Holy Church of True Justice

The Holy Church of True Justice is a church devoted to making the world a better place by providing justice to all who seek it, while also purging the world of evil and corruption wherever it is found. Loyal to their patron goddess, Aella, those who make up the ranks of the church come from all walks of life. Race, nationality, faction, creed, none of that matters to the faithful of the Holy Church of True Justice, all that matters is that one hold true to the beliefs of the church.

Once a unique religious group known only in the Imbringen Isles, it had recently spread to Lordaeron with a new central church being constructed within the city of Avern, located in the Duchy of Avern. Since its establishment, missionaries have been sent far and wide, especially to the south where the dwarven and human kingdoms thrive, with the hope to gain more faithful in these bastions of civilization.

= Ideology =

The Holy Church of True Justice is known primarily for its zealous nature and intolerance of all things evil and corrupt. Crusaders loyal to the church often travel far and wide, seeking out evil wherever it hides and purging it from the world regardless of the source of the evil, be it undead, demon, related to the old gods or simply man falling to more debased actions. Secondary to that purpose is their desire to provide true justice for all who seek it. This sometimes puts the Crusaders at odds with the lawmen of other regions, as sometimes the courts are so corrupt that true justice can only be provided at the edge of a sword blade. Despite the risk, Crusaders of the church gladly carry these acts out, even if it means that they must face justice themselves.

Written within one of the holy tomes of the church, the Acts of Aella, is a simple statement reflecting the mission of the church for those who remain outside of its teachings:

= The Beliefs of the Church =
 * Justice, true justice, is not an optional luxury of the modern world. It is a vital keystone to the growth of civilization. As Aella herself once stood against many in pursuit of justice for those wronged, so must we, her loyal servants, expect no less of ourselves. We are the judge, jury and executioners of all thinks wicked and corrupt, regardless of the source. She watches over us in all things, and we must honor her legacy and not disappoint her, lest we suffer her wrath for our misdeeds.
 * But I hear you ask, what of the ails of the people? Should we not treat their sick and see to their injured? To this we say no. We do not treat the symptoms of evil and corruption but instead seek out the root to cut it free and prevent further harm. What good is treating a plague if the alchemist who caused it still roams free? What good is sheltering the homeless when corrupt bureaucrats will take all that is provided to fill their own coffers? No, that will not do. We must focus on our holy task, which is to purge evil at the source whenever possible. Only provide aid when there is no clear evil for you to hunt, never allow the ails of the public to distract you from your true goals.
 * Honor the goddess and she will grant you boons worthy of your sacrifice.
 * - The Acts of Aella

The Holy Church of True Justice has many core beliefs which are honored by the faithful. These beliefs fall into three categories. Beliefs on the deceased, beliefs on marriage and children and most importantly beliefs on the pursuit of justice. Adhering to these beliefs is vital for any of the faithful and to break away from them for any reason, is risking being excommunicated from the church and being branded a heretic.

Beliefs on the Deceased
The Holy Church of True Justice is a militant church, and as such, the sword is their holy weapon of choice. Those who undertake holy duties in the name of the church, regardless of the danger or length of the task, are often granted a weapon from the vaults within the church. Many of the weapons within have a long history of use, with many being passed down from champion to champion. No servant of the church is buried with their sword or their armor, despite this being usual custom in most developed nations. To the Holy Church of True Justice, this is seen as a wasteful process. Weapons and armor of the dead are reclaimed by the church and stored, repaired if need be, to be passed on to the next servant of the church that requires them. In place of this, those who serve the church but perish at the hands of the evils they hunt, or from old age or disease should it come to that, are buried with a token in the shape of a sword. The material of the symbol varies depending on the status of the deceased. Acolytes of the church are buried with a symbol carved from basic wood, while those of higher station are buried with symbols made from precious metals such as silver, gold and even mithril.

Beliefs on Marriage and Children
The Holy Church of True Justice is an upholder of laws and justice, as the name of the church well implies. To that end, the faithful greatly respect institutions of civilization that rely on law and justice, marriage being one of them. As such it is supported fully by the church without care for trivialities such as the gender or species of those being married. The faithful of the church gladly preside over wedding ceremonies and watch couples who are married under their roof with great interest to ensure that their marriage is a healthy one.

