[Hutchy]

The Four Cabals of the Pantheon
Written by Daniel "Death" "Hutchy" Hutchinson

To be unclean, that is the fate of the faithless
To be impure, that is the mark of the faithless
To be abhorred, that is the vision of the faithless
To be faithless, that is their sin which is also their punishment
To be corrected and unified, that is the only redemption of the faithless

Who and what are the Markins?

The distinction between faith and warfare only exists in the minds of those who have no experience of either

The Four Cabals, sometimes contracted to 'The Order' by those in it's ranks, is the collective name for a grouping of particular religious orders formed under one banner. These four promote the worship of the Mesalian Pantheon of gods and fight to put down and bury the worship of false idols and the taint these upstart deities can manifest. Each Markin is sworn to an oath of fealty to the gods that few but the strongest willed may attempt to uphold.

The Order is made up of the North, Ostur, Suthr and Wæstlin Cabals, each holding a monastery at a point of the compass in or close to the main continent. The monasteries are the order's self-contained units that serve their common cause but have different traditions and practices, save a few that are universal within the order.

Since the order's founding by the now Osturcabal, they have gone from contested religious missionaries, to nigh extinct devotees and converts until the present agents of order and fealty they are today.

History - Founding to Present day

We shall carry our faith!
We shall correct and unify!
All hail the Pantheon!

Knowledge of the true origins of the Four Cabals has been lost to the ages of war and despair that followed in the wake of the Age of Betrayal, when the four Cabals were at war with false deities, new and old, though in all likelihood it was founded some time after the War of Kane. The only uncontested truth is that the Osturcabal were the first founded sect of the order, followed by the Wæstlincabal then the Suthrcabal and finally the Northcabal.
It is argued that the annals written by a mysterious figure, the Sergirr Delocaro, are the oldest known parchments owned by the order and predate the Age of Betrayal, but the surety of the exact date is under close scrutiny by scholars of the Order's Isohelii sects.
These documents say, as recorded by Sergirr Delocaro, that the first initiates of the order were taken from the mesalian tribes that, then, freely littered the east of the Main Continent. These men and women were sworn to protect the interests of their deities to the end of their days and to promote their worship, in an attempt to unify the tribes and, on a grander scale, the entire world as a whole under the gaze of the Gods of Order and the Elementals.
For a while this would work, each initiate trained in the practices and scripture of the orthodox religion they practiced, spreading it as they would and, from those tribes converted, recruit more initiates to the cause to further expand the order.
This would continue until a sizable following was gathered and, united under a single banner, the Markin founded the first monastery. Soon after, and under new leadership after the passing of the order's founder years before, the Order spread into the south of the continent, following a similar doctrine which would culminate in the naming of the Suthrcabal as a fully fledged sect of the order.
Just before the betrayal, no one anticipating such a thing would ever happen, Lucin and Xitian converts started being taken in by the order, but most, if not all, held a low ranking position and few commanded men.

The recollection of later events is much more clear, some of the much longer standing members being around to experience it first hand. From within, the growing number of Lucin and Xitian members turned on one another and, despite the calls for the end of this attack, the Mesalians were caught in the crossfire and, naturally, attempted to fight back against both sides implacable powers over the elements.
Soon the weakened and reeling order was assaulted by the might of the Xitians who quickly routed the final few Lucins and Mesalians that did not run. It was then that the order was almost destroyed, only carried on by those few that escaped and did not make the final, foolhardy stands against their attackers.
While the Age of Betrayal played itself out, those few that survived the disgrace fled underground and hid among the Mesalian population, narrowly avoiding the methodical persecution of the Xitian's campaign against them.
Near to the end of the age, those that were still alive by this point swore to rebuild the order to it's former glory and return the worship of the Pantheon to it's rightful place as the supreme religion of the Middle Realm. By any means.

Following the spread of those that remained, when the order was rebuilt, it came in the form of several distinct groups that rose up independently, picking up unique quirks and doctrine as they did.
It was when the newly re-founded Wæsterlincabal appeared in territories belonging to the now Northcabal did the order slowly begin to recover. Their relations were rocky at first, each believing the other to be a fraud or an unworthy bearer of the name of a Cabal.
So extreme was the disbelief and agitation between the two factions that it could have broken into a second civil war before the order could even re-establish itself. Only when the two factions' Sergirrs met under a banner of peace was the fog of mistrust disperse and the two embrace each other as the new bearers of their titles and laurels.
Then they wondered, could have others survived?
This is where the order is now, reunited in it's four pieces and slowly beginning to rebuild both numbers and the ruins of their old monasteries, absorbing the smaller bands of Cabal survivors and converts, preparing to bring the one true faith of the Mesalians back into the world and to cast down false deities and the Great Enemies Rhise and Umbriae.

