There are various ranks in the Battle Clerics of Arnath. The highest rank is called a Griffin, followed by the Eagles and finally the Lions. Traditionally members start as Lion and work their way up through the ranks. Each rank requires a different skillset and challenges a cleric. Some find their home in a certain rank and do not move from there, or move back to there.
Each of the ranks has a head, referred to as the Master of that rank. They are responsible for the training and upkeep of their members. One does not become a Master by playing politics; it is experience that decides who is the Master.
It is customary for members of each rank to spend time in another rank, that they might understand the hardships their brothers and sisters face. Some choose to change the path of their commitment should they find their calling is closer to that of another of the rank.
The Lions: Crusaders
“We follow the Lion because someone must. There will be times when the words of the Griffins fall on deaf ears, when the guile of the Eagles is not enough. When Evil is on the move, the Lions march.
Countless servants of darkness have seen their plans for conquest smashed by our maces and spent against our shields. If not for us the Griffins would be mouldering bones in their libraries and labs and the Eagles would have nowhere to call home.” – Commander Cullen, last speach to recruits before Massacre at Helmsgnacht
The Lions are the military arm of the Order, made up of those new to the path, focusing on Honor and Fury. Traditionally they have been armed as heavy infantry with huge tower shields; the terrain of the Orders traditional home makes cavalry unwieldy, and the Eagles fill the need for light infantry and archers.
The first step on the path, the Griffin Officers that lead the Lions often have a hard time tempering the new recruits inner fury and teaching the ways of honor. Getting them to realize that they are not invincible also has tried many an instructor’s patience to the breaking point.
However, once the many months of training, study and discipline take hold, the Lions have proven time and time again to be very difficult to remove from a position, and on the attack they make fearsome shock troops. A line of charging Lions giving into their inner Fury has broken more than one army on Faedrun.
The Lions are often referred to as Crusaders due to their many fights against the undead. Slightly more numerous, these clerics are still hardened veterans. A Lion will normally only be dispatched if reports of something especially unusual are confirmed, for their combat prowess is more often needed patrolling the land for signs of evil. The typical Lion is a heavily-armored and highly skilled combatant, for their training is harsh, with a prospective Lion forced to train for days in their armor beneath the grueling sun. Lions are ostensibly the lowest-ranked members of the Order – all recruits start out as Lions until their superiors believe them capable of handling the guile of the Eagles or the knowledge of the Griffins. Do not let that fool you, however – Lions are well-trained, and frequently receive weapon and armor of far-higher quality than most have seen.
The Rising proved that even the most effective troops can be swamped, and the Lions were almost completely destroyed in the fighting. Though it has been said that those that died took many thousands of dead with them, and allowed thousands more to live, the defeat is undeniable.
New World
One of the few bright spots in the exodus to Mardrun is that the Order has been overwhelmed with fresh recruits. Many of the Northern refugee ships had at least one person on board telling stories during the voyage of a thin red line holding back the dead. Some blame the Light for failing them, and see in Arnath a return to the strength of the Old ways. Whatever the reasons, the Lions are rebuilding their strength very quickly, and have begun to expand the Order’s reach from Starkhaven. The Order will not be so easily overwhelmed again.
His Eyes: The Eagles
“We follow the Eagle because it finds its home in the wild places. We are the ones that learn of the challenges the Order faces before they march to our gates. We pass the word to the Griffins so they can decide what must be done. We pass the word to the Lions so they don their arms and armor and face down the threat. We allow the Order to function at its best. Not to mention that without us the Griffins would be lose themselves in their books, and the Lions would be chasing their own tails forever.” – Sergeant Dumat, New Posting: Black Water Peak, Worlds End Mts.
