Goddess of Honor, Emblem of the Crusade
Titles: Emblem of the Crusade, The Lady of Valor, The Blade of Justice
Alignment: LG
Pantheon: Global
Areas of Concern: War, Honor, Loyalty, Enforcement of the Law, Truth
Worshippers: Paladins, City Guards, Adventurers
Domains: Law, Glory, Strength, Good, Nobility, Protection
Subdomains: Loyalty, Honor, Resolve, Heroism, Judgement, Martyr, Purity
Favored Weapon: The Longsword
Symbol: A white longsword that is broken in half across the blade, with a blue gem in the pommel.
Sacred Animal: The Lion
Sacred Colors: Blue and White
Dogma
Joan and her followers believe in a righteous way of life, of following a code of honor and valor. Those who lie, cheat, and steal are unworthy of her favor, even if they might otherwise be good people. However, those who harm the innocent are worthy only of her wrath.
It is rare that even the most zealous of her followers fall from grace with her; so long as their actions serve the purpose of a more righteous world in some way, she believes such action should be taken. Those who claim to do so, and instead make the world a more unjust place, however, are the first to incur her wrath.
Appearance
Joan appears as her mortal form most often, free of injury. Her true form is one of a humanoid mass of light, with beams of light pouring out of where her wounds were as she had died in life. Only those who she deems truly worthy may see her true form and the lasting marks of her sacrifice.
Providence
The approval of Joan is a subtle one, and generally confers success on the battlefield, steeling one’s resolve when victory is otherwise uncertain.
The anger of Joan is not subtle, and through her envoys and followers will deliver a swift and unerring retribution.
Servants
Valor’s Fangs
This spectral lion appears on occasion in battle to aid followers of Joan in their time of need, appearing in full plate barding and savaging enemies. Does not have a saddle and disallows riders, it is there to fight and aid victory, not retreat.
The Penitent
A spirit of a man who in life broke the most sacred of oaths to his holy order, and in death was pressed into servitude to amend for such crimes. The noose around his neck is testament to his fate. He occasionally appears to those who have taken action to break an oath most dire, but who have not yet fully done so, so that they may repent.
The Specter of Undying Honor
The herald of Joan, she appears clad in full plate that appears to be made of many swords fused into the shape of platemail. These swords leap out of the armor and slash about at her foes, directed by the Oathblade she wields. This Oathblade was the one Joan herself wielded in her mortal life, broken during her final stand, but ever sharp. The Oathblade acts as a +5 Holy Longsword, but additionally gains Vorpal against Chaotic Evil foes.
Church of Joan
The church of Joan is a unified church across the lands, and is quite dogmatic in nature. Worshippers are drafted into the church’s fighting forces, and such is fully expected upfront.
Worshippers
Worshippers of Joan tend towards the more martial sort, spreading holy retribution at the end of a blade as often as doing works in the community. If not more so.
Obedience
The devout worshippers of Joan will meditate on the oaths they hold dear to themselves. They write down what they have done the previous day to make good on these oaths.
Clergy
Heavily made up of paladins, inquisitors, and warpriests in Pathfinder terms. Clerics can be found amongst the clergy, primarily those that evangalize amongst the populace and perform daily duties. The clergy of Joan is heavily in the field, purging corruption where it may lay.
Temples and Shrines
Shrines of Joan are a simple affair, tending to integrate a ceremonial longsword, as well as a journal. This journal is shared between worshippers of Joan in communal shrines, and naturally, a personal shrine will have a personal record.
Performing the obedience ritual at a shrine of Joan will grant the believer the ability to activate a Spell Like Ability to Discern Lies at a DC of 20 once a day, and a +2 on Sense Motive Checks.
The Field of Valor
The field of battle where Joan ascended to godhood. No temple is here, to preserve the holy ground upon which it would lay. There is a major temple nearby, which keeps this land under very heavy watch.
Valor’s Vigil
The largest temple of Joan, this temple is the closest structure allowed near the Field of Valor, and has a large garrison of holy warriors that have vowed to defend the sanctity of that ground with their life.
Holy Texts
Journal of the Oath
Joan’s journal that she kept in life, detailing her journeys and her actions to hold to her oath. Kept at Valor’s Vigil under heavy watch, although copies of it have been made and distributed amongst the church of Joan. The original was with her when she ascended, and has special properties. Reading from the original copy bestows the ability to ignore a single enchantment effect that would cause the victim to behave in a way that would violate an oath, for one week.
Holidays
Valor’s Ascent
This day is believed to be the anniversary of Joan’s final stand, and subsequent ascension. On this day, the journals that have been kept by the faithful are collected, and they read through what they have done to stay faithful to their word. Following this, the journals are sealed and stored away. These sealed journals are to be kept as such until the owner dies, or to be used if they need to atone. The church will judge a suspected heretic from the journals they kept, and whether they were truthful in what they wrote.
Organizations
Oathkeepers
The most devout of Joan’s militant followers, the Oathkeepers swear themselves to root out evil and corruption where it may lay and destroy it. Many of those that have broken an oath, criminal or official alike, have met their end at the end of an Oathkeeper’s blade.