Caelistis (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Organizations/Barbatus

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Church of Barbatus

Barbatus teaches superiority over all things, in a very dragon-like way. His followers are taught to be brutal but civilized, strong but tactful. His followers expound upon their immaculate majesty and incredibly ability. In line with their ostentatious ways, those who become trusted with the church are often turned draconic in a secret process known only to the highest ranking members. The color they become upon changing often affects their social standing within the church.

Affiliation Score	Titles and Benefits
3 or lower	Not affiliated, or junior member.
4-14	Prince/Princess: Gain a perfection bonus to attack rolls equal to 1/6 your affiliation score.
15-22	Dragonborn: You may pay 100 gold and spend 24 hours to gain the Dragonborn template.
23-29	Leader of Man: Add 1/4 your affiliation score as a perfection bonus to all Charisma-based skills.
30+	King/Queen: You gain a +2 perfection bonus to Strength and Charisma, and gain an Aura of Majesty. All creatures within 15 feet of you must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/3 your affiliation) or be distracted by your majesty, giving a -2 penalty on all skill checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

Action	Affiliation Points Gained
Character Level	+1/2 level
Have ranks in Knowledge (Religion)	+1/4 per rank
Cleric, or Favored Soul class	+2
Have 4 ranks in Diplomacy	+2
Have a BAB of at least 6	+2
Have an ability score higher than 24	+4

Those That Worship

Faith: Lead By Example

The creed of Barbatus is to become the greatest, in order to lead those weaker than you by your capacity to complete any task. To the lower ranks, this could mean many things. Posture, composure, the way you form your sentences, anything. Those who have achieved the strongest connections to their god know otherwise, though. It is through the exposure of your indomitable strength and ability that a leader is made. Those who create awe in the masses by walking past, who can take armies single-handed, these are the people who Barbatus chooses as his scions. During the day, many of Barbatus' followers spend their time practicing and perfecting their skills. They have been taught the first of many of Barbatus' teachings about how to lead; never let another see your failure. Through practice, experience, and belief, failure shall become a thing of myth.

The social structure of the church is mostly very formal. The warriors who stay with the church are expected to be very respectful and humble to those higher ranking than them, but at the same time, they must appear modestly superior to the common folk they lead. As the churches are usually in control of large plots of land, the followers who train in the church are expected to be leaders to the nearby farms and villages. They do this as a group, as a kind of training for when they will be expected to travel the land on their own to prove themselves.

Those highest ranking in the church of Barbatus are often very different from the instructors and students who train formally in the church. They will likely only rarely be seen at the churches, if ever, and are almost all very unique and powerful, having found their own individual secrets to power. They go where ever they feel, bringing the indomitable majesty of Barbatus with them. Perhaps the only thing that connects the leaders of the church is their draconic appearance. As they all were at one point Dragonborn in the church, they have all been ritualistically made draconic. However, that spark of the Dragon's might that was placed in them has grown, and they have become more than merely touched by that power. As such, they have become true half-dragons, much to the awe of even the church's most stoic followers.