The Dominion of Aurelthar

The Dominion of Aurelthar is more than a nation—it is a beacon in the darkness, a living testament to the Sovereign Flame’s will. Where other lands crumble under doubt, corruption, and discord, Aurelthar stands unshaken, its people united under a single, sacred truth.

To live in Aurelthar is to be given purpose. There is no chaos, no uncertainty—only the guiding light of faith, illuminating the path of righteousness. Here, every man, woman, and child knows their place, their duty, and their destiny. Doubt is not freedom—it is a sickness, a shadow that would lead the soul into ruin. The Clerical Hierarchy does not rule through fear, but through vigilance, ensuring that no soul is left to stray, lost to heresy or the cold void beyond the Flame’s embrace.

Those outside Aurelthar call it harsh. They do not understand. To serve the Flame is to be saved. It is not oppression—it is devotion. It is not tyranny—it is certainty. Those who live within its light are the chosen, the purified, the righteous. And those who stand beyond it? They are but embers waiting to be kindled… or extinguished.

Structure

The Dominion of Aurelthar is a vast theocratic empire, its rule driven by an uncompromising doctrine known as The Radiant Creed. Within its borders, there is no distinction between state and faith—all power flows from the Sovereign Flame, the one true divine force, whose will must be executed without question. The empire is infamous for its zealotry, intolerance, and ruthless enforcement of doctrinal purity, ensuring that no deviation from the Creed goes unpunished.

The High Inquisitor: Supreme Authority

At the pinnacle of Aurelthar’s hierarchy stands the High Inquisitor, the supreme religious and political authority. He is not merely a ruler—he is the earthly vessel of the Sovereign Flame, the divine will made manifest. His edicts carry the weight of scripture, enforced without mercy or exception.

• Disobedience is sacrilege—to question the High Inquisitor is to question the Sovereign Flame itself.
• Absolute loyalty is demanded—every decree is a sacred command, every word a test of faith.
• Purity through obedience—those who falter are purged, for weakness invites divine retribution.

The High Inquisitor’s rule is not hereditary, nor is it determined through conventional succession. Instead, the previous High Inquisitor’s dying words, prophetic visions, or "divine revelation" dictate the next ruler. This process, however, is often manipulated by the most ambitious zealots, leading to power struggles veiled in divine justification.

The Clerical Hierarchy: Enforcers of the Faith

Beneath the High Inquisitor, a rigid and unyielding religious order governs every aspect of public and private life. The Clerical Hierarchy is structured as follows:

The Inquisitorial Order – The Will of the Flame

• Composed of Inquisitors, Executors, and Purifiers, this faction serves as the eyes, ears, and executioners of Aurelthar’s doctrine.
• Their mission is to hunt heretics, interrogate the faithless, and root out corruption within both the clergy and the populace.
• Public trials and purges are common, serving as grim reminders of the cost of disobedience.

The Flamebound Clerics – The Voice of Doctrine

• These priests and scholars interpret the Radiant Creed, ensuring that every law, custom, and social expectation aligns with divine will.
• They control education, literature, and historical records, purging any knowledge deemed heretical or dangerous.
• Within their ranks, only the most fanatical may rise, as even the slightest theological deviation is considered an act of treachery.

The Radiant Creed: Fear as Doctrine

At the heart of Aurelthar lies The Radiant Creed, a doctrine of absolute devotion, fear, and submission. Every citizen is indoctrinated from birth, taught that:

• Every thought, action, and misstep is judged by the Sovereign Flame.
• Doubt is a disease—only unquestioning faith brings salvation.
• Personal failings invite divine wrath, both in this life and the next.

This ensures that fear becomes the foundation of loyalty. The threat of eternal damnation, public disgrace, or purging by the Inquisitorial Order is a constant force in daily life. There are no second chances—only unwavering obedience or annihilation.

Culture

Life in Aurelthar is defined by absolute religious adherence, rigid social hierarchy, and omnipresent fear. Every aspect of existence is dictated by the Radiant Creed, ensuring that obedience is internalized and deviation is unthinkable.

Dogmatic Devotion

Aurelthari society is built upon unceasing ritual and public demonstration of faith. Daily prayers, processions, and acts of atonement are not merely expressions of devotion but tools of cognitive reinforcement. Every citizen is conditioned from birth to believe that their only purpose is to serve the Sovereign Flame—and that failure to do so invites divine wrath.

