Holy Scripture [Archive] - Wizards Community

Holy Scripture [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Azezel
11-28-06, 05:03 AM For my cleric of Joramy (Neutral Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes and Anger), I need some holy scripture.

What would her holy book be called?

Suggest some proverbs, quotes and prayers etc from it. Things my cleric can quote.
Lyinginbedmon
11-28-06, 08:16 AM I'm coincidentally just getting around to writing the holy book and info for a homebrew (And false, no less) religion in my campaign world, and I can say that looking at other religions (Be they real-world or fictional, like Douglas Adams, the Cult of Foamy, or the Ori) is very useful for inspiration.

For example, I started out having the religion (Zakia) be a minor thing that a BBEG was using to keep the populace of his newly conquered nation (Via politics, rather than actual fighting) sedate and compliant. Then the BBEG was deposed by a revolution involving the PCs. As far as anyone was concerned, that was the end of Zakia. I laid down the founding principles of Zakia when the party had to infiltrate a sermon to blow up the church.

So, I set up lines for another campaign (After our present one), that delves more deeply into Zakia, which the BBEG then uses in an attempt to coup the country and take over again. So, before he chased the party in another section of the planet, I had him visit the surviving Zakian priests and followers and give them holy texts, scriptures, and instructions on what to do in his absence, saying that he would return in a blaze of glory to lead them on a crusade against the evil of the world. He then promptly teleports out, leaving the commoners and low-level clerics to believe he just ascended to a higher plane in preparation for his glorious return. As a result, over the 14 weeks involved in our present campaign, the followers gathered more members and gradually crafted a larger and more and more powerful group.
Then the BBEG and his 2 friends returns, and seeing how the group has grown, starts really pouring the heat on. They establish rituals (With the BBEG sticking behind the lines) and customs and miracles so that the clerics persist believing in them and they grow even more, especially now that the 2 prophets (Lord Chortle the Grand Seer and Lord Shadow the Holy Ghost) have appeared as heralds and teachers for the return of Lord Alabaster the Truly Righteous.

They also managed to slip in a mix of the symbols composing the party's adventuring guild's logo into their mythology as the leaders of the great darkness, a religious event whereby evil will attempt to wipe out good in a holy war. As a result, Lord Alabaster shows up after long enough in the shadows and declares the coup attempt, during which the PCs must fight the very innocent albeit naive clergymen.

I'll include my work so far on Zakia below.History
Zakia was first seen on Einderseod in the country of Beldor during the brief rulership of Lord Alabaster Bronislav (Who was later deposed in a revolution). He introduced it to the people of Beldor as a means of removing the fractures caused by multiple religions and in the hopes of joining his subjects together in peace, thereby eliminating crime and evil in his lands.
Once he was deposed, Zakia fell out of use almost instantly. The churches were returned to their original states, the followers re-inducted, and the laws reversed (Allowing other religions to be followed). However, small groups of people still remained in Beldor that followed the religion set down by Lord Alabaster. They would gather secretly in dark alleyways, taverns, and inn rooms to keep the spirit of Zakia alive.
Prior to his leave of Einderseod to follow the leaders of the revolution (The Dead-Nick Squad) into the dark waters of Mizu Omi, Lord Alabaster left holy writings and texts with the small groups and instructed them to gather more followers in preparation for his return. He then promptly used his arcane magics to convince the clerics that he had gone to a higher plane, and that his return would, presumably, mean that he had ascended to a deific level of existence. The clerics set to work almost immediately.
They began by establishing a cathedral location in a cave a few miles outside of the Beldor city walls, where the Guards held no jurisdiction and no-one without direct knowledge would be able to find them. They converted the cave to the specifications left by their Lord Alabaster (Now known as “Lord Alabaster the Truly Righteous”), and began carefully drawing others into their circle. By the time Alabaster returned to Einderseod 14 weeks later, the small and inconsequential congregation had blossomed into a full on religious movement of over a hundred supporters.
Returning to the scene of his religion, Alabaster hid in the background and allowed his friends, “Lord Chortle the Grand Seer” and “Lord Shadow the Holy Ghost”, to act as his prophets. Lord Shadow quickly became the group’s vision of death incarnate, whilst Lord Chortle became their holy prophet.
They divulged that to fully embrace Zakia meant that containing evil in ones own body meant nothing to such forces, that holding a dark being inside of them was an inconsequential thing that would have no effect. Consequently, several of the most devout members of the clergy were implanted with Tsochari whilst unconscious and numbed with Sannish drug placed in their evening meals and proclaimed as “Righteous” members, showing that they were completely unharmed and unaffected by the creatures’ influences. However, the prophets also conversely proclaimed that the appearance of the Tsochari inside their ministers was a sign that evil still lurked in the land, and that until all other evils were eradicated Zakia could never truly be profoundly understood.
And so the clergy began processions and drives to bring more into the path of Zakian belief, in the hope that in the process evil would be eradicated and the world would be at peace for eternity, in the wake of the return of Lord Alabaster.

