The Firelight Order

Even with New Valyria founding itself on the ideals of a freedom of faith for its citizens, there was unavoidable tension to be found in the followers of R'hllor due to the great schism. This, along with the return of the church of the old Valyrian gods led to a period of uncertainty and tension before the influential figures of the 3 Churches, the Senate and the Military came together to unite the New Valyrian people.   After a long time discussing and the 3 churches finding some common ground in their beliefs, The Firelight Order was established, a religious order managed by a leader chosen by the Senate with 3 branches representing the 3 faiths for the devout to join. The Flame branch of the traditional church of R'hllor is represented by their traditional dark red colours, The Ash branch of the Phoenix Reformation is represented by grey mixed with red and the Magma branch of the Old Valyrian church is represented by black with red.   The Order receives funds and support by the Churches and in turn helps spread their influence across Essos, however the churches have no direct influence over the Order as they aren't officially part of New Valyria and were blocked by the Senate and Military who sought to keep the order as a Valyrian asset. The Order has the purpose of training specialists in different areas that can in turn benefit Valyrian society, immediately upon it's creation, it brought many beggars and orphans in alongside the faithful who joined it's ranks to give them opportunities to make something of themselves.   Each Branch in the order has a single unified ranking structure for it's members, though typically higher ranking members don't have authority over lower ranks of other branches (excluding the Archon and the 3 Branch Masters) unless it is relevant for a mission or an emergency.  

General Positions

Initiate

The faithful who pledge themselves to the Order become Initiates, outer members of the Order with no real ties to it. Initiates must go through a mandatory education, learning how to read and write, theology for the 3 churches and introduction courses to assess their skillsets and talents. Only after completing this can they formally advance down 1 of 2 paths; Combat and Auxiliary. Initiates cannot be under 12 years old, the children taken in by the Order start their basic education from a younger age, but work as servants until they come of age.

Pilgrim

Pilgrims aren't officially members of the Order, but faithful devotees of the religion of the 3 branches who come from foreign lands to join New Valyria, or from other parts of New Valyria itself to the areas the Order holds influence. The Order can provide the Pilgrims a place to stay and introduce them to new work and housing opportunities.

Abbot

Abbots are the stewards who manage the affairs of individual locations on behalf of the Order. They're usually semi retired members of the Combat or auxiliary paths who have diplomatic and social skills and can be trusted to handle the members of the 3 branches impartially. Though if someone shows a high degree of talent in leadership, they may be offered an Abbot position from a younger age.  

Combat Ranks

Acolyte

An initiate going down the combat path will have to take the Acolyte's pledge to formally become an Acolyte. An Acolyte will choose to serve under a Warden or Warrior and will have a similar role as a Squire. They will serve their mentor until they have learned sufficient skills to advance further. This can take anywhere from a couple of months to years.

Peace is a lie, the flame of conflict burns eternally.
Through the fire, there is faith.
Through faith, there is the divine.
Through the divine, we gain strength.
Through strength, our chains are broken.
The fire shall purify this land.

— The Acolyte's Oath

Warden

Wardens are the defenders of the Order. They guard the order's holdings and escort it's non combatants where needed. They typically act defensively and internally in local regions where the Order holds influence.

Sentinel

Sentinels embody the best a Warden can be. They are the leaders and role models of the Wardens and swear an oath to stand firm as the last line of defence, protecting the rest of the Order as they evacuate in times of turmoil. A warden can only become a Sentinel after 5 years of service with flawless conduct, or by earning great merit and having an exception made.

Warrior

The Counterpart to the Wardens, the Warriors are the soldiers of the Order, often working in tandem with the military to bestow judgement on the Order's and New Valyria's enemies. Warriors will mostly act on external campaigns unless there is an emergency.

Crusader

Crusaders are to the Warriors as the Sentinels are to the Wardens. The natural leaders who inspire them to follow and embodying all that a warrior should aspire to be. The conditions for a Warrior to become a Crusader is the same as their Warden and Sentinel counterparts, but due to the nature of the Warriors' duties, there is a greater opportunity to earn great merit and therefore a significantly larger number of Crusaders than Sentinels.  

Auxiliary Ranks

Apprentice

An Initiate going down the auxiliary path will become an Apprentice. Similar to the Acolytes of the combat path and the Apprenticeship bill passed by the New Valyrian Senate, the Order's apprentices will follow the members of the order with higher ranks and experience.

Rector

Rectors are the seekers of wisdom within the Order. They dedicate themselves to learning what they can and in turn using this knowledge to help their faithful communities as well as act as teachers to educate the Initiates and adopted children taken in by the Order. Rectors are the most numerous members of the order and the most commonly seen and dealt with by people.

Sage

The wisest Rectors will go on to become Sages. To be considered a Sage, one must show mastery and true comprehension of a subject. A talented and skilled person can join the Order as an honorary Sage if they show their devotion and are willing to teach their craft to others. Sages are almost always members of the New Valyrian Scholar's Guild

Preacher

Preachers are the theologians of the order, unlike Rectors who pursue more practical knowledge to support their communities, Preachers look outwards, often travelling across the land beyond the Order's borders, challenging the beliefs of foreign religions to spread their branch's faith or to guide the downtrodden and hopeless people of the world to New Valyria to start a new life. It is the existence of the Preachers that have kept the 3 churches supportive, even after the Senate and Military removed their ability to directly influence the order.

Consular

Only the most silver tongued Preachers with a good reputation beyond the Order itself can become a Consular. Consulars are considered the most important members of the common branches of the order because they function as diplomats for the Order, usually accompanying New Valyrian Envoys as part of their entourage.