• Mandatory public rituals—morning prayers, midday invocations, and evening confessions—reprogram the mind through repetition, eliminating independent thought.
• Public declarations of faith are expected, and failure to participate enthusiastically is viewed as a sign of heretical doubt.
• The architecture of the empire itself reinforces submission, with towering cathedrals, ever-burning braziers, and statues of the High Inquisitor reminding all that they exist only at the mercy of the faith.

Over time, these repetitive and performative acts create a population that does not simply obey out of fear, but out of conditioned instinct.

Social Stratification

Aurelthar enforces a rigid caste system, where divine favor determines status, and purity dictates worth. Society is sharply divided, ensuring that power remains in the hands of the ruling elite, while the common populace exists in perpetual fear of falling from grace.

• The Clerical Elite – High-ranking clerics and inquisitors rule with unchecked authority, enjoying wealth, luxury, and absolute power over their domains. They are seen as chosen by divine right, beyond reproach.
• The Pious Citizenry – Commoners live under constant scrutiny, knowing that even the smallest misstep could mark them as impure. Public displays of devotion, self-denial, and sacrifice are required to maintain favor.
• The Tainted – Those accused of heresy, doubt, or impurity face swift and brutal consequences. Whether through public trial, forced penance, or execution, their suffering serves as a warning to others.

This stratification is self-perpetuating, as the fear of being marked as impure ensures that the population polices itself.

Public Displays and Punishments

Public trials, executions, and acts of penance are woven into the fabric of society, both as religious observance and as a method of social control. These ritualized punishments serve to:

• Reinforce absolute authority – Those who defy the Creed are not merely punished—they are erased in spectacles of fire and suffering.
• Encourage collective paranoia – Neighbors, family members, and even children are incentivized to report suspicion of heresy to avoid guilt by association.
• Normalize violence and submission – The most devout followers publicly celebrate the punishment of the faithless, glorifying martyrdom and sacrifice.

Heresy is not merely disbelief—it is any deviation from expectation. Failure to attend public prayers, hesitation before an invocation, or even a poorly chosen word can result in interrogation, exile, or death.

The Radiant Creed

The true power of Aurelthar’s society lies in the all-encompassing indoctrination of its people. From infancy, citizens are taught that personal failure invites divine retribution. This belief is enforced through:

• Education controlled by the clergy, ensuring that no knowledge exists outside the sanctioned doctrine.
• The elimination of alternative viewpoints—heretical texts, foreign influences, and even personal interpretations of the Creed are eradicated.
• The weaponization of collective guilt—individuals must confess their sins and doubts publicly, reinforcing submission and eliminating internal resistance.

To doubt is to invite damnation. To disobey is to invite destruction.

Gender Roles

Aurelthar enforces absolute patriarchy, where men hold all power and women exist only as extensions of their fathers or husbands.

• Men are the divine heads of household, law, and faith, the sole wielders of authority.
• Women and children are property, their fates dictated by the whims of their male guardians.
• Marriage is transactional, with women given as rewards for loyalty or alliances.
• A woman's role is to obey, breed, and serve, her worth measured only by her usefulness to her male owner.

Deviation from this structure is considered heretical—women who act beyond their station face ritual punishment or death.

The Role of Slavery

Slavery in Aurelthar is not simply an economic system—it is an extension of divine order. The status of a person dictates their level of autonomy:

• Adult human males may enter indentured servitude, though with strict limitations, offering temporary service in exchange for repayment of debts or penance for minor offenses.
• Human women and children are absolute property, to be bought, sold, or discarded at the discretion of their fathers, husbands, or owners.
• Non-humans are considered soulless beasts, treated as little more than livestock—they may be hunted, slaughtered, or worked to death without consequence.

This system is justified by the Radiant Creed, which teaches that slavery is the natural consequence of impurity. Those born outside the faith are born outside salvation—and thus, are fit only to serve those who walk in the light.

