Children of Crimson

Hiding in isolation away from the views of the world around them, the Children of Crimson practice ritualistic magics in the name of their deity, Indryth. Said to be reincarnated as The Crimson, Indryth now travels from body to body of those born under the Red Star. Her bidding is unquestionable and those who defy her or break their oath of servitude are swiftly eradicated so that their souls may return to the cycle of reincarnation.

History

In the 101^st Year of the Godless, Indryth was said to have been reborn as a mortal in a vessel known as The Crimson, this vessel brought hope to a small group of people that were proclaimed to be their "children". She explained to them all the finality of the soul and that there were limits to how much their essence could endure. She convinced the people by performing miraculous feats that gave hope to an otherwise hopeless culture. Divine magics had all but vanished, and her power proved their edicts. Since then, the Children of Crimson have struggled to gain momentum with their drastic practices and view on the aging soul.

Structure

Demographics

Given the short life span of the professed "soul", there are very few beings that live naturally prolonged lives that join the Children of Crimson. A vast majority of their people are humans and other humanoids that live relatively short lives. People over the age of 30 that do not perform the Rite of Rebirth are said to be selfish and uncaring to those that would share their soul in the future.

Art By: Guilherme Batista

Ranks

• Neophyte. A new follower of Indryth.
• Epigone. An artist or philosopher of the Crimson faith.
• Acolyte. A preacher of Crimson faith. They must devote life and limb to the ways of Indryth. Upon convincing a non-believer to give their life to the goddess, they may ascend to the rank of Disciple.
• Disciple. The highest of followers who have proven themselves to be zealous and unwavering in their beliefs.
• The Crimson. The reincarnation of the first Crimson and an avatar of her Sovereign Indryth.

Assets

The Children of Crimson live humble lives, believing material possessions of wealth without immediate benefit to be selfish and encouraging people to live lives beyond that of their edict. As such, they adorn simple robes and undergarments, all carrying a kris dagger or other weapon they are proficient in. An Amulet known as Second Chances is passed down from Crimson to Crimson and is carried by the top and most trusted Disciple in times of the Crimson's reincarnation. Given the properties of the amulet, it is forbidden for any other being to harness its power.

Crimson Guide Us...

Art By: Kaizavair

Founding Date

The 21^st Day of Celebis
in the 101^st Year of the Godless

Type

Religious, Cult

Leader

Adriak

Leader Title

The Crimson

Deities

• Indryth

Divines

• Adriak
• Indryth

Related Ranks & Titles

• The Crimson

Notable Members

• Indryth

Related Historical Events

• 2101
  Formation of the Children of Crimson

Religious Beliefs

Mythology & Lore

There is a belief that the multiverse has a finite amount of souls on Oryth and each soul has a predetermined length of time that it can live. Upon a person's death, the soul is retrieved by Indryth and placed into the body of a newborn child. The Children of Crimson believe that the longer the soul remains in the body of an individual, the weaker it becomes. The way to combat this is to sacrifice oneself to the Red Star on the 30^th year of life in order to keep the soul vibrant and young. There is one eternal soul known as "The Crimson" who transcends this time and shall spend their lifetime shepherding their flock to prosperity. This child will be born on the Night of the Red Star, a time where Obis is not visible in the night's sky, and Indryth is fully visible by the naked eye.

Divine Origins

Before the Children of Crimson, came into fruition, Indryth was a lesser deity of Oryth's Pantheon. She was a neutral force that generally stayed out of the grievances of the other gods, not even participating in the Divine Wars. Their purview was Death; Not of the body, but the soul. After the gods fell to The Ascended, Indryth willingly gave her power, losing her divinity. After the Ascended disappeared from the Pantheon and the multiverse altogether, She dubbed themself The Crimson and quickly amassed a following, using the belief of her followers to regain a portion of her power.

Tenets of Faith

• Find the Crimson and Keep them Holy. This tenet implies that once the current Crimson reaches the end of their life that Children must seek the new one. Until the Rites of Remembrance are performed, the Crimson will not recall their past life and must be persuaded by any means necessary to take the Rites so that they can lead the Children once more.
• In Times of Despair, the Crimson will Guide Us. Granted power by the Goddess Indryth, the Crimson will have the power and edict to lead their people through the darkest of times.
• Death is Salvation and Freedom of the Flesh. Death of the flesh is but one phase in the cycle of life. All things must return to the earth and anything that prolongs a life path their age of maturity is deemed to be imprisoning their very souls. Creatures of Undeath are considered blasphemies of this tenet and should be dispatched with due haste.
• To Die Old is to Rebirth Weak. Upon the 30^th year of life, a person is charged with taking their own life so that their soul may be returned to the cosmos and placed into a new body where its strength will be at its fullest, sharing their soul with its new vessel to give the newborn the best chance at life.
• Look to the Red Star and Beckon its Power. Come the night of the Red Star should the Crimson be alive, the Children will give life and soul so that Indryth shall be reborn and once again walk among the Planes.

Art By: Wizards of the Coast

Worship

Worship of the Red Star is typically done on clear nights when the starlit sky is visible. On Days where Indryth can be seen by the naked eye are considered holy times for the Children of Crimson and when rituals are typically performed. Indryth is visible at various times throughout the year as a small red flickering light in the heavens. Upon reaching their 30th year of life, a follower will commit ritualistic suicide with any other followers who have reached the same age. The others will circle the follower in prayer and praise their contribution to their goddess and cause. The Crimson is said to be born when the Red Star is vibrantly lit in the night's sky when the moon is in the old, shining no light of its own.

Priesthood

Clergy of Indryth are those who have managed to bring others to their cause, convincing them of their soul's fleeting time. Those who are able to bring more into the fold with their voice are raised to the rank of Acolyte. These devout worshipers are granted with an Obinite kris dagger to replace their previous ritual dagger and are to lead sermons, continuing to spread the faith of Indryth.

Granted Divine Powers

Only the truly devout are bestowed power from their deity which typically comes into two forms, Divine and Arcane. The Divine worshippers swear themselves to one of the domains that the Goddess Indryth has purview over. These domains are the Grave, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Twilight, and Trickery. Others swear a deeper pact-like fascination with the goddess being bestowed eldritch prowess over the very fabric of reality itself.