The Church of the Phoenix Flame
Structure
- Sovereign Prophet - At the pinnacle of the church there is the sovereign prophet, Ranon the Phoenix. The original title of sovereign was used to grant the ruler of the empire control over the state, but only the Episcopus and Divinus had control over the Church of the Holy Trinity. In the current era, the title of sovereign prophet gives Ranon dominion over both the church and state giving him unparalleled authority over the empire.
- Cardinals and the 6 Disciples - Cardinals are the religious leaders of the Travenhall Empire. These holy men were chosen from an elite group of former Holy Trinity church leaders who converted to Ranonism. They were granted immortality power glyphs by the Ranon allowing them to serve his needs for all eternity. Cardinals act as an extension of Ranon's authority. Any declarations they make are made as if they came from Ranon himself. Cardinals mostly only deal in church affairs that involve the entire empire and delegate regional matters to their arch-bishops. The 6 Disciples are immensely powerful individuals who act as Ranon's personal guards as well as his top ranking knights. Though these 6 men and women have more authority than any other nobility in the empire, they rarely ever have to use it. They typically only use their authority to carry out missions given to them by Ranon. These missions can involve anything from overseeing the construction of new regions to slaying minor false deities.
- Archbishops and the Ruling Body of a Region - Archbishops are high ranking church officials that oversee matters of the church within the larger regions of the empire. Each archbishop has equal authority to the chosen ruling body of the region he is assigned to; however, they typically only use this authority for matters within the church's jurisdiction. Archbishops are nominated and elected by the bishops of a region and are given orders by the cardinals. It can be difficult to pin down how much authority a ruling body of a region has, for every region's ruling body is chosen by the region's nobility. Some regions are ruled by monarchs while others are ruled by elected officials. In most cases, whatever style of governent is in charge of a region has at least as much power as the archbishop if not just a tad bit more.
- Bishops - Bishops are the religious leaders of smaller regions or delegates chosen to aide the archbishop in leading larger regions. Bishops typically oversee matters that pertain to large ministries within a single large city or act as the religious advisers to dukes and other high ranking nobles. In addition to this, bishops also are the highest ranking military authority within the Wings of the Phoenix in a given region. Though archbishops are technically their superiors, matters that involve the mobilization of the Wings of the Phoenix do not need archbishop approval giving bishops nearly free reign over their army. However, the ruling body of bishop's region may protest any military activity initiated from a bishop if said activity would put their region's citizens in unnecessary danger.
- Knight Commanders - Knight commanders are the second highest ranking authority within the Wings of the Phoenix answering only to the bishops. Though bishops are the generals of a given force, it is the knight commanders who most often lead the charge. Knight commanders are often extremely capable warriors that have proven themselves against some of the most dangerous foes the Great Beyond has to offer. Armed with church issued weaponry, armor, and flame power glyphs, knight commanders are a force to be reckoned with.
- Priests - Priests are holy men who are typically in charge of overseeing the religious needs of smaller settlements and hamlets. Priests spend the majority of their time leading sermons and worshiping Ranon; however, these men are also trained exorcists that are called upon by the Wings of the Phoenix when a more spiritual threat plagues their home. In some rare cases, priests lead the charge against supernatural threats that dare try to harm their flock.
- Knight Captains - Knight Captains are low ranking officers within the Wings of the Phoenix that command small units of men ranging from 3 to 30 men. Should a supernatural threat from the Great Beyond show itself, knight captains are often sent with a certain number of knights depending on the regions tax revenue to combat said threat. Knight captains are armed with church issued flame empowered weapons as well as a full harness of plate armor.
- Phoenix Knights - Phoenix knights are the lowest ranking members of the church. Armed with church issued armor and mundane weapons, these brave men serve as the bulk of the church's army against the onslaught of the Old Gods and the Great Beyond. Phoenix knights are often sent to guard trade caravans carrying caravan crystals.
Public Agenda
- Rule the empire.
- Root out all cultists and force the old gods down from the heavens to destroy them.
- Protect the people of the empire from the ongoing onslaught of supernatural threats from the Great Beyond as well as the anger of the Old Gods.
Assets
The entire combined power of the empire.
The light of the Phoenix overcomes all.
Type
Geopolitical, Theocracy
Alternative Names
The Phoenix Sovereignty, The Wings of the Phoenix
Demonym
Ranonites
Leader
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
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