[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[cavalal386]

not how i was expecting that to end.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Arc farmhouse was quiet in the late evening, the kind of peaceful silence that only existed when most of the younger siblings had finally been herded to bed. Down in the living room, the fireplace crackled softly while Jaune sat at the old wooden table with his scroll, idly scrolling through forums.

His youngest sister, Orchid—fourteen, sharp-tongued, and far too clever for her own good—leaned over his shoulder, reading along with him. She was supposed to be doing homework. Instead, she was doing what she did best: causing chaos.

Orchid snorted, then burst into quiet laughter. "Oh my gods… This plan is just hilariously bad."

Jaune glanced up. "Hm? What is?"

Orchid pointed at the screen, still snickering. "Some girl on the forum is actually asking if she could pose as a student! She's in her twenties! And she posted a picture—look at those DDs! There's no way she'd pass for a high schooler."

Jaune leaned in a little closer, blinking at the selfie. "…Oh wow... She's hot."

Orchid rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out. "See? Boys are hopeless."

Jaune shrugged, a little embarrassed. "What? She is."

Orchid typed rapidly, still giggling under her breath.

Orchid: I'll tell her that… type type type Sent!

A moment later her computer pinged with a private reply.

"Oh! She's messaging me back."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "You're actually talking to her?"

Orchid grinned mischievously and read the message out loud in a mock-sultry voice:

Cinder: …How would you do it, then?

Orchid's fingers flew across the keyboard as she answered.

Orchid: Obviously, you'd pose as a teacher. And have some kids as your students to complete your cover. And you'd befriend some gullible fellow teacher or student with your feminine wiles. So he'd act as your patsy.

She hit send, then looked at Jaune with a wicked sparkle in her eyes. "This is too easy."

Jaune shook his head, half-amused, half-concerned. "You're going to get yourself in trouble one of these days, Orch."

Orchid ignored him. Her scroll pinged again.

Cinder: Ooh… that's good.

Orchid: Seriously? Who came up with this plan?

Cinder: …I can definitely do teacher better than student.

Orchid: Do you have any other terrible, terrible plans?

Orchid: Sorry, just plans.

Orchid: I shouldn't assume.

Cinder: Well… what do you know about hacking?

Orchid's grin widened. She typed back quickly.

Orchid: A lot…

Orchid: But one step at a time, huh?

Orchid: What else have you got planned for this book or whatever?

She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying herself far too much.

Jaune watched her with a mix of fondness and exasperation. "You know, most little sisters just steal my hoodies. You're out here giving evil advice to strangers on the internet."

Orchid stuck her tongue out at him. "It's called being supportive. Besides, this is hilarious. She's either writing the world's worst villainess novel or she's actually trying to take over a school. Like Lord Moldyshorts!"

Jaune chuckled.

"Yeah, well… try not to help anyone commit actual crimes, okay?"

Orchid waved him off. "Relax, big bro. I'm just having fun."

Her scroll pinged again.

Cinder: Let's just say I have very big plans for Beacon Academy. And I need someone who isn't completely incompetent to help me pull them off.

Orchid let out a delighted little cackle and started typing her reply.

Jaune sighed, shaking his head as he stood up to grab them both some leftover pie from the kitchen.

He had no idea that, years later, he would look back on this exact conversation and realize his little sister had accidentally become the anonymous consultant to one of the most dangerous women on Remnant.

For now, though, it was just another evening at the Arc farmhouse.

 

[Phillip_II_of_Macedon]

Watch as Orchid Arc uses her influence to 4D-Chess Jaune into a relationship with Emerald, leading to her having nieces and nephews numerous enough to be named after every precious and semi-precious stone.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Man imagine if this had been how canon was possible

 

[Gur40]

wish we had more of there dynamic

Spoiler: Qrow and Jimmy

Sienna happy atleast

---

Emerald Mercury and Qrow all giving tips

Spoiler: expirance

Raven wouldn't give tips, just say it was obvious and mock

---

Why Oz doesn't Rule anymore

Spoiler: People are dumb

The Irony of Salem being the biggest believer in humanity and Oz just feels like the one that pulls the kid from walking off a cliff

---

Yang Nightmare

Spoiler: Qrow Goodluck

the irony of Ruby being inspired because she woke up just after Qrow arrived and how Qrow probably see's this as his luckiest day alive

---

It's not a war crime on the Grimm

Spoiler: They Would

i just want Salem to be stomped by humanity infinite creativity

 

[John Jackson]

wish we had more of there dynamic

Spoiler: Qrow and Jimmy

Sienna happy atleast

---

Emerald Mercury and Qrow all giving tips

Spoiler: expirance

Raven wouldn't give tips, just say it was obvious and mock

---

Why Oz doesn't Rule anymore

Spoiler: People are dumb

The Irony of Salem being the biggest believer in humanity and Oz just feels like the one that pulls the kid from walking off a cliff

---

Yang Nightmare

Spoiler: Qrow Goodluck

the irony of Ruby being inspired because she woke up just after Qrow arrived and how Qrow probably see's this as his luckiest day alive

---

It's not a war crime on the Grimm

Spoiler: They Would

i just want Salem to be stomped by humanity infinite creativity

Click to shrink...

To be fair to Col Shepard they didn't include the no cannibalism perversion because they didn't want to give the Canadians more ideas

 

[Dragon Bob]

The Irony of Salem being the biggest believer in humanity and Oz just feels like the one that pulls the kid from walking off a cliff

Click to shrink...

