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

[CULT]

The Order of the Scarlet Veil has many events, rituals and services that are known and considered familiar to the common adherents. While the Order takes its gist from the Church of Agrik - they differ greatly from other orders in the details and methodology of how they worship the evil god of war.

[Services]

There are three forms of service performed by the Order of the Scarlet Veil

Monthly Public Masses

Public masses are held once monthly for any who wish to attend. There are three parts to each grand mass - called a Grand Combat. No one -regardless of faith or intention may be banned from these Grand Combat.

A lay service begins with the Ritual of Blessing the Battlefield. This is followed by a blessing of the Warriors before the Ritual Battle begins.

Most of the peasantry and the merchant classes attend the Lay Masses openly. Several of the stronger members can be seen year round with a red streak painted from their hair line down to their groin. The paint, renewed almost monthly, never fully wears off. Depending on what they request from the priests, they may be told that they will have to fight to the death if the deed is too great.

Occasionally legionaries will attend the Lay Mass and fight for the right to perform the Ritual of Mating with a willing Warriors of the Bloody Mace, or priestess. If they win, they gain the right, and disappear into one of the buildings in the Compound. Few non-legionaries are willing to fight for this opportunity after seeing the ``lucky`` legionnaire come stumbling home a few days later sporting numerous bruises and bites, and broken limbs.

Weekly Services

Weekly lay services are performed inside the compound and usually consist of sacrifices of animals or the occasional Morgathian priest/worshiper. This communion with the Reasonless Reaper is open to any adherent who can enter the temple.

The service begins with the Blessing of the Warrior, and then the goods to be sacrificed are brought to the altar. A long slow session of butchery is then performed as the animal, or human, dies slowly. The first item removed is its tongue so it can make no sound.

During the butchery, prayers and chanting are offered up. At the end of the service all retire to the arena to watch battles to the first blood between the Warriors of the Bloody Maces, visiting legionaries (if any) and any willing adherents. Occasionally this includes criminals from Fobin.

Often nobles attend this weekly service and may even bring servants destined for punishment for the arena. Some merchants attend as well. This is the easiest time for anyone to request a private meeting with the Oracle, or to ask a favor.

Private Services

Daily services occur in the temple through prayers, and private battles between members. These battles are most often regarded as practice sessions and rarely are fought to the death. If there is a sudden plethora of criminals or servants to be punished, the daily service becomes similar to that of the weekly service.

This private service is longer than the weekly service and tends to be more graphic if there is indeed someone/thing to sacrifice.

[Prayers/Songs]

There are about nine different songs and prayers offered commonly to Agrik depending upon the situation, ritual and day of the year. Most are sung in other languages with any common adherents joining in for the chorus in H’rnic.

The Joy of Battle

``The joy of battle,
the sound of metal on metal
against bone and flesh
there is nothing more holy than this
Our lives are over,
are souls are destined for Balgashang.
Our enemies may they rot while waiting for us in Ak-Sit,
an eternity may they wait and like dogs may they become.
Nothing more holy than this.
Nothing more holy than this.''

Battle prayer known and chanted on the march or charge by the Warriors of the Bloody Mace.

Life in Balgashang

Life is not liberty to be.
Life is liberty to serve.
To kill, to maim
through poison or pain.
The soul is the prize
to give to the reaper -
may he reap for evermore.

His eyes burn, his heart bursts -
the warrior is on them move.
Fire his blood, burn his brain -
and all he kills may they remain slain.
He makes his place in Balgashang.
He makes his place in Balgashang.''

Battle song sung by the Order of the Scarlet Veil.

Founding Litany

The founding litany is a prayer said each dawn and dusk by the Order of the Scarlet Veil:

By blessed fire, through truth be seen.
No hiding from war, ill or good.
By Wreaker's blood shall we be clean.
No lies shall we tell when asked
From fouspawner's milk truth shall wean.
By The Eternal Fire, and in mankind's hour
All shall be burned , molten truth revealed.''

[Offering/Sacrifice]

Agrik accepts sacrifices only from the battlefield. Whatever is killed must be killed while trying to fight - their skill, weapons and armor is immaterial to the ceremony. Once slain - the body is set afire. If the sacrifice is not still somewhat alive at the time of being set alight - it is deemed a bad omen. If, however, there is a full pitched battle going on - only one partially alive person need be sacrificed by fire to make all other deaths that day proper sacrifices.

The holy place need not be blessed, and the common prayer to send a soul to Agrik is known by all members of the Order (even though it is in high Azeryani) and used regularly on the battlefields.

Occasionally animals will be burned for small offerings or supplications in the name of Agrik. It is believed that a priest will see the person Agrik wants killed in the smoke of a burning beast. The beast's jugular is cut, and it is set alight before it can die. Its screams are said to be music to the ears of the V'Hir.

This page was last updated on 30 June, 2000
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