AstriaS

[!] Couriers take to the roads of Norland, bearing missives to all known members of the Edvardsson, Eiriksson and Freysson Clans. Announcement of a New Rurikid Registry Issued The Grand Harvest, 1794 By Order of High Keeper Alisa Camian Citizens of Norland, In preparation for the impending migration of our people, unstoppable as the destruction of Arcas appears to be, the Hearth Council calls for a reexamination and documentation of the Rurikid bloodline. This is for the purposes of modernizing the Kingdom’s documentation, the correction and elimination of any errors within said documentation, and the creation of a thorough, complete record of the current bearers of the Herald’s blood prior to the impending move. Those who would have their name recorded in this new registry must provide their names to the King and High Keeper, along with proof of their lineage. Those who do not reside within the Kingdom of Norland will, additionally, be required to appear in person before the King and High Keeper. Those who do not register or whose lineage cannot be proven shall not be recorded as Rurikid and will be required to take up the surname of Ash, should they not already bear a name unconnected to the Rurikid Clans. As a further reminder, only those with a patrilineal connection to Thoromir I will be considered Rurikid. Those whose family line connects them to the Herald by way of a mother will be required to take the surname of Ash and forego recognition as members of the Rurikid bloodline. Furthermore, those of Rurikid blood who are not of the Red Faith shall also be denied. Should one be declared an Ash and persist in their use of a surname attached to one of the Rurikid Clans, they shall, regardless of reason, be charged with treason and considered an enemy of the Throne, the Faith and the Kingdom as a whole. In the Father’s Name, High Keeper Alisa Camian [!] A small form is included with the letter, to be returned to the capital.

[The Red Faith would like to know your location.]

Basically this, yes. To add to this as another leader of a human religion, which similarly (until recently) has a history of being less-than-tolerant of homosexuality, it’s important to allow for room for reform, but also to ensure that this reform comes in the form of legitimate RP. As stated above, forcing a change for the sake of OOC sentiment ends up being a disservice to the greater whole of the narrative. Take, for example, the more recent increase in tolerance in Norland and the Red Faith. While, yes, a decent number of Norland’s current players fall somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum, this wasn’t the driving force behind the increase in tolerance. It came as a result of a series of decisions and moves which opened the way for change. In large part, it was spurred by the presence of a homosexual character in a position of power, and a respect for that character IRP. And it’s entirely possible that future reforms will lead things back in the opposite direction. In short, bad things in the real world will still exist in an RP world. People will still have to face adversity and discrimination in an RP world. It’s up to the characters to decide how they react to it, and whether they will pursue change. Pushes for reform will always exist in the real world, and they should, therefore, also exist in the world of RP. Not to mention that reformation can make for some lovely conflict RP. And finally, as stated many times in this thread, using IRP prejudices as an avenue to enact one’s own prejudices is another thing entirely. Just roll with RP and engage with the good and bad elements of the world as your character would see fit.

The High Keeper finished her notes from the meeting and raised a mug of ale to the shining future of the Highlander race.

The High Keeper lets out a small, amused cackle, the porcelain mask covering her features giving off an eerie, echoey ring. “How very kind of him to write,” She commented in mildly amused sarcasm to the other Keepers present. “What a waste of air this so-called ‘Sultan’ is. Truly, I cannot imagine thinking this is a threat worth any seriousness. The demons send petty displays of common gore and brutality in an attempt to unnerve those of us who have spent our lives- spilled our blood and tears- looking into the face of darkness. How... Flawed their understanding of their enemy is. Such a... Disconnect between the damned and the living. To think they can sunder our spirits with hastily-written, poorly-worded threats, and to send them by such a... Painfully eyeroll-inducing method. Let the halfwit hellspawn come. We shall meet them with steel.” Sylvia Camian paints a large pink heart on the side of a newly-bored cannon with a little, half-crazed laugh.

Neat ice metal is neat. +1

The High Keeper reads over the document with a quiet, jaded cackle of amusement.

