The Church of the Venerated Republic is perhaps the largest and most influential faction in Eden. It is the heart of the Republic, and through its will, the empire serves. The Church is actually a collection of several smaller subfactions, classified under two “branches” of organization, whose purposes are crucial to the operation and integrity of the Republic.

The unifying agent of these two branches is the government of the Republic, which consists of the College of Bishops, and the Arch Bishop. No other faction is as closely linked with the ruling government of the Republic as is the Church. Despite the existence of the Senate, it is a widely known and accepted fact that the College of Bishops and the Arch Bishop are responsible for how the Republic is governed and operated. Thusly, when distrust and anarchism run rampant across the Republic, the Church is often regarded as the root of all that is evil and wrong with the government of the Republic. The establishment of the Senate early in Decusian history has helped alleviate this outlook, but the majority of the Republic’s citizenry recognizes that the College of Bishops simply pay ear service to the Senate the majority of the time.

To the laymen, the Church is an imposing force that propagates sermon and faith with a zealous creed, backed up by the might and power of the second largest military force in the Republic. Closer examination of the faction reveals, however, that two separate and independent branches of the Church exist to fulfill the needs and demands of the kingdom. These two sides are known as the Clergy (also known as the Will or Spirit of Decus), and the Templar (also known as the Wrath or Execution of Decus). These two branches differ widely from their function and purpose.

The Clergy comprise priesthood of the Church, and exists to perpetuate faith through doctrine. The Clergy in itself is made up of all priests and aspirants that are not associated with a subfaction within the Clergy. These men and women comprise the traditional people of the cloth, providing the role of spiritual services, under the command and direction of the Clergy, to one of the many churches and cathedrals that populate the Republic. A council of Bishops are tasked with the command of the Clergy.

The Templar branch, on the other hand, is the militaristic aspect of Church. They are, essentially, an army bred by the Church for the Church. The Templar, like the Clergy, is comprised of both normal members, and those of subfactions. The Templar itself provides services such as overseeing military engagements, providing general security to Church assets, and the planning and execution of military endeavors that do not require the Legion. The Templar itself are trained and educated apart from the Republic’s army, the Venerated Legion, and are instilled with specialized knowledge and zealous faith that produces a warrior suited for the specific needs of the Church. A council of Warbiships commands the Templar.

 

Ranks and Heirachy

 

Generally speaking, the Clergy and the Templar branches work independent of each other, taking orders down the chain of command from the College of Bishops. Both Patriarchs and Warbishops are both Bishops in the sense of rank in the Church. They are equivalent in rank, and tend to their appropriate branches. Members of the Clergy do not have the ability to order around members of the Templar, and the Templar do not have the right to order those of the cloth around as if they were soldiers.

An important note, however, is that those of the Bishop rank, regardless of their branch within the Church, retain the ability to issue any member of either the Clergy or the Templar special rights, known as commissions, to act outside the normal restraints of the rank structure. For example, a Warbishop may grant a Knight of the Venerated Inquisition Corps subfaction a commission to disregard ranks and orders from all ranks above him that are involved in other subfactions if the need arises for a special mission.

 

Castes

 

The need arises in any organization paramilitary force for it to play host to specialized groups that further serve its needs. Thusly, various micro-organizations, or castes, exist within both the Clergy and the Templar to tend to these needs. Castes adhere to the rank structure of the Church hierarchy. Bishops of the Church, known as either Patriarchs or Warbishops, are assigned to the command of subfactions.

Traditionally, castes respect each other as separate entities in terms of hierarchy and rank, and usually refrain from ordering around members of other subfactions unless the need arises (IE: A Knight of the Templar Expeditionary Corps won’t order around a Squire from another subfaction unless in a combat situation, or the need for formal orders arises). This rule is ignored when standing or special commissions have been awarded for the execution of specific tasks.

Castes of the Clergy exist for specialized needs of the Church that require the more delicate touch of a man of the cloth, as opposed to the brash force exuded from those of the sword. Castes of the Clergy are as follows:

Venerated Apothecary Corps: The Apothecary Corps exists for the research and study of diseases and medicines in the Republic, as well as the training and implementation of Divinators and Divine Arcana for non-military purposes. They are considered a non-military force, and thus, are classified under the ranks of the Clergy. Despite this, the Apothecary Corps has a standing commission from the College of Bishops to “pull rank”, and issue orders to the Templar branch in the event of Republic emergencies, such as outbreaks of the Torment, or other diseases.

The Diaconate Templar: An elite form of Templar requisitioned for the use of the Clergy in matters of security and protection, the Diaconate Templar consist of the only true military unit of the Clergy. Their roles are to assure that high ranking clergymen are protected during public events, and aid the Apothecary Corps by providing security when needed. The Diaconate Templar are also used somewhat liberally for other purposes outside that of simple security, when the immediate need arises for an armed unit under direct control of the Clergy.

Circle of Illumination: The Circle of Illumination can be considered a more philisophical branch of the Church, specializing in deciphering religious relics and works of the old world. They maintain the Citadel, the grand library of the Republic, and are also lore keepers and historians. Many Postulants and aspirant monks also find their home within the Circle.

Castes of the Templar differ from that of the Clergy, as all are appropriated to military applications. Castes of the Templar include:

Templar Expeditionary Forces: The TEF is comprised of specially trained Templar forces designed to work abroad, outside of the reign of the Republic and its holdings. They are used to forcefully indoctrinate outside peoples into the Republic, with the aid of the general clergy, and the Legion. The TEF is also responsible for covert operations outside the Republic. All Templar presence sent to the Old Colonies during the colonization efforts were part of the Templar Expeditionary Forces.

Venerated Inquisition Corps: The VIC exists to hunt down and exterminate all things considered evil and blasphemous in and outside the Republic. They are an elite subfaction devoted to the hunt and slaying of daemonic, undead and illblooded creatures, and also task themselves with the duty of slaying or imprisoning rouge mages, with the help of the Consortium. The VIC is a rather infamous subfaction of the Templar, and is operated by the mindset of “the end justifies the means”. The VIC has been issued a standing commission to disregard rank in both the Clergy and the Templar, allowing them to freely investigate and issue orders to any Church member.

The Tenders: The Tenders are classified as Templar, but are part of an entire separate organization apart from the Church. They are agents of the Garden, the Church’s home for military research and development involving supernatural phenomenon. Tenders comprise the field units of the Garden, and perform roles that cannot be achieved by the Venerated Inquisition Corps. The Garden and its Tenders are some of the most mysterious, dangerous and mistrusted clerical units in the entire Church, do to their dabbling with Illblooded, daemonic and necromantic studies. Tenders are equivalent to black ops in modern armies.

 

Characters

 

The following characters are important personas of the Church of Decus:

Chief Provost Emilio Desi
Lord Jacoba Augustus Onoria
Headmaster Tobias Walker
Field Marshall Adamus Flavius Christoverus
Grand Acolyte Naum Alexandrov
High Arbiter Xtopherus Von Aequisnox

 

Rank Image

 

A jpeg image of the rank structure of the Church.