The Exalted, Sanctified, and the Blessed

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Qui exaltatus, sanctificamini, et benedictus

Those Exalted, Sanctified, and Blessed

 

Among mankind, there are those who have acted with utmost piety and compassion, and the Church has recognized them for their valor. Whilst paragons of virtues have graced the realm since ancient times, it was only under the High Pontiff Marcus I where a canonization process was established, to deliberate those beautified and saintly. However, with the great heathen sack of the Liberian Pontificate, the canon list of the sainthoods had been lost. It was under only High Pontiff Everad where a tradition of universally recognized sainthoods were restored.  Above the saints are, the four Exalted are those foretold in the Holy Scrolls, known formerly as the Divine, whom would restore humanity in this life and beyond. Only the exalted have ever held full dialogue with the Creator, and all have performed countless miracles and acts of greatness, standing aside the Creator in the Seventh Sky.

 

All these canonized figures are not to be worshiped, but revered, whether for their fulfillment of the Creator’s prophecies, or for their exceptional degree of holiness. They may be asked to pray for us as they act in intercession, close to the Creator himself.

 

The Prophets

The Prophets, or Exalted, are determined by the Canon and are noted for receiving their respective Scrolls from the Aenguls Artifai and Tesion, along with innumerable acts of faith, good works, and miracles.

 

Horen I "the Father" - Golden Laurel

Patron of Humanity, Covenants and Humility

 

Owyn I "the Purifier" - Flaming Sword

Patron of Purity, War, and Fire

 

Godfrey I "the Redeemer"- Silver Scepter

Patron of Dominion, Glory, and Justice

 

Siegmund I "the Preserver" - Globus Cruciger

Patron of Clairvoyance, Wisdom, and Sight

 

 

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The Saints

One is sainted if he or she lives a wholly pious and virtuous life and has proven he or she is in the highest skies by traditionally performing at minimum two miracles posthumously. They are often attributed symbols.

 

St. Daniel of Al'Khazar - Wooden Staff

Patron Saint of Peace, Cities, Pilgrims, and Travel

 

Spoiler

The Wanderings of Saint Daniel, 1334

 

The mythic Saint Daniel is celebrated throughout the Canonist community as a model monarch and pilgrim. Born as the third among brothers, St. Daniel was not expected to inherit, and thus his father had introduced him to the world of theology in hopes of finding a vocation for the pretender. Yet in a stroke of misfortune, the princeling's elder brothers fell ill to a sweeping plague, and Daniel took upon his father's mantle as King of Oren. He never forgot his theological training, however, and found himself engrossed in matters of faith.

 

Daniel Horen's first act as King was shifting his capital away from the traditional Horen seat of Jrent to a small fishing village northwest, in hopes of being closer to the holy sites of Aegis and finding the lost city of Paradisus. This village, under his competent administration, became the bustling metropolis of Al'Khazar, the jewel of Aegis and city of world's desire as a center of commerce, culture, and prestige. Yet he never forgot his faith in his fortunes; he financed and led the construction the grand King's Road, a highway from the Cloud Temple to Al'Khazar in hopes in popularizing the tradition of pilgrimage and travel. But despite his success as a monarch, Daniel loathed to sit in his palace, an ardent admirer of the world around him, often slipping the guise of a beggar at dusk and blending in with his subjects.

 

After twenty years of peaceful reign, the burdens of statecraft began to take a toll upon Daniel's ability to spread the word of God, and he promptly abdicated. Lacking sons at the time, Daniel yielded his throne to his seneschal, and the Sheffield regime henceforth commenced as Daniel retired to his estate in Alstion. Though never officially ordained in the Temple of the Faith, many contemporaries dubbed 'Good King Dan" as a missionary due to his nature of converting countless peoples in his voyages. A popular cult revolved around the former king as he traversed the land spreading the faith to the remote corners of the world, one famous pupil of the cult being St. Everad. After years of wandering, preaching, and delivering the faith, St. Daniel passed away in his sleep. Four hours after his death, he was canonized, with throngs of faithful rushing to Horen's Cathedral in Al'Khazar claiming miracles on behalf of St. Daniel.

