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During
the Council, policies were formed regarding the sect
philosophy. Some of the Brethren wanted to update the
ideals of the sect, shifting the focus from the Chosen
One to the overall spread of good. The more conservative
Brethren argued that, had it not been for the Chosen One,
the sect would never have come into existence in the
first place, and therefore the ideology of the Brethren
should stay focused around the Chosen One's teachings. A
long debate ensued, in which it was finally decided that
the Chosen One's teachings would be the basic tenets of
the Brethren's philosophy, but that the Brethren would
not continue to base itself around the Chosen One.
After
the Reformative Council, the Brethren (who still had not
adopted the name we know them by now) experienced another
period of rebirth, in which membership expanded
geometrically. Residents of the gate-towns that linked
Mount Celestia to the Outlands joined in large numbers.
Sometimes entire towns would sign themselves over to the
Brethren, and it is these towns that are, even today, the
strongholds of the sect. Petitioners of the Mount who had
not been worthy enough to become archons signed on en
masse.
Then
disaster struck. In a surprise attack against the Mount,
an army of baatezu laid siege to the first layer of the
plane, destroying dozens of towns and numerous Brethren
monasteries before they were finally beaten back by the
archons. Hundreds of Brethren had been slaughtered in the
attack, and this taught the growing sect a powerful
lesson: sometimes one must fight for what one believes
in.
Another
convention was called, this one decidedly shorter then
the previous one. Called the Defensive Council, the
attendants of this convention decided overwhelmingly that
a more militaristic stance must be taken by the Brethren
-- in the name of good, of course. Changing their sect's
name to the Order of the Planes-Militant, the Council
appointed two new titles to the Order's ranks: Marshal
and Watchman. Now, the Order would not just preach
goodness, but defend the innocent and fight evil where
ever it was found.
And
so it has been to this day. The Order has gradually grown
more and more militaristic over the centuries, but they
still maintain their doctrine of conversion. Brethren can
be found throughout the Upper Planes of Bytopia and
Elysium, preaching the benefits of lawful goodness and
structured utopia. And while the preachers and converters
of the sect work the Upper Planes for possible members,
the Faithful's warriors charge into the Lower Planes and
the Outlands, combating evil and defending the
weak.
The
Sectol
The
Sector of the Order is referred to as Prefect. Over the
1,957 cycles that the Order has been in existence, there
have been hundreds upon hundreds of Prefects. Some have
been greater leaders then others, but all have served the
Faithful admirably.
The
current Prefect of the Brethren is Prefect Increase VII,
an old and powerful cleric, and one of the only female
Prefect's to serve the Order. Increase has adopted a more
militaristic policy then the Prefect's before her,
focusing the sect's resources and manpower on raiding the
Lower Planes rather then spreading the word of good.
Prefect
Increase VII
Female planar human
Prefect of the Order of the Planes-Militant and
15th-level cleric of Good (philosophy)
Lawful Good
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Str: 13
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Int: 16
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HP: 108
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Dex: 15
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Wis: 20
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AC: -1
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Con: 17
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Cha: 18
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THAC0:
12
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Spell
Immunities: Cause Fear,
charm person, command, forget, friends, hold person,
hypnotism, ray of enfeeblement, scare
Spell
Spheres: All, Healing,
Protection, Charm, Divination
Granted
Powers: Cast detect evil up
to three times a day; permanent +1 to hit and damage vs.
all evil aligned enemies, above and beyond all other
bonuses.
Spells/Level:
9 / 9 / 7 / 9 / 4 / 2 / 1
Equipment:
Longsword +4 (+5 vs. fiends); amulet of protection
against evil (evil characters at &endash;5 to hit and
damage while person wears amulet)
Spellbook:
(* denotes spells usually memorised)
1st: Bless*, Combine,
Command*, Cure Light Wounds*, Detect Evil*, Detect
Magic*, Detect Poison*, Endure Cold/Heat*, Protection
from Evil*, Remove Fear*, Sanctuary*
2nd: Augury, Barkskin*,
Detect Charm*, Enthrall*, Find Traps, Hold Person*, Know
Alignment*, Resist Fire/Cold, Slow Poison*,
Withdraw*
3rd: Dispel Magic*,
Locate Object*, Magical Vestment*, Negative Plane
Protection*, Protection from Fire*, Remove Curse*, Remove
Paralysis*, Speak with Dead
4th: Cloak of Bravery*,
Cure Serious Wounds*, Detect Lie*, Divination*, Free
Action*, Imbue with Spell Ability*, Neutralise Poison*,
Protection from Evil 10' Radius*, Protection from
Lightning, Reflecting Pool, Spell Immunity,
Tongues*
5th: Atonement, Commune*,
Cure Critical Wounds*, Dispel Evil*, Divination, Quest,
True Seeing*
6th: Find the Path,
Forbiddance, Heal*, Speak with Monsters*
7th:
Evocation*
Sect
Headquarters
Mount
Celestia, the structured utopia, the ordered paradise.
Here, among the archons, the Faithful make their home. On
the fourth layer of Paradise, known as the Electrum
Heaven, the Brethren's headquarters can be found. The
First Monastery of the Planes-Militant is a gothic-style
complex built atop a rocky plateau just above the clouds.
The First Monastery was built to be totally
self-sufficient. And it is. The building contains dozens
of granaries, hundreds of water reservoirs, innumerable
stables and feeding pens for a million animals. There are
enough bedrooms for half a million Brethren, enough
training rooms for fifty armies, and more then enough
kitchens to feed both.
