Inside the Order

I cannot stress the importance of the Order in T: FotO enough. They are both the source of Tyrus' salvation... and its damnation. Because of this, we must come to understand what exactly they represent and what exactly they hope to achieve in the world of men. It offers insight into why such a noble society can bring such ruin to an entire world.

It is with great pleasure that we present you with a detailed breakdown of the Order. Read over it carefully, and give some thought into how the Order will influence your character. Is she an avid Order supporter? Is she a proponent of the Movement of Reason? Does she suspect the Order's potential for disaster, or is she blinded by all the good work they've done. I can only hope that this thread, as well as the others before it, help in creating an immersive atmosphere for you and everyone in our community as we launch modules.

Keep an eye out for further information as we refine and define this illustrious society. As events unfold, your opinion of the Order may change one way or another.

The Order

The Order has been a prominent force in Tyrus for more than a thousand years, serving the dukedoms as messengers of the Light and acting as a symbol of peace and prosperity. Though their influence has waned since the appearance of the Movement of Reason, they still maintain a foothold in most of the dukedoms.

Origins

The Order began with the appearance of the High Guardian, a Half-Celestial servant of Kian conceived in the Time of Division. The Tribunal of Light saw the wars that threatened the shard and created the High Guardian to serve as their prophet in an effort to end the violence. The High Guardian's message of faith and peace ended the Tribal Wars in short order, though there were still many tribes embittered by the violence and racism that spawned from the conflict.

The Tribunal of Light quickly realized that one man would be hard-pressed to leave a lasting impact on the state of an entire shard, and sent the High Guardian east. His mission in the savage and untamed lands was a simple one: create a beacon of hope and light that would set an example for the rest of Tyrus; a center for the Pantheon's message of life and prosperity. Shortly after the end of the Tribal Wars, the first High Guardian disappeared into the Whispering Mountains along with a several smaller tribes who had pledged themselves to his cause. Travellers who followed them into the mountains discovered a mysterious wall of light barricading the mountain passage; Kian had cut off all outside interference.

The First High Guardian and his followers were isolated in the mountains for more than fifty years as Kian, As'tasia, and Emera guided them in what was to be their Divine Mission. A great city was erected as the savage beasts that dwelled along the eastern shore were quelled and the first High Guardian instructed the tribes in the teachings of Light.

It wasn't until the razing of Tith at the hands of Memnok that the Pantheon of Light returned to send the newly formed Order off on their mission. Such details of Kian's decree can be found in Kian's Will, Book of Okeli Chapter 5:13-17

And the Hand of Justice came unto us, in our peaceful Valhaeda, as a shining beaon of Light.(13)
His voice was as booming thunder as he spoke unto us, "The Soul Devourer rapes the land of
Nerevard.(14) The time has come to drive this evil from my kingdom, lest all fall into Darkness.(15)
Go then, my faithful. Let this defense of this foul city be the first step towards bringing peace to
my lands forever.(16) And so the High Guardian led us into the land of sin and sacrilige, and the world
shook as the False King was driven from the city of Tith for all time.(17)

Since the defeat of Memnok in the city of Tith, the Order has dispatched themselves across all of Tyrus, keeping the peace and acting as diplomats in time of conflict. The Order serves Tyrus in a myriad of ways, from bringing aid to a village incapable of defending itself to offering insight to Dukes as they govern their territories.

Beliefs
The Order has a code of conduct mandated by the gods that differs somewhat from the oaths in place for non-Order Clerics. The Will of the Light is a ten-point set of guidelines that all Order members must follow to the letter if they wish to maintain the Pantheon's favor. Those who abuse or neglect the code are often sent away from Valhaeda in disgrace.

1. Selflessness: We must always put others before ourselves. We live to serve both the innocent and the Light. To lose focus of others for the sake of ourselves is the greatest crime we can commit.

2. Peace: We must seek to find peace in all things. Though violence may sometimes be necessary to ensure peace, it must also be a last resort. If violence is the only option left, it must be swift; show mercy even when dealing death to the wicked.

3. Defense: We must defend the innocent and the fair against wickedness and corruption. Those who are unable to defend themselves are the those most in need of our aid

4. Life: We must act to preserve life at all costs. Even the life of our enemy must be spared, if possible. No life is less precious than another.

5. Courage: We must act with the utmost bravery in our services to those in need. Fear is permissible; abandoning our duty out of fear is not. We must not allow fear to dictate our course of action. Only the Light can dictate such things.

6. Honor: We must act with truth, integrity, respect, and fairness in all things. Even our enemy is deserving of honor; we never strike an unarmed foe, nor do we strike them from behind. When we succumb to defeat, we will do so with integrity and modesty.