 

Miracles

St. Daniel's wooden staff is said to have miraculous powers; during the 5th Great Drought of Kramoroe, it was used by a priest of the Canon to find fourteen wellsprings, which saved the city.

The footprints left behind in St. Daniel's travels throughout Krugmar never faded, despite the region's volatile sandstorms.

Among many others..

 

High Priest St. Everard of Al'Khazar - Red Cross

The Patron Saint of Tradition and Persecution

 

Spoiler

Saint Everard-in-Exile, 1325

 

Born in the late 1200s as a prince of the antique House of Hightower, Saint Everard is widely known for his active resistance and persecution against the Iblees cults and Sheffield regimes. Among the unsophisticated clergy of High Priest Bernard's peerage, Everard distinguished himself as as scholar and keeper of holy rites, a traditionalist through and through. He was a disciple of St. Daniel, establishing various enclaves of his faith in the Oren frontiers and helped standardized the Church in a time of uncertainty. Yet, while the city of St. Daniel, Al'Khazar, was aflame with pro-Iblees sentiment, its very King conducting in the black worship, Saint Everard remained steadfast in his communion, performing secret vigils and taking to exile to insure the faith would survive against the onslaught of the Undead. Tortured, branded, and persecuted, the mythic Hightower never submitted nor faltered in his dogma, refusing to accept Iblees as anything more than the fallen Archdaemon.  His adherence to traditional Canonist sentiments and devotion to his Creator have exemplified him as a model for all the priesthood to follow, as Everard kept his faith and vows despite the world around him crumbling to ash. He passed in his sleep in 1320.

 

Miracles

A group of Aegan clergymen were traveling north to administer the faith, when a Red Cross appeared in the night sky. Being students of St. Everard, they took the sign as an omen and turned away later to discover an Undead warlock nearly crossed their path.

Undead prophets stumbled upon the tomb of St. Everard and attempted to resurrect him with their dark arts. Their attempts were a miraculous failure, as their lightening spells were reflected back to their caster, and their hexes proved useless.

Among many others…

 

St. Godwein of Huntshill - Oaken Shield

The Patron Saint of Honesty, Woodworkers, Fungi, and Skin Afflictions

 

Spoiler

Saint Godwein and his Falcon, 1408

 

As a youth, St. Godwein was reared in the Asulonian badlands, a noble refugee from the destruction of Aegis. Losing his family at an early age due to the bandits so common in the region and period, "Honest Godwein" took up his hatchet and swore to his Creator that he would live on and prosper, but through virtue and honesty, not through sin as those that took his family away from him. The young Godwein opened a woodworking business, exporting fine frontier timber with the merchants who traveled all across the human realm. His merchant contacts informed one day that one of Daniel's grandsons, a certain Godfrey Horen, had come into power. An ardent admirer of the selflessness and traveling spirit of St. Daniel, Godwein set out for Arethor upon hearing this news and swore utter loyalty. Aiding his king and later, Emperor, in combating heresy in reuniting the human kingdoms, Godwein became a beloved figure in the court of man, who was reputed to have never told a lie in his life.

 

In an attempt to conduct in theological discourse with the Mori'quessir on a voyage to Menocress, Godwein was afflicted with a fungal growth upon his visage. Many physicians grew concerned as the blemish grew and grew, until it encompassed half his face. Yet, it is said that in response to this life-threatening illness, Godwein went to St. Everard's Church and prayed deeply for three days and three nights, and the growth did not grow anymore. Recognizing the ultimate power of God and his institutions, Godwein poured countless resources in aiding the poor and the priests of the faith. He passed away quietly, keeping his word with his Creator by going from a common lumberjack to a Marquis of the Empire without betraying his principles and living an exceptionally earnest life.

 

Miracles

Godwein's axe nor shield has never dulled, even after consistent use decades from his death.

Godwein's body is miraculously preserved, and its fungal growth still living, despite lacking a host to draw nutrients from.

