At Crusade's Beginning, At Battle's End
Posted by Preston on 06/08/20
When one of the Faith turns their back on the Gods in pursuit of madness and death, it is a sorrow. When their betrayal of the Gods and of every loyal person in the Compact turns to bloodshed, that sorrow grows. As the Apostate Ivan shows us, heresy is like a sinkhole - one man may fall and in doing so the hole widens until it consumes many. The Apostate Ivan has led many down this path, and not content with his manifold crimes, he ordered assault on a shrine of the Faith, the breach of sanctuary, to kill Legates of the Faith and Thralls there sheltered. By the grace of the Gods and the sacrifice of our Brothers and Sisters of Solace, his plans were thwarted but his evil shown yet again.
Those bannermen of Helianthus who stayed with him, I disagree with their reasoning that an oath to an apostate who had led them to heresy was worth more than their oaths to the Compact and the Faith, but I can respect it. Those men, should they be able to extricate themselves from the Apostate's fleet, may seek the sanctuary of a Seraph and request penance. For them there shall be hope. For those who commanded these men in the name of Helianthus, and for the serjeants and officers of the Undrowned Sons who survive, and who made willingly their choice? No Seraph is to give them sanctuary, none to offer them penance. They may be heretics, but we are people of the Gods - and we will honour their choice, even if they have no honour left in their bodies. They chose to be our enemies, let them be as such.
But victory comes at a price, and I do not have enough tears in me to express how that loss hurts. The Godsworn Templars who died and all those fallen Templars whose families wish it, and any knights who fought alongside us, will be welcomed to rest with honour at the Grand Mausoleum of the Faith. Once events allow, I will lead a pilgrimage there to lay our family to rest.
Those Eurusi captured who fought against us, we will place under the protection of our Templars, and The First Liberator Aleksei Morgan. We charge he-who-was-once-our-Brother Aleksei to lead efforts of the Liberators to teach them of freedom, and to recommend for parole those who can be returned to Eurus to spread those ideals to their people. Those of Helianthus we captured, I leave to Mother Ailith and Prince Victus to sit in judgement of for their crimes against Faith and Fealty. Those Eurusi under Crown Prince Damik'uhl'daja are given guest rights by the Faith so they may explore their desire to join the Compact and what it entails, and they are given my personal thanks.
The first Crusade to defend our lands must continue, for the Eurusi fleet moved further on. But we have proven that even against treachery we can prevail. And we can fight with honour.
For their provision of troops to crusade without question, let Marquessa Teagan Blackram, Count Philippe Blanchard and Lord Rysen, Voice of Crovane, be known as Defenders of the Faith until their death or until they forfeit such honour. Let also so be named Lady Tescelina Wyrmguard, who fell in combat, and for whose death the Templars will work with Wymguard to honour. For his showing of tenacity in the naval combat, risking his life numerous times to hold the line, we ask House Redrain for permission to do what we rarely do for non-Godsworn, and name Prince Lorenzo Redrain a knight of the Faith.
Dictated to my scribe Balian, in the shadows of the broken walls of Sungreet, as Lady Oili kindly gets this arrow from my shoulder.
Sir Preston Godsworn, Carnifex of the Faith.
--- Redrain Stance via Darren ---
House Redrain's hearts are both saddened by the fall of so many heroes of the Compact, and gladdened by the measured and merciful actions and words of the Carnifex. We are pleased to grant permission to Sir Preston to honour Prince Lorenzo.
--- Blackram Stance via Gaston ---
House Blackram stands ready and answers the call.
Those bannermen of Helianthus who stayed with him, I disagree with their reasoning that an oath to an apostate who had led them to heresy was worth more than their oaths to the Compact and the Faith, but I can respect it. Those men, should they be able to extricate themselves from the Apostate's fleet, may seek the sanctuary of a Seraph and request penance. For them there shall be hope. For those who commanded these men in the name of Helianthus, and for the serjeants and officers of the Undrowned Sons who survive, and who made willingly their choice? No Seraph is to give them sanctuary, none to offer them penance. They may be heretics, but we are people of the Gods - and we will honour their choice, even if they have no honour left in their bodies. They chose to be our enemies, let them be as such.
But victory comes at a price, and I do not have enough tears in me to express how that loss hurts. The Godsworn Templars who died and all those fallen Templars whose families wish it, and any knights who fought alongside us, will be welcomed to rest with honour at the Grand Mausoleum of the Faith. Once events allow, I will lead a pilgrimage there to lay our family to rest.
Those Eurusi captured who fought against us, we will place under the protection of our Templars, and The First Liberator Aleksei Morgan. We charge he-who-was-once-our-Brother Aleksei to lead efforts of the Liberators to teach them of freedom, and to recommend for parole those who can be returned to Eurus to spread those ideals to their people. Those of Helianthus we captured, I leave to Mother Ailith and Prince Victus to sit in judgement of for their crimes against Faith and Fealty. Those Eurusi under Crown Prince Damik'uhl'daja are given guest rights by the Faith so they may explore their desire to join the Compact and what it entails, and they are given my personal thanks.
The first Crusade to defend our lands must continue, for the Eurusi fleet moved further on. But we have proven that even against treachery we can prevail. And we can fight with honour.
For their provision of troops to crusade without question, let Marquessa Teagan Blackram, Count Philippe Blanchard and Lord Rysen, Voice of Crovane, be known as Defenders of the Faith until their death or until they forfeit such honour. Let also so be named Lady Tescelina Wyrmguard, who fell in combat, and for whose death the Templars will work with Wymguard to honour. For his showing of tenacity in the naval combat, risking his life numerous times to hold the line, we ask House Redrain for permission to do what we rarely do for non-Godsworn, and name Prince Lorenzo Redrain a knight of the Faith.
Dictated to my scribe Balian, in the shadows of the broken walls of Sungreet, as Lady Oili kindly gets this arrow from my shoulder.
Sir Preston Godsworn, Carnifex of the Faith.
--- Redrain Stance via Darren ---
House Redrain's hearts are both saddened by the fall of so many heroes of the Compact, and gladdened by the measured and merciful actions and words of the Carnifex. We are pleased to grant permission to Sir Preston to honour Prince Lorenzo.
--- Blackram Stance via Gaston ---
House Blackram stands ready and answers the call.