That's probably one of the best ideas they had in canon. Salem after spending centuries trying and failing to destroy humanity has nothing but respect for the power of Hope and Unity. Oz having spent those same centuries trying to keep people united has no hope or trust in humanity at all.
That reveal that the narrator who has been praising humanity for so many episodes is actually the big bad monologuing on how she plans destroy it is just perfect.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

So, here's a fun idea: Once science is invented and Ozpin gets around to learning some, he learns that Remnant... Is actually at least 4 billion years old, like Earth. It has a carbon cycle. It has fossils. It has a deep history well before Man or Faunus evolved. Well before the Brother Gods came around.

Now, maybe he thinks initially that the Brother Gods just exaggerated or they made the world seem older than it is (the same arguments Young Earth Creationists make)... But he then asks why? Did they know that science would be invented after they devastated Remnant and so wanted to... What? Cover up the truth when they aren't worshipped anymore? Why?

So the easiest answer is this: The Brothers lied about creating Remnant. Ozpin isn't sure what this means... But it changes the game. He's just not sure how yet.

And as a twist? Salem figured this out too.

 

[Bommel]

So, here's a fun idea: Once science is invented and Ozpin gets around to learning some, he learns that Remnant... Is actually at least 4 billion years old, like Earth. It has a carbon cycle. It has fossils. It has a deep history well before Man or Faunus evolved. Well before the Brother Gods came around.

Now, maybe he thinks initially that the Brother Gods just exaggerated or they made the world seem older than it is (the same arguments Young Earth Creationists make)... But he then asks why? Did they know that science would be invented after they devastated Remnant and so wanted to... What? Cover up the truth when they aren't worshipped anymore? Why?

So the easiest answer is this: The Brothers lied about creating Remnant. Ozpin isn't sure what this means... But it changes the game. He's just not sure how yet.

And as a twist? Salem figured this out too.

Click to shrink...

Oh I really like this consept, it has such potential for deep stories.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Now the thing is, Religion and Science are not the same thing. At all.

Religion is a truth you live by in how you live your life and how morality and philosophy, approaching the world, works. However things go, you live by that truth, that framework for how people are supposed to behave, what is good, what is evil, and so on.

Science is a truth that changes as you learn more. It tells you how the sun works, why we have fossil fuels, why you get hot, why you get cold, etc. Natural philosophy by the Greeks held that the Sun and Moon went around the Earth, but Galileo, Copernicus and other astronomers proved it didn't, and we got conclusive proof when we launched space satellites into orbit. If you do a science experiment and it contradicts your original hypothesis, then you were wrong and the truth of science is revealed.

So you can see that they are not the same at all... But you can see how they can step on eachother's toes sometimes.

Yet at the same time, they can be complimentary. European science advanced so much because of the Judeo-Christian ideal (influenced by Roman and Greek natural philosophy) that learning and understanding the universe is how to better understand God, and multiple scientists, from Isaac Newton to Albert Einstein, were religious. But at the same time, people can use science or religion (or the idea of what science and religion are) against one another due to politics, often with disastrous results to both.

So fundamentally, the revelation that Remnant is billions of years old doesn't disprove any of the religions on the planet unless they explicitly say that the Earth is only a few thousand years old (Which the Bible, as an example, doesn't say: This was thanks to some Protestant preacher who thought science was heretical-Fuck that guy). Literal interpretation of the Bible was also linked to this movement in reaction to Catholicism (Which held you had to interpret the Bible and think about it given while it was inspired by God, it was written by fallible humans) and Industrialism and the Enlightenment notion that humanity doesn't need religion or hope, just science and manmade reason (And just look at the USSR and Maoist China for how that went).

All it does is demonstrate that two self professed "gods" are liars. Because they were explicit in how they detailed the creation of Man and Grimm. But if there was a time before Man and Grimm on Remnant, a very LONG deep history? Then they were liars.

Which honestly? Would make things make a lot more sense, not just from a scientific point of view. How petty, how ridiculous, how awful the Brother Gods are. The Blacksmith describes them as mischievous naughty children-Them creating all of creation is just obnoxious and lazy. You don't buy that beings you are more sophisticated than could have made such an incredible universe. Any more than Picard would believe that Q was God-"The universe is not so badly designed!"

Further, if they did lie? Then they are not flawless. They have vulnerabilities. Which gives you interesting possibilities with Salem. Not to redeem her, necessarily, but an enemy mine kind of situation actually gives her story more depth.

But this is just my view point on it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Breaker Faith

I. General Dogmas and Theology

Supreme Deity

Aslan, the Great Lion, the Table Breaker and Springbringer. Son of the Emperor Above. Prince of Peace. The embodiment of sacrificial love, redemption, and victory over death and tyranny.

The Holy Trinity

The Church teaches that the Divine exists in three persons, co-eternal and of one essence:

• The Emperor Above — The Father, the source of all being, the Uncreated One who dwells beyond the world.
• Aslan, the Table Breaker — The Son, who entered creation, took on mortal flesh, shattered the fate of death, and opened the way to eternal life.
• Pneuma (The Breath) — The Holy Spirit, the animating force of life and holiness. It is by Pneuma that Aslan's Breath heals the dying, restores those turned to stone, and dwells within the faithful. The Pneuma proceeds from the Emperor Above through the Son, and is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Son.

Last ProphetSaint North. A historical figure, the forerunner of Aslan who prepared his path. A warrior, preacher, and protector whose image has evolved over time into a softer, gift-giving archetype.

Holy Scripture

The Good Book. A collection of sacred texts, including:

• The life and teachings of Aslan (his birth, miracles, sermons, voluntary sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension).
• The stories of Saint North and his deeds.
• The chronicles of the disciples and the early Church.
• Prophecies and epistles, including the final book: Apocalypsis (The Revelation), which speaks of the ultimate triumph over evil and the final judgment. The epistles themselves were written to the Quitalans (the old Quitalan Empire on Sanus), to the Hellenes of various city-states, to the Temujinians of Rostram, and to the Hermodians of Jotunheim, among others, spreading the teachings across the known world.

