The Atheshi Church

## Origins

In the darkest hour of Legionism, as the religion ripped itself to pieces even as its following collapsed, it seemed that the old faith was dead. However, a group of devout Swareli industrialists would soon change the course of history. Settling in the region of Atheshal, the industrialists built the city of Varras, and began to quickly develop the land. Through a combination of their own brilliance and the bountifulness of Atheshal, this new kingdom went from an obscure city state in the ruins of the Church to a superpower within a few decades. The industrialists and the people who took up residence in that area developed a new religion for themselves, and became known as the Atheshi.

## Varras and the Althegorax

The holy city of the Atheshi Church remains in Varras. The faith is centered in a palace called the Althegorax, or the Skygod's Forge. The Althegorax serves as both a holy building and the most advanced forge in all of Pallacia, with the lower levels being almost entirely composed of forges. The concept of smithing is fundamental to the Atheshi Church, in a way that is unique to it. Instead of a traditional priesthood, the Atheshi Church employs an order of knight-priests called the Redeemers. The Redeemers are divided into a strict hierarchy.

## The Redeemers

At the bottom of the hierarchy are Questing Squires, whom make up the overwhelming majority of the Redeemers. To become a Questing Squire, an individual must come to the Althegorax. There, they will forge a blade of the finest steel in Pallacia, a weapon known as a Skyblade. Skyblades vary in appearance and design, and are heavily influenced by the culture of the forger. However, all Skyblades are united in appearance by a small etching of a lightning bolt carved into the hilt. There is no minimum time required to forge a Skyblade, but most take disciples spend months, or even years. A properly forged Skyblade is an unparalleled weapon. When the disciple has finished forging their blade, they swear an oath of fealty to Althezin and his chosen, and are recognized as Questing Squires. These individuals serve a variety of purposes. Many offer their services to Atheshi rulers, where they typically spend most of their time collecting taxes for their nation and navigating the noble courts. Others join Atheshi armies set for war against the Adzanists, and act as heavy infantry or cavalry.

When a Questing Squire accomplishes a feat of sufficient significance, they can be renowned by higher ranked Redeemers as a Paragon. While Paragons hold less power within the Church than other high ranking Redeemers, they have greater autonomy. Most Paragons act as rulers, generals, or other positions in which they have non-Church authority.

However, very rarely, an aspiring Redeemer is selected for having forged a Skyblade of vastly superior quality. These individuals and their blades are put through a series of grueling tests. If either the sword or the individual fail the tests, they are sent back to the Althegorax to become a common Questing Squire. However, if both endure, the individual is accepted into an elite group of knight-priests known as Althezin's Chosen. These individuals serve primarily as the leaders of the Atheshi faith, and direct it on the highest level. Though they are among the most formidable warriors in Pallacia, they rarely see combat themselves. The Redeemers have countless other ranks and sub ranks, but these are the most prevalent.

## Legionist Ties

The Atheshi Church shares much of its beliefs with the rest of the Legionist world. Their primary distinction in opinion is around the Divine Inheritance. Like the Church of Wickneth, the Atheshi recognize the death of Jesevriel, and the Arcane Sin. However, the Atheshi believe that upon Jesevriel's death, his power was inherited not by his son, but his general, Althezin. They believe that Jesevriel saw the descent of mankind into sin, and knew that in order to restore the greatness of old, a great crusade must be won to bring about the Golden Age of Man. They have multitude prophecies of a heroic figure they call "Sinrazer" who will lead the crusade. Multitude kings, Emperors, and Redeemers have claimed the title of Sinrazer since the foundation of the religion, but few were recognized officially by Althezin's Chosen, and none fulfilled the prophecies.