The Eagles are the eyes and ears of the Order, teaching its members of Honor and Wisdom. Being responsible for the Order’s information gathering and news make
s being a tight knit and well-oiled group crucial to the Order’s success: a challenge that the Eagles face with gusto every day. Outside of the Griffins it is not known how many threats have been stopped in their infancy by the watchful eyes and well-aimed arrow of an Eagle, but one thing is certain: in the North, an Eagle rarely pays for their own drinks.
In addition, the Eagles provide much needed support to the Order. Unlike their Lion brethren, Eagles are taught to fight at range with spear, bow, and javelin. In addition, they are more flexible, able to skirmish through the forests as well as stand in the shield wall. Finally, they bring other skills the Order needs: medical service, armor and shield repair, and even arts of subterfuge.
Being second on the Path, young Lions have quite the transition from Heavy Infantry to skirmisher and spy, but their Fury must be tempered before they are lost to it. The Eagles also pound home that Honor is not just found on the battlefield, although getting young and impetuous Lions to understand this can be difficult.
The Eagles have traditionally had excellent relations with whatever organizations in the surrounding nations fulfill the same role as them, often sharing snippets of information. This proved crucial before the Siege of Highever when Vandregon Rangers brought word of an approaching undead attack to the fortress, giving the Lion garrison crucial time to prepare the defenses. Highever was eventually overrun, but not before giving thousands in the surrounding countryside time to flee.
New World
The Eagles took the fewest casualties during the War, and have been crucial to the Orders continued survival on Mardrun. Their policy of sharing relevant intelligence with all has also gone a long way to improving the Orders relations with the Light, and gathering allies in New Hope. They are currently turning most of their assets towards the Mordok. This new enemy, while not as pervasive a threat as the undead, could easily overwhelm Newhope if they ever united, and the Eagles are working hard to ensure such a threat never materializes.
His Mind: The Griffins
“Without the Griffins’ knowledge, the Eagles would be forever lost, and the Lions would be rent and broken at the Gates. By our efforts the wars and challenges of our past may never be forgotten, and so we are better armed to face the future.” – First Seneschal Martek, Starkhaven Fortress
The Griffins focus on rounding out knowledge of the path of Arnath, focusing on all its steps. They have been the scholarly, diplomatic and command arm of the Order since the Three. Scribe, investigator, alchemist, tactician and diplomat all, the Griffins have perhaps the most varied, and some would say most delicate, duties of all the Orders.
They are also the last Order on the Path, ensuring that only those experienced in the ways of the world guide the Order’s future. During times of open war, Griffins are chosen to be field commanders for the Eagles and Lions, to see that the younger Brothers benefit from their breadth of experience. They worked closely with the Vandregon army in the war against the undead.
They are also the least numerous of the Order – it takes many years to train a Griffin in all the lore and knowledge necessary for their duties. Should the Order need to mass their ranks in diplomacy or politics, it is the Griffins who are sent. Chapter Masters are drawn from the ranks of Griffins
During the years of peace running up to the exodus for Mardrun, the Griffins were also the most prominent branch of the Order, vocally calling on the Arch Lector of the Light to respect the Old Faiths of Faedrun. Their efforts had been met with silence until the Rising, and they turned all their skill and lore to forging alliances and finding weapons against the undead. They failed.
New World
The Griffins have only recently been re-established in the Order’s new Fortress-Monastery at Starkhaven, and are even now working to rebuild the Archives. Lore and knowledge of any kind can fetch a price from the Griffins, particularly anything pertaining to the undead. The Griffins have not forgotten their failure during the War; an answer must be found.
His Leaders: Chapter Master
“Look to the Chapter Master. He will show us the way.” Brother Amaldus, Lion of Arnath’s Fist after landing on Mardrun for the first time.
The Chapter Masters of the Order of Arnath are his leaders in the world. They oversee their brethren, taking care of their mental, physical, and spiritual health. Most often they are promoted from the ranks of the Griffins as they have proven the necessary skills. However sometimes a prodigious Lion or Eagle will be elevated.
