Alderism

Alderism

Theology	Polytheism
Language	High Attian
Founder	Alder Himmelschwert
Current Vater	Gregor von Volker
Origin	The Attian Empire
Territory	Norlanden, The Hinterlands, The Heartlands
Most Dominant	The Hadrian Empire
Separations	Makerism, Wahrheit Alderism
Orders	The Cult of Mortius, Alda's Sisters, The Templars

Intro

The most prominent religion among human settlements along the western reaches of the continent, Eden, is Alderism. As the name suggests, the religion revolves around the figure named “Alder” or “Alder Himmelschwert”. A mortal made God through his understanding of the Greater Pre-Determination. Those who follow Alderism believe that a greater force known as the previously mentioned Greater Pre-Determination is the ruling guiding power of everything that has ever happened and will happen in the future. Every possible state of the universe has been Pre-Determined by this force and can generally be cast into two distinct sides. The Ruling of Order, and The Ruling of Chaos. Alder was the first mortal amongst humanity who was capable of seeing and interpreting the two sides of the Pre-Determination and the guidance it provided to reach either of those ruling ends. He used this knowledge granted to him by the Greater Pre-Determination to pave a path for mortals to follow to the Ruling of Order. His excellent guidance in mortal life granted him a God-like status in death as his seed, The Nine Sentinels, were born as a result of his ascension and continued to guide mortals along the path to Order except one. Dolus, sentinel of Deceit and Corruption was born from Alder’s passing as well but unlike the other eight, he represents the darkness Alder bore within his heart and has become a Sentinel dedicated to guiding mortals to the Ruling of Chaos and through that, eternal damnation.

Mortals blessed with the chaotic power of free will are now at a crossroads between following Alder’s Guidance to enlightenment, or Dolus’ guidance to eternal damnation.

The Legend

The Age of Prosperity

1.1 Origins

It was in the age of barbarism when mortal life wandered aimlessly throughout the mortal realms. Their fate had been decided as without guidance to the path of enlightenment, free-willed mortals such as the first Attian Humans were doomed to fall to damnation under the Ruling of Chaos. Humanity dwelled in the darkness for ages until the rise of Alder, a mortal man destined to lead humanity onto the path to Enlightenment and save them from the pre-determined fate of Chaos. Alder was no man of high standing nor was he gifted with the spiritual blessings of the arcane and would grow up to become a simple thief to keep his family fed. Though from a young age, Alder began receiving visions of unknown origin. At first, these visions were dismissed as simple dreams, yet these dreams persisted with the same message. A call to action from the Greater Pre-Determination, an offer for mortal life to step on the path to enlightenment and rise from the darkness in which they lived.

It would only be when Alder encountered a golden feathered griffin in the woods that he said spoke to him directly when he was out foraging. The griffin appeared to be a spirit that emitted a soft golden light from its eyes. When Alder made eye contact with this creature, a voice appeared in his head that repeated the same message from his visions, telling him to rise to lead his tribe and then unite the northern people under his guidance. Only then could mortal life be saved from damnation. To achieve his first goal of rising to the position of king of the tribe, Alder was said to have been gifted a greatsword by the golden griffin before it faded. Through this encounter, Alder was set on his pre-determined path to greatness.

1.2 The Rise to Power

Alder’s first challenge on his path manifested itself shortly after he embraced his fate of becoming the chosen guide of humanity. When the priests from his hometown were made aware of a to them stranger preaching of a new faith, they moved swiftly to eradicate this newcomer before he created a foothold within the town. Alder was arrested by the religious cult of his town and brought before the high priest who in order to prove the falsehood of his religion challenged him to a duel. The high priest fought with a great axe painted red with the blood of those slain by it. Opposite to him stood Alder with his sword. A brutal duel ensued that quickly shifted in favor of the high priest until Alder’s sword out of nowhere erupted into golden flame. Those observing the duel said that they saw the golden griffin manifest behind Alder and that his sword became guided by the beast’s claw. With a single blow with this blade, Alder would strike down the priest, evaporating his body in an instant. From this point on, Alder cemented himself and his new religion as the new dominant theological force of the region as this great deed’s rumor spread like wildfire. Alder would burn down the temple of the old faith and have a sanctum to the Greater Pre-Determination built from which he acted as its oracle. He would continue this life up until the death of his tribe’s king without a living heir. It was here that his pre-determined destiny to lead the people would materialize for he would be chosen as the tribe’s next king.