Anything that can corrupt a healthy wedding, as one can imagine, is abhorred by the church. Acts such as infidelity and abuse (regardless of the partner) are not tolerated by the faithful and the righteous swiftly act against those who abuse the connection that the church blessed them with. Such abuse also includes the stripping of rights from any of the partners in a marriage, for the church teaches that regardless of status, all those who are married have the same rights that they had before they married, and are not to be treated as if they are owned like property. For those who become part of a failed marriage, the Church also acts as a sanctuary, offering respite and support while the couple go through the motions to file for divorce. This is a service that is widely praised by the bulk of the populace, for sanctuary is needed in certain cases, especially those focused around abuse, be it physical or psychological.

The church encourages the creation of families, including children, even though the family is not Aella or the Church's focus. This is solely a means to an end, so that there are younger generations to carry on Aella's legacy and the teachings of the church. To that end, the church teaches that children are to be loved and respected, but not coddled or excused from disciplinary action should it be called for provided that the level of discipline is appropriate for the actions of the child.

Beliefs on the Pursuit of Justice
The pursuit of justice is the greatest tenant the church instills on its faithful and as such, the church is one of the most militant in the known world. Crusaders and champions of the church can be found wandering the world, hunting evil wherever it surfaces. This may include working within cities and townships, although generally speaking the crusaders within the church prefer to roam the wilds and hunt down the larger lairs of cultists and evil beasts, rather than languish in cities surrounded by potential vices as such work is more suited to the town or city guards.

Once an individual has taken an oath of service within the church, it is considered service for life. The hunt for evil never ends and so the hunters must remain vigilant and active at all times. For those who cannot, either because they were wounded in battle or have become too old to crusade with their younger peers, the church offers positions within its ranks where those who cannot actively fight can either act as judges, lawmen or instructors.

Other Activities of the Church
As the Holy Church of True Justice is a militant one, they are always in need of new arms and armor and temple grounds must also be kept neat and well maintained. To this end a large number of acolytes work within each temple, with each one having its own smithy, stables, kitchen and gardens. The men and women who work and maintain these important areas of the church are initiates, those who are either part way through or have yet to start their basic training which prepares them for the life of a crusader. These acolytes perform a number of tasks, mostly menial labor, as a means of teaching humility and breaking the shackles of pride.

= History =

The Holy Church of True Justice traces itself back to the rise of humanity on the Imbringen Islands. It was formed originally by the sons and daughters of Aella, not as a church, but as a means to remember all that their mother had fought for, especially since she had ascended into god-hood and had taken refuge within her own plane of existence along with the other deities of the islands. However, as time wore on, the remembrance soon shifted into religious doctrine, and those who swore an oath to Aella, swore an oath to uphold her principles as if they were law. They became the first crusaders, and at that point the Holy Church of True Justice was born.

Over the generations the church continued to evolve. The Sword Knights of Aella came to prominence both inside and outside of the church, and the hunt for evil continued even though the Crusaders did not sail far from the Imbringen Islands.

When the Third War began, the Burning Legion and the Scourge invaded the islands, destroying the Kingdom of Imbringen and laying waste to the Kingdom of Inferex. The Crusaders of the Holy Church attempted to stem the tide, but what they did not expect is that the Kingdom of Inferex would willingly side with the Burning Legion and the Undead Scourge. Soon their neighboring kingdom was their hated enemy, as they were twisted and corrupted by the evil that had invaded their islands. What started soon after was known as the Ferexian Crusade, a constant state of war between the Kingdom of Inferex and the Holy Church of True Justice. Crusaders from Imbringen who wished to serve as champions of the church would need to serve in the Ferexian Crusade first and prove their mettle against the enemies of the church and Imbringen itself before they were allowed to act in the name of the Church in other areas.

