The Absolvers

Forgive this one whom hath fallen into sin and whose heart throbs with grief. I regard them as more deserving of absolution than I am. Deign me to pursue the path that thou took and consume the failings of this soul - to compose their sins mine own so that they may be free from guilt.
-Translation of the prayer of cleansing used by the Absolvers

The Absolvers is an order of priests who take on the sins of others so that the indicted may be pure. They pursue the teachings of Lekkas, the god of sin that died to satiate a quarrel between the gods. He shared the secrets of a ritual that can spiritually consume the sins of another. As a result, the invoker carries the sins of all that they have absolved. Sin is viewed as a disease in the holy city of Azmina within Shiminore - where the Absolvers are based. Their order is a cure to the blight that is sin, but simultaneously they are the carriers of this disease. Therefore, those who join the Absolvers are typically outcasts, undesirables and those of lower status, since they are more fit for the role of being sinful. Religious orders in Azmina may commend the Absolvers as on order for their penance, but it is unheard of for anyone to respect an individual from the order. They are commonly shunned or outcast, as holier orders may wish for the Absolvers to remain in the gutter where they belong and collect society's sins.

Duties

The Absolvers have any array of contemptible duties in order to manage the sins of both the living and the dead. For the living, they pursue absolution for crimes or help release people from guilt, even if it is undeserved. For the dead, they arrogate the sins of the deceased so that they may be blessed in the afterlife as an exemplar of purity. For the wretched with the blackest of hearts, Absolvers are tasked to cast curses that reflect the sinner's crimes, so that they may be reminding of their actions. The curses are strictly controlled by the leaders of the aristocracy and clergy to ensure that power is not abused. Additionally the Absolvers may be sent to tombs or the locations of abnormal hauntings to appease the undead in order to usher them into the afterlife. Lastly, the Absolvers are tasked with the ultimate prevention of sin - to commit immoral acts in others' stead. If morally ambiguous or ugly situations arise, an Absolver can be trusted to take control and receive the burden of the outcome for themselves. An Absolver is therefore taught to take one's burdens, but not their ambitions.

The Slave Knights

A subset of the Absolvers is the Slave Knights. They are not part of the higher order, or trained in any regard to handle sins, but instead they fight in a holy army to repay their own debts or crimes. The order is composed of prisoners facing execution, debtors, and various undesirables of society. Many of their ranks include goliaths, since they are a race that is typically viewed as unclean to the most religious of Shiminorans. The Slave Knights are typically untrained soldiers used as fodder for wars. The conscripted may be sentenced to serve for a period of time to remedy their crimes or may be enlisted for their entire life. It is almost unheard of for anyone to join the army voluntarily, due to the poor rate of survival for the average knight. But some skilled fighters who wish to encompass themselves in the front lines of battle and revel in the blood of their enemies are thrilled to join the ranks of the Slave Knights.

History

The order of the Absolvers was founded in Azmina around 641 P.C., during the city's reconstruction. As Azmina was being restored to its former glory, some scattered archaic ruins were periodically uncovered below the city. A wood elf, named Aralee Amastacia, uncovered a section of the debris and discovered a passageway. According to legend, this route opened up into an unreasonable sight - a breathtaking expanse of broken cavernous features and fallen monoliths of architecture, that all floated within an endless, cloudy sky. Within this region of sky and earth, later named the Awakening Expanse, Aralee witnessed a vision. She saw a scene from an antediluvian era, when the god of sin, Lekkas, was killed as a sacrifice after the death of Mitra, the mother of all gods. This act of wholehearted sacrifice moved her, and she sought to teach others of how one could give themselves up in order to better the lives of everyone else. Upon waking from the vision, Aralee discovered writings of an ancient order that venerated Lekkas. This is when she discovered the prayer of cleansing - which is the foundation of the Absolvers' core ritual. After emerging from the subterranean expanse, Aralee immediately withdrew from others in order to commune with the gods. After her isolation, she began to search for the Awakening Expanse, but the tunnels appeared to have disappeared without a trace. Despite this, Avalee proclaimed what she saw and rallied a group of followers. She founded the Absolvers so that others may remain holy before the gods. And they continue to consume the sins of others to this day.

The sigil of the Absolvers. It was designed by Aralee Amastacia, the founder of the Absolvers. After discovering the prayer of cleansing, Aralee retired to her quarters to commune with the gods. After much prayer, she drew this symbol. In later writings, Aralee explained that the symbol represents mortals' burden of sin and desire to be pure so they may be tolerated in the presence of the gods.

The sigil of the Slave Knights - a skull being run through with a dagger. The crude insignia was formed as a brand that could be used to mark cloaks, tunics, or other miscellaneous clothing of the unfortunate souls within their ranks.