((Glossary of Terms, Places and People Used:
Order Of Silent Selene: Currently resides within the spires of Ironvale using the might of the city and its client states to achieve its objectives and further a pro-Humana agenda, The Order was founded 40 years ago in honor of the murdered knight Selene. The Order is comprised of 4 sub-orders that make up the whole they are:
Ordo Deimos: A branch trained in the arts of combating trans-planes threats, most notably of the demonic or violent kind. They are one of the larger branches of the Order and routinely insert their own members into various forces or nations to remain vigilant of covert daemonic forces. This branch is noted for its utility of unorthodox ways of achieving its goals. The Common tactic Deimos practices are deploying wayward, disguised agents into distant lands that carefully monitor any developing situations and take action as seen fit or directed.
Ordo Hospitaller: While not part of the military branch of the Order, their main focus is the healing and care of humans and non-aggressive races of the world. They boast one of the most advanced mending and healing abilities of the time. The healers and weavers of the Ordo are some of the greatest the Union can offer, they are solely dedicated to the preservation of life and ensuring harmony throughout the Order and beyond.
Ordo Ordination: Tasked with recruitment to fulfill the Orders ranks, this branch serves strictly as the logistical branch of the Order and takes full care to ensure the replenishment of men and material in the event of cataclysm or merely filling out the ranks. The Ordo relies on its fellow members to support it in any action, all in all, the Ordo is one of scribes, quartermasters and artisans.
Ordo Teutonic: The main military branch of the Order, it draws its members from the highly trained legions that serve the Union. Drawing upon only the hardiest or most relentless soldiers to serve in the Ordo's devout fighting force. Their rugged nature and combat heavy stance leaves them many a times at odds with the other branches of the Order, Where as Deimos see's beasts from other realms the greatest threat, Teutonic merely points to the thousands of corrupt and dangerous men that seek to undo all that good has wrought. While haughty and prone to vanity, the Ordo still serves the Order with a strong blade and resilient armor.
Ironvale:
Far away on Kiwike, over vast planes and mighty mountains, resides Ironvale, a bastion and heart of the Union of Ironvale, it is the center of military might and diplomatic persuasion in the far west. Nestled in a mighty valley, rests one of the grandest citadels in the entire plane. Perched and dug into a mountain side, the city of Ironvale is renown for its fierce national pride and unwavering focus on victory for the Union and its expansion. The general make up of the cities population points heavily to wealthier and more influential citizens of the Union. With an extremely low poverty rate, the city thrives on its main exports of expertly crafted arms and armor.
The City was founded in the valley long ago near the beginning of the Paralium Empire. with the valleys rich iron content and more rare alloys it quickly sprouted up and became a thriving trading post, a way station to the outer colonies and after that the Frontier. But as the Empire expanded its influence and wealth, many characters of vile nature sought to take by force the wealth of others. Various uncoordinated rebellions and insurrections forced the Empire to call upon its wealthier aligned states to found an army to combat the various threats that were posed to pull the Empire apart in civil war.
Ironvale answered the call to war along with the other major city states, and soon the rebellions and revolts were steamrolled and peace restored to the Empire. As time passed many of the other city-states disbanded or greatly reduced their fighting forces, in efforts to focus on economic growth. Ironvale though, realizing the wealth it could acquire in campaigns of conquest, rapidly petitioned the Council for permission to take its war of conquest to the unsettled and barbaric lands of the deep desert and untamed lands bustling with free-holds and rogue settlements.
For many months, the Council disputed and argued the need for a war of conquest, seeing no true need to move troops far into uncharted land. This thoughts and problems vanished with the discovery of valuable alloys and materials in the uncharted lands. With haste the Council appointed a young general from Ironvale, Felix Gearheart, to spearhead this conquest with the newly formed and heavily equipped Iron Wardens. Like a juggernaut the Imperial forces swept into the lands and began a campaign of rapid dominance. Quickly the forces of Ironvale proved that extreme discipline and advanced tactics and the latest arms and armor trumped their foes on every field. Their conflicts brought them into conflict with everything from roaming bandits to actual city-states that refused the Empire's most cordial greetings. The Wardens soon discovered upon the scorched lands of Zekrah that many of the local inhabitants were not so keen to dispose of years of tradition to join the now massive Paralium Empire.
