The Dreadnought

(a.k.a. The Black Lord, The Iron General)

The brother of The Savage, Like his brother, he enjoys competition and combat.
Despite the darker side of The Dreadnought’s faith, his worship is widespread and common throughout Caelestra. It is not unusual to see a Dreadnought temple located prominently in a town or city. Dreadnought priests walk the streets without fear of persecution or attack.
Although The Dreadnought teachings are often brutal, the Black Lord nonetheless represents something alluring to mortals, especially those drawn to power, violence, bloodshed, and conquest. The Dreadnought’s dominion includes a fundamental mortal emotion – ambition. Those searching for power or in pursuit of their destiny are drawn to The Dreadnought’s creed, and become his worshipers.

Divine Domains

Main Domain: Destruction, War
Other Domains: Chaos, Strength, Glory

Holy Books & Codes

The Iron Codex is considered the primary book of The Dreadnought's laws and teachings. Unlike similar works from other faiths, The Iron Codex focuses primarily on the use of strategy and tactics, both in warfare and beyond.

The Reneskria Scrolls, although not considered holy, are widely accepted as having been inspired by The Dreadnought's teachings and practices. Penned by the famous warrior, Reneskria, the scrolls provide plentiful examples for the “true” warrior to follow on the path to conquest, glory, victory, and fame.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The Dreadnought is a god with a strong belief in omens and signs of his pleasure or displeasure. He reveals his will in many different ways, often related to combat or warfare. Possible signs of The Dreadnought’s displeasure include: a weapon turns to rust regardless of how well its owner cares for it, old war wounds throb with pain or reopen, or a weapon breaks at a critical moment in battle.
The Dreadnought also commonly reveals his pleasure, typically in similar signs: spilled blood spontaneously forms The Dreadnought’s symbol, an enemy displays sudden cowardice or agitation, or everything in a battle seems to go your way.

Tenets of Faith

Fear is a two-edged sword. 
It is acceptable to experience fear, but it is a sin to let fear dictate your actions. All soldiers feel fear, but only cowards surrender to its siren call. More importantly, however, Dreadnought teaches his followers to use fear as a weapon, wielding it with skill and accuracy. Fear is a fundamental mortal emotion – all creatures experience it, whether they admit to it or not. The canny warrior or general conquers his fear while at the same time exploiting the fear of his enemies. Following this tenet, most Dreadnought-worshiping leaders and commanders rule, to some extent, through fear. They teach their men to fear them more than they fear the enemy.
Law and order are sacrosanct. 
The rule of law must command all actions and consequences. There is no room for mercy, exceptions to the rule, or leniency. When an individual disobeys an order or the law, he must receive a strict and swift punishment. If you must disobey an order or break the law, you must succeed in your goal or face the deserved punishment for failure.
Victory is only achieved through strength. 
The majority of the beliefs of the Dreadnought faith revolve around combat, tactics, and strategies. His clerics apply these lessons to all aspects of their life, both violent and non-violent. A Dreadnought approaches every problem as if it were an adversary to be defeated (and, if possible, humiliated).
Soldiers throughout Caelestra have adopted The Dreadnought’s tenets. Regardless of what people may think of The Dreadnought’s tendencies, the Iron General’s teachings have proven invaluable over time.
Victory proves worth. 
If you conquer someone and take their land and treasure, you have proven your superiority and your right to those possessions. Success is the final arbiter of “right” and “wrong.” Nothing demonstrates better that you were right than winning a battle or overcoming an opponent.
If you fail, you have only proven your weakness for all to see, and you deserve your final fate. In The Dreadnought’s view, there are no prizes for second place or runner-up. Mercy is a weakness to be exploited, not encouraged.

Divine Classification

Deity

Religions

• The Dreadnoughts

Church/Cult

The Dreadnoughts