The Twelve Saints

[PillowChalk]

Saint Ignatius
The Savior of Caershire

"The tale of one long passed. Saint Ignatius was one of many Sentinels of the Aenite Empire. Serving the fringe town of Caershire in a time of peril as Hel-Beasts ravaged the lands. Many like his own had been found razed before, whether abandoned before the creature had arrived or slaughtered in a hopeless fight against the demon, however such a fate would not befall Caershire. When the time came for its fight for survival most would opt for leaving the town… escaping with their lives at the cost of the settlement. Though Sentinel Ignatius would not follow the example of superiors. He would stand their ground and live or die alongside the place he called home for so long. When the Hel-beast arrived? He would be there.

Man against beast. Sentinel against demon. To many it would seem a hopeless fight for the sentinel… but not to Ignatius for he had Pylae on his side. It is within the fields outside of Caershire that a battle of legends would take place. Many argue just what happened behind the veil of smoke and fire surrounding the two, but one thing can be known. Those that remained with the town throughout the fight claim Ignatius could be heard proclaiming his/her love and devotion to Pylae before succumbing to his wounds. Caershire stands to this day thanks to this sacrifice. The scorched armor of Saint Ignatius is kept as a relic within the village and all over the Empire where gargoyles once stood Saint Ignatius keeps watch, ever vigilant with lance and torch to ward away evil."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 25th of Leo ♌︎

Gemstone of the Month: Agate

Major Shrine: The Shrine of Ignatius is located within the town of Caershire, where he kept vigil in life.

Cause of Death: Death by Hel-beast

Attributes: Nondescript armored knight bearing a sword and shield knelt in prayer.

Patronage: Honour, Valour, and Loyalty. Defense of one’s home. Warriors of Faith. Sentinels of Aen.

Saint Rembrandt

The Pope Saint, Apostle of Pylae

“St. Rembrandt was the bishop of Portwenn before being anointed Pope of Pylae to the capital city, serving for thirty-seven years. A renowned theologian and prolific writer, he was also a skilled preacher and rhetorician. He is one of the Founding Fathers of the Church of Twelve and, in the religion of Pylae, is formally recognized as a doctor of the church.


More than five million words of St. Rembrandt’s writings survive, ranging from sermons to theological treatises. Of these, two have had particularly lasting influence: The Golden Empire and Revelations. The former is a philosophical defense of Pylanism that outlines a new way to understand human society, and the latter is largely a spiritual self-examination.”

Canonized/Celebration Day: 9th of Twe δ

Gemstone of the Month: Peridot

Major Shrine: He is buried in the Vatican Grottoes, a massive spread of papal tombs situated right below the Church of Twelve’s Basilica.

Cause of Death: Died when Barsburg besieged Portwenn while visiting, quoted to have said an old Aehokar proverb ‘Repay evil with good, and Hel will not claim thee.’
Attributes: In prayer with golden embroidered papal wear; solar crown; outstretched hands with holy book hovering close; is holding a papal ferula or book 
Patronage: Theologians; Portwynn, Aen; papacy, called for aid in religious studies; problems revolving around the digestive system; those of the working class

Saint Malachy

The Anchoritic Navigator

"A reputed hermit and renowned navigator, the seafaring Malachy is known for his legendary (albeit reluctant) voyage to find the elusive “Isle of the Blessed” under the orders of King Gareth. Gareth, well within his seventies at the time, had become obsessed with finding one of the Pylae’s golden feathers there, said to bestow eternal youth to whomever wielded it. He set out to the ocean with a nondescript crew of sixteen. For a period of seven years, they traveled the seas and major events are chronicled including:

• Happening upon a flock of man-eating seagulls, the crew hastily covered their ship with a makeshift boarding net made out of all the cloth and ropes on board. Said boarding net was coated with peppermint oil and a holy magic to ward their avian assailants away.
  