As currently the fires of war dim in the hearts and souls of the men and women of the Wardens and their sister legions, the Union of Ironvale has laid the ground work for dozens of local city-states, each independent but owing fealty and soldiers to Ironvale. Though now aged and scared the still spry Felix leads his people with a stern, but fair and even hand, pushing them on to become the dominating faction within the Empire, through clever negotiations and a firm and resolved and devout military presence, they may soon achieve their goal of bringing peace to the Empire for the next era.
20 years have past, the Paralium Empire has weakened and begun to fracture, Ironvale, spying the impending doom of following the Empire down a path of self destruction, has renounced its loyalties and stated its sovereignty as the Union of Ironvale, the hundreds of local city states flocking to be included within the might of the Iron spires. With the disappearance of Felix Gearheart, Lady Artemis, his only daughter has taken the throne and now leads her people with the same quick minded and fair hand her father did many years ago.
The All Father: Is the name for Felix Gearheart, a now deceased leader of the Order of Selene. He was a man of titanic proportions, standing nearly 7 ft tall and carrying with him an ancient warhammer forged from starfallen ore. He began his life as a mere general and leader of the Iron Wardens, on the Council's request he was deployed to hundreds of battle sites, his keen mind and sharp wit always taking him the forefront of the Unions eyes. When the Union finally marched into the desert lands of Zekrah, Felix was High Marshall of the military forces, under his steady arm followed half a dozen legions into the blistering heat. Under the unrelenting heat and oppressive sun the level headed strategies and arms meet courage and valor. Though better armed and equipped, the soldiers of Ironvale could not press through. Felix regretted his actions as every day of the campaign drug on. He felt remorse, baffled as to why he was here fighting those that do not deserve such death.
But weeks into the Campaign word reached Felix a terrible black cloud had encircled and seemingly enveloped Ironvale, the black fog refused to subside and within the walls of the mighty bastion a terrible beast of nightmares lurked, calling itself Ebrek, murdering and bloodily butchering the innocents of Ironvale. With Post haste, Felix tore his legions away from the bloody stained sands of Zekrah and sped to his homeland. Upon arrival the scene was more dismal then he could have ever dreamed. Many of the Captains and Marshall's had fallen attempting to stem the beasts attacks on the civilian populations leaving the defenders in dismay and unorganized.
Felix took up his hammer and began his hunt for the creature within the massive walls and halls of Ironvale, he clashed many a times with it, narrowly escaping its lashing claws within the throne room with the aid of a young Captain Soban. Finally within the massive and lush gardens, Felix cornered the beast and set upon it with righteous blows from his warhammer, he battered at it his strikes growing more furious and in a finally roar, he split the beast's head asunder, its body losing cohesion and collapsing into the realm it came from. The beast had taken into its body Maria Gearheart, his pregnant wife. Felix was hailed a hero an living legend by his own people, who without fail placed him upon the throne. Under his steady hand the Nation grew an thrived. Felix found the battered and bloody form of Selene dead where she stood protecting innocents from the blood thirsty beast a few nights prior. Felix somberly payed his respects to a noble Captain and set bout found the Order of The Silent Selene, in honor of her selfless sacrifice. Years passed on, Maria bore her first child, a bright eyed and quick minded girl, Alexia followed there after by the tiny but brilliant Artemis. Felix remained abroad, pulled from ruling his nation by the Paralium Empire's decree for conquest, knowing no other who could do such as Felix did.
When the Empire began to settle a distant land dubbed the "Frontier" his oldest daughter Alexia traveled there curious of the land. Though wicked and heart wrenching twists of the knife, Felix's daughter was merely a pawn, the girl named Alexia not truly existing, A Greater Daemon, Aloisia had taken the body of his daughter in the womb, while captured by the daemon Ebrek and used her physical shell as a vessel in which to arrive upon the plane. On the Frontier hundreds where sacrificed in bloody sport to her, where she attained godhood. Felix with a broken heart, sat out to undo what he had done and put his daughters body and hopefully her soul to rest.