Among many others…

 

St. Tobias of Sarkoz – Silver Comet, Gold Coins

The Patron Saint of Merchants, Comets, Wealth, and Charity

 

Spoiler

St. Toveah in Thought, 1399

 

Born as Toveah Goldman, his name anglicized from its Sarkozic root, St. Tobias is renowned for his immense fortunes. Ledgers indicate his wealth spanned beyond mortal comprehension, dizzying sums that definitively marked him as the richest human in the realm. Yet, Toveah was not born this wealth; a humble and impoverished manservant to Hadrien de Sarkozy, later known as St. Adrian, Goldman distinguished himself in the Count of Norfolk's council through his legendary stewardship. The Goldman Company helped settle and administer the Pontifical lands held by High Pontiff St. Lucien, enabling countless institutions of the faith to prosper. It is said Goldman had the Minas Touch; every business he ran prospered and returned its investments tenfold. At first, Toveah embraced his worldly wealth, erecting statues of himself of gold and being indulgent with his newfound wealth.

 

But after assuming a monopoly on the Abresian port of "Tov Avev", Tobias had a religious epiphany. Realizing his great bounty would never satiate him as it was a worldly desire, he quickly took upon a vow of celibacy, and tirelessly worked to satisfy his spiritual desires. Patronizing countless religious institutions, from the St. Bogdan's Cathedral in Kralta, the Kaedrini Orphanages, the Hammerspoint Observatory and the Pontifical Palace in Savoie, Saint Tobias had distinguished himself by his utter devotion to charity, forgoing family, status, and prestige for the betterment of Anthosian society.

 

Yet, the selfless Tobias later in life began to succumb to a lethal disease, ballooning his weight and forcing him to consume thrice his normal appetite at particular intervals less he pass unconscious. To eat so lavishly was to suffering for Tobias, who bemoaned this wealth could not go towards charity; one day when a Hansetian family of refugees approached the benevolent Tobias begging him for foodstuffs. Tobias, in his charity, gave his meal to the family, before realizing that he had missed his feeding interval. He passed into a coma and later perished, dying in ultimate altruism. His will dictated that his enormous fortunes did not go to his distant kindred, but rather various institutions of the Church and state, demonstrating the epitome of charity in both life and death. A common myth around St. Tobias is that he comes to give good children gifts with his "little goblins" during the month of Joma.

 

Miracles

During the reign of High Pontiff Owyn I, the attempts at demolishing the ghost town of Aldersberg were met with failure due to various Adunian raiders harassing the peasantry. Praying to Tobias for intercession, High Pontiff Owyn found the next day that a silver comet had struck and demolished the city in one blow, while also providing countless minerals and precious metals for the commons and Church.

Upon a naval excursion to Hammerspoint, a group of sailors and clergymen alike were met with a vicious storm that lasted for twenty days. Nearly out of supply and facing mutiny, a silver comet soared through the sky pointing north. The captain swung north at behest of his chaplain, and found a small island littered with fresh fruit, meats, and coins bearing the image of St. Tobias.

Among many others...

 

St. Amyas of Yore - Wild Herb

The Patron Saint of Medicine, Healing, Botany, and Wild Herbs

 

Spoiler

The Candor of St. Amyas, 1383

Little is known about Saint Amyas' early life, but what is known is his family's patrician background. Born in a household of merchants, the young Amyas quickly grew disillusioned with the decadence of the Perea kingdom of Salvus and found himself disowned by his father when he refused to work in the family business. Mustering what money he could from a mother's farewell gift, Amyas became an apprentice physician in a wandering caravan. The novice apothecary's talents grow exponentially over time due to his genuine passion in medicine. During the wars against the Perea regime, Amyas found ample work in tending to those wounded and maimed by bandit, orc, and man alike. His selflessness enabled him to become a pioneer in his field, devising the triage method of healing and various poultices to remedy the wounds of war. These growing talents would be put to test during the Great Plague of Asulon.

