The Council of Tiberius – Guild Leaders, Buildings & Deity

Guild Leaders

The Church runs on an elected Council of Four who deal with the running of the faith, whilst their authority is absolute their position is elected each year and when Dieron returns they will stand down without question.

The Sword of Tiberius – William Stand

(Human)

The family of Stand is one that has lived in Rendrith for the last seven generations and were a minor noble family of the Draygal family at one time or another. Long ago they held the title of Defender of Rendrith but that changed when the Pirate that is now Johan Korso sacked the city and murdered many thousands of people. When the City was recovered the Stand family were stripped of their position, their title and their land and with little other than some wealth, to support them cast back to the streets from which they had been raised. It is from this line that the current leader of the Church of Tiberius comes and his story is a strange one.

In the Frostmelt of the year 1980 William Stand and his Sister Ursula were born into the world to Dalia Stand whose husband had died in the freezing winter of that year. Dalia worked as a maid in the noble houses of the Fett family who had, ironically, replaced their own. She worked hard and was promoted, providing for her children until they reached the age of 6. Here she chose to place Ursula into the University, paid, as an Orphan under the University Orphanage name Wise. She could not afford the tutelage for William and she could no longer work as her health was failing her. By the time the summer of 1986 had come she passed leaving William to fend on the streets as a an urchin and vagabond.

In 1987 the 31st Heavy Infantry Company paraded through Rendrith and stirred something in the heart of young William. He took the time to clamber on to roofs and listen from above as the soldiers swapped stories of battle in the pubs and inns that they rested in. The tales of bravery and unparalleled heroism that he heard, in these strange and distant places, moved him in ways that he did not understand and when the Company left Rendrith they were not alone. Hidden among the baggage train and camp followers was a dirty ragamuffin that was destined to bring greatness to his family name once again. Yet as the column left there was a great sadness in his heart for the Sister that he would never see again, the Sister that he would never forget.

It wasn’t long before he was discovered and had impressed, directly, Major Trebernard Voltus, who allowed him to remain within the caravans on their tour of duty. He cleaned canteens and ran messages and earned a field commission of cadet during the tour. When they arrived at Haven Stand arrived with much vigour, excitement and a new friend in the form of Chaplain Hernan Escan of the faith of Tiberius. He had seen the heart of his now 7 year old boy and took him directly to the Academy where he spoke strongly with the teachers there. It was decided that the boy would keep his name and that Major Voltus himself would pay the tuition fees allowing the boy freedom of choice when it came the decision of what guild he would join.

Thus in Sunsdusk of 1988 the boy was enrolled in the Basanic Academy and almost immediately began to demonstrate his power as a Priest. From day one he wanted to be a Tiberiusite and he wanted to be a soldier. He wanted to be just like two heroes he had recently developed Chaplain Escan and Major Voltus and with an eagerness that few had seen before he threw himself into training a Battle Priest. This was hard going for a child that had barely been more than stick and straw for most of their life and he had to work hard to build his frame big enough to match his frame and his resolve. There were none, however, that met him that believed that he would fail in the tasks that he had set himself no matter how impossible they seemed.

By the age of twelve he was excelling beyond the abilities of most trainees of his age; he was surrounded by a band of brothers and sisters that followed his orders without question whether they were right or wrong. These worthies included Lliyian Coleman and Guy Hearts both of whom have gone onto greatness in their own right and would both, from their own lips, come to Stands side at a moment’s notice whatever the reason. These strengths did not go unnoticed and the clamour for his guildic signature became almost unsightly even from that age and all that anyone could rightly say is that he would always be a Tiberiusite.

In 1996, the year of passing out, Dieron the Blessed, it is said, came and spoke with him directly about his future. The previous year he had been on a training mission with the Crimson Order and the whole party had been ambushed by Mandragoran; William had performed flawlessly and been awarded The Copper Cross for fighting in Defence of the Realm. Dieron was impressed and spoke to him, telling him to follow his heart and that Tiberius would be with him whatever occurred which is why many believe that he chose to pass out into the Order joining the 31st Heavy Infantry and serving again under his hero Major Trebernard Voltus.

This agreement was a temporary one: The Order gained a raw leader and excellent Priest who was dropped straight into the role of a Lieutenant and spent three years with the 31st being promoted to Captain and fighting in two dozen skirmishes and battles. After gaining the respect of every member of the forces that he served with he finally came to his spiritual home at the start of the year 2000 when he was indoctrinated into the service of the Great God Tiberius as a Knight although he would not see active service in the Faith until the year 2002 after the completion of his training and the taking of his Oaths as a Crusading Defender of the faith.

