Without further adieu...
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ORIGINS
The beginning of the story of the d'Lardick lies with the Fatalists of Magnagora of old, a number of decades before the Taint was ever heard of or Project Cosmic Hope proposed. The Master Prophets had discussed and decided upon the idea of establishing an organized body within the city devoted to the Fatalists, in light of the fact portents and visions had begun to flow to those touched by the Fates with greater frequency, limiting the ability of the Prophets to carry out their other duties beyond perceiving prophetic omens.
The Master Prophets appealed to one of their past members, an Orclach by the name of Sotuu who had since left the Fatalists for reasons known to none but himself and had since joined the ranks of the Ur'Guard to acknowledge the calling of his own people. Many said Sotuu was Lord Urlach come again in mortal form - strong in body and stalwart in battle, but of a keen mind and deep wisdom. It was only through great determination that the Master Prophets finally convinced Sotuu to turn his allegiance again to the Fatalists.
Sotuu was entrusted with the task of training a body of protectors, assistants, scouts, messengers and investigators to serve the Master Prophets and others among the Fatalists. Most of the first to be recruited under Sotuu were originally those from within the Fatalists who had failed the trials to become a Prophet, and thus he was able to provide them the training in combat and survival skills that the Fatalists could not.
A significant problem for Sotuu was that he and those training beneath him were barred from the Prophetic Arts by the Master Prophets, and for that reason he instituted a focus on Discipline - not only over the body but even more so the mind, developing the means to suppress the gifts that manifested from the touch of the Fates upon each of them. He himself had already embarked on such a task even before receiving word from the Fatalists, and in a short amount of time he was able to impart what he knew to his apprentices.
After conferring with the Master Prophets Sotuu was finally given permission to establish the Order known as the Guardians of Clarity.
FOUNDING
Under the leadership of Sotuu the Guardians of Clarity began to develop highly ritualistic customs and traditions, their practices focusing most significantly upon the precepts of Discipline, Honour, Loyalty and Service. Each of these concepts were expressed to the highest degree in equal measure through the most respected and sacred of the order’s rituals – the Oath of Clarity.
The Oath of Clarity was the act of a Guardian swearing complete and undying loyalty to an individual Master Prophet, who became their charge and in turn the pair would bind their lives and destinies together while calling upon the blessing of the Fates in their union. This bond was considered permanent and due to the fact it was rare for a Prophet to die during their duties, their sworn Guardian often remained in their service well into old age. It was comparatively more frequent, however, for a Guardian to perish in their line of duty and it was not unheard of for a Master Prophet to receive the Oath of Clarity more than once during their lifetime. (More information to be included in Extract: Oath of Clarity)
Beside the Oath of Clarity was another central ritual created by Sotuu known as the Chronological Centre. It was, in fact, the process of entering a meditative trance to erect mental barriers around the mind to contain the gifts that manifested from the touch of the Fates that each Guardian possessed. The ultimate ambition in mastering the Chronological Centre, however, was not to completely remove the gift of the Fates but to obtain complete control over it, so that it could be used safely within the boundaries of a Guardian of Clarity’s duty. There were great risks in the visions and Prophetic trances that the Fatalists were subjected to, for it was possible for Prophets to become lost in a sea of past, present and possible futures. One of the most vital means in which a Guardian protected their charge was in serving as an ‘anchor’ back to reality in times of emergency through a mental link, akin in some ways to the process Prophets follow to combine their own trained gift with each other in times of need. This was of even higher dangers for the Guardian though, for it was theorized by Sotuu that the sudden complete reopening of one’s mind to the touch of the Fates after long suppressing it could have disastrous affects on the mind in the resulting backlash and such sudden flow of the gift. Though uncommon knowledge, it was quietly spoken of that those who managed to attain complete control on their gift could utilize it in other ways beneficial to the Guardian – Sotuu and those of his bloodline, for example, were rumoured to have received an intuitive gift of foresight, which often aided them in combat and heightened their senses beyond natural levels. (More information to be included in Extract: Chronological Centre)
During the time in which Sotuu was shaping infrastructure and the cultural and ritual aspects of the Guardians of Clarity, there were several others who endeavoured to develop other areas of the Order. Most worthy of notice is the work two significant weapon masters pursued in perfecting a unique fighting style exclusive to the Guardians.
The first of the two weapon masters to succeed in this task was an Aslaran known as Drescen. Focusing concept of the Combat Style around his own unique weapon, a katana of jade and silver, he named it Jade Spire Style. Divided into three forms – High Spire, Medium Spire and Low Spire – it primarily utilized thrusts or jabs to deliver lethal blows, while mainly performing slashes in leading up to harass an opponent while assessing and opening their defences. Jade Spire’s three forms were divided into the general level of height each of its maneuvers were performed in, as well as the target of the lethal thrust; High Spire aimed for slicing through the neck, Medium Spire was intended to lance one’s katana through the chest and Low Spire was used to impale an opponent through the gut.