History

The Age of the Prophet (738–741 CE)

• 738 CE – Aurenos Sanctos, the Wandering Teacher
• Aurenos begins his ministry, preaching the doctrine of purification through fire.
• He gains followers among the outcast and downtrodden, emphasizing that suffering is a test of faith.
• 741 CE – The Martyrdom of Aurenos Sanctos
• Declared a heretic and radical, Aurenos is captured and burned alive.
• His final words become the foundation of what will later be The Radiant Creed.
• His followers scatter, carrying his message into the shadows.

The Rise of Doctrine (762–950 CE)

• 762 CE – Sorenos the Prophet Codifies the Creed
• Sorenos, one of Aurenos' most devoted disciples, codifies his teachings, shaping them into a structured religious doctrine.
• He establishes rituals, prayers, and tenets, shifting the faith from scattered followers to a unified creed.
• 770 CE – The Cult of the Flame Expands
• The Cult of the Flame grows into a large itinerant movement, traveling across Shaewrend to spread their doctrine.
• At this stage, the movement is still nonviolent, focused on conversion and preaching.

The War of the Flame (950–1124 CE)

• 950 CE – The War of the Flame Begins
• The Cult has grown zealous and militant, seeing resistance to the faith as a rejection of salvation.
• Fanatical sects emerge, igniting violent clashes in settlements across Shaewrend.
• Religious uprisings lead to open conflict as rulers attempt to suppress the growing threat.
• 1023 CE – The War Escalates
• Cult leaders begin seizing entire settlements, declaring them "Purified Cities" under the Sovereign Flame.
• The first military orders are formed, transforming the faith into an organized war machine.
• 1071 CE – The Schism of the Unworthy
• The faith experiences internal conflict, as some reject extreme militarization, while others push for complete theocratic rule.
• The more moderate factions are purged, ensuring that only the most radical warriors remain.

The Founding of Aurelthar (1124–1130 CE)

• 1124 CE – The Founding of Aurelthar
• After decades of conquest, the followers of the Flame seize control of a vast territory, declaring it Aurelthar.
• The first High Inquisitor is anointed, claiming to be the earthly vessel of the Sovereign Flame.
• The military and clergy merge, forming the foundation of theocratic rule.
• 1130 CE – The War of the Flame Becomes the Great Crusade
• No longer just a regional war, Aurelthar declares a crusade against all non-believers.
• The Sanctified Legions are formed, leading holy wars across Shaewrend.
• The Order of Purity is established, ensuring internal ideological control over the growing empire.

The Dominion of Aurelthar (1130–1741 CE)

• 1204 CE – The First Cleansing
• Entire cities are burned to the ground for resisting the faith.
• The doctrine of "Faith through Fire" is fully embraced—conversion is no longer optional within Aurelthar’s expanding borders.
• The Inquisitorial Order solidifies its role in purging dissenters, ensuring ideological purity within the Dominion.
• 1387 CE – Expansion Beyond Shaewrend
• Direct military conquest slows as opposition to Aurelthar's expansion becomes more entrenched.
• Instead, the Dominion shifts tactics, sending missionaries and diplomats to foreign lands under the guise of peaceful relations and trade agreements.
• Aurelthar begins establishing footholds in neighboring regions through cultural infiltration, economic influence, and ideological soft power.
• Orelithia, known for its open trade policies, is targeted for peaceful engagement, with Aurelthari merchants and scholars forming seemingly benevolent ties with its institutions.
• 1512 CE – Codification of Absolute Clerical Rule
• The High Inquisitor’s authority becomes unchallenged, with even military commanders subordinate to religious decree.
• Theocratic absolutism is fully realized—all aspects of law, governance, and war are dictated by clerical doctrine.
• The doctrine shifts from territorial conquest to global purification, solidifying an unending state of holy war—a war waged both on battlefields and in the minds of the unconverted.
• Foreign outreach intensifies, as missionary cells, economic manipulation, and cultural subversion become key strategies for gaining influence in rival nations.

The Present Day (1741 CE)

• Aurelthar stands as a dominant theocracy, controlling vast territories through faith and fire.
• The Great Crusade continues, with armies marching into foreign lands, spreading their faith by the sword.
• The Inquisition remains ever-watchful, ensuring no impurity festers within the Dominion.

The Radiant Creed is stronger than ever, its power unchallenged within the Dominion’s borders. To live in Aurelthar is to exist in devotion or perish in the flames.