• Water jousting with the ghost of a Barsburg naval captain Bram McAllister, whose haunted ship had been said to attack passing vessels indiscriminately on stormy nights. Malachy won, but a chunk of his stomach was gouged out during the skirmish; awarded with a map alleged to lead towards the Isle of the Blessed, but unable to understand the language and chart structure.
  
  
• Befriending a clan of nomadic Sirenians of a dolphin variant who understood and translated the chat for the crew; coming to discover that the location of the isle changed based on the phases of the moon and weather that month.
  

After a period of seven years the crew found the Isle of the Blessed, abundant in vegetation and fauna … only to discover that the isle is actually a large, blind sea turtle. They are welcomed lukewarmly by the beast and allowed to moor its back in order to select one treasure for their efforts; coming to find that a plethora of relics apart from Pylae’s golden feather awaited them. Malachy wanted nothing but his solitude after the journey and wisely selected the feather, but a greedy crewmate smuggled several items when they reboarded their ship. It was not long after they were attacked by the sea beast in a rage for their greed, stirring the currents with its fins that knocked some few overboard. In order to placate the beast, Malachy suggested they forfeit all treasures, including the feather, and he remain to guard the treasures while being the beast’s “eyes,” guiding him to new areas and avoiding being found again. And out of all of them, the turtle found him worthy– the remainder of the crew leaving with nothing but their lives while Malachy remained on that isle to be granted the virtual solitude he desired."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 17th of Yiel π

Gemstone of the Month: Cairngorm

Major Shrine: St. Malachy's Abbey is on the small port island of Llanddwyn near the coast of Aen, where he was born and raised.

Cause of Death: Unknown

Attributes: Golden compass, map, priest celebrating religious sacraments while atop a great turtle, one of a group of monks in a small ship

Patronage: Boatmen, mariners, sailors, travelers, ward against malevolent sea creatures, hermits, and treasure hunters.

Saint Lilybet

The Maiden of Miracles

"During her short lifetime, the young Lilybet was renowned for acts that could not be explained by the laws of nature; this caused her to mature quicker than her peers and utilize Pylae’s gift to aid others such as:

• Said to have preached to a species of bird around her hometown and taught them a hymn that became their trademark call.
  
• With the aid of Saint Faustina, repelled an invading Barsburg army by holding up a monstrance containing the consecrated host of a minor saint.
  
• Brought a drowned sailor back to life, restored the ability to walk to a crippled man’s legs, and saved an innocent man from execution.
  
• Encountered a battered spouse wherein she had a vision of Pylae directing her to the local church to have the marriage annulled, which was unheard of during the time, and introduced divorce rights for women.
  
• Foresaw and aided in the recovery of Saint Malachy’s compass, its authenticity confirmed by religious officials and serves as the sole holy relic in Port Llanddwyn."
  

Canonized/Celebration Day: 21st of Uner ♅

Gemstone of the Month: Tourmaline

Major Shrine: Saint Lilybet’s Chapel is located in her hometown of Ebbw Vale; attached to it is a well-known orphanage.

Cause of Death: Captured and burned at the stake for accusations of witchcraft by a local “hero” at eighteen.

Attributes: Martyr’s palm, little girl holding onto her apron which is full of goldenrods, rosary, Pylae whispering into her ear as she guides a crippled peasant back to his feet

Patronage: Miracles, is called upon for recovery of lost items, memories, etc; faith in the Blessed Sacrament, children, harvests, animals, the disabled, the sick, poverty, the oppressed, counter-revolutionaries, and the innocent