The Order's Laws and Codes

While the Four Cabals have changed from the original aesthetics and ethic of the original order, each of the four still hold true to a certain set of traits and laws that can be seen throughout the order.

• All initiates are taken at a young age, usually in the brackets of 5 and 9, to be trained for the next decade in strength at arms, practical skills and study of essential knowledge.
  
• All initiates are required to follow the practices set forth by the order in terms of worship, daily routine and
  
• No matter his Cabal of origin, each member must respect members of other orders and those of his own order.
  
• All Sergirr, regardless of his Cabal, are to be respected with the utmost reverence.
  
• All traces of doubt in the Pantheon must be illuminated. All traces of the taint of false idols must be purged. All must be put on the path of the Pantheon. All heresy must expunged.
  

As well as these, the overarching moral code of the Cabal is as follows, every initiate learns these by heart and commits it to memory, following this code of morals to the letter.

Code of Morals

Fair Play
Never attack an unarmed foe
Never attack from behind
Avoid cheating
Avoid torture
Avoid needless violence

Nobility
Exhibit self discipline
Show respect to authority
Obey the law
Administer Justice
Respect your fellows
Protect those who cannot protect themselves

Valor
Exhibit courage in word and deed
Avenge the wronged
Act with honour
Never abandon a friend, ally or noble cause

Honour
Always keep one’s word
Always maintain one’s principles
Never betray a confidence or comrade
Avoid Deception

Courtesy
Exhibit manners
Be polite and attentive
Be respectful to host, authority and one’s peers

Examples of crimes and their punishments

In the interest of maintaining discipline and honour in the Order, some of the actions other self-sustaining groups or militaristic factions would punish lightly are looked upon much more harshly among the Cabals.
As well as outside investigation, Deacons search for signs of disloyalty among the Cabals, not hesitating to put those they suspect to the question.

Heresy - The worship of false deities or fostering idolatry of an entity that is not of the Pantheon. As a Markin, you swear binding oaths of loyalty and fealty to the Pantheon and to go back on those is to court death.
If evidence is found by the Deacons, the perpetrator is held in trial, although the outcome is usually the same unless solid evidence turns up in their favour. They must make their own defence and a decision is made by Deacons of their Cabal, but can be overruled by two or more Sergirr.
If, or rather when, they are found guilty they are starved for three days, followed on the final day by a beating, flogging, the skin of their arms and legs is flayed and, finally, they are hanged.

Treason - While not so insidious a crime as heresy in a religious order, selling secrets of a nation to their enemies and/or using the Order to veil such a betrayal is still just as dangerous to attempt.
If evidence is found by the Deacons, the perpetrator is held in trial, although the outcome is usually the same unless solid evidence turns up in their favour.
If the accused is found guilty they have their tongue removed and are branded with an X on their cheek. They are then exiled from the Order.

Murder of the Innocent - Markin are taught only to kill when it is absolutely necessary and only when all other forms of communication have expired. To take the life of an innocent, armed or not, is unforgivable, second only to the murder of worshipers of the Pantheon.
If the accused is unable to explain his actions and/or his reasoning is found insufficient their choice of hand is removed and, as a small mercy and invitation for redemption, the wound is cauterized.

Murder of the Faithful - As the murder of the innocent, but in these circumstances they have, in the words of the Order, 'stolen a life from the Pantheon for themselves'.
If the accused is unable to explain his actions and/or his reasoning is found insufficient their choice of hand is removed.

Theft - The theft of personal belongings is a common occurrence but is not tolerated among the Cabals; whether it be from an acquaintance, or even the Order, both are treated depending on the value of the item or the lengths to which the perpetrator went to steal it.
depending on the above factors, the punishment can range from a flogging up to the loss of a number of fingers.

