The Hand of [[Alor]] is a religious order of unparalleled power that controls much of Runera. Their [[Rise of the Hand|rise]] began with the exploration of the Godspire by the first Exarch Tirynthius and his Oracles, who heard within its depths the waning whispers of the [[gods]] themselves. After this, thousands flocked to the Godspire to hear their sermons, the first of which claimed: “But one Hand beareth the [[Alor|Allfather]], who hath but Five True Fingers; [[Sathrine]], [[Tohr]], [[Lothrir]], [[Endra]], and [[Xythr]].” Today, the Hand's power is nearly absolute. They hold the [[Northlands]], the [[Oenician Republics]], and [[Zhethranos]] under their sway, and enforce their rigid laws with the aid of the Templar order and the Vigilant Brotherhood. ## History The [[Rise of the Hand|Hand's rise to power]] coincided with that of Tirynthius, first called Oracle then Prophet and Exarch. It was he and his Five Oracles who first explored the accursed Godspire, bearing witness to the "whispers" of the [[gods]]. Thereafter, legions of hopeful supplicants flocked to the future site of Andaris to hear the sermons of the now-blinded Oracles and the newly anointed "Exarch." Tirynthius quickly established the Hand's military arm, the Holy Order of Templars, and commanded them to embark on their maiden voyage: the first Divine March. Through sword, torch, and fear, the [[Northlands]] were brought under the thumb of Tirynthius, and it was shortly after that the Vigilant Brothers first allied themselves with the Hand, pledging to aid in bringing order to a fractured world. It was also at this time that the sorcerers of the [[Conclave]] made their now infamous bargain with the Hand: demanding the [[Magic|magical]] subjugation of the Vigilants in return for "unlocking secrets of the Godspire." The Hand's Second Divine March perhaps proved its most grim: the Templars and Vigilants crusaded once more, this time to enslave the whole of the [[Northlands]]' [[Elves|elvish]] population. These new slaves were quickly set to work constructing roads, bridges, and temples, in an attempt to reunite the fractured [[Northlands]] and restore a modicum of [[Old Ildir]]'s vast power. Through further wars and politicking the Hand brought the [[Oenician Republics]], [[Zhethranos]], and [[Elgarde]] under its control, and embarked upon two subsequent Divine Marches targeting the [[Elves|elvish]] realms of [[Tir-an-Eýr]] and [[Tir Lhyrfél]] to bolster their legions of slaves. Eventually, however, the Hand was forced to emancipate its [[Elves|elvish]] slaves, facing mounting pressure from merchant guilds and noble houses. During the apocalypse of the [[Black Winter]], the Hand was gravely weakened. Not only did the hordes of Mournlings greatly diminish their numbers, but [[Wulfsige]] the Saint-Penitent and his Flagellants embarked upon a brutal campaign of annihilation, threatening an end to their very existence. However, with the coming of the Bright Lady, some of their power was restored. The Oracles instructed Her in the proper use of Her divine power, allowing for the destruction of some of the Black Wombs and putting an end to the [[Black Winter]]. The Hand took great advantage of this, proclaiming the Bright Lady (and by extension themselves) to be the true champion of the [[gods]] and savior of the world. ## Organization Towering atop the Hand's hierarchy is the Exarch. Chosen by the Oracles from among their own number upon the death of the previous Exarch, he is the most powerful man in all of the Hand, and perhaps Runera as well. All Oracles tear their eyes from their sockets when they first bear witness to the secrets of the Godspire, but the sole Oracle chosen to become Exarch is miraculously blessed with glorious golden eyes upon their ascension, another "secret of the [[gods]]" reserved only for the Hand's upper echelons. The Exarch serves always for life, delivering daily his sermons from atop the Godspire, echoed throughout Andaris and the realm beyond first by the Oracles and then the Sworn Sisters. Second to the Exarch are the Five Oracles. They too serve for life, and are chosen for service by the reigning Exarch from amongst the ranks of the Blessed Fathers: Pentarchs born with the [[Magic|Greater Gift]]. In practice any man born with divine power may be ascended to Oracle, but this has only been done a handful of times throughout history. The Oracles are the only men to ever be granted entry to the mysterious depths of the Godspire; some lose their minds in the process, never attaining their new positions, but even those that retain their wits either choose or are compelled to claw out their own eyes. They join the Exarch in delivering his sermons, repeating them to the gathered masses from atop the Five Fingers of Andar's