The Archangel Jaser, the World's Keeper

The Archangel Jaser is the guardian of the world; chosen by the Creator of All Things to protect and guide those that dwell upon it. He is the primary mentioned Deity in the Time of the Green Star campaign.

The Jaserian Pantheon

The Supreme One, Creator of All Things

Description: Little is known about the Supreme One save that he created everything that exists or could exist within the heavens. After completing his work the Supreme One created a group of near omnipotent servitors to guide the heavens in his absence. It was the hubris of the Primarch, known now only as the Archdaemon, that lead to the War in Heaven. Jaser was chosen by his fellows to lead the forces of the Supreme One. The war raged for countless eons and in the end no being and no realm stood unscathed. The Creator of All Things, in his guilt and anger locked the Archdaemon within the confines of the Green Star, and gathered all of the surviving lesser races of the Endless War in Heaven, placing them upon The World and placing the world's key in the hand of his most faithful servant, Jaser, before disappearing.

The Archangel Jaser

Domains

Jaser is a mighty warrior, chosen as the Custodian of the World by the Creator of All Things after leading HIS armies during the War in Heaven. His clergy are required to take the War domain, even among his non-militant followers.

Required: War

Optional: Good, Protection, Strength.

Alignment

Jaser Himself is Neutral Good, however he has followers among good men across the World.

Favored Weapon

Jaser's Favored Weapon is the Heavy Mace.

Lady Bethan

The first people to walk upon the World after the War in Heaven already knew the story of Jaser and it is from their stories that the basis of Jaser's church was formed. For hundreds of years this was enough. Jaser guarded the world and they thanked him for his divine protection and guidance. Then the monsters of the Green Star came. People turned from Jaser's flock and He realized that a Champion was needed. Jaser watched the world looking for the knight who would become His Voice.
Instead he discovered Lady Bethan. Lady Bethan was the youngest daughter of a powerful Count whose family had always been fervent followers of Jaser. An Archdaemon cult rose up in his holdigns eventually gaining enough strength to assault the Bethan Keep. The young Lady Bethan watched as these cultists and their undead servitors slew her entire family, her father and two brother's struck down in the heat of battle. She refused to believe that Jaser would abandon them to the Archdaemon and her conviction made her decision for her. Taking up her brother's mace and father's longsword Bethan began to destroy the undead monsters and their cultish masters. Jaser saw this and spoke through Lady Bethan, powerful words of rebuke that destroyed the blasphemous cult. The words of divinity caused Lady Bethan to collapse and in her stupor she met Jaser Himself.
He named her His champion and His Voice and bade her gather the clergy who were willing to stand against the Green Star and train them to fight His foes. She did so and Jaser's Army strode across the world, Jaser's Voice at its head guarding the faithful until the green star left the sky. The Lady Bethan then formed the Central Abbey of the Fighting Orders of Jaser creating and codifying the tradition of Jaser's warrior clergy. Abbey teachings claim that Lady Bethan did not die. When her work was complete Jaser drew her to him, to stand above the World as its Divine Champion.

Jaser's Divine Retinue

Lady Bethan is not the only divine servant of Jaser. His lesser divine servants are listed below.

Celestial Knights of Jaser

Jaser's Celstial Knights are drawn from the spirits of long dead heroes of earlier Green Star Cycles and the remaining Archons of Jaser's Angel Army. These souls have been touched with a spark of the divine and serves as messengers and guides to Jaser's Chosen, appearing to nuns and clerics in prophetic dreams calling them to acts of heroism in Jaser's name. It is often a Celestial Knight of Jaser that will appear to a Paladin to guide them on the first steps of their holy quests.

Celestial Handmaidens of Bethan

The most devout among Bethan's handmaidens are called to her upon their deaths, acting as messengers between Lady Bethan and Jaser's flock upon the World. Unlike Jaser's divine knights, Bethan's Spirit Maids act through intermediaries; granting visions to their fellows in Jaser's Clergy and trusting those that are gifted with these visions to pass them to their intended recipients.

St. Tabita

St. Tabita is a minor figure in the Jaserian Pantheon. Tabita was a righteous woman whose force of will and depth of faith allowed her to break the hold of darkness when it had infected an innocent. She became the most highly regarded exorcist in Jaser's Service often fighting alongside the more martial members of Jaser's Clergy when they needed her aid against the undead and demonic cultists of the Green Star. Church rumors suggest that she was a divine channel for the Lady Bethan herself, as she was a very peaceful and loving figure whose righteousness and force of will only made themselves known during her activities as an exorcist. When she was martyred, slain by a young man who had given himself willingly to the Archdaemon, Father Church and the Martial Orders of the Central Abbey were unanimous in their decision to canonize her.

The Church of Jaser

Militant Orders

Each of Jaser's three Militant Orders has its own take on the teachings of Jaser and Lady Bethan, but each believes that the other two are as important as their own order to the safety of the Peoples of the World. They follow the guiding words of Jaser's Voice. "Jaser will guard the World, He bids us to guard its Peoples."

Ordo Mundo Servatorum, The Order of the World's Keeper
The members of the order of the world's keeper are what the layperson thinks of when they picture Jaser's Militant Clergy. They are the warrior-monks and Fighting Friars that travel the world defending the inncocent and speaking the truth of Jaser. Most are also capable battle commanders easily able to pledge themselves to the service of a Lord or raise up a unit of devout fighters to aid them.

Ordo Mundus Defensor, Order of the World Defender
These men and women are questing knights that have sworn themselves to the church of Jaser. Most become paladins of Jaser upon completing their noviate trials, however some are simply devout warriors and priests who view serving Jaser as their most important calling.

Ordo Electæ Dominæ, Order of the Chosen Lady
These are fighting nuns that model their lives after Lady Bethan, they often retire to become Matrons of Bethan when they reach an advanced age. Bethan's Servants within the order train in the same manner as the friar's of the Mundo Servatorum and until they leave the order they serve the same purpose, leading men with faith, will and steel. The cathedrals of Jaser's peaceful orders consider it an honor to have a member of the Order of the Chosen Lady as their Matron until they realize that these elderly nuns are often disdainful of the glit that many of the cathedral's possess.

Peaceful Orders

Father Church
Father Church is the largest peaceful order of Jaser's clergymen. It is they who build and service the shrines and cathedrals of Jaser, and their scribes and engravers who construct the holy books of Jaser. They hold great respect for their militant brothers, welcoming them when they come into their towns and provinces and asking them to help in instructing their flocks for a time. Just as devout as their militant opposites these men and women have chosen to follow Him as custodians and teachers of the people. Most towns that feature a Jaserian Cathedral also feature a small school to help educate His faithful, young and old.

Hermitage

Hermitage among Jaser's faithful is uncommon but it does occur. Whenever the baleful light of the green star hangs high in the air, young men from Jaser's clergy will leave their orders and construct a stone hut by hand near an important crossroads. Instead of spending their days in quiet reflection, Jaser's Vigilant stand a solitary watch each night in the center of the crossroads. While they do meditate on the meaning of Jaser's message and their devotion is clear by the way that they honor Jaser by standing the same watch he does each night, they also serve an important purpose. Crossroads are always a gateway for those that should not walk the world. The Vigilant stand guard against them.

Beliefs and Practices of the Jaserian Church

The Three Murals

The Creation:

The War in Heaven:

The Transfer of the Keys

The Angel Figures

The Angel Figures are the statues of Jaser that are on display within Jaser's Churches, Shrines and Cathedrals. The statue of Jaser the Guardian is usually only unveiled during Jaser's Feast Days but often times individual priests of Jaser will call for both shrines to be unveiled, particularly when the light of the green star is in the sky. This is done to remind the faithful that Jaser is both Guardian and Guide.

Jaser the Guardian
This statue depicts Jaser with his mace and shield clad in war torn robes and armor, a look of steadfast determination on his face. A smaller figure stands below and in front of Jaser rising only to his knee, the Lady Bethan in mail coif and armored coat her longsword held in a guard position a halo of holy flame above her head.

Jaser the Benevolent
This statue depicts Jaser standing in welcome, his empty hands spread, his robes and vestments clean and perfect.

Icons of Jaser

Jaser the Guardian: This holy symbol of Jaser is a silver disk behind a bronze angel. The angel represents Jaser at the end of the War in Heaven, in torn robes and damaged armor holding his shield and mace. It is often worn by the militant members of Jaser's clergy.

Jaser the Benevolent: This holy symbol of Jaser is a silver disk behind a bronze angel. The angel represents Jaser as the Custodian of the World, it is clad in pristine vestments. His empty hands spread in welcoming. It is often worn by members of the peaceful orders of Jaser's clergy.

The Archangel's Psalter: This is the Holy Book of Jaser's Church. It tells the story of the Creation, the War in Heaven, and the Transfer of the Key to Jaser. Most copies also include an appendix featuring the Tale of Bethan.

Vestments of Jaser's Faithful

Clerics of Jaser

Battle Dress The Friars of Jaser's militant orders wear bare steel armor with no embellishments and generally wield a heavy mace and sturdy steel shield. These masterworked shields feature the symbol of Jaser the Guardian picked out in silver and bronze. Before a battle, or during parley and war-time diplomatic meetings the cleric will often add the tabard that is usually worn over his formal vestments on top of his armor.

Formal Vestments The formal vestments of a Jaserian Cleric are only worn on the feast days and at court. They consist of a black billowing robe over which is belted a deep grey and white hooded tabard. As with the everyday vestments of one of Jaser's town friars a light mace or cudgel is worn at the hip and a more elaborate icon of Jaser is worn around the neck

Simple Vestments Light Grey Hooded Robe, belted with a heavy leather belt from which hangs a travel copy of the Archangel's Psalter and a light mace or wooden cudgel (more common among non-militant priests. A simple icon of Jaser is worn around the neck. This is almost always Jaser in his benevolent guise, even among the warrior-monks and fighting friars of the militant orders.

Maids of Bethan

Battle Dress In battle Bethan's Handmaidens and Matrons wear chainmail just as the Lady Bethan did. Theirs is bare steel and glints in the light. Bethan's Matrons often wield a large two handed cudgel in place of the mace and shield combination favored by the younger handmaidens and Jaser's warrior clergymen. Those Maids of Bethan that belong to the order of the Chosen Lady often forgo the Favored Weapon of Jaser in favor of Lady Bethan's weapon of choice the longsword.

Formal Vestments The formal vestments of Bethan's Servants are only permitted to be worn by a full Matron of Bethan and are identical to that of a Jaserian Cleric only with a more conservative cut.

Simple Vestments Handmaidens of Bethan wear a dark grey hooded robe, belted with a heavy leather belt from which hangs a travel copy of the Archangel's Psalter. They to wear an icon of Jaser around their necks, albeit a much smaller one. This is almost always Jaser in his benevolent guise.