Portfolio
Valour, Chivalry, Retribution

Domains
Community, Force, Inquisition, Law, Purification

Cleric Training
Those looking to join a Zakian flock must be willing to cast everything aside in the name of peace and loyalty to Lord Alabaster.
After at least 9 weeks of honouring Zakian beliefs and values, the most devout of clerics may be taken as hosts for a coerced Tsochar. This is done as the cleric sleeps after being discretely given Sannish poison, which numbs the pain of the Tsocahr’s entry into their body. These members are known as Righteous Ones, as the evil creature in them is a sign that their bodies are of great purity, and thus great interest to evil beings. The presence of a Righteous One is a mixed omen for Zakian clergy, as it shows that their congregation is being given great interest by the prophets, whilst it also shows that evil is present in the same region. Righteous Ones are treated as high members of a clergy, above both normal worshippers and clerics but below the prophets, similar to a Bishop in other religions.
After becoming a Righteous One, a cleric of Zakia has little possibility of promotion within the congregation. However, a very small select few are sometimes taken up as hosts for Lord Alabaster to divulge information from his great place in the land beyond (This is often done by Alabaster with a magic jar spell, the victims often believe they have briefly seen the land Alabaster inhabits: a dazzling place of crystalline perfection and beauty, where many unique crystals form one wondrous whole). These members are seen as holy relics, and their Tsochari are removed in a long ceremony wherein the creature is removed and taken away to be smote by the fires of purity (In reality, this is an illusion and the Tsochar is instead used again to inhabit new Righteous Ones. During the ritual, the member is implanted with a Necrotic Cyst to allow the prophets to maintain control over them). These members are proclaimed as Holy Ones, and whilst they remain in the same section of the Zakian hierarchy, they are often given greater preference over other Righteous Ones.

Quests
There are few times that Zakian clerics will go on quests personally. Often a member of the congregation with levels in Paladin will be sent, they being far more adept at surviving the onslaughts of an intolerably diseased world.
Quests taken upon paladins of Zakia often include the removal of an evil group or monster, as well as the consequent preaching of the beliefs of Zakia to the non-believers present. If at all possible, every paladin attempts to start a congregation, however small, of Zakian believers wherever they go if one does not exist already. If such a gathering is already present, they will usually attempt to increase its numbers before returning to their clergy.
In quests requiring additional power, paladins will be partnered with a cleric, or more rarely, a Righteous One or Holy One, who offers religious guidance to the paladin and their charges and aids the paladin whenever possible.

Prayers
Zakian prayers often involve distinct imagery or metaphors, and most will reference Lord Alabaster or the prophets in some way. A very popular prayer is used when approaching a great ordeal and reads “Hallowed is Zakia, as evil shall not stand in its wake, for the lands of Zakia are eternally at peace”. Other examples include:
“The power and greatness of Zakia cannot be denied”
“Blessed are those who walk in unison”
“Truth is elusive to those who refuse to see with both eyes opened”
“From one, all will learn”
“The evil’s presence in the world shall be unmistakable, for it shall be seen in the clergy of Zakia itself”
“Loyalty, Order, and Devotion. Thus are written the principles of Zakia”
“And the Lord of the Truly Righteous was raised up high, and vanished to his realm of tranquillity, where the followers of Zakia shall one day follow”
“Given to those who have conquered their inner demons, the Righteous Ones”
“Those that channel the spirit of the Lord Alabaster shall be granted miracles”
“And on that day, the evil stirred and attacked the Lord, and Zakia was reborn”
“Lessons of days gone by teach us what will come to pass”
“The day will come when the Lord shall shout aloud to his followers and scream the rule of the evil ones has met its end at the blades of the champions of Zakia”

Temples
Understandably the temples and churches of Zakia are concealed and are often constructed inside of naturally occurring caves and caverns, which the clergy see as signs that peace and loyalty can create the most wondrous of sights that devote others to their ways. Prospective members are led blindfolded or unconscious to such temples, so that the enemies of Zakia cannot learn from failed entrants the whereabouts of the temples.

