Flame Vigilants

In the dark forests of the Heartlands, through the shadowy caves of the mountains, and against the evils that stalk the Mynyw, there stands but one dedicated to defeating them forever: the Flame Vigilants. A group of Light-worshipping clerics and warriors, they have long stood as a force for good and order within the Mynyw society since their inception.

Officially sanctioned by the Conclave, the Vigilants act as the stewards and protectors of the faithful among the Mynyw. Their temples act as places of worship for those who have faith in the Light while also acting as a barracks for the wandering warriors and chaplains who roam the Heartlands, proselytizing to the heathens who still believe in the Old Ways and combating evil forces that still yet lurk in the forests, hills, and mountains.

Since their formation during the Rhyfellion-Vigilant Split, their membership has only grown as the Light has become more popular among the people. Now that that shadow of evil looms over the Heartlands in the form of the Horde and Elder Cult, the Vigilants work is never done.

Organization
Taking notes from the Church of the Holy Light, the Vigilants sought to move away from the disorganized and fractured nature of the Rhyfellion and instead elected to take on a more organized role within Mynyw society. Structuring themselves as a monastic order, they took vows of poverty and gave their worldly possessions to next of kin or the Vigilants themselves.

High Elder
Elected by the Elder Council, the High Elder wields no more official powers than a regular Elder other than becoming the voice of the Vigilants within Mynyw politics. Otherwise, they are considered more of a ‘first among equals’.

Elder
The leaders of the Vigilants, they number only five -- including the High Elder. They give the Vigilants one direction to go in, determining everything from the rules and regulations, goals for the organization, and any other administrative decision that might require one voice to determine. They are on a council in the Heartlands city of Fadryn and are elected by all brothers and sisters of the Vigilants for the rest of their lifetime. They may step down or be voted out by the other members of the Council.

Senior Vigilant
Among the ranks of the Vigilants -- either the clerics who tend to the flocks or the templars who guard them -- are the experienced individuals who lead the faithful on the ground when they are needed. They guide the younger members of their order through thick and through thin.

=Structure=

Clerics
Leading the flock requires a mental aptitude and spiritual connection the Holy Light that is not found in most; the Clerics have such skills in droves. Ensuring that the faithful are guided on the road to the Light and leading sermons is only part of their duties -- healing the soldiers on the battlefield is another. They are split into three ranks:

Chaplain
Senior Clerics who run and maintain Temples in major cities.

Cleric
A regular, run-of-the-mill priest who serves at the pleasure of Chaplains. Frequently found on the battlefield tending to the wound or giving sermons to the faithful.

Postulant
The newest recruit among the Clerics to pass the trials and are in training to take the cloth.

Templars
Once simply called ‘Temple Guardians’, the Templars have grown from their role as simple warriors who guard the sacred grounds into a capable and organized military force on par with the Wolfenhold Wardens. Strict principles are put in place in order to keep the Templars from growing too zealous or too lax in their spiritual attendances.

Templar-Captain
Leading the Templar in a particular temple, the Templar-Captains duty is not only to protect the sacred, sanctified ground of said temples, but to also to command the Templar on the field of battle. They are denoted by having the wings of a gryphon on the sides of their helmets.

Templar-Champion
Tough, true to virtues, and skilled with their weapon, the Templar-Champion is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. A match for anyone saved for skilled Wardens, the Templar-Champion is given relative leeway in their freedom of movement as they act as inquisitors. They are often seen in a small retinue of fellow Templars and Clerics -- leading a band of no more than five individuals at a time.

Templar
Men and women of the cloth who have taken up steel in defense of their faith, Templars are assigned to Temples in the major urban areas of the Heartlands. They are required to obey orders without question, even if it leads to their eventual demise.

Postulant
Just like the Cleric-Postulants, the Templar-Postulants are the newest recruits to pass the trials and are training to become fully-fledged Templars.