The Order of the Ancient Heart

The Order of the Ancient Heart (generally referred to as The Ancient Heart) are a religious order of immense power and influence throughout the world, with their own seat of power being Ville Sainte du Cœur (The Holy City of the Heart). They are devout followers of the deity Gwenaël, whom they believe to be the one true god of all mortals, for they alone answered mortal calls for intervention, manifested in the divine healing powers blessed upon the order for use on any and all who may need it.

Contents

Presence & Influence

The Order of the Ancient Heart maintains a presence throughout much of the world, with official positions within numerous nations, kingdoms, and cities, as well as missionary chapters throughout more distant regions. Their missionary work typically entails a single Évêque (Bishop) seeking to spread the word and work of The Ancient Heart to a region that does not yet have access to their healing abilities. It is considered a prestigious honour to be entrusted with such an assignment, and a great opportunity to further ascend through the order.

Once in place, an Évêque will recruit and train members of the local population, bringing them into the arms of the order, and instructing them in their practices and principles. The size, influence, and success of each mission varies greatly, but continues indefinitely regardless of how little reach they may manage to attain. The most successful missions find a permanent and official place within the region or city, and are able to establish a Chapelle Claret (a.k.a. Claret Chapel, House of Devout Blood). Évêque who succeed in establishing a Chapelle Claret are granted the title of Évêque Claret (Claret Bishop), are able to return to Ville Sainte du Cœur if they wish, and are considered among the candidates for future ascension.

In most civilised cultures, members of the order are afforded safe passage and operation. They operate as neutral entities, offering their divine healing abilities to any and all who require them. Even upon battlefields, where they are often specifically present, they are allowed to move between battle-lines and camps freely, providing aid.

Because of their strict neutral stance and their undeniably unique and valuable abilities, they are often tolerated or even welcomed where other outsiders may not be. Évêque Claret are frequently appointed official positions of council or advisor, respected for their wisdom, temperance, and altruism.

Within 'The City'

The Order of the Ancient Heart has established a small following and place within the Ground Level Residential District of The City, currently under the guidance of Évêque Cyril Durand. Despite being a notoriously insular and isolationist city, the benefits that The Ancient Heart brings have so far been enough to convince the governing bodies of The City to tolerate their continued presence.

The deep-seated wariness of outsiders found in the population, ongoing political tensions surrounding the sanctioned acceptance of an outside faction, and the limited resources available to such a far-flung chapter, have all prevented this chapter from gaining too large of a following so far. Nonetheless, Évêque Cyril Durand and his small group of faithful followers have established themselves as a steady and reliable part of the community.

Hierarchy

At the pinnacle of The Ancient Heart's mortal hierarchies are the four Ascendant Saints; once mortal followers of Gwenaël, now become something more akin to demi-gods through the blessings of Gwenaël bestowed upon them. Each of the Ascendant Saints represent one of the tenets of The Ancient Heart: Life, Death, Faith, and Strength.

Those serving below the saints are divided between two distinct hierarchies; the clergy and the paladin. Those of a higher rank are capable of commanding those below them in either hierarchy.

Clergy

Évêque Claret: Beneath the Ascendant Saints are the Évêque Claret. These bishops have proven their ability and devotion in spreading the influence and care of The Ancient Heart to previously untouched regions, cultures, or settlements. It is these Évêque who are candidates for ascension to sainthood when one of the four roles is vacated.

Évêque: Bishops just the same, but so far unproven in the role. Most earn the more prestigious title and rank by successfully establishing a Chappelle Claret; a permanent place of worship and Ancient Heart operations within a region or settlement. Other ways of earning the promotion include exemplary service in the field (most commonly in treating an epidemic or conflict), important discoveries in theology or archaeology, or in direct service to the standing Ascendant Saints.

Prêtre: The lowest clergy position considered to be officially in service The Order of the Ancient Heart itself, rather than to their respective chapel or chapter house. Not all chapters have Prêtre in service, particularly smaller ones. Prêtre serve as the presiding Évêque's hands, conducting most tasks and services that their leader would on their behalf, but ultimately deferring to their instruction and guidance.

Faithful: Beyond the Prêtre are those considered to be in local service to their chapter, and sometimes referred to collectively as the Faithful. Though often deferred to seniority, the exact hierarchy of these members of The Order is interchangeable and at the discretion of the presiding Évêque, as is whether they even bear any official titles. These members may include those in the following roles and duties, depending on the tenet they follow:

• Matron - Life: Nurses, Administrators, Outreach
• Minister - Faith: Preachers, Missionaries, Community Liaison
• Fossoyeur - Death: Morticians, Embalmers, Gravediggers
• Hands - Strength: Builders, Stretcher-bearers, Errand-runners

Paladin

General: At the top of the Paladin order, reporting directly to the Ascendant Saint of Strength, are the Paladin General. Able to command entire armies of The Order and capable of great feats of divinity in their own right, the Paladin General are among the greatest warriors and strategic minds in Pyalea. With very rare exception, all generals have served in the field as commanders first, and studied extensively the topics of martial strategy, mass medical deployment and coordination, and deescalation methodology.

