Celestine of the Steel Realms

Posted on September 18, 2015 in Steel-Realms

Celestine of the Steel Realms the Uplifted, those given divine insight; The demi-divine principals of inspiration, knowledge, blood and power that emphasize a Gestalt approach. Their many Celestials children are much more human like.

The modern age is heavily defined by the clash of faiths in the “Affray of Darkness and Light” in which the entities play a variable role.

Role: The Uplifting Beyond Light and Darkness; Primary foe of the Unholy Trio and opponent to the Lightbringers who would rule over humanity, Ally to the wyld

Motto: “The Striving for Knowledge is Divine”

Known as ‘The Celestine’ these entities are sometimes referred to as demigods or godlings. Also referred to as ‘Dark Angels’ (a reference to the black wings many can manifest – though this causes an association of them with the Dark Church so such references are not encouraged), they are from a time before The Blood of Saemon and have persisted since then. Little is truly understood about these older powers – even though the earliest record legends of any veracity mention them and others by name or name variants repeatedly. It is unknown exactly what powers they do possess, and gods themselves or not. The gods of light and darkness have long since usurped any preeminent status they may have had and proven that their power seems stronger (although not enough to rid themselves of them). These entities have never truly had an extensive formal Institution of Faith, except in regional areas related to the tribes they once led. The High Celestials/Ascended Celestials came in the before-time. There are only about 20 now, but once there were hundreds. Over time, their ranks dwindled as they clashed with each other, and heroes among the Nakrian tribes rose up to throw off their rule. Then came the Blood of Saemon, in a great exodus from their dying world. Far to the north, they brought with them some of their enemies; monsters of which most are now dead. From their place, the three gods of darkness came (Everdark, Sun Stealer, and their sister Gloombringer), pursuing the people of Saemon and appearing to ascend to a new moon in the sky, now named “The Interloper”. Massive was the war raged between the Blood of Saemon and Unholy Trio and their Orrish minions. Hundreds of thousands died, perhaps millions in the battle of the Valley of Sighs. The Celestials fought against the bringers of darkness, though not for the Blood of Saemon. Seeing the devastation, unable to reach the gods of their world, the great mystics of the Blood of Saemon summoned the Grey Host and Lightbringers. Aerna (mother and hearth maiden), Ikribu (the maker, the patriarch), and Balthazaar (law-giver). Three of light to match the three of darkness. By now, the reek and aura of death was stealing over the world. The Celestine entities on Helca never agreed to The Godspeak Accord. Nominally, the Tenets of the General Liturgy are followed by the Laity of Congregations and those of higher Grace and the few Institutional Ranks alike.

Celestine Manifestation

Duality: Within their own culture in their place of origin, once it was taboo to directly manifest, to step back from the immortal world of the divine back into the physical world where the ravages of time are felt acutely. Their adoption of a bestial duality kept their perspective anchored in the iVerse, but their presence free to roam as the divine essence it had become. All possess a deep seated belief in the fundamentals of the great primeval duality expressed by many esoteric traditions of Helca. Although few worship them openly, their ancient shrines and holy places remain active – for nearly all know of them and venerate to some extent out of tradition, this is even encouraged by the Green Church.

Schism: There are several “demons” among the celestine outlook. Unlike others, those considered demonic are considered lacking; they are bereft of some quality and are said to be possessed by ‘baa’ which seeks the life force of others in some way (usually in the drinking blood or consumption of flesh) – they seek not those to venerate them, but to consume and feed their own power at any cost. They have no formal clergy but are strong enough to reward those who sacrifice in their name individually. Among these are Shezmu (of the Outer Dark).

Sphinx Blood: Assume all full blooded first generation Celestine of Helca have shared in the Blood of the Dream-Sphinx and have associated powers.

Celestine Doctrines

Ascendant Doctrine: The Celestials all believe that all life is a passage from one from of existence to another. Their promise is that in following them, they will guide the way to the next ‘house’. Each stop on the passage to god-hood is seen through the metaphor of dwelling in a house – and that they themselves are living proof of the ascendancy of the soul.

Promise of the Afterlife

Pools of emerald green mark the way through the Amenti/underworld (duat). It conforms to the standard Afterlife processes and manifestation.

Testament to Faith

Core Principles and Goals:

Common Covenant/Tenets: What values, observances, vows and activities will all those of the faith have? An oath of loyalty and service to the community is usually exacted. All celestials stress individualism, self-reliance, discipline, the search for knowledge and experience, testing the limits and proving oneself, cleanliness, and pride.

Finding Faith – Discovering and cementing the faith/follower relationship:
> [Initiate] Trials: These are trials that a character may be part of in order to prove their bond to their faith.

