Shields of Suranth

We are the shields of these lands, and the lances of the Ascended. We do not falter, we do not show mercy! We are the ones the nightmares are afraid of.

From the holy text Divine Mission

Structure

The faith of Sir Kartheart is one of the most militant in structure. Their organizational structure is exceedingly and heavily inspired by military structure, though of an older sort, still using terms, officers and various parts of the structure that have fallen out of favor in the last five to six centuries. This is one of two churches, two faiths across Valerick where generally it is agreed that the Templar Order, that more crusader-esque, military based arm of the faith holds more of the power than the cloth. The nature of this can be explained a bit by culture of the nation-state of Suranth, from which the faith originates, as Sir Kartheart is the Ascended Champion of that nation. It is a harsh tundra land, danger in all corners. It is a militant society, with a hefty belief in even well armed civilian populace, for plentiful and good reason. As such the nature of this faith should not surprise anyone;

Storm Lancers:

The elite military arm of Suranth, for the church and state, while not exactly one and the same, are much more tightly entwined than any nation save perhaps Valewyr. They serve in equal measure of dual loyalties by their own scriptures to both the nation of Suranth and the church of Sir Kartheart. They are the most identifiable as Templars in the old, mythic story-telling sense. Heavy armor from head to toe, a ferocious war mount, trained in all manner of melee combat, and of fervor and faith second to none. They are soldiers of faith, soldiers of nation, and champions of the Tundra Realms. They have a strict structure, and atop it, Morgrym Ironcliffe, dwarf, son of the recently passed High King Cormac.

Storm-Speakers:

The priestly arm of Sir Kartheart's faith, the Storm-Speakers. Even the priests of this church are moderately well trained and armed, not afraid of a scrap. Such is the demands of their dwarven diety. The similarities between the two arms in this church in particular, makes discerning between them difficult at times, for they do not have as wide of a seperation as other faiths. The head of the faith, and the head of the Storm-Speakers is Storm Father Noisgruam, an ancient dwarf whom does not really show his age.

Public Agenda

Theirs is a simple holy mission. To protect. To shield from the dark, and to be the lances that drive back the beasts. They are a warrior faith, a militant faith, and a faith built on the principle of bravery begetting miracles. Do not ask, do! Do not just pray. Do! Expemlify that which you seek to come true. Be the hero. Be the soldier, be the warrior between peace and the darkness of the Void. Stand fast and Sir Kartheart shall provide. Falter.....and do so alone.

Assets

The temples of this faith truly, in the strictest sense, seem more military outpost and barrack than church. They are houses of worship of course, and provide those services to the folk whom would seek to come and take part in congregation or sermon. The churches and temples of this faith are found anywhere that folk feel the need to be protected. Frontier settlements, military outposts and settlements, all manner of place of that nature are where they can be found, along with anywhere and everywhere in pretty much any settlement in Suranth, as one would expect.

Tenets of Faith

Those whom worship Sir Kartheart have a strict code of ethics and morals, a warriors code, one they follow with rather extreme views. Those views will change amongst different congregations and different sections and squads within the Templar arm of the faith, but in concept at least they will remain, and the basis of any differences of view will be mostly in minor details. This code is known as the Laknoth, or simply, the Code. They need no fancy names, for anyone true of the faith will know exactly what you speak of. The Laknoth reads as follows;

1. No Fear, No Surrender



2. Live with Valor and Honor



3. You are the Shield of those less able than you



4. Bravery is in the execution, not foolishness



5. Calm and Calculated as a Sword-tooth



6. Powerful as a Nor'Westor

Fear the Storm!

Founding Date

0001 SuD

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Worship and Divinely Granted Powers

Honoring the Laknoth and all it stands for is paramount above all else. To embody those fundamental values, to really be the example of those qualities and traits for all around you. To protect those less able, less fortunate, to defend those less capable than you. To be the shield, to embody that principle, not just in body, but in mind and presence as well. Theirs is a simple code yet many would struggle to follow it, for it is a hard code to live by, to constantly put your very life on the line for others.

War Chants

These prayers are what allow Priests and Templars and their ilk to tap into the bits of Divine Power that Sir Kartheart allows them to wield.