Orders of the Cross

Disclaimer

The Orders of the Cross setting is a fictional version of our world. I do not believe (or at least find it highly unlikely) that massive satanic organizations control our world. Even though I have taken a lot of inspiration from the cultures and history of humanity, I do not claim that this is an accurate representation of any of those. I do not wish to offend anybody.

Orders of the Cross

Creation of the Universe

In the beginning, there was God, a being beyond time and space. They wished for company, so they made the angels, purple spiritual beings. The angels were loyal but had no free will, so they could never truly love God, as love is no love if one never had a choice. God, wanting somebody to love them truly, formed a universe and allowed it to develop over billions of years. They created life on Earth, watched, and occasionally intervened as it evolved over millions of years. Since God exists outside the concept of time, it did not matter how many eons it took.

Roughly 300,000 years ago, God took two primitive humans and brought them to an isolated and hidden location in Africa called the Garden of Eden. There, God reshaped them, giving them a spirit and free will, creating Homo Sapiens Sapiens, the first true humans.

As their creator, they gave humans ownership over the whole universe. Free will is meaningless if there is no choice, so God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and its forbidden fruit into the Garden of Eden and forbade them to eat it. Finally, God changed the angel Lucifer, also known as Satan or the Devil, to become a rebel against his creator and the opposite of God’s loving nature.

Now with a world where humans could choose evil, Satan did not waste any time and tricked them into giving him the right to reign over the universe. God, bound by their perfection, could not break their own rules and forcefully take back the universe. So, they played the long game, slowly planting seeds to help them gain a foothold in this fallen world again, starting with Abraham.

Finally, they came down to Earth as Jesus Christ of Nazaret, dying on the cross for the sins of humanity and buying back the humans they so dearly loved. Now, any human could accept this blood price and submit to their Lord and Savior to regain the right to be called children of God and break out of the reign of the Devil.

Satan did everything in his power to undermine the progress of God and pull humanity as far away from them as he could, filling humans with love for sin and debauchery.

For thousands of years, God and Satan have been in a war for the soul of this universe and its inhabitants. Seven secret Christian orders have arisen to fight to save humanity. Those who know of their existence know them as the Orders of the Cross. Satan did not stand idly by and consolidated power in six organizations that try to lead this world into darkness.

God may have gained the final victory through their sacrifice and resurrection, but the Devil will do anything to pull as many humans as possible into damnation. This war will continue until the universe ends, each side fighting for every inch.

Factions

The biggest feature of this setting is the eleven factions within. Here is a list of them describing their origins, philosophies, goals, and other details.

The Orders of the Cross

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

John 1:12

The Orders of the Cross are united in their conviction towards God and their Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). They are few in number, having only about 1000 members worldwide. Since their enemies vastly outnumber them, the orders prefer a guerrilla-style approach to the conflict, having hidden bases all over the world and striking at strategic points with a handful of elite operatives.

These elite operatives have such a strong faith and spirit that they can materialize it in miraculous ways. Some can heal wounds, a few are imbued with supernatural strength, and others can call upon holy light to smite their enemies. A common ability among these agents is to infuse their weapons with divine energy so that they do no real harm. Instead, those infused weapons mentally overwhelm those they hit, causing them to faint.

The orders also have other members who take on support roles. These include scientists and engineers who work on developing and building new technology and pastors and monks who take care of other members’ mental well-being and menial tasks. The orders gain new members through converts, everyday Christians guided by visions, people they save during missions that wish to help, or members born into them.

Each of the seven orders operates in a specific part of the globe. They have a loose alliance and share intelligence, technology, and resources, but they primarily work separately unless a greater mission requires global cooperation.

Thanks to the visions of their prophets, the seven orders have access to the most advanced technology on the planet, which vastly surpasses anything that the rest of the world has. This includes teleportation devices, which they use, among other things, to directly teleport to mission locations, and robots with advanced AI that they use for manual labor, information management, and sometimes for combat and missions. Some of their technology is powered by spiritual energy and can be recharged through prayer and meditation.

