Apostolic Memorial

When an Apostle of the Redoubt dies, their ceremonial blade and helmet are collected and taken to a set of caverns in southeastern Voliqua. The apostle's blade is transfixed to the ground by one of the caverns' keepers, and the helmet is placed over the hilt of the blade. No further maintenance is performed to sustain the totem-like monument. It is believed by the Cult of the Redoubt that the longer it takes to collapse, the more virtuous and honorable the apostle it represents. This tradition has been practiced for hundreds of years, and the ancient weapons and armor of apostles from centuries ago can still be found strewn about the caves.

History

At the end of Valenor's First Great War, Voliquar dictator Shurata Klaen was hunted down and killed by the Apostles of the Redoubt in a forest near Jhangen, but as he was slain, he in turn killed the First Domine of the Cult of the Redoubt, Cailienezonn Tazral. Tazral's subordinates transfixed his sword to the ground and placed his helmet atop it in memoriam of the final battle of the First Great War.
For several decades after this event, the location of Klaen's and Tazral's deaths was unknown, but the monument was eventually discovered, still standing, by a group of children exploring the forest. The Cult of the Redoubt quickly claimed the site due to religious significance. It was eventually deemed a protected historical site by the Planetary Historical Preservation Society, making the area an international zone and enclave of Voliqua. Several arduous legal battles ensued as the COTR claimed religious sovereignty over the site. Eventually, it was decided that the cult could claim a section of the territory, a series of caves in the western section, but the area surrounding Tazral's monument was to remain neutral.
In the following years, it became tradition to create monuments similar to Tazral's within the caves, and it eventually became a fully integrated ritual within the Cult of the Redoubt. The belief that the virtue of a deceased apostle can be measured by the length of time for which their monument stands arose due to the fact that the monument built for Tazral, one of the most revered First Domines in COTR history, never collapsed, not during the several decades for which its whereabouts were unknown and not since it was discovered. For this reason, Tazral was effectively canonized.

Participants

In order to ensure the monuments are properly secured, the blades and helmets are placed by the specially-trained keepers of the caverns. These keepers rigorously train for years, perfecting their ability to place the swords within the ground at depths proportional to the integrity of the soil they are placed in. Because of this practice, there are very few known cases of sabotage in determining the honor and virtuosity of a deceased apostle.
Other people may be present at the ceremony, but it is uncommon out of reverence for the caves themselves.

Observance

It is believed that performing the ceremony within one week of the apostle's passing is disrespectful as ancient cultists believed the deceased could return to life within that period under the right circumstances, in which case their blade and helmet would need to be returned to them. However, during the time between the death of the apostle and the performing of a proper burial or funeral ceremony, which includes the creation of a monument, it is believed that the soul of the apostle is held in a purgatory, so the longer the cult waits to perform the ceremony, the longer the apostle is kept from entering the Ether.