As soon as Jade Spire Style was officially named the formal fighting style of the Guardians of Clarity smiths from within the Order began to model katanas similar in make to Drescen’s, which all of the warriors would begin to use from that point on as a signature weapon of the Guardians. Over time the silver and jade katanas were slightly revised and improved, but by the time a second combat style was created they were deemed finely-tuned to perfection and the exact method of forging them had become an Order secret.
The second combat style was devised a few years after the first by a Trill named Garda. Named Arc of the Heavens, it specialized in dual scimitar use and thus provided a wider variety of choice for a Guardian when choosing their path within the Order. Originally Arc of the Heavens possessed three forms titled Dawn, Dusk and Apex, but knowledge of them has long since been lost to history. All that remains of Garda’s combat style in recent times is the silver and jade scimitar design that was created in honour of it becoming the newest official Guardian of Clarity Style.
GROWTH
Before long the number of Guardians of Clarity began to swell as the Order was completely established and the first of the Guardians had been fully instructed of their duties. New recruits flowed in mostly from the Fatalists but others within Magnagora were likewise drawn to the path.
Guardians had originally served with a dual purpose of both warrior and scholar when assisting their Master Prophet charges, and it was inevitable that as the Order grew in size more and more members were interested in pursuing one aspect in specific over the other. When the time came that most of the Prophets had been assigned Guardians it was agreed upon by the elders to develop two separate paths within the Order, such that Prophets would have the option of receiving the services of two Guardians with greater knowledge of their respective areas, instead of the one with less focus.
A problem began to emerge as only Sotuu and a small number of the elder Guardians remained to teach newcomers in the Order as all of the others were bound by their oath to serve and travel with their respective charges, and such obligation consumed almost all of a Guardian's time. Most of the Order was divided and as a result only few instructors were available, making it near-impossible to train all of the new hopeful Guardian aspirants and the growth rate of the Order began to plateau.
When demand rose within the Fatalists for more Guardians to swear themselves to service, and the present number of active warriors and scholars was already spread thin as is, the Order was faced with the dilemma of finding a means to train a larger range of aspirants. It was decided that the most vital aspects of a Guardian's training was their grasp of Discipline and a trained state of mind. With this in mind, aspirants were encouraged to seek preliminary training with the Guilds of Magnagora, such as from within the vast ranks of the Ur'Guard or among the wise sages and mages of the Geomancers. The strict ban on the use and development of the Prophetic Arts by the Guardians of Clarity prevented the Order from approaching the Fatalists for additional aid in training, and thus they were quite limited in their options for alternative training.
As a part of aiding the new scholar's branch of the Order in developing mental Discipline, Sotuu bestowed a final gift upon the Guardians and produced a new system of ritual and meditation based on building strength of will and the mind, opposed to the body. Shortly following the introduction of these practices, in his old age Sotuu disappeared from among the Guardians of Clarity and was presumed deceased from that point onward.
TRANSFORMATION
Even since the beginning of their formation the Guardians of Clarity possessed very little wealth or resources to speak of, in fact more often than not they utilized the skills of self-sufficiency taught to them and honed while they carried out their tasks across the
The Order, in the same manner, possessed almost no influence or political power of their own within Magnagora. The Great House of d'Murani had achieved a tight grasp over the social structure and become dominant within the city, and it was from their position within both the Ur'Guard and Geomancers in particular that they came to notice the Guardians of Clarity and began to explore the possibility of profiting from their potential, whilst taking advantage of their distinct vulnerabilities.
Camilla d'Murani in particular showed interest in the Guardians of Clarity and carefully approached a couple of the Order's younger members, still little more than aspirants. Gradually extracting information from them, she began to study the customs and codes, as well as investigate the state and structure of the Guardians as an organisation so that she might uncover any aspects she might be able to manipulate in her favour. She came to realize how divided the Order was, their leadership never having re-established itself since Sotuu's departure and that what little guiding force there was originated mostly from the elder Guardians who taught the new aspirants.
The lack of leadership and cohesion within the Order provided Camilla d'Murani with ample opportunity to mobilize her two young Guardian allies and seed support for her objectives among the others. Her understanding of the code of the Guardians of Clarity in regards to Honour and Loyalty lead her to the conclusion that she could obtain the allegiance of the Order at least partially if they were in any way indebted to her or the d'Murani.
After her plan had been given time to culminate and influence a number of people within the Order, Camilla approached one of the elders and made a proposal: those of the d'Murani with power and authority within the Ur'Guard and Geomancers, specifically herself and Syril d'Murani each as Guildmistresses respectively, would formally authorize the Guardians of Clarity to continue having their aspirants train within the two Guilds in an official capacity, opposed to discreetly inserting them in. Merely an enticement, Camilla d'Murani further offered the Guardians financial and political support from the d'Murani Great House itself, such that it would be able to build and grow more progressively to create a centre for the Order itself. Many were interested in forming an Order Hall so that they could better organize and manage contact between the wandering, divided members.
