Modern Purifiers?

[Askuzai 505]

 

Modern Purifiers and Questions regarding them

With the passing of time the Purifiers, the Defenders of the Faith, have fallen to stagnation and are no more. These days it would be hard pressed to find one, if any still live. Back in the times where the Purifiers did live it was said that “The purifiers are the shield and sword of the faith” -Arthas, “On the Brotherhood of the Holy Hearth.” It was not the main duty of the Keepers to go out and fight the corrupt and ill of soul, and yet since then we must keep going as the Third Tenet calls for us to always fight against the Long Dark. The Keepers were forced to pick up the torch from their fallen branch and become the new fighting force of the Red Faith while keeping themselves true to the Second Tenet, Spreading the Flame. That being said, are Purifiers even necessary anymore?

 

How are we to re-inspire a new revolution of the Purifiers so that Keepers may go back to focusing almost wholly on the Second Tenet? Godric has begun to solve this issue for us by turning his armies’ training regime to include that of wytch hunting with his call for Eternal Crusade against the Dark. This solves that issue of the lack of Purifiers. The issue is, Will those soldiers follow our Allfather against the forces of the Long Dark? Will they be given the title of Purifier even if they don’t, since they are working under the Defender of the Faith? Will the Hearth Council have any control over what wytches those men go after, even if those ‘wytches’ are of innocence? Or will it just be Officers of the military controlling those men? Mayhaps a solution is that the Officers and the Keepers can work together as brothers under the Allfather, but time will tell

 

Now, if a true Purifier of the past were to reemerge. What would be the difference between them and one of these new wytch hunters? They follow the Allfather devoutly, surely, but what else? A passage from our texts depict the equipment a Purifier might carry: “They are often equipped with heavy plate and bear wytch hunting materials. Bonds and weapons of aurum intended to subdue those who are infected with the magicks of the ancients, or in turn to give them mercy if they cannot be captured.” -Aeyn, “Fatherism, An Introduction” What is there here that any old wytch hunter can't simply replicate, apart from the All-fathers Mercy. Perhaps the average wytch hunter doesn't follow the orders of the High Keeper or Guard the Hearth from threat. Perhaps the old Purifier is a more professional wytch hunter than a mere soldier also meant to fight in field combat? But, I believe the main difference is that a Purifier knows how to perform the basic rituals of the Faith to purge or Cleanse an undead of their corruption. The Allfathers Mercy, an important tool in our fight against the Long dark, is something that no devout wytch hunter can perform without our Holy Fire and Belief in the Allfather: “The All Father’s mercy. They are to be tied to a stake and purified with Holy Fire. This will give them some small chance of being purified of their corruption and sent to the Father’s own embrace.” -Arthas, The Third Tenet. Just any fire will not suffice in the complete and total eradication of corruption.

 

but how was a Purifier to perform the Allfathers mercy back in the day if they did not have a Flamebrand? I am unsure if any Purifiers were given the rights to wield Flamebrands back then, as that is the only known vessel of the Fathers fire other than the Hearth. I dont see how they could perform the ritual without one. There are some passages that suggest that they already had a Flamebrand before even becoming a Purifier: “Senior Priests of the faith that have reached a level of competency and fluency in the teachings of the faith as to warrant specialization. . . Dedicants choosing to specialize as Purifiers will take on the majority of martial tasks and duties bestowed upon the Priesthood.” -Arthas, “The Red Priests.” As you can see, Senior Priests were the ones allowed to become the more militant Purifier within the faith. By this point a priest surely had a flamebrand within their care and could choose to become a Purifier upon becoming a more Senior Priest. But then there are other documents contradicting this that say the opposite: “The Initiates the lowest rank in the Purifiers. They consist of lower gentry/ peasants. It is merely the first step in the right direction. They make up the body of the Purifier Order and require no weeks of service but you must be a member of the Red Faith to join.” -The Purifiers. It clearly states that the lowest rank of the Purifiers were made up of peasants rather than something along the lines of Senior Priest. Perhaps this was during a time where more Purifiers were needed or there could not be enough supplied. Either way, I pose these questions, What constitutes becoming a Purifier in today’s age? Just how much does someone need to learn? Can a Purifier have a Flamebrand? And can a Keeper be both Keeper and Purifier?

 

If a new Era of Purifiers should arise, and those Purifiers not be wielders of Flame-Brands, are they still a representation of the Allfather’s presence should a Keeper’s Flamebrand or Hearth fire not be nearby?

 

And hypothetically, if a single Purifier emerges, one can assume that they’ll just be one member of our brotherhood, but if a whole group emerges? Who will lead them? A Keeper or perhaps a resurfaced Purifier? Certainly the new Purifiers wouldn't know about the Red Faith enough yet to warrant a Lord Purifier again, till they are ready. As that could cause issues and put the Allfather’s name in a bad spot. Would it not?

 

-Initiate Chadmyr

 

[rukio 8924]

Elle Noctuid rolls in her grave. If she were alive she’d feel the urge to hit him over the head with Arthas’ cane! 

[Askuzai 505]

Galen’s ashes shift slightly.