Aelrrigan Order: Difference between revisions

From MassiveCraft Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with "{{Info knights |image = Knightsy.png |pronunciation = Ail-ree-gan |origins = Kintyr |grandmaster = Ffiontirre of Wythwaite |symbols = Unionist eye, flaming sword, feathered wings |colors = white, dark gray, sky blue |racelimits = Ailor and Nelfin (except Kathar) only |magicusage = Permitted |stances = * Hunt Renegade Mages * Capture Artifacts * Cleanse Corruption * Teach Magic * Protect the Occult |}} File:Beeboop.png|260px|thumb|right|Unionist Goddess Elen is very im...")
 
No edit summary
 
(61 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Info knights
{{Info knights
|image = Knightsy.png
|image = Aelrriganorder.png
|pronunciation = Ail-ree-gan
|pronunciation = Ail-ree-gan
|origins = Kintyr
|origins = [[Kintyr]]
|grandmaster = Ffiontirre of Wythwaite
|grandmaster = Ffiontirre of Wythwaite
|symbols = Unionist eye, flaming sword, feathered wings
|colors = White, Dark Gray, Sky Blue
|colors = white, dark gray, sky blue
|racelimits = Ailor and Nelfin (except Kathar) only
|magicusage = Permitted
|stances =
* Hunt Renegade Mages
* Capture Artifacts
* Cleanse Corruption
* Teach Magic
* Protect the Occult
|}}
|}}
The Aelrrigan Order is a [[Knightly Order]] primarily occupied with fighting the negative effects of [[Magic]] on the world, though by harnessing and teaching as opposed to repressing and peaceful cleansing instead of eradicating. Among the Aelrrigan Knights, [[Magic]] usage is very common, and they even provide safe ways to teach responsible Magic usage to others. Inversely however, the Aelrrigan Order has some of the most ruthless [[Mage]]-Hunters who track down what they call Renegade Mages (sometimes also called “Goz” for the [[Breizh]] word for mole, or just Renegade). Beyond their enforcement of responsible and moral usage of Magic, the Aelrrigan also hunt down [[Artifacts]] of Magic in order to keep them out of the hands of the common people, and lock them up into a fortification called an Enemohér, which those who speak Common often refer to as a Magi-Vault or Mohér. The Aelrrigan ply their craft somewhere between the laws of the land and their own moral codes, never quite being fully recognized and legalized in the same way the other Knight Orders had been, but still finding ways to fulfill their divine mission. The Aelrrigan follow the Dydd y Farn, which is loosely translated to the Doomsday Prophecy in Common, an extremely rare instance of three religions all convening for a common goal and concept, to warn the world about dangers and instructing their followers on what to do about it. The repository of all played Knights can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-KiHYpKMIBUcrqgYtfXGGBYN6ZBeCOvQBp_si1QQZyA/edit?pli=1#gid=0 here]. When you make a new Knight character, please file a ticket in the Discord Ticket Bot to have them recorded. You only need to provide their name and Order.


[[File:Beeboop.png|260px|thumb|right|Unionist Goddess Elen is very important to the Aelrrigan Order, and also the reason why 9 out of 10 Aelrrigans are Unionist, either Dogmatic or Emended.]]
==Design==
[[File:BreizhCrest.png|260px|thumb|right|Knighthood is a major fascination for the Breizh people, and all the major Ducal families have brothers and sisters as Aelrrigan Knights, part of cultural tradition.]]
Aelrrigan Knights sit somewhere between the typical fantasy medieval feudal Knight, and the spell-blade warrior. Their Knight Order still predominantly appeals to the Knighthood aesthetic of the heavy plate armor, capes, swords and shields, but many of their members also use Magic or combine their normal fighting style with enchantments and Magic. Aelrrigan Knights are more personable than most other Knight Orders, but are capable of the same stiffness and sticking to rules when it comes to Renegade Mages. The following design limitations are enforced on the Aelrrigans:
[[File:Empalexe.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Emperor Alexander is a great patron of the Aelrrigan Order, signing additional rights to them, and firmly believing in their mission-statement, a loyalty that the Knights return to him.]]
* Aelrrigans can be of any people or culture, but they must be loyal to the Regalian Empire.
[[File:Artifacti.png|260px|thumb|right|Artifact impounding is the main reason why Aelrrigans are not well liked in Crookback, with their patronizing attitude that the common folk is too foolish to wield Artifacts.]]
* Aelrrigans should gravitate towards melee weapons and plate armor aesthetic, but can incorporate a lot of Magic.
The Aelrrigan Order is a [[Knightly Order]] primarily occupied with fighting the negative effects of [[Magic]] on the world, though by harnessing and teaching as opposed to repressing. Among the Aelrrigan Knights, Magic usage is very common, and they even provide safe ways to teach responsible Magic usage to others. Inversely however, the Aelrrigan Order has some of the most ruthless Mage-Hunters who track down what they call Renegade Mages (sometimes also called “Goz” for the [[Breizh]] word for mole, or just Renegade). Beyond their enforcement of responsible and moral usage of Magic, the Aelrrigan also hunt down [[Artifacts]] of Magic in order to keep them out of the hands of the common people, and lock them up into a fortification called an Enemohér, which those who speak Common often refer to as a Magi-Vault or Mohér. The Aelrrigan ply their craft somewhere between the laws of the land and their own moral codes, never quite being fully recognized and legalized in the same way the other Knight Orders had been, but still finding ways to fulfill their divine mission. The Aelrrigan follow the Marvdeiz Diougan, which is loosely translated to the Doomsday Prophecy in Common, foretelling of a time when unrestrained Magic will destroy the world and end all that is good on it. This prophecy has been foretold across faiths, both from when the Breizh pre-[[Unionist]], and still preached to them after integration, meaning it still guides their intentions towards all that is Magic.  
* Aelrrigans can also be exclusively Magic users, or have zero Magic at all, but should always be heavily armored.
* Aelrrigans can never be criminals, Afflicted, Marken, Evolism worshipers, or hold Spirits (unless [[Suvial]]).
* Aelrrigans can never be Ordial Aligned, though Exist, Void, and Dragon or God Magic Aligned are welcome.


