“. . . I vow to defend the weak and downtrodden, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to shield these lands from foes within and without. I shall not take up arms against the law, nor smite a defenseless foe, nor dishonor the Parastin order with windy action or heated word.”
—from the Parastin Oath of the Last Law
As a Parastin Protector, you defend the downtrodden and those incapable of defending themselves. You belong to a martial order, and while most Protectors are veteran soldiers, not every Parastin struggle takes place on a battlefield, especially as the modern Steam Age civilizes and unites the people of Auxientia: those who seek to maintain justice above personal gain gravitate toward the “Coppers,” the city folk’s nickname for the Parastin, and among the order there are lawyers, secretaries, detectives, and people of all trades.
You are a guardian of sacred rituals, and as your virtuous deeds grow in number, you learn to channel the energies inherent in ancient lumenstones. In war, you are a formidable opponent. In peace, you do your utmost to avoid war and conflict and obey the strictures of the Last Law.
The Last Law
Followers of the Parastin creed subscribe to a sacred code known as the Last Law, allegedly the last commandment of Auxientius. Among a list of virtues and laws, the Last Law commands Auxientius’s true followers to protect the weak and defenseless, to act with honor, and to defend the city against threats within and without. The Last Law provides advice on living in troubled times and urges detachment from politics and gossip while promoting just action against abusive practices and slander. According to Parastin tradition, the Last Law was recorded on a lumenstone that has since been lost. The code has changed little over the centuries, though inevitable questions of interpretation and conflicts over the enforcement of the Last Law arise and reinterpretations are proposed.
Many Auxientians—including Bāhira, who claim the Parastin founder as one of their own—hold to the Last Law as a personal philosophy and guide for moral behavior, though they view it as a law for its time, and even scholars that admire it question its historicity as Auxientius’s actual decree. For you as a Parastin Protector, however, the Last Law is a strict code, and following its tenets protects and preserves Auxientia’s truest self. In times of strife and trouble, the Parastin order is a stabilizing element, reminding the city what it was and what it might be again. In times of peace, the Parastin Protectors maintain the balance and remain vigilant, for it is in peaceful, passive times that the threat of sudden danger is greatest.
Coppers, Not Cops
In spite of their mission to protect and defend those who cannot protect themselves, Parastin Protectors have no civil authority to enforce Auxientia’s laws. They are not the police force of Auxientia, and though most Parastin are ex-military, these soldiers break ties with civil and military orders when they join the Parastin. They do, however, protect and enforce the Last Law, even when it runs counter to contemporary Auxientian law. At best, this makes them ideal deputies for Auxientia’s sheriff; at worst, it makes them vigilantes interpreting and enforcing a rigid, idealistic code of conduct two hundred years old.
In Recent Times…
Rooting Out Corruption. Once again, frictions increased between the Parastin Order and Auxientia Police. Fueled in part by public sentiment that corruption within the city is growing and the power of The Silent Partners growing more obvious every day, the Parastin Order are no longer content operating simply on the outskirts of the city, quietly delving into protection, rehabilitation, and even espionage efforts. While Parastin relationships with other factions and city council leadership remains strong, Parastin and Police now stand in stark contrast as debates rage and tensions grow.
Leader: Yeagan Bascia
