The Red Church

"The Order of Red"

The Red Church or the Order of Red is one of the three churches known under the moniker the Churches Coven. It is a major church in Eastrix that is present on all of Eastrix, however, it's the biggest and most present on the isle, Manou, specifically in the region of Veridian where it is local religion tied to the city. The church is distinctly known for its almost military structure, but besides that, the church is well known to be an army for hire. The Red Church will often be found present around battlefields, military councils, training encampments and barrackes. Each member has their own rank and their own knowledge of the battlefield but all of them are known to be skilful tacticians and even greater fighters. The Red Church has also fairly new compared to its counterparts in The Churches Coven.

The Red Church was not a distinct entity from the Sect of Tempus until the end of what the church refers to as the Time of Troubles. Mockingly the Church of Killers has called this period the Time of Bitching. At that point, a bigger organization of priests, paladins and monks split off from their parent church, to form a church devoted to the Red Knight as Lord Tempus' brutality had proven to much for them. For decades afterwards, enemies of the Red Church still believed the Red Knight to merely be an aspect of Tempus and Tempurans only barely tolerated their god's dissemination of power, ensuring the church remained relatively small until now. As the Sect of Tempus has become smaller after the removal of the Breaches military sects in Sorashana.

Clergy

The clergy of the Red Knight consists of clerics usually working as smiths, knights, soldiers and strategists. Members of the Red Church serve in the countless wars in different militaries across Eastrix as a form of a privately hired army. The paladins of the Church even go out to serve as strategists, teachers or just standalone soldiers in order to not only spread the work of The Red Knight but also the reputation of the Church. Many say that the toughest and most devoted of The Red Knight's Battalion are downright unkillable.

The clerics of the faith often work as either strategists or smiths penning tomes on military strategy or crafting master grade armour to protect The Red Knight's Battalion. These books have been attributed to be on par with the mighty ancient Drakkin books of old that have been said to grant readers magical abilities. One of the books the Red strategist has written is, Master Tactician, a teaching tool, both in the art of war and in the ways of the Red Knight's secret magic. From books like these kings, queens and other leaders have won the entire battle due to the insightful nature of the books. The Red Knight's Battlelion somehow uses heavy divine magic to analyse their opponents and it's the secret of this that supposedly should be hidden with the book, 'Master Tactian'.

When not on duty, the Red Church are known for their love of gaming. Their preferred game of strategy that sharpened their minds and their ability to read an opponent is chess. The Red Church and the Red Knight favour these games so much that it inadvertently has become the unintended symbol of the Church. A red knight piece from the game now is adorned atop each flag on the Red Churches temples, flying high and proud.

Ranking

Regardless of class, priests of the Red Knight were regimented into a hierarchy with corresponding titles. In ascending order of rank these were:

Page
Squire
Knight
Knight Quartermaster
Knight Commander
Knight Captain
Lord Knight
Lord Knight Commandant
Lord Knight of the Red Standard

Gendered titles like Lord Knight are altered for female incumbents and higher-ranking priests preceded their title with their relative rank within the Knight's faith. So the High Priestess of the faith, could have the title 'First Lady Knight of the Red Standard'. As the clergy and priesthood have grown the ranking system has been changed and perfected to be more fitting. E.g. during the early days of the Red Church, there was no Page rank and there was only one Knight rank. This has been split to better reflect the many members of the church. Some roles appear less frequently within the church than others. E.g. there is currently only 4 Lord Knights of the Red Standard, whilst there is 57 Lord Knight Commandant.

The Dogma of The Church

The dogma for the Red Church goes as follows:

"A Knight in the name of Lady Strategy is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, wise in every corner of his mind, for a knight's soul is protected by the armour of Red Knights guidance, just as his body is protected by the armour of steel. He is thus doubly armed, with the Tenets of the Red Standard, the wisdom of battle and armaments of the Red Knight needs fear neither demons nor men. Follow the wisdom of the Red Knight and guide the armies of war to victory in the name of our Lady Strategy."