 

A calamity which killed over a tenth of the human population, the Great Plague of Asulon was characterized by a pandemic of countless ailments, but none as feared as the wicked rotbrain. The virus was notorious for inducing mind-numbing agony and savagery to those afflicted, who often were kept together in cages and treated as animals for their conditions. In the bustling city of Solace, Amyas, in a routine trip through the quarantines to treat the infected, was once forced in the quarantine by two guards, who refused to let the doctor out. Amyas spent ten days among these sick, three without food or water, yet despite the circumstance, Amyas continued his treatments whilst praying to God for freedom. When another apothecary of his caravan finally managed to bribe the guards into letting Amyas go, Amyas was miraculously found free from all affliction despite his vulnerable state. Taking this as a sign from God, Amyas enlisted among the clergy and became a prominent monk. Spending his days administering last rites to the terminally ill, healing the sick despite prejudice and quarantine, pioneering new methods of medicine, and selflessly risking his life for the damned wherever he went, Amyas became the embodiment of the godly physician.

 

Miracles

A lame boy was brought before the tomb of St. Amyas and at once managed to kneel, the function in his legs restored.

body of St. Amyas is to smell distinctly of rose petals.

Among many others...

 

High Pontiff St. Lucien I of Ulmsbottom – Kaedreni Cross

The Patron Saint of Crusaders, Change, and the Family

 

Spoiler

Potrait of Velwyn Ashford, 1404

 

Born as Velwyn Ashford in the dreary penal colony of Ulmsbottom, Saint Lucien’s background was that of the son of an exiled patrician. His father, a courtier, had been banished from the royal court of Pampo Perea in somewhat murky circumstances, and at the first opportunity young Velwyn hired passage on a slave galley from Ulmsbottom to the Teutonic state of Hanseti. There he began a new life for himself, quickly rising through the secular ranks of the Teutonic Order, building his assets and reputation until he was eventually appointed Landmeister (or governor) of the city of Dresden. In addition to this, for a brief time he acted as an ambassador from the lands of Hanseti to the court of Renatus, where he was exposed to the religion of the Renatian people. His tenure ended when Hochmeister Mirtok of Hanseti betrayed Godfrey of Renatus in the Salvite Wars, Ashford being quickly pronounced persona non grata and recalled. Ashford found himself unable to cope with the dilemma which he then faced - to him, Renatus had been a land of opportunity and moral principles, whereas his own realm of Hanseti had exemplified only betrayal and warmongering justified as pragmatism. He resigned from his post as Landmeister and was baptised into the Church of Oren, xdisappearing for a certain time.

 

He reappeared around the time Godfrey unified the human realms into the Holy Oren Empire, having undergone a religious epiphany and joined the clergy. With Thomas (Later St. Thomas of Gaekrin) and Peter Chivay, he was one of the three founders of the Order of the White Rose, a religious military order which was the first and most powerful organization to espouse the more zealous principles of the Empire - the subjugation of nonhumans, the establishment of religious uniformity and the destruction of monsters, rebels and dissidents. It would later grow to become one of the most formidable forces in the history of the Empire, establishing the Kingdom of Kaedrin and almost entirely conquering the elven lands. In addition to his post as Seneschal of the Order of the White Rose, he was instated as the Bishop of Crestfall and Pontiff of the Church by the High Pontiff at the time, Adeodatus I the Simple. Under his proselytization, the Diocese of Crestfall would be scoured of infidels and heretics.

 

In 1395, Adeodatus would resign from his position as High Pontiff and Velwyn Ashford would be elected in his place, taking the papal name of Lucien. Taking a far more active role in the operation of the Church than his predecessors, Lucien I proved to be one of the most devout leaders of the Faith in recorded history, casting aside the lax and corrupt precedent which had been maintained by James, Pius and Adeodatus. Upon the arrival to the promised land of Anthos, Lucien would be granted the northern fief of Savoie, becoming Prince-Archbishop of Savoie. A staunch defender of the family unit, the High Pontiff would become a model for virtuous and righteous families, providing charity and patronage to households with children. During his reign, he called the First Crusade on the Orcish Lands and established the Order of Saint Amyas, charging Guy Varodyr with the post of Grand Master. This First Crusade was a great success, many of the pious riding south to secure their place in the Seven Skies by fighting the orcish infidel. Varodyr would establish the fortress of Antrim before being forced to retreat when the crusade achieved its ultimate goal reclaiming the relics of St. Lothar, known more commonly as St. Lorraine.