1.3 The Unification Wars

Alder standing on the field of battle during the unification wars.

Not long after his ascension to kingship was it that Alder was granted another vision from the Greater Pre-Determination in which he would ride atop the golden griffin and unite the tribes of Magna Attia under his banner and faith. He would start his campaign of unification a few years after his coronation, starting with those closest to him. Instead of outright attacking the tribes, Alder would allow them the option to join his army peacefully. Most kings accepted though hesitantly, fearing Alder after hearing the rumor of what he did to the priest of his home village that defied him. Others who would not accept were challenged to a duel by Alder, defeating most kings easily in the same manner as the high priest, adding to his legend.

After a short and brutal campaign in the south of Magna Attia lasting for a little over three years, most of the human tribes of the Attians were united under Alder’s banner. This great achievement marked the end of Alder’s first march and shortly after its conclusion, he declared his new domain the Attian Empire. Though impressive, Alder was not satisfied with his conquests for there were many more tribes to enlighten to the will of the Greater Pre-Determination. Alder’s second march marked the conquest of the north which he launched after ten years of ruling his southern domains, enlightening them to the way of the Greater Pre-Determination, opening temples, and appointing oracles to interpret his visions and spread them to the commoners. His visions allowed him to become an extremely gifted and wise leader who built an empire that was meant to last a thousand years. Massive progress was made in terms of education, warfare, science, magic, and the taming and domesticating of a variety of local creatures. Alder’s Second March was meant to bring the northern tribes of Magna Attia into the Empire and save them from eternal damnation through his guidance.

Alder would cross the great dividing river that previously marked the northern borders of his realm and repeated many of the tactics used on the southern tribes afterward. At first, this worked about as well as one would expect. Many tribes would bend the knee or fall in swift brutal campaigns of subjugation. These swift unification wars came to an abrupt end in Lilith's Veil of the second campaign year when Alder attacked a northern tribe during the harsh cold and with stretched supply lines. Alder once again would use his tactic of peaceful subjugation and when that was rejected, a duel. This time Alder would face a king blessed by voidal powers. This king, Barjandal The Mighty, struck Alder down with a demonic blade, wounding Alder severely and ending his campaign. He would return to his capital, Attia, once the cold passed where he started to slowly withered away. Imperial doctors tried whatever they could, yet none could cure the festering voidal wound Alder suffered on his chest.

This vile act of voidal intervention with the Greater Pre-Determination was an act of those who followed the Ruling of Chaos. This shock through the plans of Alder’s guide prompted a direct intervention in return from the Greater Pre-Determination’s Ruling of Order. As Alder’s days dwindled and it was clear that he would pass shortly, the Greater Pre-Determination preserved his essence, and when he eventually passed, reformed it into nine distinct shards of his being. These new life forms were known as the Sentinels, each representing a piece of Alder’s wisdom and granted visions from the Greater Pre-Determination. From that point on, mortals had to rely on Alder’s writings and teachings combined with the visions and pearls of wisdom granted by the Sentinels who now acted as the new custodians of the will of the Ruling of Order.

The Age of the Phantom

2.1 The Fall of Attia

The Grand Cathedral of Alder in Adelsburg, 1536

It did not take long for Alder’s Imperium to crack and crumble in the void of his absence. The succession crisis was resolved relatively quickly as the predecessors of what is now House von Lichtenfelts took power over the Attian people and their empire for they were the first to align with Alder and were unwaveringly loyal to him, through this they were granted the by far greatest slice of the Attian domain. The new theological void left behind by Alder was cobbled together by his oracles into what is now known as the Temple of Alder. Where Alder’s Oracles are on a constant quest to interpret the scriptures and visions provided by Alder and the Sentinels after him. In Alder’s place came the “Vater”, a head of the new temple meant to act as a sort of replacement for Alder as the ultimate religious guide and leader to ensure the people of Alder remain on the path of Order. This though suitable solution was flawed for without Alder’s direct guidance, it would all come crumbling down eventually, and it would, for when the last Attian Emperor, Claudius I von Lichtenfelts, allowed himself to be corrupted by the forces of the Ruling of Chaos, it all came crashing down and Attia together with the entire Imperial heartland and Alder’s artifacts were swept from the face of the world by a great flooding, forever rendering the lands uninhabitable.