The seven orders have a strict anti-killing policy, as they see their enemies as misguided sheep that they are trying to save instead of enemies which have to be slaughtered. They often try to kidnap important members of satanic organizations to convert them to their cause. If they fail, they instead erase their minds and drop them off in a location where they can start a new life. This is not brainwashing but a sincere attempt to change their minds. The memory wipe is only used since no other, more ethical alternative takes these dangerous assets out of the picture. The orders do not have the resources for large prisons, and the satanic organizations control most courts of the world.

The Burning Sword

So he sent the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden he put winged ones and a flaming sword turning every way to keep the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:24

Symbol: A straight sword engulfed in stylized flames
Main Location: Central and South Africa
Founding year: 15,677 BC

After God banished the first humans from the Garden of Eden, they stationed an angel with a burning sword to guard it against any who would want to claim the fruit of the Tree of Life. Many thousands of years ago, a primitive group of humans stumbled upon the entrance. Seeing the imposing angel, they began to worship it as a god. The angel could not permit such worship, as only God is worthy of it, so they approached the humans to correct them and teach them about the one true God and why they should never enter the Garden of Eden.

They started building a hidden community around this sacred sight, protecting it from any that might get close to it. This community evolved over time into the Burning Sword, the oldest of all the orders. Their main objective is still to guard the Garden of Eden and all of its secrets. No one outside of this order knows its true location. However, they expanded their original mission to protect those who suffer from the numerous conflicts on their continent.

Because of their primarily defensive purpose, they have developed a fighting culture of relying on heavy armor and shields to protect those behind them. Few other agents are as good as them in holding the line when defending those who need them, excelling in defensive warfare.

Main Base

The Burning Sword has a small town at the entrance of the Garden of Eden, which is the center of their operations, where the leadership manages the missions their agents go to. They call it the Gate of Eden.

Behind their highly defensive structures that not only hide this place through camouflage fields but also are built to hold against any kind of assault lies a surprisingly normal community filled with families. The Gates of Eden is, in fact, primarily just a place for the members of the Burning Sword to live in, with farms, a school, and other relatively mundane necessities. Because of this, the Burning Sword is technically the largest of the orders, as they have far more civilians in their ranks.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You either gain Lightly Armored, Decently Armored, or Fully Armored. If you already have proficiency with all armor types, you gain Hard Skin instead.

Finally, you gain More Vitality twice.

The Followers of the True Sun

What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.

John 1:4-5

Symbol: A golden sun with a white cross in it
Main Location: Central and South America
Founding year: 1412 AD

In the early 14th century, prophets started to appear in the Mesoamerican people claiming that a bearded god would come from the East to save the people. Most saw them as crazy lunatics, but they did manage to create a small and scattered cult that rejected the old gods and awaited this new god, which they also called the true sun. They named themselves the Followers of the True Sun.

When the Spanish arrived on the American continent, they brought violence with them, but also Christian missionaries. The Followers of the True Sun quickly realized that Jesus, which those missionaries were preaching of, was the bearded god they had waited for. They embraced the new faith with open arms.

They did not take kindly to the gold-hungry Conquistadors, which violently subjugated and enslaved the natives. Realizing that those ruthless brutes were not truly Christian but instead deceived by the Devil, they band together with some of the missionaries to fight against them.

Since that day, they have fought the oppressors and corrupt who exploit the poor and helpless.

The Followers of the True Sun are known for their fiery passion for Jesus, reflected in their explosive preferences in weapon choice. Their signature weapons are grenade launchers and other explosive weapons.

Main Base

Deep in the Amazonian jungle in Barsil lies an old stone temple hidden from prying eyes. It is ornated with sun symbols, looks abandoned from the outside, and is overgrown by vegetation. But if you enter one of the hidden doors, you will find the main base of the Followers of the True Sun, which they call the True Sun Temple.

