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| {{Info materials
| | Unionism V2: Electric Boogaloo |
| |image = bluesteel.png
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| |officialname =
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| *Hallowed Stone
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| *Magestone
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| *Purestone
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| |origin = Regalian Empire
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| |uses = Protecting high value locations
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| |}}
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| Holy Stones are special materials created by several groups in the Regalian Empire to safeguard their most sacred areas, or to deny the use of Abilities by those who would do harm to those around them, such as criminals with Arcane Afflictions. Hallowed Stone is the oldest type of Holy Stone used by the Unionist Churches, and is the name origin for the category of material. Magestone, the Mage’s Bane, is the second type of Holy Stone, and was one of the many instruments used by the Azure Order to detain and “re-educate” illegal Mages to comply with the regulations of the Regalian Empire. Finally, Purestone is the newest type of Holy Stone, invented by the Purists of Saint Belliard to safeguard locations from all forms of Aberrancy, and in doing so created a material which even prevents the innate Racial Abilities of Alorians from manifesting. Together, the three Holy Stones are praised by conservative elements as gifts from the Imperial Spirit to safeguard against the enemies of Unionism, while those who are affected by these materials see them as one of the many tools used by the Empire to oppress them. Regardless of one’s own beliefs, it is impossible to deny the power of Holy Stones, and it is expected that they will continue to see use in the most secure and holy of areas in the Empire for years to come.
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| ==Hallowed Stone== | | ===Holy Orders=== |
| Hallowed Stone has existed long before any of the other Holy Stones, with dated records of its presence at the founding of Unionism, being a part of some of its earliest churches and places of worship. The Church, specifically the Forges of [[Basta]], have managed its construction and distribution since that time. In spite of its construction by the Church, it is not known publicly for certain when, or why, it was initially created, in spite of its obvious usage now. Nor is it completely understood how it functions, as the nature of the Basta Forges prevents any information about it from leaving their midst. Churches that have Hallowed Stone sanctums reserve it for the prayer of the most pure and devout, seeking desperately to keep the unworthy away from their relics and places of worship, most notably the fonts which house [[Holy Water]].
| | * Nonnatean Order of the Silent Sisters |
| | **Burial and Caretakers/Nuns |
| | * Dogartan Order of the Pious Brothers |
| | **Monks/Friars |
| | * Crimson Order of the Holy Inquisition |
| | **Secret Service |
| | * White Order of the Helerian Guard |
| | **Military |
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| Hallowed Stone remains a cornerstone of Church practice and structure, even with the split nature of Unionist Sects in modern times. Its ability to ward off [[Void]] and [[Exist]] aberrations, but not those of [[Primal Essence]], pleases even the outliers such as the Vultarin Sect. Though few are capable of acquiring it, as while its process of construction is understood by the church, it is still lengthy and time consuming, leading to only small amounts produced each year for acquisition. It is often one of the first components secured for building when a new Chapel or Church is planned, and is similarly one of the first things Inquisitions and Crusaders attempt to plunder when raiding failed or heretical churches, or whoever they deem unworthy of it. Though many have tried to learn its construction method for their own use throughout the years, the Church has maintained its secrecy well, and is to this day the only source of new Hallowed Stone.
| | ===Feast Days=== |
| | No such thing as days off of work, so make them community feast days/lunches and stuff |
| | *Feast of the Emperor, May 22nd |
| | **Regalian 4th of July/national founding day. Celebrates the Empire as a whole with the Emperor as an easy focal point |
| | *Feast of Love, Valentine's Day |
| | **Duh |
| | *Feast of all Souls, Halloween/Day of the Dead/ |
| | **Remember the dead. Throw in trick or treating, also jack o' lanterns for Undeath Terror |
| | *Feast of Summertide |
| | **Summer Festival |
| | *Feast of Wintertide |
| | **We have Saint Nicholas. He was Regulus. Draconists have a gift-giving holiday the same month. Yay religious appropriation. |
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| ==Magestone== | | ===Priestly Hierarchy=== |
| Magestone was created around 110 AC during the tenure of Grand Vigil Nicholas of the Azure Order, and was instrumental to the reforms that made this Regalian Organization the feared behemoth of centuries past. While Hallowed Stone at this point in Regalian History proved effective in deterring Aberrants from the holiest sites in Unionist Temples, it failed to prevent said Aberrants from using their powers to harm others around them. In order to effectively carry out their duties as enforcers of magic law in the Regalian Empire, the Azure Order required a new material, one that held the power to prevent Mages from casting their spells, allowing for the Sentinels to carry out their “re-education” of those captured. After many trials, and with rumors of occult powers being utilized in its creation, the Azure Order finally created Magestone, using it as the chief material in constructing their base of operations: the Azure Spire.