2.2 Modern Alderism

The remnants of the Empire fled south and resettled in the hinterlands after a brutal campaign of forceful replacement of the local less developed Hintish populace and from there, the new Temple of Alder flourished and shaped itself into what is experienced today. What one would notice is that the temple shifted its focus from directly interacting with the Greater Pre-Determination to interpreting Alder’s visions and writings together with Sentinel worship to ensure mortals return and remain on the path of enlightenment and the Ruling of Order.

The Rulings of Order and Chaos

The Fields of the Unliving

Alderists believe that they stand at a great crossroads between the path to either Enlightenment or Damnation. They have through the gift of free will the ability to independently follow the signs of the Greater Pre-Determination to either end of the rulings. Those who are unbelievers and refuse to follow either path throughout their lives are doomed to eternally wander in the fields of the unliving. This afterlife purgatory is without the guidance of either Pre-determinating force. Those who thread there are without purpose and without protection, ripe for the taking by the claws of voidal beings, making them their unliving puppets for all eternity in their demonic realms. Those whose fate this is are forever purposeless puppets free to be controlled by their new masters who do enjoy the guidance of Pre-Determination, be it for Order or Chaos. They lose the one thing they hoped to maintain by staying clear of any path, their free will, for it is their new masters who control their every move if they so desire, even if your mind tries to resist, your body shall march forward in eternal servitude. There is no way out of this fate.

The Ruling of Order and The Halls of Alder

Those who live their lives aligned to the path that Alder set out will after death find themselves beyond the fields of the Unliving and instead wander golden fields where golden apple trees dot the landscape. Throughout these fields run golden paved roads that will lead those who follow them to the Halls of Alder, a mystical place where the living may sit alongside their guide, Alder, once more in his renewed kingdom in the lands of the Ruling of Order where no being of Chaos can thread. Living under the Ruling of Order is a perfect existence far away from the world of mortals. Order reigns supreme under the guidance of the greater Pre-Determination’s side of order. Those who enter the realm feel as if they are enlightened as great ideas form in the mind, potential once being but a dream suddenly materializes as those enlightened by order feel as if the very air of the realm is saturated with guidance’s essence that ensures great success for every saved soul using it to further the realm.

The Ruling of Chaos and The Six Spires of Dolus

Mortals who for whatever dark reasonings decide to follow Dolus’ guidance and through him the Greater Pre-Determination's Ruling of Chaos will find themselves in the Ashen Abyss, a dark and vast woodlands that will eventually lead to a great clearance in the center of the realm. From this clearance, mortal wandering souls are met with Dolus’ scribe who judges the worthiness of the individual, reads their soul, and sends them to one of the Six paths leading from this clearance. Each of these paths should under no circumstance be left unless the mortal wishes to risk eternal enslavement similar to those who find themselves in the fields of the unliving, leading to one of six great dark spires. Each of them towers far beyond what the wandering soul’s eyes can see. Once the entrance of a spire is reached, the wanderers are expected to climb its steps to the top where their infernal blessing awaits. When the top of these spires is reached, the soul shall find Dolus who with a single touch burns the mortal skin off the wanderer and reshapes them into a Demon of the spire they climbed and thus now serve. Those expecting freedom away from the in their eyes shackles of Alder may find themselves tricked by Dolus for not all souls are equally worthy to him and thus may not all lead to infernal greatness. Some lucky souls may find themselves rising to demonhood as a powerful lord of Dolus’ domain, bound to his and the spire’s servitude and are tasked with destroying Alder’s guidance and the Ruling of Order at the head of Dolus’ infernal forces. Yet most souls do not meet this same glorious Chaotic fate and are reborn as nothing more as runt lesser demons that serve no more purpose than to be the pawns of Dolus doomed to eternally be reborn after they are slain on the field of battle or banished from the mortal plain by the servants of Alder and Order.

Each demon born anew from the followers of Chaos represents the spire they are birthed in. Those who are born as demon lords are reborn from the Spire of Wrath. The lesser demons are born from the other five, those being the spires of Carnality, Gluttony, Deceit, Greed, and Indolence.

Alder, Dolus, and the Sentinels

The great oracle, Alder Himmelschwert.