It was built in one of their first worship sights, a relic of the time before the Spanish missionaries came. The interior is mainly made out of solid stone but contains advanced technology, which contrasts with the primitive design of the rest of the temple. This place is the largest base of the Followers of the True Sun, but they are less centralized than the other orders, and, therefore, it is less of a central command than the main headquarters of the others.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You either gain the Archetype feature Bigger Demolition or the Sub-Archteype feature Follow My Lead.

The First Church

For in it there is the revelation of the righteousness of God from faith to faith: as it is said in the holy Writings, The man who does righteousness will be living by his faith.

Romans 1:17

Symbol: A Ichthys, which is a fish drawn with just two curved lines
Main Location: Middle East and North Africa
Founding year: 33 BC

The First Church is a direct descendent of the first Christian community that the apostles converted after Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Because of those roots, they have a firm focus on pure and strong faith, preferring them over most technology. This makes them the most powerful miracle workers of the seven orders.

They are also very well-versed in being persecuted, as first they were hunted by the Jews, then the Romans, and then the Muslims. Especially after Islam took over the region, the Christians in the region were suppressed, which over time, worsened. Today the countries they reside in have some of the most violent persecution worldwide. Historically speaking, they mostly try to protect other Christians from that oppression.

Their status as the First Church grants them a position of respect among the other orders even thou they are by far the smallest of them all. Most meetings that involve all orders are held in their headquarters, and they take on a leadership role in times of crisis.

Main Base

In the middle of a desert in Israel lies a hidden cave. It looks like a natural formation from the outside, but when you enter it, you will find an underground complex carved into the stone. The only piece of technology you will find here is a teleporter. Everything else looks ancient but well-maintained.

This is the main hideout of the First Church, which they call the Oasis of Living Water. Contrary to the name, there is actually no natural water source within. All bare necessities, like food, are created through miracles. Only those with the strongest Faiths can survive here for long.

The Eldest of the First Church (currently Tohar ben Gad) traditionally lives here.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You also gain either Focused, More of the Same, Natural Ability, or Overcharge.

Finally, you gain More Willpower.

The Guardians of the Helpless

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

Symbol: Broken shackles with a halo
Main Location: USA, Kanada, Australia, New Zealand
Founding year: 1677 AD

At first, the British colonizers and the natives of the North American continent coexisted in peace. During that time, Christian missionaries managed to convert some natives, creating mixed communities. As the colonies revolted against the British and became the United States of America, they continually ignored any agreements they made and started to expand violently to the West.

Those small mixed communities banded together in the face of these injustices, trying to fight off the invaders. This was the birth of the Guardian of the Helpless. They were able to slow them down but sadly lost in the end. Their focus shifted towards protecting oppressed minorities afterward. Among other things, they tried to free as many slaves as they could. They were, for example, part of the underground railroad.

Over time, they expanded to other regions colonized and dominated by European immigrants, primarily Canada, Australia, and New Sealand. Trying to help the suppressed natives. Nowadays, they mostly fight against the influence of corrupt businesses and media controlled by the Illuminati and the false preachings of churches infiltrated by the Children of Lies.

The Guardians of the Helpless highly value the planet and take God’s command to take care of it very seriously. They not only try to protect the environment as well as they can, but they also have a greater appreciation for God’s creations. This gives some of them an innate connection to nature itself. It is common for the agents to have animal companions or even be able to transform into them. Their signature weapon is the bow.

Main Base

The Guardians of the Helpless are by far the most decentralized of all the orders and have nothing they can call a central base. They actually rarely stay long in one place and have the technology to teleport all of their possessions and parts of their temporary camps to new locations as needed.

They rely on this mobility to stay hidden and quickly retreat if one of their bases is found, but they also use it offensively to strike unexpectedly with full force.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You gain Off-and-On Transformation, Statistically Superior, Quick to Act, or Survivor Craft.

