Holy Imperial Covenant of Baal

## Religion

### Church of the Angel Ascendant

The Church of the Angel Ascendant is the primary faith of the Covenant. Worshipped by over 400 billion souls, it holds the place of the second-largest faith in the galaxy, second only to the Church of the Martyred Emperor. The Church of the Angel Ascendant holds the belief that the primarch Sanguinius is the chosen leader of humanity and as such is a living god. It preaches a life of peace, acceptance and tolerance, using violence only when called upon the defend the weak, the lost and the misguided. Conversion is encouraged, never forced, and it is unique in that it preaches a living, breathing god. As its leader and holy figure, Sanguinius spends a great deal of his time attending to his followers, holding frequent sermon-speeches, and deciding on internal measures. Once a week, he will record publicly-available sermons, either giving advice, recounting tales, or addressing the grievances of his followers.

### Davinite Order

The Davinite Order is a nomadic order hailing from the world of Davin. Its faith is a spiritual one, worshipping a guiding force known simply as "The Power", which espouses a series of guiding principles of self-control, self-reliance, and honor. It is led by a council of priests known as the Bearers of the Icon, who convene to compare visions and dreams so as to determine their next destination. Its current number of followers stands at approximately 17 billion across dozens of worlds and holy sites; the main pilgrim fleet, currently in myriad ships anchored above Baal and on its surface, numbers around 6 billion souls. Followers of the Power are often noted for their quiet, observant and respectful demeanor, living humbly and modestly above all else. They only employ violence in the defense of others and themselves, and the Order has developed a unique style of martial art revolved around rapidly de-escalating and neutralizing an opponent or several, using tight, controlled and powerful blows strikes to incapacitate the target; while it is not designed for killing, it is certainly able to kill in one well-placed blow, emphasizing the importance of self-control and discipline.

Members of the Order take up many different daily occupations to fill their time and earn a living to go with the basic sustenance pay of the fleet; they have a notable presence in law enforcement, civil protection roles, athletics, civil service roles no matter how menial, and occasional local leadership; authority and political influence are noted as being secondary ambitions which must be undertaken cautiously if one seeks them, and never solely for personal benefit, but always for the betterment and benefit of those around them.

### Sakri Maritarum

Sakri Maritarum, known commonly as the Church of Father Death or the "Corpse Faith", is a religion worshipping a godly incarnation of death itself. Its followers view life as simply a road leading to death, and the achievements of one's life serving only to better one's chances at receiving favorable judgment in death, nothing more. Its tenets espouse a life of simplicity and tranquility, one led by the winds of fate rather than free will. Followers apply the bare minimum of treatment to their infections, wounds and diseases, and will refuse aid if offered in favor of the treatment of others first. It also promotes generosity, seeing life as a generous gift whose debt must be paid forward to others.

### Church of the Holy Crucible

The Church of the Holy Crucible is a peculiar and complex faith surrounding the art of forging and smithing. Adherents undergo numerous rites of passage throughout their lives, evolving as they go and undertaking new roles in the faith with age. Generally identifying as "The Forged", its followers believe that mankind was formed from the scraps of creation and forged into something which must constantly be improved and modified. As such, adherents are often identifiable by their abundant augmetic enhancements. They believe in a fiery method of reincarnation known as the Cauldron of the Universe, thought by many to be a physical place, where the souls of the dead are recycled into new life by the Eternal Smith, Adai. The Church of the Holy Crucible holds the idea that smithing and forging, primarily in a literal sense but permitting any sort of craftwork, is the holiest act in the universe, seeing as one is shaping the world around them into something befitting their own vision and desires rather than being lazy and morose, choosing to act rather than stand by and do nothing; the Forged often sport a fiery and passionate way of thinking, always acting on their decisions before fully thinking, for to do is better than not to do.

### Order of the Crimson Shield

The Order of the Crimson Shield is a monastic chivalric order with disputed and murky origins. While members of the order rarely dispense internal knowledge of history and affairs, they do actively involve themselves in warfare and have in recent years come to be loyal allies to the Great Angel himself. They worship the god of war, Hakur, whose teaches mainly encourage chivalry, courage, honor, and discipline in battle. Its members carry a wide array of weaponry, but are considered some of the finest mortal warriors in the Covenant, acting as shock troops and heavy infantry whenever called upon. They will fight for whoever they believe to hold the most righteous or honorable cause, but will always defend the innocent and those who choose not to or are unable to fight. Alongside this, they adhere to a strict code of honor, which includes tenets such as never harming the innocent, allowing their foes to surrender, always accepting a duel, knowing when to pick one's battles and respecting the enemy in life and death. As standard practice, they leave the bodies of their enemies unmolested and arrange the body to be holding their weapon, so that they may stand before their gods as warriors, never cowards. When deploying into combat, they wear heavy carapace armor and carry powerful hellguns as well as hip-borne swords, which they train with constantly to keep their skills sharp. They volunteer their services freely to the cause of the Covenant, and though they do not worship the Great Angel, they respect his place as a god and see him as a noble warrior and a capable leader, having long ago pledged their allegiance to his war against the forces of evil.