Highguard religious beliefs

“Virtue is contagious; so is vice.”

Bastion is the birthplace of the Way of Virtue and the Imperial Synod was founded here, drawing its inspiration from the Highborn Synod which has ruled Highguard for centuries. The early decades of the Empire saw a constant influx of visitors to the great city, many of whom partook of the drug liao and engaged in discussion with the Highborn priests before carrying the seeds of the Way of Virtue back to their own Nations.

Highborn priests know that the strength of the Empire is intimately bound to the Imperial Faith. Through virtue and might, the Empress was able to forge a union of the disparate human nations, and it is that same virtue that keeps the Empire strong to this day. Highborn priests, at home, in the Synod and throughout the Empire continue to preach the Orthodox Imperial Creed, vigilant ever for heresy that might undermine it.

The Highborn priests are dedicated to the Way of Virtue, and in ensuring that it does not become corrupted by outside forces. This has lead to the tradition of the Pedagogues – priests who act like missionaries, travelling the Empire to encourage the people to actively embrace not only the Imperial Faith but the ideals of the Empire itself. They often make a close study of the people they move amongst, reminding them of their own heroes and virtuous exemplars. Many Pedagogues adopt the dress of the Egregore Escon, a figure they find especially inspirational, and adopt that creatures’ questioning approach to help individuals find virtue within themselves.

Highborn priests are especially active in the Inquisition. This organisation uncovers treason, hypocrisy and corruption within the Empire, and is part of the Synod. Perhaps more importantly the priests also look closely at outside influences – foreigners, Eternals, so-called “free thinkers” and the like. They know that it is important to preserve the purity of the Imperial Faith, and the Empire as a whole. Priests who embrace an inquisitorial role often use the image of the Basilisk Awake – a lizard with terrible red eyes that legend says can strike the unworthy dead with is piercing gaze.

Highborn history teaches the dangers inherent in the Senate system. When the Patrician Council turned from serving the good of the Nation and became self-serving, it threatened to destroy Highguard. The priests of the Inquisition watch the Imperial Senate for warning signs that it has become corrupted, and are prepared to take action to ensure it remains the servant of the Empire and not its master.

Some Priests become Stewards of the Dead. Dedicated to recording the deeds of heroes of the Empire, they maintain the tombs and mausoleums of the Necropolis. Their calling means they do more than simply tend graves – they collect stories and histories of the dead, and use these stories as a method to encourage and inspire the living. They officiate at funerals in Highguard, generally an entombment of the body, but regardless of whether mortal remains are involved every Highborn wants their name inscribed on a monument in the Necropolis.

By tradition, every dead Emperor and Empress is entombed in the Necropolis, and the Stewards take this responsibility very seriously. They also “collect” the bodies of heroes of other Nations, and offer them internment in the Necropolis which serves as a reminder of the deeds of heroes. Some of their rites allow a recently deceased hero a few minutes longer to hear the tributes of his or her followers, passing from this life to the next to the sound of acclaim.

It is also the role of the Stewards to deal with the infrequent excursions of dead spirits from the Necropolis. Usually this takes the form of a shade or spirit with pressing business that reaches out towards its living relatives in a terrifying manner. The Stewards are charged with interceding and laying the spirit to rest. At the same time they work with the Magi to ensure that the occasional ambulatory corpses that appear in the necropolis are dealt with respectfully but effectively.

The Stewards generally dress in simple robes in the style of whichever chapter they belong to. They often carry a book to record the deeds of heroes, and at festivals recite tales to bring to life the memory of those who have gone before. They ring bells and speak to the accompaniment of wind-chimes, allowing the breath of the dead to add their own contribution to the tales of their deeds.