The condition of Camilla's offer was that an alliance 'of sorts' would be established between Order and Great House. A small portion of the Guardian elders recognized that such an alliance called for their loyalty and that the debt to the d'Murani could be used as leverage, potentially compromising their allegiance to the Fatalists. However, the pawns of Camilla were vocal in giving her proposal support and those under her influence far outnumbered the opposing elders.
The division of the Order prevented the elders from organizing resistance against Camilla d'Murani's intentions from the older, experienced and knowledgeable Guardians and thus it was only a small matter of time before her will prevailed. It wasn't long before Camilla and the Great House of d'Murani began exerting power over the Guardians of Clarity, actively taking a hand in organizing the Order. The absence of leadership allowed Camilla to ground herself and form a level of authority.
The resources and influence of the d'Murani were more than strong enough to do what the elders couldn't and gather the separated Guardians who were serving their charges. The purpose for this was completely different, however, as before the majority of the Order Camilla announced that the Guardians of Clarity were to become a Banner House to the d'Murani. There was nothing they could do, for they were bound to them by their code and precepts, and slowly Camilla began to reshape the infrastructure of the Order and turn them into the early semblance of the Banner House that was soon to be.
THE D’LARDICK
In the month following Camilla d'Murani's announcement to reform the Guardians of Clarity into a Banner House, she came again before the Order and bestowed upon them the name "d'Lardick".
In order to establish the d'Lardick as a nobility two separate factions were formed in the Banner House, adopting a semblance of the dual aspect of the Order in making a distinction between the warrior and scholar branches. The two factions were named the Emerald Guard and Emerald Cabal, and two prominent members of the prior Order that were seen as accepting towards d'Murani influence were ascended as nobles to represent each faction.
Khairin d'Lardick, a Trill and son of Garda was named the noble of the Emerald Guard and warrior bloodline, whereas Dendris d'Lardick, a Human, received the leadership and nobility of the Emerald Cabal and scholar's bloodline.
While both new nobles of the Banner House were quite in favour of Camilla d'Murani and her influence over the d'Lardick, it was only a short time before she came to the decision to implant a stronger, more stable power within the infrastructure of the House itself. To this end she introduced a new branch and noble bloodline to the d'Lardick, named the Emerald Assembly.
The Emerald Assembly's duty was to represent the d'Lardick Banner House within Magnagoran government and politics in which, in truth, their purpose was to support the d'Murani Great House and increase their power base. Shortly before creating the Assembly an Elfen maverick by the name of Kutaiba had been admitted to the d'Lardick, and as the third bloodline arose so did she as its leading noble.
Originally hailing from the
Within barely a week following the creation of the Emerald Assembly, the combined efforts of Kutaiba and the representatives of the d'Murani resulted in securing legitimacy for the formation of the d'Lardick Banner House, ranking them among the other Great Houses of Magnagora. Khairin, Dendris and Kutaiba were formally recognized as the Triune Bloodline of the d'Lardick, forming a leadership over the House in the form of a Council.
With the acknowledgement of the d'Lardick came the introduction of the symbols and figures that identified them as a House. Green and silver remained their signature colours, but it was evident that jade was no longer a symbol as the darker emerald replaced it, representing the transformation (supposedly for the better) of the Order that now lay in the past. Silver alone remained a symbolic link to the Banner House's origins. The faunal figure of the d'Lardick became the scorpion, often referred to as The d'Lardick Silver Scorpion, and those not among the Triune Bloodlines became known as Vassals of the Scorpion - loyal and obedient to the Banner House, bound by their duty and oath but not by blood.
DISSENT
Following the establishment of the d'Lardick Banner House, the changes gradually occurring that threatened the former identity of the Guardians of Clarity caused discontent to grow over time, slowly leading to the d'Lardick becoming divided once again. This time, however, it was not due to being spread apart as individuals in serving the Fatalists - the Banner House offered a stable, centralised leadership that maintained contact with its members - but instead separation as several factions began to form in the background, each possessing different opinions regarding numerous aspects of the House.
In an attempt to ease the reluctance and resentment of the Vassals (for those of the Triune Bloodline were supportive of the d'Murani) a Dracnari weapon master from the Emerald Guard named Szanxex, reputedly the greatest of d'Lardick history, developed and proposed reforms to the two Guardian of Clarity combat styles known as Jade Spire and Arc of the Heavens. Respectively renamed the d'Lardick Stinger Style and d'Lardick Pincer Style, at first such changes were met with discomfort and disapproval from the Vassals of the Emerald Guard, but as they began to realize and recognize the success in the alterations that effectively improved the two styles opposition was quelled, and it was among the first changes to be brought to the Banner House to be introduced smoothly.
