The Order of the Crimson Circle

*“Life is a battle, you are the weapon.”*

Also known as “the godless company”, the Order of the Crimson Circle is a small sect of Warrior Priests and Holy Knights that worships battle in all its forms as a source of power, purity, and knowledge of the self. This religion does not worship any one god in particular, but does also does not disallow belief any any god in the war domain. Members of the order value battle prowess, knowledge of tactics and history, and faith in one’s companions above all else. They maintain that “all of life is a battle”, and see no difference in personal struggles or war, as to them, all struggles enhance the condition of any creature that perseveres through it, regardless of outcome. The church largely funds itself by a combination of tithing of its members (usually obtained as spoils of war) and by performing as a mercenary nation-state without boundaries, negotiating lucrative contracts with nations that approach them. Duties of members of the order vary greatly, from wandering war priests seeking profit to tithe with, to elite phalanxes of warriors pledged to do whatever bidding the High Warchief would ask of them. A life dedicated to the order is one built on battle, a study of tactics and history, and developing lasting bonds between those that the individual does battle with.

**Domain:** War

**Alignment:** The hierarchy of the church itself is largely chaotic good but members can be of any alignment. Low to mid level members of the Order tend towards chaotic, as many of the church’s tenants do not line up with the legal or moral systems in place by other societies. Many tend towards good, following the path of the sword of love, while others lean towards the paths of fear and hate, tending to lead them into more neutral or evil territory.

**Notable Race Association:** The order is comprised mostly of humans, but will not turn away any creature that has the will to fight.

**Preferred Weapon:** While members of the order will use any weapon available to them for the cause at hand (and obviously defer based on need, using spears when supporting infantry or maces against the undead), many war priests and paladins use a sword above all, due to the linked symbology of the Tilted Triangle (outlined below).

**Recruitment:** Recruitment into the order is strictly voluntary, usually before, after, or during a battle. The order’s ranks are made up of people from all alignments, from nobles that have tired of their opulent lifestyle, to orphans of war found left wandering the fields after battle.

**Relationships with Other Gods:** As stated, members of the order usually do not adhere to any one good, finding divinity and faith in themselves and those who would fight next to them to fuel their otherworldly prowess. Most find gods at best suspicious, and a healthy school of thought permeates the church that the gods find mortals amusing at their least benign, or at their worst, actively drive them towards their own goals. However, worshipping other gods of war is not explicitly frowned upon by the church, and many members do follow gods of the war domain.

**Beliefs:** The beliefs of any given member of the order are a shifting quagmire, largely due to the individualism encouraged by the church of its makeshift nation-state as well as the lack of a central holy book. However, a few beliefs are nearly universally believed by the members.

*“Life is a battle.”*

Most members of the church believe that the true nature of combat is spiritual, not physical. They see no difference in one who engages in a spiritual battle (such as depression) than one that fights with the vanguard of a great army. Despite the focus on personal combat, and the importance of duels as a way to settle disputes, members of the order rarely clash with pacifists, as they do not believe in such a thing - one may disavow one form of combat, but that does not mean that they are not a combatant. By mastering both the mental and the physical, the members of the order hope to achieve “wholeness”, a form of sainthood awarded almost entirely posthumously.

*“The Tilted Triangle”*

In their quest for oneness, the order has long worshipped the symbol of their group, known as the tilted triangle. The symbol, when used officially, consists of three swords made of different materials - Gold, Iron, and Onyx. These represent what the company perceives as the three primary emotions, which are the three pillars of a creatures reason to fight.

*The Gold Sword of Love -* This sword ties together humanities need to defend, and the need to fight for what one values. It can represent anything that one values or loves, such as a life partner, friends, one’s country, one’s land or possessions. While most creatures would see this to be the most noble of the three swords, the order regards it with caution, as a popular belief within the order is that some of the worst atrocities on this plane of existence have been caused by an abundance of love, or an overwhelming attachment.