Somewhere in Norland, a young woman, now an adult in her own right, remembered a song the bard had sung about her all those years ago. Unaware of the man’s departure from the mortal plane, she hummed the melody of his song as she went about her day, a smile on her face.

The High Keeper nodded in approval as she heard the news. “Only thing a bandit deserves in life is a short drop followed by a sudden stop. Give ‘em hell.”

The High Keeper signs her name to the document. Velsyni Indoren nodded contently as she restocked the shelves of her store in Morsgrad’s market square. “Nice.”

As much as I hate playing the part of the cynical pessimist, I feel this needs to be said; As good of a message as this is-- and it’s a very good message, don’t misunderstand-- it seems to me that this is a lot of words with little weight behind them. As great as it would be for everyone to play nice, the fact remains that due to inaction on the part of all parties involved, nothing will change. So long as the powers that be, either by intention or ignorance, willingly turn a blind eye to the issues in question for whatever reason, there will continue to be no confidence in the system. With no confidence in the system, people won’t step forward when they’re mistreated. When people stop stepping forward, the inaction appears justified, and the cycle continues. Nothing will change, harassment and toxicity will continue. tl;dr: If you want change, the way to do it is through principle and integrity, not just telling people to be better. Change is achieved by action. Signed, Astria, Local Cynic

The High Keeper silently objected to the addition of the word ‘Holiness’ to her name as she read over the document. But she chose to just shrug it off with a sigh.

No. Just because other settings have guns doesn’t mean this setting needs guns. Especially when there are already enough issues with powergaming and misunderstandings with the weapons we already have. Keep things simple, and keep with the existing vibe. That being said. This is just my personal preference. If firearms are the will of the people, then so be it.

High Keeper Alisa would respond with a half-laugh and a condescending roll of her eyes. “A band of common mercenaries giving themselves a fancy name, hm? Another group of ne’er-do-wells. We’ll see how this goes for them.”

High Keeper Alisa seated herself behind her desk, and began examining the document before her with a sigh. “I should have accompanied Chadmyr; Then I wouldn’t have to do my job after the fact,” She complained quietly to herself. As she finished reading over the treaty, she couldn’t help but pass her gaze over to her young daughter, who was playing nearby on the office’s floor. A small smile crossed her face as she felt a small twinge of a rather rare emotion; Hope for the future. “Finally.”

