Order of the Shining Beacon

I have trouble dealing with these so-called holy men. They keep hoarding all the Radiance to themselves when everyone else needs it. - Rotor Pilot

Structure

Emissary of the Beacon : They are the head of the order and are said to be able to speak to the Great Beacon and deliver its command to their followers. Their will is absolute, and they are considered the purest of the order.
Absolvers of Purity: Those who achieve this status are Purifiers with years of experience and are given the role of leadership under their local enclave. Ensuring its members do not stray from their path to salvation and that the order's will is maintained.
Purifiers: The priesthood of the order that spread the order's teachings and carry out cleansings of all corruption in the area they travel to.
Enlighten: Those initiated into the order were raised in its teaching and served as acting assistants to the higher-ranking members.

Culture

Social Dynamics

Our path shall save all worthy when the day comes, and we shall find salvation from the evil that seeks to consume us. Through the guidance of the Great Beacon, our eyes have become open to the truth that purity and devotion are the only way to keep us on the righteous path. Only we can save as many as possible from the corruption plaguing this world. Our struggle may be great, but we shall endure no matter the cost or the trials that may stand before us on our path to true peace. None shall stop us and those that stand in our way shall know the true mean of retribution by the power of the blind light.

Influence

The order gained a following in the Radiarch of Ondelenia and filled the hole that Dawn Keepers had left after their disbandment. Many seek guidance from them and want salvation from the never-ending struggle that they find themselves in. It has allowed them to gain some power in the Congregation of the Spark and have some say in it. That and their inventive ways to better use Radiance with machinery to battle the dark creatures of this world have ensured that they have a place in Ondelnia. But they have little power and trouble spreading it anywhere beyond the country.

Public Agenda

To seek enlightenment through the powers of Radiance and the Beacon's guidance.

Assets

Large stockpile of Radiance: Over the years, they have gained a large amount of radiation that they use for their purposes and to power their machinery. Though no one is certain how much of the order has been acquired over the years, it is believed that it could last centuries based on how much they buy monthly.
Advanced Radiance Machinery: Their weaponry and protection technology allow them to combat the dangers of The Gloom and many of its servants. The machinists, who are part of the order and work tirelessly to achieve their final goal, make all of this.
Enclaves: The order's member makes their homes in enclaves where they have built their shrines to the Great Beacon and to guide all who are willing to listen to their teachings. Many of them are scattered across the land that can be found in the larger settlements where they can find more people to convert, with very few of them being around smaller ones.

History

Breakaway Group

When the order first appeared, they were a part of the clergy of the Congregation of the Eternal Spark. However, many would leave the congregation due to the teachings of Emeran Vertugo, an Illumine Priest who claimed that he saw visions of a great light that told the pathway to salvation. This great light would be called the Great Beacon and would slowly gain a following over the years. But after the Duskfall, they gain a larger following as they sought a way to escape the never-ending conflict of The Gloom and desire for destruction. Eventually, once they left, they would station themselves in the Radiarchy of Ondelenia and begin spreading their teachings to the masses. They would be widely accepted due to their promises of salvation and freedom from the dark creatures that plagued them. Though the congregation may find some of their views heretical, their willingness to obey them as long as they maintain some autonomy has allowed them to avoid any problems with them. However, their numbers would be limited, so they would not become a problem later. But their plans have been left uninterrupted in their quest for salvation.

Radiance Hoarders

Over the decades, the order has constantly acquired as much Radiance as it can for unknown purposes. All they say is that the power of the light will bring them one step closer to salvation. This has led to conflicts with the order because Radiance is a critical energy source powering most Ondelenia machinery. Despite being allowed to purchase it, others in their daily lives need it, leading to resentment by those who do not follow the order's teachings. However, they often make up for it by aiding in the clashes with Darken and Gloomlings that appear in its regions with more sophisticated weaponry powered by Radiance. Though no one knows how they have created such weapons, many have begun to notice that the order has experimented with the Radiance they have required to develop new machinery and tools that are more advanced than most modern-day ones, with the conclusion that the order is trying to find a way to end the threat of the dark forces permanently with the gift of the dawn.