Despite the best efforts of those seeking harmony and stable coexistence between factions, rifts began to widen within the d'Lardick. The Emerald Guard and Cabal in particular grew more and more distanced from the Emerald Assembly, not only due to identifying those of the Assembly as 'outsiders' (as they had not originated from the Guardians of Clarity as they had) but also because of their actions and attitude that came into conflict with the others of the Banner House.
Even after the transition from Order to House the d'Lardick remained loyal to the Fatalists and continued to serve them as their duty and oaths required, the d'Lardick Tricouncil maintaining close contact and communication with the Master Prophets, but the Emerald Assembly and the Vassals they recruited and trained seemed to pay little heed to their supposed allegiance and obligation to the Fatalists, despite the fact they too held the touch of the Fates. Even those of the Assembly Bloodline possessed it, for Kutaiba d'Lardick bore children by one of the d'Lardick Vassals.
The Emerald Assembly made only a token effort to learn of the disciplinary and focused training involved in controlling the touch of the Fates and were mostly uninterested in remaining devoted to the prior teachings of the old Guardians of Clarity that had been carried over to the d'Lardick Banner House. Fortunately for them their touch of the Fates was extremely faint and in most cases remained rather latent, but this did nothing to reassure the antagonised Emerald Guard and Cabal.
Conditions continued to spiral within the d'Lardick, and it was reaching the point where outbursts and open argument began to culminate. Many resented the change that even still continued to 'pervert' the ideals they had stood for, and Camilla d'Murani and Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick secretly began to make plans to repress further uprisings for there was little chance that any of the oath-bound d'Lardick would defect or abandon the House. Before such objectives could be implemented, however, a single gigantic event interrupted and hurled the entire d'Lardick Banner House into complete turmoil.
CHAOS: THE TAINT
When the Taint descended upon the City of
Those affected negatively by the Taint were wracked with various levels of insanity, as their mental state became unstable and the previously-repressed powers of the touch of the Fates were unleashed too suddenly and the impact of the Prophetic powers washing into their mind was devastating, almost as if carrying the destructive force of the waters from a burst dam. It is also possible that the Taint reacted with the touch of the Fates in its own way, in addition to the result of the Cosmic Plane of Shallamar, the plane where the Fates previous dwelled, being warped.
The extent of the damage upon the psyche of members of the d'Lardick varied widely, as levels of discipline were different between each and the manifested power behind the touch of the Fates waxed and waned between all of the Vassals and Nobles. For some, their minds were completely and utterly destroyed by the psychic backlash and they became little more than empty yet disfigured shells, whether living or undead.
Among those who lost their mind completely were coma victims, but the affects upon those who maintained awareness and conscious thoughts were far more disastrous upon the d'Lardick Banner House. To a lesser degree many suffered from drastic personality changes, numerous pathological illnesses, phobias, wracked emotions ranging from euphorbia to despair and general damage to the sanity. Intelligence was completely unaffected if not enhanced, however, and the worst event to damage the state of the d'Lardick was the manner in which it began to tear itself apart, killing and destroying in violent madness.
The most mentally scarred of the Emerald Guard became prone to mindless wanton slaughter, in most cases killing among themselves or others indiscriminately, depending on whoever was closest. The district of Magnagora appointed to the d'Lardick became a war ground as the warriors emerged from their dwellings and bathed the streets with rivers of blood, drawn from countless d'Lardick katanas and scimitars. Fortunately for the rest of the city the massive melee was mostly contained within the d'Lardick district and thus the majority of casualties were from the Emerald Guard, though a number of innocents who were inconveniently in the wrong place at the wrong time joined the death count.
Perhaps even worse than the case of the Emerald Guard was the destruction that was wrought at the hands of the Emerald Cabal. As the training of most of the Cabal was based in Geomancy the corruption of the plane of Earth struck them far more deeply than in the case of all the others. Equilibrium was shattered and the mental state of those within the Cabal became unstable and uncontrollable, the danger of this made all the more perilous as their powers manifested spontaneously and a cataclysm of magic was spread on a wider scale. It is said that parts of western Magnagora vanished into the waters that would later be known as the
It was a matter of injustice when it was found that the members of the Emerald Assembly were least affected, saved to an extent from the harm and chaos that was inflicted upon the others. They did not escape unmarred, however, as a small number of the Assembly died in the early destruction caused by the Emerald Guard and Cabal. Further, the Taint's effect upon their minor touch of the Fates still resulted in some mental damage, but nowhere near to the level the ex-Guardians of Clarity experienced. Many became quite erratic and unpredictable from that point onward, particularly in Kutaiba d'Lardick's case.
