[Templars in Attendance:]

Templars in Attendance:
Sir Tameris Deacon, Chaplain, Templar, and Priest
Sir Clement Vortimer, Templar and Priest

When:
12th March

Where:
Glenmore, Cove, Yew

In lieu of reading slanted Covian news on 'the orc problem,' I didst decide to investigate these matters on my own. So I didst drive my spurs fiercely into Eliduc and valiantly we scaled the chasm along the Glenmores and the sea til we were at the ramparts of the fort. I was unable to enter, assaulted by orc, who, though paltry were insurmountable in number. The situation doth fare far worse than the press hath been reporting. Father Tameris Deacon and I didst caucus on the grave matter.

We decided the first course of actions would be to quest through the woods into the City of Yew, home of many venerated Avatari saints, blessed be its name, and locate our brothers in the Western Chapter. Twould prove be a long journey indeed, Guardian-spawn infesting the woods, particularly in my homeland of West Altmere, which hath fallen into despair and disrepair since I left and took my vows.

We didst arrive in Yew unable to find our brothers. The gate was locked and so Calimachus and Eliduc were unable to have much needed fresh oats and water. We didst hitch them to the tree and went to investigate Stonekeep Church. The door to the cloister was locked, tis likely the clergy remains there and twould be very severe for us to interrupt their monastic prayer. Instead we decided to travel to the tavern and see if we couldst find a Guardsman to help us, and certes we didst witness first hand the carnage that hath been caused by the plague. Shortly thereafter we didst return to Cove, invigorated and firm in our belief in His cause. The orcs must be beaten back forthwith, it is the responsibility of the Templar Order to keep Covians safe from Guardian in whatever way he doth choose to manifest himself. 'Twould seem he hath metaphorically assumed the likeness of a wargoth likely commanding the twisted trickster minds of the green-skins.

There shall be fighting and there shall be bloodshed.

Adeste Fideles

*Signed in archaic and imperious script*
Sir Vortimer

[Cross Posted to the Plot Thread on the In Character Forum]

[Templars in Attendance:]

Templars in Attendance:
Sir Tameris Deacon, Chaplain, Templar, and Priest
Sir Clement Vortimer, Templar and Priest

When:
12th March

Where:
Glenmore, Cove, Yew

In lieu of reading slanted Covian news on 'the orc problem,' I didst decide to investigate these matters on my own. So I didst drive my spurs fiercely into Eliduc and valiantly we scaled the chasm along the Glenmores and the sea til we were at the ramparts of the fort. I was unable to enter, assaulted by orc, who, though paltry were insurmountable in number. The situation doth fare far worse than the press hath been reporting. Father Tameris Deacon and I didst caucus on the grave matter.

We decided the first course of actions would be to quest through the woods into the City of Yew, home of many venerated Avatari saints, blessed be its name, and locate our brothers in the Western Chapter. Twould prove be a long journey indeed, Guardian-spawn infesting the woods, particularly in my homeland of West Altmere, which hath fallen into despair and disrepair since I left and took my vows.

We didst arrive in Yew unable to find our brothers. The gate was locked and so Calimachus and Eliduc were unable to have much needed fresh oats and water. We didst hitch them to the tree and went to investigate Stonekeep Church. The door to the cloister was locked, tis likely the clergy remains there and twould be very severe for us to interrupt their monastic prayer. Instead we decided to travel to the tavern and see if we couldst find a Guardsman to help us, and certes we didst witness first hand the carnage that hath been caused by the plague. Shortly thereafter we didst return to Cove, invigorated and firm in our belief in His cause. The orcs must be beaten back forthwith, it is the responsibility of the Templar Order to keep Covians safe from Guardian in whatever way he doth choose to manifest himself. 'Twould seem he hath metaphorically assumed the likeness of a wargoth likely commanding the twisted trickster minds of the green-skins.

There shall be fighting and there shall be bloodshed.

Adeste Fideles

*Signed in archaic and imperious script*
Sir Vortimer

[*signed*]

Today I didst brand the elf Cal'ain Cui'gnir at long last.
*signed*
Sir Vortimer

*Approves of this* 

[What is a 'holy spell' or 'chivalrous art' if it is not being cast by a holy man, a disciple, or a cleric?]