==Core Identity==
==Chapters==
The Aelrrigan Order is a Knightly Order that specializes in positive enforcement of good Magical conduct on the people of the Empire. Aelriggan Chapter houses are some of the few rare locations in the Regalian Empire where one can learn Magic and be taught Magic by practicing teachers without requiring extensive paperwork and documents to prove legality. The Aelrrigans teach their students ethical magic usage, not to treat magic like a toy, to be respectful, and to only use it when necessary and not overly self indulgent, and to guard the mind and soul from Demonic corruption. The Knights of the Aelrrigan Order also hunt Renegade Mages who use Magic to harm and corrupt, perform kangaroo courts, and punish those who court evil with Magic. Their final task is also to secure wayward Artifacts and keep dangerous Magical objects out of the hands of the common folk who do not understand such terrible power.
All Aelrrigan Knights are members of one single Chapter, which grants them a free non-Combat related Mechanic. Changing Chapters is permitted but only infrequently and only through a Staff Ticket where the request is reviewed.
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Penn Archwilio Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Explorationchapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
Penn Archwilio is the Chapter of the so-called wayfarers seated in Canolbarth, Kintyr, in the Regalian Archipelago. While the other Chapters primarily deal with the known and the established, and finding better ways to deal with known threats, the Penn Archwilio Chapter focuses on exploration and the pushing of magical boundaries to discover threats before they make contact the other way around. This is both done through a combination of physical exploration and sea faring to distant lands, and the more metaphysical exploration of the boundaries of Magic and keeping an ear to the ground for new discoveries in distant lands that the Aelrrigans may once need an answer for. Penn Archwilio Chapter members tend to be more prone to risky behavior and lone-wolf behavior, as many of them get sent on missions to far away lands where they get used to being self sufficient. Penn Archwilio holds a large fleet, the only Knight Chapter to do so. 
* '''Penn Archwilio Mechanic:''' Penn Archwilio Knights can have Wings (feathered only), allowing (Elytra) flight (+use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Penn Carchar Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Artifactcghapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
The Penn Carchar Chapter specializes in the taking, storing, and Artifactspark manipulation of Artifacts. Their Chapterhouse in Tirddwr, Kintyr, in the Regalian Archipelago, has the largest known library with information on all the known Artifacts around the world, along with the largest magical repository of locked up artifacts belonging to the Aelrrigan Order. Penn Carchar Chapter members tend to be disciplinary and rule-bound, believing more strongly in the Aelrrigan mission than the other Chapters due to their proximity with the extreme danger of Artifacts. There are infrequent Artifact breaches in Penn Carchar's Chapterhouse, resulting in casualties and chaos, and as such, they are always more on edge and alert than the other Aelrrigans because they know what calamity looks like. Penn Carchar members are exclusively Mages, as even without any Magic and coming in mundane, the very Chapterhouse itself instills Magic in those who enter.
* '''Penn Carchar Mechanic:'''  Penn Carchar Knights gain a +2 Bonus to every Persuasion Dice roll while also raising the Persuasion Cap by +2. Additionally Foreign Diplomats like them more.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Stor Vardrhaug Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Antiarkenchapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
The Stor Vardrhaug Chapter is controversially placed in country of Middeskag in a town called Blindheim. The Stor Vardrhaug Chapter specializes in the counteraction of Arken plots across the world, but more specifically is aimed at the pacification and reduction of collateral harm inflicted by Arkenborn across the world. Arkenborn are historically liable to dangerous and chaotic Magic used to harm the mundane population, and so Stor Vardrhaug teaches its members the means to fight the Demonspawn most efficiently, while also recognizing the plots and designs of the Arken themselves. The Chapter in fact frequently recruits Arkenborn themselves, to teach them to stay in line and use them to show other Arkenborn that they need not be a waste and unwanted pariah of society. Stor Vardrhaug is not well liked by the locals of Blindheim, because they even hunt down what the Fornoss believers locally think are demigods, the Prideborn and Furyborn.
* '''Stor Vardrhaug Mechanic:''' Stor Vardrhaug Knights are immune to Prideborn Mindcontrol, Bodyborn forced Mutations, and general Arkenborn mind/emotion/memory alterations.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Hechiceros Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Spanishchapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
The Hechiceros Chapter in Girobalda in the south of the Archipelago, is a newer Chapter, created to act both as teachers to those who want to safely learn Magic, but also to keep a close eye on the proliferation (and repression) of Magic through Religion. They specifically know a lot about Religions to tackle the moral quandries created by the people claiming religious right to Magic, or claiming religious right to kill Mages. The Hechiceros Chapter is usually also called in to handle Limit-Breaking Mages so long as they haven't become possessed by a Spirit yet, able to bring a halt to their Limit-Break remotely, and guiding them through the process of shutting off their Magic so that they can calm down. Hechiceros Knights are often sagely and mentorlike, taking a more guiding approach rather than fighting, always attempting to convince any Renegade Mage to turn themselves in and allow themselves to be helped instead of death.
* '''Hechiceros Mechanic:''' Hechiceros Knights can target one Ally in Emote Range, and make a single Spell Sinistral Variant count as Radiant, per day. This cannot be used on themselves. They can also prevent Limit-Breaking.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Llynburh Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Healingchapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
The Llynburh Chapter is situated in Ashaven at the foot of a set of volcanoes that the Mages in the chapter keep docile enough not to erupt, but active enough to help the soil with its nutrients. The Llynburh Chapter is primarily focused on the cleansing and healing properties of both Magic and Alchemy, particularly the latter being popular as the Chapterhouse has a massive Alchemical repository and herb and ingredient garden. The Chapterhouse also acts as a convalescing home for wounded Knights and locals, as Llynburh is known as the hospital Chapter. Llynburh members are taught healing Magic if they are Mages, and Alchemical and surgical practices if they are Mundane. Many of the Aelrrigan Mage-Knights operate from this Chapterhouse, meaning it is a popular Chapterhouse to go for lessons and training with the best. The Llynburh Chapter is also known for having many Warden Archon joining up, and even has a decently sized Draconism Temple nearby.
* '''Llynburh Mechanic:''' Llynburh Knights because of their proximity to Draconism and Archon among them, gain access to common [[Archon]] Mechanic 6.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Laoch Lasrach Chapter'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Spellbladechapter.png|130px|caption|left]]
|
The Laoch Lasrach Chapter is the Chapter that specializes in the tactical, strategic, and mechanical combination of Magic with Melee fighting styles, thus championing the creation of the Spellblade Aelrrigan Knight. The Chapter however has had some calamity to weather, with the most recent being the utter destruction of their Chapterhouse in Èriu-Innis, at the hands of the Asha Corsair fleets that destroyed the land with their massive digging machines, causing earthquakes and landslides that collapsed the Chapterhouse. Laoch Lasrach Knights have a particular disdain for the Asha for this reason, even if they have temporarily established a new Chapterhouse in a horse-barn in Pach Lallach, Gallovia. Laoch Lasrach members tend to be the most unpredictable and emotionally passionate of the Aelrrigan Knights, first in a fight, and also first to argue against an order to retreat. In this sense, Carchar Knights usually act as their life-line in trouble.
* '''Laoch Lasrach Mechanic:''' Laoch Lasrach Knights can use Magic to steal, hijack, or otherwise use [[Asha]] Mechanics pertaining to Living Metal. They also gain it as a Tech Branch. 
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
*'''Note: More background lore can be found about the Aelrrigan [[Mage Knights]] related to the Chapter Houses.'''