7. Humility: We are not above the people, nor are they unworthy of our aid. We are their servants, and we must never forget that. We will not indulge in petty acts of self-gratification or self-worship. We will not flaunt our power with jewels and silk. Our power is for the service of others.

8. Enlightenment: We will seek to learn, spread, and teach those of our faith. Those who do not know of our way are not fools, they simply do not know. To teach is to save. To instruct is to promote peace. Spreading the faith is our solemn duty.

9. Justice: Discovering the truth and dispensing justice is our solemn duty, as mandated by the Hand of Justice himself. We must dispense justice against wickedness and in favor of fairness at every turn, and serve the people in matters of right and wrong.

10. Righteousness: We must always act in accordance with what we know to be right. If sacrifices must be made to serve the greater good, then so be it. But we must never forsake righteousness in favor of selfishness or difficulty


Organization
The Order has a chain of command, much like any other organization. The heirarchy of the Order is listed top-to-bottom:

High Guardian
The High Guardian is the ultimate authority in the Order, frequently communing directly with the Pantheon of Light as he guides and directs the society. The High Guardian is hand-selected by Kian himself, and often serves as an avatar for the gods when such need is required. Since the death of the first High Guardian, they rarely leave the safety of Valhaeda, choosing instead to rule over the Order from within the confines of their temple.

The Trinity Council
The Trinity Council is the central command of the Order, second to only the High Guardian himself. Each member on the Council serves as a High Priest to a respective God of Light(As'tasia, Emera, or Kian) and convenes in times of crisis.

Emissaries
Emissaries are Aasimar representatives of the Order that are dispatched to the dukedoms to serve in a consultation capacity to the respective Duke. Emissaries have been ordered to entrench themselves as deeply into the ruling process as possible, and report back to the Trinity Council concerning any issues that may be of concern to the Order. Emissaries also serve as commanders of the Guardians assigned to the dukedom in which they serve.

Guardians
Guardians are the backbone of the Order. They're the knight errants, peacekeepers, and diplomats. When there is an impending conflict or cry for aid, a Guardian is usually dispatched to resolve the issue. Most Guardians are Aasimar, but there has been the occasional non-Celestial serving in this capacity.

Apprentice Guardians
Apprentice Guardians are recently discovered Aasimar who have potential to serve the Order as full-fledged Guardians. The apprenticeship usually lasts ten years(with the exception of stellar pupils,) and are paired with a veteran Guardian for the duration of their training. At the end of the apprenticeship, the potential is judged by Kian, As'tasia, and Emera. If the apprentice has proven themselves worthy, they leave the Divine Judgement bearing a divine gift and the mark of the Guardian: Beacons forged by the gods and eyes of the purest light. If they are proven unworthy, the Order sends them away from Valhaeda in disgrace, never to return. Many failed Guardians wander Tyrus as mercenaries or hired swords. Rumors circulate that a few failed apprentices have even been approached by the Lords of the Pitch with an offer to serve them in a twisted society of their own; such rumors are presently unsubstantiated.


Clerics
The bulk of the Order can be found in its clerics, priests who revere and worship the Pantheon as well as promote its teachings. Much like any other cleric found on Tyrus, the gods grant clerics spells to better serve their cause. Order clerics are among the most devout, loyal, and faithful priests to be found on the shard. Clerics can be found all over Tyrus, from travelling monks to established priesthoods governing Sanctuaries; massive Order temples which serve as centers of teaching and enlightment.

Abilities
First and foremost among the abilities granted to the Order is its ability to cure affliction. Guardians are granted astounding healing powers through artifacts which they call Beacons, a gift granted to them by the Pantheon upon righteous Judgement. With the Beacons, Guardians are capable of healing virtually any wound, disease, or other ailment that plagues the mind, spirit, or body. Guardians are also blessed with the gift of extreme long age, some living for hundreds of years. Another chief ability among the Guardians is the affinity for sensing the heart of a person and determining their "fairness" or "wickedness" (detect alignment.) Apprentice Guardians have powers as well, though they are often limited to basic healing abilities. Rumors abound of Guardians possessing psionic abilities, but this unfounded and has yet to be proven.

Many members of the Order have spells granted to them by their respective deity in reward for their devotion and faith. These spells are primarily healing or defensive, but some clerics have devastating offensive spells as well.



Gameplay
Though the Order is a PC-playable religious sect, the Aasimar is not a playable race, and Guardians are not a playable character class. PCs may freely play clerics of any Order deity, though they should probably be warned that they won't exactly be greeted with open arms and welcoming smiles in some dukedoms.