Eye, and are sent across the [[Northlands]] and beyond to meet out the will of the Hand. The further ranks of the Hand are divided between two orders: the clergy and the Templars. ### The Clergy The clergy primarily consists of the countless priests and priestesses who tend to the faithful flocks of villages and hamlets throughout the lands of the Hand. Officially called Reverend Fathers and Mothers of the Faith, they make up the backbone of the order, delivering the sermons of the Five Prayers to the masses. Their task is a thankless one, as they are expected not only to offer spiritual guidance but also political leadership, education of children, and healing of the sick. Future Mothers and Fathers are often chosen from the local rabble by a reigning Reverend, and are sent to one of the Hand's many monasteries to study in the old runes of Ildir so they might rightly recant the Five Prayers. All future Reverends are required to offer the Sacrament of Blood before their local Pentarchs, draining a pint of blood into their personal grails before leaving them to the Silent Sisters for safe keeping. The monks who educate the Reverends are also crucial to the Hand's function. Called the Learned Brothers, they belong to countless orders, both great and small, dedicated to each of the five gods. They spend their days hunched over lecterns in scriptoriums, painstakingly reinscribing ancient Ildirian texts for preservation, and creating copies of the Five Prayers for distribution amongst the Reverends. Maintenance of the countless tomes of bureaucratic nonsense kept by the Hand also falls to the Learned, who keep diligent records of all local members, their histories, and their allegiances. Most infamous among these monastics are the Seekers of Transparence. An ancient order, they are often called the "mothmen" for the ragged ashen robes that serve as their uniform and the one-eyed moth that adorns their banner. The Seekers are monks in name, but in practice are more alike to scholars and barber-surgeons; they are plucked from temple orphanages as boys and taken to the Tower of the Moth to be educated in history, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, arcana, and many other subjects, all contained within its vast libraries. Whence their training is complete, they are each granted masks of Ildirian steel that they must use to cover their faces and conceal their identities for the remainder of their lives. The Hand then sends them to the courts of lords, burgraaf, patrizi, and countless other rulers to serve as advisors, tutors, and healers. While it is sacred law that all monks of the Hand be men, there are twin exceptions to this rule: the all-female orders of the Sworn Sisters and the Silent Sisters. Most widely known are the Sworn Sisters: they repeat to the masses the daily sermons given by the Exarch and the Oracles using ancient Vherentian throat singing. In honor of the Oracles whom they serve, they are required to carve out their own eyes, thereby becoming living and breathing mouthpieces of the Hand's scripture. They wander the countryside, visiting village upon village to recant the daily sermons -- though whence they are finally repeated to the rural rabble the sermons are often weeks if not months old. The Silent Sisters are a far more ill-known and perturbing order; from a young age they have their mouths sewn shut with rings of metal, ensuring their oaths of silence are unbreakable. Though their true purpose is unknown, they are fervent students of the Hand's scripture, spending countless hours pouring over the old runes. However, they are also infamous for their skill in martial arts, being able to dispatch a full-grown man in plate armor with only their bare hands. However, all members of the clergy ultimately answer to the Pentarchs, mighty bishops who preside over the grand Pentarums of towns and cities. They are chosen for their positions by the Oracles, and are also expected to serve for life. Pentarchs are grouped into councils of five, which each ruling over a Pentarchy consisting of thousands of followers living amongst villages, towns, and cities. The Pentarchs are tasked not only with leading their own flocks, but also keeping the other Pentarchs of their council honest, though this system of accountability rarely holds firm. ### The Templars The Holy Order of Templars is the tip of the Hand's spear, charged with carrying out its crusades and enforcing doctrine. The majority of its members are the rank and file Templars themselves, officially dubbed the Holy Defenders of the Prophet and His Temple. Any man of piety may become a Templar, though few who aspire to become a Holy Defender actually succeed in their quest. Aspirants must present themselves at the threshold of a Pentarum