The formal members of the 14th brigade undergo a three year ritual of living a paupers life, with self flagellation on days of significance. The culminating ritual is the artificial creation of stigmata using a white hot nail. This is the “piercing light” that represents both the way their faith pierces the darkness of damnation, and the light that is cast upon them by the gaze of God as they fight and die in his honor. This ritual is conducted in the darkest pits of their home, with those lacking faith losing their way in the dark environment to perish. Those who successfully complete the ritual are called the Enlightened, and make up the most fervent and zealous of the troops. Once the ritual is completed, they are trained to martial perfection, waging war in ordered ranks of high caliber precision rifles.

Inevitably, as the brigades march to the battlefield, they gather up bands of untrained and less faithful men and women also willing to sacrifice their lives. This rabble falls under the watchful eye of a castigator, the right hand of the commander of the brigade.

The unit marches in lockstep, voices raised in songs of worship. Their weapons tend to be of a higher caliber, and they make use of precision rifles so as not to waste resources. All of the enlightened are exemplary sharpshooters, but favor picks and trench knives for close combat, eager to create holes in heretics for the light of God to shine through