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Much has changed in the lands of Aaun. Under the reign of Charles II, the land of the Godwinites witnessed the beginning of what would later become the near total collapse of law in the Heartlands when the fledgling Confederation, only in its infancy as the rising premier Horenic superpower, was sent spiralling into chaos by the storm of a crisis that many argue has failed to abate even now. What began as scandals of verbal abuse evolved quickly into a wildfire of public outrage as the two outstanding and newly-joined peoples of the nation were hurriedly divided once again under sectarian lines. Secret societies, prolific among the Godwinite courts, saw to the armament of supposedly illicit pan-nationalist militias in response to the increasingly dangerous popularity of dissolution. The unrestrained surge of escalating political violence set the stage for the collapse of the rule of law, and the rise of the warband. When at last the King demanded fealty from his Petrine counterparts, the result was civil war. Rumours of battle, murder, terror, tyranny and general travesty from out this strange country grew more common by the day. It was this time, some recall, that Aaun first fell from grace, and the crisis began in earnest. Others still might disagree, and cite rather the invasion of the host of Tiberius van Aert as the landmark of the nation's collapse, who himself would certainly have disagreed, marching as he had in the name of Prince James Alstion, who's brothers blood was spilled in wretched kinslaying by King Charles II some years prior. Among that host, some might have said, there were older crimes still lingering in the memory of those that had lived through the fall of Winburgh that had sealed the fate of Aaun. Some more sour might say it was the day they made a carriage lot of the consecrated grounds of Lemonhill. Even, it is rumoured, the fate of the house Alstion was sealed long before they had been born, when Saint Caius Horen set a curse upon the descendants of Peter Sigismund for unspeakable crimes against joy, now forgotten by time. Though nominally unphased by the plight of this nation so sorrowfully drowning in the consequences of its own evils, it was here that the High Pontiff Deunoro I first found the Church intimately involved in the affair, pursuant however it had already been in seeking justice for the sin of kinslaying, when Charles II through his cardinal-imp whose name escapes me took the liberty of commanding the Church according to its will to set upon the prodigal Veletzer in defence of the realm. When His Holiness informed them, rather, of his displeasure with their sovereign's refusal to cooperate with the audit of his brother's murder, a plot against the Church was spun immediately, secular man unable to brook power beyond his beckon, and jealous greatly to be at all refused. The reign of CITIZEN Charles of Aaun came abruptly to an end when he, as history records, solicited a group of Vander lords of Reinmar to betray their high-oath to the True Faith, inciting them against His Holiness Deunoro I, only to find himself hogtied in what would later be popularised as a Barclay Knot when such a feat of Waldenic ingenuity were published by renowned knightly author Holyser Prenkus von Konigsberg with full and detailed illustration proudly featuring even an approximation of the CITIZEN's likeness in his best-selling "Tools of the Trade: a young Vander's guide to Sacred Civil Service." DETENTE OF THE PRINCES In a treaty co-signed by the Canonist Princes and allies of Aaun, many of which had themselves a hand in the capture and coercion of Citizen Charles following his ploy, the abdication of the Kingdom, once honoured Apostolic, was poetically set into the hands of the High Pontiff of the Canonist Church, thereby honouring the nation with a genuine Apostolic authority that they had before seemed very proud themselves to claim, a prestigious titular mantle made true by a flick of the pen. So began effective immediately the regency of Prince Godwin Alstion, the Church thus thrust into the role of the nation’s defence, in a bid to stave off invasion and salvage the alliance which Aaun had jeopardised. Years of Aaunic political machinations, slanderings, letter-campaigns and verbal abuse drove the unfortunate cancerous health of the beloved Deunoro into an ever worsening toxic dive. By the evening of that day, whence Charles had been abdicated, the stresses of the noble world had laid the man low, the last of his energies exhausted into the Church’s resolution of a crisis of vanity. He departed on the pilgrim’s path to Mt. Tylos, whence he perished, and returned to the Lord. It is believed still by many that it was by his will that any of the success of the Church today had come to be, and that he had, by the sacrifice of his own life through the full dedication of willpower, brought about the great hope of the Kingdom of God on Earth in our time, so sayth many of Grense, or any cleric of Lemon Hill. His passing unbeknownst to the world, the duties of his office passed on onto the late Cardinal Rhosyn, who by her labours, and the labours of Cardinal Callahan there also with her, who both had suffered service to His Holiness throughout the crisis, took to the task of the negotiations of what would later become the ratified as the Treaty of Minas Aranath. Assembled there was the full host of the Canonist world, princes from all nations, and the officers of the host of Captain General Tiberius van Aert. War again seemed a certainty to many, as the orchestral song of the bickering of diplomats made their crescendo by Cardinal Rhosyn’s masterful orchestration, only then to mellow into stillness, and dip further more from there into despair whence they could surprise the world with a sudden roaring resuscitation by some shocking miracle even louder than before, still shocking as it rhymed this melodical drama twice, then thrice over before all was said and done. Finally, by the stubbornness of man, neither party willing to give way, Cardinal Rhosyn’s signature walkout all but sealed the fate of men, and the princes with her departed. Fury came over Cardinal Callahan in the uncanny quieting of the room, which increasingly knew less and less the noise of men and more the noise of sheep, the Lector-Rebbe having assembled the whole host of his flock in that place that they might by their sanctified presence bring purity and peace of mind, as he leapt upon the table and j’accused, cursing demons, unclean spirits of the wars which had sown the seeds of violence in three nations back to back, a reign of terror of a hundred years or more threatening again to claim its victim, tossing demons from those that had remained, and pressing the challenge of peace upon the troubled psyche of the Captain-General, who battled also against this sway of violence as with the Fire of the Spirit of God, his heart came to bubble. At last he gave way, and the demon were cast out, and their fury was made known throughout the room, as in every aisle still remaining erupted from the most peaceable of men and meek of diplomats a seething wave of rage and slur, cussing, screaming, threats unbecoming and finally a devolved and incoherent SCREEEEEEECH continuous, fore the day belonged now to the Lord, and Lord’s peace was preserved contrary to the wishes of men, so also the machinations of demons. So they knew that day the measure of their success by the screeching of Iblis. Foregoing any gain, any justice by their own hand, Captain-General Tiberius, together with the Church and the Canonist Princes, agreed to the terms, that through the wholesale submission to the Vicar of God, and on the promise of the righteous pursuit of justice among the corrupt Alstion court for crimes-innumerous, the warbands of the world would set aside their arms and return back the ways of their homelands– which the Captain-General had naught any of his own, an exile of the north. HOLY REGENCY, HOLY SEE When the news had come of the unexpected loss of the High Pontiff, delivered twinned with the news of the unexpected succession of Cardinal Callahan to that office, the world over was