Finally, you gain Quick on your Feet.

The Keepers of the Word

From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.

John 1:1

Symbol: A scroll containing an East Orthodox cross
Main Location: East Europe, Russia
Founding year: 1918 AD

When the communists took over Russia, they started cracking down on anything that was against their ideology. As an Atheistic movement, this included Christianity, and they prosecuted them and burned their books. The Keepers of the Word started as a secret counter-movement trying to preserve their scriptures and sabotaging the Soviet Union from the shadows. They became experts in espionage and covert operations to avoid the police state.

Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union (that was in no small part because of their efforts), the Keepers of the Word kept their operations going to counteract the corruption of church and state that stayed rampant in most ex-communist countries.

Main Base

Deep in the underground, right underneath Moskau, lies the Keepers of the Word headquarters, the Library. Their expertise in covert operations allows them to hide right under the noses of their enemies. It has many hidden exits that lead to the city and its surroundings.

As the name implies, the Library contains a vast array of different Christian writings. It is indeed the most extensive collection of such literature among all the orders. The Library is, however, far more than just a place to collect books. It contains the central intelligence of the Keepers of the Word and all resources they need for their operations.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You gain two of the following Lesser Talents: Critical Piercer, Deception Adept, Dirty Fighter, Dirty Opportunity, Disguising Adept, Evasive, Far Shot, Footwork, High Ground, Precise, or Spell Book.

The Path of Trinity

And may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Symbol: Three drops moving in a cycle, one yellow, one orange, and one red, each of the drops containing two dots of the different colors
Main Location: East Asia
Founding year: 159 AD

As the apostles spread to the different corners of the known world to preach Christianity, the apostle Thomas went eastward into Asia. There he managed to convert some of the population, creating the first Christian communities in the area. Some built isolated monasteries that, over centuries, mixed their local culture with their Christian ways. The result was a culture of monks that sought a balance between Spirit, Soul, and Body. They named their philosophy the Path of Trinity.

Because of their monastic tradition, the Path of Trinity is the most isolated of all the orders and far more focused on inner perfection than being an active force in East Asia. Only in the last few hundred years have they started to venture into the world to foil the satanic organization. This change came from their contact with the other orders, which inspired them and also spurned the isolated monasteries to connect and become one order.

The Path of Trinity prefers unarmed combat, and their warrior monks have trained in various martial art. Each monastery has its own signature fighting style.

Main Base

High in the Himalayas in the disputed borders between China and India lies a sanctuary hidden in a permanent shroud of mist and clouds. This place is the biggest of the monasteries that follow the Path of Trinity and is called the Door to Heaven. The harsh conditions of the area and the thin air are seen as benefits by the order. Not only does it heavily discourage uninvited guests, but it is also part of the harsh physical training that the monks do.

After their first contact with the other orders, they allowed themselves to use more advanced technology, but they do not allow anything that would increase their comfort significantly. So you can find the basics, like teleporters and some modern equipment, in their monasteries but no robots or drones that could handle any hard labor or menial tasks.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You gain either the Archetype feature Unarmed Fighting Arts, or one of the following Greater Talents: Advanced Holy Damage, Clothes of the Mage, Devoted Mind, or Masters Fist.

The Templars

Take up God’s instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.

Ephesians 5:11-12

Symbol: A red cross on a white shield
Main Location: West Europe
Founding year: 1118 AD

The Templars are a legendary order of knights founded initially to protect pilgrims. Their devotion and heroism made them popular among the simple folk, and they gained a lot of influence. King Philip IV of France, who owed the Templars a lot of money, had a jester who was a member of the Bloody Pentagram and suggested he accuse them of crimes they had not committed. Because of those false allegations, the Templars were excommunicated and hunted down by the catholic church and those loyal to it.