Grenadier Officer Cadet Drachen,

Firstly, I doth appreciate thy prescription of penance. Indeed the matter thou hath raised doth indeed require further exploration, which is why I hath initially spared the elf. I went into the Church archives and did more research. Some of the incantations I hath found art the following: Expor Flamus, Obsu Vulni, Consecrus Arma, Dispiro Malas, Divinum Furis, Forul Solum, Augus Luminos. I hath also included wood cuts that illuminate the divine properties of this magic below.

Indeed this magic is to be wielded for divine purposes, but I ask thee the following question. What is a 'holy spell' or 'chivalrous art' if it is not being cast by a holy man, a disciple, or a cleric?

1.) He carries a book of spells.
2.) He speaks incantations.
3.) He hath admitted he is not Avatarian.
4.) He wears leathers of an Arcanist.
5.) He carries highly suspicious bottles of brew, no matter what the reason.

Covians hath been branded for far less. The evidence is against him. Understand that I can not allow a wytch to go about Cove unsanctioned. The law is black and white and I shall not be contradicted, devout Avatarian lives are at stake.

In the name of our blessed saviour Avatar who ascended to save all Britannians from such wytchery,
Give him the 'A' or I shall give him death.

Carry on the will of the Lord.

*Signed Cordially*
Sir Vortimer

[he shall burn until his death]

Vortimer stormed into the preceptory. He roped his warhorse Eliduc up to the hitching post and climbed the ladder to the dormitory.

“Brother” he called to the brown robed monk in a stern but placid voice,

“I hath several letters that doth require inscribing.” And so Vortimer began to dictate to the monk as he sat at the desk, quill in hand.

“Address one to each of the following. Dear Members of the Covian Council, Officers of the Covian Army. Ah, and we shall need copies for Sir Hugo, and His Excellency Cornelius Rege.

Certes, 'twas an interesting night. Twould seem that a strange plague hath claimed the life of a recruit. He was a leper whose skin was rotting to the core and he could not go on living. Mercifully the guardsmen didst burn him. 'Pon entering the goblin to ensure the recruit was dead and had been given a blessed funeral rite I didst spy an elf who I hath been told is named 'Cal.' I asked him why he didst wear the armour of an Arcanist, to which he didst give no substantial response. Upon inspecting his belongings I found a blue potion which doth hath the ability to render a man 'invisible' so so I thought. Drachen didst confirm that is is explosive, and this elf is no grenadier. Therefore if he doth use explosives he is either an unsanctioned arcanist, or a violator of Covian law. Further he mentioned placing 'frogs' in my bed. All know that the frog is a familiar of wytches, and oft they doth turn Avatarian men and women into frogs.

I ordered the Guardsmen to seize him and bring him to the barracks for further questioning. Inside he revealed that he doth use the magic known commonly as 'chivalry' and proceeded to blaspheme and make libelous accusations about the Avatari church. I didst have half a mind to crush his face with my maul, but in my benevolence I hath spared this elf from the pyre for today. For if I burned him on the spot, I wouldst hath no evidence to hold all of these men responsible. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and he didst call to me and tell me that this matter should be a test of thy faith.

Until thou hath resolved this matter I submit to thee the following names for interrogation:

• Gabriel Drachen
• Leander Le Blanc
• Perrin Stonespear
• The elf 'Cal'

In the sketches and transcriptions I have provided, thou shalt see just how far damned this elf is and how he hath clearly incriminated himself numerous times.




Admitted wytches doth nay receive trials in Cove. Remember council members, I do this for thine own protection and nay out of vanity. We must protect Avatar's beloved Cove from the curse of wytchcraft.

Henceforth I declare:

If this HERETIC wytch-elf called 'Cal' is not branded and sanctioned by a member of the church or the army before the week hath commenced, he shall burn until his death.

Mayhap three hangings and one burning shall teach the army some respect. How dare a watchman question a knight and Father of The Church? Please respond promptly so that this is resolved amicably."

Avatarus Vult.

