Devotion and Divine Order

In the luminous heartlands of Helion, ritual is not merely habit—it is lifeblood. The Helrin people, known for their grace and discipline, are not consumed by religious zeal, but they live with quiet, pervasive reverence. Most citizens, from statesmen to farmers, align themselves with one of the three great Orders: Hiperia, Hireia, or Hairon. These Orders are ideological—structures that govern faith, politics, learning, and war.

While every city-state in the Helian League houses temples and shrines, the most sacred sites are hidden—places of pilgrimage cloaked in silence and distance. To approach these sanctuaries is to seek communion with the divine, especially during moments of crisis or revelation. Most temples honor all three gods, their architecture harmonizing the sunburst of Hiperia, the star-sigil of Hireia, and the sword-seal of Hairon. Festivals, funerals, births, and even crop plantings are performed beneath these triple-blessed roofs, binding daily life to divine rhythm.

The Three Orders: Pillars of the League

Each of the Orders maintains its own doctrine, leadership, and sphere of influence. Though unified under the League’s High Council, they operate with remarkable independence, and their cooperation—while genuine—is fraught with unspoken tension. Together, they form the triune structure on which Helian society stands.

Order of Hiperia – Light and Soul

The Order of Hiperia reveres the goddess Hiperia, the radiant sun-mother who guided the Helrin from darkness to the land of Helion. Followers, known as Hiperians, value piety, altruism, and spiritual discipline. Their core tenets are charity, chastity, and the immortality of the soul.

Only those born with an attunement to divine mana may ascend to positions of power within the Order. Chief among them are the Hierophants, sacred spellcasters trained from youth to channel divine energy. The apex of their hierarchy is the Grand Luminarch—a gifted chosen, believed to be a divine child of Hiperia herself.

The Order’s seat is the Tower of Hiperia in Heliopolis—a resplendent temple of gold-veined alabaster and sun-crystal, richly adorned and soaring skyward. Eight slender spires encircle a colossal central tower known as Lux-Sellia, the Throne of Light, its summit crowned with a masterfully carved fire-crystal that casts golden brilliance across the land.

The Hiperians wield influence not only in faith, but in politics and law. They hold sway over Helian philosophy and often oppose unchecked arcane research, viewing it as an affront to divine order. Ironically, they too pursue ancient relics—not to exploit, but to contain, fearing misuse. Their agents have been linked to clandestine recoveries of Elder artifacts and even rumored sightings of God Stones, objects said to alter the veil of reality.

Order of Hireia – Mind and Invention

In philosophical opposition stands the Order of Hireia, the most populous and progressive of the three. Named for the divine Hireia—patron of knowledge, harvest, and innovation—this Order welcomes those without divine or martial gifts. Its members, known as Hireians, are scholars, engineers, farmers, artificers, and reformers.

In addition to overseeing education across the League, the Order also provides specialized training for those attuned to elemental mana, particularly fire and earth, nurturing talents beyond the spiritual or martial paths.

Among its many foundational schools and specialized branches—spanning agriculture, artistry, architecture, medicine, diplomacy, alchemy, history, and beyond—the Order’s crown jewel is the Hireian College: a meritocratic institution dedicated to shaping the brightest minds of Helion’s future. Here, aspirants engage in the study of advanced elemental magic, astronomy, and arcane technology.

Admission is earned through grueling entrance examinations that test magical theory, practical skill, and intellectual aptitude. Though tuition is steep, students of exceptional promise may be granted patronage. Within the Collegium, they gain access to expansive libraries, celestial observatories, elementally attuned research chambers, arcane training halls, and countless other resources designed to cultivate mastery and innovation.

Famous Hireian inventions include:

• Glyphscribing, the arcane art of permanently infusing objects with spells;
• The Void Displacer, shifting small items through void;
• Mana Condensers, storing excess magical energy;
• Glintcloak, masking the wearer from sight;
• Arcane Monocle, which can offer insight into immediate future;
• Everlasting Gemlights, bringing soothing comfort to everyday life.

The Hireians’ bold pursuit of knowledge often puts them at odds with the Hiperians. The College studies even Elder relics, delves into ruins from the First Age, and has openly debated the use of God Stones—artifacts rumored to open the Gates through the Void.

To the Hiperians, this is heresy. To the Hireians, it is the future.

Order of Hairon – War and Dominion

Where the first two Orders look inward, the Order of Hairon turns its gaze to the horizon—and the enemy. Named after the god of strength, honor, and conquest, Hairon’s Order serves as the military arm of the Helian League.

Its members—the Haironians—are soldiers, sailors, commanders, and explorers. In every city of the League, the Fields of Hairon stands near the port: a fortified barracks complex where active Haironians muster and prepare for duty. While some are charged with the defense of their home cities and surrounding territories, the majority serve within the Expeditionary Force—a highly disciplined naval fleet tasked with exploration, the recovery of ancient artifacts, and securing the League’s strategic interests across distant shores.

Haironians believe in might through discipline. Martial achievement is divine service. Yet they, too, are drawn to the mysteries of the world. Expeditions have recovered forgotten weapons, unearthed entities long thought extinct, and stirred conflicts with other realms.

Tensions and Conflicts

Despite official unity, the Orders are caught in a web of rivalries, secrets, and ideological faultlines. The Hiperians see unchecked innovation as spiritual desecration. The Hireians accuse them of suppressing progress for fear of losing influence. The Haironians, practical and mission-driven, often serve as intermediaries—yet their own agenda is clear: expansion and dominance.

Most controversial of all are the divine vessels said to hold the secrets of the Age of Gods, and perhaps even the power to purge the final profane matter from Calad. While the Hireians study them openly, driven by a belief in progress through knowledge, the Hiperians pursue them in secret, wary of their dangers yet unable to resist their allure. In doing so, they often awaken the very forces they claim to guard against.

The fierce ideological clash serves as a welcome distraction for the Haironians. It draws attention away from the mounting tensions in the colonies, where Helian relief troops face increasing resistance from the Sand Kingdoms, and several fleets—formerly of the Expeditionary Force—have splintered away, now sailing under banners of their own.

City of Orders

Every Helian city is anchored by the presence of the Three Orders. Their halls rise from the heart of each capital, flanked by libraries, shrines, barracks, and academies. But nowhere are the Orders more visible than in Heliopolis, the League’s capital, where the city is split into three radiant districts—each a living embodiment of its respective Order.

Behind the main Halls lie elite residences, garden courtyards, open-air forums, and artisan markets. Students debate scripture beneath sunlit arches. Guards march past glyph-etched fountains. Priests bless wheat harvests with sunlit song.

Helion is not a monolith, but a chorus of forces—divine, rational, and martial. They are the soul of the League, holding the torch high in a sea of dark.