with nothing but the clothes upon their backs and a sword of steel or iron. They must then spend five days and nights without food, water, or sleep, guarding the temple's doors from heretics and evildoers to prove their devotion. Should they succeed, they are then accepted as a recruit in the Pentarum's cloister and must endure five years of grueling martial and spiritual training. Once this learning is complete, they are presented with their final trial: to hunt down a heretic, mutant, or other malcontent, and present them to the Pentarum for judgement. Upon completion, the recruit is finally granted their gleaming armor and weapons, before finally being named Templar. They are then stationed throughout the Hand's domain in legion positions: as wardens of temples and Pentarums, as guardians of Sworn Sisters wandering the countryside, as soldiers in castle garrisons protecting against encroaching darkness. In many ways, the life of a Templar is an easy one. The Hand provides them with vittles, lodging, and wages, while Templars busy themselves with "defending the Temple 'gainst the heretic, the mutant, and the daemon." Rarely, however, do these threats of death and darkness manifest, leaving the Templars to occupy themselves with other tasks, whether that be drinking, whoring, or abusing the vulnerable. Indeed, the Templars are ill-loved, for their crusades are just as often aimed at the enemies of the Hand as they are its very supplicants. Templars are organized into small companies called Vanguards, which are each led by a Highguard. These captains and lieutenants are chosen for duty by a reigning Vindicator and are often tasked with menial command. They themselves answer to the Vindicators, who lead large brigades called Covenants which are comprised of many Vanguards and often stretch over entire earldoms or baronies. The Vindicators and their many Covenants, however, are all commanded by the true rulers of the Templar Order: the Five Justiciars. Chosen for service from amongst the Vindicators by the Oracles themselves, the Justiciars are responsible for upholding the Templars' ancient traditions and furthering the Hand's demands. They serve for life, though they do not often fall in battle, having grown too fat or frail for their armor; instead they lead from behind wooden war tables, commanding their legions of Templars in their wars against the enemies of the gods. Though some of the Justiciars have been legendary warriors worthy of song and statues, many more have been tired old men whose fighting days are far behind them. ### The Ceraphs and the Censors The Hand names those born with the Greater Gift and brought into their fold the ceraphs. Ceraphs are discovered as pubescent children by the Silent Sisters, who roam from village to village in search of the maddened babbling and uncontrollable sorcery that typically herald the emergence of divine power. So long as a child has been granted the Greater Gift by one of the gods of the Hand, they are ferried far away from their home by the Sisters; if they have been Gifted by the Old Gods, however, the Sisters execute the child immediately. These children are then given to one of the many ceraphim orders of the Hand: brotherhoods and sisterhoods responsible for training and controlling those born with the Greater Gift. A ceraph is given to a ceraphim order of the same god by whom they were gifted; a child born with the power of Sathrine may become one of the Sisters of the Cat, or a child blessed by Xythr may join the Pallid Ushers. Regardless, the ceraphs are rigorously trained in meditation and prayer in order to control the Greater Gift, and are also indoctrinated into the theology of the Hand to ensure their obedience. While the particular rituals and traditions vary widely amongst the ceraphim orders, all ceraphs are sworn to celibacy, probity, and above all obedience to the Hand, never to raise their divine power against its servants. After their training is complete, ceraphs are stationed in varying positions: some serve as healers for a Pentarum, ### The Vigilant Brotherhood The Vigilant Brothers are an elite class of mutant warrior-monks, trained from childhood to be exceptionally lethal hunters. As children they are plucked from temple orphanages by wandering Vigilants, who then spirit them away to the ancient fortress of Blackenhall for gruelling training and horrific transformation. After being put through years-long instruction, they are subjected to mutations that not only enhance their strength and speed beyond that of a mortal man, but that also rob them of their humanity. Their skin turns translucent-white, they lose all hair, and they grow hideous third eyes upon their foreheads that allow them to detect the presence of monsters and