*Signed and Stamped with the Chapter Seal*

Sir Vortimer

[S]

Stats

Full Name: Sir Clement Vortimer of Altmere
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Offices Held: Templar Knight and Ordained Priest of Cove
Hair: Short sandy brown, clean shaven
Eyes: Blue
Race: Human/Britannian
Height: Over six feet
Build: Muscular and athletic
Age: 28
Speech: Archaic Britannian

A Brief History

    he fiery battle priest Sir Clement Vortimer of Altmere was born into a family that ruled a fiefdom in rural West Altmere before the great Border Wars. The Vortimers had a prominent family name and were land rich but had little in the way of actual money. Clement's mother died in childbirth. Vortimer’s ramshackle family castle in Altmere, the fief, and the vassals all were inherited by his older brother Charles Vortimer the Younger. As a second son he would receive nothing upon the death of his father. The horror of primogeniture left Clement Vortimer with two choices — become an outlaw or join The Church.

    At fourteen years old the Lord sent Clement a bodily sickness which he laid with for three months. On his deathbed he was visited by pain, shortness of breath, and failing life. He had blessed thoughts of sweet release from the nagging nurse and the hovering monk that presided over his sickbed. One night he saw the red blood running down from under his white linen sheet, hot and fresh, plenteously and lively. Light shone through the window and it reminded him of his dying and ascending Lord Avatar. In a dream vision he saw the ankh running with crimson. In his own blood he spied the painting of the sword-cross that glistened with the blood of the Father of Wytches. From then on he felt a great ‘loathesomeness’ to die. By Avatar’s Light he regained his health.

    On the first day of the fourth month, he could walk again and received his calling. That morning he informed his father he would go to Britain and join the Church. The decision was met with praise and he was given crust of bread, a couple of apples, and the elderly family pony to make his pilgrimage. Upon arrival at the Cathedral of Light in Britain he took all the rites of devotion to the Holy Avatarian Church.

    He served for one year as a stable boy in the preceptory of the Grand Master. At age fifteen he received his letter of transfer to the Empath Abbey along with missive that his father had died. His head was shaven to tonsure and he was given his brown monk robes. For two years he lived amongst the brothers in a cloistered life studying scripture in the Lord's tongue and refusing indulgence. Soon he was summoned back to Britain and made a Templar Squire.

    Meanwhile the Border Wars raged on in Altmere and Charles Vortimer the Younger would die under the tyranny of Yewish rule. The family’s feral gothic castle was knocked down and the mortar and stone was collected and transported for use in the militia; that included the cornerstone with the family surname 'Vortimer,' the coat of arms, and date. The then ‘Friar Vortimer’ was far away in the crusades, slaughtering the heathen and savages. In those foreign lands he would acquire (steal) several idols, relics, icons of saints, and illuminated manuscripts, for the Templar brotherhood. Some are on display in the Church, others are kept locked away in the gated preceptory’s archive and coffers.
  
    Upon returning from the crusades Vortimer was stationed in Cove under the watchful eye of the imperious Sir Hugo, descendant of Saint Keldor. He arrived with Inquisitor Altair De Nostra of the Yew court and Sister Mirja Voulle. After the long arduous trials of knighthood he eventually became a Templar initiate and was finally summoned to Britain again to be inducted as a full Templar and ordained as a priest. He then returned to Cove in shining plated mail. Having earned his spurs, his war horse, and his leaded black Teutonic cloak, the templar was greater and more imperious than ever before.

A Painting of Father Vortimer

The Chivalry of Sir Vortimer and His Steed Eliduc

Medium: egg yolk as a binding agent, mixed with colored pigments to create tempera paint on canvas

Traits and Current Appearances

Sir Vortimer can be seen regularly in various parts of Cove, most often in the Church or the preceptory, or patrolling the shire on his warhorse, Eliduc. Like Father Tameris Deacon, Vortimer has been known to sit in on Covian Council meetings when the Bishop of Cove or the Templar Preceptor is unable.

'I beg you to keep your body as clean as when our Lord sent you into knighthood, so that you can come before the grail as a spotless virgin without the stain of carnal pleasures.'
 — La Queste Del saint Graal

Vortimer is a chaste virgin knight who has always refused women, for he believes himself to be the perfect knight whose body and spirit are untouched by carnal desire. His armour is always polished to shine and his tabard is always kept alabaster white. His complexion is free of boils and blemishes and his hygiene and bathing trump that of the local peasantry and most Covian army guardsmen. Despite the outward stamp of his body he certainly has a blotch or two on his soul, though he certainly would not think so. He has been known to twist faith to serve his own purposes. Occasionally this will shine through his his long sermons during Sunday mass or in incidents where lives are lost whilst he 'defends the faith.' He actively engages in relic trade and simony and has false pardons and indulgences shipped from Britain which he will peddle to Covians in addition to the one tenth of their income they must give as tithe.