Standing and Hierarchy in the Four Cabals

We are the blade in their hand,
We are the Storm's Blade,
We are Defiance and the Oathkeepers

Despite the Order's equality as servants of the Pantheon, they are ordered into segregated ranks and groupings. Without the order of organization among the fledgling order it would quickly collapse upon itself.

Sergirr - Those Who Would Guide - The Sergirr are the four most powerful figures in the order, leading their individual Cabal in their efforts to reclaim the faith of the world in the name of the Pantheon. The four Sergirr often meet in person to discuss the order's progress.

Ascendant - Those Who Would be Sergirr - The Ascendant are the four favoured pupils of the Sergirr, who have been chosen as the Sergirr's heir to their lead of the group. This position is often hotly contested and only the strongest of will and power may attempt to hold such a position.

Deacon *Referred to as Praetors among the Wæsterlincabal* - Those Who Would Purge - The only servants of the gods allowed to forgo their code of morality to achieve their goal of seeking out and removing the taint of false idols and heretic-prophets. They report solely to the Sergirr and take their orders from them.
These are among the most trusted and loyal members of the Four Cabals and to question their reputation and standing is a foolish move.

Exemplar *Referred to as a Paladin among the Wæsterlincabal and Jigathi among the Osturcabal* - Those Who Would Correct - Exemplar is often the highest position attainable by those who are not chosen to be Ascendant or Deacons. They lead the roving companies of Cabal in their mission to correct and unify.

Markin of their Cabal - Those Who Would Unify - The rank and file agents of the Four Cabals, referred to as Osturmarkin, Northmarkin etc. These men and women are initiates who have completed and, more importantly, survived their trials of initiation.

Isohelis Sectite - Those who would Learn and Teach - Taking the name of the Wise One, the Isohelis are made up of those initiates who showed a particular flair for learning rather than introducing the faith. They spend their days in archives and archeological digs, attempting to decipher the riddles and hidden knowledge presented to them by the gods of Order and Chaos. There are very few women in this sect.

Sulenoi Sectite - Those Who Would Sustain - Taking the name of the Patroness of Hunters, Sulenoi are the initiates that displayed a flair for the logistical and the lore of the wild. They are the hunters, gatherers and pathfinders of the order and, rarely, can be seen in the order's battles, lending their mastery of the bow to offer support. There are very few men in this sect.

Vulcadestan Sectite - Those who would create - Adopting the name of the Master Fabricator, Vucaldestan sectites create the weapons, armour and even iconography of the order.

Aezophyan Sectite - Those Who Would Enlighten - In the name of Everswift and Surefoot, the Aezophyan sectites take the role of scouts and messengers.

Niponautene Sectite - Those Who Would Bring Illumination - For the Freeflowing, a Niponautese Sectite is a Markin with a talent for working around the target's words, finding flaws, making their own walls of logic, driving to a favourable conclusion like a flowing river. They also take the role of healers in the Markins.

Drymatterrese Sectite - Those Who Would Bring Forth - As was taught by the Mistress of the Earth, the Drymatterar Sectitii are builders, miners and farmers of merit.

Initiate *Referred to as Knave among the Wæsterlincabal* - Those who would Be Chosen - The lowest rank of the Four Cabals, this title is held by those who have not yet begun or are in the midst of their tutelage. Once a child is inducted and tested, they are given this title and will bear it until they are taken into the order proper as Markin.

Serf - Those Who Would Persevere and Preserve - Not generally taken in as initiates, but it has been known that failed initiates who yet lived held this rank. Although it is possible that orphans adopted into the order or those willing to join but lack something vital to attempt the trial are made generally Serfs if not a Sectite. They maintain the order's equipment and the Markin's monastery home.
While a low rank, they are often a source of great respect among other ranks for these are the noble, charitable souls who, in failure, continue their service to the Pantheon.

Firespitters and Icebreathers - Those Who Have Betrayed - It was because of the Lucins and Xitians war among themselves that helped bring the original Four Cabals to ruin. While the men and women of the Cabals are barely tolerant of these two kinds at best, to have them introduced into the order seems, in their opinion, to be an afront to the Pantheon.
Despite this the rare Lucin or Xitian, alienated by their race's own religion or practices, converts to worship the Pantheon and as such are begrudgingly accepted into the ranks. They follow the same trials as initiates, but are entirely forbade from using their powers. To use them, even in the direst circumstances, is punishable depending on the severity of this.
Naturally, there are very few members of either, even across the Cabals.