The Mailed Fist, Undead Bane, Knight of the Heavens
Aliases
Symbol
A Clenched Gauntlet
Portfolios
Major
Honesty, Bravery, Duty, Honour
Minor
Righteous Vengeance, Sacrifice, War, Daring, Loyalty, Smithing
Foes
The Countess, The Spires of the North and The Returned
Divine Seats
Afterlives
The Seat of Heroes, the eternal vigil and the forge of the Righteous
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
Ranimar, Archangel of Honour
Dealing with personal honour, codes of conduct, ethics and morality.A Priest that has called upon Ranimar to be their patron is now a bastion for the ways of their God. Their duty is to ensure that the ethics, morality and codes of personal conduct are followed and respected by their companions and the flock for which they tend.
Fulvaylor, Archangel of Valour
Dealing with personal courage, the inspiration of inner strength in others and the recognition of this strength in your enemy. A Priest that has called upon Fulyavor to be their patron has learned to respect and understand the strength which flows from within a person. Their ability to quench the fire of their fears and to gain personal power from such victories. It is their duty to inspire others to achieve this end for themselves.
Marek, Archangel of Duty
Dealing with obedience to the oaths that have been sworn to be upheld and the punishment of those that fail to uphold their own. A Priest that has called upon Marek to be their patron is now responsible for the observation of oaths amongst their companions and their flock and more importantly the completion of them. Those who break a vow watched over by a follower of Marek will be punished by them as far as the remit of the law allows them.
Terrik, Archangel of Honesty
Dealing with frank and open truth with oneself and those to whom you hold a loyalty. Not specifically the Truth of all things and blindness to reality. A Priest that has called upon Terrik to be their patron has a responsibility to advise and offer honest opinion to those that call them companion and that follow in their flock. They must provide candid truths not only to praise but also to allow others to see the failings in themselves that must be rectified.
Angels of Power
Kcador, Angel of Righteous Vengeance
Dealing with bringing retribution against the wicked and those that have sinned against the weak, innocent and broken oaths of loyalty and duty. A Priest that has called upon Kcador to be their patron has become an instrument for his vengeance against those that would use their strength for the tyranny of the weak. If such is encountered they will stop at nothing, even the cost of their own life, to bring righteous wrath against such instigators.
Einrod, Angel of Sacrifice
Dealing with the sacrifice of oneself, spiritually, physically but calmly, with dignity and no mention of such action for the benefit of others. A Priest that has called upon Enirod to be their patron has taken up their duty take upon themselves a level of responsibility for others in that they are willing to take the burden of others quietly and reasonably without thought for themselves.
Korgoron “The Inferno”, Angel of War
Dealing with battles fought in accordance to the rules of warfare in a just and noble cause in the defence of the land to which vows of defence and obedience have been sworn. A Priest that has called upon Korgoron to be their patron is expected to learn the ways of the Battle Lord, becoming a warrior, a general for Tiberius to fight battles in his name and to ensure that those who serve under him follow in accordance with his laws.
Jastith, Angel of Daring
Dealing with acts of heroism and daring that place one’s life in danger for the sake of saving another or standing in defence of that which one is sworn to protect. A Priest that has called upon Jastith to be their patron has an obligation to accept and undertake the most dangerous and difficult of missions in order to primarily defend that which Tiberius is sworn to accept but also to act as an example of such heroism to others, even at the cost of one’s own life.
Tage, Angel of Loyalty
Dealing with the aspects of never wavering oaths, companionship and friendships that go beyond spoken values. A Priest that has called upon Tage to be their patron is now responsible for the placing of binding oaths and ensuring that those that have agreed to them are worthy of the blessings of Tage. Should those chosen by the priest be unworthy then they may face retribution.
Galinth, Angel of the Smith
Dealing specifically with the crafting of weapons and armour to be used against the foes of Tiberius. A Priest that has called upon Galinth to be their patron has taken up their duty to arm and armour those of faith. They have responsibilities to produce equipment of the highest kind to aid in the battles and wars that will be fought in His name and glory.
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
Known Powers
Crafting, Maintenance and Pride in Ones Work
Allied Powers
Tiberius, Lekrik, Janqtil
“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 Power Lekrik
Known Powers
Strength, Physical Conditioning and Resistance
Allied Powers
Tiberius, Kordred, Janqtil
“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
Known Powers
Strength, Physical Conditioning and Resistance
Allied Powers
Tiberius, Lekirik, 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.
Holly Goodall
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