Some records tell how after his appointment to Cove he occupied himself in securing the restoration of the rights and properties of his church, the revenues and prestige of which, in his view, have been impaired under the rule of the Covian Council.

He also is known for establishing lavish and elaborate displays in which he is the center. It is rumored that, in exchange for pardon and prayer, he hired minstrels or ‘little servants’ on Church coin, to write tales of heroism of his brother knights in metrical romances. One such Chansen de Geste, or ‘song of great deed’ begins like this ‘When Sir Vortimer goeth forth to ship/ with him and his clergy and fellowship...’ In addition, he certainly expects the Covian laity to address him as ‘Father Vortimer’ or ‘Sir Vortimer’ and will not tolerate disrespect for the Church or its clergy.

Vortimer does not fear death and believes he will be martyred one day. He believes in Ars Moriendi or ‘The Art of Dying’ and frequently offers advice (macabre horrors) to Covians on the protocols and procedures of a good death, explaining how to ‘die well’ according to Avatarian precepts.

He is highly prejudice and heralds Britannians to be the fairest of all races. Like his brothers he detests magic, from behind his helm vigilant unblinking eyes ensure that everyone in Cove who practices magic is branded with an ‘A’ for Arcanist. If they are not branded he ensures they are burned at the stake until death. He once threw open the doors to the Goblin, grabbed an Arcanist by his neck and led him to the barracks where he shacked the poor recruit down before sinking a red hot coulter into the lad’s upper arm.

‘This epic book that is my life is begun by Higher Being’s gift and his grace, but it is not yet performed, as to my sight.’
— Sir Vortimer

His true element is on the battlefield. As a lad, before joining the order he slew a petty thief that tried to steal his father’s livestock. As the blood gushed from the man’s body and the cardinal juxtaposed itself with the white snow, he knew that he desired a knight’s life filled with slaughter. He was a skilled armsmaster long before he took his vows. Indeed, the only time he leaves Cove is when he is called to fight in a crusade. He frequently shouts Latinae to incite passion within the Covian troops. He is an active seeker of battle to prove his chivalric prowess and any breach of faith, in his view, is a just cause for war. Thus he is extremely loyal to Baron Octiovus von Richter due to his funding of the crusades.

What Sir Vortimer does however, he does entirely out of faith. He truly believes that he is keeping the people of Cove safe from the ‘cloven-hoofed devils’ that run wild in the Covian-shire, seeking to bring man into sin. He follows the virtues and is pious, devout, and on rare occasions benevolent; though it is often undercut by his upholding of the ‘black and white’ laws of Cove. He and his war hammer act unquestioningly according to the will and whims of Cornelius Rege, Bishop of Cove and The Church.

Public View

Though little is known about Sir Vortimer’s cloistered life by the laity (indeed most people have never even seen his face), like the other Templars he has gained a reputation. It is thus possible that the warlike legends which have gathered around the name of Vortimer are due to some confusion of his identity with that of his martial predecessor. It may, however, be entirely legendary, being rather the crystallization of earlier Templar legends than the source of later ones, and its popularity seems to date from the latter part of the current century. Nevertheless his reputation precedes him.

Most, if not all Covians are aware of the ‘virtuous’ and 'good' deeds of Sir Vortimer of Altmere.

† ‘My Idea of a night out on Cove-town? Why, attending an Avatarian morality play followed by an excess of feast in which I doth piously observe but unconditionally refuse to indulge in, certes.’ †

[Cleric Celebrant]

Cleric Celebrant
Sister Mirja Vuolle

Priest Concelebrant
Father Vortimer

The Congregation
Pheragas
Atrus
Jassi Cowin
Perrin
Leander Le Blanc
Cal'ain Cui'gnir

Our blessed holy Sister Mirja Vuolle gave a sermon, I doth believe she is a fine disciple. She lectured the Guardsmen on Saint Keldor, blessed be his name, and didst explain his blessed martyrdom and holy deeds. She made lucid his conversion of the Covian heathen. We doth know he didst come hither and shatter their idols, smote out their false pagan dieties. This hero knight rounded them up and taught them how to embrace the TRUE RELGION and to praise only His Holiness, Avatar. Throughout mass I didst ensure no one nodded off or did anything unmentionable in the house of the Lord. Then I didst collect tithe. Sister heard confessions and I didst baptize those who needed it.