| | Within the Unionist College exist several ranks of priests, otherwise known as Celates. These ranks hold various responsibilities within the College, and thus those with higher offices are consider the most versed in matters of theological and bureaucratic knowledge. Below is a list of all priestly ranks, in order of seniority: |
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| With the growth of the Azure Order’s influence came a greater desire of other Organizations to utilize Magestone for their own purposes, such as the Violet Order and Crimson Inquisition. As the Azure Order willingly supplied these groups with their Holy Stone, it became clear that Magestone was far more potent than initially thought. Not only were Mages prevented from casting their spells in the vicinity of Magestone, but Vampires and Werebeasts were far more easier to subdue. Further research carried out by the Azure Order and Scholar’s Court eventually concluded that Magestone had the ability to block off most powers derived from the Void and Exist planes, in turn creating greater demand by various interest groups for Magestone. By 250 AC, nearly every prison in urban centers such as the City of Axford and City of Calemberg used Magestone within their walls, with its signature blue coloring serving as a constant symbol of security to law-abiding citizens, and helplessness to occult-inclined criminals.
| | *The '''Primae-Everian''' was the official head of the Unionist College, considered to be the Unionist equivalent of a pope. Their duties included presiding over Holy Diets (a gathering of Celates to discuss religious dogma) as well as serving as the chaplain of the Imperial Palace. The last Primae-Everian was Piete Kade, who was assassinated by radicals within the College for attempting to reconcile with the various Schisms. While the Emperor is able to appoint a new Primae-Everian, the Concilly Council has advised him to leave the position vacant, out of respect for the previous officeholder. |
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| ==Purestone==
| | *The '''Concilly Councillors''' are a group of well-learned Celates who are responsible for overseeing the vast bureaucracy of the Unionist College. Due to the prestige associated with bei9ng a Concilly Councillor, this position also suffers from political intrigue, with various faction plotting to place, or keep, their preferred Celates on the council. Despite this potential for corruption, Concilly Councillors are nevertheless very competent in their duties, as only those most theologically gifted can hope to be appointed to this position. |
| Purestone was developed in tandem with Puretek by the Purists of Saint Belliard around 306 AC. With the development of Puretek and the recent revelation of Witchblood’s potential threat to the Regalian Empire, Magestone proved quickly ineffective in managing the abilities of those who draw on Planar, or Binral Essence. Even the Church’s long utilized and constructed Hallowed Stone, which has existed since the founding of Unionism, had no effect on the presence and abilities of Witchbloods and others who draw on Primal Power. The Purists of Saint Belliard’s solution to the failing of these two cornerstones led to the creation of Purestone, a particularly potent dampening stone. It did not see installation until early 308 AC, however, and only in a handful of specific areas. The Purists initially sought to improve upon the concept of Magestone, building large fortresses and sanctums from it, allowing them to be securely protected from dangerous Aberrants, willing (or unwilling) servants of the [[Dragons]], and other accursed creatures. They spoke openly and freely of their plans to build a Sanctuary for [[Humans]], but the presence of Purestone as the catalyst for it was only vaguely understood by outsiders to the Guild. Little is known about the process of its creation, only that the Imperial Palace was closely involved, and that it also utilized a closely guarded Unionist [[Artifact]]. What is known from rumors is that its construction is an extremely costly and laborious process. Any Noble or Scholar who is particularly conspiratorial (or critical of the Purists) is usually quick to allude to a cost to create the stone that borders on immoral, suggesting occult rituals and loss of life to create a powerful stone capable of quelling even the [[Essence]] of [[Aloria]]. Any such assumptions are vehemently, and even violently, denied by the Purists and their constituents, so the idea is rarely spoken of outside of trusted circles, especially since there is no proof of such. Though the exact timeline of its creation is unknown outside of the order, scholars and informants have deduced that, most likely, while Puretek was entering testing, Purestone’s creation was still entirely hypothetical. Regardless of the delays and roadblocks in its inception, the Purists worked diligently towards their goal: to create a stone for construction capable of even sapping the powers from Witchbloods and the rare Primal Mages alike.