==Public View==
==Internal Aelrrigan Code==
The Public View of the Aelrrigan Order in the Regalian Empire is very mixed. On the far progressive side of the spectrum, the Magic-leaning believe that the Aelrrigan Order is too restrictive, and teaches an outdated moral code that stifles Magic experimentation and development because of their over-insistence on safety. On the purist side of the spectrum, the purists are resentful of the Aelrrigan Order for making Magic so accessible to the common people, who could proverbially just walk into a Chapter house and learn the basics of healing Magic on a whim. As such, the Aelrrigans make enemies on both sides of the spectrum, and usually sit in a more centrist position where they have to do the thankless job of acting like a Magical police force that neither left nor right seems to appreciate, but relies on nonetheless, as pro-Magic users rarely hold their own accountable, and the purists often lack the brute force to disable rampant Magic use.  
The Internal Aelrrigan Code contains additional Honor and Behavior Codes for Aelrrigan Knights that are supplemental to the Common Code described on the [[Knights]] Page.
 
# Aelrrigan Knights must ensure no dangerous Magic teaching material exists by burning forbidden Dark Magic tomes, and teaching proper usage to those who want to learn.  
==Common Knights Code==
# Aelrrigan Knights must protect the (legal) repressed occult from hate-crimes and bigotry, both with verbal defense, or with arms if they suffer unlawful attacks.
The Common Knights Code applies to all Regalian Knight Organizations, but is also mentioned specifically on each Order page for reference. This Common Code is additional to the Aelrrigan Knight Functions.
# Aelrrigan Knights must declare mages who use Magic for evil as Renegade Mages, and hunt them down to bring them to justice, or in last resort cleanse their Magic.  
* Knights are expected to be loyal to the Emperor and the Empire without complaint. Unionism is not required, but obedience to the Crown is.
# Aelrrigan Knights must search and destroy the Artifactsparks of dangerous Artifacts, or Artifacts found in the wrong hands, and meet to determine these distinctions.
* Knights are expected never to attack the unarmed and defenseless, and to not resort to dirty fighting tricks or attack others from behind.
# Aelrrigan Knights must search and banish Spirits and Demons or Corrupted Souls by sending them back to the realm from which they came, and prevent their return.  
* Knights are expected not to complain, moan, or self-deprecate, Knights should never degrade themselves or be an annoying bore.
# Aelrrigan Knights must aid and cover for Doomed Fates, making sure they are not enslaved by those who ensnare Spirits, and that they can work towards their purpose.
* Knights are expected to follow the laws of the land and not become a Criminal. They should assist Guards in apprehending criminals.  
==Aelrrigan Jobs==
* Knights are expected not to lie, but never express every truth that needn’t be known. Knights should not deceive unless for the greater good.
The Aelrrigan Order, just like other Knight Orders, has so called "Jobs" which are cornerstone occupations of the Knights. Any Knight can engage in these, but they are largely optional.
* Knights are expected to give alms to the poor and care for the needy, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and punish dishonor.
* '''Magic Investigations:''' When Aelrrigans run into unusual Magical phenomena, objects, or people, they should investigate, interrogate, and experiment as much as safely possible to learn as much as possible about it before compiling a threat level report. Ranking from F (low threat) to S (extreme threat), Aelrrigans should assess the danger to the world, stability, or the Aelrrigan Order (and indirectly, the good standing of Mage-rights in the Empire), before agreeing on a plan on how to deal with the entity. This should also be done for more routine threats, like Greater Vampires, Arken, Magical Events and so forth.  
 