1. Affirmation of Authority
2. Affirmation of a Vow

Common Practices and Customs

Accouterments and Equipment of the Celestial Pantheon

Celestine Allies

The Green Church, Animal Archetypes, and Darupet.
Ezrilus
Delleth

Wyld Faith and Green Church of the Steel Realms

Posted on September 18, 2015 in Steel-Realms

>Motto: “Within nature is found all opportunity, bounded by what it deems appropriate to each species – live naturally in all things.”

The Green Church believes that while there may be temporary balance and shifts in it, the natural state of the world is predator and prey for such species as humans and the role of the church is to advocate for the long term balance as part of a thriving ecosystem. Those subscribing to the Wyld Faith sees this relationship and themselves and nature as the predator and corrupt and unnatural civilization as the prey – looking to cull the weak and diseased.

The Druids of the Wyld Faith are guardians of the sacred spaces – Briarwoods and Beastwoods. These are also fortifications for them and the Wylde Horde.

Faith of Claw and Branch

The faith of claw and branch is the heart of naturalism in the Steel Realms. It consists of primary divine entities, animist spirits of all kinds, and local demi-gods of the natural elements. Duality is key to nearly all aspects of the naturalist faith. Aligned with this is the Faerie Faith in the Steel Realms.

The modern age is heavily defined by the clash of faiths in the “Affray of Darkness and Light” in which it plays a significant part.

Promise of the Afterlife

It conforms to the standard Afterlife processes and manifestation.

Green Church

The Green Church is the organized branch of a formal Institution of Faith (within civilized places – towns, cities, etc.). Green church interfaces with modern civilization directly. They advocate for a balance and safe access to with careful managed resources. The entities of the Green Church/Wyld Ways all agree to abide by the Godspeak Accord. Nominally, the Tenets of the General Liturgy are followed by the Laity of Congregations and those of higher Grace and Institutional Ranks alike.

Wyld Faith

Those who live in the wilds away from civilized places (rangers, druids, etc.). They advocate for nature and preservation of wild uncivilized spaces. It is civilized populations that need to be managed, not natural resources, in their view. There is the full pantheon of Wylding Entities, but there was also a time before Claw and Branch, the “Time of Above and Below”, of “Sun and The Dark” – when the Elemental Dualities were the primary Wyld Entities alone on Helca.

Testament to Faith

Core Principles and Goals:

Common Covenant/Tenets: What values, observances, vows and activities will all those of the faith have? An oath of loyalty and service is usually exacter.

Zero Tolerance for Undead

Loop of Life Ideal

The Life Loop (common the Wyld Faith) is a symbol that represents life is a cycle – birth, conflict, development, age, and death. All phases are natural and promote the greatest diversity and greatest opportunity to excel and express themselves.

Universal Pilgrimages and Sacred Places/Places:

Finding Faith – Discovering and cementing the faith/follower relationship:
> [Initiate] Trials: These are trials that a character may be part of in order to prove their bond to their faith.

1. Affirmation of Authority
2. Affirmation of a Vow

Common Practices and Customs

Sacred Spaces

Accouterments and Equipment of the Green Church

• Druids of the Wyld
• Entities of the Wyld Faith
• Powers of the Wyld Faith
• Briarwood of the Wyld Faith
• Beastwood of the Wyld Faith
• Records
• Reliquary of the Wyld Faith

Church of Darkness of the Steel Realms

Posted on September 18, 2015 in Steel-Realms

>Motto(s): “Darkness waits.“; “Darkness Embraces All“

The Church of Darkness is a formal Institution of Faith. The entities of the Church of Darkness all agree to abide by The Godspeak Accord (for now). They are known to entice seekers of occult knowledge into service as Sable Magi. Nominally, the Tenets of the General Liturgy are followed by the Laity of Congregations and those of higher Grace and Institutional Ranks alike. Their followers are almost all Orrish.

The modern age is heavily defined by the clash of faiths in the “Affray of Darkness and Light” in which it plays a significant part.

The Unholy Trio (often collectively called “The Gathering Darkness”) is led by Everdark, the Lord of Darkness. He is the undoer, the lord of conflict and victory. He exists to out-do all others, unravel the plots around him, and destroy his foes. His brother is the ravager Sun Stealer, the stealer of light and souls, lord of slaughter, plunder and fell deeds. Their sister is Gloom Bringer, the mistress of death from the shadows, stealth and secrecy, unfathomable mystery, and assassins. Not even her siblings know her motives, and betimes combats them openly.

