The Order of Saint-George

The flag of the order of Saint-George. The dragon symbolises the vanquishing of sin by Saint-George himself.

## Basic information

### Leadership:

Archbishop Hans Capon and the council of clergy

## Culture

### Anthem:

Saint Georges, Guide-nous

The order of Saint-George (*Der Orden des Sankt-Georg/l'Ordre de Saint-Georges/l'Ordine di San-Giorgio)* is a traditionalist religious order residing in Chormikórz, close to the Bruther holy site of Płaskow. The order aims to abolish worldly power in favour of the authority of the Salvatic God. The order was founded by Saint-George and Kees the Wise, in accordance with the teachings of Saint-George himself. Their arrival and establishment heralded the age of Katholikos, which marked a renewed emphasis on faith.

## **History (WIP)**

### **Founding and history before A.D. 2**

It is not entirely certain where the Order of Saint George came from. It is clear, however, that the order is by no means ethnically homogeneous, as the members speak different languages. It is believed that the order originated around the mountains of the overseas mountain region of Raetia and the high plains of the also overseas region of Narbonensis. The history that follows is all that is known of the order before their eventual arrival in Aengland and is taken from the chronicles of Hans Capon and should by no means be considered as an objective, factually correct account of events.

#### **Founding**

In 222 B.C.A. After many wanderings, Saint George and Kees de Wijze founded the monastery of Reichenau in the mountains of Raetia, with the aim of accommodating a more traditional vision of Salvatism. Saint George had realized in his travels that the world as it was was fundamentally sinful and that the Church had strayed from its true mission and surrendered to abundance and beneficence, letting power of the earthly realm pass to worldly rulers. In this new monastery he hoped that believers would be able to return to the pious and God-fearing core of the Salvatic faith. As the first monastic father, he chose Kees de Wijze, who had been his faithful companion and fellow believer for many years.

#### **Growth and the Establishing of Influence**

Over a span of many generations, the monastery grew steadily into an abbey, with the descendants of Kees de Wijze as abbot, and the number of monks grew to a number of dozens at a time. In 134 B.C.A. a religious order was finally established under Abbot Matthis der Gemäßigte in Reichenau, which would actively proclaim the movement of Saint George. However, this was not without some setbacks. Local rulers were nowhere near waiting for a doctrine that would limit their power and return it to the church, the church was equally sceptical of a doctrine that criticized their behavior. However, the order was not banned or persecuted, according to the Order itself because they were under the protection of God, although others point to the rather small influence the order could realistically have.

In the following decades, the order grew to a modest membership of about a hundred monks and novices and succeeded in expanding its sphere of influence somewhat. In the year 72 B.C.A., Abbot Stan le Barbu even managed to bring the lord of Tolosa to his senses and share the Georgian view of faith. Tolosa would be from then on well into the 10s B.C.A. remain a stronghold of Georgianism. The order would eventually reach its peak of size under Abbot Gert-Jan de Vrome in 20 B.C.A. when it possessed a modest sphere of influence covering a number of small counties. Even at the height of the order, the church did not intervene, perhaps because the church recognized better than the order itself that its influence was fickle and superficial and that the population, when things got serious, would automatically return to holy mother church.

#### **An Irreparable World: The Gaulish Civil Wars**

The Salvatic Church would be proven right at the outbreak of the first Gallic civil war of 16-12 B.C.A. The region fell into a total disorder of warring states and lords, who cared little about faith or holy calling. Consequently, the common people shut themselves up in their villages and towns, afraid of looting and other misery. Even the counties seen as saved by the order threw off the teachings of Saint George and plunged into battle. Where there is disorder there is spiritual and moral decay and so the inhabitants of Gallia, who were not so pious anyway according to the ideology of the order, drifted further into sinfulness.

After the civil war ended, the order sought to emerge as creators of a world from the ashes of destruction, with a world vision that could prevent further unrest and misery. With renewed fervour, preaching and soul winning began again. At first glance, the approach seemed successful. New members of the monastery flocked in, disillusioned by the war and the behavior of the nobility and clergy during it, including the future Abbot Hans Capon and the noteworthy members Henric von Skalitz and Jaans Daniël. There was light on the horizon, now that the faithful were flocking again and some counties were returning to the Order.

However, the order and its new abbot, Hans Capon, were soon shaken out of their dreams when, in A.D. 1, the fledgling peace was broken by an attack on Aquitania by Raetian nobles, following the hostage taking of a Raetian diplomat. Again counties, populace and local clergy unquestioningly turned away from order, once again focused on self-interest and self-gain. Hans and the order now realized that there was hardly any hope of improvement in this area. Believers hardly went to church anymore, partly because of the unrest, locked themselves in their settlements again and general morals deteriorated. Local Lords completely disregarded the scriptures and their mission as guardians of law and order and the God-imposed world order and defied the teachings of the Church in every aspect. The Pater and the Church focused more on self-interest and self-preservation than propagating the teachings of the Lord, either because of impotence or deliberate restraint, perhaps hoping for an opportunity to strengthen their power.

