Church of Absolution

Faction Overview

Ideology	Redemption through violence. Absolution through sacrifice.
Capital	Cathedral Prime (also called Absolon), built on the ruins of Paris
Population	~50,000 Remnants (largest unified faction)
Doctrine	Every kill is a prayer. Every victory brings salvation closer. Suffering purifies.
Playstyle	Aggressive martyrdom, self-harm for burst damage, ally protection, high-risk offense
Complete Deck	View Full Church Deck (v2.0 Equipment System)

Species Origins

The Church of Absolution is predominantly human, and humanity's origins trace back to natural evolution identical to our Earth. Though magic exists in this world, sensitivity to it is extraordinarily rare - only 1 in 10,000 humans can perceive ley lines naturally, and of those, merely 1 in 100 can manipulate them to become mages.

Before the Sundering, humans dominated numerically but lived in profound ignorance. They were unaware of the full extent of non-human species, believing elves and dwarves to be myths and folklore. Nikolas Theslar himself was human and had no idea his Engine would affect non-human civilizations hidden in the margins of the world.

When the Cataclysm struck, humanity interpreted the apocalypse through their cultural lens - heavily influenced by Abrahamic faiths. They saw the Sundering not as scientific catastrophe, but as divine punishment. This belief crystallized into the Church of Absolution's doctrine: that humanity's sins brought the world's end, and only through violent penance can absolution be earned.

• Pre-Sundering: Billions of humans living in Industrial Age society, unaware of the arcane world hidden among them
• The Veil: Mages, elves, and dwarves operated under secret Accords to remain hidden from mundane humanity
• Post-Sundering: The dominant species in the Church and Penitent Kingdoms, building their faith on guilt for sins they didn't commit
• Philosophy: "We did not die because we were unworthy. We died because the world demanded sacrifice."

Humans built the Church from guilt and faith, seeking absolution for sins they didn't commit - punishing themselves for a catastrophe caused by one scientist's hubris. This drive for redemption through suffering defines every Church Casket pilot, every Penitent Knight, every Martyr willing to die for salvation.

Lore & Identity

The Church of Absolution was founded 12 years after the Sundering by the first Penitent Knights who refused to accept that death was the end. They believe that Remnants exist in a state of purgatory...neither alive nor dead...and that only through violent atonement can they earn true rest.

The Church controls the southern territories through a combination of religious fervor and military might. Their Caskets are gothic war machines covered in scripture and prayer scrolls, piloted by the dead seeking forgiveness. Each kill is recorded as a prayer. Each wound taken is a step closer to salvation.

The Dual Penance: Pilot and Soul

Church doctrine teaches that Casket operation is a dual sacrifice...two entities suffering together for redemption:

The Living Pilot's Penance

Church pilots undergo "The Shortening"...surgical removal of their legs at the hip. This allows them to fit into the cramped casket chamber while remaining alive and conscious. Unlike other factions who view amputation as pragmatic necessity, the Church considers it sacred mutilation:

• The Ritual: Performed in consecrated chapels with prayers of absolution. No anesthetic...the pain is part of the penance.
• Post-Amputation: Pilots use wheelchairs outside their Caskets, bearing their sacrifice visibly as a mark of devotion.
• Theological Meaning: "We walk no more in sin. Our legs were instruments of earthly pride. Now we crawl closer to redemption."
• The Straps: Inside the Casket, pilots are bound with consecrated leather straps, arms crossed like a corpse, viewing battle through a narrow armored slit.

The Bound Soul's Torment

The Soulstone Core powering each Church Casket contains a soul...often a volunteer who died seeking absolution. Church doctrine views this as a continuation of penance beyond death:

• Consecrated Cores: Church Soulstones are shaped into cross/reliquary forms, wrapped in gold filigree cages inscribed with prayers.
• The Soul's Awareness: Church priests teach that the trapped soul can "hear" the pilot's prayers and finds peace in shared suffering.
• Refinement as Sacrament: When feeding soul fragments to the Core during refinement, Church technicians recite blessings: "We consecrate these fragments. May their suffering purify the Core. This is mercy, not cruelty."
• The Screaming: Unlike other factions who ignore or suppress the Core's screams, Church pilots are taught to listen..."The soul cries out in purification. Bear witness to its penance."

Shared Absolution Through Combat

Every kill recorded is counted as a prayer for both pilot and soul. Church doctrine holds that when a Church Casket destroys an enemy, both the living pilot and the bound soul earn a step closer to redemption:

Entity	Their Suffering	Their Absolution
Living Pilot	Legless, strapped in coffin, viewing through slit, phantom pain from neural threads	Each kill is a prayer. Each wound taken is penance. Death in battle grants salvation.
Bound Soul	Trapped in crystal, fed soul fragments, screaming during refinement, slowly degrading	Powers the machine that earns prayers. Soul "hears" the battle and finds peace in shared purpose.

Core Mechanic: Blood Offering & Righteous Fury

Church Caskets channel suffering into power through the Blood Offering system and scale infinitely through Righteous Fury.