From 2002 to 2013 William Stand achieved things that most of the Priesthood of Tiberius, let alone other faiths, guilds or the rest of mortality, would have considered beyond heroic and without equal. Sadly for William he lived in an age of heroes and his deeds were hidden in the shadows of the larger than life legends of the Dragon of that age: Dieron the Blessed, Catagore Cotageish, Seshepenmehit and Battik the Redeemer who were themselves followers of the Mailed Fist and Imravin, Jarmack and Rowan Fallow all shone enough to encompass the light of William Stand. Yet through all their actions one thing hurt William Stand, just one and that was the death of his old friend Chaplain Hernan Escan.

Hernan had retired in 2009 at the age of 57 and retired to Wantwitch along the Rhygahrean borders where he continued to preach the words of Tiberius until a few months before the war. One night he was murdered and his body strung out to be seen by the terrified townsfolk the next day. Despite investigation by Stand no answers to this mystery could be found and it plagued him, still does, as does whether he should see his sister again, whether he should look for her and more; whether she will still remember him. He still visits the graves of his mother and father and leaves flowers for them and he still remembers the man that is Johan Korso.

Stand continued to fight and lead throughout his career and is known to have fought in practically every engagement from 2002 until present day. He was not active during the Shadow War and was rescued by a Charter called the line which comprised of the Head of the College of Controlling Power; Jack Spears. When Dieron the Blessed died he held the rank of Commander of the House although he was considered an Abbot for purposes of position. His role as leader of the head of the Church was ratified after a period of mourning by unanimous decision and he has ruled since. There was a brief challenge for leadership by a returned Lord Winter but this was brushed aside as farcical by most involved.

The Master of Temples – Kastia of Truth

(Yuirfarvallen Redeemer)

Born in the late 1600’s in Rhygahrea Kastia came to the Royal basin at an early age as a refugee by Priests of Tiberius who were assisting in a Mandragoran incident along the Western borders. Despite the best efforts of the Church to find her parents they were unsuccessful and Kastia remained within the clergy. It was always unlikely that she would be anything other than a Priest but she took to the role of the Redeemer well, training with Battik himself who taught her much of the way of the Faith. She has not travelled into the field much but has gained a deep understanding of the running of the temples and the training of individuals in the faith. Few were surprised when she was appointed to this administrative position in 1832 where she has remained ever since.

The Abbot of Tiberius – Orch Viasta

(Human Priest)

Orch was born to Tiberiusite parents in 1985 and is the model Tiberiusite, displaying the qualities that would be extolled by any who saw him. His parents position in the faith saw him catapulted through the rankings swiftly but he is a man in his own right that does not rely upon the strength of others directly to carry him through. He appears on all major battlefields, acquitting himself well and tends not to boast of his deeds to others. On the Council his voice often speaks to the course of action that will bring the Tiberiusite Church closer to a unified council although he prefers to see the Council in a higher position.

The Cardinal of Tiberius – Harua Tarai

(Kalashinka Crusading Defender)

Harua is around thirty years old or at least she was in 2014. She is known to have been born somewhere in the Deserts far to the West of Egaria and was discovered at around the age of eleven by Seshmet and Battik in their days travelling as the Silver Brotherhood. She was already adept with a blade and fierce in her passions for Tiberius, even capable of performing miracles at such a young age. Despite her feral nature she was recovered and returned to the Church although she spent much time in Fort Northman with the Brotherhood. Over the years she has made leaps and bounds as a Tiberiusite and now has at least one foot in the civilised world, her natural aptitude has pushed her to the role of Cardinal although perhaps we will never know the truth regarding her background.

Major Centres of Worship

The Halls of Valour in the Golden Lands represent the home of Tiberiusite worship in the Basins. The seat of Dieron the Blessed himself is amongst the Holiest of sites to any God within the territories of the Royal Basin. Not only is it the home of Dieron but the mortal Angel Catagore Cotageish, initially of the Rice Empire, is often in the company of Dieron instructing the followers of the faith in the martial arts. Whilst major Churches exist in the capital, Gamtha, Strabain and St Mundensburg the Fortress Monastery that is the Halls of Valour stand like a beacon in the Golden lands to every Tiberiusite in the Basin.

---

Tiberius is the patron of those who face danger and battle for a greater good. During his life he was a fearless and faithful warrior of Kalarin who obeyed all of her commands regardless of personal danger. Today he is the battle arm of the Gods of light, delivering his justice to those that are evil, deceitful and destructive and acting to keep law, order and loyalty everywhere. Tiberius represents the epitome of knightly virtue in many ways, he is a kind and gentle power when dealing with the young and faithful, the weak and to those that are friends and loved ones, however The Mailed Fist is stern righteous and unyielding in his duty and despite the goodness in his heart his vengeance is bloody indeed.

