The Sisterhood of Perun
Divine Origins
The origins of the Sisterhood came after the great war against the Vikingir, where many villages were left without defense due to the amount of people that died during the war. Many of the widows of the men who fought in the battle would form makeshift militias, where they would use small monasteries as a base of operation for convenience and defense. The largest one was a small building dedicated to the Rustil god, Perun, in north eastern Rusilvaynia. There a revelation would happen, when a large grouping of strange demon creatures would invade the building, and when all seemed lost as these only slightly trained widows were pushed into the last room they could defend, a great and terrible thunderstorm would spawn inside the room, and at the center a large hurricane of wind and light would form and strike the women with divine energies. Once hit with the energies, the women fell upon the demons like a blood thirsty tide, and would utterly annihilate and banish them back to hell.
Since then the women have called themselves the Sisterhood of Perun, and would seek to uphold not just the martial traditions of their patron god, but also the moralistic ideals of him, for Perun is more then just war and storms, he is fertility and one with the trees as well. This sisterhood has been given special blessing form the current leader of the Rustil region, one Tsarina Yurnayeva Khristina Vitalievna, the honor of serving directly under the Ice Court, which is the organization the Ice Witches of Rustil belong too. This way they take orders only from the holy maidens of another god, for Perun and Melania are popularly describes as lovers.
Tenets of Faith
- Uphold the honor of Perun, learn to fight and to always maintain the heart of a warrior
- Never back down from the demon, or the unholy, for Perun demands action
- Do not lose yourself in war, temper this violent nature with the arts, and of family, for a warrior must have something to temper their rage
- Uphold the laws of society, for they separate man from beast
Worship
Worship is strict, with prayer overseen at regularly scheduled times at morning, and evening, with a minor prayer spoken during the afternoon.
Priesthood
Only women are allowed into the sisterhood, and specifically, widows whos husbands have died form either war or the myriad of other ways Rustil can kill a man. When a woman joins the order, she must travel out of town in a pure black veil and cloak, and her close family and friends will typically mourn for her as she leaves, for once someone joins the order it is extremely rare for any of them to return to their old way of life. Once they arrive at the monastery of Perun, they will be stripped of their name and possessions, and be given a new name and begin training as novitiates. From there they will train to become the fearsome battle sisters of the order, with the highest ranking members being the Mistresses of Thunder.. When one becomes a full battle sister they stand before the great storm at the center of the building, and prostrate themselves before the raging hurricane. If they are worthy, they will be struck by lightning, and should they survive, they are now a true warrior of the sisterhood. Sometimes novitiates are sent out into the world to gain combat training that way, but are forbidden, unless under dire circumstances, to return to their place of birth, for they have long given up their old life.
Granted Divine Powers
Perun grants the sisterhood the powers of storms, and general martial prowess, with some favoring the mastery of arms, while others the usage of divine battle spells.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Sisterhood of Perun serves under the Ice Court, and as such are granted a level of autonomy most other holy orders do not have. However this does lead them to sometimes butt heads with the ever individualistic and boisterous Cossacks of the snowy plains, who are also given a level of autonomy in return for military service. However these disputes and arguments never go past minor duels or fierce but uneventful debate. The sisters are allowed to travel the entire land of Ustaria unimpeded, however this does cause tension in the regions where the Church of the Flame are the enforced religion, for the Bolsilvans and Raskovians view these sisters as worshipping false, pagan gods, and so fierce argument is had over if they should as well pay the religious tax the two regions have instated.
"Roar like the bear! Strike like a storm! Shout his name, Perun!!!!!" - a typical warcry for the sisterhood
Type
Religious, Holy Order