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Priests\u00a0of Bael\u00a0Dark Fathers of Perruush<\/em><\/h1>\nThe Clergy of Bael\u2019s warped cathedrals dot the galena-crusted surface of Perruush, a testament to their dominion over thrall and devils alike.\u00a0 This infernal priesthood is composed of once good-hearted mortals, drawn from the infinite corners of the known universe.\u00a0 Like all the tendrils of the mighty Hellion Empire, the Priesthood\u2019s hierarchy is absolute, and its law set in stone. Mortal priests are fed like grist to the mill of the clergy, ground down by propaganda and pain \u2013 and then set on a path without fork. From the lead-grey towers of their archdevil lord\u2019s palace on the Plain of Galen, the Priests wield far-reaching power.<\/p>\n
The Priests of Bael have entered the domain of the Unliving, at least in a way; they are infused with Positive energy, and are made far harder to slay thereby.\u00a0 They are the anchors of the archdevil\u2019s armies, powerful spellcasters that cripple their foes with magic that employs Perruush\u2019s potent poisons and palls of dark despair. The Priesthood is an order fanatically devoted to Bael the Corruptor<\/a>, and its members are as violently mad as they are enthusiastically evangelical \u2013 delivering sermons to Bael\u2019s minions in the midst of battle, punctuating their polemics with lashes from their razor-sharp extremities. Priests are the most commonly seen servants of Bael away from Perruush itself, leading his soldiers and pursuing his diplomatic interests as requirements dictate.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Descriptive Text & Chart (475px)” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n The Priests of Bael are heavily altered, twisted creatures. Each stands as tall as an Acolyte, but lacks a head. Their former respiratory gear is converted into a macabre crystalline jar, filled with fluid to sustain the still-living head that floats within. This unholy vessel is known as the Amphor. By the time the lesser Acolytes undergo the ritual that advances them into Priests, the creatures are unrecognizable; their skin resembles fungus-covered bark studded with pulsating, tumorous growths.\u00a0 Their feet and legs cease to exist and instead merge into collections of stiff tendrils that extend out over the ground like crawling roots. Their hands and arms deform into twisted branch-like tentacles, one still clutching their Skull Staff, the Bacullus and the others wrapped tightly around the Amphor. Most gruesome, though, is the giant maw that cuts through the center of their abdomens.\u00a0 From it, the Priests may emit a second set of blasphemous commands in addition to the spells mediated by its Bacullus. For these spells, most prefer magically-infused words of domination, just like their terrifying Lord.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Senses Text and Chart (450)” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n It is unclear whether the head each Priest carries is its own original head, but the head appears to be only nominally in charge of the body. Divested of its galena-encrusted Amphor, the body continues to fight erratically and even cast spells, but uses techniques and magics that have larger areas of effect to counteract its diminished sensory capacity. The head itself floats in a viscous, translucent plasma-like ichor, and appears always to be laughing, crying, or screaming. The Priest\u2019s corporeal form can neither speak, hear, nor smell. Instead, each Priest relies solely upon its Bacullum to speak and its Amphor to interact with the world; their abdominal maws can only spew hateful blasphemies and a few magical utterances.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ecology Text and Chart (525px)” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n Executioners are more feared even than their commanding compatriots, for their wickedness is inwardly focused on Bael\u2019s corner of the Empire.\u00a0 They are the teachers of those unfortunates destined to join the Priesthood\u2019s ranks, and the inquisitors that seek out blasphemy within. In halls carved into the native rock deep below the blasted Plain of Galen, the Executioners maintain the Acolyte classrooms in magically-enforced silence. They indoctrinate the minds and scourge the flesh of the fresh \u201cconverts\u201d relentlessly. Sleepless and merciless, the Executioners are known to sometimes slay even promising prisoners to be consumed piece by piece or recycled into the flesh vats. They specialize in more personalized magics than the Oppressors, using spells that inflict pain and manipulate the mind directly. They also serve as bearers of Bael\u2019s unholy word, prying secrets from his enemies and appearing amongst mortal cults to guide their corruption to its inevitable end. Executioners rarely engage in combat directly, preferring to use their slaves to fight for them. They have been known to vanish instantly, leaving their pawns to die if they encounter significant resistance, especially paladins.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Playable Text and Chart (475px)” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n![\"Priest](\"https:\/\/www.mortalarrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Priest-of-Bael-Description-Chart-300x272.jpg\")
