Emissary (Tangoran Cleric)
by Marc SaindonTaking inspiration from sources like the mythic Prester John (who in medieval tales was both a priest and a king), the prosperous muslim ruler Mansa Musa (who went on a famous pilgrimage to Mecca) and the odd Christian enclave in Ethiopia (with rulers who claim lineage with the ancient Hebrew Kings), it's easy to make the Tangor Empire proper a very religious and Cleric-centric realm. Within the imperial territories proper, the Tangor Cleric (called Emissaries) wield a lot of influence, have a complex hierarchy, and build impressive temples (on par with famous cathedrals of our world), but as one moves away from the core prefectures into the border provinces and distant colonies, the more local cultures hold sway (Druids become influential than Clerics). While the Tangoran Church is the official religion of the entire extended Tangoran Empire, the reality of its power is only in the central prefectures, and it dwindles to the role of a privilege minority outside of it.
Emissaries practice a complex system of theology allowing the worship of an entire Tangoran Pantheon (to be determined) or just a single deity as a "patron saint", as well syncretic practices that incorporate local gods. The Church is also a very political machine, intimately tied to the Imperial Throne (Clerics serving as bureaucrats, judges, magistrates, governors), and the Emperor's extended family -- which forms a sort of conclave that selects the wisest among them (usually the highest Character level) rather than the inheritance of kingship by birth of distant provinces.
In recent years, with the rise of necromantic cults in Tangor Gulf region (which I call "Ahomey"), Emissaries have been moving in to help repel the undead threat, although tensions rise between them and local religions as the Emissaries newfound popularity among the lower castes is seen as a challenge to Ahomean authorities, both religious and secular.
Notes:
Prester John
Mansa Musa
Christianity in Ethiopia
(Image from: https://www.deviantart.com/porfyrios-finix/art/blue-ice-African-mage-Christian-orthodox-church-1018530468)