Rites
By far all worshippers await the day that they are taken upon as Righteous Ones, but many more hope that one day they are chosen as Holy Ones. The ceremony that converts a Righteous One into a Holy One is long and arduous, and few supplicants remember anything about it beyond the feeling of intense pleasure and happiness after consuming a holy brew given by one of the prophets (This is created through a mixture of strong wine and the Agony drug). During the ritual, witnessed by other Righteous Ones and a couple of prodigious or prodigal followers, the Tsochar is torn from the Righteous One’s belly and their body is consumed by the purifying fires, revealing a writhing tentacle mass lying beside a completely unharmed Holy One, who’s belly becomes forever emblazoned with the mark of Zakia.
(This is in actuality a mirage arcana spell to create harmless fire, whilst telekinesis removes the Tsochar, spectral hand combined with healing touch cures the damage and removes the wound, with necrotic cyst encysting the victim, whilst bestow curse creates the symbol. Remove disease is also used to prevent addiction to the Agony)
Other ceremonies include the marriage ceremony. In this, both bride and groom are blindfolded and not allowed to see each other until the ceremony begins its final phase. Prior to this, the bride and groom are both given a dose of Liquid Pain (With a clerical casting of remove disease to prevent addiction), which causes them to feel extreme pleasure and appear and act more graceful and beautiful. This is enhanced by the elaborate robes and dress-wear the couple adorns for the final phase. In the final phase of the marriage ceremony, the couple walk down the aisle to the sound of all their friends and family singing their selected song, with the fires of purity burning vigorously and the waters of tranquillity flowing gracefully as they walk (Produced through use of bardic mirage arcana (For the priveliged, performed by Lord Chortle the Grand Seer himself) and clerical control water, this is known to the congregation to prevent miracle saturation). Upon reaching the altar they are joined by identical platinum wedding rings and a temporary telepathic bond (Both of which symbolise the union of the couple and their deep profound connection of love). A short sermon is given commemorating the event, and then the pair is announced to be married.

Herald and Allies
Zakia has no herald, save perhaps the rare and miraculous voice of Lord Alabaster brought through a potential Holy One or the prophets themselves. However, it has many allies in the creatures of Mechanus, the plane of order, and it is not uncommon for an Inevitable to serve alongside a paladin of Zakia (Though usually through some form of coercion by the prophets, as even Mechanus has some qualms with Zakia)

Mythology
1:1 And the land was torn asunder with great light and heat, as the earth was formed from the apples of the stars
1:2 And from those apples grew a great land and many neighbouring nations. And after many years of careful tutelage, the elder races stood erect on their lands and gazed at the heavenly bodies
1:3 After centuries of development, mankind walked amongst his brothers and saw that the world was good.
2:1 Into the world fell a golden cradle, and from it emerged the infantile form of the Lord of the Truly Righteous
2:2 Mankind took it upon themselves to nurture and clothe the Lord. And so it was that he was birthed from an onlooker, Mary of Cairo, Wife of Hammel.
2:3 Hammel instructed the Lord in the rites and rituals of monastic and paladin training, hoping that he would grow to be a great leader of the holy ones
2:4 Mary taught the child the foundations of her arcane arts and set down upon him the founding principles: Loyalty to the leader, Order in the kingdom, and Devotion to one’s cause.
Tacitus_Acheros
11-28-06, 05:06 PM Here’s a small collection of zealous quotes waiting for a self-righteous cleric or paladin, courtesy of the Warhammer 40,000 game Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. See if you like any, but be warned, these aren’t for a meek religion.