Core DogmaAslan's life, death, and resurrection shattered the fate (death) engraved upon the Stone Table for all mortals, opening the path to salvation and eternal life in the paradise he created beyond this world.

Key Feasts

• Aurora (Spring Day) — The celebration of Aslan's resurrection and the Breaking of the Table. This is the holiest day of the liturgical year, observed with sunrise services on the Spring Equinox, the lighting of new fire, the ringing of bells, and the greeting: "He is risen." The response: "He has risen indeed."
• Aslanmas — Celebrated on December 20 in Sanus and on December 25 in Solitas and Anima, marking the birth of the Table Breaker into mortal flesh.

Dating System

The faith's calendar is anchored not to Aslan's birth, but to his most significant act: the Fractura Mensae (The Breaking of the Table). This event, which marked the beginning of the path to unity and victory over the Ice Witch (the personification of Death and ultimate Evil), is Year Zero. The system is denoted as AMF (Annus Mensae Fractae — "Year of the Broken Table"). The years before that event are dated AFM (Ante Fracturam Mensae — "Before the Breaking of the Table"). For simplicity, this event occurred 2002 years before the events of RWBY Volume 1.

II. History

Kirkism — The Prelude to the Breaker Faith

According to The Good Book, before the Table Breaker walked the world of Remnant, there was a people enslaved in the land of Osyrus in western Vacuo. These were the Leonic Faunus Tribe, bound under the heel of masters who cared nothing for their suffering, and they cried out for deliverance across the long years of their bondage.

Then came a prophet called Herut — a figure analogous to Moses in the traditions of our own world — who rose from among the slaves and, by the will of the Emperor Above, demanded their release. When this was refused, a series of signs and wonders followed, culminating in a great liberation as the Leonic Tribe crossed the Serenic Ocean into the continent of Anima. They traversed westward across half that vast land, guided by faith and the promise of a home, until at last they settled in the region called Narn — the World Bridge, the very center of Anima where the Lion's Maw meets the great Lake Matsu.

This ancient faith, known in scholarly circles as Kirkism, was monotheistic and already held to the promise of a coming deliverer who would one day shatter the fate of death. It permitted converts among other Faunus tribes who joined the exodus and later when they established their kingdom in Narn. Over the centuries that followed, the majority of rulers and priests in Narn were Lion Faunus, though various other tribal groups contributed their own traditions and voices to the growing religious community. It was from this soil, this long expectation of a deliverer who would break the hold of death upon mortal souls, that the Table Breaker would eventually arise.

Holy City — Aelia Paravel

The site of the Stone Table, Aslan's sacrifice, and his resurrection. The primary center of pilgrimage and the spiritual capital of the faith.

Aelia Paravel and the Tale of the Table Breaker

Aelia Paravel is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities still standing within the Kingdom of Mistral, and perhaps the whole world. As such it has carried many titles over the centuries: the Crossroads of Anima, the Lower Court, the Oasis of Justice, the City of Kings, the Holy Place, the Table of Fate, the Broken Table.

The city lies in the region of Narn (also known as the World Bridge), a historically vital corridor between the western and central parts of Anima — specifically between the Hellenic League (Hellenia) and the territories that would become Imperial Mistral and the eastern lands. To the south lies the bay known as the Lion's Maw; to the north stretches the great Lake Matsu. This position has made Narn the site of countless battles throughout Remnant's history — from deep antiquity through the Great War — where hundreds of thousands of warriors have fallen. The fields of Narn are soaked with the blood of soldiers, Crusaders, and defenders of the faith, making the region sacred ground and a place of pilgrimage for those seeking to honor the fallen.

Legends claim that the city was built around an artifact left behind by ancient gods known as the Stone Table. These legends claim this Stone Table governed the births, lives, and deaths of mortal souls, both human and Faunus alike. This power drew the attention of a mighty Witch with mastery over ice and snow, who conquered the city in her quest to live forever.

The Ice Witch (Queen Jadis) used the Stone Table as an altar to perform human and Faunus sacrifices that were meant to add the lifespan of the slain to her own. For a hundred years she reigned over the city and the surrounding lands with a freezing fist. Her name, preserved in the oldest manuscripts, is Jadis — the White Queen, the personification of death's cold embrace. But it all came to an end through the sacrifice of the Table Breaker.

According to the scriptures written by his disciples (which to this day remain the best primary source of his life), the Table Breaker was a Faunus man of humble birth. His exact breed is not mentioned in the holy texts, leading to a healthy debate as to what kind of Faunus the man really was. The most longstanding consensus says he was a Lion Faunus; those who disagree make the case for him being either a Snake, Dove, Fish, Sheep, or Goat Faunus depending on their interpretation of his Sermon by the Sea.

Regardless of how the followers interpret those verses, they all agree that the Table Breaker was born with the spark of the Divine within him, both God and Mortal. This divine power gave him otherworldly knowledge and the power to work miracles no Semblance could hope to replicate. He healed the sick, gave comfort to the weary, and taught truths that confounded the wise. This led to him gathering a large following of disciples who did their best to record all his teachings — and this following caught the attention of the Ice Witch's secret police.