* '''Artifact Agents:''' The Aelrrigan Order controls who gets to use Artifacts, and who does not. They have an internal review process to determine what Artifact is too dangerous to own for anyone, and what Artifacts should be disabled when owned by the wrong people. If Aelrrigans have knocked down an Artifact Owner, they can perform the Artifactspark breaking ritual, which destroys the Artifactspark (but they cannot take the Artifact). Additionally, Aelrrigans may take Artifacts from their own internal Vault and use them in whatever way their conclave deems necessary, even if they just want to passively keep owning them.  
==Aelrrigan Knight Functions==
* '''Doomed Fates:''' Doomed Fates are Primal Revenants who died before they could complete their mission (religious, or for the Regalian Empire), so not cleansed Spirits or Spirits who socially hang out without explicit purpose. Doomed Fates are considered "Good Spirits" in the eyes of Aelrrigans, and while they shouldn't outright and transparently help them by fighting with them, they should indirectly aid them by keeping those who would ensnare or banish them off their backs, and making their work easier to complete, for when they do, Doomed Fates can be at peace and pass on into the afterlife that is reserved for them, which is the fastest way to be rid of them.  
Order Functions are a set of roleplay goals and activities that one can engage in while being an Aelrrigan Knight. These are functions more-so than rules, but some rules are implied in the functions. For example, while Aelrrigan Knights are expected to hunt Renegade Mages, an Aelrrigan Knight is obviously violating Order conduct if they fraternize and socialize with a Renegade Mage, or simply let one of their friends own an Artifact without chasing them and capturing it.
* '''Magic Progress:''' Aelrrigan Knights are exceptionally politically active. Whether attempting to do so themselves, or urging and championing the cause of others outside of the Order, Aelrrigan Orders must ensure there is always some kind of pro-Magic legislation political party that aligns with their "freedom, but under order and control" policy towards Magic. This can be led by the Aelrrigans themselves, or by Noble allies in the peerage who look fondly on the Aelrrigans. The Aelrrigans should seek to reinforce such a political unity, and expand it by adding additional members or allies.  
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to morally or vocally defend repression or mal-treatment of the Occult for the sake of being Occult. This does not mean that Aelrrigans attack anyone who attacks a Mage, merely that they will argue for a reduction in repressive policies. If however a person is being abused just because they happen to be an Occult and are harmless, Aelrrigans are expected to step in.
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to assist in the cleansing of Afflicted individuals where possible, and to lecture those that use Magical Mutation and Corruption for aesthetic purposes that there is real danger in simply corrupting the body with Magic unchecked. Aelrrigans are expected to keep up to date on the Magical happenings around the world and express the dangers of them to those investigating them.
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to constantly evaluate the population of so-called Renegade Mages. If they in Meet to (a conference to vote) decide that a Mage is considered Renegade (using Magic for evil) that they must issue a warrant and capture and imprison them. If a Renegade Mage is caught, a and the kangaroo court finds them guilty, Elen is called upon to sever the Mage's connection and thus break their Magical Powers.
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to hunt down Demons or any other form of corrupted or lost soul or body inhabited by a Void or Exist born entity and purge any and all that are found. They must also cleanse areas infected with Void or Exist Essence and prevent civilian interaction. Aelrrigans however don't have sole right to cordon off an area, and are expected to work with the Metropolitan to secure a crime scene or dangerous area.
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to hunt down Artifact users, capture their Artifacts, and retrieve them for safe storage into a Mohér or Magi-Vault. When an Artifact is vaulted, the previous owner is refunded part of the Arcanum Tokens, which the Knight who captured it receives as well. This relation is usually 1/3 of the Arcanum cost of the Artifact, but may be different pending Lore Staff considerations of "the value of the rp".  
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to make themselves available to teach Magic to anyone willing to learn, but to also impress the Aelrrigan moral fabric onto them, to use Magic for healing, defense and aid, and never for greed, pleasure, or unwarranted violence on others. They should also punish and persecute any of their own students who misuse Magic, and chase after other Magic teachers to ensure they also teach the right moral code.
* Aelrrigan Knights are expected to generally preach about the Doomsday prophecy, to warn against the ills of Magic, and to investigate Magical events that as of yet lack a clear explanation and might have some greater calamity waiting. They may work with out of Order Mages for this. Avoiding being a broken record, but rather talking some sense into people who get blind sighted by their own amazement at Magic, forgetting the dangers.
 
===Structure===
The Aelrrigan Order has a hierarchical structure that defines the ranks within their Order.
* The Grandmaster is the ceremonial leader at the top. This rank is reserved for Event NPC’s.
* The Mage-Knight Elders lead the actual Order as a Council. They are Event NPC.
* Mage-Knights are extremely powerful Progression entities and Event NPC’s.
* Wydd-Knights are the higher ranked Aelrrigans with special privileges in Regalia which requires review.
* Ward-Knights are the file and rank of the Aelrrigan Order. This rank can be obtained without review.
 
===Privileges===
Aelrrigan Knights have specific legal privileges that remain active so long as they are not disgraced. An Aelrrigan may become disgraced by part of backstory writing, or in roleplay because they break the Knight’s Code and are found guilty of treason within the Order. There is no further civil prosecution of a Knight for being expelled, but they do lose all privileges. Some privileges require higher ranks. In order to be approved for higher ranks, consult a Discord Ticket for accessibility.
* Ward-Knights and up have automatic rights to wear armor up to plate quality in the city. If they are outside of a combat scenario however, they may not wear a helmet or cover their face.
* Ward-Knights and up have automatic rights to bear arms of any kind in the city, and even open-carry such weapons. They must however stand down if commanded by Metropolitans.
* Ward-Knights and up have automatic rights to use Occult powers in pursuit of their tasks and other Knightly activities, including duels in Arena Court and Teaching displays.
* Only Wydd-Knights have automatic rights to enter the Imperial Palace (unarmed and unarmored) without an Occult Permit. Ward-Knights must request a permit.
* Only Wydd-Knights have automatic rights to receive a Knightly Manor in the Noble District. This Estate is not as large as a Noble Estate, but provided for free in Uptown.


==History==
==History==
It is impossible to understand the origins and foundation of the Aelrrigan Order without reading the Marvdeiz Diougan. The prophecy itself was made by an old Breizh priest called Corentin Dathonair of the [[Weard faith]] at the heart of [[Kintyr]] somewhere around 500 BC. The timing of this event is hard to track, because the Breizh lacked a written alphabet at the time and recorded most events onto long tapestries without year counting on them, or very vague year counting. This prophecy has been re-told by priests following the death of Corentin all the way up to Unionist integration, after which numerous [[Celates]] all corroborated the prophecy by claiming they received the very same vision while visiting old burial sites and temples to bless them. The prophecy itself is quite long, but the telling of the doomsday itself is translated to Common below:
Aelrrigan Order history is closely linked with Breizh cultural history, as its founding location was the Kintyr lands in the Regalian Archipelago. Its foundation is linked to the Dydd y Farn, a term that is loosely translated to Doomsday Prophecy, but rather than a set of tenets and beliefs, it actually refers to a highly unusual meeting and the events that came as a consequence of that meeting. To understand the event however, it is important to understand the context in which it took place. Kintyr at the time was one of the most divided but also populous regions in the Regalian Archipelago, which was nonetheless troubled by the [[Elven]] slave raids in the surrounding lands. Kintyr was unable to properly unite a common force against the foreign invaders because their land was so bitterly divided over religion. In almost equal numbers, the Breizh people were [[Draconism|Draconists]] of Regulus, [[Fornoss]] followers of both pantheons, and held a unique religion called the Weards of Eirlys, with all three religions making up roughly a third of the total population and splitting it three ways. An often unspoken about topic that also bothered them, were the Void Conduits. A Conduit happens when a large amount of Void Magic or Exist Magic converges in an area to saturate it to such a degree that it becomes cancerous to anything living in the area, and rots anything that comes in contact with it. Void Conduits happened more and more as the world came closer to the Void Invasion, though obviously the denizens of the world did not yet know it was coming. These Void Conduits manifested all over the Regalian Archipelago but also in Kintyr, because of the rampant Magic usage halfway across the world in the Allorn Empire.
 