magic. Most young boys do not survive this mutation process, and endure unimaginable pain for days or even weeks before finally being granted the gift of death. The black cloaks and leathers of the Vigilants have garnered them the moniker of "Crows" amongst the commonfolk, who just as often dread their arrival as pray for it. This is such because their purpose is twofold: to hunt down the many monsters that plague the land, and to aid in exterminating the worst of the heretic and the corrupted. Any Reverend may send word to Andaris requesting the aid of a Vigilant Brother to slay a monster harrying their flock, but most are gravely hesitant to do so, for the Vigilants possess a grim responsibility: the carrying out of "Cleansings." Whensoever a hamlet, village, or town is found to be corrupted in some way -- infiltrated by cultists, infected with lycanthropy, complicit in pagan worship -- the Vigilant Brothers are called upon to wipe out the entire populace, from the youngest babe to the eldest grandfather. Such Cleansings are rare, but not unheard of; nearly every earldom, barony, or duchy possesses the burnt-out ruins of a village that has been "pruned of wickedness." As such, the Vigilants are at once a part of the Hand's theocracy and strangely set apart from it; they are feared by the commonfolk for their massacres, mistrusted by the clergy and Templars for being mutants, but still greatly relied upon by the upper echelons for their unparalleled skill. The Vigilant Brotherhood predates the Hand by millennia, having been founded in the dark recesses of the ancient past by men whose names history has forgotten. What is known of their order prior to the [[Coalescence]] is limited: they are said to have been hunters of daemons, undead, and cultists who dared to call upon the Nightfather's hand. After their joining of the Hand, they were magically branded by the Conclave, ensuring their loyalty and preventing any rebellion against the coven of mages. It is these Marks of the Vigilant that allowed the Hand to force the responsibility of the Cleansings upon them; they would have otherwise not accepted such a horrific duty with which even the Templars preferred not to dirty their hands. These Marks ensure the Vigilants' obedience to this day, though their precise utility is known only by the mages of the Conclave who inflict them upon fledgling Brothers. Until the Black Winter, the Vigilants were simply mortal men made into weapons by brutal training, but during the apocalypse they became something more out of grim necessity. In the depths of Blackenhall the Brothers experimented with the Black Mourne, and eventually used the plague of undeath to create potent mutagens. Since then, all Vigilant Brothers have been made into mutants: cold and cunning creatures supposedly bereft of all emotion. ## Beliefs The Hand's beliefs are best epitomized by its holy book: the Five Prayers. Supposedly written by the Prophet Tirynthius himself with the aid of his Oracles, this tome is split into five sections, each containing a lengthy sermon in the Old Tongue and a detailed elucidation of a core belief. The First of the Prayers is the most infamous and foundational: "But one Hand dost thou beareth, 'O [[Alor|Allfather]], and but hath do you Five True Fingers; [[Sathrine]], [[Tohr]], [[Lothrir]], [[Endra]], and [[Xythr]]." ### First Prayer The First Prayer holds that the gods themselves whispered to the Prophet whilst he walked the Godspire's halls, telling him that the Old Gods, Alor's Left Hand, had betrayed him during his hour of greatest need and left him to be slain by the Black Prince Balcorion. As such the Hand believes that the Right Hand of Alor are the only gods worthy of reverence and worship; all others are heretical and treason against the Allfather. This prohibition of the Old Gods is fiercely enforced to this day, with the Hand wiping out any pagan cults who dare treat with the Betrayers. The First Prayer also recounts the many of evils of the Dark Lord Balcorion, his master the Nightfather, and the dark gods of his Black Hand, whose fell deeds stretch back countless millennia to the Making of the World. ### Second Prayer The Second Prayer runs thusly: "In Body and Spirit, ‘O Allfather, doth thy Children be greater thanne the Interloper: the Monster, the Mutant, the Malfeasant, who art born of sin and foul predilection." The Hand believes that all creatures born of the Coalescence and Chaos, including monsters, mutants, and others, are inherently inferior to Runera's original races, the so-called Children of Alor: men, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes. These non-native beings are referred to as "Interlopers," for the Hand believes it is their ultimate desire to conquer Runera and displace its