Of the governments and organizations in the Bay, only one holds near-universal reverence and respect. The Order is the church of the people of the Bay, tending to their spiritual needs and attempting to bring the different races together.
Divine Magic
Magic related to the gods, primarily Voland (and Orich), is mostly the domain of the Order. Students are usually taught how to use the holy light to heal, but it is also possible to use divine power to strike your enemies.
Classes from 4th Edition D&D that would fall under the purview of the Order include: the cleric, paladin, invoker, runepriest, and to a lesser degree the monk and avenger. Being a monk might mean you have gone to the Silver Keep or an abbey, but have only just begun your training, or perhaps that you have chosen to focus your contemplation inward upon yourself rather than outward on the gods and the world at large. An avenger would most likely be an attendant of an abbey and has been schooled in the specific dogma of that institution rather than the Order.
Structure of the Order
Internally, the Order is divided into six sects, each serving a different portion of the population of the Bay. Each sect is indentified with a colour that also corresponds to the people or nation it primarily serves: red for the uruks, blue for the elben, green for the alfar, yellow for the humans, purple for the hodekin, and white for the yadekin. Leading the sects are the High Keepers, two for each, generally a man and a woman (though obviously this isn’t the case for the Purple and White Sects). A High Keeper is usually elected to the position by the other Keepers of their sect, and in turn the High Keepers elect the Deacon, who leads the Order as a whole.
The Silver Keep, in the human town of Dunstable, is the headquarters of the Order. It is the permanent home of the Deacon, and is also the primary residence of many High Keepers. Part of the Silver Keep is the priory where new Keepers are educated. Master Keepers from each sect teach their new inductees the ways of the Order.
In addition to the Silver Keep, there are a number of smaller abbeys scattered around the Bay that may teach slightly differing versions of the faith. While most of these are at least acknowledged by the Order as valid, the Blackwood Abbey on Perry Island is an exception. The Order has officially rescinded the membership of any Keeper, Brother, or Sister associated with Blackwood Abbey, but that does not prevent them from continuing to use their titles and preaching their own hateful form of the faith.
Joining the Order
The choice to enter the Order is not one to be taken lightly as it usually defines your life from that point onward. Generally, a prospective student would first attend personal lessons with his or her local Keeper learning the Libram, their holy text, in great detail. Going to the priory at the Silver Keep can only be done on the recommendation of a Keeper, so the Keeper teaching you the Libram decides when and if you are ready to take that next step.
If you are accepted into the priory, you journey to Dunstable and begin your real training. As a student, you are granted the title of Ember; you are recognized as a member of the Order, but you are not granted all the rights and responsibilities of a full Keeper. Ember training lasts for a minimum of three years, but can last longer if your teachers, the Master Keepers, do not deem you yet ready. Lessons taught include healing, defence, deeper understanding of the scripture, as well as lessons in how to counsel others in times of crisis.
When it is time for your full ordination, there is a ceremony performed on the first day of the new year, the day after Nighsend. Each Ember vows to remain devoted to the Order and to Voland (or Orich), to defend and protect the innocent from harm, and to use the holy power and their knowledge for the benefit of the people. Part of the vow of devotion to the Order and Voland (or Orich) is agreement not to marry or become romantically involved with others. In addition, a small sacrifice of blood is required of each Ember. The blood is mixed together with that of a rabbit and then used to mark a circle (the symbol of the Order) on the Embers’ foreheads. Finally, at the end of the ceremony, as each Ember is granted the title of Keeper, they are given a pendant of a silver circle, called an annulus, which serves as a reminder of their vows.
If you join an abbey instead of attending the priory at the Silver Keep, your experience may differ from the norm. Most who join abbeys do eventually attend the priory as well, but not all. Those who never attend the priory, but are still acknowledged by the Order, are granted the title of Brother or Sister. The vow of a Brother or Sister varies from abbey to abbey, and some may even allow marriage or romantic relationships. Non-Keepers, however, are never granted many of the rights of the Order, such as performing marriages, and also never receive an annulus, but may wear a silver ring on their right ring finger.
Friday: The Hallows Festival
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