Commander: The Commander Paladin are responsible for commanding regiments of Knight Paladin, and serve under either a particular General or Évêque Claret. Regiments range broadly in size depending on the location and circumstance. Even a single Knight serving in a chapter with a Commander present is considered a regiment. However, on the battlefield each Commander is officially entrusted with up to one thousand Knights.

Commanders are most commonly promoted from the rank of Knight Paladin, generally after a considerable duration of service or exceptional acts, though in circumstances where a regiment has lost its Commander a less experienced Paladin may be promoted. Though uncommon, some Commanders are former Évêque, transitioning into the tenet of strength, particularly during times of conflict.

Knight: Making up the bulk of the official standing military are the Knight Paladin. Promoted from a lower rank by a Commander, Évêque, or higher, Knights are experienced in the field, either in combat, peacekeeping, battlefield medicine, or all of the above, and trained in advanced martial methods. They may train with a variety of different weapons, equestrian, the more advanced of The Order's divine abilities, or other more specialised skills. They are tasked with commanding and training squires, while still providing the same kinds of services that their recruits do.

Squire/Recruit: Newly recruited Paladin are referred to as a Squire if under the command of a knight or commander, or simply as a Recruit if they serve under a member of the clergy. This generally occurs in smaller chapters that do not have or warrant an official military presence.

With either title, the recruits are trained in martial basics, most commonly in sword and shield, and the simplest and quickest of The Order's healing abilities, along with all the standard doctrine of the faith. They are tasked with keeping the peace, providing physical assistance and triage in emergencies, and any other low-level duties that may be granted to them.

Tenets

Those that join and serve the order typically pledge themselves to follow the path of one of these tenets, for which each Ascendant Saint functions as a patron. While the position of Ascendant Saint is not permanent, they are blessed with a greatly extended lifespan (some even say immortality), so each position has been occupied by the same individuals throughout living memory, with one exception.

The tenet of Strength represents the physical form; our mortal bodies present within our tangible world, and our ability to impact our surroundings on behalf of Gwenaël, and The Ancient Heart. It is embodied wholly by the Paladins of the Order; expertly trained warriors that wield weapons with deadly skill alongside the signature life-saving healing magics of the Order. They pledge to protect the weak and oppressed, and work tirelessly to support the works of the other paths.

The position of the Ascendant Saint of Strength is historically held by the Order’s great generals, warriors, and heroes, who risk life and limb in upholding the values of The Ancient Heart. However, given the physically demanding nature of their work, and their inherently more dangerous role within the order and world, they are generally shorter lived than their counterparts. Unlike the other three, the position of Ascendant Saint of Strength has also been held by humans, who themselves have a drastically shorter lifespan, regardless of the blessings received.

Founding & History

The Order of the Ancient Heart was originally an exclusively elven pantheistic religious group known as The Claret Order, located primarily in the city of Alluval within the elven Luisant Empire. In 2348 PL, under the orchestration of Aldéric the Heart Blessed, the entire city seceded from the empire, pledged themselves in sole service of Gwenaël, and founded The Order of the Ancient Heart. The city was reformed as the city-state of Ville Sainte du Cœur (The Holy City of the Heart), and continues to serve as the headquarters of the order to this day. The city is now vastly larger than it once was, is home to a great variety of peoples (though elves still make up a majority of the population), and is considered one of the great power-centres of the current age.

While the city as a whole sprawls out in all directions beyond the central walls, the main city itself has been shaped to match their divine symbol, and naturally divided into quadrants. Each quadrant is devoted to one the four tenets of their order, and contains the great tower of their respective Ascendant Saint. At the heart of the city, where each of the four quadrants meet, is the great Cathédrale du Saint-Sang (Holy Blood Cathedral) - the true home and heart of the order, resting place of each past divine/ascendant, and bastion of the relic that stands as the foundation of their entire order: The Ancient Heart.

The Ancient Heart Relic

The Ancient Heart itself is said to be the literal beating heart of the deity Gwenaël, torn from his chest by his own hand, and gifted to the mortals of The Claret Order so that they might intervene on his behalf in aid of all those who require it, regardless of station, allegiance, or belief. The initial act is said to have been the event that brought an end to Le Scindere.

The relic is kept deep within the Cathédrale du Saint-Sang, and is considered to be the order’s terrestrial conduit to Gwenaël, blessing them with his divine healing magics.

Holy Symbol & Heraldry

The holy symbol of The Order of the Ancient Heart features The Ancient Heart itself (a divine heart comprised of four smaller hearts, each representing the four tenets of the order) held in the hands of Gwenaël. The hands are presented as either completely white or transparent, symbolising both the purity and the inclusivity of Gwenaël and his gift.

Their heraldic colours are the claret red of the heart, the pure white of Gwenaël, and the glistening gold of their divine healing light. Tabards featuring their symbol and colours are worn by Évêque to denote their position within the order, which generally secures them safe passage and operation within civilised culture.