When the dust had cleared, many of the Emerald Guard and Emerald Cabal were dead or lost in their own minds. Worst of all, both branches of the d'Lardick were left leaderless as both Khairin and Dendris d'Lardick had died during the chaos, as well as their designated successors. During the indecisiveness and uncertainty that followed as far as leadership over the crippled Guard and Cabal, Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick swiftly seized power while the survivors became divided and settled into a number of factions.
FACTIONS
It should be noted that there were those among the d'Lardick who successfully resisted the effects of Taint-inflicted insanity. In some cases, those most centred and disciplined managed to hold their focus intact and found that their strength of will in fact increased as they received the gift of Undeath or were transformed into one of the being later to become the Viscanti. There were even a small number of the d'Lardick fortunate enough to avoid being Tainted at all, remaining outside of Magnagora until Kethuru's presence had left the Taint and it was then safer to re-enter the city. The 'pure' d'Lardick were scarce, however, and there were still many more members of the Emerald Assembly than the surviving Guard and Cabal.
During the consolidation of the d'Lardick following the onslaught of the Taint, five main factions emerged:
The Emerald Guard split into three main factions, the first consisting of a group that had mostly resisted the effects of the Taint or had only suffered mentally to a minor degree and were recovered or recovering. Lead by Thanis d'Lardick, the second son of deceased Khairin d'Lardick, they referred to themselves as the "True" Guard and claimed to be honest and true to the original teachings of the Guardians of Clarity and were strictly opposed to the new reign that Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick was establishing for herself. Thanis' intention was to lead the remainder of the 'true' d'Lardick to departing from the Banner House before Kutaiba and the Emerald Assembly could completely bastardize the old teachings of the Emerald Guard and Cabal.
The second faction to split from the Emerald Guard was a smaller body led by Larensis d'Lardick, the fourth and last son of Khairin d'Lardick yet also the only son of the Guard Bloodline to be a Trill. Their stance was different from the True Guard in that they were more contemporary, resolved to remain within the d'Lardick Banner House and yet endeavour to preserve what remained of the old Guardian of Clarity teachings and traditions (For historical reference, they will be labelled the "Contemporaries"). They decided to refrain from antagonizing the larger and more powerful Emerald Assembly, while also believing that it was not too late to bring cohesion back to the entire House.
The third and final faction to emerge from the Emerald Guard was what the True Guard loosely referred to as the "Corrupt Guard". They were the survivors from the initial massacre that swept through the Emerald Guard ranks, proving to be the strongest and ruthless of the warriors. Violent by nature and still affected by the bloodthirst that wracked them during the Tainting, they were quite difficult to control at times but for the most part were loyal to Kutaiba d'Lardick, carrying out her will without question (as long as it led to violent ends). To this end their service was often used for questionable means.
Despite the heavy impact of the Taint upon the Emerald Cabal, several among their number managed to survive and from within arose Aneviana d'Lardick, the single surviving descendent of the ex-Cabal Noble Dendris d'Lardick. Looking for support in maintaining her fragile branch of the Banner House, she backed the older and more powerful Thanis d'Lardick and the True Guard to further his cause (which she and the Cabal believed in) and in turn received protection and guidance. Fortunately, the Emerald Cabal remained quite unified and there was no division to speak of, such that even as danger arose within the d'Lardick the members of the Cabal were able to protect and look out for one another.
Lastly, and yet most importantly, remained the dominant Emerald Assembly, the only bloodline and body of Vassals still lead by its founder: Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick. Though Kutaiba and the Assembly had become more erratic due to the effects of the Taint, its membership remained most numerous within the d'Lardick and, true to their nature as politicians, they began to seize as much power as possible within the crippled Banner House. Under the ideal that she was senior among all of the d'Lardick, being the last founder of the Triune Bloodline, and should accordingly wield more power. With the largest numbers and the Corrupt Guard at their command, as well as Larensis d'Lardick and the Contemporaries determined to minimize friction and conflict, the Assembly was impossible for the True Guard or the Cabal to contest when faced with the prospect of enforcement.
Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick and the Emerald Assembly then began to alter and change the Banner House of d'Lardick to suit their own purposes, as well as the Great House of d'Murani's.
THE USURPERS
The efforts of Kutaiba d'Lardick and the Emerald Assembly to acquire control over the d'Lardick Banner House came to fruition as it came to be that the Master Prophets of the Fatalists had disbanded, only to be reborn and return as the Nihilists to serve the Demon Lords of the Cosmic Plane of Nil, the atrocity that the ruined Shallamar had become. Members of the Emerald Guard and Cabal despaired for, in their eyes, such transformation dissolved the oaths of their ancestors to the Fatalists of old; no longer the Prophets they had sworn to protect.