The Black Sun/The Face of Darkness: His siblings let Sun Stealer (“The Black Son”) take front and center. He is like a hurricane in his efforts – wild, unpredictable, and pure chaos that often spends itself in its path of destruction. Often so violent and chaotic, he is often his own worst enemy, though the greatest overall vital force of the Unholy Trio. His great will and drive are the backbone of the armies of the Orrish in the employ of them. The bravado and aggression in the Orrish society is principally driven by this warrior-god. Strategy is nearly unknown to him and his followers. The followers of Everdark take this upon themselves and a subtle but strong hand guides the gods of darkness and their armies from the shadows, unleashing the fury of Sun Stealer’s forces.

• Destruction of the Sune-Bane; To this end, the gods of light must all die.
• The promotion of endless conflict and the glory in competition, peace only brings stagnation and death.
• The end of the cycles of Helca – the brood of darkness will ascend on the spine of the world into the infinite dark to the stars beyond.

Promise of the Afterlife: (Tri-Realm of the Litany according to Everdark) The souls of the fallen are given birth to in a place that has a cycle of eternal gloom, full night, and constant eclipses. It is comfortable and cool and with each eclipse, they may change their outward form, and are reborn each night if they died. The time is filled with slaves serving and dying, fighting, fun, and fornicating. It conforms to the standard Afterlife processes and manifestation.

Empowered Compact of Fiends

All Fiendish (demons, devils, etc.) minions and servitors summoned to the realms operate under a minimum of the Simple Compact of Dark Shelter. Because of this compact, all fiends, no matter who summons them enjoys the same benefits. It is even stronger within the Curtain of Night.

Sacred Spaces

Darkhollow

Darkhollow (Sacred Place) of the Unholy Trio…

Testament to Faith

Core Principles and Goals:

Common Covenant/Tenets: What values, observances, vows and activities will all those of the faith have? An oath of loyalty and service is usually exacter.

Finding Faith – Discovering and cementing the faith/follower relationship:
> [Initiate] Trials: These are trials that a character may be part of in order to prove their bond to their faith.

1. Affirmation of Authority
2. Affirmation of a Vow

Common Practices and Customs

Reward and Afterlife

The church of darkness rewards its members with power and wealth. Those who follow its ways are rewarded with personal power – a casting down of ones enemies, slaves, wealth, food, and blood.
The ‘desolate darkness’ is the ultimate destination of all souls, but through the gods of the unholy trio can be found the ‘soothing dark’ – a cool, dry place of endless possibilities, where there is finally quiet from the unending noise of the struggle for life. The blood of those killed in life provides warmth in the embrace of darkness, and only that ensures that the next world is bearable. Its adherents are also promised a place in the afterlife which has a desirous slave for each life taken, and that the greater the stature of the kill in life, the tastier their ‘puinto’ – soul slave – meat will be to feed their killer in the life after.

The darkness and beyond is comprised of three abyssal realms; the Voikatis – where the favored go, Kemizharoun – banished souls and a place of trial, where life continues on until the soul proves itself, and Fworgai – the fiery hell where souls are consumed and tortured forever. Each sphere has 8 dukes which rule over different lands, forever themselves locked in a struggle for power against their masters and themselves. These dukes are ‘The Keepers’, they convey the souls of the dead and create the channels of power for the unholy trio, who send to them the souls of their followers – both sides needing the services of the other to maintain their powers.

Rewards of the Faithful

Dark Boon

Dark Boons are granted for great service to the cause of the gods and/or church of darkness.

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Accouterments and Equipment of the Church of Darkness

Darklight

Made from the bodies of their enemies, tallow candles or fat soaked torches that shed light even in magical darkness. These are sacred items, and one of the main sources of light in the darklands. They burn three times as long. Darklight wont set things alight, wont effect shadows or shades, and their wispy, oily smoke will taint those who pass through it for 48 hours with an aura of Transgression if they themselves do not serve the Unholy Trio or are evil.

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The Problem with Progress: There is the problem with the Orrish followers of the Church of Darkness in regards to progress. Progress of science would undermine their ultimate crusade from within. So they themselves cannot have progress. But progress within the greater realms can be leveraged by them, controlled by their clergy and those few they allow to understand such things.

Church of Light in the Steel Realms

Posted on September 18, 2015 in Steel-Realms

The Church of Light is a formal Institution of Faith. The Lightbringers were brought forth in desperation to directly counter the Unholy Trio – matching directly the two male and one female aspect. Whelm – the fourth – is the offspring of the strange union between the God of War (Mizras – part of the Grey Way) and the Mother of Peace (Aerna of the Light). The entities of the Church of Light all agree to abide by The Godspeak Accord. The Lightbringers are popularly known as that force which saved the ancestors of the current inhabitants (the Blood of Saemon). They also instituted the Sun Bane in CY 1418, a major element to holding the forces of Darkness that were threatening to destroy civilization and plunge the world into anarchy. The Church of Light is the most dedicated to preserving their history publicly, and keep multiple archives related to all their records and tales. Nominally, the Tenets of the General Liturgy are followed by the Laity of Congregations and those of higher Grace and Institutional Ranks alike.