“In a time when the Greatest of Eagles is struck from the skies and their eyes watch no more.”
“In a time when the lowest of mortals consort with Demons most foul and putrid.”
“When men covered in red with eyes of gold walk among brothers and sisters as siblings.
“When that which was once laid to rest, brought back with will to kill and deprive.”
“Weard and guards will clash with their own flesh, and the south consumed by fire.
“Demons walk the land, and bring a thirst for blood to bear on mothers to children.”
“The sickness shall become everyday, and the everyday shall become a sickness to all.”
“When a great scaled beast carries the crown soaked in blood, will death come.”
“End times come when Gods of others are slain in their cairn, and Magic kills the Golden Eye.
“The End of all is foretold, and no child shall see the last sunrise of life.”
 
The continuous reinforcement of this prophecy by successive priests resulted in the first creation of the Aelrrigan Order in around 100 BC, though obviously not as a Regalian charter, which would come much later as the [[Regalian Empire]] did not exist at that time, still being a kingdom. Early on the Aelrrigan Order mostly kept itself busy with hunting down Magic users entirely, believing that extermination was preferable than the inevitable doomsday that was coming their way, but their scope was limited by their inexperience, and their limited geographical presence. While Kintyr was for a time low on Magic, they simply could not enter other nations across the Archipelago without formal support from a larger entity. Last but not least, the Aelrrigan were completely outnumbered and out-classed by the Mages, each one of which could easily take on a whole dozen of Aelrrigan Knights and defeat them still.


The Order gained some Regalian recognition when the lands it was founded on were absorbed into the Empire. Early on, the Empire had a very loose attitude to Magic, and the recent collapse of the [[Void Invasion]] caused Magic to all but drain from the world. Very few Mages were left, and making new ones was not possible for several decades following the collapse of the Allorn Empire. Around 50 AC however, the Aelrrigan Order started receiving its first Mage-Recruits, a policy that it had started pursuing shortly before the [[Cataclysm]] to bolster their ranks with Mage-Knights, ostensibly to fight fire with fire. As time passed, the Order received more and more recruits, and was becoming a notable Magic fighting force in its own right, still chasing after Renegade Mages, but more importantly: now also providing safe lessons for Magicians and Sorcerers to learn the craft of Magic to keep them out of the clutches of dangerous practitioners and experimentation. This in particular got on the nerves of the Regalian State, which were increasingly becoming hateful and repressive towards Magic as it ran counter to the religious narrative of [[Unionism]].  
The Dydd y Farn refers to a meeting of the three [[Religions]] in the valley called Meysydd Siarad in Kintyr. First came the [[Dragon]] Regulus assuming Ailor form with long black hair, silken robes and purple eyes. Second came Eirlys, white feathered wings with songs of the fae from the clouds, and third came a pairing of Fornoss gods, riding a long thunderous strike. Which pairing of gods this was is probably the only unclear part of this legendary meeting, but guesses range from Bard and Svol to it instead being two Arken acting on behalf of the Fornoss pantheons as representatives. The meeting is well recorded, because the faithful took effort to announce this coming meeting ahead of time, meaning hundreds if not thousands of people were present to witness it from all faiths. During the Dydd y Farn each divine representative of their Religion made a verbal agreement and demand of the Kintyr people to set aside their religious differences, and unite against the threat of the Void Conduits, which were causing a plague on the land called the Black Mold, a high contagious disease that was caused by inhaling Void corrupted spores, with guaranteed fatality. The divine entities made it abundantly clear that this unification was necessary, to prevent utter calamity. This event is exceptional for each Religion even, as Dragons were not known to interact this much with their own worship which they often disregarded, and it is also the only recorded time in history when gods of different religions were present in the same area, let alone preaching a common goal.  


The dark times for the Aelrrigan Order came in 100 AC, when Arch-Chancellor [[Maenarra]] peaked anti-Magic Regalian sentiment with the creation of the [[Azure Order]], allowing [[Grand Vigil Nicholas]] to implement his anti-Magic reforms. A true purge followed where many non-Magi signed up to the Azure Order and spread out across the Empire to hunt down Magic users, including Aelrrigan Mage-Knights. Many of the Aelrrigan Order Sanctuaries and Chapter houses were burned, with the Knights slain or imprisoned in the Azure Spire in the [[City of Regalia]]. Few of the Order survived without being captured, and most of the Bayor tapestries recording the history of the order were lost, or hidden away and soon forgotten as their protectors were slain elsewhere and taking their location with them to the grave. In 140 AC, the Azure Order declared the Aelrrigan Order destroyed, with the burning of Grandmaster Robwyn of Coltyr, being the last captured Aelrrigan who hid away in the mountains of Alstyr in Kintyr.  
Each of the divine beings demanded a unified effort on the part of the Breizh people, to form the Aelrrigan Dathonair, the forerunner of the modern Aelrrigan Order. Each of the royal houses (which would later become the Ducal houses as petty Breizh royalty wasn't the same as Imperial royalty) swore fealty to the Dathonair, giving their second born sons up to the Order to be guided by the Gods. In return, the Gods taught the Dathonair the complex and dangerous rituals involved in cleansing the Void Conduits, calling upon a mixture of Dragon, Fornoss, and Wearden powers to bring a halt to the Black Mould plague that was sweeping the region. It is mostly this event and subsequent formation of the Dathonair that modern scholars credit as the reason why nobody really remembers just how awful the Void Conduits were, as they were so successful, that after 200 years, there were no Void Conduits left. Some even dare speculate that because the Dathonair cleansed the lands, by the time Cataclysm happened (which in itself was a very destructive magic-caused event) there wasn't enough magical energy on the Archipelago for the Cataclysm to erupt like a catalyst, thus preventing any major natural disasters in the area and setting up the Regalian Empire with an easy start five years later.  