Minutes before mass, the wytch Pheragas didst approach me and explain that he hath not yet received his brand but that he was in the army practicing magic. With baptism and a fiery brand, I didst sanction the wytch as an arcanist. His compliance shall save him from the pyre. Water and the 'A' shall cleanse his soul and allow him access to heaven. Though, verily, we must continue to watch him and ALL arcanists, lest they stray from the path of light and delve too deep into the evils of irredeemable wytchery and forbidden spells. As wytch hunter
Tom Rook once famously quoth “If thou hast nothing to hide...Thou hast nothing to fear.”

'Twas truly an inspiring and passionate mass, and I didst feel as though I was being drawn even closer to the Lord. With each passing week I am assured. Cove is not forgotten!

Let the clergy continue to carry on the will of our Lord and Saviour.

IN VIA VIRTUTI NULLA EST VIA

*Stamped with the Chapter Seal*
Sir Clement Vortimer of Altmere

[*Signed*]

Be it known that I hath branded a gory 'A' into the arm of Pheragas, sanctioning him as an Arcanist.

*Signed*
Sir Vortimer

[*Signed*]

By mine own hand I hath branded Artrus with an 'A' and sanctioned him as an arcanist.

*Signed*
Sir Vortimer

[Celebrants:]

Celebrants:
Father Clement Vortimer
Sister Mirja Vuolle

The Congregation:
Lucas Drachen
Railen Morana
Robin Quill
Elizabeth Martin
Sergio Jarret
Leander Le Blanc
Abigail Keres
Jhonas Adraldor

This Sundaye the bell in the Church tower didst toll and shortly thereafter the Guardsmen came to take a knee and pray to their saviour His Holiness Avatar. To my joy many guardsmen didst come hither this sabbath.

To demonstrate the benevolence of the Church I didst keep mass briefer than usual because I would again be bestowing Avatars blessing at the upcoming wedding. The Virtue discussed was “Humility” I hath noticed a certain furious pride amongst the Guardsmen recently, and that shall be stopped, for tis the Lords will that all men remain humble whilst living out their life in Sosaria regardless of fame or wealth; such hubris is intolerable and likely pagan. Fortunately for their sake they didst know well who the Archangel Stratos was, who I didst hail as a radiant beacon of the Virtue Humilitas.

I hath transcribed my sermon below:

“We shalt have a brief mass today, for thou shalt  recieve the Lord's blessing again at the wedding later. The theme of the sermon shall be HUMILITY. HUMILITY. What a wonderful virtue 'tis. In the Lord's tongue tis pronounced HUMILITAS HUMILITY is something the Guardsmen of Cove wouldst do well to learn. For tis the cardinal virtue of temperance. Doth the army hath HUMILITY? Or doth thee brag about thy prowess? Doth the efforts on self satisfaction or doth they pray silently and pray SINCERLY to our Lord and savior Avatar and when they KILL who doth pray for their soul? Pennance MUST be done! Killing must ONLY be done in His name. However, if there are many heathen, then let their blood be spilled all over Cove's portcullis, if need be. But keep the air of HUMILITAS about thee when doing Avatar's work. Verily, tis modesty, submission, reverence. NEVER being arrogant, rude, or full of CONTEMPT. A quality by which a person doth consider his own defects hath a humble opinion of himself and willingly doth submit himself to Higher Being. Stratos doth embody HUMILITY Stratos who is WHICH ARCHANGEL? Air. To be humble is to be like air. To make thyself invisible.
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING. To make thyself invisible with wytchery wouldst be a grave offense indeed. Stratos who doth giveth us the VERY AIR WE BREATH is humble. Avatar is the ultimate definition of HUMILITAS. For he didst extoll that virtue up til his aescention
and through his aescention. HE DID NOT REVILE WHEN HE SUFFERED, HE THREATENED NOT. Higher Being doth detest the proud, but giveth reward to the humble. So, I tell thee Covians, stay humble.
IT MISS EST.
Go forth to serve Avatar.”

Sister Vuolle collected the tithe and I concluded the mass with a group baptism to ensure that no one in Cove doth go unbaptized. I then performed the final rite and gave the sign of the ankh before I didst allow them to proceed to the parade.