seized by shock, and much horror, and else a terrible joy, but seldom any calm feeling, as the outcome seemed impossible, and the man, a Lector, a Rebbe, a zealot, once-defrocked and since Cardinalized, an Owynist of extreme conviction who has not been by any stretch of the imagination, inside even the Collegium, a probable for Pontifical election. Erupted then the world in abject horror, who had feared he that took the name of Fleeper I, and in courts there was upset, and in Aaun much indecision as to this new Pontiff to whom the custody of Aaun were already promised, so the nobility of the secular world kvetched greatly. But in further corners of the world, lost-tribes that long ago had surrendered hope for the fineries of foreign exotics rejoiced greatly for the impossible feat which had transpired, knowing well the extent of the ramifications of the triumph of their auld creed, so hope was sown among the exiles. So also was there hope among the visionaries, whom the world must also have not known, but who must have been very many, lest the man not reign now by election, so that the fate of the Church seemed greatly bright, or greatly dim by the eyes of men, according to them by their faith and by their persuasion. The Church of the True Faith, again as it came to be increasingly hailed, has in these treaties secured again the lands of Lemon Hill, and atop this Hill arose a Temple, and in that Temple were a High Priest, and in that priest’s hands were a pen, and pressed against that pen were the names one and one-hundred, of smugglers and of nobles, of murderers and of warlords, of kin-slayers and brigands, heretics and insubordinates alike, so began, as by the promises of the treaty of Minas Aranth the Audit of Aaun, a spectre of bureaucracy descending upon that place which threatened to sweep up those who had before by bureaucracy’s blindness made comfortable themselves in the blindspots of the Law. Such things in Aaun could never be, and resistance was nigh immediate. The court of the then still promising and young Godwin grew greatly desperate, and for fear of loss set their claws upon the boy, and upon the nobles-all whos bags were packed for foreign places more appreciative of the art of intrigue, sunny places, happy places, places lacking extradition treaties and tribunal officers, places where pesky priests did not begrudge a man his sixth and seventh wife, nor his needful smothering of a brother or two by the necessity of the winds of the day. When by their efforts young Godwin were won, in the same manner that they had won CITIZEN CHARLES, and KING JOHN before him, they had bid him take his princely stance to protest himself to the High Priest, delivering a bone-chilling recitation of a singular “No.”, refusing then to permit in Lemon Hill any Churchly development, in abeyance of the treaty of his peers. The consequence was a nigh immediate clerical interdiction upon Godwin and the whole of his court, who all themselves were complicit in the atrocity, polluting the mind of a boy of ten. Within a fortnight, by the violation of this treaty, all the world inflamed again, the Captain-General turning southward, unpleased greatly by the violation of the treaty he surrendered justice to see alive. Within a day, by the hurried shuffling of messengers, the matter was quickly resolved, and interdiction rescinded, the courts surrendered, Godwin capitulant. Thus began a trend of continuous Pontifical brinkmanship that has become a staple thereafter of the Pontifical administration under High Priest Fleeper I, and of invisible conflicts fought tamely behind closed doors in a peace perpetually embattled. GREEN PASTURES AND BLACK PLOTS In expectation of the Temple envisioned to be the seat of a new Holy See atop Mont. Lemon, the High Priest of the True Faith must have seen the need for labourers, fore before long the valley of Mont. Lemon grew busy by the roads with the heavy-set shuffle of men’s feet, and new men with soldierly gaits busied themselves about the place. But looking, one saw only simple men, humble men, well-built farmers, shepherds some, jubilant men of good intention befitting the land of Godly joy, as was Lemonhill’s proud reputation, as though conjured alone by the pure will of PEACE, unburdened, unbothered, burning with a passion inextinguishable in pursuit of that indomitable spirit of their hearts which pressed them on zealously to . . . grow Lemons. The land grew clearer, cleaner than before, hobo-brigands sent away by the tentful, so that where the tents of squatters once had blemished now vibrant green pastures graced the air, home thereafter to a GREAT UNSTOPPABLE HOST of sheep, as were necessary for the priestly demands of the Temple. Eager hearts and ample hands saw also to gathering material, so that the Temple long expected rose quickly too upon the mount, crowning the sanctified Pontifical territory with a seat of worship of the Lord of Hosts. Perhaps it were that the High Priest’s vision for the Pontifical Territories was not shared, or perhaps they had failed to grasp the goodness of the charity of the settlement of a people without home or hearth to cling to, but the sleepy settlement of what would be called Grense was not taken kindly by onlookers, however quaint, and however peaceful it had seemed to be. Or perhaps it was the High Pontiff’s sudden insulation from the wayward bandit, say, his sudden shield against unscrupulous, recently unemployed now-hedgeknights that was the true source of the frustration that swept suddenly throughout what remained of the court of Aaun. It could have just come down to that familiar eyepatch painted upon the face of the director of the settlement’s affairs, the soon to be christened Captain of the Grensewacht, Tiberius van Aert. Whatever it was that stirred it, far more sinister things were afoot than the simple cultivation of lemons. But not by these men, no, as in the court of Balian a cabal of brooding nobles came to roost, past present and pending fugitives of Aaun all among them, the whole host of Godwin’s court. They had gathered in that place as co-conspirators, devising to hatch a ploy to ‘unseat’ this pesky priest on Lemon Hill and halt this worrisome trespass upon the noble privileges of the so-called Princes of God’s Kingdom, paradoxical as it was. Before this host of noble gentry, by the lead of Balian’s King, had even ceased the sabre’s rattle, and word of their intentions made its escape, by the young Prince Hadrian, soon Hadrian the Hero, rode with godspeed to Idunia-Numendil to raise alarm, hearing his father’s intentions for the Church, it’s High Priest and his sheep. Two hosts set out at once, then, one to Reinmar, to spread a plague of insurrection, and the other to the Holy See, by Grense and through Aaun, to recover the High Priest and assemble the host of the Grensewacht for the True Faith’s safekeeping. In a comedic repeat of history, the Vander’s Holy Law again was tempted once more by solicitation. So again did Vander procure his rope and lasso, devising by that ethnic genius yet more ways still to serve God’s peace, and the schism’s host were vanquished. But who should bawk at Heaven’s justice, who should mock it without care? Who should trample upon things Holy, set their tongues against His people, covet dust and mock His Law, who should keep no-thing sacred, by who should all these things be done, and still think themselves beyond all ire, a freedman careless of rebuke? So the Heavens opened, and from the clouds descended the answer of the Lord, who by His Host noised His rebuke, arming them His legions each a portion of wrath due for the tribe of Horen, dipped from the cup poured out so long ago upon Johannesburg for the great sins of a people, upon His people called to serve Him, upon they who had forsaken His Law and His Way, who built for themselves a Kingdom theirs, forsaking their great blessings to the governance of the Throne of Heaven cast upon them. So as was for Johannesburg, so also for them, and they ruled no-more from the Tower of Horen, but saw that last cast back unto the Flame, reduced thereby to ash and ruin; this was the fall of Whitespire. Nearly a decade since the Blackspire, the