Ordenstaat/Brotherhood

The Ceremony of Spiked Chalice

The ceremony must be held near a waterway, deep enough to allow the aspirant to immerse himself till the waistline. In the water, the aspirant has to recite the Credo, while the running water washes away his past: all his remorse, his wishes, his bad wills, his dreams of personal glory flow away with the current, and his soul has a rebirth, reaching a new state of self-consciousness and perseverance on his devotion.

When the aspirant ends telling the Credo, he has to wash his face FIVE times, to celebrate the five martyrs (Iestyn the Wise, Tudyr the Brave, Rheinallt the Strong, Diniol the Just, Emyr the Kind) who sacrified their lives to open the eyes of the people toward the rising Chaos in the world.

This done, the aspirant comes out from the waterway and kneels in front of the Grand Master, or his substitute, with all the Brothers surrounding him in a circle.

Then, he must recite the oath of the Brotherhood: "I, (name), paladin of Ordenstaat, senses the Chaos and the Terror which surround us, and I swear, in the name of Tyr and Zisa, to protect these lands and the people who live within, as long as I have breath in my mouth. I recognize the Grand Master as my supreme leader, and under his good lead I will crush his opponents." The aspirant stands up, and continues: "From now on, my sword will fall furious on our enemies, and my shield will rise to defend my Brothers. From now on, I will become part of the Brotherhood." The Grand Master takes the spiked chalice with two hands, raises it up so everyone can see it, and passes it to the Brother on his left. He pierces one of his finger on a spike, making a drop of his blood fall into the cup, and then passes the chalice again to the next Brother on his left, who does the same.

When the chalice comes back to the Grand Master, he repeats the act, wounding himself and filling the cup another bit. Then he gives it to the aspirant and says:

"You are swearing on the blood of the Brotherhood.

Drink, and may Tyr bless your path, my Brother."