Alder Himmelschwert | Common Tongue: Sword of Heaven	Ruler of the Halls of Alder in the golden fields of the Ruling of Order. He is the divine oracle of the greater pre-determination and thus earned himself a godly status in death. Physical Depiction: A dark-haired man with fair and aging skin, clad in steel plate armor and wielding Heillicht, a Zweihander said to be forged from the star of Hadrius itself. He wears a dark red cape over his plating and rides the Golden Griffin, Goldmane, into battle.

The Nine Fragments of Alder, The Sentinels.

Volker | Sentinel of Change and Destiny	Volker stands for creation and destiny and is responsible for carving out the path for those who wish to follow the guidance of Alder closely. He is the Sentinel that reflects Alder’s mind as the Oracle of Order and thus receives the will and all possible paths of the greater pre-determination directly. Volker can see all possible paths mortals can wander through his visions and can use his harp, mistweaver, to shape the destiny of his followers to ensure they find their way to Alder’s halls in death. Those who dedicate their prayers to him will receive fragments of Volker’s visions, showing them their path forward. These fragments are all filtered to ensure the misleading paths of Chaos are weeded out. Volker is especially popular among the clergymen of the temple of Alder. Physical Depiction: Volker is depicted as an older man with grey hair; he has a third eye which he uses to see the destinies of all beings and write them. Volker is sometimes depicted with a harp, the strings symbolizing the threads of destiny he weaves.
Rosatia | Sentinel of Wisdom and Learning	Rosatia stands for wisdom and learning and is responsible for providing aid to any mind who seeks enlightenment. Those who dedicate their prayers to her and have them answered are blessed with a wave of inspiration and problems that haunted their minds for years will resolve themselves in mere minutes as it is Rosita that guides their mind towards a solution. Physical Depiction: Depicted as a fair woman wearing a white gown. She is usually depicted with a white owl at her side, as well as a book said to contain the moral truths of the world.
Salvor | Sentinel of War and Honour	Salvor stands for war and honor and is responsible for guiding the bravest of mortal warriors on the field of battle with the strength of Alder himself. He is a leader of armies and usually a favorite amongst Knights. Praying to him may grant believers with newfound bravery and strength to overcome their foes on the field of battle. The only favor Salvor asks in return is to remain chivalrous and not fall to the same barbarisms Alder spent so many years uprooting from his own people. Physical Depiction: Much like Alder, he is usually depicted clad in armor and wielding various weapons. These weapons range from swords to spears and war hammers. He is depicted as a handsome man with blonde hair, though he is scarred across his entire body from all his fighting.
Elric | Sentinel of Judgement and Justice	Elric stands for judgment and justice and is responsible for all fairness and equality within the world, he grants those dedicated to him the wisdom and insight required to cast fair judgment of those who stray from the Enlightened path of order. Those who dedicate their prayers to him are said to if answered receive visions in which the right path to preserving the guidance of order is shown to the individual. Physical Depiction: Elric is depicted as a tall and thin man with blonde hair and wearing an Attian judges’ gown; he wields a golden staff in his right hand and a scale in his left. An eagle is said to follow him, whose eyes he can use.
Alda | Sentinel of Love and Beauty	Alda stands for love and beauty and is responsible for all things stunning in the world and the love within it. She is usually associated with motherhood and art. Those who dedicate their prayers to her will be granted renewed passion and love for those around them. Lovers will be overcome with lust and mothers find renewed passion in taking care of their family. Physical Depiction: Alda is usually depicted as a tall woman in a white dress adorned with different flowers, she is said to be the most beautiful of all the Sentinels. A dozen doves always fly near her, and these animals are now always connected to her.
Aristea | Sentinel of Fertility and Decay	Aristea stands for fertility and decay and is always associated with nature, she is the token Sentinel for all farmers and lovers of nature. Those dedicating their prayers to her will be granted an abundance of crops the next harvest and their animals will carry many young. Parents struggling with pregnancy also dedicate prayers to her in the hope that she grants them new life as well. Yet the duality of Aristea is that those defiling her name or places of worship will be cursed with decay and see their lives wither away before them. Physical Depiction: Aristea is usually depicted as a short woman. Half of her body is in a state of eternal decay, while the other is life. She wields an ebony staff of which the top is a carved serpent hugging a lotus.
Reimar | Sentinel of Creation and Craftsmanship	Reimar stands for creation and craftsmanship and is responsible for providing guidance to creators and craftsmen on their roads to mastership. Those dedicating their prayers to him will find a renewed will to continue their craft and be blessed with new insights to develop their skills further. Ideas of new revolutionary inventions manifest in the minds of the most dedicated followers of Reimar constantly. Physical Depiction: Reimar is depicted as a tall, muscular man with dark hair and a bushy beard wielding a hammer and a simple leather apron. He has a large ruby inlaid on his forehead and seems to be crafting in every depiction he is in.
Mortius | Sentinel of Death and Dreams	Mortius stands for death and dreams and guides souls toward the afterlife. When a mortal passes, Mortius retrieves the souls of those who find themselves on the plains of order and guides them to the halls of Alder. Praying to him is only done when death is around the corner and hope has ceased. Those praying beg the Sentinel of death to ensure the mortal soul’s safe passage. When answered, those praying receive either the vision of a golden gate surrounded by mist, showing the mortal that the path to the halls is cleared, or though rare, a vision of a misty road leading to a pile of skulls, showing that this soul can no longer be saved, even in death. Physical Depiction: Mortius is depicted as a hooded skeletal figure. His robes are decorated with the skulls of those fallen. The spectral faces of the souls he saved can appear under his hood when mortals try to peer under his shadowy face. He rides a black spectral horse and carries a long dark blade on his side. He always carries a skull named Asmodai to his side. When guiding a soul to the halls of Alder, the skull forms a spectral body beneath it and acts as Mortius’ scribe. Noting down the name of the newly saved soul along with the deeds that granted them a space along Alder’s side.
Dolus | Sentinel of Deceit and Corruption	Dolus is the one fragment of Alder that represents the darkness that loomed in his soul. For even though Alder was the champion of the Ruling of Order, a fragment of Chaos stirred within which eventually steered Alder off the path, leading to his death. Dolus is a Sentinel born from this chaos and is now hailed as the champion of the Ruling of Chaos and its dark domain where Dolus’ six spires loom over the dark wilderness. Physical Depiction: A hooded figure that is said to be surrounded by smoke. Nobody knows their true form, since Dolus can manifest in whatever shape they desire. No matter their form though, their only goal is to sow Chaos wherever they go.