• Blood Offering: Discard 1 card from your deck (self-harm). Your next attack gains +3 damage, ignores 1 Defense, and has -1 to target number (easier to hit). (Balance Oct 17: reduced from 2 cards)
• Righteous Fury (Passive): Each time an allied Casket is destroyed, gain +1 damage to all attacks permanently for the rest of the mission (max +3 damage). (Balance Update Oct 19: Capped at +3 to prevent infinite scaling)
• Base HP: 32 HP (higher than standard 30 HP). (Balance Update Oct 19: +2 HP to compensate for self-harm mechanics)
• Martyrdom Protocol: Redirect damage from allies to yourself. Gain Heat but protect the faithful.
• Divine Judgment: Execute low-HP targets with massive burst damage. Judgment delayed is judgment magnified.

The Church playstyle revolves around aggressive trades: sacrifice your own HP for devastating burst damage, protect allies to build Righteous Fury stacks, and turn suffering into absolution. High risk, high reward martyrdom.

10 Faction Cards (Players Choose 6)

Support Units (6 Total)

Starter Units

1. Flagellant Pack (2 slots)

HP: 6 | Movement: 4 | Defense: 0

Hooded zealots in tattered crimson robes who embrace pain as redemption. They self-flagellate for +2 damage buffs, gain Frenzy counters from taking damage (+1 damage each, max +5), and execute suicidal Martyrdom Charges dealing 8 damage when critically wounded. Trade HP for devastating melee pressure.

2. Penitent Squad (2 slots)

HP: 8 | Movement: 3 | Defense: 1

Disciplined infantry in gray robes and heavy armor seeking redemption through honorable combat. Form shield walls granting Caskets +2 Defense when adjacent. Excel at flanking (5-6 damage from rear arc). Execute Righteous Fury attacks (7 damage, ignore 1 Defense) when avenging fallen allies. Make final desperate strike on death (+1 damage to all allies).

3. Relic Bearers (3 slots)

HP: 10 | Movement: 2 | Defense: 2

Six pilgrims carrying a massive Tesla Cross radiating Soulstone energy. Passive aura deals 2 damage per turn to all enemies within 2 hexes. Create 3-hex Consecrated Ground zones granting allies +1 Defense and +1 damage. Divine Judgment pulses 4 damage to all enemies within 3 hexes (ignore Defense). Slow but devastating zone control.

Unlockable Units

4. Aspirant Pilot (3 slots) - Unlock: Complete 3 missions

HP: 12 | Movement: 4 | Defense: 2

Young warrior in prototype mini-Casket armor proving their worth. Gains Glory counters for each enemy killed (+1 damage per counter, max +3). Can overcharge prototype reactor (deal 3 self-damage for +3 damage on next 2 attacks). Executes Reckless Assaults for 8 damage when buffed. If survives with 3 Glory, grants 50 bonus Credits.

5. Martyr's Choir (3 slots) - Unlock: Build Sanctum in settlement

HP: 7 | Movement: 2 | Defense: 1

Seven monks singing otherworldly hymns amplified by Soulstone resonators. Passive aura: enemies within 4 hexes lose 1 SP per turn, allies gain +1 SP. Can debuff targets (-2 to attacks, movement costs +1 SP). Resurrect 1 destroyed support unit per battle. Unleash Cacophony of Guilt (3 psychic damage, discard 1 card). Double all hymn effects when commanded to Hold.

6. Absolution Engine (4 slots) - Unlock: Defeat Cardinal Sin

HP: 20 | Movement: 1 | Defense: 3

Towering walking cathedral powered by Soulstone reactor. Massive 3-hex passive aura: enemies take 2 fire damage per turn, allies gain +1 Defense and recover 1 HP per turn. Divine Immolation deals 6 damage + 2 Burn counters to all enemies in 4 hexes while healing allies 3 HP. Ultimate "Judgment Day" deals 10 damage to everything in 5 hexes (once per battle). Leaves Consecrated Ground tokens as it moves. Explodes on death for 8 damage to everything within 4 hexes.

Schisms & Renegade Orders

Like all powerful factions, the Church of Absolution has fractured into rival sub-orders over theological disputes. These Schisms enable mirror matches...Church vs Church, martyr vs heretic. Both sides pilot the same Caskets and use similar tactics, but their reasons differ profoundly.

Faction Relations

Faction	Status	Notes
Elven Verdant Covenant	WAR	Betrayal at Roothold. Church burned sacred forests in Year 223.
Dwarven Forge-Guilds	COLD	Trade partners but mutual distrust. Forge-Guilds supply weapons.
The Ossuarium	HOSTILE	Theological opposition. Necromancy is heresy against natural order.
The Wyrd Conclave	WAR	Silent Massacre. Fae trickery mocks faith and order.
Nomad Collective	CORDIAL	Church needs scouts. Nomads need protection. Symbiotic relationship.
The Exchange	FRIENDLY	Primary weapons supplier. War is profitable for both parties.
Vestige Bloodlines	HOSTILE	Mutation is corruption. Must be purged to protect humanity.