The Aelrrigan Knights however survived, mostly because of the relatives of the dead Knights that were spared the burning pyre, some of whom had hidden the Bayor tapestries of their fallen loved ones. More notably however, was the impact of Unionist preachers and missionaries. More and more started showing up, reporting to their Arch-Celates that they too had received the same visions as the Weard Priests. And what was more concerning was the fact that the frequency increased in strength regardless of how effective the Azure Order was at rounding up Magic users. Many started speculating that the killing itself caused or created the evil that would eventually lead to the apocalypse, and so started preaching in Kintyr to return the Aelrrigan Order. It was also in these moments that the Breizh faith started being integrated into Unionism, though it would take some time for the Concilly Council to recognize Elen as a Goddess of Unionism.
The Dathonair continued their work even into the founding of the Regalian Empire. The Wearden of Eirlys as a standalone Religion would soon cease to exist, as the Concilly Council incorporated the Wearden into [[Unionism|Dogmatic Unionism]] during the first schism, after which the second Emperor of Regalia re-confirmed the commitment of the Everwatcher to uphold the pact made by Eirlys during the Dydd y Farn. In essence, Unionism took over the responsibility of the Wearden of Eirlys, as Unionism replaced said Religion, while Draconism and Fornoss worship remained in place, with various priests of both Religions also ratifying the succession of Unionism which holds more or less to this day. With the Empire's somewhat loose attitude to Magic early on, the Dathonair were able to continue doing their work, but also found because of their efficiency, that little work had to be done. This in turn invited complacency among Regalian officials about the need of the Dathonair. This came to a head roughly 70 years after the first Unionism Schism, when anti Evintarian sentiment and the concept of magical mutations and evolutions gave rise to strong purist sentiments.


The Regalian Empire did not however take up what the Celates were claiming, and continued to repress Mages, and as such, the Kintyr Nobility used their considerable local autonomy away from the prying eyes of the Empire’s legislators to re-establish the order in secret. All of the major Dukes of Kintyr signed the secret Blood Oath, or the Gwadle, giving one of their children as collateral to become the first new Knights, based on the instructions of the Bayor tapestries hidden years before. This act made all the Dukes complicit in the act, and thus if any one of them was found out, they would all stand together to defy the Empire if it ever came to it, so strong was their conviction in their belief they were doing what was right and averting total doom to the world. On top of that, Unionist preachers who had received these visions started aiding their cause from within, always throwing the Azure Order on the wrong trail, or distracting them from the true chapter houses of the resurging Aelrrigan Order that was now operating in complete secrecy.
The dark times for the Dathonair truly set in when anti-Magic Regalian sentiment peaked in 100 AC with the creation of the [[Azure Order]], allowing Grand Vigil Nicholas to implement his anti-Magic reforms. A true purge followed where many non-Magi signed up to the Azure Order and spread out across the Empire to hunt down Magic users, including Dathonair Mage-Knights. Many of the Dathonair Sanctuaries and Chapter houses were burned, with the Knights slain or imprisoned in the Azure Spire in the [[City of Regalia]]. Few of the Order survived without being captured, and most of the Bayor tapestries recording the history of the order were lost, or hidden away and soon forgotten as their protectors were slain elsewhere and taking their location with them to the grave. In 140 AC, the Azure Order declared the Dathonair destroyed, with the burning of Grandmaster Robwyn of Coltyr, being the last captured Dathonair who hid away in the mountains of Alstyr in Kintyr.  


Many of the Chapter houses and Sanctuaries of the Aelrrigan Order were converted to facade-Unionist Temples and Shrines, and soon started operating again as they always had, by capturing Artifacts and even Mages, and chaining them up, especially those that could not be controlled, while they also acted as safe locations for the Mage-Knights to instruct Sorcerers in the safe and responsible usage of Magic. The Azure Order progressively started gaining ground to secular forces after 300 AC, with most of the [[Regalian Government]] believing the threat of Magic had waned, and they had a tight control on any future usage of Magic. This concept once again blew up in their faces when successive Magic-infused crises occured in and around Regalia, prompting the government for a more functional response than just extermination, which was clearly only emboldening magical terrorism. The final reveal of the Aelriggan order came in 270 AC when Elen saved the entire Imperial Family from a magical calamity and terrorist attack, which resulted in Emperor Justinian II removing the bans placed on the Aelriggans, and for Elen to be integrated into Unionism, thus fully absorbing the Breizh faith.
The spirit of the Dathonair was kept alive by those proud Ducal families who had once been the first to pledge their allegiance nearly 1200 years prior, hiding their bayor tapestries that recorded the codes and conduct of the Dathonair. They even kept alive knowledge of the rituals and artifacts used to cleanse Conduits, even though none of them were actually trained how to use them. It is during this time that some Fornoss and Draconists blame Unionism for radicalizing and breaking the Dydd y Farn, but reality is far more complicated. By this time, Draconists had also soured on Mages, with the notable Gray Witches in Anglia becoming extremely xenophobic towards Magic users and infected, refusing to even cure simple magical ailments. Similarly, the Fornoss worshipers in the region had been dealt a heavy blow by Magic-using Solvaan who supported the Regalian Empire in the [[Skagger Wars]], thus increasing anti-magical sentiment (also because Elves were very popular among the Dathonair, and commonly lived in Kintyr also). With the death of all Dathonair and the loss of know-how to destroy Conduits, the Azure Order that once hunted the Dathonair now turned their destructive means on the Conduits, causing a lot of collateral damage in the process as they started appearing more and more as time passed further since the death of the last Dathonair.  