Workings of the Temple

The Steps of Alder

The clerical reformations of the temple of the greater determination throughout the ages have brought with it many ranks and branches of the now-Alderist temple structure. The servants of Alder and the Greater Pre-Determination roam Imperial lands and their symbolism is plastered on every street corner. The oracles of the greater pre-determination who acted as Alder’s disciples have now reformed themselves into Bishops and the Vater at its helm to guide the people on the path of order towards Alder’s halls far away from eternal damnation brought forth by Chaos.

The Vater

Sigil of the Vater and Grand Cathedral of Alder in Adelsburg.

The head of the Alderist Temple is known as the Vater, translating to the Father of the Alderists. He is the sole chosen leader of the faith within the Empire. The Vater is looked at as the heir of Alder himself and is tasked with setting out a course for the citizens of the Empire, translating Alder’s scriptures and the sentinel’s visions, and spreading the word of Alder’s will. Vaters themselves do not actually interpret the will of the Greater Pre-Determination directly for no religious leader after Alder has ever received direct guidance, yet through the word of the great oracle, Alder, the Vater follows a path to ensure enlightenment in the Ruling of Order. The Vater travels across the empire constantly to enlighten the Erzbishops of duchies with newfound knowledge to ensure the clerical body keeps moving in the same direction. The Vater is also an elector of the empire, meaning he has a number of votes in the Imperial Diet, granting him the power to push policy and vote for who becomes the next emperor. The position of Vater can only be assigned to a full-blooded Attian of the male gender.

Erzbishops & Imperial Inquisitors

The Erzbishops of the empire are the apostles of the Vater himself, carrying out his will across the empire and acting both as Alder’s will and fists against the ever-encroaching tides of Chaotic influence trying to steer Alder’s children of the path of Order. Erzbishops are stationed in each of the Empire’s Grand Duchies where they are operating from their local headquarters at the temple. They answer only to the Vater himself and enact his will wherever they are. Erzbishops usually have small bands of Imperial Inquisitors below them that trace down any sign of unbelief within the Empire and have complete free reign to arrest, kill, and destroy any servant of the voidal powers and their possessions and as long as they are in service of the temple are on paper completely immune to any form prosecution by Imperial states. Only the Vater or the Erzbishop who commands them may take action against inquisitors if their actions are deemed to be against the temple. Erzbishops are assigned by the ruling Vater and is often selected from the previous bishop’s inquisitorial ranks.