The Disciples — the Table Breaker's closest followers — included:

• Peter the Magnificent, a natural leader
• Lucy the Valiant, the first to truly see him for who he was
• Susan the Gentle, the queenly archer
• Edmund the Just, the redeemed who knew the depths of betrayal and forgiveness
• Oreius Glenstorm, a horse Faunus and chieftain, commander of the faithful warriors
• Tumnus, a goat Faunus and trusted friend who first sheltered Lucy
• Reepicheep, a mouse Faunus of boundless courage and honor
• Eustace the Changed, whose scales fell away in repentance
• Jill the Steadfast, who sought and found
• Digory the Seeker and Polly the Constant, witnesses to the beginning
• Puddleglum, the Marsh-wiggle whose stubborn hope defied despair itself
• Caspian the Seafarer, who joined later and would wed Susan, becoming the patron of naval missions

The Table Breaker's followers expected him to confront the Ice Witch in an epic duel of cosmic powers, and they were all shocked when he willingly gave himself up and allowed the Witch to sacrifice him upon the Stone Table. For three days and three nights his body lay upon the Table, and the Witch mocked those who mourned him. Then on the dawn of the fourth day — the first Aurora — the ground shook, the earth cracked, and the Stone Table broke in two as the Table Breaker's spirit returned to His body and lived again.

The White Witch was slain in battle that day. But her power over the land ended that very sunrise.

As for the Table Breaker? The sacred texts claim his time in death had allowed his divine spark to come to the surface, and he returned, both God and Mortal. He remained within the Holy City of Aelia Paravel for a year, doing good and teaching doctrine, before he departed for a place beyond the world — where he would build a paradise of growth so that all those who believed on his name could escape the dooms engraved in the Stone Table. Though it is said he returned as needed to the faithful and is active in the world today.

The holy texts say that the Table Breaker organized his followers into a church before his final departure, led by the Four Stewards (two men, two women) whom he commissioned to spread his teachings to the world. The Four Stewards and the priesthoods they headed took to this task with gusto, and only a few short centuries later, believers could be found in almost every corner of the world in significant numbers.

Historical Context

The Golden Age

The faith was the dominant religion for centuries, exerting massive cultural influence across Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo. From the middle classical age to the early modern period, the Church of the Table Breaker was one of the dominant cultural forces across most of the world, to the point that it is easier to list the nations where the faith was not the most prominent religion among the common people.

The Narn Campaign (11th Century AMF)

In the 1000s, Pontifex Eustace V — a Hellene himself — led the Church and its Orders in a desperate defense of the Narn region as they faced the Dark Hellenic Empire of North-Western Anima, ruled by the Witch Queen of Argus, Basilissa Kakon (her birth name being Deidamia). One of the most infamous and mightiest Grimm Cultists in history, she worshipped the Witch Queen of Grimm herself. Aelia Paravel was one of many targets in her conquests. The war in Narn saw tens of thousands fall on both sides, but the Witch Queen was ultimately slain in 1070 by the legendary heroine Jeanne Arc and her companions. Pontifex Eustace V was thereafter venerated as the "Iron Pope" — a defender of the faith whose courage and leadership saved the Holy City.

The Reformist Movement (15th Century)

The 15th century saw the rise of the Reformist movement within the Breaker Faith, born from widespread discontent with clerical corruption and the perceived distance between the hierarchy and the common believer. Religious conflicts erupted across Eastern Sanus, forcing some to flee their homes in search of new lands where they could worship according to their conscience. Some of these refugees made the long journey northward, crossing the sea to Solitas, where they would eventually found the provinces of Balto and Midgard. This era has given birth to the North Valean, White Spring Reformist, and Albion Churches.

Decline in Mistral

Before and after the Great War, Mistral's secular elites pursued anti-clerical policies. The defeat in the war and the subsequent search for scapegoats led to official persecution of the Church, as Aslan was a Faunus and the Church was seen as sympathetic to the Faunus Rights Revolution.

Modern Era

While this influence is reduced in modern times, it remains a very noticeable undercurrent in the societies of Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo. Aelia Paravel itself is a bastion of the faith within Mistral, existing in a state of tense autonomy. The threat of renewed persecution — or even a Crusade called by the Church in response — looms in the air. Mistral is a different story entirely.

The Final Prophecy

The Good Book concludes with Apocalypsis (The Revelation), which foretells the ultimate confrontation between the forces of Aslan and the final embodiment of evil. This final battle is prophesied to occur at Stable Hill — one of the ancient cities in the Narn region, near Aelia Paravel. The name "Stable Hill" carries deep theological significance — it was in a humble stable that the Table Breaker was born, and it is at Stable Hill that the final victory will be won. This eschatological battle, the Armageddon of the Breaker Faith, is the subject of endless theological reflection, artistic depiction, and sober preparation among the faithful.

III. Church Hierarchy and Structure

Head of the Church — The Lion Pope. The supreme spiritual leader of all denominations. Not necessarily a Lion Faunus.

High Council — The Four Stewards. The successors of Aslan's first disciples (two men, two women). They manage the day-to-day affairs of the Church from Aelia Paravel.

Table Breaker Militant Orders — Military-religious orders that form the elite armed forces of the Church. Their members (Paladins, Warrior Monks, and Warrior Nuns) are considered peers to Huntsmen and Huntresses.

Ecclesiastical Structure — The Church maintains a complex hierarchy of bishops, archbishops, and metropolitans across the world, all in communion with the Lion Pope. Major regions are organized into dioceses and archdioceses, with the most ancient sees holding particular honor.

IV. Major Denominations

After a period of schism, reconciliation occurred, and these denominations now coexist within the unified Breaker Faith.

Aslanists

• Analogue: Catholicism.
• Traits: The most centralized hierarchy under the Lion Pope. Emphasizes the role of the Church as a mediator in salvation, with a strong sacramental theology and venerable liturgical traditions.

Paravelians

• Analogue: Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Assyrian, Armenian, etc.).
• Traits: Strong in Central, Southern and Eastern Anima (Imperial Mistral, Pandu, Rostram), as well as in Sedna on Solitas, and in Anaansi and Osyrus in Vacuo. Consider themselves the guardians of the oldest and purest tradition, dating back directly to Aelia Paravel. Their liturgical language retains ancient forms, and their monastic tradition is among the most rigorous.