Purpose When inducting new initiates into the clergy, it is necessary to ensure the prospective initiate’s readiness for the position. This has, historically, been accomplished through a variety of methods. In the early days, there was little need for a priesthood, as those who joined the Faith were joining to fight with the Red Brothers in the All Father’s name. In other times, prospective initiates have been asked to put pen to paper and take oaths to prove their knowledge and piety. In more recent times, under High Keepers Tyr and Sølvi, the would-be initiates were put through a gauntlet that tested the depths of their dedication and commitment. These gauntlets included such things as brandings, bloodletting, and drowning; Ordeals that pushed the limits of mortal tolerance. Upon completion of the gauntlet, be it in the manner of Tyr or the manner of Arthas, the prospective would be granted the rank of Initiate, at which point they would embark upon the path to becoming a fully-ordained Keeper. Gauntlets The varying methods of the past were meant for the same purpose; They proved the prospective’s ability to serve the faith, either by knowledge or by dedication. However, there comes a time when the practices of the past must be looked upon, and the question asked, what may be done to improve them? In this particular case, the answer is to combine the methods of old in the hopes that the new method more thoroughly sorts the fit from the unfit. Upon making known their desire to serve the Faith, the would-be initiate shall be informed of the tasks they must complete in order to be inducted into the ranks of the clergy. There shall be three Gauntlets of Initiation: The Gauntlet of the Flame, The Gauntlet of Steel, and the Gauntlet of Mind. Of these, two must be completed, and of the two completed, one must be the Gauntlet of Mind. Gauntlet of the Flame The Gauntlet of the Flame is designed to test the initiate’s strength of will and dedication to their faith. Completion of this gauntlet reveals the endurance of the initiate’s spirit. By proving their soul’s endurance, the initiate shows that he is dedicated enough to face the Abyss, unafraid of what lies within. Upon choosing this gauntlet, the prospective initiate shall be given the following options: - Marking: Whether by branding, tattooing, scarring, or a combination thereof, the initiate shall be marked with the symbol of his Paragon, along with the text of a prayer of hymn of their choice. - Drowning: The initiate shall, at the supervising Keeper’s discretion, have their head submerged in either bull’s blood or water, and will be held there until they fall unconscious. Should they awaken after being pulled out, the gauntlet will be considered complete. - Ritual of Fire: A small, wooden stage shall be erected around a stone center, and a fire lit below it. The initiate will perform a ritual prayer from atop the platform as it burns. The initiate may not descend from the platform until the ritual has finished, otherwise the gauntlet will be considered a failure and may not be attempted in this way again. The objective of this trial is not to burn the initiate alive, but rather to test his willpower; his willingness to remain composed in even the most trying situation. The prospective initiate may also suggest their own ordeal, to be approved by the supervising Keeper. Gauntlet of Steel Quite simply, the Gauntlet of Steel is a test of the initiate’s physical strength. Our culture, our history, is built on the strength of warriors. The earliest members of our faith, the Red Brothers, were warriors through and through. The strength of a warrior is, and will always be, among the most admirable of mortal traits. By proving his mettle and skill at arms, the initiate shows his readiness to stand against the agents of the Long Dark. To complete this gauntlet, two trials must be completed: - Trial of Beasts: The initiate shall first be tasked with hunting a particular beast of the supervising Keeper’s choosing. The beast of choice should be a predator, but not one so dangerous as to make the trial impossible to complete. Upon completion of the hunt, the initiate will make an offering of the beast’s remains. This trial will ensure the initiate’s ability to stand against feral beasts. - Trial of Men: For this trial, the initiate shall prove his mettle in three rounds of combat. The first round will consist of the initiate facing his opponent unarmored and armed with only wooden rods. Both contenders in this round may be initiates, if two initiates are present. The second round will consist of a similar fight, with the changes of leather armor being permitted along with wooden training weapons. The final round shall consist of the initiate facing an opponent chosen by the supervising Keeper. All armor is permitted, and all fighters may use the weapon of their choice. Intentional killing will be prohibited in all rounds. All rounds will continue until the initiate either claims victory or can no longer stand. This trial will serve as proof of the initiate’s ability to stand against the mortal, intelligent enemies of the faith. The prospective is judged in these trials based on performance, not necessarily success. Should he fall and continue to stand until physically incapable of doing so again, then he has shown the strength of a warrior’s spirit just as much as if he had defeated his opponents with ease. Gauntlet of Mind The Gauntlet of Mind is both the most important and least complex of the three gauntlets. Designed to test and prove the initiate’s understanding of the Faith as well as his piety, it will consist of three proofs; proof of knowledge, proof of understanding, and proof of piety. This will be a matter of simple determination on the part of the Keepers. When a prospective initiate shows, either with spoken or written word, one of these traits, a Keeper may make the determination that the initiate has shown his proof. By completing this gauntlet, the prospective has proven his worth to those he would call his peers, and gained their trust in his ability to conduct the duties of an Initiate. Advancement Once the Gauntlets of Initiation have been completed, the prospective becomes an initiate proper, and his path to becoming a fully ordained Keeper begins in earnest. The advancement through the ranks of the clergy from this point on shall, as it has always been, be based on merit and ability rather than tests and trials. Once the initiate has proven his understanding and ability, his fitness for the role of Keeper, he shall then be tasked with the creation of his Flamebrand. Then, once the Flamebrand has been crafted and the time is deemed right, the Lighting Ceremony shall be held, wherein the Flamebrand is lit from flames of the Hearthfire. Following this ceremony, the Initiate will become a fully-fledged Keeper. Alisa Camian, 1754