Cassiline Brotherhood

In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, the Cassiline Brotherhood is an order of priests who swear allegiance to the Precepts of Cassiel. Their service is as rigorous and far sterner than that of Naamah. Noble houses often pledge their middle sons to the Brotherhood, sending them off for at the age of ten.

The Cassiline share an affinity with the Yeshuites, still worshipping the One God but believing also in Elua and His Companions. Cassiel did not break faith with the One God, but only turned away in shame. Their difference in theology comes in that the Cassilines believe Cassiel took up the duty the One God neglected: loving the son of Yeshua's blood.

Rules and Customs of the Cassiline Order

*The head of the Cassiline Brotherhood is given the title of "Prefect".

*Training for the Cassiline Brotherhood takes ten years. After the apprentice takes his vows as a Brother, they must perform their duties for five years and have these duties judged exemplary by the Prefect before they are given permission to visit their family.

*A Cassiline Brother never draws his sword except to kill. For non-lethal fights, they use twin daggers. The style is not made for open combat like that on a battlefield in war. To be a Cassiline, means to protect and serve. They flow like water using their opponents own attacks against them. They are not intended to kill; hence the twin daggers.

*All Brothers take vows of celibacy, and are cast out of the Order if they break them.

*The Cassilines refer to Elua and the other Companions as "the Misguided".

*The final act a Cassiline may perform is called the "terminus", in which the Cassiline throws a dagger into the heart of his charge while simultaneously slitting his own throat. It has not been performed in living memory.

*If a Cassiline fails to protect his charge from harm, he is considered a disgrace and may be released from his vows and become anathema, or return to the Prefect of the Cassiline Brotherhood to atone for this.

* The ruler of Terre d'Ange is always warded by at least two Cassiline Brothers by tradition.

* Each Cassiline Brother must perform Elua's Vigil on the Longest Night. This involves kneeling before a statue of Elua, preferably in one his temples, from sunrise to sunset without getting up. This is a much harder feat than it sounds due to the cold.