Standard quotes:

"Ever vigilant!"
“Cowards die in shame”
"Heresy grows from idleness."
"Fear denies faith."
"A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy."
"Demons and heretics shall fall before me."
"I shall make my penance on the battlefield."
"Lo, though the times are dark, my faith shines"
"It is better to die for (deity) then live for yourself."
"Faith is eternal"
"My faith is my shield"
"Through the destruction of our enemies do we earn our salvation"
"There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt"
"An open mind is like a fortress with its gate unbarred and unguarded"
"Faith is purest when it is unquestioning"
"Bless the mind too small for doubt"
“To admit defeat is to blaspheme against (deity).”
“Purity cleanses the soul, but pain cleanses the body”
“For those who seek perfection there can be no rest this side of the grave”
“Better crippled in body than corrupt in mind”
“Only the awkward question, only the foolish ask twice”
“Success is commemorated, failure merely remembered”
“Victory needs to explanation, defeat allows none”
“Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life”
“Only in death does duty end”
“No man died in His/Her service that died in vain”
“Faith without deeds is worthless”
“Educate men without faith and you but make them clever devils”
“Success is measured in blood, yours or your enemy’s”
“Serve (deity) today, for tomorrow you may be dead”
“To question is to doubt”
“(deity) knows, (deity) is watching”
“Brave are they who know everything yet fear nothing”
“The loyal slave learns to love the lash”
"The fallen shall be forever remembered as (deity)'s finest."

Combat quotes:

"Cleanse, purge, kill!"
"Onward, to glory!"
"Weapons at ready, it is time."
"Into the maelstrom of battle!"
"All sinners fear (deity)'s wrath!"
"Let the purgation begin!"
"Praise (deity) and strike down His/Her foes!"
"Strike them down with all your might!"
"(deity) guides my blade."
"This is the judgment of the righteous, scum!"
"I shall carry the light of my faith!"
"I strike with the wrath of the righteous!"
"I fear no evil for I am fear incarnate!"
"By my fury they shall know (deity)'s name!"
"No retreat, no surrender!"
"Redeem them with sword and fire!"
"Only in war are we truly faithful!"
"Glory for the first man to die! Charge!"
Timespike
12-02-06, 09:55 PM For my cleric of Joramy (Neutral Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes and Anger), I need some holy scripture.

What would her holy book be called?

Suggest some proverbs, quotes and prayers etc from it. Things my cleric can quote.

Libri Ignis Irascor (book of fiery wrath)
Libri Purgacio Ignis (book of the cleansing flame)