 

Known for the copper Kaedreni cross he bore, he resigned in 1420 upon leaving for Aeldin during the Exodus, having restored the good name of the Church as a pious and selfless organization which protected family values. Lucien died some time in the 1430s, his relics being recovered by Arjen de Sarkozy on an expedition sponsored by Radomir the Ecclesiarch. Afterwards, they were transferred into the custody of his grandson, Olivier, where they remain to this day.

 

Miracles

After kissing the hand of Lucien’s cadaver, a married couple of fifty-one and fifty-five were able to conceive and successfully raise a healthy child despite years of infertility.

Saint Lucien’s crozier and Kaedreni cross, fashioned out of lead and copper respectively to show his humility in regards to his predecessors, were both buried with him in his tomb. When Arjen de Sarkozy exhumed his relics, the knight found that both the crozier and the cross had been transformed into solid gold. Alarmed by this discovery, he transferred both artifacts into the custody of the Church.

Among many others...

 

St. Adrian of Leuvaarden – Open Book

The Patron Saint of Statesmen, Lawyers, and Politics

 

Spoiler

Saint Adrian Among the Councils, 1440

 

Born as Hadrien de Sarkozy, Saint Adrian was born in the Viceroyalty of Leuvaarden in the far off continent of Gaekrin. Raised in a household of middling burghers, Hadrien’s youth was marked with a characteristic rivalry with his elder brother and passionate ambition. His renown grew when he was sent to the continent of Asulon and read about potential legal work, posted by Velwyn Ashford (Later High Pontiff St. Lucien of Ulmsbottom). Hadrien set out for Asulon with meager supply and ended up in the Duchy of the Holy Lands, where he found work under Seneschal Ashford, acting as an advisor, barrister, and political theorist. His work found himself managing the many accounts and ledgers of the Order of the White Rose, and his stellar diligence and natural talent caught the eye of Velwyn’s other companions, prominently Thomas Chivay (Later St. Thomas of Gaekrin). He was quickly promoted to the rank of Conseiller and acted as a personal advisor to both Thomas and the Senior Command of the Order. His political works condemned the unholy city of Crestfall, and he personally participated in rooting out heretics among the city’s populace.

 

When the Empire of Oren came to the continent of Anthos, Hadrien’s reputation as an able advisor had grown throughout the Empire. Countless sought his political expertise as he forged treaties, documents, and alliances throughout the realm. Hadrien also endeavored to promote a new Kaedreni culture in the kingdom, patronizing countless musicians and artists, whose works would spread throughout the newly conquered frontier. St. Adrian, above all others, that established a true Kaedreni culture among its people – a culture of nationalism, pride, and civic duty.

 

What St. Adrian is most renowned for among the Canonist communion is his role in being the chief architect of Lucienism. His creation of the papist doctrine exemplified and outlined the theological goals of High Pontiff Lucien I, and its influence spread quickly throughout the Imperial west. Lucienism is regarded as a pillar of the Canonist faith due to his defiance of caesaropapism and the Horen cult. Thus among Canonist theologians, St. Adrian is praised for his philosophical and dogmatic contributions.

 

Along with his involvement in the Kingdom of Kaedrin, Hadrien was also awarded other titles in the Empire. He was granted the title of Lord Privy Seal in the Emperor’s Council; and the County of Norfolk in the Prince-Archbishopric of Savoie, where the city of Aldersberg was established. Aldersberg would become a bountiful and industrious city, its inhabitants raised under the care of Lucienist teachings and Sarkozy protection. Hadrien was also one of the few lords in Orenic history to be a direct papal vassal, and it was he who also swore his devout faith to Lucien and championed the High Pontiff’s full papal authority as a separate body from the state.