Cultists

Outside the primary branch of the Alderist temple, there exist several independent cults that dedicate their lives and services to a singular sentinel instead of serving the broader temple. They answer to the Vater but beyond this pledge of service act completely independent from the greater church. One of the most prominent cults is The Cult of Mortius, a death cult dedicated to the sentinel of Death and Dreams. Offering mourning families guidance, overseeing funerals, guarding graves, and caring for those who are about to pass on to Alder’s halls. Another prominent cult is the cult of Alda’s Sisters. An all-women cult dedicated to the sentinel of Love and Beauty, Alda. These women are both warriors, mostly consisting of magic wielders who do not back down from vaporizing any who stands against the ruling of order with their spells and are central within the civil culture of the empire. They act as wedding maids, guide women blessed with upcoming motherhood along the road toward birthing, and can act as medics during the process. They’re a band of very versatile women who carry a great share of society on their shoulders.

The Way of Alder

Sentinel Devotion

It is common practice for citizens of the Empire to dedicate themselves to one of the Sentinel’s teachings when they reach adulthood. These young adults announce their choice in a local temple during an event dedicated to these sentinel devotions. Those participating announce their choice and then speak their vows to the sentinel, offering their eternal service to them. From then on it is expected of the imperial citizen to live by the teachings of their chosen patrol sentinel and use it to aid those around them as their sentinel demands. Some of these new devotees, mostly those dedicated to Alda or Mortius swiftly seek membership in their respected cults for they are often shunned outside of those. This is due to a history of Mortius devotees turning to necromancy and those dedicated to Alda outside the cult often resorting to working in pleasure houses which though not illegal, is often looked down upon and in some instances seen as a sign that the individual is threading on Dolus’ path of lust.

Romance and Marriage

Marriage is considered a grand occurrence in Hadrian society for it is both a milestone on the path towards the Halls of Alder, as finding a partner for life is considered one of the fundamental deeds of any Alderist since before you can leave for Alder’s halls, it is every Alderist’s purpose to secure a next generation of Alder’s children is ready to replace them. Due to this mindset, interracial marriages that cannot produce this next generation are frowned upon for it is deemed to go directly against Alder’s guidance. Furthermore, when two lovers spend time together before marriage, and the woman is found to be pregnant, it is deemed a sign of the Greater Pre-Determination giving the sign that they were meant to be together. The two are then expected to marry as soon as they can, either before or after childbirth to answer the call.

Wedding ceremonies usually take place in local temples or cathedrals, being led by either a local bishop or Sister of Alda. The bride and groom are expected to say their vows to one another and then swear to the clergyman that they will answer the greater pre-determination’s call if the marriage comes as a result of an unexpected pregnancy. A ceremony then follows where the clergyman heats the wedding rings that the couple provided to the point where they begin to glow before carefully placing them on the couple’s fingers, burning into the flesh of those wed to eternally mark them as bound to one another. Some couples take the burning ritual as a chance to brand themselves with the initials of their lovers by having those put on the inside of the ring by the jeweler.

Tenets

• Live by the scriptures of the great oracle, Alder Himmelschwerd.
• Bear true allegiance to the sitting Emperor without question.
• Obey your orders, no matter how questionable they may be.
• Promote the formation of families to secure the next generation of Alderists.
• Uproot and destroy the followers of the ruling of chaos.
• Promote unity within the Empire on the basis of Alder’s guidance and preserving his legacy.

Symbolism

THE NINE-POINTED STAR

The symbol of the Temple of Alder is a white nine-pointed star, representing Alder and his eight Sentinels. These nine-pointed stars can be found everywhere, on clothing, armour, weapons and shields. Followers of the Temple of Alder can usually be seen wearing a pendant of this nine-pointed star, made from various metals such as gold, silver and steel. These pendants are worn around the neck or the wrist and are said to ward you from the influence of Dolus.

HEILLICHT, THE ZWEIHANDER

The weapon of Alder himself, it is very common practice for Alderites to either use Zweihanders in combat or adorn their clothing, armour and shields with symbols of the Zweihander. Having been the weapon that warded off the invasion from Lilith, it stands for good luck and perseverance through hardship.