Gatekeepers

The *Holy Order of Gatekeepers*, which are divided into the *Higher Order* and the *Lower*, serve the *Holy Hierarchy*diligently. They currently operate as the primary source of defense and law enforcement in the Town of Light and County Districts.

## History

The High Order of the Gatekeepers was established by incumbent Pope Becker as a response to the first Begotten attack on the Town of Light, which resulted in the destruction of the last remaining County Constable group, Powderboy Militia, and former Honor Guards of the Royal Senate.

The High Order of the Gatekeepers was headed by Emissary Elegia Southwark, composed of some fifty gatekeepers originally drafted from the remainder of military forces from the Empire of Light. The High Order of the Gatekeepers touted stoic traditionalism, almost always clad in ancient ornate armor of their forefathers, drafted and etched with numerous runes of Light, with hundreds and thousands of Glazic scriptures embedded within the plates. Additionally, the High Order of the Gatekeepers recognized the shortening of firearms, instead preferring to strike using Shortswords of Light, with team leaders bearing enormous manifestations of Maximus' Wrath to lead charges against Begotten demons and Satanic insurrectionists alike.

As Begotten attacks became more and more common, the High Order of the Gatekeepers were sanctioned to exclusive defense of the Holy Hierarchy and were replaced by the larger and more versatile Lower Order of the Gatekeepers. The Lower Order of the Gatekeepers were instead drafted from peasants and wanderers, who were soon strictly conditioned to serving the requisite needs of law enforcement and defense of the Town of Light. The Lower Order of the Gatekeepers are effectively a military junta in service of the Pope, with an unofficial dress code of full-body coveralls and large hooded overcoats. Lower Order of the Gatekeepers adapted to use the Musket as their weapon of choice, a weapon that performs excellent in the mid-range, with enough versatility in stopping power and distance preferable for corpsing Begotten in their tracks.

The High Order of the Gatekeepers ended when a High Gatekeeper Emissary, last of his kind and rank, led a militia in an attempt to subjugate a Satanist-controlled manor. A satanic cultist armed with a springer executed the Emissary, before his militiamen were picked off one by one by Hell Demons during their retreat. The death of the Emissary, as the last living member of the High Order, resulted in the end of the High Order as history knows it.

## Command Structure

The Lower Order of the Gatekeepers operates as a simplified ranking structure typically followed by militias and warbands of the Empire of Light. Each Gatekeeper is issued a holy numerical designation that replaces their previous full name.

Disciple - Standard provisional rank of gatekeeper. Disciples often begin and end their careers as rookies, delegated to tasks such as marksman duty on the Wall of Light, or the pulling of the lever to open the Gates of Light. Indeed, Gatekeeper Disciples are the first line of defense, often in firing lines with muskets, braving enormous hordes of Begotten that any sensible Wanderer would high-tail away from. Disciples, in addition to specializing in their trusty muskets, often bear Blunderbusses depending on their duty, or Pepper Shots as a sidearm.

Acolyte - First command-capable rank, in which a seasoned Gatekeeper is promoted as a team leader to the current operation force either within the Town of Light or as an expeditionary leader. Acolytes report directly to the Emissary of the High Order, but if none are present, to the nearest Holy Hierarchy or the Pope himself. Despite this, the Acolyte is regularly manning the Walls alongside the other Gatekeeper Disciples, keeping close watch and oversight.

Emissary - High Gatekeeper status, dictating command over all Gatekeeper forces. This rank is exclusive to the High Order of the Gatekeepers, granting promoted Gatekeepers of this rank exclusive access to the Holy Hierarchy Armory, so that equipment such as Repeating Grapeshots, Corpsecranks, and High Gatekeeper armor can be upheld. Holding status as an Emissary, these High Gatekeepers are not required to man the walls, yet are generally expected to be glorious expeditionary leaders of the highest expertise. Gatekeeper Emissaries report directly to the Holy Hierarchy or the Pope Himself.

Grand - Grand High Gatekeeper. This rank of Gatekeeper is completely defunct, with no comprehensive records located in the Empirical Archives, leading numerous post-apocalyptic historians to believe that all information has been efficiently scrubbed. The Pope and Holy Hierarchy have refused to comment on the existence of the Grand Gatekeeper office, however, spoken word implicates Grand Gatekeepers to possess otherworldly powers, bringing great concern over their involvement with the occult. It is unknown what became of the Grand Gatekeepers; some believe they were either exiled or killed in rebellion, while more pessimistic speculators offer an account that they were sentenced to death or assassinated due to the power they wield.

## Weapons and Equipment

Shortsword of Light - Ornate, lightweight, and sharp; the Shortsword of Light is the primary sharp weapon used in the killing of Begotten targets, crafted by the finest blacksmiths in the style of older Empire of Light blades.

Police Baton - Defunct and outdated, these carbon-coated wooden batons are favored for beating unruly Holy Citizens into submission.

Pepper Shot - A favorite among wanderers for their primary use, the Pepper Shot takes a backstage position in the armory of Gatekeepers, favored as a sidearm that can be quickly drawn and fired. It allows only one round in the chamber at a time, and has a 6-second average reload period. Despite this, the round is fired at an extremely high velocity, making it efficient at finishing off already-damaged targets.

Musket - The primary weapon of the Gatekeepers, the Musket is once more a single-round weapon. Despite this, it maintains a higher reload time, and is one of the few weapons in the wasteland that bears optics, allowing extreme magnification for target recognition over long distances.

Blunderbuss - Although not favored, the Blunderbuss is often used sparingly by the Gatekeepers. Firing one Grape Shot shell at a time with an extremely long spread, it is ideal for filling a fucklet with pellets at short range. The extremely short range of said weapon requires the user to close enormous distance against the target, making it risky to use but effective.