If neither of these work for you, dump variations of "Book of Fire" into an english-to-other language dictionary unti something sounds cool.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Azezel 11-28-06, 05:03 AM	For my cleric of Joramy (Neutral Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes and Anger), I need some holy scripture. What would her holy book be called? Suggest some proverbs, quotes and prayers etc from it. Things my cleric can quote.
Lyinginbedmon 11-28-06, 08:16 AM	I'm coincidentally just getting around to writing the holy book and info for a homebrew (And false, no less) religion in my campaign world, and I can say that looking at other religions (Be they real-world or fictional, like Douglas Adams, the Cult of Foamy, or the Ori) is very useful for inspiration. For example, I started out having the religion (Zakia) be a minor thing that a BBEG was using to keep the populace of his newly conquered nation (Via politics, rather than actual fighting) sedate and compliant. Then the BBEG was deposed by a revolution involving the PCs. As far as anyone was concerned, that was the end of Zakia. I laid down the founding principles of Zakia when the party had to infiltrate a sermon to blow up the church. So, I set up lines for another campaign (After our present one), that delves more deeply into Zakia, which the BBEG then uses in an attempt to coup the country and take over again. So, before he chased the party in another section of the planet, I had him visit the surviving Zakian priests and followers and give them holy texts, scriptures, and instructions on what to do in his absence, saying that he would return in a blaze of glory to lead them on a crusade against the evil of the world. He then promptly teleports out, leaving the commoners and low-level clerics to believe he just ascended to a higher plane in preparation for his glorious return. As a result, over the 14 weeks involved in our present campaign, the followers gathered more members and gradually crafted a larger and more and more powerful group. Then the BBEG and his 2 friends returns, and seeing how the group has grown, starts really pouring the heat on. They establish rituals (With the BBEG sticking behind the lines) and customs and miracles so that the clerics persist believing in them and they grow even more, especially now that the 2 prophets (Lord Chortle the Grand Seer and Lord Shadow the Holy Ghost) have appeared as heralds and teachers for the return of Lord Alabaster the Truly Righteous. They also managed to slip in a mix of the symbols composing the party's adventuring guild's logo into their mythology as the leaders of the great darkness, a religious event whereby evil will attempt to wipe out good in a holy war. As a result, Lord Alabaster shows up after long enough in the shadows and declares the coup attempt, during which the PCs must fight the very innocent albeit naive clergymen. I'll include my work so far on Zakia below.History Zakia was first seen on Einderseod in the country of Beldor during the brief rulership of Lord Alabaster Bronislav (Who was later deposed in a revolution). He introduced it to the people of Beldor as a means of removing the fractures caused by multiple religions and in the hopes of joining his subjects together in peace, thereby eliminating crime and evil in his lands. Once he was deposed, Zakia fell out of use almost instantly. The churches were returned to their original states, the followers re-inducted, and the laws reversed (Allowing other religions to be followed). However, small groups of people still remained in Beldor that followed the religion set down by Lord Alabaster. They would gather secretly in dark alleyways, taverns, and inn rooms to keep the spirit of Zakia alive. Prior to his leave of Einderseod to follow the leaders of the revolution (The Dead-Nick Squad) into the dark waters of Mizu Omi, Lord Alabaster left holy writings and texts with the small groups and instructed them to gather more followers in preparation for his return. He then promptly used his arcane magics to convince the clerics that he had gone to a higher plane, and that his return would, presumably, mean that he had ascended to a deific level of existence. The clerics set to work almost immediately. They began by establishing a cathedral location in a cave a few miles outside of the Beldor city walls, where the Guards held no jurisdiction and no-one without direct knowledge would be able to find them. They converted the cave to the specifications left by their Lord Alabaster (Now known as “Lord Alabaster the Truly Righteous”), and began carefully drawing others into their circle. By the time Alabaster returned to Einderseod 14 weeks later, the small and inconsequential congregation had blossomed into a full on religious movement of over a hundred supporters. Returning to the scene of his religion, Alabaster hid in the background and allowed his friends, “Lord Chortle the Grand Seer” and “Lord Shadow the Holy Ghost”, to act as his prophets. Lord Shadow quickly became the group’s vision of death incarnate, whilst Lord Chortle became their holy prophet. They divulged that to fully embrace Zakia meant that containing evil in ones own body meant nothing to such forces, that holding a dark being inside of them was an inconsequential thing that would have no effect. Consequently, several of the most devout members of the clergy were implanted with Tsochari whilst unconscious and numbed with Sannish drug placed in their evening meals and proclaimed as “Righteous” members, showing that they were completely unharmed and unaffected by the creatures’ influences. However, the prophets also conversely proclaimed that the appearance of the Tsochari inside their ministers was a sign that evil still lurked in the land, and that until all other evils were eradicated Zakia could never truly be profoundly understood. And so the clergy began processions and drives