Heartlands seemed unrecognisable. Many fled the Kingdom with the collapse of its former capital, many more still fled the law. The persecutory courts set over Aaun found far less labour, and the attention of the Church were cast outside the Kingdom’s borders. In a bid to safeguard the nation’s purity, the High Priest had called Crusade, the unclean lands surrounding this Pontifical Polity expunged through many years of warfare, first in Honkmat, then the Shire, then still further beyond it. Though the schism’s conflict had been brief, it defined a period of growing unease among the nations, and no less among the Church, forced then upon its guard against the world of politik, the Faith’s presence there unwelcome. NOW The dust at last began to settle, the Crusades came to a close, armies disbanded and soldiers again took up the plough. Clearer minds seem to have prevailed through the tense and quiet brinkmanship that haunted the world of Men. A new order had emerged in what they called the Holy Regency, one far less Kingly, born very strangely into a world of labyrinthine bureaucracy, defined by Law despite its absence, wracked by chaos, by civil war, drained and renewed again by foreign intervention, an order defined by uncertainty and shadowed by a powder keg of denominational friction in the presence of which most men are keen to tread softly. To the West, in the valley at the foot of Lemonhill emerged the Duchy of Burgundy, forged in service to the Church by the work and toil of a people not long ago thought as the black-sheep of Mankind, establishing for the diaspora for the first time since the fall of Veletz a permanent home in the core of Horen’s dominion in Braevos. Championed by their Captain-General, Tiberius van Aert, who had, as his father before him, taken up the baton of the cause of his people. Fashioned now as Duke of Grense, he has sworn that same baton into the service of the Church of the True Faith and its High Priest Ro’eh Tzon. Tasked now with the duty of defence of the Pontifical States as Captain-General of the Church, his host enjoys now even in spite of his absence an indisputable prominence throughout the realm of the Pontiff’s care, the preeminent secular power. Where once a dark demesne of WIZARDS had ritually polluted the lands of Horen, nestled away in the mountains between Petra and Aaun, the migratory Ivori hammer through the earth the pegs of their first tents, as Horen alike to them had done so long ago, colonising the ruined mound of Tel Hochmacht, christened now Mount Vindicta, and swearing themselves in service to the True Faith. A knightly people of ancient virtues, summoned to that place perhaps by dreams, perhaps by the undeniable stirring of the slumbering True Faith that threatened still to wake, called, as many, towards Lemon Hill from the far-flung reaches of the world as Lucienists and Owynists alike await anxiously that ever-burning, unshakable certainty of the coming of the promised day, a springtime of zeal, as rays of light like beams of flame betrayed the dawning of the day through a long, long night. Aaun’s great exodus, and subsequent abandonment by its native peoples, brought also great opportunity for settlers seeking to fill the vacuum left behind by the absence of a people-whole. Thus had come the Wickfolk, one such tribe of settlers, seeking fertile woodlands to call their home. They make their home now in the land of the valley, in an odd place twice abandoned, the dense forest of what was once Minitz, and hugging the mountainside where a monastery-fortress-prison had been lost. Few had dared to chance the land where such things as large as castles seemed to vanish in the night, where whole stone cities up and vanished, as though stolen, abducted from their place. Rumours of hunched creatures, green and UGLY, sounding GALUNG GONG, screaming GALUNGA through the night, however frightening, however true, would not deter the Wickfolk. But the Vorty menace was more than a simple rumour. In the mountains, hills and valleys of the Northeast, once the very quiet frontiers of Aaun’s borderlands, trickling in since first the anarchy of Aaun began, a nomadic people of the steppe took to pasture, with their great roving flock of horse and goats in tow. Enjoying the complete and total absence of resistance from Aaun’s own native peoples, the Horselords of that now wild country have become a law unto themselves. Unrestrained and unopposed, united under their mysterious KHAN, the HORSELORDS seem now impossible to remove, now a great host in their own right, and laying claim to any places fit for pasture, they persist as a potent reminder of the Kingdom of Aaun’s now ungovernable dominion, laying to rest the hope of any return of Kingly authority without incredible effort, lest the vanity of weaker men draw their great ire. Rumours in the east of a people embodying the spirit of Horenic Determinism were followed quickly thereafter by the indisputable fact of a Horenic revolution in the midst of the Malinite regime of Lurin, spurred on by the call of Crusade. As the armies of God’s people encroached upon the decadent marked-land of Lurin, the free people of Salvo rose up in revolt. Proclaiming Republic, and successful in their actions against the merchants of Lurin, they now set their eyes westward, seeking greener pastures, first into the fertile ranchlands of Aaun’s eastern frontier, now they set their eyes upon the Heartlands. But the way of the covered-wagon can afford a man only so much, win a soul only so many acres of farmland. To the people of the frontiers, with simple laws and simple ways, the threat of the increasingly likely resurgence of noble domination must have seemed a looming threat of certain doom. The successes of a young and returning Aaunic diaspora presented a clear and present danger to the Republican way of life, if not today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, in another year. It had for certain been a bleak time in the history of the Godwinite people, a time of tribulation for the Heartlands as a whole. And yet, for all the challenges that had beset them, a ray of hope shone down upon the true people of Aaun. In spite of the disappointingly uneventful, fleeting return of Prince Godwin, a veritable horde of young Alstions, many young and born abroad, had returned to the country in droves, determined to reclaim for themselves a way of life robbed of them by the failings of their parents, lost only in recent memory. For those who had fled young, it remained a sorry sting, memories of a home known only too shortly, abandoned and uprooted, exchanged for exile in places strange, places boring, places far away, places far more impoverished. Many more had never seen it, born only just too late to have known the land of their own blood, raised now on bitter tales of marble cities and towers that dared to touch the sky, the ‘city of paradise’, where a great plume of smoke were as the incense of an offering of power-continual, ever trailing from the heights of power-manifest, a city they now will never see. It remained to be seen if they would still yet hail ‘the King o’er the Water’, or if they still should sing those odd foreign songs so beloved by their fathers. Harrenic fashion had all but swept their people, once, and still they wore strange, silly plaids where simple patterns more Imperial once had graced Godwinite adornment. Perhaps that odd alluring call to all things Harren would still yet live in their young hearts, the way of the Dael and the Adunian. It was perhaps a grim irony that a man hailed Harrentzedek, black of hair, at the head of a barbaric host, crying out madly at every one, triumphant at last, triumphant at last! Even he, that man the law forbid they loathe, ‘priestly’ as he was had sang it, louder still than all the rest, in that old odd churchly tongue they claim the treasure of a more dignified age, kinder on the angel’s ear, tandem triumphans, tandem triumphans! Perhaps such things were best forgotten, left unsaid, lest they upset. One thing for them was very certain, each of them who had returned there. That things had ought to be as once they were, that the past had been a better time. More