Tag: fantasy

The One True Church of Herotus
Concepts by Dean Martin and Fraser Ronald
Written by Fraser Ronald

The Church—as it is usually called—is based in Bordeleaux, Eresbor. Led by the Patriarch, the Church has a strictly hierarchical structure. Around the Patriarch are the Ecclesiarchs, often called the Princes of the Church. These Ecclesiarchs act as the Patriarch’s representatives to the world as well as working as the Patriarch’s council in Bordeleaux.

The Metropolitans are beneath the Ecclesiarchs. A Metropolitan acts as a leader within a specific geographical region known as a Metropole. Within a Metropole, the Metropolitan is the supreme religious authority. He has the power to act in the name of the Patriarch and is the final arbiter of the religious courts. He is also expected to advise the local secular leaders on matters religious, and to protect the interests of the Church.

Working as the representatives of the Metropolitans in large areas, like cities or a province within a Metropole are the Bishops. These are powerful men within the Church as it is rare that a Metropolitan will leave his palace-sanctuary to venture out into the provinces. As such, the Bishops can act with almost complete independence in the Metropolitan’s name.

The work of the Church is carried out by its Priests. These are men dedicated to the Church who lead congregations, some as large as a massive cathedral, some as small as a village temple. Each Metropole is broken down into geographic districts. The leading Priest of a district is a Deacon.

The beliefs of the Church revolve around Herotus as the creator and final judge of all life. The philosophies of the Church include an emphasis on unquestioning obedience, the use of force in protection of the Church, and the supremacy of the Church to any secular authority. The Holy Knights embody these tenets.

The Lorestaves
Morvia the concept of Dean Martin
Lorestaves Adventures concept by Dean Martin and Fraser Ronald
Written by Fraser Ronald

The Lorestaves was to takes place in Morvia, the default setting for Sword’s Edge Publishing’s Arcane Kingdoms line. In the Lorestaves adventures, the player characters find ancient staves, items forgotten even in legend. These staves have the power to release ancient gods imprisoned by the one god now worshipped, Herotus. The adventures will occur throughout the Divided Duchies.

The Church of Herotus is the accepted religion of the Divided Duchies and most of Morvia. Though the Church accepts magic as its divine right, it categorizes any magic used outside the Church as evil. While many adherents to the Church accept this as fact, folk tradition remains strong in the countryside. Many a village still harbours a hedge wizard, a midwife or a seer. Still, even with this connection to supernatural folk traditions, the common people view magic with unease. While a witch might supply a potion that saves a sick child, that same witch might curse one’s cattle for some imagined slight. Villages might harbour a warlock and request aid of him in times of trouble, but they do not love him or his craft.

The nobility and rulers are no different. Magic is powerful, and if one can harness such power to one’s own ends, so much the better. But like the common people, the nobility retain a reactionary fear of magic. While the sorcerer is a potent weapon, he can turn on one. Some might believe the Church’s doctrine that all magic outside the confines of the Church is linked to evil. Some might not care.

Though practitioners of magic may find themselves the target of abuse or perhaps even violence, there are powers in the world that protect and nurture users of magic. The greatest of these holds the title of the Magus. There is only one Magus, one master wizard, and that individual resides in the massive fortress of Highstone. When the Church gained prominence, it launched a crusade that crashed against the walls of Highstone. The Magus stood forth and laid waste the land for leagues. Armies died. Never again was Highstone assailed. Usually a Magus will choose a successor, a powerful wizard of strong character and deep loyalty, who will take up the title when the master passes. Should a Magus pass without an heir, there is no mechanism to choose or elect a new master. Such times are dangerous. At this time, Nicodemus Magus rules in Highstone, sheltering and teaching users of magic.

Background
The legends say that in ages past, nine great demon lords threatened to plunge all the world into darkness. Herotus entered Morvia to save this world and its people from the terror of the demons. Twelve great kings of men, the mightiest warriors alive, swore themselves to Herotus. As a symbol of their bond, they carried greatswords, forged in the heavens and each etched with the name of a demon lord. These virtuous knights led the armies of righteousness against the evil hordes amassed by the demon lords. Their holiness made these knights invincible.