Bael\u2019s Clergy advance through three distinct phases: the Acolyte, the Priest, and finally the Bishop<\/a>. Once an Acolyte<\/a> becomes a full-fledged Priest, Bael\u2019s altered servant is given greater responsibility within the diabolical clergy, permitted to lead units into battle and help in the sinister process of corrupting the next cohort of Acolytes. Despite the investment, only a fated few Acolytes ever make it this far.\u00a0 During the transition to full-fledged Priests the Acolytes\u2019 bodies expire permanently, never to be resurrected again. Instead of being discarded to the flesh vats, the bodies of the soon-to-be Priests become wholly different, infused with Unliving matter \u2013 not unlike some of the more advanced golems of infernal construction. Though the body can no longer be resurrected, it retains much of its original shape, and gains a great deal of resilience to common forms of damage- full Priests can regenerate even from dismemberment and evisceration. They also, curiously, cease to bleed like Acolytes do, instead oozing a viscous, faintly cloying blue ichor.<\/p>\n![\"Priest](\"https:\/\/www.mortalarrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Priest-of-Bael-Senses-Chart-258x300.jpg\")
The armor that each Priest wore as an Acolyte is sunken into its flesh, with rock-hard scar tissue built around the edges of each plate like a leather gambeson. Priests are far, far slower than Acolytes; they sometimes creep about the field of battle with a pained lurching gait, but are more often borne on a litter by Acolytes or a procession of the least of devil-kin.\u00a0 They compensate for this lack of mobility with utility, being far more potent spellcasters than even the most advanced Acolyte could hope to be.\u00a0 As the Priests progress up the chain of power within the clergy, each receives infernal grafts in the form of long wiry tentacles with saw-toothed barbs.\u00a0 Harder than stone and sharper than steel, these prehensile whips ensure immediate response to orders. A favorite teaching technique is to force one razor-edged graft into a devil\u2019s flesh and trace the lines of major nerves until the creature loses consciousness. One can denote a Priest of Bael\u2019s status by the number of such tentacles.\u00a0 None bear weapons, preferring to lead from behind their companies.<\/p>\n![\"Priest](\"https:\/\/www.mortalarrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Priest-of-Bael-Ecology-Chart-271x300.jpg\")
There are two formal \u201corders\u201d of Bael\u2019s priesthood- the \u201cOppressors\u201d and the \u201cExecutioners\u201d. One individual may not fulfill both roles – Hell is explicit about the roles of its servants. Acolytes begin on one path or another by the dictates of their superiors according to talent and need, but have no say in their assignation. The Oppressors are combat specialists, leading Bael\u2019s military units into battle and casting spells to demoralize and hinder their enemies. Oppressor-led cadres fight in eerie silence, and excel at striking from concealment in ambuscade. Most of Bael\u2019s armies fight quietly by preference, but an Oppressor\u2019s personal guards may even sew their own mouths shut: the Priests are fanatic about the will of their Lord, and have been known to flense alive the weakest among their troops for daring to cry out in pain. Oppressors generally cast spells that affect the morale or movement of the enemy, sending waves of despair into their ranks or calling acid-sweating hands from the earth to catch their feet.<\/p>\n
![\"Priest](\"https:\/\/www.mortalarrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Priest-of-Bael-Playable-Chart-194x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Like many advanced spawn of the Hellion Empire, Priests are as haughty as lords. Each believes itself to be the vessel of the one true orthodoxy. They are too clever to be easily caught off-guard or found in a position of weakness.\u00a0 For this reason, they are almost never confronted alone \u2013 they are usually accompanied by a dozen Acolytes, half a dozen Imperial Devils, or even an Oubliette Devil or two.\u00a0 A Priest of Bael will have defensive measures in place no matter its location, and will always have a contingency plan ready to activate at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 Their defensive spells are most often unholy barriers of fire, acid, and poisonous gases.<\/p>\n