The Court

The Court is a branch of the Church of Alverion focused on seeking out and eliminating heresy. It is beyond imaging that someone would deny the glory of The Divine One, but sadly such people exist. Citizens of Bastion need not fear these misguided souls, however, and that is thanks to the Court.

The Adjudicator

The leader of the Court is known as the Adjudicator. Upon and Adjudicator's death, the selects a successor from among the highest ranks of the clerks.
As he is the Savior of All's voice in Bastion, the ostensibly holds dominion over the Adjudicator and the Court. However, given the Court's mandate, none can be free from their scrutiny. Alverion, glory to his name, has always taught that we must strive to earn glory in His name and prove our worth to join Him at His side in the light. Surely this must be the case for even the highest among us, such as the Adjudicator. If the God Emperor allows a weak soul to serve as his , we must surely see this as an opportunity for the Adjudicator to earn his place in the light. Praise be to Him for every opportunity to serve.
As a result of this gracious opportunity provided to the Adjudicator, there exists a degree of tension between the Court and the Church of Alverion as a whole. As is only right, both sides of this divide see it as their holy mission to ensure the other is serving The Light's will impeccably. Throughout Bastion's history, there have been times when it was unclear to the masses whether the Adjudicator or the was the true voice of Alverion, praise always to Him. In times like this, it is important for all citizens of bastion to remember that only His will can be done, thus there is no reason to fear the uncertainty.

Clerks

There are many tasks to be done in the operation of the Court. Information must be collected from witnesses and sources. Evidence must be collected and cataloged. Heretics must be located when they flee. Those caught must have their cases arbitrated. Punishments must be enacted. These, and every other duty required by the Court are performed by Clerks.
Some who become initiates in the Church of Alverion show a great deal of fervor, but lack the presence or oratorical talents to excel in service as a priest. Many such initiates are selected to train as Clerks, where their dedication to faith and a zeal to see His will done can be best put to use.
There is a ranking system among the Clerks, but its details are unknown outside the Court. From the perspective of all but a handful, the specifics of a clerk's rank would be meaningless anyway. The Court's authority is near absolute, and the clerks act with that authority.
For the vast majority of Bastion's populace, Clerks are the only representative of the Court they will ever see. A fact for which they should be grateful.

Judges

Aiden Locklear by Patigonart

If any mortal being has ever known what the Judges are, they have kept it to themselves. All we know for certain is their purpose: the violent and ruthless elimination of heretics. The clerks handle minor and moderate offenders. Those who blaspheme or dare to question The Light's will or teachings. Judges restrict their efforts to the most vile among us. Those who would question The Divine One's validity as our god, and appallingly, those who would claim allegiance to other beings they falsely claim exist.
Judges appear to be men nearly as large as a Goliath, clad in impossibly intricate, and nearly impervious armor. If they ever were men, it is clear they are no longer. As far as we know, every judge is nearly as old as Bastion and has never removed their armor. Many speculate that what we call armor would be more accurately called skin.
There are many theories that attempt to explain what Judges are. The most mundane center around valient warriors from the Crusade of Light being granted eternal service to the God Emperor as a reward for their valor. Slightly more exotic ideas center around the Judges being pure light encased in armor. The most outrageous stories say Alverion, his might eternal, captured particularly powerful Shix and bent them to his service, using the impenetrable armor to contain them. Whatever they are, it is likely we will never know.
Records from the very earliest days of Bastion are incomplete. The great task of founding six kingdoms does not always leave time to take fastidious notes. As such, we do not have a clear understanding of when the Judges first appeared but we know that it was within the first two or three years after the Crusade of Light. We also lack certainty regarding their number. The prevailing belief is that there were initially seven, and today there are six. Officially, they are part of the Court, and thus the Adjudicator may know, and of course it is possible the is privy to such information; but no man who has ever held either position has ever shed any light on the subject.
Almost as numerous as theories regarding the nature of the Judges, are rumors about sightings. You can be confident that nearly every one you hear is fiction. Official records paint a picture of very limited activity over the first millennia of Bastion. This stands to reason given the types of crimes they deal with. Given The Illuminated Archon's obvious glory, only truly evil souls would dare to infringe upon His mercy to the point that a Judge would be called to act. When they do act, however, it is both magnificent and terrifying. The most well known example is the case of Ama Dorei.
Ama Dorei was a town in south eastern Nove Rezaan, near the base of the Kem Boldahr foothills. The Court may have records of exactly what happened to bring a Judge to the town, but that information has never reached the public. What happened after the Judge arrived can clearly be seen today, should you decide to visit the place yourself. There is no town. There are instead, the crumbling remnants of walls giving way to nature reclaming the land. Exactly what the Judge did, or how he achieved such levels of destruction, remains a mysterious but potent reminder that denying the glory and wisdom of Alverion is the path to obliteration.

Type

Religious, Other