As well as his overwhelming aspects of loyalty through oaths and his dedication to duty Tiberius is also famed as the Undead Bane. During his time as a mortal and through his returns to the world Tiberius has battled against the unloving attempting to remove their blemish from the land. His hatred for these creatures knows no bounds and his followers have tended to emulate this hatred, campaigning with great vigour against the Undead. This has, of course, led to countless battles over the centuries against the forces of Notelexus with whom the church has a special enmity that dates back to before the pantheonic wars.

On his visits to the realm of mortals Tiberius has taken the form of an aging Holy Warrior with dark hair streaked with silver. In this form Tiberius radiates an eternal calm, self-confidence and quiet enthusiasm. It is clear that he has withstood countless evils without breaking and righteousness flashes in his eyes. His followers are often armour clad and wear pristine silvers and whites with the Symbology of Tiberius boldly emblazoned upon their shields and robes. The Clergy are made up of Redeemers who travel the land as the chosen of Tiberius, Church Knights who make up the backbone of the Church or Crusading Defenders, often called Tiberius’ Children, who carry his blessings and his powers directly to the enemies of the Church.

Dogma

Tiberius is one of the most ethically pure of the all faiths in that it is devoted to obedience and loyalty. This is not to say that this is a Blind obedience; Tiberiusites are as guided by their own actions as they are by the loyalty that they serve. For a Tiberiusite salvation may be found through their adherence to duty and honour and their day to day actions are guided by such thoughts. Before any oaths are taken or fealty sworn the onus is placed upon the Lord that they give themselves to, a Tiberiusite is often engaged in the activities of investigation of their would be masters before any oaths of fealty are given. Sadly the words of Tiberius are difficult beasts to master and many interpretations of his speakings have been adopted by the Churches. The council of Tiberius are effectively his “old school”. They follow the code of chivalry, battle the Undead and protect the lands of the Royal Basin under his guidance. They encompass a very collective and rational view of his teachings unlike the Swords of Tiberius. These are a relatively young (some thirty years old) faction of the church and are focused on a militant and aggressive rationalisation of the Tiberiusite dogma. They believe that those strictly not of a following of the churches of light are enemies of the Basanic folk and have begun an almost undercover war against them. Whilst they are tolerated within the confines of the Basin they seem likely to be barred rapidly given their polarisation towards aggressive doctrine. Unlike the Swords the Brothers of Tiberius focus on the acts of Chivalry and daring, travelling the lands as a group of heroes they have little to do with ecumenical matters, instead concentrating on the physical tasks rather than the spiritual. They are mainly composed of Church Knights and crusading defenders.

“The world is a dangerous place that poses a never ending series of challenges for those who fight for justice and the protection of the weak and the innocent. One must act with honourable intent at all times and uphold the virtues of justice and chivalry in word and deed. Danger must be faced with certainty and calm, inner peace is the reward for defeating evil and the glory that it brings to the name of Tiberius. Purity and virtue come from upholding his word and light is the gift that we bring to flush those that hide in the darkness from the shadows.”

From the Story of Honour

Archangels

Angels of Power

Servants

Tiberius is served by a number of Lesser Powers that can also be worshipped by Priests and Ley Followers, these powers have fallen under the remit of the Lord over the years and given their power to increase the strength of The Mailed Fist

The Demi Power Kordred

“The execution of one’s duty is one of the most powerful areas of Tiberiusite belief and much of the centre of his power revolves around it. Imagine, if you will, attempting that duty or holding the line to sacrifice yourself to bring enough time that others might live or even perhaps battling the greatest enemies of your faith upon the front line of a war. Now dwell upon the thought of what might happen should your weapon, your shield or your armour fail you, perhaps due to poor training of a crafter, a soldiers lack of maintenance or, worse, a lack of passion in the work that created that tool. How many others might die because of the lack of faith that one has in the tools that they rely upon to protect them.“

There are always prayers to Kordred, usually they come from the smithy’s and the laboratories of the artificers but there are always prayers. These prayers are often echoed by the voices of those that carry what has been made into battle or apply them to the duties that they have been tasked with. Many followers of Tiberius, soldiers, oathsmen and the like commission seals from the followers of Kordred before they are called into situations where their mettle and their metal may be tested.