Recommended Builds

Aggressive Martyr (Confessor - Scout, 6 SP)

• Equipment: Longsword (6 cards), Buckler Shield (2 cards), Martyr's Brand Sigil (3 cards)
• Tactics: Flagellant's Zeal (burst 5 SP once per mission), Crusader's Vow (SP efficiency)
• Total Deck: 29 cards (fast cycle, aggressive)
• Strategy: Blood Offering turn 1 for alpha strike. Longsword provides reliable melee attacks. Martyr's Brand enables ally protection. Trade HP aggressively for positioning and damage. Fast, furious, dies gloriously.

Defensive Support (Martyr - Assault, 5 SP)

• Equipment: Mace (5 cards), Tower Shield (4 cards), Martyr's Brand Sigil (3 cards), Reinforced Plating (3 cards)
• Tactics: Absolution (Heat purge + healing), Crusader's Vow
• Total Deck: 33 cards (balanced, tanky)
• Strategy: Tower Shield + Reinforced Plating = massive defense. Mace breaks armor. Martyrdom Protocol + Martyr's Brand = ultimate ally protector. Consecrated Ground turns area into healing zone. Slow but unkillable support tank.

Self-Harm Berserker (Crusader - Heavy, 4 SP)

• Equipment: Greatsword (8 cards, 2-handed), Repair Sigil (2), Heat Sink Sigil (2), Spike Plating (2)
• Tactics: Flagellant's Zeal, Absolution
• Total Deck: 32 cards (heavy offense, self-destructive)
• Strategy: Spam Blood Offering + Greatsword Cleave for AoE devastation. Flagellant's Zeal provides burst SP for massive turns. Repair Sigil + Absolution recover HP after self-harm. Play on the edge of death, weaponize suffering.

Strategy Notes

Strengths: Highest burst damage in game (Blood Offering + Divine Judgment), scaling damage (Righteous Fury +1 per ally death, max +3), excellent ally protection (Martyrdom Protocol, Consecrated Ground), resource recursion (Last Rites, Consecrated Ground recover cards), flexible builds (melee DPS, ranged support, tank, berserker).

Weaknesses: Self-destructive mechanics (Blood Offering, Flagellant's Zeal harm you), Heat management issues (Martyrdom Protocol generates Heat), relies on allies for some mechanics (Last Rites, Righteous Fury), low sustain without Repair Sigil (self-harm spirals without healing), vulnerable when isolated (support mechanics need team).

Early Game (Turns 1-3): Use Blood Offering turn 1 for alpha strike to establish early pressure. Position aggressively...Martyrdom Protocol lets you tank for allies. Save Consecrated Ground until you're at ~15 HP or allies need healing. Build board presence.

Mid Game (Turns 4-6): Trade HP for positioning and damage (you have healing tools). Use Divine Judgment as execute when enemy reaches 10 HP or less. Protect allies with Martyrdom Protocol to build Righteous Fury stacks. Control key hexes with Consecrated Ground zones.

Late Game (Turns 7+): If Righteous Fury has reached max +3 damage (cap), you dominate the battlefield. Use Flagellant's Zeal for final desperate push (5 burst SP). Absolution if Heat critical (expensive but worth it). Last Rites turns ally deaths into massive card advantage. Blood Offering limited to 1 per turn prevents burst combos. Win through accumulated power and sacrifice. (Balance Update Oct 19: Righteous Fury now caps at +3, 32 HP base)

Version 3.0 Optional Rules

The Church of Absolution has unique interactions with the three new v3.0 optional mechanics systems:

Dice Pool Advantage System

Church pilots work normally with the Dice Pool system. Blood Offering and other positioning mechanics can grant Advantage (roll 3 Attack Dice, take 2 highest). See Dice Pool Advantage Rules.

Taint Exploitation System

Church pilots embrace Taint as a resource for martyrdom mechanics:

• Martyrdom Training: Church pilots start with Grit 1 (instead of 0) at character creation
• Zealot Resistance: Corruption Save is 3+ instead of 4+ (zealotry protects from Engine corruption)
• Blood Offering Taint: When you use Blood Offering, gain 1 Taint Marker (+3 damage buff worth the corruption risk)
• Flagellant's Zeal Taint: When you use this Tactic, gain 2 Taint Markers (temporary SP burst for permanent corruption)
• Taint Martyr Build: Deliberately stack Taint via Blood Offering, stand in Tainted terrain for positioning, spend Taint for Tainted Fury (+2 damage), weaponize corruption

Church pilots treat Taint accumulation as a resource to manage, not a penalty to avoid. See Taint Exploitation Rules.

Pilot Grit System

Church pilots gain +1 Grit at character creation (Martyrdom Training bonus):

• Starting Grit: 1 (instead of 0) - zealot conditioning makes them tougher from day one
• Maximum Grit: Still 3 (but reach it faster than other factions)
• Philosophical Justification: "Pain is prayer. We are chosen to suffer." Church pilots are trained to endure wounds through zealotry
• Mechanical Impact: Rookie Church pilots have 17% better chance to resist Pilot Wounds than other factions (4+ on 1d6+1 instead of 1d6+0)

This bonus reflects Church doctrine: suffering builds character, pain purifies, and veterans of martyrdom are forged stronger. See Pilot Grit Rules.