Most believe the Templars were destroyed then and there, but some knights managed to escape. Now working from the underground, they continued their fight against evil. They still hold a grudge against the catholic church, which is mainly controlled by the Children of Lies, and try to sabotage them where possible. They also often clash with the Cartel and their criminal organizations.

Their origin as an order of knights led them to have a rather militaristic tradition. They value discipline and weapons designed for war, whether modern or medieval, and usually prefer to wear armor on the heavier side.

Main Base

Hidden in the Alps in the east of Switzerland is the Warforge, the central command of the Templars. The whole base is built into a mountain and cannot be seen from outside. Except for a small hidden emergency exit, the only way in and out is through the teleporters.

The Warfroge is the main manufacturing facility of weapons, armor, and other important equipment for the Templars, and it even produces enough to supply some of the other orders. It contains a mine blessed by god with most of the needed raw materials. Robots do most of the mining and manufacturing.

The Warforge is more than just a factory, however. Most Templar agents are stationed here when they are not on missions. This facility contains sleeping quarters, a mess hall, a church, training areas, mission control, and some holding cells. The Templars have a rigid timetable, which includes training, praying, eating, and sleeping at specific times with little free time. They pride themselves on their strict discipline.

Alternative Rules Background

Like all members of the Order of The Cross, you gain Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior.

You either get the Sub-Archetype Feature Weapon of Choice with either Military or Medieval Weapons, Paragon’s Presence, or Extended Weaponry and Field Rest.

The Satanic Organisations

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

The six satanic organizations are Satan’s tools to combat God’s influence in this fallen world. All satanic organizations work towards that goal one way or another, knowingly or not. Most of the members actually do not know that they are involved in this conflict at all, just working for the organizations believing them to be nothing more than mundane human groups.

Only the higher-ups actually know of their satanic nature. These leaders usually are not knowingly fighting for evil. Most of them have been tricked by the Devil and are under the illusion that God is the true tyrant, and they are freeing humanity from their shackles by doing Satan’s bidding. The Devil only reveals the truth to the most psychopathic and nihilistic of his servants, who gladly work toward humanity’s demise.

Their exact number of members is hard to pin down since they have their tendrils in most institutions, businesses, and governments, and it is not as clear-cut who would count as an actual member or who is just being influenced by them. What is clear is that they vastly outnumber the members of the Orders of the Cross, most likely being in the hundreds of millions. Therefore they also have far more resources.

One of the main reasons why they have not wiped out the orders is that they do not know where their main bases are since God conceals their presence from the Devil. Because of that, they are mostly forced to react passively to the attacks of the orders and rarely can actively engage them.

The satanic organizations work loosely together, but they often come into conflict, as each has its own selfish interests, which sometimes collide with each other. This is partly by design since the Devil wants to increase strife in the whole world, which includes his servants. These clashes even happen within each organization, as most have a culture of backstabbing each other to gain more power and influence.

The organizations have access to satanic magic and develop technology that is more advanced than that of the rest of the world, hoarding it for themselves. Much of it is highly unethical, like brutal biological experiments and the development of horrible weapons and drugs. These advances do, however, severely lack behind the technology of the Orders of the Cross.

To avoid the all-knowing sight of God, the satanic organization deploy so-called anti-god zones. These ancient rituals block off god’s influence in a certain area, allowing them to hide most of their activities from prying eyes. These zones do not block the supernatural abilities of the Christian agents, as their reborn spirit acts as a local gateway for God’s miracles. They do, however, block the teleportation technology of the orders. Teleporting in or out of such zones is impossible.

The satanic organizations use the anti-god zones in all their bases but also hide them all over the world to not give away their location by default. This force the agents of the Order of the Cross to operate blindly when they attack one of their hideouts. Once an area has been cleared, they can, however, revert the magic and destroy the anti-god zone.