Northern Orthodox Church

• Analogue: Russian Orthodoxy.
• Traits: Strong in Solitas (Indrik, Hyperborea, Rana Niejta). Emphasizes community, the common good, repentance, redemption, and spiritual resilience (endurance) in the harsh conditions of the continent. Their liturgy is known for its profound beauty and theological depth.

Hellenic Orthodox Church

• Analogue: Greek Orthodox Church.
• Traits: Strong within the Hellenic League and throughout the Hellenic diaspora. Emphasizes the mystical and contemplative dimensions of the faith.

Hellenic Aslanist Church

• Analogue: Eastern Catholic Churches.
• Traits: A community of Hellenic Christians who maintain their own liturgical traditions while in full communion with the Lion Pope. Preserves ancient rites and practices that predate the Great Schism.

Hellenic Reformist Church

• Analogue: Eastern Protestant Churches.
• Traits: A smaller denomination that arose from the Reformist movement within the Hellenic world. Emphasizes the authority of scripture, justification by faith, and the priesthood of all believers, while retaining certain Hellenic liturgical forms.

White Spring Reformism, North Valean Church, Albion Church, etc.

• Analogue: Various Protestant denominations (Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Baptism).
• Traits: Prevalent in the United Nations of Vale (Vytalian Commonwealth, Vale-Proper, Niederung, partially in Arminus and Endeavor) and has significant presence in the Atlas Federation (Republic of Balto and Midgardian Democratic Republic). Rose up against corrupt church leadership. Emphasize personal faith, study of The Good Book, and a direct connection to Aslan without excessive clerical mediation. The Reformist movement of the 15th century, which led to significant religious conflicts in Eastern Sanus, directly contributed to the founding of Balto and Midgard as refugees fled to Solitas seeking religious freedom.

Rilianites (Wheeler Church)

• Analogue: Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
• Traits: Founded by the prophet Rilian Wheeler, who claimed to have found a new Gospel of Aslan (based on the canonical story The Silver Chair). Initially persecuted, they settled in the Mortali Desert (South Eastern Sanus) and grew wealthy from oil and Dust discoveries, as well as giving the world the legendary weapons designer Jonathan Aslan Brunaz. They maintain distinctive practices and additional scriptures.

V. The Church and the Others

Relations with Horomazism (Rostram)

The relationship between the Breaker Faith and the ancient Horomazist tradition of Rostram has been long and complex. Queen Averis of Rostram was the first convert of that kingdom, and for a time Rostram was ruled by Table Breaker monarchs who brought their faith with them from the west. Yet the native Ahura Mazda faith, with its deep roots in Rostrami culture and identity, never vanished; it reasserted itself over the centuries, leading to periods of religious war and tension. Eventually, however, the two faiths settled into a fairly peaceful coexistence, recognizing that neither would fully displace the other. Queen Averis herself became venerated as a saint in the Table Breaker tradition — "The Warrior Queen" — and remarkably she is still celebrated by those who follow Ahura Mazda as well, for they remember her as a great queen who ruled with justice and wisdom, regardless of her foreign faith.

Relations with Faunus and the Animal God Faith

The Table Breaker Faith, founded on the teachings of Aslan the Lion (traditionally depicted as a Lion Faunus), has always had a complicated relationship with Faunus identity. Aslan was a Faunus. The disciples included Faunus. The Lion Pope has, at various points in history, been a Faunus himself — including, on several occasions, a Lion Faunus. Religious institutions were often sanctuaries for Faunus in otherwise hostile societies.

Yet the universalist message of the Table Breaker Faith — that Aslan died for all, Human and Faunus alike — was not always embraced by Faunus radicals who sought a more particularist faith centered on Faunus identity alone. The tension between particularism and universalism would eventually produce schism and debate, though never a formal separation of the kind seen in other traditions.

The Animal God faith itself existed long before the Table Breaker religion. It was a syncretic tradition that merged various Faunus pantheons into a single divine figure, worshipped as the source of all Faunus life and identity. This faith survived on Menagerie and in remote Faunus communities across Remnant, preserving cultural traditions that the Table Breaker Faith sometimes suppressed in its zeal for universal conversion.

In the 19th century, as Faunus identity began to coalesce around the idea of a unified "Faunuskind" (itself a relatively new concept), some thinkers attempted to reconcile the Animal God tradition with Table Breaker theology. They treated the Animal God as a precursor or avatar of the Emperor Above, drawing parallels to certain early Christian debates about the nature of Christ. This "Animal God Sect" of the Table Breaker Faith argued that Aslan was a creation of the Animal God, not the divine Son, and emphasized his Faunus nature over his universal message. It did not survive as a major movement, but its echoes can still be found in certain syncretic practices among Faunus communities on the margins of the Table Breaker world.

Currently, in the aftermath of the Faunus Wars and the recent rise of the White Fang as a terrorist organization, the religious side of the conflict is being brought up again, as WF religious-political radicals are aiming to ignite the global Race Holy War, with one of their many arguments against the current world order being the dominance of the Breaker Faith. To the Faunus radicals, Aslan is "The Tamed Lion" — a figure that was created by the humans to enslave the Faunus spiritually.

Grimm Cultism

Grimm Cultists have always been a bane of Remnant as some people are drawn to worship Darkness and to engage in behavior and views that are damned by their kin for various reasons. Every productive society has been fighting Grimm Cultists, both within itself, when Cults operate undercover, and without, when entire countries and even societies are worshipping Darkness, such as the Xolotl Empire of Western Sanus or the Dark Hellenic Empire that took over half of North-Eastern Sanus and tried to spread in all directions.

Since its creation, the Church of the Table Breaker has always been at the forefront of the struggle against Cultists, amongst other enemies of all people inhabiting Remnant. But sometimes, it too was infected with rot, as various heresies were trying to take root in its soil.

