Unctae of Ilbarych

The term unctæ, uncta (for women), and unctus (for men) all mean the same thing: "anointed." According to the old Imperial traditions, the unctæ were anointed in death by the old emperor for their contributions to Imperium. These sainted individuals are all renowned for the ways in which they have contributed to the concept of Imperium, which is a "civilizing" force, one which remakes the chaos of the natural world into a thing of order and beauty.

• Unctus Ilpharo of the Broken Chain taught that civilized people do not engage in slavery, and led the overthrow of Imperial slavery. In the Crowndom, the devoted of the Broken Chain are empowered by the Crown to wander the lands, tending to the Bounded and ensuring that their lot in life does not verge into slavery. If they find mistreated Bounded, they may report such to the Crown and their order.
• Uncta Imira of the Red Flower is an uncta of childbirth and the healing of women, and her devoted are renowned midwives and doulas.
• Unctus Rigantus of the Crook is a herder’s saint, and his devoted record livestock breeding lines and arrange interbreeding to produce superior stock.
• Uncta Kalepsa of the Hill is the saint of vineyards and grape agriculture. Her devoted are among the best at recognizing the best soils for grape growing, and know many secrets for preventing molding and root-rot.
• Unctus Atrolix of the Chalice is the saint of wine-making and the vintner's art, and his devoted are some of the finest sommeliers.
• Uncta Zaleria of the Fountain is attributed with Imperial water engineering, particularly that of Imperial aqueducts, roof-cisterns, and public waterworks such as fountains and well-pumps.
• Unctus Nyventis of the Quill is the saint of writing, scholarship, archivism, and libraries, and his devoted build and maintain libraries and scriptorums, as well as teach literacy. His following is one of the largest in the Crowndom, just as it was in the Old Empire.
• Uncta Vænda of the Hearth is the saint of domestic architecture, credited with the Imperial standards for building in dwelling-places. She is one of the Three Ladies of the Walls.
• Uncta Chomenda of the Gate is the saint of fortifications and defensive architecture, credited with the Imperial standards for building defensive structures. She is one of the Three Ladies of the Walls.
• Uncta Iomera of the Vault is the saint of mercantile and crafting architecture, credited with the Imperial standards for building places of work and labor. She is one of the Three Ladies of the Walls.

Crown-Anointed, or "Folk" Unctæ

Ninty years after the founding of the Crowndom of Ilbarych, the Crown Vinusynt Ceolfrey revealed at the height of Summer Court the anointing of one Eleah of the Arch. If the Emperor of old could anoint those who fostered Imperium, then so too must the Crown be able to do so, he argued, naming Eleah as an uncta who embodied the aesthetic ideals of the Crowndom's burgeoning culture.

This proved to be dramatically scandalous – indeed, some of the nobility used the term for blasphemous, having to adopt it from the Folkish language because the Imperial tongue had no concept of it. The outrage divided the Crowndom between those who supported the Crown's anointing and those who found it grasping and disingenuous, a clear attempt to exert temporal power through the peoples' spiritual lives. Indeed, within eight years, Crown Vinusynt was dead, and the Ceolfreys only still on the throne because Vinusynt's sister Manea refuted his anointing.

However, the spark was already lit, and there were already shrines to Eleah. Ultimately, the Ceolfreys embraced the Crown-anointed unctæ, particularly Uncta Eleah, whose veneration led to the creation of arcadae in Crown culture. The warlike Arret Crowns were vehemently opposed to the practice, even officially coining the term "folk unctæ" as dismissive and insulting. They did not dare to outlaw the practice, which was widely spread by then, however, though they did show marked favor to those whose veneration of Imperium was "pure." Many rivalries between the Houses today can be traced back to the conflicts spawned during the Ceolfrey and Arret dynasties.

Today, the Crown has no official stance on the subject – the Ylrath Crowns are careful to indicate in all private and public discourse that spiritual matters are up to the individual, and that it is not given to the temporal authority to comment on such things so long as those practices continue to uphold Imperium.

• Uncta Eleah of the Arch is an uncta of beauty, especially civic beauty. Their symbol is a stone arch, symbolizing Imperium, covered with wisteria, symbolizing Beauty. Eleah was the Sworn Companion of Crown Vinusynt Ceolfrey. They were born male, but were non-gender conforming, and because this was accepted by the Crown, gender roles are more forgiving in the Crowndom, especially amongst the nobility. You are still expected to produce an heir though. Followers of Eleah were favored by the Ceolfrey dynasty, and "traditional" houses often still favor them. The Ceolfreys expected each Noble House to create Arcadae to show the beauty of their region, and this tradition has persisted. The Ceolfreys also expected Nobles to properly conduct the Flowering Festival and support the follower's works. Followers are expected to create civic beauty in their region. Examples might be planting ornamental trees to line streets, asking people to put up flower-boxes in their windows, painting the local castle walls or aquaducts, and helping design homes and buildings that are not only functional, but beautiful. Many of the devout followers have attended university to learn architecture and civil engineering.