The Twelve Saints

[PillowChalk]

Saint Kraus

The Priest-King of Aen

"Not to be confused with the divine archangel Kraus Eternia, this mortal king was crowned in the capital city at the age of fifteen, following the death of his father at the hands of rebellious vassals and the nefarious occultists that fed on their lust for the crown. He was described as a charming rapscallion with a penchant for turning literal concepts on their head for his advantage, tutors and even his own mother, serving as regent until he reached maturity, found it exhausting to argue with him on trivial matters. In spite of this, he had the peculiar habit of speaking the truth and a disdain for liars in his presence.

As a mature adult, the king dissolved recurring conflicts with some of his realm's most powerful nobles, who were compensating for more power after the annexing of several provinces within their respective territories. Simultaneously, fending off invasions from a notorious fel-dragon said to have housed itself in the northland mountain tops. For his victories, it was Pylae that first blessed with a divine right to rule ("Gras Gobaith yw Brenin/Brenhines" The Grace of Hope is King/Queen) legitimizing his legacy as the first saint in the Church of Twelve and his successors as conduits for Pylae's will."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 30th of Geist ⚶
Gemstone of the Month: Sapphire
Major Shrine: Within the capital city where the Church of Twelve is erected; the crown itself is considered a holy relic.
Cause of Death: Natural causes
Attributes: Keys to the Golden Land, King holding a golden-winged scepter while seated on the throne, the royal family crest, crown with halo in the background and the words "Arweinydd y Cwnsler Aur, gweddïwch drosom eich gobaith i Pylae." (Leader of Golden Counsel, pray for us your hope to Pylae)
Patronage: Leaders, philosophers, theologists, strategists, nobility, afflictions regarding the head, mental resilience.

Saint Celestine

The Hawkeyed Trobairitz

“As a girl we were introduced

Fifteen is when our love begun

Hopeful arrows could never be outrun

To these golden wings my heart profused

Sunlit visions guide my fingertips

Sweat drips down my forehead and my vision narrows

Hesitation breaks skin as I bit my inner lips

Eyes tightly shut I let go of the arrow

My mark is hit.

The heretic's ichor taints the soil red

His loud screams begging to keep head

Hope's love can erase any sins

Magitech breaks apart when a new life begins

Ever since that day I've seen this apparition

O Pylae, I understand my mission

War is where your love shines through

My bow I dedicate to you”

Canonized/Celebration Day: 22nd of Sae ♎︎
Gemstone of the Month: Amber
Major Shrine: The Church Forest of Dyfnant, north in the Aenite Highlands, where a sacred grove is protected from deforestation and Barsburg conflicts.
Cause of Death: Bled out on the battlefield by a chopped limb courtesy of a turncoat.
Attributes: Archer notching a golden arrow with the spirit of Pylae guiding her; archer with sword protruding through her torso courtesy of nondescript traitor; priestess holding out the sun with incorporeal wings outstretched; pierced heart.
Patronage: Love, mentally ill, against eye afflictions, dawn, marksmen, happy marriages, battle acquaintanced couples, and amputees

Saint Aquilina
The Mystic Doctor

"A rare and unfortunate circumstance, Aquilina was born a non-magi to a prestigious family, and often lived in the shadows of her magically gifted siblings. While she lacked innate mana circuitry, she made up for her curiosity of the world around her and book smarts; sufficient enough to forgo the traditional route of being married off to a nobleman and pursue a higher education in the field of medicine.

This was during the time after the defeat of Lord Moros, and he was cast into the depths of Helheim. Yet, his loyal followers and Hel-beasts continued to act. The field of medicine and sanitizations were not refined as they are today, and a plague began to sweep across the lands. Bacteria from our plane evolved from within the poorly disposed corpses of Hel-touched entities, and many began to die. Once infected, victims began to succumb to negative emotions, such as hatred, grief, despair, jealousy, and sometimes apathy that may lead them to unconsciously killing others; a dark mist veils their body and a black, tar-like ichor pours from their orifices. In its final stages, the mist will engulf them entirely and they vanish. This phenomenon was called Moros’ Spite.

The finest of doctors and scientists scrambled to find a cure, while religious scholars believed it to be a punishment from the gods because of their weakness of faith as deaths began to climb. Aquilina enlisted in the efforts by examining samples and studying victims in the last stages of the supernatural pestilence. It was then that a stroke of eureka came to her when she noticed a parishioner performing a prayer over a loved one; seeing the effects lessen if only for a little. Why not fight the occult with faith? She experimented with a form of penicillin blessed by the priests to administer to patients. The plan forced religion and science to collaborate wherein a treatment was created. It was during this time that Aquilina came into the faith and, as the Plague was counteracted, spearheaded the efforts for universal medical care and funding towards experimental research projects benefiting mankind."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 3rd of Hiero ♐︎

Gemstone of the Month: Bloodstone

Major Shrine: Saint Aquilina’s relics are kept in the sanctuary of the nonprofit, clinical teaching hospital that shares her name; located in the Aenite aligned city-state of Dunwich

Cause of Death: Natural causes

Attributes: Those who cultivate the natural sciences, medical technicians, philosophers, scientists, alchemists

Patronage: Book, quill, Aenite medic holding a sick person, plague mask.

