The Cult of Danethrae
Overview and History
The cult of Danethrae has higher principles than all the other major churches in Arthea. It is held together by the words and deeds of the knighthood of the land, not only existing for the good of the knights, but working hard for the benefit of the community as a whole, from the peasants up. The cult was formed from a body of knights and protectors that sprang up in the early years of post-disaster civilisation. They quickly established a code of honour, and stuck to it rigidly. The code seemed to appeal to knights and warriors of all kinds from all over the new kingdoms in the south, and closely matched similar organisations in dwarfish society. There was much co-operation between the knights of Danethrae and the dwarfish Cult of Thardannor in the delves; so much so, that they shared teachings and beliefs. Eventually it became clear that their sponsoring gods were the same, and they became one cult, this was to prove very helpful hundreds of years later, as dwarves became integrated into the towns and cities of mankind.
While the cult was established by warriors, at no point in their long history did the cult ever seek war for its own sake. The cult took pride in the prowess of its knights in battle, but only ever deployed them in defence of the innocent. The honour code they live by calls for them to protect the weak, drive out injustice, and uphold the law. In pursuing this aim, they have had run-ins with many of the monarchs of growing kingdoms throughout history, but weathered them all. In upholding the cause of both lawfulness and good, the knights practice chastity, purity, and seek self-control.
Although they are diligent and hard working in the community, they are not liked by King James, who dislikes the interfering attitude the group takes. Since James' father, Siegfried took the throne in 1392 the membership has dropped by two thirds. The rulers have taken a firmer and firmer stance with the paladins and knights who would not join what was Siegfried's, and is now James' cause. Fortunately the cult is large enough and wealthy enough to withstand this pressure for a good many years. This pressure has weakened the influence of the church a great deal, but their resolve has not been diminished.
The cult has recently met with a moral dilemma, which dates back to their vows made during 1341, when Arthea was declared a single country. At that time, King Thomas had unified the lands and called for the support of the major churches. As Thomas was seen as a noble and honest man, Danethrae's hierarchy were keen to demonstrate their support and vowed their unswerving allegiance to the throne of Arthea. It is this vow which is now causing the cult serious problems, as the church is finding it difficult to keep their vow while maintaining their alignment stance. King James has already begun to exploit this, in a small way, and he can certainly be expected to push harder and harder against the church, to see how far they will follow their vow. There are many Cult members who believe that this will cause a civil war, if pushed too hard, however. The Knights of Danethrae are loyal to the throne of Arthea, which does not necessarily mean they must stay loyal to the King of Arthea - to be loyal to the throne might be interpreted to mean that they are charged with ensuring that only the rightful King occupies it.
Teachings and Philosophy
Truth, Honour, Duty, Purity, Chastity, Prowess at Arms, Self Control, Humility; these are the traits to which all who wish to hold a position in the knighthood should aspire. Not only to protect the weak and the innocent, but to set an example of behaviour that is far beyond that which ordinary people aspire to. The individual is marred by impurity, by base desires and evil, only by strict self-control and the practicing of virtuous behaviour can these behaviours be contained and eradicated from the self, and the person meet with the glory intended for each one by the gods.
As both a counter to evil and to help develop and grow society as a whole, the individual is expected to strive for mastery of the base emotions of anger, resentment, greed and hate, and to master the use of their weapons of defence to such an extent that they can provide service in support of the meek. The purer the heart, the greater the achievements of a knight in battle, and therefore issues of truth and justice can be settled in trial by combat - the gods favour greatly the pure of heart, and will not allow those who follow this path to be defeated by one who is impure.
The teachings of the cult revolve around the precepts of lawful good, taking in the knightly virtues essential to the livelihood of paladins. The cult teaches that freedoms must be sacrificed for the common wealth, but that truth and honour are of the highest value. The cult strives for those things which bring benefit to all people, there is always a path to achieving this, but it is not always clear; sometimes it can only be found through contemplation of the pure heart.
Danethrae's views on order and laws are accepted by the King, but not their moral attitude, which is often at conflict. In addition to the standpoint of their alignment, they also uphold the knightly virtues which attract many knights, even though their alignment may not fit wholly in with that of the group's paladins or clerics. The cults influence often upholds the law, but they have little in common with King James' loyal guards, who uphold laws in any way they see fit.
The cult places emphasis on spiritual rather than physical pleasures. It opposes excesses in all things, and leans heavily on charity, friendship and trust - the accepted principles of "goodness", not only idealised by Danethrae, but also by the cults of Pendaroch, Melas Uldonia, Ascheinar's Cult, and, to an extent Anbartae. This outlook on life is reflected in the religions patron saints, whose presence forms and guides the central branch of the church.
