Golden Feather

Basics

These are the basics of the religion, the explanation in what the followers belief:

The Golden Dragon

The spirit of Old Grehk, not a real dragon. It is the protective energy that protects our beloved realm and it’s citizens. We are all part of it, but some of our realm are more special. It can take on many forms, for example the great dragon, a hero in a crucial battle, a word from a duke, a helping hand, a defending shield. All possible things that it can be, and it is even more. It will protect us with all its might and we serve it with our love. We help it to spread its word, we serve him by serving Old Grehk.

When a man or woman becomes a member of Old Grehk then he or she gains a small piece from the Golden Dragon in them. It is a small piece, some call it honour, other call it the Old Grehkian spirit. We all know it is that small dragon in our soul. This piece of the Dragon returns to it when we die, it returns to the Golden Dragon to give it new hope, new power to continue its work as the protector of our realm.

Army of the dragon

But some pieces of the dragon are refused by it to return, they don’t come back to it. They become the army of the dragon, this is not the main army of Old Grehk. They are the heroes of Old Grehk, the ones we honour. Some of the well known members of this army of the dragon are:

Lady Melian, the Golden Feather

Also known as Lady Melian. She was a queen of our realm in a time of need. She guided us and she protected us. She has served Old Grehk in such a way that only a few can. She was a bureaucrat and a woman of power. She was able to stand up against anyone who opposed her and she has stroke down many persons just with her words. When she died, she returned as all to the Golden Dragon. There was she picked as the first commander of the dragons army.

Lord Vagabond, the Bureaucrat King

A lord that guided our realm through heavy times. He became king in a time of great unrest, a time where the undead stood at the gates of Ossmat. A time in need of a hero. He became that hero, with the help of the Golden Feather. He became the King that made Old Grehk to what it is today, a realm we love.

Lord Aetheoddry, the Wise

A man of honour and great wisdom. A man who served Old Grehk with the dedication of a knight. He served as a judge for the people, in which even the nobles trusted him. He is the hero of wisdom for the Golden Dragon army. Like a sage he helps the weak and the ones in search of wisdom. Although he helpes who is in need of wisdom, he also likes to talk in riddels.

Lord Lars, the Bloodeagle

A man of honour and war. He is a nice fellow to his comrades, but a defastating storm for his enemies. He has fought bravely for Old Grehk as an hero, as wich he died on the battlefield. His spirit lifes on as a force of strenght in battle, a guide to your sword, a bloodred madness that helps you to overcome your enemies. May the Bloodeagle bless the Old Grehkian armies with strenght, courage and victory.

Laws of the church:

Simple rules the members of the Golden Feather life by, not to hard to follow. They are mere guidance for the followers. Here are the basic rules:

1) Serve Old Grehk

2) Serve the Golden Feather

3) Be honourfull

Members of the Golden Feather

There are 2 main types of members, the priests and the guards. They have different ranks and wear different cloths.

Novice:

A would like to be novice can come to any temple of the golden feather to apply. Also he or she could talk to a travelling priest. The would like to be novice then is tested on his possibilities, although not to many applies are turned down. Then the fresh novice is brought to a temple to study. The priest novices can study in smaller temples, but the guard novices can only study in the bigger temples. The choice to become a priest of guard is made in the first week of novice hood. But they both also get a few lessons form the other side, so for example the priests learn how to defend themselves with a stick, and the guards train in speaking. They both get lessons about the Golden Feather and her heroes.

Novice Ranks:

- believer (a normal member of the religion)

- pilgrim (a novice before his choice of path)

Priests:

They are the bringers of the word. They travel from town to town to tell the tales of the Golden Feather to everyone. They are the bright future of the Golden Feather. But not all of them travel, some stay in the temples to tell there tales there, to keep the temples clean and to teach there skills to new novices. They start as a novice in the church, where they wear a white tunic with leggings. This robe is kept on it’s place around the wais with a grey belt. When the novices are ready to become a priest then they lay away there white tunic and start to wear the grey tunic of a priest. The time of education for a novice is as long as the bronze feather think it takes. Some are done in a few years, other need to train for a decade.

They can easily be recognised by there clothing. They wear long grey trousers that reach to just above there feet. On there chest there can be found a white thin tunic with above that a thicker grey tunic with a big V shaped opening for the head so the white tunic can be seen. They grey Tunic is long and reaches below the waist. A silver dragon is visible on the front side of the tunic and a silver feather on the back. A twisted girdle keeps the tunic in place around the waist. This girdle is made out of leather and consists out of 3 leather straps twisted around each other. One is grey coloured, one is silver and the third is golden coloured. On top of this they wear a big thick long mantle. Again this mantle is grey coloured with a big silver feather on the back. It reaches just above the ground and has a big collar that comes up. The inside of the mantle is lighter coloured then the outside. On there heads they wear a big round hat with a small top in the middle of it. Around that top there is a small girdle, similar to the girdle around the waste. This hat varies in diameter, sometimes up to 1 meter. At there feet they wear some sturdy leather boots for long travels.

