Champions of the Lady

For the Honor of the Lily!

Written by Mlawt

"Knights, none so nobly named,
To brave boasts so boldly, before
Courts of Courageous King
Than the Virtuous of Virescent lore
And Flower
With axe brandished,
Poised in prescient Pow'r,
Spake Challenge and vanished."
-From The Challenge of the Green Knight, 987 RK.

Cosmological Views

The Lady of the Lake is believed to be the physical and spiritual manifestation of Nature's Purity, specifically that of the The Brec'hwood. From Nature's bounty, She was birthed into the world to address those who have need of Her and to protect the wood. She is the essence of natural beauty personified.
Some tales say She is the daughter of a great King of Man and an Essence of Water; the Water Elemental entranced by his skill, having him lay within Their waters for Four Days and Four Nights, each time returning to request Their Purity. Other tales speak of Her Fey nature, that She is a Queen of otherworldly nature, crossed to save Her people, the Greater Fey, from listless wandering across the land. And some still, yet lay claim that She has always been here, an aspect of The KRVE and its natural magicks.
What is known is that Her Champions come from all manner of beast and species, and that all of nature honors Her.

Tenets of Faith

Those who listen to the Lily, follow Her Three Wishes:
1 - "To champion her cause, preserving the innocence and purity of Her wood; To keep Her against those who wish harm."
2 - "To adopt those of honor and bravery into Her fold, those willing to risk their lives for Her greater Glory."
3 - "To avenge against injustice; an eye for an eye, a gift for a gift; That which is bought, must be repaid."
In addition to these, the Champions have a codes of honor, identifying and regulating their order:
1 - "Be Courageous of Mind and Body. Give your life to preserve her and remain steadfast against desires which tempts the body."
2 - "Take Up Arms against the Greater Foe. Defend the lesser combatants and promote an Even and Noble Struggle."
3 - "Waste not Words. The Promise of Action, be not Action itself."
4 - "That which is Born in the Wood, is the Wood."
5 - "Hold not Prejudice Against Race. The Lily chooses Her Champions, they are only the extension of Her Will."
6 - "To the Lily, be Faithful. Uphold her Laws across the Land, and do no Dishonor to Her name."

One might believe, that these Tenets and Codes can be interpreted differently across a range of perspectives and lives. One would be correct.

Worship

As the Champions of the Lady, not all who serve are Fey, as such they do not all observe the Faerie holidays present in most common worship of Her. While uniquely allowed to partake in the festivities, the origin of the champion serving may make them less comfortable with few or many of the actions taken during celebrations such as the Changing of Light and lunar celebrations. Instead, Her Champions are found throughout the vale, working to forward (what they believe to be) Her will. They perform acts of generosity towards those in poor lands, however, not without informing them the gift comes from the Lady. Each gift given must be repaid, eventually. This way, in their worship, champions mainly focus on spreading Her influence, as eventually each debt must be repaid, per the intentions of the Faerie Court. With each kindness, comes a greater population of those the Unseelie are interested in. A better pool with which to recruit more champions and, in this manner, fulfill Her designs.
Personally, many champions revere Her and meditate on Her maidenhood. Some may perceive it as an obsession, as the champions forsake all other forms of romantic and passionate love in order to please the Lady and gain Her favor. If a champion should discover a conflict which is deemed "unfair" (uneven numbers, for example) they will immerse themselves within it and attempt to remedy the disadvantage with their presence, no matter the origin. By acting as living examples of their Code, champions prove their worth to the Lady and honor their commitment.

Priesthood

Although the Lady is a being of nature, the Fey have the most intimate and strong relationships to Her. Few outside the wood will recognize much mention of Her aside from common drunken tales and stories. Champions, in that vein, are Her chosen; those alone who have seen, heard, or received some form from Her. Champions are often decorated with some form or shape of her crest: a crescent moon, or often lilies or hunting motifs. They are chosen specifically by the Lady of the Lake. She may appear before Her champions, with all her beauty and grace, and bestow them a vision or divination and upon this vision they realize a greater destiny. She has challenged some heroes to action, to retrieve an object or brave a terror and in so doing, granted them powerful artifacts of war and duty.
They may be loosely considered "leaders" of Her divinity, but they perform no other purpose than to range where She may not and represent Her in foreign places.

Founding Date

Unknown; Myth and Legend obfuscate accurate historicity

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Leader

Lady of the Lake

Deities

• Lady of the Lake

Location

The Brec'hwood

Related Ethnicities

• Unseelie Fey