Arctus Suluna

[DM Quietus]

Symbol : A clenched spiked gauntlet superimposed over forked lightning
Alignment : Lawful Evil
Portfolio : Tyranny, military might, protection, order
Worshipers : Fighters, defenders, leaders, commoners in areas where protection is required
Domains : Law, Evil, Protection, War
Favored weapon : Spiked gauntlet or Javelin/Spear (any)

Dogma : Arctus Suluna is all about one thing : Order. Only when everyone knows their exact place in society can they function properly, working as a single engine to provide for everyone's needs. Anyone who steps outside of that order is to be made an example of, to prevent any show of weakness.

A commonly embraced tenet is that of "By any means necessary". To Lord Arctus, the ends do justify the means, which many found very disturbing - until the actions of his clerics provided the last push needed to triumph over Maulisauna. Some still find this stance distasteful, but none argue with its effectiveness.

Clergy and temples : Lord Arctus's clergy often act as guards as well as filling their role as Priests - it is a remarkably rare priest of Arctus who doesn't have at least some familiarity with weapons and armor. These are always well cared for, but are clearly more for the functionality than the appearance. During sermons, they wear a spiked gauntlet, symbolizing their deity's presence in the temple with them.

The temples themselves are built almost like fortresses, with thick walls and reinforced entry and exit points. The rooftop features crenelated walls, so that if need be they can make a stand against any attackers, and the room at the top of the stairs leading up to that roof features a fully stocked armory. The pews are never attached to the floor, and can be quickly and easily moved off to the side to create an impromptu infirmary for the faithful. Any not faithful to Arctus are sent to temples to his sister, Amia, to be cared for.

In times of war, it is common to find a priest or two of Amia inside Arctus's temple caring for their wounded, while a number of Arctus's faithful form a squad of guards and protect her temple from attack.

[DM Quietus]

Wartime policies :

Unlike many of the other deities, Arctus's focus on the necessity of war has resulted in his followers having a strict code regarding it; A "rules of engagement", if you will. Arctus favors fast, decisive strikes, which specifically requires advanced knowledge of the enemy's abilities and defenses. To this end, the church recruits anyone willing that shows an aptitude for information gathering, be it magical or mundane, and trains them to use those abilities to their best.

This process is kept secret, however, so the enemies of the church don't realize that Arctus's church even has such valuable recruits. Most frequently, these individuals are identified, then followed, to prove they have the mindset required, and not just the abilities. The church does not like to put time and effort into training people who will either be unwilling to perform the tasks asked of them, or who will turn against the church and use those skills against them.

With the information these recruits provide, the heads of Arctus's church will develop tactics that involve short but effective assaults, taking out key individuals to disrupt their foe's supply lines and command. Rarely does his army fight as a whole, in the open, against an opposing army - it does happen from time to time, but when it does, it is done only in a situation that will give the church a decisive blow against the opposing army. Even during these large scale battles, one will find small, specialized squads seeking out and neutralizing key targets, punching holes in the opposing forces and allowing Arctus's army to force its way into them.

These tactics are further aided by Lord Arctus's battle drummers; When he MUST march armies as a whole, they are accompanied by the sound of hundreds of drums beating in time, to which the army marches in step. The sound of dozens to hundreds of drums, combined with thousands of armor-clad feet marching in time, has been compared to that of rolling thunder. With the morale provided by this, combined with well-timed, tactical strikes, has a tendency to make these battles go relatively shortly, cutting through the opposing army like a bolt of lightning slicing through a clear night sky.