DAENGIE

On Strengthening the Morale of 

  Soldiers of the Faith

  A Short Essay

      Writ Av Edward Kursin 

There comes a time in any conflict where the courage of man fails, and the only thing able to draw them back from the brink of giving in to their base instincts is Faith, or more specifically, faith in the All-Father. This essay is directed towards those Keepers and high ranking Purifiers given the responsibility of leading soldiers into battle against heretics or servants of the Long Dark, such as necromancers and monsters.

 It is often the case when facing servants of the dark that morale is at its lowest. This is due to the unholy powers that are at their disposal. It is up to those servants of the All-Father who are present to be the bulwark of Faith against the corrupting and fear-inducing influence of the anathema. For this to be an option, however, said servants of the All-Father must be able to tap into the religious zeal and faith deep within themselves, and project its divine influence onto those under their command and guidance. This usually manifests itself as words of inspiration - or prayers - calling upon the All-Father to either protect or guide the souls of those doing battle to victory. The effect of these “Litanies of Battle” on the morale of both servants of the Dark and of the All-Father’s light cannot be understated when spoken with proper zeal and vigor. If used properly, the litanies will inspire your men and drive them to feverish fanaticism against even the most horrifying servants of the Long Dark. Oftentimes, they will also have the desirable effect of weakening the morale of lesser mortal servants of the anathema. 

 While litanies provided at the bottom of this writ will help those who make use of this information, oftentimes the litanies with the greatest effect come from deep within the speaker themselves. Any Keeper, or Purifier's faith should always be their most potent weapon against the Long Dark - for at the end of the day, the most finely crafted swords break; the strongest armor dents; flesh is deformed and torn asunder. But faith -true faith- can never be broken. Faith, at the end of everything, will be the sole source of light in the coming dark.

Litanies

Litany of Faith

  “Come and trust in the all-father to carry us through this hour of battle, venerated brothers and sisters, For he watches over us!

Do not dishonor him, for today we earn our salvation in the slaughter of those who are anathema to his will!”

Litany of Fire

  “Behold, ye souls yet un-ignited, for this is the glory of his light! The very essence of purity and justice! We shall cast the unworthy, the heretic, the monster into the very fires of his righteous indignation!”

Litany of the Bulwark

“Stand Fast! Stand as the walls of Thor O’ Myr once did centuries ago! You are the bulwark against the Forces of the long dark! Stand fast and steel your resolve with the hatred you feel in every fiber of your being for your enemy! Let your contempt be your armor against these Cretins unworthy of your steel!”

Litany of Purgation

 “Purge these abominable Scions of the anathema! Their very existence is an affront to the All-Father’s will! Cut them down! Their right to existence is moot! Their life is forfeit! No regrets! No Mercy!”

Litany of Wrath

  “Soldiers of the All-Father rejoice! For today we engage in the wanton

  Slaughter of the forces of damnation! Do not stay your blade, for they are unworthy of your mercy! Instead rejoice in the cleansing of this land as we subject their unworthy flesh to the cleansing light of the all father’s wrath!”

Litany of Destruction

 “Take heed, sons of the All-Father! I bid you to ready yourselves for conflict this day! For today we give the servants of the long dark, a taste of

the destruction we have all sworn to bring against them wherever they may be found! We will drown out, the very sounds of thunder with the shriek of their dying! We will wring out the hearts of their unclean kin with never ending grief! We will batter their bodies to dust, and revel in their destruction! We shall smite them from this earth, I swear you this, on my very soul!”

Litany of Rest

“Rest now son/daughter of the all father. Your duty is done, and it was done well. Take comfort in the all father’s embrace, for he will welcome you with open arms when you are reunited in his care.”

Litany of the Beast

 “O all father, you who make all things great, give me strength to defeat the beasts of this world, and stand tall as a light in the darkness. From your grace.”

Litany of the Bastion

          “As servants of the light, we face enemies uncounted, and innumerable. So We now call upon you, Donovan, great paragon of his holy light, to assist us in holding back the tide in these dark times, as you once did. We ask you to be our messenger to the All-Father, so that we may be delivered from these servants of the anathema, who circle us, like hungry wolves..”

(This can be a personal prayer as well, to recite in times of hardship.)

Litany of War

  “Today, by the will of the All-Father, and under the guidance of Bjorn! The enemy shall feel our wrath! We shall strike and sting at their flesh with our blades! We shall rend from them all they value and hold dear! We shall cover the fields with red, and the pale forms of their blasphemous dead! We shall make them BEG, for the refuge of their graves!”

Litany of Healing

   “Fear not for your wounds, for with time they shall heal. Even now, those great souls who’ve found their vocation in the care of others, shall find you, and care for you as the All-Father would any of his children now by his side.”

Litany of Scouring

  “Suffer not the heretic, the unclean, the anathema to live. For in allowing their existence, we are as guilty as they are. We must scour them in the All-Father’s fire, and throw their ashes to the wind, so that they may never be remembered. Through this, we will have finally given the unclean what they deserve. Nonexistence.”

Litany of Sacrifice

  “Rejoice! Brothers and sisters in arms, for though we may die today, know that we do so in the All-Father’s name! And that we will soon join him in his warm embrace. But until the moment of each and everyone of our passing comes, I beseech you all to make them BLEED for every inch of ground they take!”

Litany of Harvest

  “O Hjarn, Lend your strength to those which work and toil in these fields as you once did. Bring word of our efforts to the All-Father so that he may, in all his grace, bless the fertile ground upon which we stand!”

 Litany of Matrimony

   “May the bond of these two souls, soon to be engaged in loving matrimony, never falter in their dedication to one another. In the name of the All-father, I pronounce you married. May your union be ever blessed.”

Alfred Cursin would pick up the missive and sigh “Hm...would be tempting if i was still pursuing that life.” As he inspected the paper closer, he’d noticed they hadnt listed where they operated. “Huh, I wonder if they work in imp lands as well. Hopefully they know laws over there forbid mercenary companies and private armies.” Alfred would say as he thought for a moment, running home to grab a raven along with a small piece of parchment and ink.

Markus, Under a new name, sighs quietly as he reads the bounty order from his home in the adellands as his adopted daughter plays with small wooden soldiers infront of the fire. “For **** sake Hakon...And here i was working on never having to see you or the rest again.” He’d say quietly, thinking for a moment on whether to throw the letter into a fire, or put it off to the side for possible collection. “Well. No avoiding it i suppose.” Markus would say as he tossed the letter to the side table and leaned back in his chair and began to flip a gold coin repeatedly. Deep in thought. Chuckling as a thought came to mind and his daughter continued to play infront of him, none the wiser.