At last, these knights, sworn to Herotus, faced the nine demon lords of the outer void in a great battle lasting 108 days. By the grace of Herotus, his knights triumphed, slaying the corporeal forms of the demon lords. Herotus gave his champions long lives, but all men pass. Almost a century after their great victory, Herotus’ knights died, all on the same day, a day without sun.

On the night of their deaths, the priests of Herotus took the swords of the knights. These holy blades were placed in the temple of the Holy Mount, where legend insisted Herotus handed down the blades to his chosen knights. The bodies of the knights were likewise interred on the hallowed ground of the Holy Mount. Due to its reputation as both the resting place of the knights and their storied swords, the temple grew in size, wealth and importance.

Soldiers, commoners and knights came from all over the world to live at or near the temple, to protect the relics of the chosen knights of Herotus. These guards formed the Blessed and Loyal Military Order of the Holy Mount, now known in the Divided Duchies as the Knights of the Holy Mount, or the Holy Knights. Only 100 knights are accepted into the order, and one may only advance to become a knight on the death of knight. One may become an Initiate of the Order, but not a knight.

While legends insist that the bodies of the holy knights and their swords remain in the Temple of the Holy Mount, there are no tombs and no swords. There have not been in living memory. The One True Church of Herotus tells of a prophecy that without the swords in the hands of the Church, the demon lords will return and destroy all the world. The Knights of the Holy Mount believe evil minions of the demon lords stole the swords more than a century ago, intending to pave the way for the return of their masters. Scholars believe they have unlocked some of the secrets of the swords’ whereabouts in the writings of the 23rd Abbot of the Blessed Order. He wrote that the minions of the demon lords could not destroy the swords, but hid them, disguising them as simple staves.

For almost fifty years, the Knights of the Holy Mount have searched for these staves, hoping to return them to the temple, where they will once again be revealed as the weapons forged in the heavens, weapons to protect Morvia from the ravages of the demon lords.

This is what the Church of Herotus claims. This is not, however, the truth. Many in the Church, including the Abbot of the Blessed and Loyal Military Order of the Holy Mount, know this story is false. They know the truth about the staves and about the ancient gods, but through faith, belief or self-interest, they have hidden the truth from the world at large.

The truth is that Herotus was once a lesser power. He seduced other lesser immortals, minor deities and demigods, to aid him in overthrowing the ruling pantheon. They schemed and lurked and undid what good the gods offered those beings in their care. Finally, the key to vanquishing the Old Gods was offered to Herotus.

Take the gods’ worshippers, and you take the gods’ power.

Into the world came the one called the Wanderer, the Divine Voice and the Shining Prophet. The Wanderer brought word of the One True God—Herotus. Herotus would protect the world from the evils of those demons who masqueraded as the divine. The priests and adherents of the Old Gods disputed the Wanderer, some even fought him, but the Wanderer could not be dissuaded, could not be harmed, and his magic always proved more powerful. The world turned from the Old Gods and soon Herotus became the One True God.

Herotus is a jealous and paranoid god. Soon after he defeated the Old Gods, he destroyed those deities who supported him and were powerful enough to threaten him. The others, he bound to him, using magics that could easily destroy worlds. He feared the return of the Old Gods. He did not know if he had succeeded in destroying them or if he had merely weakened them. Should those Old Gods return, Herotus did not believe he could conquer them again. He strove to ensure they would never return.

The world changed. The Church hunted down those who used magic and burned them as heretics. Only those within the Church could perform magic without fear of reprisal. Rather than offering magic to its adherents, the Church jealously guarded it, sometimes offering it for the use of powerful nobles or kings. The people still turned to their village witches, but those witches had to tread softly. If word reached the ears of a priest or loyal adherent of the Church, that witch would likely find herself at the stake. She could expect no trial and she could expect no mercy.

What no one knew then was that the Wanderer was Incarnos, a Deva—a guardian spirit of the Old Gods. He had seen the suffering of age and disease and wished to save the world from such pain. He had believed this was a curse of the Old Gods. For centuries he studied the Planes of Reality, seeking an answer to his dilemma. Herotus found him, promising to release Morvia from the bondage of the Old Gods. Incarnos believed him, and helped him turn the world against the Old Gods.