The Cartel

If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”— my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

Proverbs 1:11-16

Symbol: A gold coin with a red upside-down cross
Founding year: 254 AD

Crime is as old as humanity, but it used to be chaotic and unorganized. However, as the roman empire faltered and became more and more corrupt, some crooks started to work together. As different criminal organizations arose, a few Satanists started consoling their power until they controlled all the criminal elements of the empire from the shadow. This was the birth of the Cartel.

As the world grew bigger, they expanded their influence further and further. Nowadays, they control almost every criminal organization on the planet. Be it drugs, human trafficking, illegal gambling, or heists, if it makes dirty money, it is most likely handled by them.

Alternative Rules Background

You either gain Overwhelm them, Hit Them When They Are Down, or Enhanced by Fright and Dirty Fighter.

The Children of Lies

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Symbol: Three sixes
Founding year: 1400-1200 BC?

For most of human history, there have been false prophets and people who exploited the superstition of humans for their own gain. However, The Children of Lies do not mislead others to use them. This Satanic organization aims to pull people as far away from God as possible and fuel their worst aspects through false religions and perverting Christianity itself. Where their influence grows, hate, fanaticism, and complacency follow.

Their origin is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is sure. They have infiltrated or even created almost every religious institution on the planet.

Alternative Rules Background

You either gain Deception Adept, Persuasion Adept, or Presence Adept.

You also gain More Narrative Momentum.

The Illuminati

But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

James 2:6

Symbol: A triangle with an eye
Founding year: 1776 AD

After millennia of most Satanic organizations controlling people through force and fear, a group of rich Satanists came together and decided it was time to manipulate the masses in more subtle ways. They founded the Illuminati that day. Their more muted paths were a great success, turning them into the most powerful and richest of the six organizations. Nowadays, they control the masses with propaganda and consumerism, turning people against each other and creating a world where narcissism, greed, ignorance, and gluttony have become the highest virtues.

The Illuminati heavily invest in science and have hidden laboratories worldwide. They have made some incredible advancements in biology, chemistry, and physics, but at a high moral cost. They often kidnap people, especially the homeless, to experiment on them. They have turned many civilians into grotesque cyborgs or mutant monsters. They use this knowledge to give their operatives extensive mechanical and genetic enhancements.

Alternative Rules Background

You gain Scientist Craftsmanship, Jack of all Trades, or Expert in your Field.

The Light Hunters

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, …

Acts 7:52

Symbol: A shining ball of light bleeding from a wound with a dagger in it
Founding year: 1204 AD

As the Orders of the Cross and the Satanic organizations started to clash more, the Satanists realized that the powerful agents of the orders could easily overpower their own goons. To turn the tide of the war, they pooled their resources to create an elite organization whose whole goal was to train specialized assassins meant to keep up with the Christian agents and kill them. This organization was the Light Hunters.

The Light Hunters are the smallest of the Satanic organizations but make up for it through their highly skilled operatives. Other than a fanatic hatred for the Orders of the Cross, they do not have any explicit goal. Instead, the other organizations hire them when needed to deal with the pesky agents of the orders.

Alternative Rules Background

You gain Mystic Resistance (Holy), Stat Reduction, and Specialized Hunter (Humanoid)

The Bloody Pentagram

And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

2 Kings 21:6

Symbol: A dripping red pentagram on a black background
Founding year: 13106 BC

Humanity’s desire for power is ancient, so humans have always tried to tap into supernatural energy, and demons were only too happy to grant such power in exchange for loyalty. And with that, the oldest Satanic organization was born, the Bloody Pentagram.

The Bloody Pentagram is a covenant of witches and warlocks possessing powerful magic. They do any blasphemous task they need to please their demonic overlords and gain more dominion over the arcane arts. They used to be the most powerful Satanic organization, but in a world that believes every century less in magic, their power has waned significantly.

Alternative Rules Background

You gain Bound to Divinity (The Devil), More Willpower, and Blood Sacrifice.

