Solarian Armor Ritual

The solarians are a league of specialized paladins in service to both Nesidth and her cult as reestablished by the Sun Elvs' theocracy of Casway. The order is very exclusive in that it only accepts sun elv females (including half-elves and those that identify as female) as it's initiates. The solarians are granted special protection that uses their divine connection as a shield against harm and that protection requires the execution of the daily Armor Ritual.
The ritual begins when the solarian washes herself thoroughly with a bar or red rose soap and rinses clean with plain fresh water. By cleansing her body she also cleanses her being of impurities of the material world. She may then dry herself with a square cloth made of black wool before unfurling an octagonal prayer rug, made of velvet and dyed the sacred color of violet, and lighting a censer of sacred incense (the commanders and Pinnacle use three censers arranged at the front, back left, and back right sides of the rug). She kneels on her prayer rug, and utters a prayer to Saint Quinniel for guidance and inspiration before anointing herself in the sacred oil composed of cherry blossoms, sage leaves, and vanilla sprigs, crushed together and mixed in rain water blessed by a priestess. She anoints herself on her heart and forehead and begins reciting eight prayers to the goddess. If at any point the prayers are interrupted she must wash herself and begin the ritual again. Once the eight prayers are complete she may dress in any clothes worn under her armor. The clothing and armor of the solarian may vary heavily by the circumstances of the journey though it must feature the 3 favored colors, violet, crimson, and jet black, with the outermost layer of garb (usually the armor) being the sacred violet of the goddess's order, representing the wearer's faith. Whether the armor is metallic, leather, or silk the blessing ritual remains the same: when an armor is to be donned its exterior should be washed in clean water and then rubbed over with a white silken handcloth that is embroidered with a prayer for protection and doused in the sacred oil. At this stage the armor may be donned beginning with the cuisse followed by the cuirass, boots, and finally the gloves if the set includes all such pieces. Once the armor is secured the incense must be extinguished, removed from the burner, and stored in a white silk cloth. The paladin may now don any accessories and items she carries or pieces that would interfere with primary the coloration of the armor. A solarian may receive help during the armor donning regardless of the assistant's species or gender.

"Her crowning beauty is an homage to the goddess of beauty & is should be visible as oft as possible."

It is forbidden for a solarian to wear a full helmet, though various masks, circlets, jewelry, and facial pieces are allowed. Solarians are given one mask upon entering into fieldwork and told to pray they will never need to use it: a plain violet veil stretching one foot long when worn and called the purging veil. This mask is only worn to raid homes and execute heretics such as in the remote cabins of demon-worshipping cultists who live in peace with civilization. These raids are preventative measures to stop murderous rituals and demon summoning before they happen. To wear this mask may only be done at night and once worn the paladin douses the face of the cloth with sacred oil, choking herself momentarily and warding off the scent of blood. Existing less to disguise her from witnesses and more from herself, the purging mask separates the grim duties of execution from the beautiful life of a solarian as a whole.

• The sacred oil comes in glass flasks weighing 1lbs and costing 30 gold pieces. They are usually only used for about an ounce at a time and last for 12 or 13 days.
• The sacred incense costs 15 gold for a bundle of a dozen single-use sticks.
• The soap costs 1 gold and can last several months.
• The prayer rug costs 30 gold, the silk & wool cost 5 silver each, and the silver incense burner costs 3 gold. These items do not need to be replaces unless they are damages or lost.