SEMPER FIDELIS

*Signed and stamped with the chapter seal*
Sir Vortimer

Your Cardinal Eminence,

Herein doth follow a brief account of Cove's celebration of Avatar's ascension last sabbath.

On this past Sundaye I didst tug on the antique rope in the bell tower, ringing the Church's bells loudly throughout Cove. With each forceful pull I didst make a clang that rang in the Household, Cove proper, the shire, and all the way to Vesper to signify to the populous that 'twas to be mass anon.

Without delaye I didst deliver a sermon about a young Avatari martyr, Saint Ives whose short life ended at the talons of the wicked elves. The virtue discussed in mass that daye was the virtue of sacrifice, for a martyr doth make the ultimate sacrifice.



On parchment in the preceptory archives I hath recorded the names of the individuals and families who didst attend. A fair amount of Covians didst show faith, and for once no serious interruptions didst occur whilst I was at the pulpit. Certes, Sister Mirja Voulle silenced those who would dare speak out of turn and awoke those who sinned so greatly as to fall asleep during mass. Next Sundaye I shall be administering a penetential so that these chyldren may hath a new manner of reconciliation with Higher Being.

DEUS VULT
Aumen

[Commanding Templar]

Commanding Templar
I, Clement Vortimer, Templar Squire

Guardsmen in Attendance
Cal'ain Cui'gnir, Guardsman Recruit
Veronica Tillian, Guardsman Recruit

State super vias, et videte, et interogate de viis antiquis que sit via bona, et ambulate in ea; et invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, etc.

On this Saturday, I hadst been doing my usual patrol of Cove proper, and the Baronship Household. Earlier that day I hadst been paroling the increasingly corrupted shire, certes I hath prayed in excess to our savior Avatar. For, of late, our shire hath been filled with naked heathen savages, dancing about, performing wytchcraft and crafting gruesome shrines like the one I hath depicted below.

“Certes, by Saint Hugo!” I didst exclaim “things hath gone awry.” I knew something needed to be done forthwith.
I rallied together two guardsmen recruits to help me complete this lofty deep. Verily, Father, this cemetery doth need considerably more force in order to fully sooth the dead and make them whole again. Upon entrance to the tall wrought iron gate, already we couldst see zombies, skeletons, wraiths, and other unholy abominations unto Higher Being. We didst cleanse the cemetery of no less than three vile liches, staying in the area for some time and inspecting e'ery inch and quarter of the hallowed ground.

When all hadst been cleansed I marched them back to the barracks double time. Upon given them the sign of the ankh, and Avatar's blessing, I didst dismiss them and let them continue on in their more pedestrian army duties. Methinks the shire will need to force of many men and holy knights, if its fouled sanctity is to be restored.

I shall think upon this when I arrange things with Higher Being before I sleep tonight, Father.

I remain Thy humble servant.

IN VIA VIRTUTI NULLA EST VIA

*stamped with the chapter seal*
Friar Clement Vortimer, Templar Squire

[Let it be known henceforth throughout the land that I hath baptized the following individuals:]

Let it be known henceforth throughout the land that I hath baptized the following individuals:

Abigail Keres
Atrus
Cal'ain Cui'gnir
Elizabeth Martin
Jassi Cowin
Mirja Vuolle
Perrin
Pheragas
Railen Morana
Robin Quill
Sabina Jarrett
Torrak Keres
Veronica Tillian

*signed*
Sir Vortimer

[Preacher Celebrant:]

Brothers,

Let it be known henceforth that I hath conducted mass this Sundaye, the sabbath, and didst telle the faithful fewe that hath attended mass to come hither so that I might collect their tithes. I hath recorded the naymes of those in Cove present, and, more importantly, recorded the naymes of those who were veritably not present. Eke, I fear that the people of Cove hath strayed from the Light. Alack, we doth hath much work to do Brothers, lest Cove fall, as Guardian fell from the Heavens, into a state of Hellish moral corruption!

Preacher Celebrant:
Vortimer, Templar Squire

Priest Concelebrant:
Tameris Deacon, Chaplain

Among the Congregation
Railen Morana, Watchman
Keitaro Kazami, Junior Grenadier
Sergio Jarrett, Junior Scout
Leander Le Blanc, Junior Guardsman
Abigail Keres, Junior Arcanist

Below though shalt find a written account of mine sermon complete with copper etchings inked by the Church scriveners. The crux of mine sermon this week didst focus on individual suffering.