One such was the so-called Church of the Ashen Bride, which traces its origins to the teachings of Viridis Serpens, a supposed nun who lived in the 2nd century AMF. Serpens questioned the full divinity of the Table Breaker, arguing instead that Aslan was merely a divine instrument — a puppet, as it were, of the True Divine — and that further revelations would be forthcoming through a messianic figure she called the Ashen Bride.

Serpens was in fact the Green Sorceress of Underland, the very same who ensnared King Caspian's son and attempted to make him her slave so she could conquer Narnia, as recorded in the Book of The Silver Chair. It is entirely possible that she was a worshipper of the mythical Witch Queen of Grimm, for her doctrine served to prepare the way for a counterfeit messiah.

The Church has repeatedly condemned this teaching as damnable heresy. In the year 1598 AMF, Terrence II, the Low King of Justice and Steward of the Second Chair, issued an encyclical letter from the Hall of Judgment in Aelia Paravel declaring the Ashen Bride doctrine anathema. This letter, addressed to the faithful across all continents, warned that the heresy opens the door to every darkness — it claims the Table Breaker's work incomplete, awaiting a "true messiah", which invites the rise of false prophets and deceivers. In its most virulent forms it has allied itself with the cults that worship the Grimm as agents of necessary destruction, and with those who secretly honor the Ashen One, another form of the White Witch herself.

Today, the Church of the Ashen Bride survives only in scattered secret cells, infiltrating Table Breaker communities and seeking to seduce the powerful and the righteous into debauchery and apostasy, using theological confusion as a weapon to divide the faithful while they advance the ancient agenda of the Witch Queen of Grimm. The various branches of the Table Breaker military orders, as well as law enforcement and state/national security agencies, remain vigilant against them, but the heresy has proven remarkably resilient, adapting to changing times and continuing to lure the unwary into its shadows.

VI. Table Breaker Militant Orders

To survive and thrive in the world of Remnant, the Table Breaker Faith has always been not just a productive force, but also a protective one. This martial and charitable aspect is embodied in its Military-Religious Orders — the sword and shield of the Church. While the advent of national armies, private security, and the formalized Hunter systems has diminished their scale from the medieval zenith, the Orders remain a potent, elite force of devout warriors and social workers, integrated into the modern world yet bound by ancient oaths.

Structure and Ethos

The Orders are structured as disciplined, hierarchical brotherhoods and sisterhoods, blending monastic life with martial excellence. Their ranking system is streamlined and meritocratic, focused on leadership responsibility rather than aristocratic privilege.

• Squire/Novice — A candidate undergoing initial training and evaluation, not yet a full member.
• Knight/Dame — A fully sworn member, a professional combatant equivalent in skill to a junior Hunter Academy student. They are the Order's backbone.
• Knight/Dame Sergeant — Commands a Combat Four, the primary fireteam.
• Knight/Dame Lieutenant — Leads a Combat Dozen (a platoon of 12 warriors, plus a deputy).
• Knight/Dame Captain — Commands a Half-Hundred, a company of 44 combatants with attached support.
• Knight/Dame Major — Commands a Battalion (~200 personnel), the primary independent operational unit, with its own dedicated staff and logistical tail.
• Knight/Dame Commander — Leads a Combat Thousand, a formidable regional force typically consisting of several battalions.
• Master/Mistress — Commands a Provincial or Regional Chapter (e.g., the Kitezhgrad Chapter of St. Edmund might have 5,000 members, only ~40% of whom are frontline combatants, reflecting the Order's diverse mission).
• High Master/Mistress — Oversees the Order's operations within an entire Subkingdom.
• Grandmaster/Grandmistress — Leads the Order at the Kingdom level.
• Supreme Grandmaster/Grandmistress — Resides in Aelia Paravel, providing spiritual and strategic guidance for the Order worldwide.

Advancement is based on proven merit, deeds, and the demonstrated competency to lead at the next level. Promotions are not automatic; a candidate must also wait for a position to become available. The Church provides extensive leadership and administrative training to newly promoted members, ensuring they are prepared for their increased responsibilities.

The Paladin and the StonebreakerOrders deploy two primary types of specialized warriors who work in concert:

• Paladins — The armored fist. They utilize modernized versions of traditional plate armor (enhanced with ballistic composites) and wield a mix of heavy melee weapons (swords, maces, warhammers) and modern firearms. They are the anvil — durable, drawing attention, and holding the line.
• Stonebreakers — The monastic martial artists. These monks and nuns forgo heavy armor for mobility, mastering Aura-based martial arts to an extraordinary degree. They fight with their bodies, light weapons, and Dust-infused techniques. They are the hammer — exploiting openings created by the Paladins to deliver devastating, precise strikes. In tactical terms, Paladins are the tanks and support, while Stonebreakers are the high-damage flankers and skirmishers.

The Grand Monastery in Aelia Paravel and major chapterhouses contain Armories and Asceticums — training centers dedicated to forging and maintaining these two complementary warrior traditions.

The Orders Themselves

These are the military-religious brotherhoods and sisterhoods, each with a specific focus and patron.

Order of Saint Peter

• Patron: Peter the Magnificent, the sword-wielding king.
• Specialization: Sword mastery, leadership, and command. The elite among knights.

Order of Saint Edmund

• Patron: Edmund the Just, the king who redeemed his past sins.
• Specialization: Close-quarters combat (maces, axes, fist-fighting). Many members are penitents seeking to atone for past crimes through service. Includes both warriors and social workers.

Order of Saint Susan

• Patron: Susan the Gentle, the queenly archer.
• Specialization: Long-range combat (bows, crossbows, sniper rifles).