Purity Obsession

No matter how anyone looks at the order, one thing is sure: they are obsessed with Radiance to the point of madness. It is understandable why it is necessary, seeing how essential it is for survival and cultural influence. But some of their beliefs can be questionable at times with the ideas the Dawn Sparked are some form of higher being due to their ability to harness Radiance. Along with the belief that those who allow their emotions to control them should be placed into a Calming to ensure they are not corrupted and turned into a spawn of the dark. This even leads to conflict with local cultures, members of the congregation, and all things foreign and otherworldly to them due to them not aligning with their beliefs, leading to uncomfortable situations with them. This has also led to them taking in many orphaned children that they deem uncorrupted and raised under the order's teachings. While most see this as an act of kindness, most often wonder what they are indeed up to when they are behind closed doors with them.

Divine Origins

The order's beliefs originated from Emeran Vertugo, a self-proclaimed servant of the Great Beacon, a being of light who was said to come from beyond the stars. This being claimed that it had the answer to saving the worthy from the wicked things that plagued the world, and all who followed it would reach salvation if they were devoted and pure enough to be considered worthy. It was after they became independent that they would expand on their teachings.

Ethics

All must reject the corruptions of evil that The Gloom casts onto the world and never succumb to them. Both emotions and thoughts must only go into the Great Beacon, for it is the only power that can save them. All that fall from the light shall be cleansed within the holy light and purged from them to return to the righteous path.

Worship

It is often done through rituals that are supposed to purify one's body and mind from the corruption of the Gloom. All the while, they kneel and resight sermons until the ritual is done. They also pray over a shrine dedicated to the Great Beacon infused with Radiance, often having a hand over their heart as a sign of purity.

Priesthood

The Purifiers are the priesthood that makes up the order. They are given status once they are deemed worthy by the Great Beacon for their purity and dedication to the order. They are often adorned with a mixture of religious robes fused with their technology, which allows them to use Radiance at will.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The order does not have much sway across the continent; it has only managed to maintain a solid grip in the Radiarchy of Ondelenia. It has gained a following with some of the masses and gained areas to have set up their places of worship to carry out their faith.

Blissed Are We That Shine

Founding Date

13 A.D

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Alternative Names

Shiners, Purifiers

Demonym

Beconites

Leader

Emeran Vertugo

Founders

• Emeran Vertugo

Deities

• Great Beacon

Divines

• Great Beacon

Controlled Territories

• Grand Beacon Enclave

Related Species

• Emberan

Related Ethnicities

• Ondelenian

Builders of Light

by Jester%

It is the will of the Beacon that we use all of the gifts that we use all of the gifts that have been granted to us in this world to enable us to reach our salvation - Beacon Machinist

Another exciting part of the order is their ability to create machinery using Radiation-based technology. Ondelenia is at the forefront of this technology as they have found ways to improve designs and new ways of using it. While they do not openly share it with the public, they still use it where it is needed, most when fighting Gloomspawn that pop-up. However, many wonder how they have achieved such an astounding rate in their short existence.

Combating the Tainted

All tainted must be purged to guide the pure on the proper path. - Purifier

Since their creation, the order has been fighting any signs of the Gloom in regions where they have their enclaves. Their skills in the arts of combat and their technology have allowed them to gain an edge on many Gloomspawns they have encountered. But they have also been hunting those harboring the corruption that has yet to be turned. This causes them to go on large hunts to find anyone who shows signs of it. If they do, they often try to purify them before turning with Radiance. Repeat cases are taken away to be purified to ensure they cannot be tainted again, but not everyone comes back the same, and some do not come back at all. Those that do differ from what they were before, with some becoming followers of the order and others lacking emotions. This makes some believe they are being re-educated or going through calming, a controversial method of removing emotions.

Tenets of Faith

Salvation comes to those who remain pure in a corrupted world by darkness.
All that is tainted must be cleansed and reborn in the guiding light of the Beacon.
Only the Great Beacon shall deliver us from all tainted and twisted.
All be free of the weakness that they harbor within themselves.
All shall give thanks to the blessings that the holy light that shall save us.
All shall bow and revere all those blessed by the Great Beacon and light that they wield.