The Chapter Master is the final authority in the Chapter outside of Hand of Arnath. Each Head of the ranks of the Chapter (Lion, Eagle, Griffin) report to him. Chapter Masters may keep their own council, or have a council of Griffins, or even a mixed council. It depends on both the Chapter and the Chapter Master. In addition he leads any forces of the Lay Order assigned to the Chapter.
New World
On Faedrun there were dozens of Chapters. Some were large and others smaller, more focused. The Chapter of the Fist, most recognized on Mardrun, was a smaller chapter focused on military might and a distrust of outsiders. Realizing that the Chapter’s might on Faedrun would be easily spent against the Undead, the Chapter Master eagerly took his Chapter to Mardrun to carve out a foothold for the Order. The plan was to establish a new base with new resources far from the Undead, and supply arms and materials back to Faedrun.
Unfortunately, that never happened. The subsequent conflict with the Ulven delayed the creation of the stronghold Starkhaven, and it was never finished before the end of the war. Gathering the remnants of other chapters together, the Fist exerted their influence over the whole Order. Their conflicts with the New Hope nobility as well as being engaged in the Ulven Civil War drained their forces more. The Order looked to be a spent force on Mardrun.
However, a forward thinking Griffin managed to gather enough support to found a new chapter. The Chapter of the Light,which had a more soft hand approach, advocated for engaging the colonists and the Ulven. The Hand agreed and decided to leave the fate of the Order to fate and faith.
His Voice:The Hand of Arnath
The Hand of Aranth is the leader of the Order of Arnath and all of its members, both Ecclesiastical and Lay. In the Order, the Hands word is law. The Hand of Arnath are picked not only for their knowledge and deeds, but also their ability to wield influence both internally and externally. It is the Hand’s duty to lead the Order in the World.
When a Hand passes, the Griffins of the Order are summoned to the Order Headquarters. This Conclave is headed by the senior most Griffin of the Order. That Griffin is consider the Order Chamberlin, and will lead both the voting process for a new Hand, and the Order as a whole until a new Hand is chosen. The Order Chamberlin has 120 days to conduct the votes and elect a new Hand. If not, they are relieved of position and the next senior Griffin is given the job.
Once the Conclave assembles, the Griffins discuss in strict secrecy likely candidates and their merits. Griffins are not the only eligible; any ordained Order Cleric can be elected the Hand. However, tradition dictates it will be a Griffin.
During the Conclave, Griffins reside within the Holy Mount and are not permitted any contact with the outside world. Once the Conclave has begun, the Griffins eat, vote and sleep within closed-off areas until a new pope has been chosen. The process is designed to prevent any of the details of the voting emerging, either during or after the Conclave. The threat of excommunication hangs over anyone tempted to break this silence. To be elected Hand, it requires a two-thirds majority, meaning the person elected is likely to be a compromise candidate.
Secret votes being held four times daily. The Griffins have the option of holding a single ballot on the afternoon of the first day. From the second day, two ballots are held in the morning and two in the afternoon. After all the votes have been cast, the papers are mixed, counted and opened. After they are counted. The ballot papers are then burned – black smoke indicates there is no choice while white smoke means a new Hand has been chosen. Damp straw is added to the stove to turn the smoke black.
After a Hand is chosen, they are presented in the ceremonial robes and breastplate to the gathered Ecclesiastical and Lay Order.
New World
After the Chapter Master fell on Faedrun defending the last ships, the Order spent many months trying to determine a new Hand. The Fist wanted their Chapter Master raised; however, the remaining members of the Order were wary of the Fist, well aware of their demeanor. Finally, the new Hand was chosen from among the Griffins. His name is Alexandros Makedon, the former Chapter Master of the now extinct Arnath’s Exemplars. His fierceness as a Lion and a champion of right was well known to the Fist while his ability to collaborate with other nations during the Fall made him an appealing choice to the rest. He know has the unenviable job of balancing the factions in the Order while trying to rebuild.