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| The Purists have spoken little of its sale and construction, only saying as much to immediately deny any request to purchase more to this very day. Though they may happily supply Puretek to loyal and devout Purity Conservatives, the conversation with their craftsman ends the moment Purestone is suggested. It can only be safely assumed that the price of its creation is astronomical, far beyond even what the most wealthy houses can afford, or that it utilized an object or resource they are no longer capable of accessing. If the latter is true, however, the Purists would never admit such, due to the proverbial power its mere existence holds over their enemies. The Purists will only speak of Purestone to the Imperial Palace and managers of Greygate, and even then it is only to assure it is still functioning and take measurements and notes. Since it would have been too costly, and possibly damaging to the stone to install it into another building to test its effects first, the Purestone in Greygate was placed there directly by the Purists once it was complete. Thus Greygate serves as its trial run, as the presumed small amount they have left is installed into other critical fortified points around the Archipelago. Its installation into such closely-guarded areas have caused an improvement in morale as the sanctity of those spaces are assured against Abberant’s abilities. | | *The '''Arch-Everians''' are Celates who administer the most populous cities within the Regalian Empire, with their Celeries often including one of the Arch- or Grand- Temples of Unionism. Arch-Everians are highly influential figures, and often compete with the secular Dukes over authority within their cities (as the line between secular and religious boundaries starts to blur in these areas). Arch-Everians are formally appointed by the Primae-Everian on the recommendation of the Concilly Council, though it is well-known that the regional Duke also plays a notable role in suggesting their preferred candidate. |
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| ==Summary of Effects==
| | *The '''Everians''' are senior-ranking Celates who oversee a collection of Celeries within a geographic area. The position is usually appointed by the local Duke or Count, and confirmed by the Concilly Council. Everians are often the highest rank achieved by Celates, as higher offices start to involve political games that remove well-meaning yet naive Celates from rising in the ranks. |
| Below is a table summarizing the three types of Holy Stones, and characteristics related to each material. Notable Locations cover places within the City of Regalia where Holy Stones are commonly found. Block Indicators are used to denote areas where Holy Stones are present (for example, Light Blue Concrete & Light Blue Glazed Terracotta are used in Greygate Prison to indicate the prison cell areas which are lined in Purestone).
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| {| class="wikitable"
| | *The '''Celates''' are the standard rank of priest within the Unionist College, achieved after completing clerical training and becoming ordained by an Everian. Most priests remain Celates for life, though this lack of upward advancements is hardly met with frustration due to the fulfilling experiences most Celates have with the faithful. While higher ranks become more focused on administrative duties, Celates are more focused on the spiritual needs of Unionists, and so spend most of their time providing various services to others. |
| |- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center;"
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| ! Stone Type
| | *The '''Lay Priests''' are not part of the Unionist College, or even considered clergy to begin with. Any Unionist can be a Lay Priest, which is an unofficial title given to those who are very knowledgeable about Unionism, and assist the Celates with their duties. There is no formal training required, though many Lay Priests often study Unionist theology in order to better assist their fellow Unionists. As there are no Celates within the Guided Unionist community, Lay Priests are responsible for overseeing community maintenance of the local Temples and guiding spiritual discussions. |
| ! Notable Location(s)
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| ! Block Indicator
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| ! Effects
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| | Magestone
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| | Azure Spire
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| | Lapis Lazuli Block
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| *Disables all Void and Exist-based Abilities (except for Racial Abilities) | |
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| | Purestone
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| | Greygate Prison, Imperial Palace
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| | Light Blue Concrete & Light Blue Glazed Terracotta
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| *Disables all Abilities | |
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| | Hallowed StoneTemples
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| | Unionist Temples
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| | Gold Block
