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The Priests of Achaea
Priests are Achaea’s Bloodsworn healers and holy warriors. Bound to Targossas and the Divines Aurora and Deucalion, they fight with a summoned spiritual mace and a guardian angel that stays with them for life. Through Devotion they enact holy rites. Through Zeal they speak verses imbued with Phoenix-ash. They stand at the front line of every war waged against Chaos, Evil, and Darkness.
Priest lore and origin
Priests are one of the most ancient classes in Achaea, and unlike many others, history has preserved their founding. Millennia ago, Imithia performed the Rite of Passing for Pasiphae, a daughter of Sinope and Callisto, and in doing so founded the Church of Achaea — which also birthed two guilds, the Templars (now Paladins) and the Priests.
Today, Priests find their true home in Targossas, the Dawnspear, empowered by service to Lord Deucalion and Lady Aurora. The class is concerned with the righteous advancement of Creation, seeking to shine light on truth no matter the depth of shadow that would keep it concealed.
In 793 AF, a great and shining hope was extinguished in the war against the Light’s ancient enemy. The Bloodsworn’s faithful adapted. Anointed with the ash of the Phoenix that will never be reborn, the priests of Light and Fire cast off the skill of Healing and took up Zeal, imbuing their holy words with the latent remnants of Phoenix song. “The time to heal has passed; the time of reckoning has come.”
What a Priest does, in plain terms: summons a guardian angel as a permanent companion, summons a spiritual mace as their primary weapon, performs holy rites that bless allies and torment enemies, speaks verses empowered by Phoenix-ash, and stands in Judgement of evil. The most powerful Priests can pass a sentence of death — Judgement — upon an adventurer; failing the judgement means death.
This is a strongly factional class. A Priest who strays from the path of the Bloodsworn Gods can be excommunicated and lose Devotion. The roleplay isn’t optional, and the Targossas relationship is the centre of the class.
Signature combat identity: the angel, the mace, and the verse
Three things make a Priest a Priest.
The first is the guardian angel. Every Priest’s angel stays with them forever, acting defensively except where Chaos Entities are concerned — Angels and Entities share a long-standing hatred. The angel is summoned (Summon), commanded through ANGEL , and used for everything: searing enemies, panicking targets, watching for chaos ripples, healing the Priest empathically, and at the highest expression, tearing the soul from an enemy (Absolve). The angel is feminine in lore framing (“her”, “she”) and the bond is paternal/maternal in tone — the Priest is responsible for the angel’s wellbeing, and the angel is responsible for the Priest’s.
The second is the spiritual mace. Spirituality grants the ability to summon a great mace that the Priest wields directly. The mace inflicts damage, breaks limbs (Smash), and at the highest level performs Judgement — the most feared ability of the class. Stand in Judgement of an adventurer; if they fail, they die. Only the most powerful Priests may perform it. The mace also Chastens (mind-numbing blows) and is callable back from anywhere if lost.
The third is the verse. Zeal is the skill of speaking holy verses empowered by Phoenix song. Through Verses, Prayer (chaining verses), and dozens of named verses (Fire, Void, Protection, Will, Glory, Salvation, Light), the Priest builds momentum through speech. Capstones include Wrath (“righteous fury is a thing to behold”), Oration (“Creation shall flourish”), and Revelations (“show them Evil’s horror”). The skill replaced the older Healing skill in 793 AF when the Phoenix fell.
Add Devotion — the shared theological foundation that includes Bloodsworn (the oath that bonds Priests and Paladins together), Resurrection (bringing slain believers back), and the full rites system — and you have a class that fights as a complete holy combat platform: physical with mace, divine with angel, theological with verse and rite.
The three skills of a Priest
A Priest commands three skill sets: Spirituality, Devotion, and Zeal. A fledgling Priest gains Spirituality and Devotion; Zeal is granted upon embracing the class.
Signature abilities: Summon, Touch, Mace
Spirituality revolves around two things: the guardian angel and the spiritual mace. The angel stays with the Priest forever. It acts defensively except against Chaos Entities (an old hatred). The mace is summoned and used as the Priest’s offensive weapon, with the feared Judgement as its capstone application.
Syntax for non-mace angel abilities: ANGEL .
