KaiserJacobII

For This is my Homeland

Michael O’Rourke, a private of the 1st Brigade, is numbered among the dead after the battle. A young man, snuffed out in his prime by a single Dwarven crossbow bolt, piercing his fierce heart.

Found among his personal effects were the blood-stained lyrics to a patriotic hymn, without a tune. It was slowly shared throughout Oren after his death, and no one knows who first started sharing it. 

For This is my Homeland

T’is a gleam of light in the sky, the unfettered devotion,

A whirlwind romance of a nation, and a soldier.

It’s more than love, it’s far more than any notion

It’s a great, chasmic burden we must shoulder.

We wouldn’t have it any other way,

When we crossed that bridge, upon that day

A promise was made, the promise sworn upon the Seventh Sky

That each Orenian must uphold, until the day he does die.

For this is my homeland,

And I will defend it until death’s sweep.

This is our own land,

And in her heart, I shall sleep.

The last look back, a fleeting glance o’ my last love,

Then my feet carry me southward, marching onward

With the bones of my forefathers below, and their souls above.

Our great land, forever ours since the days of Horen and thenceforward.

To fight for her is a great, upheld honour, to die is greater,

So let the uniforms be bright crimson, and the lines straighter.

Her sons rest forever in the hearts and souls of those they serve,

Orenian laws and duties to conserve.

For this is my homeland,

And I will defend it until death’s sweep.

This is our own land,

And in her heart, I shall sleep.

His thoughts are on the girl he left behind,

And the Empire he shields.

Both of their fates are intertwined.

Oh, the soft valleys and greenfields

O’ my homeland; the greatest yearning

In each and every heart burning

Is the one for you, oh Oren, first and last

Love for all ages: present, and past.

For this is my homeland,

And I will defend it until death’s sweep.

This is our own land,

And in her heart, I shall sleep.

– Michael Genevius O’Rourke

A few weeks after his death, contingency letters are sent to a few individuals. Each one contains the first line:
If you are reading this, I am unfortunately dead. 

To the devout Brother Yevgeny, @Arbiterhark

Your writings on labour and diligence show a deep understanding of the Canticle of Diligence. I am glad to approve this Thesis. Please find myself or another Clergyperson of some authority to be ordained, and begin your journey in our Holy Mother Church.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

To the devout Friar Viktor, @Borin

Your writings on the duties of Holy Orders during a war between Canonists touches on the nature of war between brothers. I am glad to approve this Thesis. Please find myself or another Clergyperson of some authority to be ordained, and begin your journey in our Holy Mother Church.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

3 minutes ago, Weebmaster36 said:

What is your baptismal name?

Aelia Ryder

 

Your age?

19

 

You’re right in front of me.. but for record’s sake, what is your race?

Human

 

Do you have any family?

No, they have all passed.

 

How do you wish to serve God?

In a way that may save the poor and give the children lost for hope a bright future.

 

Where would you prefer to be assigned if accepted?

In Haense

A referral to a different application form would arrive for Aelia  

No stranger to grief was that Cardinal of Albarosa, yet this death hit him worse than most others. After composing himself and wiping his eyes dry, the Clergyman lit a white-wax candle in memory of the Vuiller. "You are now with your father, and everyone else that has gone, Johan," he solemnly declares, and this notion gives the Cardinal some comfort.

3 hours ago, twinwolf1 said:

Alright, what is your Baptismal name?

Juliet of providence

 

Ah, a truly beautiful name. And, how old are you?

40s to 50s

 

I know you are right in front of me, but for the record, what is your Race?

Mali'ker/Aheral (dark elf/high elf)

 

Once again, for the record, are you male or female?

Female

 

Do you have any family, dear?

None

 

Hmm, and how do you wish to serve GOD?

Any way i can barring violence, i detest it

 

Where do you wish to be assigned?

Providence

A copy of the above application is forwarded to Her Eminence, Cardinal August, along with a letter @frankdh

Your Eminence, the Metropolitan of Providentia,

I have received word from a daughter of Malin by the name of Juliet who wishes to serve in Providentia. I do hope you can take her under your wing, and guide her on her path. If you are unable to, I can oversee her training myself.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

2 hours ago, Arbiterhark said:

Alright, what is your Baptismal name?

Yevgency Bogdanovich Krestyanik

 

Ah, a truly beautiful name. And, how old are you?

25 Years of Age

 

I know you are right in front of me, but for the record, what is your Race?

Human, a Highlander of Ruskan descent

 

Once again, for the record, are you male or female?

Male

 

Do you have any family, dear?

No immediate surviving family

 

Hmm, and how do you wish to serve GOD?

Parish Priest of the village of Valwyck, and perhaps, Godan-willing, one day the Bishop of Valwyck. 

 

Where do you wish to be assigned?

Valwyck, in the Kingdom of Haense

I have talked to Father Katerina about becoming an Acolyte and received copies of our Holy Texts from them. I have also penned a thesis here. 

A copy of the above application is forwarded to His Eminence, Cardinal Jordan, along with a letter @LightTheTrainer

Your Eminence, the Patriarch of Jorenus,

I have received word from a Ruskan man by the name of Yevgency who wishes to serve in Jorenus, specifically Valwyck. I do hope you can take him under your wing, and guide him on his path. If you are unable to, I can oversee his training myself.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

♱ The Church of Canon ♱

“At Owyn’s command, the brothers set shepherds over the flock of men, and so created a priesthood for their instruction, in anticipation of the second son of spirit.”