Saint Bors

Liberator of the Northlands

"Long before the entirety of Aen was claimed proper by the light of Pylae, the old North was a place of savage proportions. Bands of nomadic tribesmen and Drakanites seemed to claim such a home despite their smaller populations. In reality they were subservient to a vile spawn of Felyraxes that held the old North in a vile dominion. It was Ser Bors, crusader against demonkind, that tracked and relentlessly pursued the dragon Elmthir. Weeks upon weeks did the cunning man whittle away at Elmthir’s vitality with cunning traps and expert tracking culminating to a final showdown in Elmthir’s den atop Mount Venthril. When it seemed that the Felyraxes spawn prevailed, crushing Ser Bors in his maw with razor sharp fangs, the hunter’s bow resisted the pressure and pieced through its soft palate; this caused the dragon to gag amongst trying to devour Ser Bors, ultimately succumbing to choking to death on the man’s body. The Draknites who he freed recover his remains and are inspired, thus making the memorial of their Liberator of the Northlands."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 15th of Neoi ☌

Gemstone of the Month: Fluorite

Major Shrine: Bors’ Rest sits upon the peak of Mount Venthril, the highest peak in Northern Aen.

Cause of Death: Died in the maw of the wicked dragon Elmthir, atop Mount Venthril.

Attributes: Two arrows tied together by crimson fabric, a dragontooth necklace, kneeling atop a mountain to bask in the sun. Eagles.
Patronage: To ward away untamed forces, to liberate the natural from darkness; huntsman, trappers, dragonslayers, and those of the Northlands, Aenite Drakanites.

The Penitent One

The Receiver of Redemption, The Nameless Saint

"Little is formally known about this enigmatic figure – despite having interacted with Pylae Himself during their final moments on this mortal plane. Depending on which region, there are significant alterations regarding the occupation, gender, species, and even location of where the Penitent One operated; some depict them to be a cruel criminal while others paint them in a gentler light, turning themselves in from the guilt of their crimes weighing heavily on their soul. Regardless, they are condemned to be publicly crucified in a large arena, openly mocked and chastised for their egregious sins by their audience. It was Pylae who silenced the onlookers and offered the Penitent One’s soul salvation. Truly feeling, believing that they can be absolved of their crimes in His golden land did they dedicate their fleeting thoughts to the Hope, dying at peace as they heard the chirping of birds-of-paradise in the distance."

Canonized/Celebration Day: 2nd of Biblos ☊

Gemstone of the Month: Diamond

Major Shrine: There is no major shrine containing their relics, but a collection of churches and prison ministries across Aen dedicated to them.

Cause of Death: Crucifixion

Attributes: Cloaked figure cradling a golden feather of Pylae, sometimes depicted being comforted by the god as they are crucified, ashes, Bird-of-paradise
Patronage: Prisoners (especially condemned); social pariahs; repentant thieves, murderers, necromancers, etc.

• Sorores Poenitentes:
  

“Hope for forgiveness and remain ever repentant.”

One of the many sects within the religion of Pylae is the ‘Sorores Poenitentes’, a sisterhood composed of repentant criminals; be they would-be necromancers or occultists, thieves, murderers and even those borne unto ‘cursed bloodlines’ who, though condemned for life owing to their sins or crimes have been offered salvation though an eternal vow to serve the saints as repentant martyrs much like the Penitent One, whom they tend to above all others. From the moment one joins the Sorores there is no turning back, for though many have thought such might be an easy way to escape death and live a moderately comfortable life, the reality of such a creed is much more bleak, for while many women that join become fanatics by their own volition, many are ‘helped’ by the hand of the inquisition that oversees the sect to become the pristine creatures that seem ever kind and helpful to those who need their aid. Though non-combatants, the Sorores is often used for diplomatic means and as a way to spread the faith of Aen unto other kingdoms, alas, despite the fact the Sorores is composed of true-believing fanatical women they are rarely volatile and more than capable of enduring the ever stubborn-lords of newly conquered lands. As they are reborn unto the Sorores they abandon their previous names and are offered new ones, christened after past heroines or maidens that served the kingdom, though it is important to state that many choose to remain nameless and instead only heed to the word of ‘sister’, a thing meant to make them resemble the penitent one further who shall ever remain nameless. (Provided by Nana)