that they and they alone could afford themselves the home they all had longed for. Forsaking by necessity the elder way of quiet kvetching, hearing enough of their aged mother’s whinges, and father’s old war stories– enough despairing, sorry words, this new young race of Godwinites had only determination alone for a guide, afforded nothing in this new world but through the toil of their labour. There was war on the frontier, bitter conflicts all about, rising powers and the collapse of laws as old things gave way to new, or in the case of Aaun, to very, very old things. Speak of Schism Wars and revolutions, roving HORSELORDS on the roads, diasporas old and new beyond counting, moving peoples, be they Elves or Men or something yellow, all so strange, all very worrying. One could wish to God to know what fate Providence had in store for them with all things so very cloudy, but one thing alone rang true regardless, one thing that no Man nor Elf nor Ork denied, there was one power in that land triumphant, one new great status quo. Apostolic though they once were, the United Kingdom had given way, and something Holy here now reigned… . . . or . . . High Priest of the True Faith, Successor of Clement and Evaristus, High Pontiff of the Church of the Canon, High Pontiff of the Church of True Faith, Keeper of the Canon, Missionary to Aeldin, High Servant to the Exalted’s Testaments, Humble Servant of the Faithful and Vicar of GOD does decree… ┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ SECTION I - Opening Prayer SECTION II - Diocesan Restructuring SECTION III - The Synod of Bishops SECTION IV - Episcopal Appointments SECTION V - Commissions to the High Court SECTION VI - Consistory of the Collegiate SECTION VII - Curial Appointments SECTION VIII - Venerations SECTION IX - Beatifications SECTION X - On the Darkspawn Menace SECTION XI - On the Pontifical States SECTION XII - Elevation of Pontifical Nobility ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛ SECTION I OPENING PRAYER Blessed are You, the Lord our God and God of our fathers, GOD of Horen, God of Owyn and GOD of Godfrey, the Great, Mighty and Awesome GOD, Exalted God, Who bestows bountiful Kindness, who creates All Things, who remembers the Piety of the Saints, and who, in Love, brings Redemption to their children's children, for the sake of His Name. May our eyes behold Your return to Paradisius in mercy. Blessed are You Lord, who restores His Divine Presence to Paradisius. We thankfully acknowledge that You are the Lord our GOD and GOD of our fathers forever. You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, evening, morning and noon, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, for our souls which are entrusted to You, for Your miracles which are with us daily, and for Your continual wonders and beneficences. You are the Beneficent One, for Your mercies never cease; the Merciful One, for Your kindnesses never end; for we always place our hope in You. Amen. SECTION II DIOCESAN RESTRUCTURING It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pontifical Office reforms the following episcopal sees for the betterment of efficiency and management by their incumbent bishops. DIOCESE OF ST. ARPAD => BISHOPRIC OF ST. EMALYNE At the Request of Bishop Alexios Cardinal St. Emalyne, DIOCESE OF ANDRIKEV => BISHOPRIC OF ALTAMARINO By Pontifical Commission. => BISHOPRIC OF MIKDANBERG To be created by Pontifical Commission. SECTION III THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pontifical Office announces general reforms to the episcopal polity over the Church. The Metropolitan-Suffragan hierarchy shall cease to exist, and in its stead all Bishoprics shall hereby be legally equal and IMMEDIATELY SUBJECT TO THE HOLY SEE. The reforms are as follow: PATRIARCHATE OF JORENUS to… DEMOTE TO BISHOPRIC; Retaining the cultural title of ‘Patriarchate’, And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF ALTAMARINO to… REMAIN AS IS; No longer suffragan under the Patriarchate of Jorenus, And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, DIOCESE OF WESTERWALD to… BE SUPPRESSED; And be merged into the Patriarchate of Jorenus, ARCHDIOCESE OF ALBAROSA to… BE SUPPRESSED; And be merged into the Bishopric of Mount Lemon, DIOCESE OF ST. GODWIN to… BE SUPPRESSED; And be merged into the Bishopric of Mount Lemon, BISHOPRIC OF CASICA to… REMAIN AS IS; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF IDUNIA to… DEMOTE TO BISHOPRIC; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, DIOCESE OF ST. KING CAIUS to… BE SUPPRESSED; And be merged into the Bishopric of Idunia, BISHOPRIC OF ST. EMALYNE to… REMAIN AS IS; No longer suffragan under the Bishopric of Idunia, And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF LOTHARIA to… DEMOTE TO BISHOPRIC; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, DIOCESE OF TYRIA to… BE SUPPRESSED; And be merged into the Bishopric of Lotharia, BISHOPRIC OF GELIMAR to… REMAIN AS IS; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF RHOSMARK to… REMAIN AS IS; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF MOUNT LEMON to… REMAIN AS IS; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops, BISHOPRIC OF MIKDANBERG to… REMAIN AS IS; And be constituent of the Synod of Bishops. SECTION IV EPISCOPAL APPOINTMENTS It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pontifical Office elevates and consecrates the following members of the Order of the Ordained Presbyterium into the Order of the Episcopate; BISHOPRIC OF CASICA . . . to be shepherded by His Grace, Godfrey Bishop Casica, BISHOPRIC OF ALTAMARINO . . . to be shepherded by His Grace, Alaric Bishop Altamarino, BISHOPRIC OF IDUNIA . . . to be shepherded by His Grace, Nerium Bishop Idunia, BISHOPRIC OF MIKDANBERG . . . to be shepherded by His Grace, Vanderwink Bishop Mikdanberg. SECTION V COMMISSIONS TO THE HIGH COURT It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pontifical Office commissions the following lawmen to the High Court in perpetuity; JUSTICE OF THE COURT, His Excellency, Ledicort A. Vuiller JUSTICE OF THE COURT, His Excellency, Fr. Wenceslas Bainbridge, JUSTICE OF THE COURT, T.M.R., His Eminence, Elim Cardinal Esbec. SECTION VI CONSISTORY OF THE COLLEGIATE, as of 2004 It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pontifical Office affirms the following continued appointment to the College of Cardinals. We decree it to be thus; T.M.R., His Eminence, IVAN CARDINAL LOTHARIA, T.M.R., His Eminence, VILLORIK CARDINAL JORENUS, T.M.R., His Eminence, JAMES CARDINAL RHOSMARK, T.M.R., Her Eminence, CLOVER CARDINAL MOUNT LEMON, T.M.R., His Eminence, ALEXIOS CARDINAL ST. EMALYNE, T.M.R., His Eminence, NERIUM CARDINAL IDUNIA, T.M.R., His Eminence, ELIM CARDINAL ESBEC. SECTION VII CURIAL APPOINTMENTS It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that our Pointifical Office appoints the following men and women of piety to the Pontifical Curia. We decree it to be thus; Cardinal-Secretary to the High Pontiff, His Eminence, Elim Cardinal Esbec, Prefect for the Laity, His Eminence, Ivan Cardinal Lotharia. SECTION VIII VENERATIONS It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that this Holy Church recognizes the following persons as apt for veneration; VENERABLE HIGH PONTIFF DEUNORO I The High Pontiff Deunoro I, Vicar of GOD from 1985 to 1990, for his steadfast commitment to peace within the lands of Canondom and outstanding piety in life. VENERABLE CARDINAL RHOSYN The Cardinal Rhosyn of Albarosa, Friar-Cardinal of Casica and Albarosa, for her steadfast commitment to cultivating monasticism, priestly education and the protection of her flock, as well as her outstanding piety in life. SECTION IX BEATIFICATION It is through the Apostolic Right bestowed unto Us through the Laurel derived from the Exalted, that this Holy Church recognizes the following person as most blessed of Virtue and apt for veneration; BLESSED AILRED OF DRUZSTRA The Cardinal Ailred of Druzstra, militant Knight-Cardinal and Auditor of the Tribunal by Pontifical instruction, for his sacrifice and martyrdom in the pursuit of justice for our One True Faith as well as his outstanding piety in life. SECTION X ON THE