Saint Faustina

The Fatebreaker Paladin

“Born in an Aenite territory in Gehenna, Faustina went on to join the Royal Imperial Guard in her mid-twenties. It was in spite of the cultural and racial divisions that she quickly rose amongst the ranks to become an esteemed General leading a division of holy knights that jointly protected the royal family from aggressors. During her service she had uncovered a prophecy wherein the great Helheim Knight known as Goethe would be summoned to lead a siege upon the imperial castle and bring about a period of darkness to the Empire. Unlike other Hel-borne entities, Goethe attacked from the realm of dreams, drawing from one’s greatest fears to bring about endless torment before killing their dreamselves– also leading to the death of their actual selves. To counter this, the Guard were split between two groups: one fending off the occultists in reality while the elite transcended into the realm of dreams to confront Goethe. Faustina spearheaded the latter.

In spite of their efforts, Goethe fed upon their deepest fears and insecurities with Faustina being the last one remaining. Channeling her faith to overturn this fate, Pylae bestowed her with blessed armor that allowed her to grapple his metaphysical form and bring him to the waking world. There were several accounts by soldiers that once Goethe was forcibly dragged out of the dream world he delivered a spine-chilling scream that snapped Faustina awake without skipping a beat to deliver the finishing blow; her armor said to have shined a radiant golden hue granted by the divinity of her unwavering Hope. After the dispatch of occultists and Knight, the prophecy had been overturned and Faustina hailed as a hero.”

Canonized/Celebration Day: 7th of Syph ♈︎
Gemstone of the Month: Beryl
Major Shrine: Located in Gehenna within the Aenite military base where she was born; shrine’s upkeep is managed by chaplains.
Cause of Death: Died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 120.
Attributes: Golden paladin armor; sleeping with hand clutching onto her spear; piercing through a knight shrouded in darkness with mentioned spear; Shasta daisies
Patronage: Wards against nightmares; military personnel; Guardian of the Royal Imperial Guard, longevity

Saint Illuminata

The Sorrowful Sibyl

"A seer who became a nun at an early age, Illuminata conducted many missions wherein she aided foreign neighbors often displaced because of the conquests of the Aehokar Empire. During an era of Reformation within the Church, a radical sect splintered from the main and encouraged an ethnic cleansing of these peoples. Disguising herself, she coordinated between the main church body and the displaced people to repel the unjustly crusades by opposition. She foresaw her demise by the sect’s hands and said to have wept deeply; not because of the fear of her death, but from it people unified to stamp out the sect. She was eventually captured, tied, and thrown into Lake Mercuil with stone weighing her ankles to drown. Aftermath of her death led to many converting to the Church of the Twelve and sparking socio-religious conversations on the leniency of views towards foreign nations."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 13th of Iberl ♒︎
Gemstone of the Month: Aquamarine
Major Shrine: Saint Illuminata Monastery located in a disputed border city of Baerney between Aen and Barsburg near Lake Mercuil, historically of the Aehokar Empire.

Cause of Death: Execution by drowning

Attributes: Purple loosestrifes, nun crying with hand obscuring her face save for one eye peeking through the gaps of her fingers, Lake Mercuil; martyrdom

Patronage: Revelations; epiphanies; peaceful council; missionaries; mediation; invoked against conspiracies and deception; immigrants; victims of water-related incidents

Saint Paschal & Saint Cosmas

The Father of Ingenuity; the Integral Son

"Saint Paschal & Cosmas were a father-son duo that began the still present stance against cybernetics and Barsburg synthetics. They were master and apprentice, father and son, and together they helped establish Aen’s stance on progress under Pylae’s guidance. Activists against the Coalescence and Barsburgian perspective on technology to the point they were targets of many powerful enemies within the fascist rival empire. Many everyday appliances and the origins of the modern nature of Aen can be traced back to their efforts in balancing technology with religion and the world."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 18th of Ios ♓︎
Gemstone of the Month: Alexandrite
Major Shrine: Parish of Paschal & Cosmas in Port Tanis, one of the largest ports in Aen and a region where artifice and construction is highly regarded. Many priests are also capable of enchantments and study some form of artificing.
Cause of Death: Assassinated by Barsburg agent for widespread activism against their method of technology and lack of religious care.
Attributes: Carpenter’s square or tools; Paschal holding his son as an infant; Adult Cosmas embracing his elderly father
Patronage: Creativity; caution in innovation; Magitechnicians that respect the human purity; inventors; wise solutions; anti-cybernetics activists; artificers