The War Bringers

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Matthew 26:52

Symbol: The head of a halberd stuck in a skull
Founding year: 1394 AD

As wars started to be fought less by professional soldiers or simple militias, mercenaries became commonplace. Some Satanists saw this as an excellent opportunity to gain more power and took control of most of them to monopolize war and became the War Bringers.

Over time the War bringers did not just take over most mercenary companies but also military-industrial complexes all over the world. They make their money with war and incite violence and conflict where they can.

They have become the main producer of military technology for the other Satanic organizations and are hired by them if they need some muscle. They love to develop new and deadly weapons to sell them, but they keep their best inventions for themselves.

Alternative Rules Background

You either gain Blood Lust, Blood for Blood, or Rush of the Fight

Character Options

When creating your character, your first question would be what role your party plays in this world. The most obvious option would be a group of agents of one of the Orders of the Cross or maybe even a special group consisting of members from different orders. If you play as an agent of the Orders of the Cross, you always gain the Traits Bound to Divinity (God) and Holy Warrior. You can also play an evil campaign as part of a satanic organization. It is not my cup of tea, but I will not stop you.

An interesting choice might be to play as a neutral party that is pulled into the secret war. Maybe you could be a group of investigators looking into some murders that turn out to be the work of one of the satanic organizations, or you are a group of soldiers sent into a senseless conflict instigated by the War Bringers, and as you uncover the truth you might try to fight them yourself. Feel free to be creative with the stories you tell in this world.

This is an alternative version of our world, so by default, most characters will be human. However, there are some possibilities for playing something else.

Cyborg

The Illuminati like to mechanically enhance their operatives, but they are not the only ones applying such upgrades. Christian agents sometimes replace lost limbs with robotic parts and some of the more mechanically inclined even modify themselves as an expression of their creativity or even faith.

If you use the alternative rules for backgrounds, you gain Mixed Ancestry (Mechanical), Hard Skin, and either Natural Ability, Natural Armor, or Natural Weapon.

Mutant

The Illuminati perform many genetic experiments and create all kinds of mutants, from horrific monsters to subtlely augmented people. Many loyally serve their creators, but some are saved by the agents of the Orders of the Cross and join them to fight against their former masters.

If you use the alternative rules for backgrounds, you gain Creature Type (Mutant). Mutants are incredibly diverse, so feel free to spend the 4 Trait points how you want. May I suggest the Lesser Talent Random Mutation?

Robot

The Orders of The Cross build many robots for menial labor. Some of them have advanced AI, and even if they have no real consciousness can still operate as well or even better than a human. The orders prefer to use human agents, but sometimes they build specialized robots that accompany them on missions. The satanic organizations lack the technology to build true AI, but they use combat drones you could play as even though their intelligence is severely limited.

If you use the alternative rules for backgrounds, you gain Creature Type (Mechanical), Overclock Mechanism, and a Lesser Talent of your choice.

Angel

In very rare cases, God sends angels to assist the Orders of the Cross. Angels are spiritual creatures and have no true physical body. However, they can interact with the physical world as it is a lower form of dimensional existence for them. Angels have no free will and cannot act against the will of God.

If you use the alternative rules for backgrounds, you gain Creature Type (Angel), Bound to Divinity (God), Holy Warrior, Angelic Presence, and Voice of Peace.

Demon

Members of satanic organizations often make deals with demons. Sometimes this deal includes them joining the summoner and helping them until the contract expires. Demons are spiritual creatures and have no true physical body. Unlike angels, they do, however, sometimes possess objects, materials, animals, or even humans, gaining a physical form in the process. Demons also do not have free will and can only act according to the Devil’s wishes.

If you use the alternative rules for backgrounds, you gain Creature Type (Demon), Bound to Divinity (The Devil), Demonic Presence, Enhanced by Taint, Mystic Resistance (Curse), and Mystic Vulnerability (Holy). If you play a Demon that occupies a possessed vessel, you also gain Mixed Ancestry (Either Animal, Humanoid, Mutant, or Animated).