Order of Saint Lucy

• Patron: Lucy the Valiant, the queenly healer.
• Specialization:
  • Sisters of Lucy: Medics, herbalists, midwives. They run temple-hospitals. Known for their work building bridges between Humans and Faunus.
  • Shields of Lucy: Warrior nuns specializing in protecting the healers and their hospitals.

Order of Saint Reepicheep

• Patron: Reepicheep, the valiant Mouse knight.
• Specialization: Fencers, scouts, and rangers. Masters of swift and precise combat.

Order of Saint Caspian

• Patron: Caspian the seafaring king.
• Specialization: Naval and aerial operations. Members often serve on fleet vessels.

Order of Glenstorm

• Patron: Glenstorm, the strategist.
• Specialization: Military intelligence, strategy, tactics, and logistics. Commanders and staff officers, not frontline fighters.

Order of the Dead Hill

• Patron: Wimbleweather, the giant of Deadman's Hill.
• Specialization: Slaying giant Grimm (Goliaths, Death Stalkers, etc.). They employ heavy weapons, siege equipment, heavy vehicles — both tracked (APCs and IFVs) and walking (Mechawalkers).

Order of Rhindon

• Patron: Rhindon, the legendary sword of the kings of Narnia.
• Specialization: The Church's weaponsmiths and armorers. They forge and bless weapons for the other orders.

Order of Clive

• Patron: C.S. Lewis, the apologist and writer.
• Specialization: Theology, education, and media. They codify doctrine, write prayer books, and broadcast over the CCTnet. Often come into conflict with other orders over matters of doctrinal purity.

Order of Digory and Polly

• Patron: Digory the Seeker and Polly the Constant.
• Specialization: Exploration, relic recovery, and archaeological preservation. They seek to recover and protect holy sites and artifacts from the faith's earliest days.

The Orders in the Modern Era

Today, the combined membership and associates of all Table Breaker Orders across Remnant number in the low millions. Their role has evolved from being the primary defense against Grimm to serving as elite force multipliers and humanitarian pillars.

An Order battalion is a smaller, more elite formation than a comparable military unit. The average Knight or Dame is considered the equal of three professional soldiers or ten irregulars. They specialize in high-risk operations: leading militias, reinforcing settlements, hunting specific dangerous Grimm, and conducting counter-insurgency with a focus on minimizing collateral damage. They often operate alongside, or are attached to, regular military units and Hunter teams.

The heart of their modern identity lies in humanitarian and social missions. The Orders are deeply embedded in civil society, running a vast network of charities and institutions:

• Education and Outreach: Operating schools, orphanages, and community centers. Teaching practical skills, basic Grimm defense, and providing religious instruction.
• Social Support: Aiding the homeless, single mothers, widows, and victims of conflict. Providing counseling, food, clothing, and shelter.
• Medical Care: Running temple-hospitals and clinics, often in underserved regions.
• Diplomacy: Their apolitical, faith-based nature allows them to act as mediators and provide aid in regions where state actors are mistrusted.

VII. Doctrine and Practice (added missing section number)

Sacraments

The Church observes several sacred rites, including:

• Baptism by Water: Initiation into the faith.
• The Table Feast (Eucharist): Commemoration of Aslan's sacrifice.
• Holy Orders: Ordination of clergy.
• Matrimony: Blessing of marriage.
• Penance: Confession and absolution.

Liturgical Calendar

The Church year is rich with seasons and feasts, including:

• Advent: Preparation for the coming of Aslan.
• Aurora: The Resurrection — the highest holy day.
• Saints' Days: Celebrations of the disciples and holy men and women throughout history.

Prayer and Devotion

The faithful are encouraged to maintain a rule of prayer, including daily reading of The Good Book, regular attendance at worship, and personal devotion.

Polygamy

The Breaker Faith permits polygamy but does not actively encourage it. It is neither banned nor promoted, regarded as a matter of personal conscience and cultural context rather than a central doctrinal issue. This stance reflects the faith's long history across diverse cultures and its emphasis on the heart's intent over legalistic uniformity.

VIII. Symbolism and Devotional Practice

The visual and physical language of the Breaker Faith is rich with meaning, drawing directly from its central narrative of sacrifice and redemption.

The primary colors of the Church are gold and red. Gold is reminiscent of the Lion's fur and the royal and divine nature of Aslan. Red represents the blood spilled in his sacrifice upon the Stone Table, the cost of salvation. These colors appear in liturgical vestments, ecclesiastical banners, and the heraldry of the Orders.

The central symbol of the faith is the "X" Cross, which represents the Stone Table as seen from above — the table upon which fate itself was broken. This simple yet profound emblem adorns churches, vestments, and the personal effects of the faithful. It serves as a constant reminder of the central act of redemption: the Table that once held the law of death now stands broken, its power undone.

For daily prayer, the traditional posture is a bowed head with crossed arms over the chest or clasped hands — a gesture of humility and supplication before the Divine. However, the distinctive gesture of the Breaker Faith is the Sign of the Table and the Broken Table.

• This sacred motion begins with both hands held out flat in front of the body, palms facing each other and fingers extended, the hands touching at the edges to form a single, unified plane — representing the Table as it was, whole and unbroken, the symbol of fate and the law of death.
• Then, in a deliberate and meaningful motion, the hands are separated outward, still held flat, now apart from each other — representing the Table broken, the power of death shattered, the way to life opened wide.
• The transitional motion between these two positions is considered a profound act of devotion, recalling the moment of the Breaking itself.

This gesture is used at key moments in worship, during personal prayer, and as a silent profession of faith in times of trial or danger.