 

Lauded for his diplomatic ability, religious scholarship, political philosophies and diligence with the quill, St. Adrien worked tirelessly in service to the Pontificate, the Kingdom of Kaedrin, and most of all his faith. He would remain a devout follower of the church and capable statesman until his death in 1419, butchered by an unknown burglar in his own office.

 

Miracles

When St. Adrian was found slain in his office in Ard Kerrack, he had with him a ceremonial golden shortsword, bloodstained after an intense struggle against his killer. When the guard went to alert their superiors, they returned to find the blade cleaned of all its stains and resting in the crease of an open book, revealing the building projects for Lucienist churches throughout the frontiers of Kaedrin.

Upon the Exodus, clergy rushed to Aldersberg to preserve what works there before looters preyed on the chaos. When the entered St. Adrian's chambers, the various books there began to fly about in his room in a heavy gale. As they landed, only one tome was left open, a scripture detailing a pentarchy. Later, the Holy Oren Empire would split five-ways.

Among many others…

 

St. Thomas of Gaekrin – White Rose

The Patron Saint of Leadership, Discipline, Frontiersmen, and Kaedrin

 

Spoiler

Saint Thomas in the Heavens, 1440

 

St. Edmond of Lachsin – Knight on Horseback

The Patron Saint of Sailing, the Navy, Horses, and the Auvergnian People

 

Spoiler

Saint Edmond In His Splendor, 1433

 

St. Theodosius of Istiam - Gray Pigeon

The Patron Saint of Messengers, Birds, Translators, and the Raevir People

 

Spoiler

Saint Bogdan Recieves the Scrolls of Karos, 1451

 

St. Wilfriche of Hanseti - Black Mace

The Patron Saint of Brotherhood, Chancellors, Opposition of Setherin, and Franciscan Martyrs

 

Spoiler

Saint Wilfriche Denies the Setherinites, 1472

 

St. Wilfriche was born to a Hanseatic yeoman and his wife under the Kingdom of Hanseti in 1426. His early life was characterized by brutal strife as both Blackmont and Sethrenic forces ravaged his homeland. It was not long before Wilfriche was orphaned and his homeland destroyed, claimed by the Black Scourge. He managed his way south to the bustling town of Kralta and sustained himself through ill-means, but eventually was caught stealing two loaves of bread from a local bakery. The boy was apprehended by the local militias and brought forth to be judged by the Marquis of Raev.

 

The traditional punishment for theft was a hand, but the exalted Siegmund took pity on the Hansetian in rags and ordered him instead to serve under the Bishop Bogdan, later canonized of St. Theodosius, as an Acolyte to atone for his theft. Wilfriche thus grew up in the ornate and mystic rites of the Ruskan Orthodoxy, undergoing a clerical education and becoming an ordained clergyman. Wilfriche and his trusted companion, Blessed Vladislav, son of St. Theodosius, left Kralta to minister their faith in the newly settled Kaedrini region after the ascension of their mentor. The pair became well-loved by the Raevir colonists as beacons of faith under the reign of the apathetic High Pontiff Regulus. However, these Kaedrini backwaters were infamous for Setherinic raiders and cultists. Under St. Wilfriche's leadership, the Ruskan fellowship erected a mighty holdfast known as the Flotstad and surrounding it the village Flotsam. The Flotsamites grew to be the first bulwark against Setherinic invasion and were critical in the reclaiming of Hanseti from Setherinite clutches. Wilfriche fostered a strong brotherhood bound by creed through the Jolly Band and was characterized by his jovial and amiable spirit, making friends with countless Anthosians.