With every hope of fulfilling their vocation crushed by the large-scale secular power struggle and a general, almost irreparable degradation of the spiritual profession in their region of origin, Abbott Hans Capon and the Council of Clerics, which now included his most trusted companions Henric von Skalitz and Jaans Daniël, decided to leave Reichenau and its environs and search overseas for an area more viable for a sinless world. In A.D. 1, Hans set off by ship with Jaans Daniël, aimlessly but confident that God would bring them to benevolent shores. Henric von Skalitz remained behind, awaiting their safe arrival and managing the remaining elements of the Order.

### **Arrival and Settling**

In AD 2, two settlers, whom we now know as Archbishop Hans Capon and Jaans Daniël, landed on the coast of Aengland and promptly built a modest cottage to temporarily settle. Having gained a foothold in this area unknown to them, they finally made themselves known to the local powers after some orientation. Their arrival, though unexpected, was universally received with varying degrees of enthusiasm, although concerns arose among some Salvatists about the order's orthodox ideology. Nevertheless, most countries extended a helping hand in the form of offering raw materials and temporary settlements. The order, however, after extensive consultation among the members, politely brushed these hands away, thus assuring their complete independence from secular authorities. A call for (permanent) locations to settle was eventually answered by the good-natured Aspen Zerensky, who, at the order's request, compiled a list of areas suitable for the order's objectives. And so the order, strengthened by the arrival of members who had stayed behind, left their temporary home in search of a place to practice their faith far from the influence of others, but not without erecting an altar in thanksgiving for their safe arrival.

After many wanderings, the Order's eye fell on a hill in Chomikórz province, perhaps because it reminded them of their own homeland, or perhaps simply because of the seclusion that this hill could provide. In AD 2, in the absence of Jaans Daniel, who was on a pilgrimage in thanks to the lord, the construction of their first abbey fortress and also capital, the name of which has yet to be decided by the council of clergy, began under the watchful eye of brother Henric von Skalitz. This construction is still going on today and will eventually take the form of a large, walled abbey in which the Order can devote themselves to their vocation in seclusion.

### **Fate**

It is largely unknown what happened to the Order of Saint George during the three-hundred-year anarchy that followed their arrival in Arborum Lucis. When it became clear that the first skirmishes, which as we now know heralded the beginning of a long period of fear and uncertainty, would develop into a larger conflict, the order decided to withdraw from the rest of the societies. With the slamming of their gates in A.D. 34, all contact with the members ended, largely due to their remoteness. In the violent times that followed their withdrawal, people were more concerned with protecting their own home and hearth than with an interest in a remote religious sect. Soon many believers left the hill, only the staunchest followers remained steadfast in isolation. The fate of their Archbishop and other prominent members is unknown, they have disappeared without a trace in the mists of history.

Buildings still stand on the hill that once housed this illustrious order, a reminder of a bygone age of faith, devotion and courage.

## **Ideology, Culture, Language and Societal structure (WIP)**

### **Ideology**

The Order of Saint George is primarily a tradionalist Salvatic order, which believes that the current way in which Salvatists practice their faith and engage in the world has drifted too far from the core of the Salvatic faith. The Order strives to restore the power of the Lord in worldly affairs and to reduce or even abolish worldly centers of power. In addition, the order aims at a purification of the faith, the conversion of apostates and the conversion of unbelievers, in order to create a pious and God-fearing world, which will form a favorable climate for the return of the messiah.
The Order lives according to the customs and scriptures of Salvatism, but also bases their way of life and creed on a number of other texts:

* *The Life and Suffering of Saint George*
* *The epic of Kees de Wijze and the sacred bed*
* *Statutes of the Order of Saint George*

Based on these texts, the order has come to understand that the world they now live in is a world that has strayed from the true path of the Lord and given over to sin and a lust for power. Even the ordinary Salvatist is often not as pious as the scriptures dictate and is too preoccupied with worldly distractions, instead of yielding to the will of the Lord.

#### **Viewpoints on Heathens and Heretics**

The Order believes that cooperation with Heretics and Pagans is possible if they have the same goal in mind, i.e. the abolition of worldly powers, yet these groups will eventually have to repent if they are to become permanent partners of the Order. Heretics are preferred to pagans: for they believe in the same God, but only misinterpret His teachings. Pagans, on the other hand, believe in a pantheon of Gods, which is fundamentally incompatible with the monotheistic teachings of Salvatism.