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Written by @Colobopsis with some editing by me.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Saint Polly – Vacuoan Dust-Crawler Technical Profile

Official Designation: VLS-1099 "Saint Polly" (Vacuo Land Ship)
Builder: Vacuo Steamworks (VSW)
Home Port: Vacuo
Commissioned: 1988 AMF
Current Captain: "Ma" Kaelin Hubbard – former Shade Huntress, retired, now full-time landship skipper.
Motto: "We don't break the desert. The desert breaks the weak."

Physical Specifications

• Length: 140 feet (42.7 m)
• Width: 38 feet (11.6 m) at the widest point (wheel housings)
• Height: 68 feet (20.7 m) to the top of the observation bridge
• Decks:Five (including partial mezzanine levels)
  • Deck 1 (Bilge/Engineering): Twin Fire-Wind Dust reactors, main cargo hold (25-ton capacity), water reclamation plant, four half-track scout vehicle bays.
  • Deck 2 (Crew & Utility): Crew quarters (15 bunks), small sickbay (4 beds + surgical suite), large fresh-water tanks (holds 12,000 gallons / ~45,000 liters, enough for 30 days in the deep desert).
  • Deck 3 (Passenger): 80 passenger berths – mix of affordable double cabins and four private luxury staterooms with private balconies.
  • Deck 4 (Social): Grand Dining & Dancing Hall (can seat 90, converts to dance floor with retractable stage), observation lounge with reinforced panoramic windows, semi-open promenade with armored roofing shutters.
  • Deck 5 (Command): Bridge, communications room, captain's quarters, forward and aft gun platforms, Bullhead landing pad (capacity: one standard Atlesian Bullhead or two light civilian craft).

Mobility & Suspension

• Advanced Bogey Suspension System: Six massive independently articulated wheels arranged in a rover-style bogey configuration. Each wheel is 14 feet tall, with adaptive treads that can switch between deep-sand "paddle" mode and hard-pack "road" mode. Hydraulic actuators and Gravity Dust assists allow the ship to "crawl" over 12-foot dunes and rock outcroppings without high-centering.
• Top Speed: 28 mph (45 km/h) on firm desert floor; drops to 12 mph in soft dunes.
• Range: ~1,200 miles (1,930 km) on a full Dust load before needing reactor recharge/refuel.

Power & Environmental Systems

• Primary Power: Dual Fire-Wind VSW Dust reactors (each roughly the size of a Bullhead engine pod). Fire crystals provide raw torque; Wind crystals generate lift-assist and cooling airflow through the drivetrain.
• Climate Control: Integrated Ice-Fire Dust matrix. Ice Dust panels in the outer hull keep interiors cool during blistering Vacuo days; Fire Dust radiant heaters prevent freezing at night when temperatures plummet. The system automatically balances to maintain comfortable 68–72 °F (20–22 °C) even in 120 °F (49 °C) external heat.
• Defenses:
  • Two heavy rotary cannons (forward starboard and aft port mounts) – 20 mm Lightning-Dust-fed, 800 rounds per minute, effective against medium Grimm up to 1,500 yards.
  • Standard Vacuo "Howler" sonic emitters and bright-beam searchlights for repelling lesser Grimm at night.
  • Optional Huntsman escort contract (highly recommended for deep-desert routes).

Capacity

• Passengers: 200 (standard configuration)
• Crew: 15 (includes captain, engineers, gunners, steward, medic, and comms officer)
• Cargo: 25 tons (food, trade goods, mined Dust or minerals, spare parts)
• Support Vehicles: Four half-track scout "taxis" – each seats 8, lightly armed, used for shore excursions or emergency evacuation.

History

Landships had been tried in many locations across Remnant, but it is in Vacuo around the 1920 AMF that the idea really came to life. They took the core concept — a massive rolling home that could cross the endless sand — and made it Vacuoan: tough, practical, and just a little bit mad. The Vacuoans took to them like a sidewinder to sand, and even with Grimm Wyrms lurking beneath the dunes, they remain very popular means of transport.

Originally named simply "Crawler Nine," the Saint Polly was build in 1988 AMF and spent her first three years hauling ore and refugees between remote Dust mines and the coastal settlements of Hispania and Osyrus for the Dedun Mining Company. In 1992 she was officially christened Saint Polly by her new owner, former Huntress "Ma" Kaelin Hubbard. The ship received her name the same day her twin rotary cannons were bolted on.

Over the next decade the Saint Polly evolved. Ma kept upgrading her: the bogey suspension was refined after a disastrous 1994 sand-sink incident; the Bullhead pad was added when Atlas started selling surplus airships cheaply; the dining hall was expanded when the ship began taking on paying passengers who wanted to "experience the real Vacuo" without dying of heatstroke or Grimm.

Today she runs a semi-regular circuit: Last Oasis in Osyrus, Shade Academy supply drop, remote nomadic clan meets, then back through the deep dunes to Lusitania's glittering casinos. Wealthy tourists from Vale and Mistral book the private staterooms for "Desert Safari" packages. Nomads use her as neutral ground for trade and marriages. Huntsman teams sometimes hitch rides when they need to reach Grimm outbreaks far from any Kingdom road.

She has survived three major Grimm assaults, two catastrophic sandstorms, and one attempted hijacking by a rogue bandit crew. Each scar is proudly left visible on her hull — painted over in bright Vacuo gold so everyone can see she's still rolling.

Current Reputation: Reliable, rowdy, and romantic in that gritty Vacuo way. Passengers either leave swearing they'll never ride another landship… or they book their next trip before they even disembark.

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I was inspired by German inventor Johann Christian Bischoff's 1927 idea for gigantic landships to move across deserts like liners moved across oceans. Thanks to Dust and mechashift tech, these great behemoths could actually work-And with anti-Grimm defenses, could survive it. It adds some fun flavor to Vacuo. Though naturally the Saint Polly and other more modern Landships would have a more sophisticated suspension and wheel system.


View: https://youtu.be/hBlVosfvEgQ