Kutaiba leapt upon the perfect opportunity and insisted that the entire d'Lardick Banner House swear sole loyalty and allegiance to the Great House of d'Murani, their only remaining master in whom they were still indebted to and thus bound to serve. She promoted a new future for the d'Lardick, devoted completely to the precepts of power and glory in obeying the 'greater' d'Murani. When Camilla d'Murani and many others of the Great House began to expect the d'Lardick to serve them as charges many within the Banner House protested and attempted to resist the orders of Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick, even as she continued to further discard the older d'Lardick teachings as they hindered her ambitions.
The True Guard in particular vocally opposed the iron ruling of Kutaiba and the Emerald Assembly, further outright refusing to take on d'Murani charges. They promoted their plans to revolt and leave the Banner House, imploring for others to follow them and the Assembly to see the error in the path they were taking. To repress the outbreak of opposition from the True Guard and any who may follow them, Kutaiba began to systematically silence them one by one. At first the Corrupt Guard were utilized to eliminate the more prominent members of the True Guard, but soon after deployment they proved unreliable with their lack of subtlety and self-control when it came to the murders themselves. It was in this way that Kutaiba reached out to the shadows of Magnagora and arranged for the eradication of the True Guard through paid assassination.
Seeing the Corrupt Guard as a liability, Kutaiba d'Lardick ordered for them to be slain indiscriminately beside the True Guard. Fortunately Larensis and the Contemporaries were not targeted as they proved to be accepting towards her and the d'Murani, determined to keep the peace. Like the True Guard, the Emerald Cabal had refused to take on d'Murani charges but opposed to their brethren they had not been vocal or aggressive, choosing to remain more in the background and focus on defending themselves while working with the True Guard behind the scenes.
Larensis d'Lardick began his attempts to convince Aneviana d'Lardick and the Emerald Cabal of his belief, that bloodshed should be avoided for the Assembly were too powerful, especially with the might of the d'Murani backing their decisions. He told them of his belief that the old teachings could be quietly preserved, even secretly if need be, but to openly fight for them would result in destruction by Kutaiba's hands. Aneviana's decision to stand by the True Guard held for the time being, even if her resolve was slightly shifted by Larensis' words.
When the hired assassins in Kutaiba d'Lardick's employ began their work and carried out their mistress' scheming, the Guard of both True and Corrupt were steadily slaughtered. The fighting styles of the d'Lardick were completely unsuited to the 'swarm' attacks delivered from the shadows by entire bands of rogues, their powers of stealth making it all the more difficult for the warriors more suited to single or small groups of attackers. Many died in the first few nights of the assassin onslaught, and it was when Aneviana d'Lardick and the Emerald Cabal realized what was occurring they approached Larensis and beseeched him for assistance.
Larensis suggested she and her Vassals of the Cabal do as he and his people had done and made the oaths to the d'Murani, in turn acquiring protection from the murder being driven by Kutaiba, taking advantage of fear of antagonising her masters. Aneviana followed his advice, but when Kutaiba d'Lardick's grip over the Banner House tightened and she assumed full control the Contemporaries (the last of the Emerald Guard) and the Cabal began to realize the futility of their position.
The construction of the new d'Lardick estate in west Magnagora served as a call of awakening for Larensis. Realizing that all that still survived of the old ways was about to be lost he made a bold and noble move and swiftly acted to retreat the entire remnants of the Guard, Cabal and the knowledge they held, departing into obscurity to preserve their ways. After submerging first in the underground of Magnagora, the remaining d'Lardick of the Emerald Guard and Cabal denounced the remaining d'Lardick nobles as usurpers and impostors of the d'Lardick name, shortly afterwards leaving the city to take shelter in the invisibility that seclusion in the wilderness could provide them.
When Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick and the Emerald Assembly realized that the rest of the Banner House had disappeared she claimed the family name and House as her own, erasing all records of the other two bloodlines and thus destroying the Triune Bloodline. She repudiated them from the family and in the years that followed the Emerald Guard and Emerald Cabal slowly came to be forgotten to the people of Magnagora.
THE WAYWARD
Under the leadership of Larensis and Aneviana d'Lardick, the surviving Emerald Guard and Emerald Cabal unified and adopted the title "The Wayward". For the sake of preserving themselves and their ways they strove to elude detection by Chancellor Kutaiba d'Lardick, the newly-proclaimed Matriarch of the d'Lardick, by spreading themselves across the
As a matter of poetic justice, Aneviana proclaimed herself the Matriarch of the Bloodline of the Mind, and following suit Larensis accepted the mantle of Patriarch of the Bloodline of the Blade. Though remaining separate bloodlines, the two aspects of the Wayward worked together to record what little they knew of the teachings, rituals and customs of the old Order of the Guardians of Clarity, teaching such knowledge and practices to as many of the Wayward as possible in hope that they would be able to pass it onto following generations.
Having bound them themselves officially to the d'Murani, despite their seclusion and abandonment of the d'Lardick the Wayward still considered themselves sworn to their charges and the Great House, and vowed that one day the two bloodlines would return to Magnagora and reclaim their honour.
