Order of the Scarlet Veil
A Hieretical Clerical Order of the Eternal Flame

[Common Adherents]

Most of the locals in, and around, the compound of the Order pay at least lip service to Agrik. Anyone who wishes an oracle must pay homage to the deity as well as some form of tithe. Farmers sometimes ask the priests to light their fields aflame to stop pestilence, crop failure or disease because the priests seem to understand how to keep the fires burning only where they should. Locals are very careful what they say about the Order for fear of reprisals.

The majority of the Order's adherents are servants who are regularly used by the senators and politicians who wish to use the oracle to answer specific questions. These servants approach the priests and set up appointments between the priests and their masters. The masters must be present when the question is asked for a specific oracle to occur.

Common adherents are punished for grievous sins only by the lash or ritual combat; and then only if the sin is great. The Order believes that, should a common adherent's soul become soiled - and never purified, he will make an excellent sacrifice. But to pacify the commoners who live near the order no locals are ever taken as sacrifices without the town's permission first. This, to the town, is an excellent way to remove thieves, brigands and murderers.

[Morality of Adherents]

Followers of Agrik vary in Morality from Diabolic (3) to law-abiding (13). Most members of the Order are either corruptible (8) or Law Abiding (13).

[Language]

The priests speak H’rnic - the local tongue of the common adherents. A few of the higher circles also speak common and high Azeryani - the language of the original home to the church of Agrik (in and around the Venarian Sea). A few also speak Trierzi.

[Script]

The few books the Order of the Scarlet Veil have managed to gather were mostly written by members of the Order in Lakeese (H’rnic Script). Rituals and invocations are always written in a phonetic version of High Azeryani.

[Symbols]

The symbols carried by the Order are crude representations of Agrik, and his V'Hir or long swords and tridents cast in iron. These symbols are worn around the neck. If stolen, it is expected that the thief will be hunted down, and killed as a matter of honor.

An iron ring with a blood red veil tied through it denotes a quested of the order. This ring is said to tie the quested with the order and any priest can see what the quested is about and offer assistance, or punishment, as they see fit.

[Artifacts]

The Order's oracular ability, they claim, comes from holy artifact of the Scarlet Veil.

This artifact seems to be made of a very thin silk, scarlet in color. Where it comes from, no one in the order can be sure. Some believe it was a gift from Agrik; others say it was found by a Warriors of the Bloody Mace on a quest. The veil represents the reason most cannot see their own future. It is said to represent the veil between humanity and the gods.

[Instruments]

The Order brings large drums with them whenever they go to war. These drums are used to keep soldiers in step and to terrorize their opponents. The drummers will often perform for the duration of the battle.

[Animal]

No animal is believed to be messenger, representation nor symbol of Agrik. Agrik is depicted as a streak of fire in a calm sky. His only messengers are the V'Hir - who's appearance is like no singular animal in creation.

This page was last updated on 30 June, 2000
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