 

St. Wilfriche was also characterized as an ardent theologian, publishing countless articles on the faith and spreading the missives among its communion. He stood against the sectarian communalism of Oren, recognizing the blasphemies in permitting sects to possess dogmatic differences. Approaching the High Pontiff, he managed to list a series of grievances and help unite the faith into one universal dogma, marking him a pioneer of Canonism. However, the Order of St. Lucien soon attempted to check Wilfriche's rise in influence and power by petitioning to the High Pontiff to declare war on the Flotsamites for claims of banditry. Regulus accepted the prospects of civil war, and the two parties battled it out until a white peace was declared.

 

Wilfriche later became Lord Chancellor to the King Henry and King Francis before being slain in the Franciscian Massacre. His power in the ministries were notable as he swayed the stalwart cynic Joseph Lane to erect an Abresian Church by purging the Abresian sewers of an unholy plague festered by cultists, spread the faith through mass baptisms, arranged feast days, and led battles against the Zionist menace before his death. His symbol is a black mace due to his purification of various Setherinite maces and also his Orthodox vows, which forbade clergy from bearing bladed weapons.

 

Miracles

A man possessed by Setherin was clubbed once about the head by Wilfriche's mace. After rising from the blow, he was exorcised of his demons.

The week following Wilfriche's death, three sets of twins in Ancien were born with black mace birthmarks.

Among many others…

 

St. Godwin of Paradisus - Skull

The Patron Saint of the Deceased, the Afterlife, Ghosts, the Supernatural and Heartlanders

 

Spoiler

The Ghost of  Saint Godwin, unknown

 

St. Julia of Paradisus - Golden Rings

The Patron Saint of Mothers, Matrimony, and Exorcism

 

Spoiler

Saint Julia's Reverence, unknown

 

St. Joren of Paradisus - Iron Shackles

The Patron Saint of the Mountains, Winter, the Imprisoned, and Highlanders

 

Spoiler

The Gaze of Saint Joren, unknown

 

St. Lothar of Balian - Lorraine Cross

The Patron Saint of  the Lorraine Cross, Princes, Courage, and Heraldry

 

Spoiler

The Prince of Balian, unknown

 

St. Otto ‘the Bald’ of Vanderfell - Bald Eagle

Patron of Difficult Decisions, Guardians, Wards, Northern Culture, and Aesterwald

 

Spoiler

The Prince and the refugee, 1490

 

 

St. Emma of Woldzmir - White Sword

Patroness of Woman Warriors, the Schism War, Loyalty, and Adrians.

 

Spoiler

The Passion of Emma, unknown

 

St. Karl Barbanov - Golden Crow

Patron of Strength, Carpentry, Justified Death, and of Haense

 

Spoiler

The most blessed Duke Karl Barbanov was renowned for his settlement and civilization of the Dwarven North, carving out an expansive realm that restored Northern and Carrion culture after the calamities of the fourth empire. In many ways, St. Karl’s life was a testimony to the resilient spirit of the Highlander man, that despite whatever setbacks of his forefathers he had found triumph and glory in his Orenian conquests and occupations. Yet, vastly different from his peers who aspired to worldly glory, the lord Karl sought the acquisition of virtue, holiness, and god-given governance. His private life, work for Canonism, and eventual martyrdom distinguish him above his peers and afford him reverence as a holy saint.

 

Born to the Emperor Alexander and his first wife, the Waldenian princess Anabella Rovin, the young Karl would find himself caught in the turmoil of his parent’s disastrous union and the downfall of the Fourth Empire. Spirited away from the fallen city of Petrus, he was reared among various holy figures such as St. Emma, St. Otto, and St. Daniel the Reader throughout lands such as Woldzimir, Aesterwald, and Karovia. Through these titans of faith, the young Karl earned a deep respect for church tradition and the importance of religious unity. After Petrus was retaken and the Schismatic-Renatian front collapsed, St. Karl’s wardfather, St. Otto, took to the North, marshaling the armies of Oren to subjugate its dwarven holds and bring the splinter-states of Aesterwald into the fold. Through the diplomatic handiwork of his mentor, Karl would come to inherit the estate of Ayr and use it to press onwards to the dwarven citadel of Hiebenhall. At the thick of the night, the young Karl with the aid of four score Vladovic bannermen, took the castle in a legendary display of grappling and sabotage. Not long after, the dwarves were forced to cede the North to the Reformed Kingdom, its jewel lost to the young lord’s clever machinations.