Abilities (34)
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Summon | Summon your angel to your side. |
| Touch | Assess the power of your angel. |
| Mace | Summon a spiritual mace to aid you. |
| Shine | Cause your guardian angel to radiate light. |
| Call | Call your mace to you when you have lost it. |
| Aura | Shield yourself with an aura of protection. |
| Panic | Ask your angel to cause terror in a chosen victim. |
| Fortify | Boost your angel’s power with your own health. |
| Watch | Have your angel keep watch on your enemies. |
| Smash | Deal a crushing blow to one of your opponent’s limbs. |
| Rest | Causes your angel to conserve her power. |
| Drain | Gain health from your angel. |
| Heresy | Summon rage at the heretics and hunt them with fervour. |
| Seek | Have your angel report on another person. |
| Mindread | Your angel reports to you on local conversations. |
| Push | Make the unbelievers kneel. |
| Beckon | Draws in people from adjacent locations. |
| Sear | Order your angel to sear an unlucky adventurer. |
| Judgement | Pass a sentence of death upon the evil. |
| Strip | Order your angel to strip a defence from a heretic. |
| Ripples | Your angel watches for chaos ripples. |
| Ward | Cause fear in most chaos entities. |
| Chasten | Deal a mind-numbing blow to an enemy. |
| Presences | Searches out all in the local area. |
| Lift | Raise up your congregation. |
| Trace | Have your angel report on someone’s movement. |
| Sap | Order your angel to sap the mental strength of an enemy. |
| Care | Have your angel care for your physical well-being. |
| Refuge | Have your angel transport you to a place of safety. |
| Empathy | Have your angel heal you regularly. |
| Power | Increase your angel’s power through use of mana. |
| Contemplate | Perceive the state of another’s mental strength. |
| Sacrifice | Full restoration of self at great cost to your angel. |
| Absolve | Command your angel to tear the soul from your enemy. |
Signature abilities: Enlightenment, Hands, Parting
Devotion is the personal hallmark of the Bloodsworn Priests. Through faith, the Priest enacts a holy inquisition. Devotion is a resource gained passively or by immolating corpses in the Flame of Yggdrasil. The skill provides the holy rites — visions, banishment, healing, revitalisation, resurrection — and the Bloodsworn oath that creates a powerful bond with another.
Many abilities here are shared with Paladin’s Excision skill (the two classes have a common theological foundation), but each accesses them through their own skill tree.
General abilities (34)
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Enlightenment | Look into the soul of someone. |
| Hands | Lay hands on a person to heal him. |
| Parting | Water will pull apart to make way for your blessed self. |
| Preaching | Show an adventurer the beauty of belief. |
| Truth | Dispel illusions with the power of your devotion. |
| Rites | List what rites are active. |
| Sustenance | The Gods will provide for you. |
| Inspiration | Gain an infusion of divinely-inspired strength. |
| Bliss | Give an adventurer a glimpse of paradise. |
| Pilgrimage | Travel to someone in a Rite of Pilgrimage. |
| Purity | Damage the Unholy. |
| Chaoscalm | Attack the chaotic nature of a chaos entity, pacifying it. |
| Visions | Condemn your foe with horrific visions. |
| Warding | Drive your enemies off with overwhelming fear. |
| Force | Make an adventurer follow your wish. |
| Piety | Bind those around you with the force of ultimate piety. |
| Dazzle | Confuse and dazzle an opponent. |
| Demons | Summon demons to torment the unrighteous. |
| Sloth | The sin of sloth is yours to condemn. |
| Allsight | Gain insight into all movement into and out of holy areas. |
| Healing | A powerful healing ability. |
| Well-being | A rite to keep those nearby fed and rested. |
| Convocation | Call to you someone in a Rite of Convocation. |
| Revitalisation | A rite to heal health and mana. |
| Deliverance | Deliver a target unto you. |
| Cleansing | Rid your enemies of their unclean aspects. |
| Reclaim | Reclaim one of your rites. |
| Prayer | Pray for the salvation of your congregation. |
| Banishment | Send the unholy Chaos entities back to their hell. |
| Fasting | Rob them of their will to eat. |
| Resurrection | Grant life anew to a slain believer. |
| Illuminate | Illuminate your path. |
| Purify | Cleanse the land of necromantic corruption. |
| Bloodsworn | Bond with another via a blood oath. |
Priest-specific specialisation:
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Penitence | Condemn the unfaithful to eternal penance. |
| Congregation | Beckon forth the holy rites. |
Signature abilities: Anoint, Verses, Will
In 793 AF, the Phoenix fell. The Bloodsworn’s faithful, anointed with the ash of the Phoenix that will never be reborn, cast off the older skill of Healing and took up Zeal — holy words imbued with the latent remnants of Phoenix song.
The time to heal has passed; the time of reckoning has come.
Zeal lets the Priest speak holy verses (Fire, Void, Protection, Will, Glory, Salvation, Light), chain them through Prayer, and reach for capstone effects: Wrath (righteous fury), Oration (Creation shall flourish), Revelations (show Evil’s horror).