*The Iron Sword of Hate -* This sword represents the underlying rage and hate that rests in all beings. This has a wide interpretation, and can represent the undying desire vengeance of a being done wrong somehow, the blind hatred one can harbor against another race or species, or a hatred of those in power or who misuse those power for oppression. The order values this sword for the strength it can imbue in a being, but note that this path can easily lead to bloodlust, violence, and worst of all, the loss of control in battle. This is beyond dishonorable for the order, and even the most hardened of proponents of this path advise caution when harnessing its power.

*The Onyx Sword of Fear -* Fear is a complicated topic for the order, one that is hotly debated amongst its scholars. In most teachings, this sword represents those who would fight out of fear of loss, whether it be of their life, their well being, or the lives of others. It is also however sometimes branded “the sword of wisdom”, as it is controls aspects such as respect and the knowledge of when a battle cannot be won. The order sees the strength of this sword as the strength of the tactician, one who uses his resources and men wisely rather than waste them in a blind assault. They see the weakness of his pillar as the blind, animalistic nature of strength this path offers, which can lead to loss of control, or at its worst, cowardice, a trait widely despised within the order.

When depicted as a symbol, the three swords are placed tip to hilt to form a triangle, which is usually placed slightly askew, denoting that the three paths are always at odds at one another. The symbol is completed by the underlying note, or the “circle” for which the order is known for-

*The Shield of the Self -* This is the note of philosophy that drives these three warring emotions together, and according to church, define a person. Within this circle, the three swords attempt to balance one another, and one who is perfectly balanced and in control of themselves in the heat of battle (spiritual or physical) has achieved wholeness, the focus of this religion.

On parchment, this symbol is usually drawn as described, with each sword drawn distinctly over the shield. However, the symbol exists on a greater level, and a greater emblem of the church more simply as a triangle with one side yellow, one side grey, one side black, covered by a red circle, giving the group its name.

**Holy Books:** The order does not maintain a specific holy work or doctrine, but many members of the order regard historical texts (especially those with detailed documentation of wars or battles) to be of the best divine teachings. In these, they can see the problems and choices faced by other combatants, which can directly assist them in their own learnings and self discovery. Members frequently keep some of their favorite texts near to them at all times, dog eared and worn with multiple readings.

**Magic:** The faith the order has empowers them to perform any magics or rites performed by clerics of other religions. However, given the focus of their worship, they tend more towards the healing of wounds earned in battle, and the enhancement of those who would do combat. Their healing abilities are well renowned, however as per tradition, they intentionally leave scars after their healings. The reason for this is simple - they view scars as proof of combat, and reminders of lessons one has learned over the course of their life. They will heal a scar away if requested, but see it as backwards and strange at best, and at worst, denying one’s own divinity - an insult of the highest caliber.

**Rituals:** Members of the order engage in many rituals and rites to maintain their faith in their compatriots and the divinity of the self.

*The Tracing* - While each member is encouraged to find their own way to realize themselves each day, many engage in “The Tracing” each morning as they prepare their spells. During this ritual, a priest will sit in quiet meditation, silently running their fingers around each scar they have attained in battle. They will also frequently focus on past mistakes they’ve made, whether they be personal or war driven, seeking self-enlightenment. Through this ritual, it is believed that from past mistakes, they can divine knowledge of what skills they must carry into the future, and strengthen their tenacity and zeal.

*Battle Hymns*- While in combat, many priests of the order will sing. The nature of the song is largely unimportant, sometimes calling back to their homelands, lost loves, or merely glory in the face of battle. They sing loud and strong, in order to both keep “tempo” in the midst of battle, as well as to inspire and lead those fighting alongside them. Some have developed this into a power unto itself, using it to strengthen compatriots alongside them.

*Blood Marking* - While members of the order value all of those who fight next to them, when they are particularly inspired by a being or bond with them on emotional level, they will mark them with their blood. This is done through a variety of methods, but the most widely used (and least traumatic) of these is to slit ones thumb with a knife, and lightly press the thumb to the individual’s forehead. This is to symbolize that while all creatures who have the will to fight have the same blood, there is a connection strong than that between the two. It is considered the highest honor a member of the order can give a non member.