The Order of the Tide

The Order of the Tide is a sect of Paladins who serve the goddess, Ceto. The Order's most basic mission is to make sure Cetonius is honoring Ceto- specifically by maintaining a balance between Cetonius & the surrounding territory belonging to the creatures of the deep.The Order also serves its kingdom dutifully. Seeming as the Syzygy becomes the Lord (gender neutral term) of Cetonius, they believe that the ruler of Cetonius has the closest connection with Ceto and are divinely appointed as such.

Structure

Syzygy (highest rank): They are the leader of the Order and considered (along with the Lord of Cetonius) to have the closest connection to Ceto. Like the Apogee, they too spend a lot of time studying lunar paths. Apogee (mid-rank): Are considered the sage rank. They have progressed to have more philosophical duties and spend much of their time studying celestial body movement- specifically movements of the 2 moons, Caeluma & Caligoss. At this rank, paladins also scout outside the borders of Cetonius to assess sea creature activity closest to the Kingdom. Apogees wear gold headpieces with two moons overlapping in a partial eclipse. Below that, they have a horizontal line tattooed on their foreheads. Perigee (lowest rank): This rank is closest to the people but are also often on assignment to safeguard the borders of the Kingdom. They are the first defense during a Blood Moon when the monsters of the deep are stirred up. As the rotate duties, along with the Apogee, they also make sure people within the community are safe and abiding by civil rules.

History

This paladin sect was founded before the Objective Age (OA), while the merfolk of the southern oceans were still nomadic. They instigated the founding of Cetonius as a way to honor Ceto and create an organized people who thrive under her.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Order serves also as the political hierarchy in Cetonius. When Ceto so appoints, the Syzygy ascends to Lord of Cetonius and the old Lord retires entirely or takes his/her place as an Apogee. The Syzygy's promotion to Lord has been a practice since the founding of Cetonius and must be a unanimous decision among the Apogee with consideration of any differing opinions of the Perigee. The people of Cetonius.