Cult of Sarandiel
A semi-religious cult which worships the fallen angel of Maelik, Sarandiel. Those that wish to prove themselves on the battlefield, those who seek fame and fortune through military achievement, refugees lacking the ability to fight, and those who desire skills needed to survive are all attracted to the Cult of Sarandiel.
Protectors of the Capra are his elite oathbreaker paladins known as Canis.
Structure
Much like the church it originated in, the Cult of Sarandiel is organized rigidly, similar to that of a standing army. However, because of their relatively small size and need for secrecy, the cult operates within small enclaves called arments. Each arment is led by a caput which may have several militus and tiro serving under them. Leading the entire cult is the one known as the Capra. Through clandestine means, the capra is able to deliver instructions and commands to caput all over the continent.
- Capra - Leader of the Cult of Sarandiel and conduit of her will on the material plane. Blessed with martial prowess and access to spells typically reserved for devils in Infernum.
- Caput - Head of individual arments, working towards auxiliary goals of the cult. Typically a high-ranking officer within a military regiment who wields significant influence, and operates within the cult in a discreet fashion.
- Militus - Standard cultist with experience as a knight, veteran, gladiator, or guard. Duties include waging war for the cult or sabotaging enemy military operations.
- Tiro - Initiate into the cult who has had little interaction with infernal occurrences. May not be experienced in battle but have a desire to gain the skills to fight. They have not been blessed or trained by Sarandiel and her legions.
History
First established in the city of Corinia, the cult grew as a sect within the Church of Maelik. Zealous worshipers started dedicating military victories to Sarandiel instead of Maelik, creating a rivalry between the angel and the god. Soldiers dedicated to Sarandiel seemed more bloodthirsty in battle, and pushed themselves beyond their limits in conquests for the empire. The cult grew in influence, and at one point the church struggled to identify the true god of war.
It all changed once Sarandiel was cast out of the eternal battlefield of Proelium and into the hells of Infernum for attempting to overthrow her master. However, as a lord of hell, she was able to grow in power beyond her abilities as a solar. Sarandiel grew her army within the plane of Infernum, but always craved mortal soldiers, promising them eternal conquest and glory. The sect within the church never died, but instead bided its time for a sign from the fallen angel on when to overthrow the church.
The sign came before the Doom of Corinia when barbarians and soldiers alike received a vision from Sarandiel herself to attack the capital of the empire. Allying with arcane spellcasters and servants of Ettuna, they worked together to corrupt a nearby wellspring in order to access Infernum and bring forth her unholy legions upon the city. Once the barbarians arrived in Corinia, the warriors found the city defenses weakened due to the volcanic eruption caused by the corruption in nearby Mirstone. After a drawn out battle with the remaining city guard, the warriors who survived witnessed the return of Sarandiel to the material plane, with an infernal host at her back. It was there, in the ruins of Corinia, that the warriors received Sarandiel's blessing and became her most devoted followers. Since the doom, the cult has waned in power due to stringent anti-magic use within the borders of the empire. However they still maintain a foothold in the Western Ring, particularly in the regions of Corin and Ethrhûn.
Divine Origins
On the fringes of the Church of Maelik, the worship of Sarandiel emerged as an avenue for those who had the desire to fight but lack the necessary experience, training, skill, talent, and bravery in martial affairs to do so. Unlike Maelik, who only desired the finest warriors in his service, Sarandiel manifested herself to the weak and the untrained. Once these soldiers were granted previously unfathomable powers in battle, worship of Sarandiel became obsessive and fanatical. The cult pushed the orthodox ideology to its limits, claiming Maelik was weak in respect to his angelic counterpart, and he should be renounced as the god of war, and replaced with Sarandiel henceforth. A great schism occurred within the church, resulting in the Cult of Sarandiel standing in opposition to its former religion.
Worship
The leaders of the cult tend to dress in religious attire when performing ceremonies and rituals in honor of Sarandiel. In any other capacity, worshipers don armor as if always prepared for battle, but typically do not display the goat sigil unless it is safe to do so. When it is time to execute an invasion or an attack in service of the cult, most members conceal their identity through the use of a goat skull or mask. Some go as extreme as to slay a goat right before and insert their entire head through the neck, allowing the blood to drip down their body as they enter into battle.
After a battle is when most worship to Sarandiel occurs. Most soldiers build a discreet shrine in their private quarters, displaying the goat sigil, lighting a candle, and speaking infernal. They then wash their hands in blood, either from a recently slain foe, or their own if they were unsuccessful on the battlefield. Most worship goes unnoticed by the fallen angel, but sometimes after an extremely violent and impressive display of martial prowess, Sarandiel will send her unholy blessing.
Granted Divine Powers
Sarandiel blesses her followers to become more ferocious in battle, granting them the ability to deal more damage to enemies than previously thought possible. She also sharpens their mind when it comes to tactics, granting them the ability manage a battlefield in a more advantageous way.
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