Abilities (28)
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Anoint | Your pledge. |
| Verses | Knowledge of the holy verses. |
| Will | A verse to bolster the mind. |
| Endurance | May the protectors of Creation never falter. |
| Attend | They shall hear what you have to say. |
| Fire | The verse of the righteous. |
| Void | A verse to stave off the outer cold. |
| Protection | The verse of protection. |
| Fragility | The profane are weak in body as with mind. |
| Prayer | Chaining the holy verses. |
| Condemnation | There will be a reckoning. |
| Guilt | Remind them of their failings. |
| Persevere | There will be barriers to overcome. |
| Unflinching | You will not back away from what must be done. |
| Ash | Consign them to their fate. |
| Penance | Let them gaze upon their sins. |
| Reflection | The verse of self reflection. |
| Rebuke | Punish their transgressions. |
| Burn | Let the fire speak for you. |
| Light | The rallying cry of the Light. |
| Wrath | Righteous fury is a thing to behold. |
| Purge | Let the disease be burned away. |
| Rejection | You will not stand for such corruption. |
| Oration | Creation shall flourish. |
| Salvation | The verse of salvation. |
| Benediction | A holy blessing to protect the righteous. |
| Glory | The verse of glory. |
| Revelations | Show them Evil’s horror. |
Priest Houses and cities
See Achaea’s city-states for the cities where these Houses recruit.
Priest is alignment-locked to Targossas (Good) and the Bloodsworn Divine. Only 3 Houses accept the class — the tightest acceptance roster in Achaea.
| House | City | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Dawnblade | Targossas | Targossan martial House. Priests who lean toward direct combat. |
| The Harbingers of Redemption | Targossas | Targossan succour and healing House. The traditional Priest home. |
| The Grand Merchant Collective | (cityless) | The cityless trader House. Rare Priest choice. |
To check current House availability in-game: HOUSE LIST PRIEST.
A note on the alignment lock: If a Priest strays from the path of the Bloodsworn Gods, they can be excommunicated and lose the ability to use Devotion. The class explicitly requires roleplaying within Targossas’s theological framework. Unlike most classes, the Cij (Carnivalis Institute of Jestering) does not accept Priests — Jester chaos and Bloodsworn devotion don’t mix.
What an Achaea Priest might look like
Class shapes silhouette; race shapes everything else about a character’s appearance. The art below shows what a Priest can look like across two of Achaea’s 14 playable races. These are illustrative examples. Any race can play a Priest.
How to roleplay a Priest in Achaea
A Priest’s identity is the Bloodsworn covenant. Your character serves Aurora and Deucalion. The relationship is sacred, and the divines are active characters played by admin. The class lore positions Priests as concerned with the righteous advancement of Creation — your character should reflect that.
Three things make Priest roleplay distinct:
Your angel is named and beloved. Other Priests know each other’s angels. The bond is the class’s emotional core. Players who name their angel, treat the bond seriously, and write the angel into their roleplay get the strongest character moments.
Your speech matters. Zeal is built on holy verse. A Priest who speaks like the lore — formal, scripture-aware, comfortable with prayer and theology — fits the class. A Priest who reads as a generic warrior with a mace is playing the class at half strength.
You will be in conflict with Mhaldor. Same as the Paladin: Targossas and Mhaldor are the central Good-Evil axis. Priests are on the front line of that fight. Apostates, Infernals, and the Tyrannus’ loyalists are your sworn enemies.
A few practical notes:
The Dawnblade and Harbingers play differently. The Dawnblade leans martial — frontline combat, raids on Mhaldor. The Harbingers lean toward healing, succour, and the protective face of the Bloodsworn. Pick the House that matches the Priest you want to be.
Combat is mid-range and complete. A Priest manages the angel, wields the mace, calls verses, and performs rites. The class doesn’t burst — it sustains. Healing, defensive verses, angel support — Priests are some of the strongest defensive combatants in the game.
The 793 AF Phoenix loss is part of your character’s history. Even Priests created after that date inherit the lore. The shift from Healing to Zeal is a real event in the Bloodsworn’s story. Engaging with it in roleplay deepens the character.
If you want a class with the deepest theological identity in Achaea, complete holy combat platform spanning physical-divine-verbal, and clear factional purpose in the central war of the game, Priest delivers.
Other classes to consider
Three classes worth a look if Priest is on your shortlist (or browse all 21 Achaea classes for the full comparison):
Paladin: Targossas’ Holy Knight
The Targossan martial counterpart. Shares the Bloodsworn alignment and many Devotion-flavoured abilities. Where the Priest fights with mace, angel, and verse, the Paladin fights with sword, eagle, and Excision. Same factional weight, different combat identity. Choose Paladin if you want the warrior side of Targossan service.
Apostate: Mhaldor’s Daemonic Priest
The dark mirror. Same dark-priest-and-scholar role but on the Mhaldor side. Where the Priest summons an angelic companion, the Apostate binds a Baalzadeen. Where the Priest channels Bloodsworn devotion, the Apostate channels daemonic Apostasy. The two classes are designed as theological opposites.
Shaman: Hashan’s Enigmatic Ritualist
The unrestricted alternative for spiritual-and-curse work. Where the Priest is alignment-locked to Targossas, the Shaman is unrestricted. Where the Priest summons an angel and casts holy verse, the Shaman binds ancient spirits and crafts Vodun dolls. Choose Shaman if the spirit-magic identity appeals but you don’t want the factional lock.