[A] Chapter of Holy Anethion

Chapter of Holy Anethion

Twenty-six years ago an aging half-elven cleric named Anethion has received a revelation from the Holy Light. His simple yet powerful message has inspired the people of Tyr's Hand province of Old Lordaeron and has survived the Scourge. Under guidance of Waldemar, a skilled politician and stoic priest, the Anethionean teaching came to Stormwind. There it grew and spread. Waldemar has gathered the faithful Anethioneans and turned them into the warriors of the Holy Light, ready to confront evil at every front and with every weapon. In the shadows, in the open and even in the minds and hearts of the people.

The Chapter in Stormwind has endured many hardships and earned both hatred and glory. It has condemned countless men and women to the stake, fought enemies of the Light in every province of Stormwind and abroad, stood trial for crimes against the innocent, faced exile and near-universal condemnation. But the Chapter has survived. Now it is led by Vicar Osmand Lightguard, struggling to fill the shoes of his predecessors and lead the Anethioneans to a new glory. But Vicar Osmand cannot do it alone, he needs stoic and faithful men and women to take up the cross and fight for their faith...

Defenders of Humanity:

Bane of Evil:

Champions of the Holy Faith:

Enemies to the Dark Arts:

Protectors of the Holy Places:

Humble warriors of the Light:

Guardians of the Human Culture:

Guardians of the Human Blood:

Champions of Light's Justice:

Advocates of Solidarity:

Loyal servants of the just King:

Chapter of Holy Anethion is zealous religious order devoted to an unique interpretation of the Holy Light.

OOC Overview

The Chapter is highly devout; believing in the Holy Light and Light’s will above everything else and seeking to get closer to the Light through prayer, confession, ritual, good deeds and combat against evil. We believe that the Light reaches into all aspects of life, from how family life should be arranged, to social justice and military service. The Chapter is also strongly pro-human, putting the human race first and foremost and defending its interests and values. It is patriotic but xenophobic.

Although the Chapter tries to be pure and uncompromising, it is full of less scrupulous individuals who are willing to sacrifice lives to reach their goals, practice dark arts for the Greater Good, lie, scheme and deceive. This conflict in interpretation fuels the Chapter’s internal role-play, heavy with intrigue and shady politics as various characters try to make their views dominant in the whole Chapter.

When creating and running the Chapter we follow the ideals of creating a great, immersive ambience that would make you believe you are actually a member of strict and heavily religious sect. We think that conflict drives role-play, and for years we have been balancing the Chapter between acceptable and criminal – creating IC conflict and confrontation whenever we can. At last, we keep the Chapter a mixture of Holy and Evil, Pure and Corrupt, Uncompromising and Hypocritical and in that way both members of the Chapter and those outside have genuine reasons to love the Chapter…and hate the Chapter.

If you are interested in a religious guild heavy on lore and devoted to immersive and conflict-driven role-play, and are not afraid of being whipped for forgetting to perform an obscure ritual or being dragged before the Tribunal of the Inquisition for accidentally believing the wrong doctrine, then the Chapter is defiantly the guild for you!

Ranking system and uniforms

The Chapter does not have a usual ladder-system of progression; instead Chapter’s core ranks are divided by their role and central theme. After you have gone through the two trainee ranks and finished your training, you become a core member.

Witch-hunters are the shady and sinister hunters of evil. The concept allows for assassins striking from the shadows, manipulative politicians using others to uncover and destroy evil and intelligent investigators piecing together evidence to identify and condemn the enemies of the Chapter. Whatever the path, the witch-hunters are meant to be mysterious, sinister and outright terrifying to friend and foe alike.

Shadowbreakers are the holy warriors of the Chapter, sworn to combat all evil and obey the Vicar. Unlike the witch-hunters, shadowbreakers always work in the open. They are the uncompromising, faceless fanatics ready to kill for their faith and believing with all their being that the Light will give them victory if their cause is just and guide them to strike down the wicked but spare the innocent.

Thaumaturges are the magi of the Chapter, a mysterious order studying all the dark artifacts the Chapter confiscates and coming up with new and better enchantments to protect the Chapter in battle. Often, the Inquisition turns the blind eye and allows Thaumaturges to delve into the forbidden knowledge and research dark secrets better left alone…all for the Greater Good.

Lectors are the priesthood of the Chapter. They are the zealous preachers, wise scholars and tutors, shrewd diplomats and politicians, cruel and eager confessors, trained healers and simply priests conducting rituals and holding mass. Lectors are charged with keeping the souls of people pure, which often means confessions and harsh atonement for the sins.

Ranks of the Chapter are usually not limited by your OOC class. A warrior can be a lector and a rogue can be a Shadowbreaker. But IC abilities play a role, a spellcaster cannot be a Shadowbreaker and somebody unskilled with magic cannot be a Thaumaturge for instance.

You are also allowed to mix core-ranks. For example, you can have an inquisitor who also preaches or a lector who charges into combat with a big hammer. If it is cool, and you can make it work – it is allowed!

The Chapter places heavy emphasis on outfits that fit the concept. Luxury is a sin, so elaborate outfits with gold ornamentation are forbidden as are the glowing, enormous weapons. Each rank has its own theme of outfitting that follows this rule of being modest and down-to-earth.

