Church of Ignis

The predominant religious body in all of Estoria, the Church of Ignis has a hand in every political machination that occurs. It first rose to prominence many centuries ago during the last great March of the Damned, originating as a multinational group of soldiers dedicated to destroying the undead with flame, an effective tool useful in crushing their seemingly numberless hosts. With their success came a larger following, and eventually they established themselves as an official religion, mandating that the world was protected by a God known as Ignis, or colloquially, The Flame. Their strength has only grown over time, and now the Archbishop of the Church holds power that rivals that of the monarchs of nations. Though this is not universally seen as a good thing, there are few who would speak out against the head of a religion that is not only adhered to by the majority, but also powerful in it’s own right. The Church holds control over a sizable island close to the Varesian Confederation and near enough other countries to watch over their affairs. It is an indomitable stronghold, boasting a large, well-equipped navy and an elite core of perhaps the most well trained and zealous troops in all of Estoria. It is defended on all sides by multiple layers of walls and towers, for at the center there is a basilica wherein the Archbishop himself resides. Atop the basilica is a lighthouse with an ever burning flame, one that has not been extinguished since it was lit over a century ago. Though few in number, the Sanctus Guard are rightfully feared and respected. They are rarely seen by those outside of the Church’s inner sanctums, and when deployed are put into the most desperate and vital of engagements. Their swords are rumored to be bathed in fire when they unsheathe them, yet it is such a rare occasion and so few live to see it that there is no confirmation of this. Beyond them, there is a small army of loyal, righteous men who will do anything to serve Ignis, and will do so with the best equipment available.

Geography
The Church of ignis has a presence in every Estorian country, in one degree or another. Official cathedrals, chapter houses, and churches are all considered sovereign Ignisi territory regardless of the country it is located in, sharing ownership with said country. Their one true bastion and headquarters, however, is the Isle of Ignis. It is their capital, a sprawling isle close in proximity to the Varesian Confederation and characterized by its crowdedness. It has few natural resources, save for a mysterious mineral indigenous to the isle that is kept a secret by the Church.

Economy
The Church’s economy is reliant predominantly upon a tithe that all members pay, donations from wealthy benefactors hoping to curry favor, and gifts from the Kingdom of Lleida and the Varesian Confederation. These three sources have made the Church exceedingly wealthy, allowing them to build further places of worship to Ignis as well as develop a quite formidable army and navy. They have little to trade and not much desire to do so, for the Church views itself as an entity for bringing good in the world, something that trade rarely contributes to. There is a strange mineral indigenous to the Isle of Ignis that would prove exceedingly valuable, should they ever choose to sell it. It is kept a close guarded secret by the church, and any who ask of it are quickly hushed or forced to leave.

Religion
The Church was officially founded 926 years ago in the midst of the last great invasion of the undead. An assortment of warriors and refugees from Lleida and Varese fled to the Isle of Ignis after they had been forced from their lands. While there, they determined that the Gods had abandoned them and that they had to look for true divine intervention in order to save humanity from extinction. One of the refugees spoke of a benevolent watcher whose presence was in all things, a God who was the only one who could hope to vanquish the undead. Though many were skeptical, the man continued to speak of Ignis, going so far as to conjure divine flame from his very hands. Those gathered were astonished and pledged to spread the word and glory of Ignis for all their lives should He assist them in defeating the undead. Over the following years the undead were pushed back. Each weapon that had been blessed by Ignis spouted flame in battle, and the undead were engulfed and turned to ash. This saved humanity and ultimately led to the explosion of the Ignisi religion, making it the most dominant in the world by far.

Culture
There is not an easily defined culture for those who live upon the Isle of Ignis, for they hail from every Estorian country. A majority are Lleidan and Varesian, but there are plenty more from Almeron, Stahlheim, and even more eastern lands. The one thing that defines the followers of Ignis are their faith. They have a belief that their god is the true god, and that they must serve him to save humanity. They follow Him thusly, spreading Ignis’ word throughout Estoria to accomplish their goals.

Politics
The Church is led by the Archbishop of Ignis, who rules from the capital and has absolute control over the church’s direction. There is a body of priests who serve to deal with day to day legislation known as the Quorum of Twelve, but the Archbishop’s word is considered divine law. He has full command over all who live upon the Isle of Ignis and all who serve the church. There is little political conflict because of this, though the success of this reliance upon one man changes from Archbishop to Archbishop. Due to everyone following a single religion, there is little political disagreement save for how to deal with nonbelievers.

Military
The Church of Ignis has perhaps the most well-equipped armed force in the known world, small in number though they may be. The aptly dubbed Sons of the Flame form a well-trained, zealous body of troops. They operate predominantly in the pike and shot formation, steel-clad pikemen holding back heretical forces while arquebusiers fire through established lanes to kill them. It is a tactic that has worked well on opponents alive or undead, though especially upon the latter. The Church also operates with local recruits in whatever campaigns they lead. The elite core that serves to protect Ignisi interests near and far are known as the Sanctus Guard. They are the Archbishop’s personal guards and army, small in number but more than skilled enough to make up for it. They don the finest armor available, often operating in small groups of five to ten to accomplish missions in the church’s name. Though they are almost never massed for battle, when they are it is truly a sight to witness. They are a near unstoppable machine, wielding flaming swords and cutting down swathes of whatever heretics they have been gathered to face. To serve in the ranks of the Sanctus Guard is considered the highest honor possible, and though they abandon their former lives they gain eternal salvation for their efforts.

History
The Church of Ignis was officially founded during the climax of the last March of the Damned, near the end of the Third Era. Groups of like-minded Varesian and Lleidan soldiers had fled to the Isle of Ignis, seeking refuge from the onslaught of the damned. There they were greeted by a mysterious man claiming to be a prophet. He told them that the Old Ones had abandoned them, and that only by faith in the true god Ignis could humanity be saved. The conviction he spoke with and the flames he conjured gained him the support of the soldiers, and the Church was founded upon the Isle that very day. The mysterious man declared the most pious among the Lleidan soldiers Archbishop and showed them how to bring their weapons to life with holy flame. These religious soldiers found purchase against the damned, burning them to ash and reinvigorating a losing fight to beat them back. The next several months saw the undead defeated and returned to the bowels of the earth.

From there on, worship of Ignis exploded. It quickly became the world's dominant religion, replacing the Old Ones in most regions and turning the Church from a noble benefactor a wealthy and powerful nation. This prosperity would only continue over the following centuries, and now no religion can claim to have the body of faithful worshipers or sheer manpower that the Church of Ignis can.

Recent Events
In recent years, the Church has undergone a major campaign to convert the pagan countries of the east. Though at first it operated peacefully, rising tensions between locals and the Church led to a rare call to war. The Church has since recruited local converts and called for willing crusaders from all countries faithful and true to join them in their righteous cause. Many countries have fallen in the process, and a collective known as the Kretingan Order has risen to protect the Old Ones as a result. The Church is expending a large amount of resources in their war, though faithful knights and soldiers from other countries are joining their armies in large droves. Members of the Sanctus Guard have even been deployed, likely in the hopes of breaking through the countries of the Kretingan Order and converting them.

Elsewhere, the church has encouraged would-be missionaries to travel to the Commonwealth of Lorenthal to actively work against a resurgance of traditionalist religion in the country. Though they have not officially sent any soldiers, knights and zealots from other countries have made their way to Lorenthal in an attempt to protect innocent worshippers of Ignis and stop the spread of traditionalism.