Church of Helm

The Church of Helm was the organized collective of clerics, paladins, fighters, guards and other martial protectors, who dedicated their service to the god of vigilance, Helm. They dedicated themselves to the protection of those who could not protect themselves and shared their skills and tenets with the guardians and defenders of Faerûn, and beyond.

Organization
The church of Helm was organized into a strict military hierarchy. The Supreme Watcher was the single highest source of authority within the church, though it remained vacant since the 10 century DR.

The Council of Helm, composed of four Archancels, oversaw Helmite activities up until the late 15 century. Each Archancel took charge over the clergy in one of four broad territories of Faerûn, including:
 * The Sword Coast north of the Lands of Intrigue, and all the lands west across the Trackless Sea.
 * The northern realms, from Savage North in the west, along the northern shore of the Sea of Fallen Stars all the way to Rashemen in the east.
 * The southwestern realms, including the Lands of Intrigue, the Chultan Peninsula, Turmish, Chondath, all the way to the Great Rift.
 * All the lands to the east, including the Old Empires and much of the Unapproachable East.

Titles
Circa the late 14 century DR, titles within the church included (in descending order):
 * Bishous, Senior Steeleye, High Watcher, Overblade, Guardian, Watcher, Watchknight, Alert, Trusty, Adept, and Novice.

By the late 15 century, the church's titles had changed to:
 * Chancels, each of whom directly served the Archancels; Bishous, each of whom presided over a single realm; Lectors, local commanders and investigators; Ardeacons; Prelates; Vicarphs; Pyrats, or priests; Novices; and Honored Laity, officers within the church that were not members of Helm's clergy.

Nomenclature
Clergy of the church were formally referred to as Vigilators or Hands of the Vigilant One.

Activities
"If you slay a Watcher, no one who knows about it will guard and protect you."

- An old folk saying.

Following the Time of Troubles they set out to win back favor among the people of Faerûn with renewed demonstrations of excellent and loyal service as protectors. The church sponsored the training of guards and armed escorts in various cities throughout the realms, extolling their virtues and worthiness as the only guardians that were worthy for hire. Anyone found violating Helmite protectorship by slaying one of his faithful were often blacklisted from enlisting the church's services.

The clergy of Helm would take in anyone who sought sanctuary within the walls of their fortified churches, persecuted and criminally accused alike. Those running from the authorities would be turned over to local law enforcement, though the presiding Helmite priest would ensure a fair and just trial.

Rituals
One of the holiest of the Helmite rituals was the consecration of a Postulant, performed upon the confirmation of a person's dedication as they entered into the ranks of the Helmite clergy. Others included the consecration of a Glymtul, was used to dedicate items into service unto Helm; the purification, a ritual of atonement when clergy returned to the faith after leaving its service, or otherwise failed in their duties; and the Holy Vigil, a night-long ceremony was performed by a priest of Helm when they ascended in rank within the church.

Celebrations
The faithful of Helm celebrated their devotion with the Ceremony to Honor Helm on Shieldmeet. They held no other annual observances or holidays.

Base of Operations
The church of Helm was a strong, protective presence throughout the North. They were oft regarded as the region's first defenders against attacks from monstrous beasts and malevolent humanoids.

Regions
Veneration of Helm was prevalent across Faerûn, including the Realms of Thay,

The Helmlands of Cormyr were named after the god Helm. It was permeated with wild magic, and dead-magic zones, having been the site where Helm slew the avatar of Mystra during the Time of Troubles.

Temples
Temples of Helm were imposing fortresses, whose architecture stressed defense and defendability. They were often built in Faerûn's most dangerous regions, or near its strongholds aligned with malevolent forces, (such was the case with Darkhold near the Sunset Mountains). Within their halls were a number of barracks, armories, training grounds and, within the heart of each temple, a central altar with a suit of pristine full plate mail. Each of these sets of armor had been worn by one of Helm's champions throughout history, and were considered among his holy relics.