Years past, finally upon a mountain side, long forgotten and seemingly a eon away from charted maps, Felix cornered the daemon that flaunted his daughter's shell like a toy. Aloisia tried swaying him, telling him that by his violence, her father Ebrek had come to punish the people of Ironvale for their blood lust. Felix firmly denounced that the innocents of Ironvale had anything to do with the blood shed on distant fields, He himself had asked forgiveness from "Him That Resides Above All Others" And now came to correct the mistakes of his past, at what ever cost.
The battle smote the mountain side to ruin and shattered its face, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin, Aloisia's physical shell was destroyed and her soul cast back into the realm from where she came. Felix's body was broken his warhammer shattered, the mighty titan of a man had finally reached his limits, muttering prayers for the people of this world, he passed on into the halls of his ancestors.
The Order of Selene know only of his fate, the men and women of Ironvale still pray and await the return of their Champion, in his place Lady Artemis rules, her decrees and judgements fair and wise, ensuring her peoples safety and growth. The Order continues the struggle that their founder had begun. They are tasked with watching, Keeping eyes for any daemonic incursion. And possibly most important, any signs of the return of Aloisia, Maiden of Death and Love.
Knight Captain Selene: She was a blue eyed black haired merchantman's daughter raised to be a proper lady in waiting, but her feisty attitude keep her out of many of the nobles courts, against her fathers wishes she enlisted in the Iron Watch and keep vigilance over the city. For 10 years she and Captain Vivo protected the city of Ironvale from petty bandits and thugs to internal trouble. When the black mist descended upon the city, Captain Vivo and Selene rapidly began an cordoning of districts to try and slow the beasts advance. Captain Vivo, wielding Gungnir, a starfallen spear the sister weapon of Felix's warhammer, pressed forward with the Watch and engaged the beast in fierce fighting on the streets of the city. His bright lance darted nimbly and jabbed the beast, Selene herself worked with the arcane arts, forbidden at the time, to seal a shelter housing hundreds of civilians cowering in fear. One by one the Members of the watch fell, their deaths unceremonious and unfitting for noble men. With her ward complete, Selene turned to find only her and Captain Vivo still standing, across the courtyard, wrapped in shadows on four legs like a wicked hellishly twisted lion stood Ebrek. Vivo firmly took Gungnir and sent the spear lancing forward, the ancient weapons oath rang true, It never misses its target. Ebrek phase shifted away from the golden lance, only to have it shift with him and strike him. With a bellowing rage, the beast lunged forward and clamped its massive jaws down on Vivo, the Captain of the Watch fell still and his weapon seeming to collapse in on itself, fading into a golden burning void. The beast cried out in pain turning its rage filled eyes to Selene. The Captain took up her shield and blade, and slowly started to circle the beast. The beast lashed out with claws and teeth, towering over Selene and tearing her shield asunder, She was bloody and battered but keep up her blade work, slicing and stabbing the beast, her body lashed out with the arcane burning energy lashed out, bright as the sun aiming to drive the beast away, and keep her ward safe. Ebrek landed a final blow upon the Captain, her stomach splayed open. She collapsed, the daemon circled around her and opened wide its jaws, fangs clanking. Suddenly a resounding bellow rang though the courtyard. The Beast turned its head upwards, and clattering across the courtyard like men possessed came a squadron of footmen, the beast lunged at them and set upon them, they gave their lives to draw the beast away from the civilians and further into the city where Felix had finally arrived. With her duty complete and life force ebbing away from her across the cold cobble streets. Selene passed on. Her body recovered by Gearheart after the battle, by her sacrifice hundreds of lives had been spared the horror and unrelenting violence that Ebrek sought to bring. Felix's daemon hunting order was christened in her honor, her sacrifice demonstrating what faith and courage could bring forth.
((Updated: Will Add More as it comes to mind, Or Per Request))
Along The Path Less Taken...A Paladin's Tale
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