Gospel 5:5

For centuries the Holy Mother Church have kept and shared the word of GOD and His Exalted. The keepers of the Scrolls are the ordained men and women of the Church — successors to Owyn’s ancient priesthood. Their duty is sacred and their job is nothing less than the protection of the laurel of Horen.

A Priest hears confession in the Basilica of The Ascent, circa 1822

Obligations and Rights of the Clergy

§1. Clerics are those who have received a valid sacrament of ordination, and are also called priests.

§2. Clerics are bound to show reverence and obedience to the High Pontiff and their ordinary.

§3. Clerics are united through the brotherhood of working for the divine purpose of the instruction of virtue and guardianship of the Holy Scrolls, and so must strive for harmony among the faithful.

§4. Where the practice of common life exists for clerics, it is to be practiced and preserved as far as possible.

§5. Clerics are to foster simplicity of life and not to exhibit vanity.

§6. Clerics may not spill the blood of another Canonist except in self-defense. In these cases, violent force is permitted only insofar as necessary to preserve the life of the cleric, and they are further prohibited from intentionally entering circumstances where it is likely this shall be necessary.

§7. It is the duty of a cleric to foster peace and justice in accordance with the laws of the Church.

From Codex Iurius Canonici Danielus Pontifex, Second Edition

If you wish to take up the Shepard's staff and tend to the Canonist flock, we will welcome you to the church with open arms and a bright smile. The Clergy is not for everyone, but for us it is home. Could this be your home?

Francis Cardinal Albarosa, Prelate of the Clergy

Circa 1850

The Prelate of the Clergy makes some edits to the Clerical Records. "Presbyter Ileana.. Albarosa," he mutters to himself as he finishes making the needed change. He sits up straight —as straight as an aging Cardinal can manage— and eyes the record book with a tired, yet happy smile.

Cardinal Francis shakes his head slowly, frowning. "So this.. this is the response to my concerns," he laments. The Clergyman realizes he has been lamenting often these days.

Sexual FTBs have always been a part of the server, and I must admit I never gave them much thought. But after considering the idea, I agree that they are unnecessary. If you want to roleplay having children, just agree OOC to have children. If you still want to roll for children, you can still roll.

During what little leave Michael O'Rourke has from the army he likes to climb the mountain range in which New Esbec rests. As he reaches the summit of one mountain he can gaze down at his familial home and the lake it sits by. The O'Rourke often scribbles out a few verses of writing as he rests, such as this:

Oh Esbec, 

Borne upon the back of a craggy rock

and nestled far from the Heartland of Oren.

This is where the Empire truly is,

not in the busy streets of New Providence;

it is from the rooftops of small towns that our Empire sings.

As Cardinal Albarosa reads the edict his brows jump slightly. "Interesting," he comments before placing the missive on his desk.

50 minutes ago, DrHope said:

Alright, what is your Baptismal name?

Jeonathan Martino III

 

Ah, a truly beautiful name. And, how old are you?

50

 

I know you are right in front of me, but for the record, what is your Race?

Heartlander

 

Once again, for the record, are you male or female?

God has graced me with phallic purpose!

 

Do you have any family, dear?

Sadly far away

 

Hmm, and how do you wish to serve GOD?

Deacon!

 

Where do you wish to be assigned?

The great capital of Providence!

A copy of the above application is forwarded to Her Eminence, Cardinal August, along with a letter @frankdh

Your Eminence, the Metropolitan of Providentia,

I have received word from a man by the name of Jeonathan who wishes to become a Deacon in Providentia. I do hope you can take him under your wing, and guide him on his path. If you are unable to, I can oversee his training myself.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

Cardinal Francis smiles at the news, and makes his way to the Shrine to offer a prayer.

As the Prelate of the Clergy looks over the City of New Providence, he laments "Oh Oren.. what has become of you, hmm? To spite the faith —to reject the laurel— it is not our way." He sighs as he raises a hand to remove his spectacles. "I will see this.. schism mended," he promises the silence as he gently cleans the crystal glass of his eyewear.

Bard magic is a concept we need on LotC!

+1

"Oh.. this is interesting," the Prelate of the Clergy states upon hearing the news.

Michael O'Rourke is proud to fight beside his Elven comrades.

20 dollars is 20 dollars

#Justice4Breeni

To the devout Brother Leopold, @kipps

Your writings highlight a troubling trend that I too have noticed. Although I would have liked to hear more about how a autonomous geographical location controlled by the Church would increase our Holy Mother Church's authority, I am glad to approve this Thesis. Please find myself or another Clergyperson of some authority to be ordained, and begin your journey in our Holy Mother Church.

GOD bless,

Francis Cardinal Albarosa

Cardinal Francis takes this rant and carefully copies it into a small leather-bound book. Once he is done he unceremoniously chucks the Draskovic's writings into his fireplace.

Who was your favourite character you have played?

Why not BogoHojo?

When will we commence the Canadian take over of Community Team?

"Oh.. and now the Azdrazi are joining in on demented screams," Cardinal Francis grumbles, sighing. "Typical of the Azdrazi menace," he laments, before throwing away this paper. It lands in his waste basket, among others like it.

2 minutes ago, 6xdestroyer said:

Varon remembers writing his thesis and being ordained by the previous Pontiff Himself!

Francis checks the Clergy roster once, twice, and then thrice. Content that Varon Draskovic is indeed not a Clergyman, he lays down for a long nap.

"This man is not a priest.. Unless he was ordained off the record," the Prelate of the Clergy states, eyeing the missive before throwing it away dismissively.