Each temple was extremely well-defended; Helmite guards remained ever-vigilant to protect their holy houses. To aid in this feat, the church often enlisted the aid of spectators, a sub-species of even-tempered beholder-kin.

Most major cities throughout the Realms had a temple or abbey dedicated to the Watchful One. Among these were:
 * Citadel of Protection, the beleaguered but resilient temple of Helm in Ravens Bluff.
 * The Guardian's Post, Yhep
 * Guardtower of the God, Redwater
 * Helm's Hold, the fortified citadel just southeast of Neverwinter.
 * House Invincible, Silverymoon
 * Temple of the Vigilant Guard, Iljak
 * Watchtower of the Vigilant

Additional temples could be found in Procampur, Sundabar, Tilverton, the Hillfort of Torbold, Tsurlagol, and Waterdeep.

Shrines to Helm could be found in Arabel, Eshpurta, Espar,

Equipment, Spells, and Relics
Helmite faith tokens allowed their bearers to utilize the spell virtue.

Dress
Clerics of Helm were armored in pristine full plate mail, often enchanted with the everbright property, complete with open-faced helmets that often featured colored plumes. Over their armor they typically carried steel-colored scabbards, wore red or steel-grey cloaks, with Helm's symbol, the "Unsleeping Eye". While and church members donned their armor in the field and during church ceremonies, if found themself in a venue where armor was not allowed, they often kept their pauldrons and always wore their helm.

In the south, Helmite clergy inset their finely-crafted armor with gems and adorned its lining with gold filigree, particularly around the lids of the eye.

Weapons and Arms
When preparing for battle, a Patriarch of Helm often used a ceremonial mace to anoit troops in holy water, referred to as the "Tears of Helm".

Spells
Spells unique to or otherwise associated with the church of Helm included exaltation, faith armor, fist of faith, forceward, mace of Odo, seeking sword sentry of Helm, shield of the god, summon spectator, and tenfold ironguard.

Relics

 * Guardian's Tear: Manifested after the death of Mystra at the hands of Helm, this immensely powerful gemstone held the anguish of the Guardian God.
 * Helm of Helm: This warhelm, which has been donned by several of Helm's champions, offered great power to the faithful of the God of Guardians.
 * The Wall: was a powerful relic of the Church of Helm that protected its wielder from fire, cold, acid, and electricity.

Dogma
"Guard perfectly, attentively, and with forethought; be ever vigilant. Guard what you are ordered to guard, including that on which your charge depends."

- Creed of the Helmite faith.

Beliefs
Helm's faithful carried out their orders with precision and adhered to an distinct and unbending hierarchy. Only members of the church's upper ranks took it upon themselves to interpret the church's rigid laws and strict dogma.

The practice of controlling the undead, as opposed to their outright destruction, was abhorrent to the faithful of Helm.

Attitudes
"Our zeal is oft our undoing. We see the flaws in those we guard...and in our seeking we stray over the line into tyranny, or into causing strife, and so drift from the purpose and grace of Helm."

- Ardeacon Baeryk Halholdaun, 1236 DR.

Novices, or initiates, of the church were trained to be vigilant and dutiful in carrying out their orders. In their service, they learned to never betray the trust that was bestowed upon them, which extended to the manner in which they considered martial combat. They had to rely upon themselves, their weapons, and their allies in order to best plan and coordinate defense and attacks in battle. They trained often, crafted weapons and other armaments, and set up caches that any member of the church could access in times of need.

While Helmite clergy were taught to be steadfast in their duty as guardians, they were taught not to parlay any title or rank to exert undue authority over others. They were to remain just as watchful for corruption as they were vigilant in defense of their charge.

Priestly Orders
The various orders of priests, or "pryats", within the church:
 * Companions of the One True Vision, this group of zealous clerics and fighters and crusaders were known for their unwavering loyalty and discipline in combat before their excursion in far off lands.
 * Watchers over the Fallen, a fellowship of 11 skilled battlefield healers.