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| *Spontaneous Combustion to Complete Aberrancy
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| *Intense, Crippling Pain to Linked Aberrancy
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| *Bearable amounts of Pain to Infested Aberrancy
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| *High discomfort to Touched Aberrancy
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| |}
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| {{Materials}}
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| {{Accreditation
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| |Artists = Betterer
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| |Writers =
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| |Processors =
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| [[category:Materials]]
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Unionism V2: Electric Boogaloo
Holy Orders
- Nonnatean Order of the Silent Sisters
- Burial and Caretakers/Nuns
- Dogartan Order of the Pious Brothers
- Crimson Order of the Holy Inquisition
- White Order of the Helerian Guard
Feast Days
No such thing as days off of work, so make them community feast days/lunches and stuff
- Feast of the Emperor, May 22nd
- Regalian 4th of July/national founding day. Celebrates the Empire as a whole with the Emperor as an easy focal point
- Feast of Love, Valentine's Day
- Feast of all Souls, Halloween/Day of the Dead/
- Remember the dead. Throw in trick or treating, also jack o' lanterns for Undeath Terror
- Feast of Summertide
- Feast of Wintertide
- We have Saint Nicholas. He was Regulus. Draconists have a gift-giving holiday the same month. Yay religious appropriation.
Priestly Hierarchy
Within the Unionist College exist several ranks of priests, otherwise known as Celates. These ranks hold various responsibilities within the College, and thus those with higher offices are consider the most versed in matters of theological and bureaucratic knowledge. Below is a list of all priestly ranks, in order of seniority:
- The Primae-Everian was the official head of the Unionist College, considered to be the Unionist equivalent of a pope. Their duties included presiding over Holy Diets (a gathering of Celates to discuss religious dogma) as well as serving as the chaplain of the Imperial Palace. The last Primae-Everian was Piete Kade, who was assassinated by radicals within the College for attempting to reconcile with the various Schisms. While the Emperor is able to appoint a new Primae-Everian, the Concilly Council has advised him to leave the position vacant, out of respect for the previous officeholder.
- The Concilly Councillors are a group of well-learned Celates who are responsible for overseeing the vast bureaucracy of the Unionist College. Due to the prestige associated with bei9ng a Concilly Councillor, this position also suffers from political intrigue, with various faction plotting to place, or keep, their preferred Celates on the council. Despite this potential for corruption, Concilly Councillors are nevertheless very competent in their duties, as only those most theologically gifted can hope to be appointed to this position.
- The Arch-Everians are Celates who administer the most populous cities within the Regalian Empire, with their Celeries often including one of the Arch- or Grand- Temples of Unionism. Arch-Everians are highly influential figures, and often compete with the secular Dukes over authority within their cities (as the line between secular and religious boundaries starts to blur in these areas). Arch-Everians are formally appointed by the Primae-Everian on the recommendation of the Concilly Council, though it is well-known that the regional Duke also plays a notable role in suggesting their preferred candidate.
- The Everians are senior-ranking Celates who oversee a collection of Celeries within a geographic area. The position is usually appointed by the local Duke or Count, and confirmed by the Concilly Council. Everians are often the highest rank achieved by Celates, as higher offices start to involve political games that remove well-meaning yet naive Celates from rising in the ranks.
- The Celates are the standard rank of priest within the Unionist College, achieved after completing clerical training and becoming ordained by an Everian. Most priests remain Celates for life, though this lack of upward advancements is hardly met with frustration due to the fulfilling experiences most Celates have with the faithful. While higher ranks become more focused on administrative duties, Celates are more focused on the spiritual needs of Unionists, and so spend most of their time providing various services to others.
- The Lay Priests are not part of the Unionist College, or even considered clergy to begin with. Any Unionist can be a Lay Priest, which is an unofficial title given to those who are very knowledgeable about Unionism, and assist the Celates with their duties. There is no formal training required, though many Lay Priests often study Unionist theology in order to better assist their fellow Unionists. As there are no Celates within the Guided Unionist community, Lay Priests are responsible for overseeing community maintenance of the local Temples and guiding spiritual discussions.