to bring more into the path of Zakian belief, in the hope that in the process evil would be eradicated and the world would be at peace for eternity, in the wake of the return of Lord Alabaster. Portfolio Valour, Chivalry, Retribution Domains Community, Force, Inquisition, Law, Purification Cleric Training Those looking to join a Zakian flock must be willing to cast everything aside in the name of peace and loyalty to Lord Alabaster. After at least 9 weeks of honouring Zakian beliefs and values, the most devout of clerics may be taken as hosts for a coerced Tsochar. This is done as the cleric sleeps after being discretely given Sannish poison, which numbs the pain of the Tsocahr’s entry into their body. These members are known as Righteous Ones, as the evil creature in them is a sign that their bodies are of great purity, and thus great interest to evil beings. The presence of a Righteous One is a mixed omen for Zakian clergy, as it shows that their congregation is being given great interest by the prophets, whilst it also shows that evil is present in the same region. Righteous Ones are treated as high members of a clergy, above both normal worshippers and clerics but below the prophets, similar to a Bishop in other religions. After becoming a Righteous One, a cleric of Zakia has little possibility of promotion within the congregation. However, a very small select few are sometimes taken up as hosts for Lord Alabaster to divulge information from his great place in the land beyond (This is often done by Alabaster with a magic jar spell, the victims often believe they have briefly seen the land Alabaster inhabits: a dazzling place of crystalline perfection and beauty, where many unique crystals form one wondrous whole). These members are seen as holy relics, and their Tsochari are removed in a long ceremony wherein the creature is removed and taken away to be smote by the fires of purity (In reality, this is an illusion and the Tsochar is instead used again to inhabit new Righteous Ones. During the ritual, the member is implanted with a Necrotic Cyst to allow the prophets to maintain control over them). These members are proclaimed as Holy Ones, and whilst they remain in the same section of the Zakian hierarchy, they are often given greater preference over other Righteous Ones. Quests There are few times that Zakian clerics will go on quests personally. Often a member of the congregation with levels in Paladin will be sent, they being far more adept at surviving the onslaughts of an intolerably diseased world. Quests taken upon paladins of Zakia often include the removal of an evil group or monster, as well as the consequent preaching of the beliefs of Zakia to the non-believers present. If at all possible, every paladin attempts to start a congregation, however small, of Zakian believers wherever they go if one does not exist already. If such a gathering is already present, they will usually attempt to increase its numbers before returning to their clergy. In quests requiring additional power, paladins will be partnered with a cleric, or more rarely, a Righteous One or Holy One, who offers religious guidance to the paladin and their charges and aids the paladin whenever possible. Prayers Zakian prayers often involve distinct imagery or metaphors, and most will reference Lord Alabaster or the prophets in some way. A very popular prayer is used when approaching a great ordeal and reads “Hallowed is Zakia, as evil shall not stand in its wake, for the lands of Zakia are eternally at peace”. Other examples include: “The power and greatness of Zakia cannot be denied” “Blessed are those who walk in unison” “Truth is elusive to those who refuse to see with both eyes opened” “From one, all will learn” “The evil’s presence in the world shall be unmistakable, for it shall be seen in the clergy of Zakia itself” “Loyalty, Order, and Devotion. Thus are written the principles of Zakia” “And the Lord of the Truly Righteous was raised up high, and vanished to his realm of tranquillity, where the followers of Zakia shall one day follow” “Given to those who have conquered their inner demons, the Righteous Ones” “Those that channel the spirit of the Lord Alabaster shall be granted miracles” “And on that day, the evil stirred and attacked the Lord, and Zakia was reborn” “Lessons of days gone by teach us what will come to pass” “The day will come when the Lord shall shout aloud to his followers and scream the rule of the evil ones has met its end at the blades of the champions of Zakia” Temples Understandably the temples and churches of Zakia are concealed and are often constructed inside of naturally occurring caves and caverns, which the clergy see as signs that peace and loyalty can create the most wondrous of sights that devote others to their ways. Prospective members are led blindfolded or unconscious to such temples, so that the enemies of Zakia cannot learn from failed entrants the whereabouts of the temples. Rites By far all worshippers await the day that they are taken upon as Righteous Ones, but many more hope that one day they are chosen as Holy Ones. The ceremony that converts a Righteous One into a Holy One is long and arduous, and few supplicants remember anything about it beyond the feeling of intense pleasure and happiness after consuming a holy brew given by one of the prophets (This is created through a mixture of strong wine and the Agony drug). During the ritual, witnessed by other Righteous Ones and a couple of prodigious or prodigal followers, the Tsochar is torn from the Righteous One’s belly and their body is consumed by the purifying fires, revealing a writhing tentacle mass lying beside a completely unharmed Holy One, who’s belly becomes forever emblazoned with the mark of Zakia. (This is in actuality a mirage arcana spell to create harmless fire, whilst telekinesis removes the Tsochar, spectral hand combined with healing touch cures the damage and removes