Knightly Orders
Many abbeys of helm maintained strong armies and sponsored various military groups, in order to defend their congregation. These included:
 * Champions Vigilant, a Tethyrian order of knights.
 * Everwatch Knights, the group of devout bodyguards were hired out by the church to those in need.
 * Knights of the Vigil, these dedicated knights were tasked with presiding over Watcher's Keep and ensuring the Imprisoned One had no influence over the Realms.
 * Vigilant Eyes of the God, an order of paladins that was known for its selfless and humble service across the Realms.

Other Orders

 * Vigilant Riders, led by the great Garshond, this short-lived grouping of outriders defended the roads between the cities of northern Heartlands.

Classes
Specialty priests of Helm were known as Watchers, or Godseyes. They were stalwart battle-priests that wore full plate mail, were granted exceptional combat training, and wielded potent defensive and offenisve magic.

Formation of the Council
In the mid-13 century, great Helmite cleric, Garshond, led the defense of Iriaebor from a goblinoid army. Following the battle, the battle-priest was presented with the Helm of Helm, which rose out of a nearby bog and seemingly chose him as its new wearer. Donning the ancient relic, Garshond returned to the Watchtower of the Vigilant, a lone keep found in nearby scrublands, which surrounded the long-ruined town of Harkstag.

From the sentry-like outpost, Garshond reached out to the rich, noble families of Waterdeep, Iriaebor and Scornubel, and invited them to his stronghold for a meeting of minds regarding the protection of the northern heartlands and the Sword Coast North. This assembly came to be known as the first Council of Helm, which saw the formation of the Vigilant Riders. These elite guardians would protect the region for several years, and helped ensure welfare for the small villages and hamlets as far south as Baldur's Gate.

Time of Troubles
During the Time of Troubles, which occurred in the, Helm was the one deity allowed by Ao to retain his divine powers. He was tasked with preventing the avatars of other gods from ascending the Celestial Stairway to access other planes of the mutiverse.

After the Time of Troubles, the reputation of Helm and his clergy were heavily tarnished across most of Faerûn. The ranks of their faithful diminished greatly and in some regions, such as the North, they were openly persecuted. In response the church crafted stories that declared these "falsehoods" about Helm's faith were the work of various evil faiths, spread by the churches of Bane, Cyric, and Shar, meant to destabilize the Realms. Clergy members were offered promotions within the church for every high-ranking priest or priestess of those faiths they slew. Many of them became overly-zealous and even fanatical in their persecution of these admittingly self-serving faiths.

Involvement in Maztica
Word of the "discovery" of a new land far to the west of the Moonshae Isles was spread far and wide by Helm's devoted followers in the.

Inexplicably immune to the distrust and weariness in four years following the Avatar Crisis, the Helmites of the south declare that the, would mark a new blessed age for their faith.

A few years later, in the, the Waterdhavian branch of the church, along with the Adarbrent, Helmfast, Jardeth and Raventree noble families sponsored a transoceanic expedition of twelve ships across the Trackless Sea to the land of Maztica. While they were turned away at Helmsport by the Lord-Governor of New Amn, the colonists settled on Maztapan Island, and opened lines of trade and negotiation with the native Kultakan people. Within months they formed the colony of New Waterdeep, and after forging further north, the second settlement of Trythosford.

At some point, the Helmite knights known as Companions of the One True Vision slaughtered many native Maztican people. This order was scorned across Faerûn, and many of their guilt-ridden brothers atoned for their sins by serving among the altruistic order, the Vigilant Eyes of the God. Many others simply became much more cautious when carrying out Helm's will in the Realms.

Notable Helmites

 * Anomen Delryn, a squire of the Order of the Radiant Heart and member of the Radiant Heart Auxiliary.
 * Breyarg Stonebreaker, a Great Rift paladin of Gorm Gulthyn and Fellow of the Purple Staff that fought in the name of Helm's church.
 * Rhordren Thardras, the Archancel that defied church doctrine by declaring some Vigilators should be allowed to command others during times of crisis.
 * Watcher Tonorak Winthrax, head priest of Iljak in the Vilhon Reach.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Sentinel
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn