The Order of St Michael (Michaelites)

The order of St. Michael. This religious sect has taken on a decidedly practical role in the Megalos empire. Think of them as the medieval equivalent of the FBI. Throw in a bit of Judge Dread, and a lot of religious fervor, and you have the basic idea. In uniform, a Michaelite wears chain or plate mail with a white cloth tunic covering. The tunic is emblazoned with a red cross, and a flaming sword over the heart. On official business, a Michaelite may wear a blazon of a red cross on a white background, with a flaming sword in the upper right quadrant. The most common weapon employed by a Michaelite is the rapier, and highly advanced training techniques are available to Michaelites, so that Michaelites sword masters can be found. However, an individual Michaelite may practice and use any type of weapon he wishes. Michaelites have one magical item issued to them. Each and every Michaelite is given a ring. This ring allows a member of the order to communicate with other members by simply speaking into the ring. The ring must be "conditioned" to allow this communication, and the effectiveness fades rapidly with distance. The range of the ring is limited to only a few miles. The second power is a clever use of what once was considered a magical flaw. The wearer of the ring can be easily located by magical means. It acts as a beacon to anyone attempting to sense the Michaelite with a scrying device. It is very common for Michaelites who come into wealth to enchant their rings further. It is also common to pass these highly enchanted rings down to younger members of the order, as the older members retire or pass away. Only humans are accepted as Michaelites, a prejudice that has long standing roots in tradition. Membership is by invitation only, followed by extensive testing of character and ability before full acceptance. Honesty, integrity, courage, and martial skill are highly regarded. The city of Megalos, and those trained within the city of Megalos, are not as well disciplined as those trained in other places. The Michaelites of Megalos City have a reputation for being far more corruptible, perhaps undeserved, than the wandering Michaelites. Saint Michael refers to the Archangel Michael, Keeper of the sword of Justice, Guardian of Eden. He is their patron saint, and prayers are always addressed to him. Artwork commissioned by the order usually depicts him as a great angel with red hair, no beard, and a flaming sword. The order is charged with the meeting out of justice, at home and abroad. They act as police, judge, and jury. A member of the order may witness a crime being carried out, capture the alleged criminal, pass sentence, and carry out that sentence immediately. Nothing more than the word of a Michaelite is needed to put a man in jail for life. Should a man disagree with a Michaelites sentence, his relatives or friends may seek out another Michaelite to hear his plea. This is risky, however, since if the second Michaelite agrees with the first, he may add to the imposed sentence for wasting his time. The nobility is treated slightly differently by Michaelites. All Nobility have the right to trial. This trial is overseen by three Michaelites. One being the Michaelite who brought charges, one being chosen by the accused noble, and one agreed upon by the other two Michaelites. The rules of Noble Trial are elaborate, and highly favor nobility. It takes an incredible amount of evidence to convict a noble. Slaves and those of low birth (beggars, prostitutes other than courtesans, servants of commoners etc...) Do not have the right to request Michaelite justice. Many Michaelites may grant it anyway, but these folk can be mistreated by those of higher social status without being able to cry for aid. The laws and punishments are fairly simple. The punishments often fit the crime, and there are no set precedents. COMMON LAW For murder, the criminal is generally put to death, of sent to a penal camp for life. (penal camps being things like working in salt mines, galley slaves or other back breaking labor where life expectancy can be measured in months.) Extenuating circumstances may reduce this to a lesser penalty. For Assault less than murder (rape, beating, mugging, etc...) the criminal can be crippled of maimed, sold into slavery, or both. Repeat offenses or extreme cruelty can allow the Michaelite to impose greater penalties. Extenuating circumstances can also allow lesser penalties. Crippling and maiming generally refer to breaking a knee or a hand beyond repair, to prevent the criminal from being capable of committing the crime again. For theft the criminal is crippled, generally by the loss of a hand (or eye, in the case of forgery), sold into slavery, or expected to make restitution of two to three times the value of the stolen item. A simple beating often suffices for minor thefts. Other crimes are treated on an individual basis. punishments meted out by a Michaelite have included, restitution, branding, public service, hanging, banishment, enslavement, public apologies, and just about any thing under the shield. GAME TERMS To be a Michaelite is a 31 point advantage. This encompasses: -Police powers at the 15 point level. -Patron, The order of St. Michael: 20 points -Status level equal to 3rd level: 15 points -Michaelite ring: 1 point -Hazardous Duty: -20 points