Ave, mine chyldren, bless’d be! Welcome to the celebration and worship of His Holiness, Avatar. Before we begin the sermon today I doth hath a few announcements. Firstly, wytchery of ANY sort shall no longer be tolerated in Cove. If thou hath questions of what doth constitute the foul practice of wytchery see me and I shall clarify it for thee. Please request a branding forthwith if thou art an Arcanist. This is the ONLY approved form of "conjouring." Second, tis imperative ev'ry citizen of Cove be baptized to ensure thou shalt be married unto His eternal kingdom. Now let us digress unto the reason we hath gathered here together today. To Celebrate Avatar. To Celebrate Avatar’s suffering. As Covians we experience suffering in our daily life. Losses. Deaths. We art subjected to theft, lust, vices of epic caliber. Yet, in His name we persevere through these sufferings. Should we be saddened, lamenting and mourning our current state when calamity befalls us? NO! NO INDEED. We should be greatful, and pray for further suffering. Ev'ry dead babe, every slain guardsman, ev'ry bout of plague. ‘Tis part of the natural cycle of Lithos, Archangel of “Earth" who Higher Being fashioned when He didst gaze upon His creation Sosaria, ensuring 'twas good. As a fig doth crumple when it ripens, as a wizened apple falls from a branch, so will Covians perish, and Covian babies die. 'Tis the way of things; from this we should SUFFER and suffer sincerely, but also CELEBRATE. For in our melancholy, pain, suffering and mis’ry, we LEARN INSIGHT about our savior, Avatar. Each blow thee receive is a reward. Each finger sliced off by an Orc or Drow is a Providence. And thou shouldst offer the severed digit up to Higher Being in humble reverence. If thy arm is sliced off on the battlefield, hold the bloody pulp to the heavens! AND REJOICE. DO NOT FEAR DEATH, BUT SEEK MARTYRDOM! Through our individual suffering we gain paramount INSIGHT AND EMPATHY toward Him. FEELING what our Lord and Savior Avatar experienced when he suffered and died so unmercifully at the demonic hand of the fallen Archangel Guardian. We are heirs with Avatar in the eternal kingdom, but ONLY if we suffer WITH Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Suffering must be embraced in order to obtain the glory Higher Being hath bestowed unto Avatar. However, LET ME MAKE ONE THING CLEAR AS CRYSTAL TO THEE! Agony, mis'ry, mourning, and suffering FOR Him is noble and necessary, BUT To e’er herald thy own suffering as EQUAL to that of Avatar would be a terrible sin. THE GREAT SIN OF PRESUMPTION. To presume thou hath a mind that knows the secrets of the DIVINE. Thou can ne’er know the TRUE extent of His sacrifice, nor e’er suffer as horribly as did THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. NE'ER PUT THYSELF ON A PEDESTAL BESIDE AVATAR, THE HOLY SPECTRE, OR HIGHER BEING! If thee were't to do such a thing, thou wouldst be damned to a fiery chasm in Hell. Where thee would rot and burn in a mixture of BOILING PUS AND BLOOD with Guardians daemons. In Hell, for PRESUMPTION thou wouldst be crushed with heavy clubs of iron. Then for thy 'golden tongue' that claimed to KNOW Avatar TOO well, thou wouldst be FORCED To clean the very BOWELS OF HELL, The floors of all the sinners and their METAPHORICAL AND PHYSICAL EXCREMENT. Forced to lick the damned's blashphemy and thine own, with thine own tongue. For eternity.

So please, my beloved chyldren, whom I love and protect. I pray thee remember this:
Only Avatar and his word on earth: THE HOLY CHURCH, who loves its chyldren so dearly,
are capable of thinking in the divine way and able to interpret His texts. For without us, there is no salvation, no consolation for thy suffering, no Heavens. Remember to suffer long, and suffer severely in honor of the Lord. AND REMEMBER THY PLACE IN SOCIETYE, CHYLDREN OF THE LIGHT! So it is written and so it shall be done! Go forth to complete Avatar's will and testament!
AUMEN!

*Signed*
Friar Vortimer