THE sanctified Temple

 

Aliases: The Sanctified Temple of our Mother, the Shattered Empress (formal); The Templars (common), the Avatara (common), Mummers (pejorative)

The Shattered Mother has ever been in the shadow of human myth, worshipped and revered by the various faiths and legends of pre-Fall humanity. Some faiths saw her as a powerful dragon or empress while in others, she has taken the part of the suffering martyr and the tormented matriarch. It was through her beneficence that humanity was wrought from stardust and soul. It was through her mercy that humanity survived the apocalypse that should have obliterated them. And now, it is her Strength that allows the Templars their magic and the power to protect the world after the Long Fall. 

The Templars of the Shattered Mother stand now as her faithful and her soldiers. They seek to spread her word and her shield from the north to the rest of the American continent and the World Beyond the Fall. The Oracle-Avatar directs the Temple as the voice of their Goddess and few can resist their dire will, their potent arcana, or the terrible might of the Templars. 

Lore Level: Medium to high reading

Art by Nicco Salonga

Image by Nicco Salonga

  • The Hallowed Ziggurat, a equilateral triangle with a halo. More detailed versions have the halo as five stars in a circle touching the top of the triangle with 3 runed pillars supporting the top third of the triangle from within. Older flags may have four pillars instead. Their associated colors are Black, Purple, and Blue.

  • Although the Conclaves are widely divergent with regards to their own fashion preferences, their religion has its mark on them all. The Carmine Conclave prefers opulence, the Skull Conclave prefers arcana and the Talon Conclave tends toward armor -- but all serve their Oracle-Avatar and show for it. On the whole, hooded robes, vestments or cloaks find their way on many Templar individuals, ornamented or modified to reflect their Conclave. For example, Talon Templars will adorn their vestry with metal armor (ensigiled with religious icons, of course) while Carmine Templars may wear vestry that is daringly cut, layered with other garb and/or opulently embroidered.

  • Zealous: The strictures and dictum of their religion affect each and every Templar, whether be they clergy or layfolk. This faith makes them strong and gives them courage. Outsiders have remarked on the strangeness of their humble obedience to their faith and their betters, which is contrasted with their boldness and their daring in the battlefield or even beyond it. When others dither and hesitate, a Templar acts -- so long as it is allowed by the glorious faith of their forebears.

    Enlightened: As a people chosen and ascended by the Oracle-Avatar, the Templars may feel a sense of superiority and surety when faced with the other Arch-Factions. They are well aware of their own place in the world and in the afterlife that follows. It may manifest as a condescension for the lesser, a pity for the unenlightened or a casual disdain. While for many, this superiority complex dissipates or mellows after enough exposure to other cultures, some Templars never shed it.

    Ritualistic: The Templars are a people of rite and prayer. This means that some actions and some words must follow the accepted parameters of their faith. Before battle, they pray to their Oracle-Avatar for power. Before a meal, they request grace from their glorious leader. After victory or a successful project, they often praise the Oracle-Avatar for their remote intercession in the matter. Not all Templar act in this manner, the Carmine Conclave being the least “pious” in this regard, but vocal praise of their faith and of their theocratic leader is the norm among them.

 

Sub Factions — the Templar Conclaves

The Carmine Conclave are comprised primarily of diplomats, merchants and bankers, as well as their more military retinues. They are more worldly than the other Conclaves and are also whispered to be more corruptible.

The smallest of the Conclaves and yet the one with the most influence within the Temple. They are researchers, theocrats, and overseers as well as ritualists and philosophers, set upon the more intangible aspects of their faith and duties to the Temple.

While all Conclaves have military forces that they utilize, the Talons are the official armies of the Templars. They are zealous, pious, and unflinching in the face of horror.