“What have we to fear when a god walks among us? Ral and Guthay bestowed unto us, of all the people in these bitter lands, their only son. Should He, great Tectuktitlay, demand a sacrifice, who are we to deny him, when he visits such abundance and prosperity into our lives? And should the moon priests make of us sacrifices, we should not question, for they and they alone know the mind of our god.”
The belief in Tectuktitlay’s divinity depends on the propaganda spread by his templars, those religious fanatics known as the moon priests. The Master of Two Moons stands on the backs of those devoted servants who exalt his name and make sacrifices to saturate the lands with the vital ichors needed to continue the bountiful crops and good fortune Draj has known for so long. They are figures of great respect and wisdom, but they are feared because they decide who lives and who dies.
Recruitment: The moon priests are an insular society. New templars are chosen from the offspring of the previous generation. Thus the office passes from parent to child as it has since Tectuktitlay blessed his favored servants with his power. Not all children are raised up; only those with unwavering devotion to the Master of Two Moons and with a near homicidal commitment to the rituals and ceremonies demanded are ever raised up to the exalted office, and even then they might be sacrificed by the sorcerer-king should they displease him.
Training: All moon priests begin as initiates, when they are taught the sacred rites required during fertility festivals marking the seasons’ passage. These initiates are taught to read, to work magic, and to navigate the intricacies of Draji governance. Initiates who lag behind or show disinterest in their studies are eliminated before they can weaken the institution. Others, especially those from families fallen out of favor, might have similar fates. Students must recall the most complicated myths and their meanings at a moment’s notice, while being forced to watch or participate in sacrifices performed by the ordained moon priests. The final test is the sacrifice itself, when the initiate must choose a slave and perform the rite before the moon priests to demonstrate both piety and dedication.
Duties: Moon priests attend every aspect of Draji life, from managing agricultural production to overseeing the fertility rites to enforcing the sorcerer-king’s laws. Lowly templars have a rice field as their homes and have slaves in their charge. Ranking templars leave the fields for the excess and decadence afforded to those who gain the sorcerer-king’s favor. They attend Tectuktitlay as advisors or consorts, manage the city’s affairs, and overseee the arena games.
Advancement: Caprice determines who rises and who falls, because the moon priests are a treacherous lot. Death awaits any who fall from favor; the altars are always in need of new sacrifices. Most rank-andfile templars live little better than the slaves. These priests have few opportunities to distinguish themselves, and most avoid attention lest they be singled out for execution. Still, opportunities for ascension exist and those with the cunning and determination can carve out a place for themselves, usually at the expense of their betters.
Adventuring Templars: Tectuktitlay covets
land and resources, and it falls to the moon priests
to acquire them. The sorcerer-king is also hungry for
magical power, and those who discover secret caches
might be rewarded by speedy advancement. Many
Draji templars embark on raiding missions wherein
they strike caravans, villages, and primitive tribes to
round up raw materials, including slaves. These expeditions are the perfect opportunities for moon priests
who develop a conscience to slip away, though doing
so means death if ever captured.