The modern age is heavily defined by the clash of faiths in the “Affray of Darkness and Light” in which the gods play a significant part.

United Against the Light: Though the Church of Darkness/Unholy Trio is not a unified pantheon, all of the Orrish of Helca and their followers and agents under their sway are wholly enjoined in the Divine Quest of the Quest of Black Tears.

Lords of Light/Light Bringers

Testament to Faith

Core Principles and Goals: Keep The Unholy Trio contained, defeat the scourge of darkness, bring the illumination light to the world. The chaos and unregulated pursuit of knowledge and experience must be curtailed to give the greatest good for the greatest number.

Common Covenant/Tenets: An oath of loyalty and service is usually exacted. Following the common covenants of the Unified Pantheon as well as any individual Principal’s covenants proscribed will ensure the character remains in Good Standing with their faith, enabling access to all their capabilities derived from that bond.

Finding Faith – Discovering and cementing the faith/follower relationship:
> [Initiate] Trials: These are trials that a character may be part of in order to prove their bond to their faith.

1. Affirmation of Authority
2. Affirmation of a Vow

Common Practices and Customs

Standard Path/Observances: 20600 Liturgy

Family Chapels, Shrines and Temples: There is often 4 rooms to represent the 4 major figures (three in the oldest) in the familial constructs. Beyond an entry areas, the first and most prominent rooms is the primary god of the family. Then there is an “Enshrined Passage” with carvings of the pact between family and faith. There is almost always a “Mothers Hearth” – even if the patron goddess is Aerna. This is where the bones of children who died in childbirth are laid. A “Corridor of Light” represents a symbolic passage to the realms of Light and Wonder. The room dedicated to Balthazaar is always the “Room of Judgement” – somewhere is always an arch whereupon the ever watchful eyes of Balthazaar are engraved – this usually guards an amphitheater where all living family members can gather and discuss family matters. There are 4 steps in this amphitheater where the bottom platform is flanked by the Shield-Men of Whelm to symbolically protect the speaker. In the most devout of places is a “Chamber of Stars” which is a place dedicated to ‘burning away the sins’ of the faithful.

Spirit Web: The ancient light worshipers believers the spirits of their ancestors kept walking these family crypts and shrines. In some of them, an ancient practice of spirit webs can be found. These are silver wires, covered in crystals and bolted into a a corridor. They flow to a place off to one side of a passage. It is easy enough to dismantle or walk through, but a simple minded spirit will follow the lattice into the “Spirit Trap” – a series of narrow corridors carved and hung with clothes, tapestries, and minor daily items of the dead in order to confuse them and keep them there. It was a superstition meant to keep ones though free and clear of past family matters. However, the Spirit Trap was a place to go to commune with past family members – to remember them, and their names etched into the walls. Candles were often placed in wall scones – each scone unique to the individual.

Accouterments and Equipment of the Church of Light

Faith in the Steel Realms

Posted on September 8, 2015 in Steel-Realms

Faith in the Steel Realms of the modern age consists of a small number of divine entities, regional faiths and many sects invoking dominion over the world of Helca. The current state of faith and affairs in general on Helca/Steel Realms is a direct result of the Affray of Darkness and Light. Before this was the era of Faith on Primordial Helca. Each faith has a different level of Institutional representation depending on its Reach/Presence. Followers must obey the the covenants of their Principal’s or Unified Pantheon to ensure they remain in Good Standing with their faith This enables them to access all their capabilities derived from that bond, including Singularly Bound items of faith and a Standard Divine Reliquary. They all offer some form of Afterlife that follows some standard manifestations.

• The Green Church a balance with civilization and the Wyld Faith is unrestrained triump of the natural order; Aligned with these is the Faerie Faith in the Steel Realms.
• The Church of Light represents the triumph of order and community and the taming of nature.
• The Church of Dark represents the triumph of the individual without restraint or consequence.
• The Celestine Ideal focuses on enlightened empowerment that strives to live in harmony with the natural order and maximize individual capability – a sort of blending of the other major ideals into a emphasize a Gestalt approach.

Characters of Faith for the Steel Realms

Regardless of the dominant sect’s domain, the deities of the Steel Realms are fluid and adapt to Followers’ perceptions to increase worship. There is likely a cult or sect that promotes or manifests many domains (even a symbolic or conceptual approach) for a divine principal.

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