 

Yet despite being surrounded by countless heathens, St. Karl did not succumb to altering the dogma of faith to appease the various Faolain and wildling factions of the north. His first missive upon taking the castle of Hiebenhall was that to send a chaplain to sanctify the dwarven hold. His first construction was that of St. John’s chapel, built by his own hand; Karl was renowned for his immense strength and often accompanied his men in harvesting timber and laying down supports. Through the rigor of construction his seat of Siegrad around the Castle Siegrad, Karl instilled zeal, diligence, and prudence among his soldiery and citizenry. Each were obliged to carry prayer books and learn the articles of the faith; St. Daniel the Reader marveled at the transformation which had took place over the decades, proclaiming Siegrad a holy center of faith. Over time, the many sons of schismatics and pagans had become devout Canonists, multiplying the strength of both the church and its patron, Oren. His exploits as Duke range from his fondness for children, establishing countless orphanages, to ensuring justice for the commons against tyrannical bureaucrats, to even maintaining the High Pontiff as his personal confessor.

 

Yet the legendary life of the ‘Boulder of Barbanov’ came to a swift end at the face of natural disaster. The massive worm of Athera, long dormant, arose and devastated the continent in a tempest of rage. When the North looked to fall, St. Karl’s soldiers, the Brotherhood of the Golden Crow, kept vigil and held fast to ensure the citizenry of Siegrad could flee and take refuge in the boats to come. The great worm made a fierce adversary for the burly Barbanov, though he would not yield before the monstrosity. Instead, he elected to utilize his first inheritance, that of his late grandfather, the Emperor Tobias, to defeat the creature; a cache of explosives leftover from the golden emperor’s ardent passion of siegecraft. Jumping into the belly of the beast, the young Karl clutched the worm’s innards and perished in an explosion of gore. Martyring himself for the preservation of All-Athera, St. Karl lived on as a hero to the sons of Canonist world, an apostle in the holy succession and tradition of the Highlander St. John. He is often evoked by smallfolk against pestilence and plague given his triumph over the great worm of Athera, a hardy northman renowned for his sense of justice, temperance, and holiness.

 

Miracles;

The Brelus granaries had faced consistent pestilence by locusts, mice, and maggots due to its poor conditions. However, after an icon of St. Karl was kept to keep vigil over the grain, it was found that no pest bothered the stores again.

During the Siege of Kraken's watch, a contingent of Gold Corps soldiers were trapped beneath the rubble by a huge piece of shrapnel. The Serjeant leading the company prayed to St Karl to lend him strength, and managed to lift the huge boulder off of his comrades, saving the lives of nearly two score of men and his descendant Petyr Barbanov.

 

 

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The Beautified

One is beautified if he or she lives a wholly pious and virtuous life and is either martyred for his or her faith, or posthumously performed a miracle upon a High Pontiff's prayer.

 

Blessed Patrick Denims

Blessed High Pontiff Adeodatus

Blessed Hunwald

Blessed Francis Karovic

Blessed Lorethos Basileus

Blessed Damon Kovacevic

Blessed Vladislav

Blessed Zacarias Mosquera

Blessed Father Stephen

Blessed Frederick Royce

Blessed Dmitri of the Dreadfort

Blessed Jon of the Whirlwind

Blessed Peter

Blessed Lendus

Blessed Jan Jeremi

Blessed William the Beggar

Blessed Kristoff of Hanseti

Blessed High Pontiff Daniel I

Blessed Thomas Denims

Blessed Richard de Bar

Blessed Humbert de Bar

Blessed Radovid of Blaviken.

Blessed Marius Baruch

Blessed Vytenis of Visiga

Blessed Leon of Amaury

Blessed Stephan Himmel

Blessed High Pontiff Daniel II
Blessed Jude of Cyranium

 

 

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