for the suffering of those who do not deserve it. The Chantry's interpretation of Andraste's teachings emphasizes death, guilt, and the difference among races and genders.
 * Magic is a corrupting influence in the world.
 * Humankind's sin of pride destroyed the Golden City and created the darkspawn, terrible embodiment of that sin.
 * Andraste was the bride of the Maker, a prophet and martyr whose ultimate sacrifice must be remembered and honored.
 * Humankind has sinned and must seek penance to earn the Maker's forgiveness. When all people unite to praise the Maker, he will return to the world and make it a paradise.

Symbols
The sun represents the fundamental goal of the Chantry: if all lands under the sun raise their voices in the Chant, then the Maker's eye will turn back to his Children.

Fire is a symbol of purity in the Chantry, following the example of Andraste, who was cleansed of her sins as she burned at the stake. Each temple maintains a brazier lit with eternal flame in her memory; the most famous of these is the Holy Brazier at the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux. Chantry members may also ritually burn themselves, passing their hand over flame or burning a paper upon which their sins are written. In extreme cases, the faithful may undergo branding or self-immolation.

Chantry Hierarchy
The actual priesthood of the Chantry is made up entirely of human women, as official Chantry doctrine stating that elves and dwarves are further from the Maker than humanity, and the Chant holding that men are more vulnerable to anger or passion. At the head of the Chantry is the Divine, who leads from her seat in the Grand Cathedral of Val Royeaux. Below her are the left and right hands of the divine. These are her personal agents and act as her voice if she is not otherwise present. Below them are the Grand Clerics who are the Chantry's highest authority in a country or a region. After a Divine dies, Grand Clerics are required to travel to Val Royeaux for the Grand Consensus, a meeting where Chantry leadership unanimously elect the new leader of the Chantry. Beneath the Grand Clerics are the mothers, who are responsible for administering to the spiritual well-being of their flock. If a mother is in charge of a local Chantry, she is called a Revered Mother. Beneath mothers are the brothers and sisters, consisting of three main groups: affirmed, initiates, and clerics. Brother is the only rank that men are allowed to have. The initiates take vows and receive an academic education. Those who seek to become templars receive a martial education in addition. Clerics are the scholars of the Chantry and the most senior of them receive the title of "elder," which is, however, beneath that of mother.