### **Culture and Language**

The order of Saint George does not consist of one people or culture, but of a conglomeration of believers from different regions who feel united under the teachings and mission of Saint George. For this reason three different languages ​​are spoken in the order:

* French: the mother tongue of Archbishop Hans Capon, from the Narbonensis region
* German: the mother tongue of Brother Henric von Skalitz, from the Raetia region
* Italian: the native language of Jaans Daniel, from the southwestern part of the Norica region

Because of this multilingualism, all documents of the Order are written in triplicate: in French, German and Italian.

### **Societal Structure**

The society of the order, while the brethren are expected to live in harmony with each other and share foodstuffs and possessions, is strictly hierarchical. A strong distinction is made between the clergy and the 'regular' citizens of the lands the order presides over. Therefore, the articles of the order distinguish between three classes:

* Envoys of the Lord: Clerics who are members of and have an active role in the everyday affairs of the Order. They live in the abbey fortress or other monastic settlements, parish churches or other spiritual buildings. Brothers enjoy all the rights enjoyed by a full member of the Order. Within this class, the order makes further distinctions based on task and function within the order, but no special rights are associated with this. They are also the only ones allowed to live inside the walls of the Abbey Fortress and on the hill in Chormikórz.
* Subjects of the Lord: free citizens who have settled in the territory of the order, but who, because they are not members of the order, do not enjoy the rights enjoyed by a member of the order. In exchange for the right to live and earn on the territory of the order, they must give one-tenth of their income and proceeds to the order, which will use this income to promote their souls. Furthermore, this class has as their only only obligation to go to church regularly.
* Servants of the Lord: peasants and other craftsmen who, in exchange for the right to live on the territory of the order, are bound by their land. They can always turn to the walls of abbeys or monasteries for help or refuge, but in return they have to give up a fifth of their income to the Church. Also, like the lord's subjects, they have none of the rights enjoyed by the members of the Order.

In theory, these conditions are fixed and you are born into your class. One can become a member of the Order only on the basis of blood (both parents are members of the order), by marrying a member of the order or in exceptional cases through merits made for the order. A Servant of the Lord can become a Subject only by marrying a Servant or again, by making exceptional merits for the Order.

#### **Hierarchy within the Church. (WIP)**

While there is principled equality among the clergy in the Church, there is a clear hierarchy based on duty and work that largely determines what a clergyman's duties are:

* The Archbishop and the Council of Clergy govern the day-to-day affairs of the Order's territories. They are also responsible for interpreting scriptures and traditions and can thus arrive at new insights into the faith. To ensure that they remain as undefiled as possible and can devote themselves fully to the Lord, they are not allowed to marry. Nor should they meddle in matters pertaining only to the worldly. This also includes the abbot of the abbey fort or a resident of an abbey or monastery.
* The regular clergy are full members of the order, but do not sit on the council of clergy. They tend a parish, oversee a convent school or fulfil a function as a canon. They are allowed to marry, have children and interfere in worldly affairs that affect their position. Part of the offspring of these regular clergy form the new generation of monastery and abbey residents.
* Illiterate clergy are also full members of the order, although they have little or no spiritual duties. They have to live according to the rules of the order and the Salvatic faith and fulfil functions such as gardener, cook or other household tasks. Like the regular clergy, they are allowed to marry and have children, who will form the future generation of the order.

Within this division of roles, social mobility is possible, in contrast to the estates. An illiterate clergyman can become a priest of a parish church by following an education and a regular clergyman, provided he is unmarried, can join a monastery. In principle, every cleric can become a council member of the council of clergy by excelling in both knowledge of scripture and devotion to the Order.

## **Notable Buildings (hele stevige WIP, zo eentje waarmee je je broertje keihard de lucht in katapulteert)**

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## **Notable Members**

### **Current Members:**

* Hans Capon: Pater of the Salvatic Faith, Archbishop an chronicler of the Order of Saint-George
* Henric von Skalitz: Abbot, Architect and mine supervisor.
* Jaans Daniel: Brother, pilgrim and missionary

### **List of Abbots/Priors of Reichenau and their terms:**

* Kees de Wijze 222-184 B.C.A.
* Cul le Prospère 184-155 B.C.A.
* Matthis der Gemäßigte 155-131 B.C.A.
* Kur der Feurige 131-111 B.C.A.
* Frytek il Testardo 111-89 B.C.A.
* Stan le Barbu 89-54 B.C.A.
* Grover il Rauco 54-39 B.C.A.
* Gert-Jan de Vrome 39 B.C.A. - A.D. 0
* Hans Capon A.D. 0 - A.D. 2 *(became archbishop of the archdiocese of the Order of Saint George)*