Breath of the Sun

The Breath of the Sun is an organization of militants dedicated to Tor Elan as the Burning Sun. They focus on his aspect as Lord of Battles. Those that serve here live, fight, and die in the name of the Sun Lord. The center of this cult is the Dawnspire in the mountains above Lyodnoir.

Hierarchy

Leaders

These are of equal standing, although different in role

Ecclesiarch

Chosen from the ranks of the clerics by Tor Elan as his word, the Ecclesiarch is the leader of the Breath of the Sun. The current Ecclesiarch is Horus Manus.

Praecentor of Penance

Chosen from the ranks of paladins and priests, he represents the spiritual and martial arms, focusing inward to the Ecclesiarch's outward orientation. The current Praecentor is Ezykiel of Anu, called Sinderman (Coal-bearer).

Priestly Ranks : Number

1. Cardinal : 4
2. Deacon : 16
3. Abbot : 64
4. Priest : 256
5. Acolyte (trainee) : ~500

Of these, the Ecclesiarch, Praecentor, one of the cardinals, two deacons, 4 abbots, and 16 priests are assigned to the Dawnspire. The acolytes spend some of their time there--the number present at any time is between 40 and 80. There are also support personnel who are not directly members of the Ecclesia, as well as the shrouded sages, oathsworn, and clerics. The latter two categories rarely spend much time at the Dawnspire, although they visit for the High Holy Day in mid-summer and when they are needed to report to the Ecclesia and receive new assignments or other duties.

Each of the cardinals has responsibility over the organization's efforts in a particular area of the world. Each of the four Orders in each cardinal's area is headed by a deacon. Abbots and their staffs handle most of the day-to-day concerns of the Breath of the Sun, overseeing the efforts of priests in the field.

Regions of Operation

The world has been divided into four "regions" or "spheres", and one cardinal assigned to each one. In theory all spheres are equal, but in practice the ranking is as follows:

1. Cardinal of the Spire -- responsible for the functioning of the Dawnspire and its associated works. This post is currently occupied by Ignace Oliten.
2. Cardinal of Lyodanoir and Safehold -- responsible for the operations of the church throughout central Wyrmhold. Its seat is occupied by Eugene Temba (gro'Tabar).
3. Cardinal of Wyrmhold -- responsible for operations throughout the rest of Wyrmhold and the Nocthian Caldera. Occupied by Kor Phaeron (gro'Skem).
4. Cardinal to the Nations -- responsible for operations throughout the rest of the world (although so far the church has not spread much outside the Federated Nations and is rather sparse outside of Wyrmhold itself. This seat is occupied by Maloghust.

Orders

The four orders are

• Teleos -- those responsible for the physical wellbeing of the church. Logistics.
• Anima -- those responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the church. Preachers.
• Magistratus -- those responsible for training acolytes and warriors. Teachers/drill masters.
• Scientias -- those responsible for information gathering and collation. Clerks.

Other Ranks

Shrouded Sage

Equal in rank to a deacon, but dedicated to studying the changes in the world, and keeping records. They keep their identities hidden after they take their oath, typically live in a cloistered section below the Dawnspire. They are always wizards that were chosen from the acolytes that display more talent for the arcane than for the divine. As of 250 AC, there are only 14 active sages, with a few in training.

Oathsworn

At least equal in rank to an abbot, but can be ranked higher. These are the heads of the martial arm and frequently take Oath as paladins. Praecentors of Penance are most frequently chosen from their ranks as the predecessor retires or passes on. There are 58 currently active oathsworn, with approximately 30 squires and 15 retired (usually for medical reasons) members.

Clerics

These act outside the hierarchy, though they answer to the Ecclesiarch directly. The next Ecclesiarch is always chosen from the clerics. They cannot command the priests, but the priesthood generally listens when the clerics take a strong stance. The smallest of the arms, there are only 32 active clerics of all categories.

Description

Every part of the lives of the members of the order, whatever rank they are in the hierarchy, is spent in service to Tor Elan. Every night the temple is ritually cleansed, same with the weapons and armor that were used that day. By tradition, every member present participates in this, from the Ecclesiarch to the rawest acolytes.

Training acolytes that wish to become clerics or paladins involves brutal ritual combat that can and often does result in death. But the dead are treated as one who has fallen in Tor Elan's name, so their name is etched into the outer walls. And many are rejected because they don't have the necessary divine potential--they usually end up in the priestly orders.

Members of Note

Other than the hierarchy:

Leon Corax - Orc. Head of the Magistratus within the Dawnspire, one of the few Oathsworn. Known and feared as the Drill Sergeant by the acolytes, his inside isn't as frosty as his exterior.

Nero Thargost - Hobgoblin. Quick to anger with a fierce fighting style. Wants nothing more than to become an Oathsworn, however is struggling to connect with the spiritual side. Has only lost to one individual since becoming an acolyte. Compensates for a lack of true connection by being more zealous than the zealots. Often quite closed-minded and proud.

Grimaldus Ansgar - A human in his early 50s. Brother to Sigismund. Resident cleric. Was called back to the temple in 248 AC and is in training to replace Horus as the next Ecclesiarch. A master strategist, he is considered unparalleled in defensive tactics in the region of Wyrmhold. Much more of a radical than is the Ecclesiarch.

Sigismund Ansgar- A human in his late 50s. Brother to Grimaldus. Retired Oathsworn. Serves as the deacon of Teleos in the Spire. Believed to be the next Praecentor of penance should something happen to the current docedent. Like his brother, he is considered a master strategist. He, however, is viewed as a master in offensive tactics. there are those who say that a war between Grimaldus and Sigismund would never end, as it would be akin to an immovable object facing an unstoppable force. One of the most radical of the leadership, believing that the Breath of the Sun should take command of Wyrmhold and lead it to glory.

Merek Jurisian - Master of the forge for the Dawnspire. For a dwarf, he is massively built. Looks much younger than he is with a grey and brown beard, often looks almost black from the soot and smoke. His face and right side of his head is covered with terrible burns that disfigured him ages ago, and thus is blind in one of the eyes. Along with overseeing much of the armaments that are made within the holy forge of the Dawnspire, he also oversees the automatons that are assigned to the forge, of which there are now only two. He is viewed as joyous and kind, with strong familial bonds. He often sings while forging the special blades for higher ranking members of the breath of the sun. He believes that the songs he sings give the weapons direction, allowing their spirits to know what their purpose is. One of the rare dwarves to never drink. While not part of the hierarchy, he is a devout believer and is well respected by the members of the order.

Beliefs

The core tenets of the Breath of the Sun are

The Sun is Supreme

Tor Elan is the supreme leader of the Congregation and should be worshiped as such. Other gods have their roles, but all must acknowledge the burning might of the sun, which scorches evildoers and brings life to the righteous.

Bring Light to the Darkness

As the sun's light banishes physical darkness, so the Breath of the Sun should root out corruption, demonic worship, necromancy, and all other forms of unrighteousness.

The Sun Gives Strength to Those Who Fight for Righteousness

Life is a struggle. And for those called to be the Breath of the Sun, the struggle is not figurative. Members should fight with all their might against evil, against creatures or organizations that threaten the weak.

The Sun Will Rise

Just as the sun's rising is unstoppable, so must the march of those that serve the Burning Sun. Let nothing stand in the way of the cause of the Breath of the Sun.

To Each His Measure

The strongest should face the strongest threats, leaving the weaker threats for the weaker servants.