Blades of Solaris Church

At the top of the chain are the four Equerries, the voices of the Saint. Each one repersents a blade of Solaris, and speaks with the voice of that sword. They manage the entirety of the churches outlook, and can change its very outlook by their votes. To become an Equerry requires a near lifetime of service dedicated to one of the Blades, and to then be voted in by the cardinals of the church.

Beneath the Equerries are the Cardinals, high stationed Priests who are in charge of the worship of entire regions. Some are in charge of multiple churches, others manage regions without structures of worship - a few Cardinals reside in the Lordless Lands in attempts to spread the faith, and a few even in the Hastlands or in secret in Ilmora.

The hands of the Cardinals are Deacons. Though they technically have the same sway as a Vicar would, Deacons are the mouths and voices of the Cardinals they repersent often have their seal - granting them a pseudo rank above the Vicars. There are a few handfuls of Archdeacons, deacons dedicated to the Equerries. These are similar in statue to a Vicar but are under the direct leadership of an Equerry. This grants them sway above even an Cardinal, though this isn't official power.

Vicars lead churches, missions, and are the general priests. There are thousands of Vicars, some working out of village halls and others from real churches. Working under them are Aspirants and Rectors. Aspirants look to become Vicars and above, often young folk. Rectors are those content to assist the church, and do not seek training or to gain rank.

Outside of the church but still very much connected are the Blade Keepers, the militant arm of Solaris. Their organization has sway in the church, their knights and paladins are dedicated holy warriors who guard the property of the church and join on expeditions.

The Blade Keepers exist outside the structure of the church, they are not beholden to the whims or orders of even the Equerries though they often do out of shared respect.

The Blade Keepers have the highest rank of Chaplain-Marshall, the head of their order spends most their time in politics - sending the dedicated on expeditions and keeping the peace with the guilds and political groups in the kingdoms.

Those that lead expeditions are called Knight Priors, they are the ones whose organised force is approved and until the end of an expedition or assignment hold the rank. Any who submits their request to the Chaplain-Marshall and has it accepted takes the rank until their task completed.

Those not leading an expedition or currently training, are Knight Keepers, the generic rank of soldier and paladin within the order.

Finally, those who just joined also take the title of Aspirant until they've done enough tours to be considered a Keeper.

The church in particular offers a united view on the teachings of the god Solaris and his weapons. From understanding of the exterior planes done by Requiems universities, it seems as though - mostly - the church operates with the blessings and permission of the god himself. This led them to the general belief that their worship is the correct worship, something often at odds with the very teachings or views of their deity.

An important part of the churches culture is Expeditions. These are functionally missions and pilgrimages, taken by members of the church at the approval of Cardinals, to perform some task the church believes to be valuable. Those within the structure of the church believe and preach that these expeditions are holy acts similar in nature to those taken by the previous saints and even Solaris himself. They do not push for all the faithful to partake, but often place emphasis on the goodness of these trips.

Expeditions are approved by Cardinals, with funding pulled from the various branches run by said cardinals to pay for supplies and staff. These trips can range from Expeditions of Recovery to find lost relics, Expeditions of Healing to assist with diseased or injured populations, or Expeditions of Restoration where the members of the church will go and assist in places that had been ruined by disaster to repair and rebuild places. These are the most common, but the one most referred to in the public space for its violence are Expeditions of Exorcism. These are far less common than other kinds and often smaller expeditions, but their size and violent design have drawn public perception and criticism.

Expeditions of Exorcism see members of the church seeking to remove cults, undead threats, and demonic incursions. Often these are issues directly effecting a church, though in some cases they may be further out than one would expect. These expeditions are funded by the church, with men at arms either hired or requested from the Blade Keepers who sign on under contract. Armed, with their own supply logistics, and in the company of the church - they are strange sights that aren't often approved. This seems to be less because of the churches disdain for violence and more for the political ramifications of armed religious forces on constant crusade.

Notably, Expeditions of Exorcism that leave the borders of Requiem must do so with Crown permission thanks to the churches ties to the government and may only do so for a limited time period before they return.

The church of the Blades of Solaris would rise to promince in the years following the fall of the pale elves. As the god Solaris gifted his swords of sentient make to his chosen, his Saints, word spread of the divinity of the new being. Worship began, centered around the 4 Saints at first who imparted the knowledge within their very swords to the masses before beginning their pilgrimages across the ruined lands to help in their own ways. Behind them were congregations, flocks of the devout. They learned from the Saints, and from those closest to them - the Equerries of the Swords. Each equerry were the Saints loyal advisors, listeners, and the ones they trusted to tend the flock following them. Some Saints saw this as a privilege to lead, others as an annoyance to be managed.

As each saint travel, some were left behind by choice or on accident. These faithful would raise the first churches throughout the eastern lands of the realm that would be Requiem and parts of Vanreth. These churches would begin as independent operations, but during the Great Reclamation they would be folded into the grander church.

During this time the first clerics and paladins would arise from the flocks, given reverance and placed in roles as healers or staunch defenders of faith. Many would form a core of "Blade Keepers" who would set forth Crusades, or as refered to now "Expeditions" often accompanied by the reason of their formation. "Expeditions of Exorcism" for the removal of undead, "Expeditions of Retrieval" for recovery of holy artefacts, and "Expeditions of Recruitment" for those looking to bring more into the faith. These Blade Keepers would eventually become the churches militant arm, an entity close to but separate from the main foundations of the church itself.

As Requiem began to form and the expeditions set out and recruited more and more, the king Lyfelde would approach the Saints and offer a grand temple within the city of the Hilt. In return, he asked that the followers of Solaris be made known that Requiem was a kingdom founded by one who had fought with the now god.

It was eventually agreed upon, and the Church of Solaris, also known as the Temple of Elevation, would be created within the Hilt over the old Temple of the Lanousse. Blessed by the 4 saints, and with a place of permanent worship, the church began to lay its foundation as a true organisation. The equerries of the Saints were appointed, one each, to lead the church in their stead as the saints continued their pilgrimages, expeditions, communions, and worship. As the years continued, the Blades of Solaris would form an intricate structure around the Equerries, and eventually reconnect with the temples formed on the great expeditions of old.

The Blades preach a belief in life above all else, that one should strive to defend the life of the mortal man and their dignity. Love, life, defence, and mercy are the primary tenets of the church. Above all, the safety of the mortal people are to placed above everything. A person should heal the sick if they can, help those who need it, and defend from threats material and immaterial.