Rust & Heme

According to the Rust Brothers, the raven that led humankind to Ravenland was made of iron and the snake of wood – gifts to humankind so they could make tools and weapons and thus dominate their world. It is the materials, rather than the animals, that are divine. Humankind must, like iron, be worked and purified and tempered in order to reach their conviction, while the uninitiated are pieces of raw iron ore and the heretics the slag that must be removed. Iron is power and might, while wood is life and disease.   The Rust Brothers call the Protector god Rust and his wife Heme. They worship rusty idols and crude wooden figurines that represent the gods. The figurines are roughly hewn and cannot be too detailed because that would be an insult to the perfect form of the gods. The Brothers spread their word throughout the villages and help the faithful, while those who doubt are converted by force. The church leads the restless dead away from the villages to shape them into servants or soldiers. If the gods are to protect mankind, they preach that the gods Rust and Heme must be appeased with tribute in the form of food, silver and human sacrifice. It is a known fact that villages which do not pay tribute to the church suffer misgrowth and other misfortunes.   The Rust Lord Kartorda is the current leader of the Rust Brothers. The high priests of the church are often Misgrown, twisted by Zytera’s demonic magic. Sometimes they wear masks to conceal especially horrifying attributes, but often these deformities are displayed openly. Many have additional body parts from some other entity since melding is part of their ordination: an extra eye, an extra limb, more fingers. They drape themselves in yellow, red and rust brown cloth that is adorned with rusty iron. Rusty iron is believed to be much more effective against troublesome demons. Often, the Rust Brothers swing rusty metal chains with balls filled with burning coals. They use them both as weapons and as tools in their rituals.   The knightly order known as the Iron Guard is the armed branch of the church, and they answer directly to the Rust Lord Kartorda. The knights often ride animals fused with demonic creatures. They fight against orcs and other enemies, but also perform punitive actions against villages that have displeased the Rust Brothers.   The Rust Brothers despise but tolerate the Congregation of the Serpent, while Raven worshippers are actively persecuted, tormented and executed.   The Sisters of Heme are the female counterpart of the Rust Brothers, but they are less visible at the temples since the church is patriarchal.