inhabitants. This belief is enforced through strict religious laws of racial segregation, whereby sapient Interlopers (such as goblinoids, dragonmen, or others) are prohibited from sexual unions with the Children, barred from places of worship, and forbidden from joining either the clergy or the Templars. ### Third Prayer The Third Prayer reads: "By thy Song of Creation, 'O Allfather, did thou maketh the World, and by thy Hands did the World flourish, and it was good." This Prayer recounts the Hand's beliefs regarding the origins of our world, that in the depths of the timeless past it was Alor who sung Runera into being, along with his Left and Right Hands. The Hand holds that the gods created by Alor aided him in giving form to Runera, intending our world to be a pure and beautiful realm free from misery. However, the Nightfather stole Alor's Heart, and used it to create gods of his own, the Black Hand, who infused nascent Runera with evil, darkness, and suffering. Thankfully, Alor managed to reclaim his Heart and banish the Nightfather and his Black Hand to the Void for all eternity, though Runera was irrevocably corrupted by his evil. Such is the Hand's core belief: we inhabit a broken, flawed world that we must strive to better with piety and virtue. ### Fourth Prayer The Fourth Prayer tells us that: "Blessed art we, 'O Allfather, survivors of this Silence, and so honor thy shall we with lives of virtue, purity, and piety." It is this section that details the Hand's prescription for a life well-lived: one of modesty, obedience, and conformity. Marriage and the rearing of children is greatly emphasized; men are ordained as the heads of their households, while their wives and children are made subservient. Women are said to be inherently inferior to men, whose frail souls are destined only for the birthing bed. "Sexual deviances" are reviled as aberrations and distractions from the "blessed propagation" of new children into the world. Charity is held high, with tithes to the Hand and giving to one's own community praised as "acts of holiness most pure." The virtues held by all of Alor's Right Hand are also espoused in poems, parables, and allegories: the love of Sathrine, the reason of Lothrir, the strength of Tohr, the tenacity of Endra, and the tranquility of Xythr. The feastdays of these gods are also commanded to be celebrated with great reverence, while weekly temple prayer every Aldir is said to be mandatory, and daily prayer at dawn and dusk essential. Finally, being a "leal subject of the holy kingdom" is placed above all; obeying the word of the Reverends, the Templars, the Pentarchs, the Oracles, and the Exarch himself is one's ultimate duty on this dying earth. If one is to follow these tenets, the Hand claims, then upon their death their soul will be ferried by Xythr to the Bones of Alor, returned forevermore to the warmth of his light and love. Those who have sinned, however, and not sought repentance will find themselves thrown from Xythr's ferry and lost to Stryth, the River of Souls. Thereafter, their souls will be claimed by the Nightfather and his Black Hand, taken to realms of unfathomable nightmare where they will be tormented for all eternity. ### Fifth Prayer The Fifth Prayer begins so: "Thy Bones yet giveth light to our World, 'O Allfather, and guard shall we 'gainst the coming of darkness and rime, the Last Winter of this World." This final prayer provides a grim evaluation of the state of Runera, and a grimmer yet premonition of what is to come. The Hand believes that when Alor perished from the Heavens his Bones remained, which to this day provide our world with light and life aplenty. It is these Bones that the Oracles claim to see with their blinded eyes and from which the Chosen of Alor draw their power. Alor's Bones shall not keep alight our world forever, however; in many millennia's time, the last light of our world shall finally flicker away, and the Last Winter will dawn. This apocalyptic centuries-long winter heralds the end to our world, and a final confrontation between the forces of light and shadow. The Hand holds that during this great war a new Child of Prophecy will rise and take up Brightsong to slay the Nightfather himself, once and for all. After this apocalypse is ended, the world as we know it will cease to exist, but in its place will be reborn a realm of pure light and peace, as Alor originally envisioned. The Hand of course claims that the souls of those faithful to their doctrine will be given a place in this new world, while those tarnished by sin and malice will be forever-lost to the Void and its many horrors. It is this apocalyptic vision that allows the Hand to hold sway over legions of followers; after all, the fate of their very souls lie in the balance.