He quickly learnt Herotus had lied to him.

Trapped in an immortal body, devoid of his powers, Incarnos walked the world. With the same diligence with which he had planned the downfall of the Old Gods, he sought some way to contact them, perhaps release them. Why had they not stood against Herotus? Why had they proved so weak?

Finally, Incarnos has learnt the truth, but Herotus—and the Church sworn to him—does not wish this knowledge to survive. The Church has sent its hounds to find Incarnos and kill the unkillable. Incarnos, though, cannot release the Old Gods. Only mortals may. The secrets are trapped in enscorceled staves created at the dawn of time—the Lorestaves. The Knights of the Holy Mount, sent out to find Incarnos and the staves, believe he is an evil minion of demon lords and that the staves hold the key to finding the lost weapons of the holy knights.

The Lorestaves – Prelude

by Fraser Ronald and Dean Martin

Almost a thousand years ago, Humankind had found civilization. City-states had risen to offer protection to the people. Philosophers and poets began to formulate logic and art. In this, the Old Gods had a hand. Led by the Al-Pater and Danu, the Encompassing Mother, the Old Gods walked the lands, involved in Humanity, in the achievements of man.

Then came the one called the Wanderer, the Divine Voice and the Shining Prophet.

The Wanderer brought word of the New God. The world turned from the Old Gods and soon the New God became the True God. The world changed. Magic, once a realm of science and philosophy, became a cauldron of superstition. The priests of the True God lacked the spells of healing and life that had nurtured fragile Humanity for so many centuries. As magic was denied them, the religious powers denied it. Kings and princes followed the dictates of the religious masters. Wizards and sorcerers became bogeymen and scapegoats. Those who had aided the sick and wounded, who had protected the seeds of the farmer, who had dispensed justice and shielded the weak were turned from their homes. Some burned, some hid, many died.

Only in one place did the old learning survive. In Highstone, the Magus survived. The master of the arcane arts created a sanctuary for those magic touched and a college for those who wished to learn the lost sciences. Soon after the coming of the True God, a crusade crashed against the walls of Highstone. The Magus laid waste the land for fathoms. Armies died. Never again was Highstone assailed.

Slowly, even in Highstone, knowledge of the Old Gods disappeared, hidden in dusty scrolls and ancient legends.

What none knew was that the Wanderer was Incarnos, a deva—a guardian spirit of the Old Gods. He had seen the suffering of age and disease and wished to save Humanity from this. He had believed this was a curse of the Old Gods. For centuries he studied the Planes of Reality, seeking an answer to his dilemma. The New God found him, promising to release Humanity from the bondage of the Old Gods. Incarnos believed him, and helped him access the world. He quickly learnt this New God had lied to him.

Trapped in an immortal body, devoid of his powers, Incarnos walked the world. With the same diligence with which he had planned the downfall of the Old Gods, he sought some way to contact them, perhaps release them. Why had they not stood against the New God? Why had they proved so weak?

Finally, Incarnos has learned the truth, but the New God—the True God—does not wish for any knowledge of the Old Gods to survive, even in the mind of one. His hounds seek to find Incarnos and kill the unkillable. Incarnos, though, cannot release the Old Gods. Only mortals may. The secrets are trapped in 10 staves created at the dawn of time—the Lorestaves.

—

Above was to be the introduction to a series of modules based around the concept of finding the Lorestaves and releasing the Old Gods. This entire cycle of adventures would have in turn been an introduction to the Divided Kingdoms, a campaign setting by Dean Martin.

Those who have followed Sword’s Edge Publishing from its founding in 2004 will recognize Dean Martin as one of the company founders. He has since moved on to pursue a career in law enforcement, and the development of the Lorestaves and the Divided Kingdoms screeched to a halt. Not even the first module was completed.

However, rather than let the work done during development go to waste, Sword’s Edge Publishing will host it as part of our now barren Arcane Kingdoms line. The introductory materials, the module and the rough maps will all be hosted here, as will fiction that was originally written to support the release of the modules. Only the first chapter was ever completed, and this will be broken into bite-sized chunks and posted here.

I hope that you enjoy this little peek at what could have been, and I hope that there is something useful in all this for your own campaigns.