The Protectorate of Menoth
Even though Cygnaran law governing the Protectorate forbids the assembly of a standing army, the treaty contains a clause allowing a capable defense force—the Menites have done so a hundredfold. In the decades following its inception, various leaders have slowly amassed a secret army under the guise of this defense force more or less under the watchful eye of their neighbors. Every Sul-Menite is expected to be ready for the call to arms, and it is their holy duty to prepare. The laws of Menoth far outweigh those of any mortal king.
In the beginning, the Hierarchs and the Synod were training their people in hidden facilities. Under cover of night, in unmapped caverns, and behind hidden walls, Sul-Menites learned how to fight. Weapons and ammunition were stockpiled and tucked away in caches known only to high-ranking clergy. By the time Hierarch Voyle called for a holy war in 605 AR, the tone and feel of the Protectorate’s “military” had taken on a new face: that of the warrior in motion. It became a surge of the devout, a holy tide of soldiers streaming in from all directions. The crusade has given the Protectorate a renewed vigor of faith. They have even recalled those of the Old Faith in Khador seeing that an united war effort is stronger than a fractious, segmented one. Hidden warjack depots send new and improved chassis into the world, deploying troops that were not supposed to exist in the thousands to soon-to-be battlefields. The skies have darkened with the soot and smoke from the massing forces, and the flames of their holy war burn bright enough to be seen for miles.
The general populace must obey any ordained priest in addition to any other servant of the Temple. Priests generally defer to scrutators, but both have greater authority than the exemplars or monks who in turn wield more clout than paladins or the Temple Flameguard. However, even the lowest-ranking Flameguard can demand obedience from a Protectorate citizen. It should also be noted that members of a military group do not obey the commanders or superiors of a different group except at the special behest of a ranking priest or scrutator. For example, an exemplar cannot normally give orders to a paladin or a monk, regardless of rank.