Temples

Temples of the Red Knight were dominated with images of chess pieces and the floors were inlaid with a giant lanceboard in white and either black or red and polished to a brilliant gleam by the priests. They were typically guarded by blood red and bone white stone guardians, carved in the shape of various, enormous chess pieces. The temples dedicated to the Red Knight usually works as military institutions as well as churches, so often the churches themselves whilst beautifully decorated also are highly fortified. Where spires on a normal cathedral or churches on a church of the Red Knight there will be forfeited archer towers. Some examples of famous churches in the name of the Red Knight are:

The Red Citadel in Veridian, Tizandre, Manou.
Red Standards Rest in Oscara, Tizandre, Manou.
The Red Liberiaum in Terra, Gretoginia, Manou.
Adamenrent in the Breach, between Libertialia and the Pride Kingdoms, Sorashana.

Temple attire

For ceremonial functions, any member of the Red Church above Squire rank, wore red enamelled half or full plate, often complementing them with ornate, full-face helmets when they wished to convey a grand impression. Over the plate, a snow-white tabard embroidered with the Red Knights holy symbol was worn. For less formal occasions, flowing robes of red-accented were preferred. The shade of red denoted the rank of the wearer - starting at almost black at lower ranks to brilliant crimson at the higher ones.

A holy symbol of the Red Knight is usually carved from semiprecious red gemstone, usually ruby, to reassemble a chess piece that would symbolize their rank. Most ranks are covered by two chess pieces so size would also be a determinant. If you are a page or squire, you would use a pawn as your holy symbol. if you are a knight or knight quartermaster, you would use a rook as your holy symbol. if you are a knight commander or knight captain, you would use a knight as your holy symbol. if you are a lord knight or lord knight commandant, you would use a bishop as your holy symbol. if you are a lord knight of the red standard, you would use a queen as your holy symbol. Only the Red Knight herself should have been said to use the king piece as her symbol of power. Adventuring members of the Red Church have never been expected to wear red enamelled armour, but simply to wear the highest quality armour they can afford. While not a requirement to keep their armour spotless, almost all did so as a point of pride.

While in the field, strategists were expected to carry a banner or shield with a distinguishing design to serve as a rallying point for their allies. Some chose to simply use the Red Knight's holy symbol for this, but many others used personal coats of arms or insignias. Despite this requirement, holy strategists were not prohibited from removing or concealing their symbols if it would provide some tactical advantage

A quote on the Red Church from Garry Berry Hart, a world-renowned tourist guide:
"The Red Church has become the under belly of war without many knowning, to me they are little too in our red for my taste. What? the war part?! Gods no, that deal is not for me!"

Prayer to the Red Knight

People pray to the Red Knight when they in the face of battle feel lost and don't know what steps to take forward, however they can on many other occasions as well pray to her. These occasions can be anything from the start of a big battle to before a strategy meeting during war times. The prayer of the Red Knight goes as the following:

"Our Lady Strategy, grant me your wisdom, grant me your guidance, grant me your perseverance. I stand at the perils of war and your vision of Red Guidance is required for me to see the Path of War through. I pray to you, to gain your eyes, your mind upon this here day. I pray to thee Lady Strategy, may your horse, Genadorm, your sword, Redrazor, your shield, Wisdoms Wall, be present in my armoury today as I stand upon the trials of battles".

TENETS OF THE RED KNIGHT

A cleric or paladin who devotes themselves to the Red Knight who takes this oath has the tenets of the Red Knight written down on holy purity seals on their armour:

"Guidance. The knights of the Red Knight shall have the strength to prevail, not only when victory lies within easy reach, but even when it seems unattainable when doom settles like a shroud all about. In those times of darkness, the Red Knight's servants will shine the brightest of all. Because it is through the Red Knights guidance that they shall shine bright in the tactics of battle.

Information. They shall be my finest warriors, these soldiers who give of themselves to the Red Knight. Like clay, the Red Knight shall mould them and in the furnace of war, she shall forge them. They shall be of iron will and steely sinew. They shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my knights of the Red Standard...and they shall know no fear.

Perseverance. As our bodies are armoured with the steel of our Lady Strategy, so are our souls are protected with our loyalty to her. As our swords and divinium are charged with death for the Red Knight's enemies, our thoughts are charged with her guidance. As our ranks advance, so does our devotion, for are we, not her utmost loyal servants? Are we not the chosen Lady Strategy? We fight with fearless dedication and precise strikes as her loyal servants unto death."

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Divines