DARKSPAWN MENACE The Way of the Cross, the Crusade, whence the Lorraine has been cast in rebuke to Edel in the East, still here do we promulgate the following to the episcopate of our Church. Bishops in cathedra, speak unto the princes of your provinces a message of Our most sacred office; As Horen - in his time - trusted Julia with the defence of the Lord’s Tabernacle, so too must the Canonist peoples see protection in the knights of their realm, who promise to wage a war in perpetuity against the Saulician spawn of the dark. A great burden is tasked thusly, to spark the Spirit in the hearts of the righteous. . . tests en masse, investigations and audits, the greatest fight against those of wicked magick and tainted ilk. A battle fought not alone, but as One Faith, in cooperation between the various Canonist realms and peoples, to spread the word on suspects and combine the knowledge of registered tests. Clergy, as per ordainment into the line of the Prophet Owyn, have the duty of investigation for their further holiness beyond their mortal being, to assess their permission of passage into the realms of H’Oren, by any means necessary. Those found aiding Devil-Kind in circumventing this Churchly decree shall be harshly sanctioned as the office of the Auditor of the Tribunal sees fit. And to the clergy, the holy orders and churchly militias: testing to its fullest is MANDATORY to maintain communion with our Apostolic See, and every adherent to the Church institution and/or administration must be afforded proper clearance by the Pontifical Curia or face sanctions. Clergy are encouraged to test acolytes as soon as they have chosen to pursue the priestly path. The Church, above all, must retain its moral and temporal authority, as well as its spiritual purity, for the betterment of all in the Lord’s Holy Light. SECTION XI ON THE PONTIFICAL STATES . . . or . . . THE FUNDAMENTAL STATUTE FOR THE HOLY SEE TERRITORIES Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord our GOD! GOD of Horen, we dedicate this land to You absolutely, resolutely, and in Your appointed Vicar the Pontiff Harrentzedek, and for Your clergy, and for Your people on all corners of the Realm. As per the emergent sovereignty of the Church following the fall of Edel in the East, the formalisation of the territories known hereunto and here on out as the Pontifical States are formalised by the penning of this constitution. We seek here the institutionalisation of the Holy See’s independence in the exercise of His Holiness’ most sacred and divine mission onto the world; and we do so per our own initiative, as endowed by the authority of Owyn’s Priesthood and the laurel of the Exalted to declare it with utmost Apostolic Right. Let it be known that for the ages of ages these fundamental rights, freedoms, and obligations shall be binding to the lands under Pontifical purview, in accordance and adherence to the extant Code of Canon Law and all decrees issued by the Office of the High Pontiff. And they are written thusly; ARTICLE I. A Citizen of the Pontifical States is defined as any person who has been baptised into the Canonist faith and resides within the Pontifical Territories. This status reflects both spiritual allegiance and physical presence within the Territories’ domain. A person is considered to reside within the Territory if they meet one or more of the following criteria: they were born to parents currently residing within the Territory; they have been continuously residing within the Territory for a period of no less than five years; and they publicly profess and practise the Canonist faith. ARTICLE II. Eligibility for Citizenship in the Pontifical States is granted to individuals who satisfy specific conditions rooted in heritage and faith. Such eligibility is extended to those born within the Pontifical Territories, affirming a connection to the land and its sacred traditions. Additionally, individuals must have been baptised into the Canonist faith and demonstrate adherence to its Church and its teachings, ensuring that Citizenship reflects both a physical bond to the Pontifical States and a spiritual commitment to the Canonist doctrine. ARTICLE III. Citizenship of the Pontifical States encompasses both rights and responsibilities, reflecting the sacred bond between the faithful and the Canonist Church. Citizens are granted the right to actively participate in the spiritual and communal life of the Church, fostering unity and devotion within the Territory. In turn, they are bound by duties integral to their role within the Canonist community. These include upholding and defending the teachings of the Holy Scrolls and the authority of the High Pontiff, as well as contributing to the well-being and governance of the Pontifical States through faithful service and adherence to its laws. ARTICLE IV. Citizens of the Pontifical States have the right to petition the High Court of Justice of the Church of the Canon to resolve civil disputes arising within the Territory of the Pontifical States. The High Court may adjudicate such disputes provided that they do not contravene Canon law, fall within the jurisdiction of the Pontifical States, and involve only baptised Citizens of the Pontifical States. Decisions on civil disputes by the High Court of Justice are rendered with the same integrity and impartiality applied to Canon law. These rulings are final and binding upon all parties, with appeals permitted only directly to the High Pontiff. Citizens bringing disputes before the High Court must act in good faith, upholding the principles of honesty and justice as espoused by the Church. Frivolous or malicious petition may incur penalties, including fines or temporary suspension of the right to petition. Civil disputes involving non-Citizens may only be heard by the High Court if the dispute directly impacts the Pontifical States or pertains to property, contracts, or obligations within its Territory. ARTICLE V. The High Priest of the True Faith holds the fullness of legislative, judicial, and executive powers. In the event of a vacancy of the Holy See, these powers are vested in the College of Cardinals, represented by the Chancellor, until a new High Priest is chosen in accordance with Tradition. ARTICLE VI. The terms “State of the Church,” “States of the Church,” “Pontifical States,” and “Pontifical Territories” are synonymous, referring to the same secular political entity governed by the Holy See and His Holiness. Representation of the State of the Church in foreign relations with the sovereign Canonist states and other non-Canonist entities is a reserved right of the High Priest, who delegates this function to the Premier of the Pontifical States. The government of the State of the Church operates through the Pontifical Commission of the Pontifical States, also known as the Quadrumvirate. This governing body is led by the Premier of the Pontifical States, acting as the Council of State through which His Holiness exercises his executive powers. The Quadrumvirate includes a Steward-General responsible for taxation, a Captain-General overseeing military matters, and a local Bishop tasked with ensuring ritual cleanliness. ARTICLE VII. The law of the Pontifical States is inseparable from the Code of Canon Law. Legislative authority over Canon law is vested in ecumenical councils, while judicial authority is exercised through the High Court. The Holy See of Lemon Hill maintains its jurisdictional sovereignty, subject solely and completely to the authority of the High Pontiff and the Code of Canon law. ARTICLE VIII. The Pontifical States comprises several sovereign entities and estates, all subordinate to His Holiness and the Holy Mother Church. No political entity within the States of the Church may be of a heathen or heretical faith. Land acquisition within the Pontifical Territories requires obtaining a land deed, which must be approved by his Holiness and the Premier of the Pontifical States. This process is contingent upon the payment of taxes and a tithe. The High Pontiff retains the right to revoke the status of any sovereign entity or estate within the Pontifical Territories at will, exercising his supreme authority over the