Potential adventure hooks for campaigns

There are many stories you could tell in the Orders of the Cross setting. Here are some ideas you can base them on.

Isolated Missions

You can play as a group of agents who are regularly sent on missions that are not part of a larger story. This is good for a very open format where every mission is closer to a one-shot or a short campaign. Here is a list of potential missions you might send your players on:

• Raid a base from one of the satanic organizations and put it out of commission. This could be a criminal hideout of the Cartel, an Illuminati laboratory full of mutant experiments, a weapon factory of the War Bringers, a place where the Bloody Pentagram conducts blasphemous rituals, a training site for new Light Hunter assassins, or a terrorist camp driven into a fanatic frenzy by the Children of Lies.
• Protect an important civilian that is acting against the interests of the satanic organizations and is targeted by their assassins, like an honest politician, an uncorrupted police chef, a journalist uncovering something important, a diplomat sent to peace talks, or a witness of their crimes. Instead of a civilian, it could also be a freshly converted ex-satanist who is being hunted for their betrail.
• Gather intel to find out about the operations of a satanic organization.
• Protect a civilian target from an attack, be it a group of War Bringer mercenaries plundering a village, the Cartel planning a robbery, terrorists misled by the Children of Lies, or some warlocks trying to kidnap people for their sacrifices.
• Kidnap an important member of a satanic organization to try and convert them. This could be a bishop preaching hate, a celebrity enticing others to sin and dividing people, a tyrannical dictator, or a scientist working on horrible weapons.

Uncovering a major conspiracy

While on a routine mission, you players might stumble upon a hint of a granted plan of one or more satanic organizations. This could lead to a longer campaign with the goal of foiling this scheme and its potentially catastrophic consequences. Here are some suggestions:

• The War Bringers are planning to start World War III. They have multiple schemes in action which aim to destabilize the global political climate severely. You need to stop them before it is too late.
• The Illuminati have released a biological weapon, either on purpose or on accident, that mutates everything it comes in contact with. These could be classic zombies but also more grotesque mutants. Fight against the outbreak before it engulfs the entire planet.
• Dr. Victor Hall, an Illuminati, and CEO of Inomex (officially a pharmaceutical company that actually develops technology for the Illuminati), is building a time machine in secret. The player characters raid his laboratory, not knowing what he is working on. As an act of desperation, he activates the untested time machine, going to the past to prevent the creation of the orders. The player characters get pulled into the time stream, being bound to the time machine and always appearing a few weeks or months in the past after Dr. Victor Hall. Now they have to try to stop his plans and catch him before he has time to do another time jump. This is a fun scenario if you want to explore the past of this world.
• The Bloody Pentagram is gathering resources and human sacrifices to perform a spell on a never before seen scale. They plan to start an age of darkness where demons rampage through the world, and the natural order gets horribly twisted. Stop them before they can succeed or find a way to revert the spell if it is already too late.

Plot hooks for other factions

The Orders of the Cross are designed to be the good guys of this setting, but your group is not forced to play as them. Here are some ideas for campaigns where you are not agents of the orders.

• You are people unknowingly working for a satanic organization, but you eventually uncover the truth. Do you embrace the evil, or do you try to sabotage them from within?
• You are Illuminati experiments and try to escape from one of their facilities. Getting out is only the first step since they will surely try to hunt you down.
• You are a neutral party in this conflict that stumbles over this secret war. Maybe you are a group of investigators that investigate missing persons just to stumble upon a cult of the Bloody Pentagram or soldiers that fight against a brutal onslaught of War Bringer mercenaries.
• Show your true colors and embrace evil as you willingly work for Satan as part of one of his organizations.
• The Apocalypse has started, and with it, the final battle for everything. Join a side and ensure your victory or just try to survive in this earth-shattering event.