==Trivia==
It was however Unionism that also breathed life back into the compact, during the reign of Emperor [[Justinian II]]. Emperor Justinian along with the succeeding Kade dynasty, would later be known as the People Realists, or ruling entities that were more aligned with the needs of the people, than the needs of the Nobility. In doing so, Emperor Justinian II became acutely aware of the effect of Azure cleansing on the people. Far from the Dathonair cleansing rituals of old and the healing of the local population, the Azure Order would call down an extermination order on areas which housed Void Conduits, using cannons and explosive barrels to turn the area into a massive crater, thus denying the Void any matter to hold onto, while also hunting down any person who would have come close to the Conduit and putting them to death as a precaution for Void Demon infestation. This had a huge toll on the local population, and turned sentiment against the Azure Order at large.  
* Elen, the Lady of Rivers, Goddess of Unionism is not an Aelrrigan Knight, but has frequently been sighted in cooperation with them when chasing after a particularly nasty Renegade Mage who has run rampant.
* Elen, the Lady of Rivers, is also responsible for disabling a Renegade Mage’s Magical connections when and if they are captured. She is summoned to a trial of a Renegade Mage to cleanse their Magic if they are found guilty.
* While the Aelrrigan Order has a Grandmaster, the Grandmaster is merely ceremonial. The actual power is rested in the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Mage-Knight Elders.


Despite severe protests from the Azure Order, the ban on the Dathonair was rescinded by Justinian II in 270 AC, which immediately resulted in the Conclave of Coltyr, where all the major Ducal families brought the remnants of what they had hidden of the Dathonair together, and re-founded the order. This time, to distinguish it from the past, it was referred to as the Aelrrigan Order, leaving the history of the Dathonair in the past. The struggle over influence between the Azure Order and the Aelrrigan would continue until the former's destruction at the hands of the Deathling Occupation. Emperor [[Alexander I]] simply never renewed the charter for the Azure Order, and as such, the Aelrrigans had essentially outlived their foe, and were free to formally exist as a Knightly Order without organizational enemies, who would nonetheless later re-appear as Lothar Knights.
{{Organizations}}
{{Organizations}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors =  
|Processors = HydraLana
}}
}}
[[category:Organizations]] [[category:Knight Orders]]

Latest revision as of 02:08, 16 April 2024

Aelrrigan Order
Aelrriganorder.png
Order
Pronunciation Ail-ree-gan
Origins Kintyr
Grandmaster Ffiontirre of Wythwaite
Colors White, Dark Gray, Sky Blue

The Aelrrigan Order is a Knightly Order primarily occupied with fighting the negative effects of Magic on the world, though by harnessing and teaching as opposed to repressing and peaceful cleansing instead of eradicating. Among the Aelrrigan Knights, Magic usage is very common, and they even provide safe ways to teach responsible Magic usage to others. Inversely however, the Aelrrigan Order has some of the most ruthless Mage-Hunters who track down what they call Renegade Mages (sometimes also called “Goz” for the Breizh word for mole, or just Renegade). Beyond their enforcement of responsible and moral usage of Magic, the Aelrrigan also hunt down Artifacts of Magic in order to keep them out of the hands of the common people, and lock them up into a fortification called an Enemohér, which those who speak Common often refer to as a Magi-Vault or Mohér. The Aelrrigan ply their craft somewhere between the laws of the land and their own moral codes, never quite being fully recognized and legalized in the same way the other Knight Orders had been, but still finding ways to fulfill their divine mission. The Aelrrigan follow the Dydd y Farn, which is loosely translated to the Doomsday Prophecy in Common, an extremely rare instance of three religions all convening for a common goal and concept, to warn the world about dangers and instructing their followers on what to do about it. The repository of all played Knights can be found here. When you make a new Knight character, please file a ticket in the Discord Ticket Bot to have them recorded. You only need to provide their name and Order.

Design

Aelrrigan Knights sit somewhere between the typical fantasy medieval feudal Knight, and the spell-blade warrior. Their Knight Order still predominantly appeals to the Knighthood aesthetic of the heavy plate armor, capes, swords and shields, but many of their members also use Magic or combine their normal fighting style with enchantments and Magic. Aelrrigan Knights are more personable than most other Knight Orders, but are capable of the same stiffness and sticking to rules when it comes to Renegade Mages. The following design limitations are enforced on the Aelrrigans:

  • Aelrrigans can be of any people or culture, but they must be loyal to the Regalian Empire.
  • Aelrrigans should gravitate towards melee weapons and plate armor aesthetic, but can incorporate a lot of Magic.
  • Aelrrigans can also be exclusively Magic users, or have zero Magic at all, but should always be heavily armored.
  • Aelrrigans can never be criminals, Afflicted, Marken, Evolism worshipers, or hold Spirits (unless Suvial).
  • Aelrrigans can never be Ordial Aligned, though Exist, Void, and Dragon or God Magic Aligned are welcome.

Chapters

All Aelrrigan Knights are members of one single Chapter, which grants them a free non-Combat related Mechanic. Changing Chapters is permitted but only infrequently and only through a Staff Ticket where the request is reviewed.

Penn Archwilio Chapter
caption

Penn Archwilio is the Chapter of the so-called wayfarers seated in Canolbarth, Kintyr, in the Regalian Archipelago. While the other Chapters primarily deal with the known and the established, and finding better ways to deal with known threats, the Penn Archwilio Chapter focuses on exploration and the pushing of magical boundaries to discover threats before they make contact the other way around. This is both done through a combination of physical exploration and sea faring to distant lands, and the more metaphysical exploration of the boundaries of Magic and keeping an ear to the ground for new discoveries in distant lands that the Aelrrigans may once need an answer for. Penn Archwilio Chapter members tend to be more prone to risky behavior and lone-wolf behavior, as many of them get sent on missions to far away lands where they get used to being self sufficient. Penn Archwilio holds a large fleet, the only Knight Chapter to do so.

  • Penn Archwilio Mechanic: Penn Archwilio Knights can have Wings (feathered only), allowing (Elytra) flight (+use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.
Penn Carchar Chapter
caption

The Penn Carchar Chapter specializes in the taking, storing, and Artifactspark manipulation of Artifacts. Their Chapterhouse in Tirddwr, Kintyr, in the Regalian Archipelago, has the largest known library with information on all the known Artifacts around the world, along with the largest magical repository of locked up artifacts belonging to the Aelrrigan Order. Penn Carchar Chapter members tend to be disciplinary and rule-bound, believing more strongly in the Aelrrigan mission than the other Chapters due to their proximity with the extreme danger of Artifacts. There are infrequent Artifact breaches in Penn Carchar's Chapterhouse, resulting in casualties and chaos, and as such, they are always more on edge and alert than the other Aelrrigans because they know what calamity looks like. Penn Carchar members are exclusively Mages, as even without any Magic and coming in mundane, the very Chapterhouse itself instills Magic in those who enter.