Military

The military arm of the Dominion is not merely an army—it is an instrument of divine will, a force of fanatic warriors sworn to holy war. To the soldiers of Aurelthar, battle is not just warfare; it is judgment, and their mission is nothing less than the purification of the world.

Their tactics reflect zealous devotion, employing scorched-earth warfare, ritual purification, and mass executions to cleanse entire regions of heretical influences. Those who submit are absorbed into the fold, while those who resist are erased, their lands and bodies fed to the sacred pyres.

Leadership Structure

The High Inquisitor – Supreme Commander of Faith and War

• The absolute authority over both state and military, representing the divine will of the Sovereign Flame.
• Every order of war, conquest, and retribution originates from his decree.
• His word is law, and to defy him is to defy the Flame itself.

The Order of Purity

• A paramilitary force answering directly to the High Inquisitor, composed of elite templars responsible for internal security and ideological purity.
• They act as interrogators, executioners, and enforcers, ensuring that no corruption festers within the legions.
• Their presence on and off the battlefield ensures that even among warriors, faith is never questioned.

The Sanctified Legions – The Sword of the Sovereign Flame

The Sanctified Legions serve as Aurelthar’s primary military force, positioned along the empire’s borders in a perpetual state of holy expansion. Each legion is charged not only with defending the Dominion but also with spreading its reach through conquest and forced conversion.

Each legion is a self-sustaining military-theocratic entity, structured as follows:

Grand Master

• Head of the knightly order within each legion, commanding strategy, war doctrine, and battlefield execution.
• Ensures that conquests align with divine will and that purification is carried out without hesitation.

Knightly Order

• Elite heavy cavalry, warriors who have taken monastic vows and devoted themselves to holy war.
• Their charges are devastating, breaking enemy lines with unstoppable force, wielding lance, sword, and fire.
• Considered the most devout, their faith is absolute, and death in battle is seen as ascension to divine service.

Clerical Order

• Responsible for the logistics, taxation, and administration of conquered lands.
• Ensures that the spoils of war—both material and human—are properly distributed to fuel the Dominion’s continued expansion.
• Oversees tithes, land seizures, and the forced labour of the conquered.

Sisterly Order

• A monastic order within each legion, responsible for healing, support, and morale.
• Trained in divine magic, battlefield medicine, and psychological indoctrination, ensuring that wounded soldiers return to battle swiftly and with renewed zeal.
• Also tasked with ritual purification of prisoners, including forced conversion or execution by sacred flame.

Legionaries – The Unworthy Redeemed

• The rank-and-file foot soldiers, often conscripted from conquered populations.
• Considered spiritually impure, they are forced into servitude, given the chance to redeem themselves through war and bloodshed.
• Should they survive enough campaigns and prove their devotion, some may earn full citizenship, though most die long before that point.

The Doctrine of Conquest: Spreading the Flame

Unlike conventional armies that fight for territory or wealth, the Sanctified Legions march for divine purification. Their conquests are not mere military campaigns—they are holy wars, designed to eradicate all who reject the Sovereign Flame.

1. First Contact – Demands of Submission
2. Before battle, enemy forces are given one opportunity to submit and accept the Radiant Creed.
3. Those who surrender willingly are absorbed into the Dominion, their leaders brought before the Inquisition for re-education or execution.
4. Holy War – Cleansing the Faithless
5. If resistance is met, scorched-earth tactics are employed—farms are burned, cities are razed, and entire populations are purged.
6. Those deemed useful are enslaved and conscripted; the rest are sacrificed in the fires of purification.
7. Integration – Faith Through Fire
8. Conquered lands are restructured under clerical rule, their people indoctrinated into the Creed.
9. Survivors are divided into two categories: those who can be redeemed through labour and military service, and those deemed too impure to live.

The Ever-Burning War Machine

The military of Aurelthar is relentless, fueled by fanatic devotion and an unshakable belief in holy conquest. Every soldier marches with the knowledge that their war is just, that their victories are divine decree, and that their enemies exist only to be converted or destroyed.

To fight against the Sanctified Legions is to fight against the will of the Sovereign Flame itself—and to stand in their way is to be consumed by holy fire.

Fanterath    Lands of Fanterath    Shaewrend      The Dominion of Aurelthar

Subsidiary Organizations

• Church of Radiance

Related Species

• Human