Role-play in the Chapter

Internal RP relies on constant religious training and indoctrination spurred by the Lectors and officers. They will make sure you believe the right things, perform the right ritual and do not sin. And they will punish you if you slip up. It relies on combat training and preparation for battle. But there is also heavy internal conflict between those who are willing to sin for the Greater Good and those who try to avoid evil. Sometimes, sometimes even open fighting breaks out and the Chapter is at war with itself – usually ending with the losing party having to do heavy penance to atone for their heresy. There are also regular Ecclesiastical Courts, open meetings where new doctrine is decided upon and all members of the Chapter are welcome to participate.

We are now experimenting with events under supervision of a ‘Dungeonmaster’, and so far they seem a success. These events follow the chapter themes of fighting evil, defending humanity and being zealous.

External RP is driven by the Chapter’s fanaticism that often puts it at odds with other organizations that are less strict. The Chapter is at war with cultists and criminals alike, so great deal of external conflict is devoted to plots and events with criminal and cultist guilds as well as spontaneous role-play that arises when we happen upon something we see as evil.

Joining and rising

To join the Chapter you should approach one of our core members ICly, they can all convert your character to the Anethionean Faith and recruit him for the Chapter. The Chapter is a small, tight-knit guild so you should reconsider joining if you are not ready to sometimes be one of the two people online. The guild is small-scale, and we like it that way!

Chapter Lore is…huge. You are not expected to know it all when you join. You are not even expected to learn the entire thing at all. Members of the Chapter will gladly help your character learn the bits that are mandatory, and the rest you can pick up as you go. Usually just behaving like a religious fanatic and reading the core beliefs of the Chapter just once will allow you to Role-play a proper Anethionean without error. So do not be scared away by the Huge Bible of Doom.

PS: you can convert to our religion without joining the guild. After all, not every Christian is a priest..and not every Anethionean is a member of the Chapter. Convert all your friends and earn yourself a good place in the afterlife!

This guild is indeed as awesome as it seems.

What would the world of Azeroth be without a fanatic religious order that forces their religion down people's throat?

^^

We've had a most amusing culture clash when a very scripture-centric dogmatic protestant nun-with-a-gun came to the Exodar to discuss matters of Faith with a certain chubby, jolly anchorite who only seems to speak in vague aphorisms.

Three cheers for the Fanatics!

Hail Anethion!
Hail Anethion!
Hail Anethion!

Aye, that was an amazing encounter. Gwendelyn spends her evenings trying to define doctrines as clearly as possible. Thelos spends his evenings trying to un-define preconceptions and find true light.

Yay for new recruitment posts!

Yay for awesome recruitment post

Melnerag wrote:Aye, that was an amazing encounter. Gwendelyn spends her evenings trying to define doctrines as clearly as possible. Thelos spends his evenings trying to un-define preconceptions and find true light.

You said something like that to me tooooo! It only means one thing.... Thelos and the Naaru follow the ways of the Lexadin!

(Also a bump for my fav guild)

Ways of the Lexadin:

1. Make yourself appear righteous by mentioning the Virtues at every possible opportunity.

2. Whenever asked on how to best follow the virtues, answer by telling the person that he has not been following the virtues. Even if you have to repeat step two ad infinitum.

3. Preach that violence is wrong while walking around in full battle-armor and carrying a huge hammer

4. When asked on how to redeem, tell them to follow the virtues. But asked about that, see point 2.

Oh snap!

~ Recently joined the Chapter. It deserves a permanent bump!

Melnerag wrote:

... you wear robes. Which are incredibly impractical in battle. That's hardly "functional simplicity"!

>.>

Robes are very practical, they make the enemy underestimate you and make a mistake! Robes also allow you to conceal the fact that you are wearing no pants. Robes can be cut to bandages should the need arise (but not when not wearing pants). Robes get you insulted with 'man in a dress', which helps you test and strengthen your faith. Robes require frequent stitching and cleaning, and that creates employment.

...robes are VERY functional!

Robes that look unnecessarily detailed in decoration!

All i learnt from that Meln, is that your shadowbreakers do infact not... wear pants.

Choire boys beware.

Bump!

Seiken Lionmane wrote:All i learnt from that Meln, is that your shadowbreakers do infact not... wear pants.

Choire boys beware.

Bump!

xDDDD

Damn Chapterians, too close for my liking. /hiss

Corleth wrote:The Dark Age of Waldemar: 18 A.E

And on the fifth day of his trial of Faith, blessed Abbot Bernard was visited by a demon of the most heinous kind, but rather than destroy it straight away, the Abbot began to read the recitations of Holy Prophet of Himself, so as to reinforce in the foul mind of the demon the nature of its pitiful existence and the objective truth that the Light will forever be victorious over darkness.

To these invocations, the demon could do naught but give him the finger...

Gahahahaha!

nice.

Corleth wrote:The Dark Age of Waldemar: 18 A.E

And on the fifth day of his trial of Faith, blessed Abbot Bernard was visited by a demon of the most heinous kind, but rather than destroy it straight away, the Abbot began to read the recitations of Holy Prophet of Himself, so as to reinforce in the foul mind of the demon the nature of its pitiful existence and the objective truth that the Light will forever be victorious over darkness.

To these invocations, the demon could do naught but give him the finger...

Why does he have a wooden dildo on his belt?

Kittrina wrote:Why does he have a wooden dildo on his belt?

...The abbey can be a lonely, cold, harsh place... every man of the faith needs his comforts.

Sodomy!

Lorainne/Bridlington wrote:Sodomy!

The sort of faith that penetrates you to the core.

Friday evenings in the Abbey. Prayer - Meditation - A quiet service - Then Gay DISCO!

Lexgrad wrote:Friday evenings in the Abbey. Prayer - Meditation - A quiet service - Then Gay DISCO!

Disco is Heresy.