Presence in the Community
The charity aspect of the church is demonstrated in many ways. The two largest concerns of the church are those of homelessness and of orphans. The cult owns and runs its own orphanages, usually in the same or adjacent street to the church building - they see a necessity for these underprivileged people to be close to the church. They are manned mostly by volunteers, and paid for by donations to the church. The standard of care given in these establishments is never anything more than basic, but the church will always argue that they provide a full religious education for their guests, and fully meet their spiritual needs - this is far more important and nourishing to the soul than any luxuries desired by the physical body.
The cult also owns its own refuges for vagrants, an operation that was difficult to start in the face of stiff opposition from the Guild of Innkeepers and Publicans, who saw the refuges as a place to stay free of charge. The refuges turned out quite differently to the churches original idea, because of this pressure from the guild network. In the end both parties were kept happy and in hindsight the guild admits they may have done the church a disservice - these places keep many of the rougher members of society out of the inns. Danethrae's refuges do not serve beers or alcohol of any type, and insist that all their guests be in bed before midnight. They do not provide proper beds, but give simple straw mattresses. If anyone has the money, they are advised to use the inns wherever possible, but members of the church who are low on funds can always stay in these places provided they are prepared to help look after the destitute residents.
Patron Saints
Danethrae has many patron saints, covering all aspects of the church's work, charities and dealings with the community. The major ones are listed here.
Saint Ildora
Ildora is the Patron Saint of Wisdom and Knowledge. She is the figurehead for all the teaching aspects upheld by the church. It is in St. Ildoras name whenever new clerics are taken in, and when they are trained and taught to use their spells. All Danethrae's clerics look to St. Ildora when they train up to each new level.
Saint Daniel
Daniel is the Patron Saint of Light. His place in history was sealed when he fought to regain one of Danethrae's most cherished relics, The Jewelled Lantern. This beautiful relic was said to have held the essences of Danethrae's founding gods during the great disaster. It still glows dimly with their power, and illuminates the altar in the church where it is kept. The Lantern is priceless, and Daniel rescued it when it was to be broken down to its individual jewels to be sold. He took it from the hands of a local ruler in the south of Arthea sometime between 650 and 700, when the ruler had stolen it from the church building where it was kept. Daniel returned the valuable item to the church as soon as he could, and in return for this, the church declared him a saint upon his death in the early 700's. Legend relates that when he died, Daniel was entrusted with maintaining the light of the lantern, and that even now, part of his soul is permanently within it.
Saint Richard
As the Patron Saint of Purity and Honour, St. Richard is the patron of all knights belonging to the church. He rallied the knights of Danethrae to the cause of the revolution in 1026. If it had not been for his courage, Danethrae would probably have not joined in the overthrow of the occupying Empire. When victory was completed, the church honoured him by making him their leader of knights, and assumed his crest as the shield device for the church.
Saint Anmoria
Anmoria is the Patron Saint of Healing. The origins of St. Anmoria are lost, but it is known that she helped out in the terrors which followed the Great Disaster, by tending the sick and injured. She was one of the very first followers of the cult which was to become Danethrae, and helped to spread the word, even as she used her skills. All healing by the church is now performed in her name.
Saint Robin
Robin is the Patron Saint of Peace. He served the church in times of great despair. He was born in 1064, in Caldonacia, and by 1100 he had spent many long years containing the effects of the plague that hit at that time. He preached to people to have faith in his religion, he trained new clerics to help with his work, and used his own powers to heal and care for the sick. He fell to the plague himself in 1102, after seeking out the worst infected areas, and working with it for 18 years.
Holy Symbols
Danethrae has several symbols, used differently in a variety of situations. Of old, it has been the practice of knights of Danethrae to use the symbol of the upraised sword, while clerics have often used the symbol of knowledge, an unfurled scroll. These are the oldest and most popular of all symbols. Some sections of the church nowadays though, are starting to use a symbol of a sun, surrounded by its rays, which symbolises the power of the gods. Any of these symbols is acceptable for clerics to use when casting spells or turning undead, provided it is cast from silver or carved from the wood Ash, and blessed by a cleric of third or higher level.
The knights of Danethrae, provided they do not wish to wear their own crest, can use the crest of Danethrae. This shield crest is as follows: A shield Per Fesse, with a beast rampant in the lower section, Fleur-De-Lis at dexter chief and sinister chief, and a cinquefoil at middle chief.
Cleric Weapon Choice
Clerics of Danethrae are allowed to use the following weapons:
Club; Flail (footman's or horseman's); Mace (footman's or horseman's); Morning Star; Quarterstaff; Short Bow (all types of arrow); Sling; Spear; War Hammer.
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