Membership
The
Faithful aren't picky about race or gender, but a cutter
has to be lawful good. Chaotic and neutral berks can't
stand the restricting oaths they have to swear, nor do
they like the limiting policies of the Faithful. Evil
cutters loath the idea of sacrificing of themselves to
help others. So, it's not that the Brethren only allow
lawful good members, just berks who aren't lawful good
simply don't want to join.
Once
someone signs up for the Order, they are subject to a
two-week long observation period in which they are
monitored by the local Watchman. If the subject is
considered "good" enough by the Watchman, he may take an
Oath of Fealty to the local Marshal. Once this has
occurred, the subject is considered a Lay-Brother or
Lay-Sister. From there, through good deeds and
outstanding service to the Faithful, the person may be
promoted to higher ranks. A great majority of Faithful
remain Lay-Persons all their life, however.
Structure
At
the very pinnacle of the Order is the Prefect, as
mentioned previously. The Prefect is generally considered
the smartest, strongest and most able leader of the
Faithful can provide, and the Brethren base their
spiritual and physical strength by the strength of their
Prefect. If a Prefect is a dull, weak leader, then the
Order must be dull and weak, and needs revitalisation. If
a Prefect is charismatic, powerful and intelligent, then
the Order is strong. Since the near-beginning of the
sect, the Prefect has been attended to by a planetar
advisor.
Beneath
the Prefect is the Metropolitan, who is the religious
leader of the sect. The Metropolitan is responsible for
the spiritual well-being of all Faithful, and ensures
both loyalty and purity of heart in the Order's members.
Throughout the centuries, the Metropolitan's station has
varied in importance and prominence. Some Metropolitans
have been inquisitors, rooting out "evil" and
"corruption" among the Brethren through elaborate trials
and tortures. Some Metropolitans have been obscure
clerics who stand idly by while fiends corrupt the sect's
members. The current Metropolitan is Purity III, a cleric
who has made a name for himself as an easily accessible
listener and healer.
Equal
to the Metropolitan in status is the Keeper of the Seals,
who serves as an advisor to the Prefect. It is the Keeper
of the Seal's duty to not only counsel the Prefect, but
to also monitor His (or Her) Holiness for signs of
corruption. The Keeper is typically a very powerful mage,
and the current Keeper lives up to that stereotype.
Indigo the Stutterer, an extremely potent mage, holds
this position.
After
the Keeper and Metropolitan are the Marshals, who serve
as the generals and high-ranking military leaders of the
Brethren. Marshals are responsible for leading forays
into the other planes, fighting evil and chaos, and
establishing outposts for the Order.
Housewardens
are the individual leaders of the Order's outposts. Their
duties include defending the Order's strongholds, serving
as officers in a Marshal's army, or acting as aides to
higher-ranking officials. A Housewarden is typically the
highest ranking Brethren in any given
stronghold.
Serving
the Housewardens are captains and lieutenant, the
Watchmen is often given units of Crusaders or
Lay-Brethren to lead. A Watchman's duty may include
leading a patrol, acting as a captain of the guard at a
Brethren stronghold, or serving as bodyguard to a Marshal
or Housewarden.
The
Crusaders are the footsoldiers of the Order, acting as
warriors, scouts, preachers, researchers and the like. A
Crusader reports to his assigned Watchman on a regular
basis.
Finally,
the bottom rung of the Order are the Lay-Brethren, who
are ordinary men and women who are responsible for the
day-to-day operations of a Brethren outpost. It is the
Lay-Brethren who feed the horses, clean the stables, cook
the food, and maintain the weaponry and armour of the
Order. Although regulated to menial tasks, the
Lay-Brethren bear their duties with good cheer and a
smile, knowing that all Faithful started out where they
did -- even the Prefect herself.
Allies
& Enemies
The
Faithful get along great with good-aligned groups, such
as the Harmonium, and good-aligned races like the
aasimon. The Order has a friendly neutrality towards the
Fraternity of Order, and tries to ignore the goings-on of
the Mercykillers. Although the Faithful do not agree with
the tactics of the Red Death, they realise that the
faction gets the job done.
The
Brethren loath such groups as the Athar, the Bleak Cabal
and the Doomguard. They work tirelessly to expose the
false beliefs of the first faction, and combat the later
two wherever they can be found. The Order's primary foe,
however, are the fiends of the Lower Planes, and they
consider it their primary goal defeat the evil
monsters.
Advantages
& Disadvantages
Brethren
are always able to seek succour from fellow Brethren. If
another member of the Order appears in your doorstep, it
is your duty to take him in, feed him, tend to his wounds
and help him in any way possible. To turn away a fellow
Faithful is dishonourable and evil, and to do so is an
excellent way to be removed from the Order.
In
return, the Order requests that all members swear oaths
of fealty, chastity and poverty, similar to the oaths
sworn by paladins. A member of the Order may never
disobey a superior, no matter what. Unless the mission
assigned to you is obviously evil or chaotic, you must
complete it. In the event that an order is in someway
evil, a Brethren must report this to his superior's
superior. Also, a Faithful may only keep as much jink as
he needs to maintain a moderate standard of living, as
well as other necessities, such as a horse, armour,
weaponry, etc. The rest should be donated to some worthy
cause (although preferably to the Order).
Current
Chant
Nothing
really new ever pops up with the Order. The current chant
seems to be the same old news: the Order is gearing up
for a massive assault on a Lower Plane, the Order is
really being corrupted internally by baatezu, the Order
is running low on membership and that's why they are
attempting to convert other planars, etc.
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