Lore of Miracles

The Authority of Order in a Godless World

“Magic bends reality.

Miracles declare how reality must behave.”

I. Verghar’s Legacy

Verghar, God of Order, did not give humanity magic.

He gave them permission.

Before withdrawing from Caelthyr, Verghar taught the founders of the Holy Empire a single, unrepeatable ritual — the Rite of Ordained Will.

This rite remains the only legitimate source of miracles in the world.

II. The Nature of Miracles

Miracles are not magic.

They are:

• Law imposed through belief

• Authority enforced through doctrine

• Power sustained by collective faith

Miracles do not draw from:

• Natural mana

• Chaos

• Witch authority

They draw from Order.

Fundamental Rules of Miracles

1. Miracles cannot be learned

   They are granted.

2. Miracles are finite

   Each miracle-man has a limit.

3. Miracles degrade the bearer

   The human body is not designed to host divine order.

4. Miracles weaken far from faith

   Distance from Sanct Verghar matters.

III. The Rite of Ordained Will

Selection

Candidates are chosen by:

• Absolute loyalty

• Psychological rigidity

• Absence of doubt

Empathy is considered a liability.

Empowerment

The Rite permanently brands the soul.

Each miracle-man receives one miracle, never more.

Only two miracle archetypes exist:

Miracle of Lightning — 

Judgment

• Manifestation of instant divine decision

• Extremely destructive

• Minimal control, maximum lethality

• Used for executions, purges, and warfare

Effects:

• Divine lightning

• Paralysis

• Nervous system domination

• Anti-beast effectiveness

Miracle of Fire — 

Purification

• Controlled destruction

• Symbolic cleansing

• Used against witches, artifacts, corruption

Effects:

• White-gold flame

• Curse negation (temporary)

• Chaos suppression

• Ritual incineration

IV. Limitations & Costs

Physical Cost

• Accelerated aging

• Organ failure

• Loss of sensation

• Burn marks under skin

Psychological Cost

• Emotional flattening

• Fanaticism

• Loss of personal identity

Many miracle-men die within 10–20 years.

V. The Holy Empire

Structure (Vatican Model)

• The Pope of Order — absolute authority

• The High Synod — doctrinal enforcement

• The Cardinalates — regional rulers

• The Inquisition — enforcement arm

The Pope is believed to be:

• The closest living human to Verghar

• Not divine

• Not infallible (officially)

VI. The Inquisition

“Order must be enforced.”

Purpose

The Inquisition exists to:

• Exterminate beasts

• Capture or kill witches

• Confiscate curse items

• Suppress illegal magic

Composition

All Inquisitors are augmented in some way:

• 

  Miracle-men (elite executioners)

• 

  Rune mages (support & analysis)

• 

  Augmented humans (shock troops)

• 

  Elementalists (specialists)

• 

  Curse item bearers (black-ops, expendable)

Doctrine

• Witches are blasphemy

• Beasts are corruption

• Curse items are temptation

• Unregulated magic is heresy

Hypocrisy is doctrinally justified as “necessary impurity.”

VII. Relationship to Other Powers

Miracles vs Witchcraft

• Miracles can injure witches

• Cannot override bloodline authority

• Fire miracles can suppress curses temporarily

Miracles vs Beasts

• Highly effective

• Disrupt regeneration

• Especially lethal to vampires and shifters

Miracles vs Gozu

• Ineffective

• Attract his attention (dangerous)

VIII. Secrets of the Faith (DM Truth)

• Verghar does not actively respond anymore

• The Rite slowly loses effectiveness

• New miracle-men are weaker than past generations

• The Pope knows this

Faith is fading.

IX. Campaign Hooks Involving Miracles

• A miracle-man refuses an execution

• A fire miracle fails publicly

• A stolen Rite manuscript surfaces

• The Pope is dying — no successor resonates

• An Inquisitor bears a witch’s kiss