the wound, with necrotic cyst encysting the victim, whilst bestow curse creates the symbol. Remove disease is also used to prevent addiction to the Agony) Other ceremonies include the marriage ceremony. In this, both bride and groom are blindfolded and not allowed to see each other until the ceremony begins its final phase. Prior to this, the bride and groom are both given a dose of Liquid Pain (With a clerical casting of remove disease to prevent addiction), which causes them to feel extreme pleasure and appear and act more graceful and beautiful. This is enhanced by the elaborate robes and dress-wear the couple adorns for the final phase. In the final phase of the marriage ceremony, the couple walk down the aisle to the sound of all their friends and family singing their selected song, with the fires of purity burning vigorously and the waters of tranquillity flowing gracefully as they walk (Produced through use of bardic mirage arcana (For the priveliged, performed by Lord Chortle the Grand Seer himself) and clerical control water, this is known to the congregation to prevent miracle saturation). Upon reaching the altar they are joined by identical platinum wedding rings and a temporary telepathic bond (Both of which symbolise the union of the couple and their deep profound connection of love). A short sermon is given commemorating the event, and then the pair is announced to be married. Herald and Allies Zakia has no herald, save perhaps the rare and miraculous voice of Lord Alabaster brought through a potential Holy One or the prophets themselves. However, it has many allies in the creatures of Mechanus, the plane of order, and it is not uncommon for an Inevitable to serve alongside a paladin of Zakia (Though usually through some form of coercion by the prophets, as even Mechanus has some qualms with Zakia) Mythology 1:1 And the land was torn asunder with great light and heat, as the earth was formed from the apples of the stars 1:2 And from those apples grew a great land and many neighbouring nations. And after many years of careful tutelage, the elder races stood erect on their lands and gazed at the heavenly bodies 1:3 After centuries of development, mankind walked amongst his brothers and saw that the world was good. 2:1 Into the world fell a golden cradle, and from it emerged the infantile form of the Lord of the Truly Righteous 2:2 Mankind took it upon themselves to nurture and clothe the Lord. And so it was that he was birthed from an onlooker, Mary of Cairo, Wife of Hammel. 2:3 Hammel instructed the Lord in the rites and rituals of monastic and paladin training, hoping that he would grow to be a great leader of the holy ones 2:4 Mary taught the child the foundations of her arcane arts and set down upon him the founding principles: Loyalty to the leader, Order in the kingdom, and Devotion to one’s cause.
Tacitus_Acheros 11-28-06, 05:06 PM	Here’s a small collection of zealous quotes waiting for a self-righteous cleric or paladin, courtesy of the Warhammer 40,000 game Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. See if you like any, but be warned, these aren’t for a meek religion. Standard quotes: "Ever vigilant!" “Cowards die in shame” "Heresy grows from idleness." "Fear denies faith." "A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy." "Demons and heretics shall fall before me." "I shall make my penance on the battlefield." "Lo, though the times are dark, my faith shines" "It is better to die for (deity) then live for yourself." "Faith is eternal" "My faith is my shield" "Through the destruction of our enemies do we earn our salvation" "There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt" "An open mind is like a fortress with its gate unbarred and unguarded" "Faith is purest when it is unquestioning" "Bless the mind too small for doubt" “To admit defeat is to blaspheme against (deity).” “Purity cleanses the soul, but pain cleanses the body” “For those who seek perfection there can be no rest this side of the grave” “Better crippled in body than corrupt in mind” “Only the awkward question, only the foolish ask twice” “Success is commemorated, failure merely remembered” “Victory needs to explanation, defeat allows none” “Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life” “Only in death does duty end” “No man died in His/Her service that died in vain” “Faith without deeds is worthless” “Educate men without faith and you but make them clever devils” “Success is measured in blood, yours or your enemy’s” “Serve (deity) today, for tomorrow you may be dead” “To question is to doubt” “(deity) knows, (deity) is watching” “Brave are they who know everything yet fear nothing” “The loyal slave learns to love the lash” "The fallen shall be forever remembered as (deity)'s finest." Combat quotes: "Cleanse, purge, kill!" "Onward, to glory!" "Weapons at ready, it is time." "Into the maelstrom of battle!" "All sinners fear (deity)'s wrath!" "Let the purgation begin!" "Praise (deity) and strike down His/Her foes!" "Strike them down with all your might!" "(deity) guides my blade." "This is the judgment of the righteous, scum!" "I shall carry the light of my faith!" "I strike with the wrath of the righteous!" "I fear no evil for I am fear incarnate!" "By my fury they shall know (deity)'s name!" "No retreat, no surrender!" "Redeem them with sword and fire!" "Only in war are we truly faithful!" "Glory for the first man to die! Charge!"
Timespike 12-02-06, 09:55 PM	For my cleric of Joramy (Neutral Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes and Anger), I need some holy scripture. What would her holy book be called? Suggest some proverbs, quotes and prayers etc from it. Things my cleric can quote. Libri Ignis Irascor (book of fiery wrath) Libri Purgacio Ignis (book of the cleansing flame) If neither of these work for you, dump variations of "Book of Fire" into an english-to-other language dictionary unti something sounds cool.