In a short phrase, the chief belief of the Believers is that they believe.

They believe that there is a God, or Gods, or some Divine spark of being. They believe that Paradise lies beyond the Barrier, and their Divinties await them there. And they believe in seeking Transcendence, so they might leave this world and travel to Paradise, where they belong.

Unfortunately, the way between lies beyond the Barrier, which is anathema to any Wraith. The Adversary and Its agents lurk just behind it, waiting to tempt the faithful astray and destroy their souls. And any who enter the Barrier before they are fully prepared, by Resolving all their remaining Anchors, will be instantly destroyed by the sight of the Divine.

The answer, then, is to prepare both mind and soul for the journey, so that they may truly Transcend. The details of the best way to accomplish this differ from Group to Group, depending on the finer points of their doctrine, or lack thereof. But it's generally understood that Resolving one's Anchors is a major part of the process.

Tenets and Truth

The Concord has two tiers of belief: what an individual Group of believers holds to be theologically true, and what the core tenets the Concord preaches, and practices, as a whole.

When dealing with Group beliefs, there are about as many different sorts of beliefs as there are Groups of Believers out there. Their theological codes largely depend on what a Group sees as truth, or lies, and what they consider their moral directives to be. Sometimes these ideals are in conflict with the core tenets of the Concord, and sometimes they work either hand-in-hand, or at least side-by-side.

A common theme throughout Group doctrines is that being stuck in the Deadlands, rather than being allowed to go on to Paradise, is intentional on the part of the Divine. There's always a question as to whether this state of affairs is a punishment for sins, a refinement of the soul, or some, final test to prove a Wraith's worthiness to pass on. But everything that is here, in the Deadlands, is here for a reason - including the dead.

As for the Concord, they have four core tenets. These may vary slightly from city to city, mostly depending on their relationship with The Order, but there's usually not that much variance.

* Seek Paradise

This is the highest charge and first priority of any Believer. The act of dying - or being killed - has taken from life, and the Deadlands are a sad mockery of what they left behind. Their true place is beyond all this, where Paradise awaits, and where the others have gone. They should be there, and with help of the Divine, they will get there - one footstep at a time until the giant leap of faith that is Transcendence.

* Heed the Ferrymen

The Ferrymen come from beyond the Barrier, as messengers of the Divine. They cannot speak of all they know, for they have been silenced by their master {lest His words, spoken through them, shatter those poor souls who hear it}. But they may advise those who seek their master, and will always be there for those who believe - especially when it comes time to try for Paradise.

* Resolve Your Anchors

Anchors are not tools - they are traps. They exist only to hold the dead back from what lies beyond, denying Paradise to those who desperately need to be there. But ripping them from those who are spiritually unprepared to face the Divine only strengthens the Adversary, who devours these souls' fragments whole. One must mentally and spiritually remove these chains one link at a time, so as to achieve a moral and loving divorce from the lost life.

* Uphold the Injunction

This commandment always winds up at the bottom, and sometimes is not there at all, depending on whether the local Order is treating the Believers with respect and friendship, or anger and rivalry. While many Believers see the wisdom in the Order's dictates, even if - as that Concord claims - they came from an ancient, pagan God, they also see them as possible distractions. The goal is not to destroy the agents of the Adversary, but to avoid even meeting them, so as to not be tempted by what they have to say. {And as for awaiting the Day of Dominion, no one ever got anywhere by lying around and waiting for God to find them.}