At Larensis' direction the Wayward began to train themselves as hunters of the shadow and masters of both deception and perception, determined to never again be surpassed by bands of cutthroats and blades-for-hire. They finely attuned their senses to their surroundings, greatly enhanced as they developed a oneness with nature, and often participated in such exercises as sparring while deprived of either vision or hearing in an attempt to sharpen the opposite sense.
It, too, became necessary to put aside the two d'Lardick Combat Styles and devise techniques more suited for fending off numerous attackers when alone - something the Emerald Guard had been utterly incapable of doing due to the restricted nature of the former styles. It should, however, be noted that the Wayward continued to forge and wield their signature emerald (once jade) and silver katanas of the d'Lardick. Larensis himself honed and perfected a combat style which he named the Wayward Dark Angel Style, designed primarily for scimitars but remained compatible for dual-wielding other swords. Wayward Dark Angel was devoted completely to slashing maneuvers and focused on offence on all sides and in every direction, utilizing perceptively and physically demanding spinning slashes.
Szanxex had survived the Taint as one of the few to emerge completely mentally unharmed, and having grown in age he made not one but three last gifts to the Wayward in the form of new combat styles that were formed in an astoundingly short amount of time, considering the level of refinement they had been finally produced with. The first was another combat style intended for twin sword use named Axis Guard, comprised of defensive maneuvers coupled with dextrous ripostes and counter-attacks. The second and third styles were both based on two-handed sword use, each respectively offensive and defensive in nature. The former style was named Turn of the World, characterised with wide horizontal and lateral swings of varying heights that would slice a path through swathes of enemies at a time, whereas the latter style titled Eternal Passage relied on almost constant mobility and change of positions while delivering very precise strikes.
It is believed other combat styles emerged during the time of Wayward, some in fact deviating from the tradition of sword use in such cases as the rumoured (and unfortunately unsubstantiated) two-handed axe maneuver called "Argent Vortex". They, like much knowledge belonging to the Wayward, faded over time as they became dispersed across the
REDEMPTION (1)
Still residing within Magnagora, the fallen d'Lardick slowly deteriorated over time, gradually slipping into decadence. The departure of the Emerald Guard and Cabal in the past had left them much weaker with such a minor number of members remaining, while at the same time they possessed no specific means in which to protect themselves or the d'Murani. They had become liabilities to the d'Murani based on their spontaneous and erratic manner, proving to be of little use in a political sense where subtlety and power of wit and mind were most important.
Kutaiba d'Lardick continued to rule as Matriarch of the Banner House of d'Lardick even decades following acquiring complete control, taking thorough advantage of the extended life gifted to her by Elfen legacy. The Taint had not left her unmarred though and her appearance no longer bore the resemblance of the forest-dwelling Elfen of the forests, in fact her physical bearing seemed to have reciprocated. Where before her complexion had been the white of ocean pearl, her hair long, silken and raven black, and her eyes a piercing, almost alien green, she had emerged from the darkness of the Taint a being of shadow and manifested evil. Though her visage had retained its beauty and nobility and her physique preserved its slender grace, her skin had darkened to the hue of blackest obsidian, her hair had become skull-white and her eyes had reddened, to bear the deep crimson of pooling blood.
Even as her newfound countenance and aura of majesty commanded respect and awe within the d'Lardick and throughout all of Magnagora, Kutaiba d'Lardick held a mantle that was losing its glory, its power waning as the Banner House beneath her was slowly but surely dying, the former wealth it once held likewise long since squandered. Considering the d'Lardick's poor position with the d'Murani Great House, especially while they were often clashing and coming into conflict with Great House i'Xiia when they most needed their loyal House, they could not receive full protection from the higher and more powerful Great House and over time the d'Lardick were being discreetly thinned out by the i'Xiia and other opposing Houses - though naturally, Kutaiba herself never suffered from such attacks.
It was during this downward spiral for the d'Lardick Banner House that a very minor group convened from among the lost and forgotten Wayward. Consisting of six people, four Vassals and a descendent of each of the two bloodlines of the Wayward, they named themselves the Redeemers and swore themselves to the cause of exacting revenge upon Kutaiba and the d'Lardick, seeking to eradicate each and every one of them so that the Wayward could return to Magnagora and reclaim their past.
Only two names of the Redeemers could be ascertained - the first was Vayne of the Bloodline of the Mind, leader of the Redeemers and most devoted to the pursuit of destroying Kutaiba d'Lardick and her underlings, to the point of excluding all other concerns. At his side and supporting his will as representative of the Bloodline of the Blade was Aembre, a Trill and direct descendent of Larensis, the very first Patriarch. With the sanction of both bloodlines in his grasp, Vayne zealously believed that his mission was guided by the Fates themselves and he further recognized a symbolism of there being two Wayward loyal to each bloodlined noble present, a recurring characteristic in history as a warrior and scholar had always (to his knowledge) served a single charge together.