In there hands they carry a long stick, used to defend them selves if needed and to walk long distances. At there girdle they carry a small knife. Also for self defence, to use for eating and possibly cleaning a caught small animal on long trips.

Priest Ranks:

- novice of the word

- preacher

- priest

- feather priest

Guards:

These are the loyal guardians of the temples, protectors of the priests, fighters for the religion. They are trained in the larger temples, and the very best are trained in Vatrona temple. They wear a black tunic with leggings in there novice times. There education can take as long as the iron feather think they need. There training consist out of weapon training, protecting, riding, danger recognition, ceremonial services, and many more skills they need as a guard. Only the best of the best will become a officer.

Guards (temple service):

They wear a simple grey legging, with on top of that a grey tunic. On this tunic a small golden feather can be found at the heart region. This tunic ends in a blocked pattern at the ends of the sleeves. This pattern consists out of one line of blocks, repeating a grey block with a light grey block. This tunic reaches to below the waist and is kept on his place by a girdle, just like the priests have. At this girdle they wear a rapier. In one hand they have a long spear, just as long as the priests staffs. This spear is mainly for decoration uses, but a few of the guards can wield it with deadly precision. In there other hand they carry a large shield, showing a golden feather on it as an emblem.

Guards (escorting duty):

They wear almost the same clothes as on there temple duty, but now they also wear a light chain mail and a chain mail coif. They use a variety of weapons, just what that specific guard works best with. Although many choose the spear or rapier as there weapon of choice. All of them wear a shield, which suits there fighting abilities the best.

Guard Ranks:

- novice of the shield

- knight apprentice

- knight

- feather knight

Elders

There are 4 elders that lead the religion. They are:

The Golden Feather

The highest rank a member of the religion can obtain. This rank is for the member that’s shows to have the same spirit as the Golden Feather. It is a ceremonial rank, but in normal situations the other elders have as much to say as he/she does. It is said that the golden feather is a person that carries a small piece of the soul of the Golden Feather in him/her. If this is true is unknown, but even some priests say it. The other elders of the church denie this and they say that the Golden Feather rank is just a elder that has done much for the Golden Feather. They also say that the Golden Feather can’t return as a living soul. The golden feather wears as only member a golden feather as necklace along with the golden dragon.

The Silver Feather

This is the founder of the religion. He is the oldest member and protector of the dragon. He has little ceremonial functions, but has a lot to say in the elders meetings. The Silver Feather wears as only member a silver feather necklace along with the golden dragon.

The Bronze Feather

Head of priests, this person guides the priests around the realm. Coordination there work and trying to get the most use out of every priest. He is also protector of the word and carrier of the original book of tales. The Bronze Feather wears as only member a bronze feather along his golden dragon as necklace.

The Iron feather

Head of guards, this person commands the guards in the temples. He coordinates there work to make them the most useful defenders of the temples and priests. He is also protector of the shield and carries of the shield of the church. The Iron Feather wears as only member a iron feather along with his golden dragon as necklace.

The necklaces.

Every member wears one, all members wears at least a small golden dragon on a chain. The second amulet on the chain indicates there rank in the religion. When they advance a rank they can ad a new amulet to their chain. So a knight has a silver shield, iron shield and a wooden shield along with the golden dragon.

The Golden and Silver Feather both gain a golden book and golden shield to indicate that they are above the guards and the priest, and to show that they represent ate both sides. Here is a list of all amulets that come with the rank:

Elders:

Golden Feather - golden feather, golden book, golden shield

Silver Feather - silver feather, golden book, golden shield

Bronze Feather - bronze feather

Iron Feather - iron feather

Guards:

Novice of the Shield - wooden shield

Knight apprentice - iron shield

Knight - silver shield

Feather knight - golden shield

Priests:

Novice of the Word - wooden book

Preacher - bronze book

Priest - silver book

Feather Priest - golden book

Novices:

Believer - golden dragon

Pilgrim - nothing

Followers of the Golden Feather

Elders:

Golden Feather -

Silver Feather - Silverhawk, Duke of Vatrona

Bronze Feather -

Iron Feather - Gummie, Royal Treasurer of Old Grehk, Count of Mekoter

Guards:

Novice of the Shield -

Knight apprentice -

Knight -

Feather knight -

Priests:

Novice of the Word -

Preacher -

Priest -

Feather Priest -

Novices:

Believer -

Pilgrim -