The Archknight
The Archknight
Title(s): Winged Valor, Blazing Glory
Pantheon: New Gods
Power: Primary God
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbol: Flaming Sword
Portfolio: War, Glory, Honor
Domain(s): War
Worshipers: Soldiers, Knights, Honorable Warriors
Contents
Description
The Archknight is a god of War and Honor. She is depicted as a white haired, white winged warrior clad in bronze armor and bearing a flaming sword, typically soaring over the battlefield.
Spread
The Archknight is a major deity worshiped all across Eoran. It is especially popular among warriors and mercenaries.
Dogma
The Archknight's teaching's emphasizes honorable conduct during battle and forbids cowardice. The goddess judges warriors based on their personal honor rather than the side of conflict, or ideals they fight for. Loosing face, or retreating from battle is a sure way to loose her favor.
Those who worship the Archknight do not fear death, as glorious and honorable end in a battle is said to almost guarantee a glorious afterlife in the godess' realm known as the Fields of Valor. There, all the mightiest and bravest fighters can feast, sing, party and spar with each other and bask in the glory of their godess.
Shrines and Temples
The temples of Archknight usually resemble military forts with barracks, mess halls and training grounds. The temples usually provide martial training to anyone who can afford to make the proscribed donation. The temples eschew adornments and are build to be simple and functional and are famous for their spartan conditions.
A typical shrine to the Archknight is a bundle of swords fused together either embedded in the ground, or in a rectangular stone slab on which faithful can plance offerings.
Priesthood
The clerics of the Archknight are warriors first, and preachers second. They organize themselves in military like order with ranks and strict chain of command. The priesthood is collectively known as the Church of Blazing Glory.
The clerics and paladins are expected to participate battles, often on opposing sides of the conflict. Honorable duels or battlefield encounters against another members of the church are not only permitted but are considered to please the goddess. Because of this the church as no central authority. Instead each major temple aligns themselves with the local nation, tribe or force and aids it in it's battles.
Religious Observances
Most common religious observances are consecration of arms with sacred oils, and offerings of spoils of war. Faithful are expected to donate part of the looted goods to the temples. After duels, or one on one encounters, an offering of the opponent's lock of hair or piece of armor is considered appropriate.
Another major religious ritual is burning the bodies of the deceased that are destined for Fields of Valor at a pyre to facilitate their passage to the afterlife (except in lands where such a thing would be forbidden by local custom, such as in Koda). It is not only believed to hasten the arrival of The Reaper, but also prevents the warrior's might from being one day used for evil by a necromancer.
Manifestations
The Archknight typically manifests through the divine magic of it's clerics and paladins. It is also said to guide the weapons of those who fight with honor so that they strike true, and never shatter.
Ally and Enemy Deities
As a Neutral deity, the Archknight does not have sworn enemies. She has a close relationship with The Firesmith as war can't be fought without weapons, and The Reaper with whom she has a deal, to ferry souls of bravest, and most honorable warriors into the Fields of Valor where they can spar and feast with the best and bravest for all eternity.
Her relationship wit The Twins is strained, because war causes a needless loss of life.