Vayne, Aembre and the four other Redeemers planned in the shadows and regularly scouted Magnagora, familiarizing themselves with the layout of its streets and every significant landmark, including the d'Lardick Estate. After establishing a small number of safe houses and locations in which to prepare strikes against the Assembly they entered the city and began to operate from within in secret. Through stealth and cunning tactics they were able to eliminate many of the d'Lardick with precision, managing to elude detection and pursuit for the most part. Seemingly blessed by the fact the d'Murani were too distracted and reluctant to waste resources on the d'Lardick, they initially carried out their objectives smoothly and with little complication.
REDEMPTION (2)
It was only a matter of time before the d'Murani Great House took notice, and it was during a plan to ambush and slay Kutaiba d'Lardick herself that all went wrong. Aembre, who had often surveyed the Redeemers' surroundings from the skies was too late to warn Vayne and the others as their attempt on Kutaiba's life was interrupted by the intervention of a band of Ur'Guard and Geomancers. In the unprepared and hasty retreat two of the lesser Wayward were slain and another badly wounded, barely taken to safety by Aembre as the enemy attempted to capture them.
Following the incident, the d'Murani, the y'Bolgari and the remaining d'Lardick actively began to scour the city for any traces of the 'assassins' that had attempted to murder the Matriarch of the d'Lardick and it became increasingly hard for the Redeemers to operate as the entire city seemed to come alive with determined vigilance - Kutaiba was favoured by many. Aembre was wracked with guilt as a small number of additional Wayward attempted to enter Magnagora to seek out the Redeemers to join them but were captured and tortured in attempting to sneak past the city garrisons and were further identified by the silver and green streaks that most of the Wayward had in their hair.
Aembre plead with Vayne to order withdrawal from the city, before he managed to succeed in bringing harm to any more of the scarce Wayward or themselves, for the danger was increasing. Slowly the safehouses and strike points were being discovered, and it seemed as if the Redeemers' pursuers were closing in on their position step by step. When the injured Wayward died and news reached Vayne and Aembre that the prisoners had been killed Aembre began to protest more insistently, but Vayne was determined that the d'Lardick could still be ended if only he could find and kill Kutaiba.
One night the combined forces of the enemy Houses attacked the safehouse the Redeemers were staked out in. The remaining Wayward sacrificed himself so that the other two could escape, but Aembre was separated from Vayne as they both fled for their lives. When they were reunited outside the city limits, Vayne had gathered a strike force of additional Wayward and was preparing to mount an assault on the d'Lardick Estate in a final attempt to slay Matriarch Kutaiba and the remaining d'Lardick. Aembre begged him to desist, that it was suicide to enter the city but Vayne ignored her and led the strike force into the
Aembre was absent from the attack on the d'Lardick, but Vayne successfully led his warriors into Magnagora and lay waste to the d'Lardick. His plan did not progress as smoothly as hoped, and by the time the Wayward had fought their way deeply into the estate the city's military had arrived and they were thrown into a chaotic melee of utter carnage. In the final moments of the battle Vayne faced Kutaiba d'Lardick and locked with her in a duel of magic and might. He had seemingly bested her in combat, but in fleeing from the d'Lardick estate her body disappeared and Kutaiba's fate remained unconfirmed - Vayne, however, believed he had killed her.
Vayne was the only one to survive the assault, every other Wayward cut down or blasted apart by Magnagoran soldiers while the leader of the Redeemers escaped with his life intact.
PURPOSE
With the last of the Assembly members of the d’Lardick Banner House dead and Matriarch Kutaiba d’Lardick assumed dead, Vayne proclaimed to Aembre that it was time he and she did something that had never been done since the Wayward split from the d’Lardick and gather all members and Vassals of the family to together enter Magnagora and reclaim their position again, carrying out the will of their ancestors and approaching the d’Murani in peace to pledge their loyalty to them once again.
Aembre and Vayne travelled together across the wilderness, scouring the lands of the
It was after a year that Aembre lost hope and told Vayne that their quest was hopeless, that they did not have the strength or ability to gather all of the remaining Wayward to them and even if they did, were the lost d’Lardick to return under their leadership they would be met by Magnagora and the d’Murani with suspicion and violence – they had alienated themselves and destroyed any chance of a peaceful return. Vayne in his zeal and blind determination refused to give up hope, resolved to continue travelling for as long as it took to reassemble the Wayward.
Aembre finally accepted that Vayne was beyond reason, and it was in
Vayne died in the wilderness on his own, even when faced with starvation and exhaustion refusing to cease in his mission. In the meantime, Aembre reunited with an Orclach by the name of Vaduul and eventually begat a son by him, promising to herself that her child would be the key to returning her people to honour.