governance and organisation of the Pontifical States. ARTICLE IX. Regional laws within the Pontifical Territories are entrusted to the discretion of subjects and landowners, governing within the boundaries of their lands. However, these regional laws must fully adhere to the supremacy of the High Pontiff, the High Court, and the Code of Canon law. ARTICLE X. Sovereign entities and estates within the Pontifical Territories may establish and operate their own Courts of Law, provided these courts adhere to the provisions of this Constitution, comply with the principles of the Code of Canon law, and respect the supreme authority of the High Pontiff and the Holy See. Regional Courts shall exercise jurisdiction over disputes arising within their respective domains, including criminal, civil, property, and contractual matters, so long as their rulings align with Canonist doctrines and the laws of the States of the Church. The High Court of Justice shall serve as the Court of Last Resort for all regional disputes within the Pontifical Territories. Parties dissatisfied with a ruling from a Regional Court may appeal to the High Court, provided the appeal follows established procedures and the High Court consents to hear it. The High Court retains the authority to review and overturn Regional Court decisions. All decisions issued by the High Court on such appeals are final and binding upon all parties and jurisdiction within the Pontifical Territories. ARTICLE XI. If a sovereign entity or estate within the States of the Church chooses not to establish a Regional Court, the High Court of Justice shall act as the primary judicial body for resolving civil disputes within that jurisdiction. The High Court shall adjudicate these matters in accordance with the provision of Article IV of this Constitution, ensuring strict adherence to Canon law and the laws of the Pontifical States. In such jurisdictions, rulings by the High Court on civil disputes shall be final and binding, with appeals permitted only directly to the High Pontiff. ARTICLE XII. Amendments to this Constitution may be enacted through the will and decree of the High Pontiff. Additionally, amendments may be proposed by an ecumencial council, but their enactment remains subject to the approval of the High Pontiff ARTICLE XIII. Sovereign entities or estates within the Pontifical Territories may submit petitions to the High Pontiff requesting specific amendments to this Constitution. These petitions must be presented in writing and include a rationale that aligns with the principles of Canon law and the governance of the Pontifical States. The High Pontiff holds sole discretion to approve, reject, or modify any proposed amendments submitted through such petitions. SECTION XII ELEVATION OF PONTIFICAL NOBILITY Long centuries have passed when the Holy See found itself a guest in secular courts, with only times of rarity whereupon the spaciousness of land and the insistence of Pontiffs had acquired for the Mother Church an enclave to call home among the realms of Canondom. The enclave of Lemon Hill has in the developments of the age come to encompass an independent home not only for the Holy See but also those of Horen who found themselves bereft of a home in wake of earthly turmoils. We are blessed twice fold, then, to observe not only the independence of the Church The expedited pace of growth which the lay settlement of the Township of Grense had garnered is unprecedented in the history of Pontifical statehood. The Faithful gathered therein bear the Cross of the Faith in earnest fervour and diligence, and their contributions of service to the Holy See are manifold. This blessed growth of lay activity in the bosom of the Pontificate, as well as the central role in bearing the Sword of Owyn in leadership of the Crusade constitutes an evolution in the secular status of the estate. His Holiness, by virtue of the Apostolic Right endowed upon the Bearer of the Laurels of the Exalted, and in his capacity as Sovereign in the ordered State of the Church, sees right to elevate the Township of Grense and its surrounding lands and establish by these letters the Papal Duchy of Burgundy, and shall invest in the person of Tiberias van Aert the style and title of Duke of Burgundy in the Pontifical States, to hold and pass onto his legitimate heirs, to succeed the title of Protector of Grense, and to be administered presently by the Regent of Grense. THE HOLY MOTHER CHURCH OF THE CANON Under GOD Maintained by His Holiness Harrentzedek The Most Sacred Electors of THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS As Per the Most Recent Consistory… The Most Reverend, His Eminence, IVAN CARDINAL LOTHARIA . . . of the Bishopric of Lotharia, The Most Reverend, His Eminence, VILLORIK CARDINAL JORENUS . . . of the Patriarchate of Jorenus, The Most Reverend, His Eminence, JAMES CARDINAL RHOSMARK . . . of the Bishopric of Rhosmark, The Most Reverend, Her Eminence, CLOVER CARDINAL MOUNT LEMON . . . of the Bishopric of Mount Lemon, The Most Reverend, His Eminence, ALEXIOS CARDINAL ST. Emalyne . . . of the Bishopric of St. Emalyne, The Most Reverend, His Eminence, NERIUM CARDINAL IDUNIA . . . of the Bishopric of Idunia, The Most Reverend, His Eminence, ELIM CARDINAL ESBEC . . . of the Order of the Presbyterate, The Secretariats and Dicasteries of THE PONTIFICAL CURIA As Per the Most Recent Appointments… Secretariat of the Pontifical Curia, Under the purview of the Cardinal-Chancellor of the Pontifical Curia, Sede Vacante, Secretariat of the Pontifical State, Under the purview of the Seneschal of the Faith, Antonius Caranethion Arthalion, Secretariat of the Pontifical Affairs, Under the purview of the Cardinal-Secretary to the High Pontiff, Elim Cardinal Esbec, Dicastery for the Priesthood, Under the purview of the Prefect for the Priesthood, James Cardinal Rhosmark, Dicastery for the Laity, Under the purview of the Prefect for the Laity, Ivan Cardinal Lotharia, Commandant of the Pontifical Guard, Under the purview of the Pontifical Commandant, Villorik Cardinal Jorenus, Executor Observantiae Moralis et Restitution, Under the purview of the Archlectorate of Al’khazar, as defined in the Article of the Hammer, The Episcopal Sees of… THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS THE HOLY SEE Encompassing the entirety of the Apostolic City State, to be shepherded by High Pontiff Harrentzedek; PATRIARCHATE OF JORENUS, encompassing the entirety of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Patriarch Villorik Cardinal Jorenus, BISHOPRIC OF ALTAMARINO, encompassing the entirety of the Sovereign State of Hyspia and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Alaric Bishop Altamarino, BISHOPRIC OF CASICA, encompassing the entirety of the Commonwealth of the Petra and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Godfrey Bishop Casica, BISHOPRIC OF IDUNIA, encompassing the entirety of the Kingdom of Númendil and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Bishop Nerium Cardinal Idunia, BISHOPRIC OF ST. EMALYNE, encompassing the entirety of the Midlands and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Bishop Alexios Cardinal St. Emalyne, BISHOPRIC OF LOTHARIA, encompassing the entirety of the Kingdom of Balian and surrounding territories, to be shepherded by Bishop Ivan Cardinal Lotharia; BISHOPRIC OF GELIMAR, encompassing the entirety of the Principality of Reinmar as well as surrounding parishes not incorporated into other dioceses, to be shepherded by Reinhardt Bishop Gelimar, BISHOPRIC OF RHOSMARK, encompassing the entirety of the Duchy of Ravenmire, the Drowned Strand as well as the surrounding parishes not incorporated into other dioceses, to be shepherded by Bishop James Cardinal Rhosmark, BISHOPRIC OF MOUNT LEMON, encompassing the entirety of the Pontifical States as well as the surrounding parishes not incorporated into other dioceses, to be shepherded by Bishop Clover Cardinal Mount Lemon, BISHOPRIC OF MIKDANBERG, encompassing the entirety of the crusader territories of former Vortice, Silasia, Lurin and Vortice as well as the surrounding parishes not incorporated into other dioceses, to be shepherded by Vanderwink Bishop Mikdanberg.

