Aca

Blind Aca, Matron Saint of Sacrifice, was the eldest (supposedly) of God's children, and governs the most delicate and demanding virtue of all: asceticism.

Aca's followers forego the trappings and treasures of a normal life, choosing to dedicate themselves, body and soul, to their Father in Heaven and His mission: missionaries, lifelong soldiers, church administrators, monks.

The Sisters of Aca are the primary governing body of the Father's House, and view themselves as eternally bound and betrothed to God. They eschew families and personal comforts completely, spending every waking moment giving themselves over to their work.

Aca is also known as the Shackled Crown.

The Sisters of Aca
A Sister of Aca is most often seen administering to the higher concerns of the church. They act as judges in courts; they organize functions and missions; and they dispense orders to the officers of the Father's Army. The royal families, and governing bodies, of Phila's settlements answer directly to the Sisters of Aca.

As befitting their matron saint, the Sisters of Aca live extremely ascetic lifestyles, and eschew common pursuits such as wealth, comfort, and even family, and give themselves entirely to the Father. They live in quarters specifically built into their temples, and rarely leave.

The Helm
Set like a staircase into the Avrok Mountains, the Helm is a pyramid-like city-state comprised of five levels. At the top level of this gargantuan structure is the Temple of the Aklai—a young woman who acts as a mortal avatar of Saint Aca herself—and the Court of the Magistrates—five individuals who handle the internal workings of the people, and act as the Aklai's personal guards.

The Helm's claim to fame is its standing army, often cited as the finest fighting force in all of Phila. Each able-bodied citizen—which is to say each citizen, as sickly infants are discarded at birth—is trained in the art of war, and each man is drafted into the Helm's army once he comes of age.

The Helm is also home to some of the most celebrated craftsmen in the world, due to their expertise with Avoran whitesteel—an extremely precious metal crafted from ore mined in the Avrok Mountains.

Soldiers seeking specialized training are permitted to seek guidance from the Helm, though most who enter into this training don't live through it. Rarely, trainees seeking to enter into the Sisters of Vilaya are sent there for such training. Even more rarely, they succeed.

Beneath the city houses a labyrinthine series of catacombs, housing the Helm's mummified dead, whom are revered and worshipped as the Chosen of Aca.

The Fox and the Beggar
Main Article: The Fox and the Beggar

This story explains how Aca lost her sight, and how that seemingly tragic event guided her on her destined path.