These seals, the white hammer on the black background, are said to carry a prayer to the God, a prayer to the smith and a lot of cursing to keep the object in question together. Priests of Kordred are in the main crafters and makers and they pay special attention to their doctrine. The skill of crafting, its teaching and the proper implementation of it are vital to the way of Kordred. Prayers are formed instead of instruction and belief is cast into the objects being made. These prayers continue to live on inside the object and have led to a rise in the maintenance works. These are books, tomes, hymns and prayers that teach the care of tools, objects and particularly the artifice of war. These litanies are often sung, spoken and so forth during battle in the hope that the weapons will stay true longer with Priests of Kordred walking among the faithful. Finally these prayers and words would mean nothing without the passion and pride that only piety can bring and these cannot be taught it is something that a Priest has. The symbol of a crafters or war Hammer, white upon a black background (often a disk) is the Holy Symbol of Kordred. He asks simply that his followers become a master of at least one crafting Trade as swiftly as they can.

The Demi PowerLekrik

“To be stand with duty and with honour is a thing of greatness and it is known that our Lord, the Knight of the Heavens, values them with highest regard. To hold true to these things we are encouraged to look to our heart and our virtue. Those that stand in the shadow of the might of Lekirik train and train hard to have the strength to stand indomitable in the face of long duty and continue their quests with honour.” 

Lekrik as a power is said to be a roiling force that is able to possess those that uphold his tenets and his ways. If one is to stand in long and pressing service to guard the hearth and home of Lord or peasant equal and to find your stamina fading then Lekirik may come to you and give you back your fortitude. Many of the faithful to Lekrik spend their time working to perfect their physical form believing that through such penitence their faith and their spirit shall be equally as conditioned. 

“The form that holds the spirit and the soul is the temple in which they are held and from where their reverence is felt and extends from”

This is one of the tenets of choice of the followers of the God. There are many stories of Lekrik when it walked upon the earth of Vaklam; in many sequences the manifestations of the deity would be as a powerful animal or warrior but in each of these manifestations Lekrik was a faithful companion. Not simply relying on its strength Lekrik would lope along after those to whom it had manifested never tiring or sleeping and always prepared to stand in defence or simply to guard in perpetuity should needs be. Lekrik asks that its followers attempt to be as physically perfect with regards to strength and constitution that they can physically be and that they never turn down the opportunity to prove that they are capable of performing great deeds of physical prowess. The symbol or imagery of a bear is the Holy Symbol of Lekrik. His asks that each follower of his faith enter into at least one great contest of physical prowess in his name each year. This day is held as Holy to that follower and they should spend the week before in total preparation for the event, giving themselves to the God and nothing else.

The Demi Power Janqtil

“The art of Knightly duties is often seen as held solely within the purview of the High Born noble but I have seen a waif with manners that would shame a well bred Duke, a blacksmith stepping in to protect a Lady where a Knight would not and a farm boy love with the passion of a God. Such folk are my followers, the Knights of Janqtil, who need only their convictions as armour in this world.” 

Janqtil is one of the few minor Gods whose mortal life we know of. He was a horse trainer for a wandering show till he caught the son of a Lord raping one of the girls from his troupe. He tore the boy away and sent him away after administering a hefty blow. The next day both he and the young girl were dragged before the Lord on a charge of attempted murder and theft. It was the word of a noble against that of a commoner so the outcome was clear. In order to save the girl Janqtil tried to convince the Lord that he alone had attempted to murder the boy because he wanted the girl to himself and had since scared her into lying that it was rape. The son, calling him a liar and beating him to the ground demanded the girl was given the same fate; to be hanged at the Lord’s pleasure.

The day of execution came and without hesitation or protestation Janqtil approached the gallows, his head held high. As the stool beneath him was kicked away however, the rope snapped. He fell to earth unharmed as a great gauntlet appeared above him, shinning with divine light. Janqtil the man stood there for a moment but then was gone, replaced by a shinning white steed. Rounding on the executioner, the stallion kicked him aside, the girl jumper onto its back and they rode off through the crowd. The Lord and his son died the next day after being thrown from their mounts.

Janqtil since then has been the God of chivalry for all people, regardless of rank, standing up for what is true, just and in need of protection in this world. He asks that his followers treat women with respect, love and care, for without their kindness a man would be an empty thing. When a man has grown chivalrous in the eyes of Janqtil they shall be blessed with such skills as befits his followers, the Knights of Janqtil;
A horse rearing or rampant is the symbol of Janqtil’s Knights. His asks that each follower sets their own day to celebrate him and his ideals. Typically the day when the follower married their true love, or first met her is the day chosen, for to celebrate the day Janqtil asks they pay particular care to the lady/lord in their life and treat them as a King/Queen would their Queen/King.

---