AN EVALUATION OF THE DRAGONKIN, ONCE MORE PENANCE, REPENTANCE, REDEMPTION; THESE THREE TRUTHS ARE CARRIED WITH EVERY HOLY SER TO APPLY WHERE THEY COULD BE APPLIED. AND SO, I WOULD HOPE THEY CAN EQUALLY SERVE TO ALL PIOUS AND VIRTUOUS READERS OF THE HIGH PRIEST’S FLEPIR FLOCK. THUS, I DO NOT QUESTION THE HOLY PONTIFICAL LAW I ENFORCED OF HIS HOLINESS PONTIFF SIXTUS VI. BUT, EVEN THIS LAW WAS QUESTIONED IN CURIA, AND TO THIS DAY, IS QUESTIONED, UNANSWERED BY ANY SUCCESSOR. I HAVE BEEN ACCOSTED, ASSAULTED, HAD SLIGHTS THROWN AT ME, AND MY LIFE THREATENED FOR MY THESES THUS FAR. DESPITE THIS, I HAVE REBUKED MY PREVIOUS FINDINGS, AND DESPITE THIS REUBKING, I HAVE FOUND NO LOGICAL REASON TO DO SO. THE NEPHILIM ARE REDEEMABLE, AS DUE PENANCE DECREES. ONE HORENITE DRAGONBORN MUST BE REDEEMED TO START A HOLY LINEAGE IN DEFENCE OF THE TRIBE OF HOREN, AND IN DEFENCE OF THE FAITH OWYN SWORE US TO HOLD. THIS IS THE TRUTH I HAVE TO COME SETTLE UPON. I BELIEVE THAT THE ILK OF THE AN-GHO ARE TAINTED BY HERESY, BY YEARS OF NEGLECT FROM THE CHURCH. THEY ARE NOT ONLY HEATHENS, AS SOME OF THEM WERE NEVER TRULY PREACHED THE WORD OF GOD THAT WE SONS OF HOREN ARE SWORN TO SPREAD, BUT HERETICS. FORMER MEN AMONG THEIR RANKS, MEN AMONG THEM NOW. I WOULD, AND HAVE INVITED THE AN-GHO FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR MOST HOLY HEAD OF FAITH - AS HAVE I DONE THE INVERSE. HOWEVER, THIS DISCUSSION WILL BEAR NO FRUIT SO LONG AS THE NEPHILIM OF TOR’PRAETH CONTINUE THEIR HERETICAL WORSHIP OF THE DRAGAAR AZDROMOTH. CONTINUATION I have had my debates with many members of the college of Cardinals, had my word thoroughly talked with priests, and passed my own exams. I await ordination whenever his Holiness Fleeperus Primus thinks me fit to accept it. “Heed not the man who says he is holy, merely heed his acts. Should he act with two fingers crossed behind his back, he is surely a Saulican.” Such wisdom was imparted to me, albeit paraphrased, as I did not transcribe the ordeal, in a mass held by Ivan Cardinal Lotharia, a most holy man who additionally hosts lessons for the pious youth in Balian. One such youth is a little Frasier, who I came to know in my tenure as Knight-Captain. Frasier is a good, Waldenian child - through blood, not like myself. He had many questions, all surrounding GOD, when he came to Owynsburg, our Judite keep, and he witnessed, if not aided in the execution of one of the Red Lich’s chief lieutenants. He cheered, then, as he was hung for his crimes. This boy is a boy of GOD. He is pious, and he is sure to go far should he continue to live with virtue. How then, should I answer this boy, when he asks of me, ‘Why are the Nephilim evil?’ With Janus’ ilk, it was their rampant infanticide, as they consumed infants in the masses to further add to Janus’ power. With the unholy Inferi, it is simply their nature. Gaze upon them, and you will see nothing but evil. However, how can such be said for the Nephilim? Who, in all their immortality, are most mentally mortal? They question the same truths we do, they live the same lives we do, and they die the same deaths we do, only to come anew from ash. This, though, I would say, is not death. As a Templar of the Saint Michael may bolster their own skin, or an Oscillit, so too do the Nephilim; as direct children of their father they are entitled to more of his power, they can regenerate and bolster not only their scales, but their entire being. But, alas, we must remember the Blessed Basil. The Blessed Father Basil died for preaching the dangers of the Nephilim, their corruptibility, their proneness to Sin. The Blessed Father Basil was a Cardinal of our own holy Mother Church, slaughtered, in cold blood, by the Azdrazi. But, then, should all man be shunned for the sin of Horen? For the sin of Saul? Should all man be barred from Canondom, struck down upon sight, unable to preach their own word, merely because their brother sinned? Was Joren to die too by Owyn’s Sin because Harren Sinned? I would not argue such a point, and so I do not. I believe the Nephilim, though, have been so long estranged from the Holy Light of the Creator, that they have become laymen. So far, so long, that they have forgotten the lessons they once may have learned as men. For, I remind you, the Nephilim are but that: once-men. Once-men, one may argue, though, may classify much of the Ibleesian scum that plagues all of Creation. The key difference being that the Nephilim are still men. They do still Sin, they do still err, they are still prone to the whispers of the Saulican, but they have been so long rejected the Holy Light of the Lord GOD, that they do not have the tools to fully guard all of their kin against it. I remind you all man are prone to Sin. The Nephilim, as I must constantly restate, are no different. You are all your own individuals, with your own experiences, and your own memories involving the Nephilim. Some Sons of Malin may recall Elvenesse: I was challenged by his eminence Patriarch Villorik, with the Lord-Marshal Ser Caspian Colborn, to explain its burning. And so, I shall. The Malinites of Elvenesse had sworn an oath to guard the Nephilim in their walls. And so they did, until the prince of that then city did break the oath, spilling the secrets of their residence to the legions of the Unholy. And so, to guard the virtuous, to guard his own, the Nephilim came down to raze impiety from that pinnacle of Corruption. This redeemability, which I will constantly refer to, was also seen by good virtuous men of the cloth long after the Nephilim’s brandishing as Sinful by the Church, and long after the efforts of the Blessed Father Basil - I must clarify that I do not invalidate his works. The Blessed Father Basil was beatified for a reason. He was a good, pious man, who was a martyr for the faith against Corrupted Nephilim who listened to the whispers of Iblees. Now, though, the taint of Iblees is gone from Azdromoth, and thus gone from his children. Now, as I am sure the Blessed Father Basil would have agreed, the Nephilim are redeemable. Thus, such is my proposal, both to the good virtuous flepirfolk of Canondom, and the father-worshipping brothers of the Nephilic Prince, the An-Gho. I would suggest, as there is no more I can do but suggest, that one, aspirant or otherwise, come forward. The An Gho, as I remind all good flepir readers, swore to uphold the Pact of Horen; the Nephilim of Tor’Praeth showed such when they rescued the good princess Edith from the unholy claws of Lumbridge. The redeemability of the Nephilim was on sight there for all to see. I was not present myself, but, I ask of you, Templar, I ask of you, crusader, I ask of you, layman: did they not fight beside you? Did they not fell the same Ibleesian foe, upon whom you raised your own sword? I PROPOSE SUCH: Let an acolyte of the Nephilim, or a dragonkin of Tor’Praeth, or a holy man of the cloth, put himself forward to begin a holy lineage sworn exclusively to the Pact of Horen. The legions of Frost, the legions of Iblees, and the Xionist scourge continue to impede on the flepir flock. We must take all precautions, and this selfless servant of the Lord GOD will forsake their eternity in the Seven Skies to protect all Man, to protect the Holy Mother Church, and to protect the sanctity of GOD. With the blessing of the Prince of the Nephilim, the An Gho, and his Holiness, the High Priest Fleeperus Primus, may this selfless Horenite stand as bulwark against all that is Unholy, and usher in a Holy dragonborn after him, and another, after he. To the Prince of the Nephilim, you urged Man to reach out and wield Dragonsblood. This is that call: accept it. To his Holiness, the High Priest Fleeperus Primus, in such trying times as the descent of the St. Raguel the Messenger to invoke Holy flame onto Aaun, a second flame, of our flock, must be lit to protect us all. We all saw, leal servants of GOD, Hanseti vagabonds raiding the innocent, slaughtering our lambs, and attempting to raze the most humble Horenite imitation of the Tabernacle, Gresne. With a HOLY DRACONIC CRUSADER, pledged to the Vicar of GOD, may this never happen again. HOLY SER LUKAS VON BERKHOVEN, ‘the Apsinthion’