The Ferexian Crusade and the battles in the surrounding lands were all the Church knew for many years, until merchant ships began to sail to see if there were other civilizations scattered throughout the world. Emissaries of the Church were sent on many of these merchant ships, to spread word of the Church and its teachings to anyone they found. As luck would have it, one such merchant ship made contact with a region of land known as the Duchy of Avern. This land, ruled by Zephon Carhagen of House Carhagen, was under siege by the undead, the very same undead that the Church had fought against during the Ferexian Crusade. Determined to aid their fellow man, the emissary arranged terms with Zephon in return for aid from the Sword Knights of Aella, the militant arm of the Holy Church of True Justice. It took months to assemble the forces necessary to combat the undead menace that House Carhagen faced, but eventually the church mustered the soldiers and sent them to relieve the half-elf leader. When the forces of the Sword Knights arrived at the Duchy of Avern, they were glad to find the duchy still standing and Zephon still alive. Uniting the local forces with their own, the Sword Knights formed an allied coalition and then fought in one of the bloodiest battles they had ever engaged in outside of the Ferexian Crusade, which soon became known as the Battle of Bloody Justice.

Following the end of the battle. Zephon Carhagen pledged to bring the religion of the Imbringen Islands to Lordaeron and the rest of the Eastern Kingdoms. The Church gave the current leader of the Sword Knights, 1st Sword Karleigh Marquos, authority to name Zephon as the 1st Sword of the Lordaeron Branch of the Sword Knights, and also sent one of their finest Sword Brothers, Arnald Truedian, to serve as the High Justice of Aella in Lordaeron.

= Structure of the Church =

The Holy Church of True Justice has a rank and file heirarchy which is adhered to at all times and is filled with the following ranks:

High Justice of Aella
The High Justice of Aella is the leading priest of a kingdoms religious sect, the equivalent of a High Priest or Archbishop. There is only ever one High Justice of Aella in each region and if one is given the position of High Justice it is theirs for life, as the duty only ends when the High Justice is dead or too infirm to complete his or her duties to the church as required.

1st Sword
The 1st Swords are the elite leaders of the militant branch of the Holy Church of True Justice, known as the Sword Knights of Aella. Within the church hierarchy there are a maximum of ten men and women with this rank, who form a special council known as the 1st Circle. This council knows the intimate details of the church, including the origins of the church and truths about the patron goddess, Aella, that many of the rank and file within the church are not aware of. Each one of these men and women leads their own circle of Sword Brothers, known as the 2nd Circle.

Sword Brother / Sister
These men and women are the rank and file of the church and are the largest membership group within the church. Each church usually contains between thirty to fifty of these brave souls who use the church as their base of operations as they take on tasks in the name of the church and their patron goddess. Each Sword Brother / Sister is a capable warrior, trained in the use of the sword and how to use it in combat to slay any manner of evil creature, including man, should any be foolish enough to attack the church directly.

Crusader
These men and women, despite the name, to not actually claim a unique rank within the church. They are still Sword Brothers and Sisters, but these individuals are ones who have been granted a mission of importance from the church or from Aella herself, and are thus required to carry it out until they succeed or perish. They are given a set of armor and a weapon from the vaults of the church before they are sent out on their task. For many, especially in the Imbringen Islands, their first crusade is a mandatory one, to serve in the Ferexian Crusade which is a long battle continually waged between the church and the Kingdom of Inferex but for those in Lordaeron, where this requirement does not apply, their first Crusade often revolves around hunting down and killing a scourge champion or demon lord depending on what threat presents itself.

Acolyte
These men and women are the initiates of the church. They have either served the church for years or have only recently sworn themselves into service and are thus undertaking the training necessary to elevate them to the rank of Sword Brother / Sister. During this time they are taught a large number of subjects. Reading, writing, mathematics, history, survival, beast and demon lore and weapon mastery. When they have graduated all their classes, they are put forth for the Sword Trials, which test their knowledge and skills and if they pass, they are elevated in rank.

While they are acolytes of the church, their rank and station outside of the church is non-existant. Peasant, noble, private or grand marshal, all are equal within the church at the rank of acolyte and all must perform the tasks that are set before them. This means manual labor and maintenance tasks, which not only teach vital skills such as cooking, cleaning and maintenance, but also skills like smithing, which may help them on the road should their armor or weapons be damaged in battle. This teaches humility and shatters the shackles of pride, something many nobles and high ranking military officers are bound by. Those who graduate from the rank of acolyte and return to the world as a Sword Brother, often do so as more compassionate and understanding individuals, happy to help those below them rather than scoff at their existence and treat them as lesser beings.