Dragon Age's Chantry Hierarchy Explained

gamerant.com:

The Chantry is the dominant religion of Thedas in Dragon Age. Its teachings are based on the Chant of Light, which was written by the religion's prophet, Andraste. Those within the Chantry believe in the Maker, a single god who created spirits, mortals, the Fade, and the physical world. The Dragon Age religion was founded by the first emperor of Orlais, Kordillus Drakon. All who follow the Chantry are known as Andrastians.

Within the Orlesian Chantry is a hierarchy starting from the Lay Sisters and Brothers and works up to the Divine. There are many ranks within the hierarchy, and most are made up of human women, as the Chantry believes that men are more vulnerable to passion and anger and that races other than humans are further from the Maker.

Dragon Age: The History Of Orlais

At the bottom of the Chantry hierarchy are the Lay Brothers and Sisters. They are not an initiate or in the priesthood, but live and work in the Chantry all the same. They do not have to take vows, but just affirm that they believe in the Maker, the Chant of Light, and Andraste. A lot of those in this group were taken in by the Chantry due to being orphans or having difficult lives that made them have to go into seclusion.

Just above Lay Brothers and Sisters and the Brothers and Sisters, whose duties include a wide range of tasks from making sure meals get delivered to managing lyrium storehouses. They take care of the faithful and are split between three groups: clerics, affirmed, and initiates. Initiates can train to become templars or delve into more academic ventures, while the clerics are known as the scholars of the Chantry and oversee Chantry archives. They preserve knowledge and can be found often in libraries. At a certain age, clerics can