The Citrine Guard Established 1948 “As our village sports no gates so must we be its shield, As our Clergy wander the world so must we be their cloak, As undeath marches upon the land so must we be the gold that banishes evil.” Mission The mission of the Citrine Guard is to first and foremost protect our humble Lemon Hill, its denizens, and the clergy. Be the threat mortal, voidal, undead, or demonic in nature, the Citrine Guard is to stand at the ready for the Hill’s defense. We fight for no King or Kingdom, insteading wielding our blades for GOD. The Chain, the Ranks of the Citrine Guard The command of the Citrine Guard is symbolized by a simple iron chain. Each link, whether at the top or bottom, is vital to the overall structure of the organization. Whether one’s rank is that of Grandmaster, the leader of the Citrine Guard, or Recruit, Enlisted or Band of the Flaming Iris, each link must be carefully maintained. The Band of the Flaming Iris The Band of the Flaming Iris houses the knights of the Citrine Guard, men and women trained in the chivalric tradition to keep virtue and the tenants of the organization at heart. I. Grandmaster of the Flaming Iris The Grandmaster is the overall leader of the Citrine Guard, responsible for commissioning the officers of the Citrine Guard and bestowing spurs upon the worthy. The Grandmaster’s foremost duty is to Lemon Hill, protecting the demesne with their own life if necessary. When a Grandmaster dies or retires, their successor is to be chosen of the Knight-Commanders. Ser Morgan of Angren, 1948 - Present II. Knight-Commander of the Flaming Iris The Knight-Commanders serve as veteran officers of the Citrine Guard, capable of commanding both the Citrine Guard and the knights of the Flaming Iris. In the Chain of Command, they are second only to the Grandmaster. Dame Valda, 1948 - Present III. Knight of the Flaming Iris A knight of the Flaming Iris is to be a seasoned warrior trained in the chivalric tradition. They are to uphold the virtues of their rank at all times, for which they are permitted to bear a coat of arms of their own. In the Chain of Command, they are equivalent to a Man-at-Arms. Enlisted I. Sergeant, colloquially known as the “Lemon Sour” Sergeants serve to direct men in battle and maintain discipline in the ranks. They are to be proven soldiers more than capable of commanding their comrades. II. Man-at-Arms, colloquially known as the “Lemon Head” Man-at-Arms serve as the proven veterans of the Citrine Guard, capable of holding their own. May command lower ranks at the behest of a Sergeant or lack thereof. III. Militiaman, colloquially known as the “Lemon Levy” Militiamen are the backbone of the Citrine Guard, drilled and disciplined to be entrusted with the crest of Lemon Hill upon their tabard. Their purpose is to follow the orders of their Sergeant and serve as the mainline infantry of the Citrine Guard. IV. Recruit, colloquially known as the “Lemon Drop” Recruits are the initial enlisted of the Citrine Guard, to be trained and made into Militiamen within the span of a year. Billets Billets sit outside the traditional chain of command, existing as positions vital to the function and armament of the Citrine Guard. Any soldier may be assigned a billet, regardless of rank. I. Quartermaster The Quartermaster works to ensure that all men are armed, armored, and provisioned within the Citrine Guard, directing the alchemists and blacksmiths to accomplish this goal. II. Alchemist Alchemists work to ensure that alchemical supplies of the Citrine Guard are well stocked and the production of potions and elixirs. III. Blacksmith Blacksmiths work to ensure the Citrine Guard is equipped with proper steel and the maintenance of our arsenal. IV. Medicae Medicae work to bind the wounded of the Citrine Guard, be it with sutures or alchemics, tasked with preserving cherished life. Pay Enlisted I. Sergeant Room and Board A daily portion of meat and a lemon A daily portion of beer at the Red Roof Inn Arms and Armor A horse 15 minas a year II. Man-at-Arms Room and Board A daily portion of meat and a lemon A daily portion of beer at the Red Roof Inn Arms and Armor A horse 10 minas a year III. Militiaman Room and Board A daily portion of meat and a lemon A daily portion of beer at the Red Roof Inn Arms and Armor 5 minas a year IV. Recruit Room and Board A daily portion of meat and a lemon Training “Know us by our tabard.” Those seeking to enlist should contact either Ser Morgan of Angren (househelvets) or Dame Valda (Jtit#9196). Alternatively, one may apply by replying to this posting in the following format: Application Name: Age: Race: Username: Discord: https://discord.gg/hkpt7R6gqt

Ice on the Hill 5th of Horen’s Calling, in the year of our Lord 1945. To the Canonist Faithful, A freak winter storm has descended upon Lemon Hill, cloaking our fair grange in a sheet of ice and snow. Many of our lemon trees have been affected by this frost, it is not yet known the extent of the damage. It is expected for our harvest to be much diminished in the coming year. Strange figures and ominous whispers have been observed in the blizzard, likely the result of magi and ne'er-do-wells. Visitors should take caution and remain in the warmth of a brazier or torch. All residents are advised to wear a second layer of winter clothes, as well as to double their supply of firewood. GOD shall yet see us through this trial, for we are His faithful. IN NOMINE DEI Ser Morgan of Angren

Lemon Hill Monastery [Mother Frinna and Father Callahan] presents… ART AND FAITH, A DISCUSSION Published 7th of the Godfrey’s Triumph, in the year of our Lord 1943. The Monastery of the Sacred Heart invites all to attend the unveiling of a set of religious artworks of Mother Frinna Glennmaer on the 3rd of the Sun’s Smile, in the year of our Lord 1943. The paintings will be depictions of our faith's beloved Saints and Prophets, and invite conversation on religious expression and art theory. The pieces themselves endeavor to put to canvas the delicate history of some of our esteemed Exalted, by way of the brush. All paintings will be on display in Lemon Hill, and reproductions can be requested to be displayed elsewhere across nations. In honor of the toil of our native Mother Frinna, Lemon Hill invites all to join in festivity and the eating of cake. It is asked of all who have the means to do so to bake cakes for the occasion, that we might share in the joys of our shared faith and make merry. [With cake.] OOC Info: Sunday @ 3 PM EST, located at the Monastery of the Sacred Heart, Lemon Hill.

Charity for Whitespire, 1942 The extent of flooding in the Royal Capital of Whitespire. 2nd of Harren’s Folly, in the year of our Lord 1942. Hear ye faithful, no more than a few days past has a giant wave washed over the city of Whitespire, flooding its streets and destroying the homes of a great many of its denizens. In the wake of such devastation it cleaves to us, those united by the Faith, to provide for our fellow man in his time of need. Thus we of Lemon Hill hereby solicit donations to aid those effected by this calamity. Please deposit all material donations upon the cart before the Monastery of the Sacred Heart. What is most needed at this time are items such as these: - Dry Clothes and Blankets, -Temporary Accommodations, such as tents, - Fresh Foodstuffs, such as Kosher Bread and Bales of Wheat, - Potable Water, - Dry Firewood and Kindling. By your contribution we hope to help our brethren in their time of need. Those who are displaced at the present time by this catastrophe can of course find shelter at Lemon Hill. Additionally, we are calling for skilled medicae to travel to Whitespire to provide aid on site. IN NOMINE DEI, Ser Morgan of Angren

The First Lemon Harvest 16th of Tobias’ Bounty, in the year of our Lord, 1935 To the Good People of Canondom, Thanks to the contributions of the Canonist Faithful, Lemon Hill has been founded between the rivers Constance and Northflow. After years of hard work, our providence is made manifest. Upon its peak the Monastery of the Sacred Heart stands to serve as a true bastion of learning for all the land. Down its slopes our congregation now settles, tilling the fields, pursuing their crafts, and tending the lemon trees. To celebrate the coming harvest of lemons, the good people invite all the realm to come and sample the fruit of our labors. Be it our titular lemons, our patented brews, or our fine meals, all shall be provided in ample abundance to those who come. IN NOMINE DEI OOC: Saturday, July 29th, 3 PM EST

LEMON HILL MONASTERY CONSTRUCTION FUND Penned 12th of Harren’s Folly, 1927 HEAR YE! HEAR YE! The Order of the White Iris seeks to erect a Monastery dedicated to Saints Jude and Judith upon Lemon Hill. To accomplish this task, our humble clergy ask for donations from the Canonist Faithful in the form of standard minas. Let this Monastery be raised to educate the faithful, to shelter our pilgrims, mend the tired flesh of man, and become a true center of learning in these new lands. Please seek out one of our community to donate or send a letter, no contribution goes unnoticed by the Lord. IN NOMINE DEI Morgan of Angren, Mother Lorina, Father Callahan, Brother Rhodri, Brother Odo, Antonius Cardinal St Caius.