  • Penn Carchar Mechanic: Penn Carchar Knights gain a +2 Bonus to every Persuasion Dice roll while also raising the Persuasion Cap by +2. Additionally Foreign Diplomats like them more.
Stor Vardrhaug Chapter
caption

The Stor Vardrhaug Chapter is controversially placed in country of Middeskag in a town called Blindheim. The Stor Vardrhaug Chapter specializes in the counteraction of Arken plots across the world, but more specifically is aimed at the pacification and reduction of collateral harm inflicted by Arkenborn across the world. Arkenborn are historically liable to dangerous and chaotic Magic used to harm the mundane population, and so Stor Vardrhaug teaches its members the means to fight the Demonspawn most efficiently, while also recognizing the plots and designs of the Arken themselves. The Chapter in fact frequently recruits Arkenborn themselves, to teach them to stay in line and use them to show other Arkenborn that they need not be a waste and unwanted pariah of society. Stor Vardrhaug is not well liked by the locals of Blindheim, because they even hunt down what the Fornoss believers locally think are demigods, the Prideborn and Furyborn.

  • Stor Vardrhaug Mechanic: Stor Vardrhaug Knights are immune to Prideborn Mindcontrol, Bodyborn forced Mutations, and general Arkenborn mind/emotion/memory alterations.
Hechiceros Chapter
caption

The Hechiceros Chapter in Girobalda in the south of the Archipelago, is a newer Chapter, created to act both as teachers to those who want to safely learn Magic, but also to keep a close eye on the proliferation (and repression) of Magic through Religion. They specifically know a lot about Religions to tackle the moral quandries created by the people claiming religious right to Magic, or claiming religious right to kill Mages. The Hechiceros Chapter is usually also called in to handle Limit-Breaking Mages so long as they haven't become possessed by a Spirit yet, able to bring a halt to their Limit-Break remotely, and guiding them through the process of shutting off their Magic so that they can calm down. Hechiceros Knights are often sagely and mentorlike, taking a more guiding approach rather than fighting, always attempting to convince any Renegade Mage to turn themselves in and allow themselves to be helped instead of death.

  • Hechiceros Mechanic: Hechiceros Knights can target one Ally in Emote Range, and make a single Spell Sinistral Variant count as Radiant, per day. This cannot be used on themselves. They can also prevent Limit-Breaking.
Llynburh Chapter
caption

The Llynburh Chapter is situated in Ashaven at the foot of a set of volcanoes that the Mages in the chapter keep docile enough not to erupt, but active enough to help the soil with its nutrients. The Llynburh Chapter is primarily focused on the cleansing and healing properties of both Magic and Alchemy, particularly the latter being popular as the Chapterhouse has a massive Alchemical repository and herb and ingredient garden. The Chapterhouse also acts as a convalescing home for wounded Knights and locals, as Llynburh is known as the hospital Chapter. Llynburh members are taught healing Magic if they are Mages, and Alchemical and surgical practices if they are Mundane. Many of the Aelrrigan Mage-Knights operate from this Chapterhouse, meaning it is a popular Chapterhouse to go for lessons and training with the best. The Llynburh Chapter is also known for having many Warden Archon joining up, and even has a decently sized Draconism Temple nearby.

  • Llynburh Mechanic: Llynburh Knights because of their proximity to Draconism and Archon among them, gain access to common Archon Mechanic 6.
Laoch Lasrach Chapter
caption

The Laoch Lasrach Chapter is the Chapter that specializes in the tactical, strategic, and mechanical combination of Magic with Melee fighting styles, thus championing the creation of the Spellblade Aelrrigan Knight. The Chapter however has had some calamity to weather, with the most recent being the utter destruction of their Chapterhouse in Èriu-Innis, at the hands of the Asha Corsair fleets that destroyed the land with their massive digging machines, causing earthquakes and landslides that collapsed the Chapterhouse. Laoch Lasrach Knights have a particular disdain for the Asha for this reason, even if they have temporarily established a new Chapterhouse in a horse-barn in Pach Lallach, Gallovia. Laoch Lasrach members tend to be the most unpredictable and emotionally passionate of the Aelrrigan Knights, first in a fight, and also first to argue against an order to retreat. In this sense, Carchar Knights usually act as their life-line in trouble.

  • Laoch Lasrach Mechanic: Laoch Lasrach Knights can use Magic to steal, hijack, or otherwise use Asha Mechanics pertaining to Living Metal. They also gain it as a Tech Branch.
  • Note: More background lore can be found about the Aelrrigan Mage Knights related to the Chapter Houses.

Internal Aelrrigan Code

The Internal Aelrrigan Code contains additional Honor and Behavior Codes for Aelrrigan Knights that are supplemental to the Common Code described on the Knights Page.

  1. Aelrrigan Knights must ensure no dangerous Magic teaching material exists by burning forbidden Dark Magic tomes, and teaching proper usage to those who want to learn.
  2. Aelrrigan Knights must protect the (legal) repressed occult from hate-crimes and bigotry, both with verbal defense, or with arms if they suffer unlawful attacks.
  3. Aelrrigan Knights must declare mages who use Magic for evil as Renegade Mages, and hunt them down to bring them to justice, or in last resort cleanse their Magic.
  4. Aelrrigan Knights must search and destroy the Artifactsparks of dangerous Artifacts, or Artifacts found in the wrong hands, and meet to determine these distinctions.
  5. Aelrrigan Knights must search and banish Spirits and Demons or Corrupted Souls by sending them back to the realm from which they came, and prevent their return.
  6. Aelrrigan Knights must aid and cover for Doomed Fates, making sure they are not enslaved by those who ensnare Spirits, and that they can work towards their purpose.

Aelrrigan Jobs

The Aelrrigan Order, just like other Knight Orders, has so called "Jobs" which are cornerstone occupations of the Knights. Any Knight can engage in these, but they are largely optional.

  • Magic Investigations: When Aelrrigans run into unusual Magical phenomena, objects, or people, they should investigate, interrogate, and experiment as much as safely possible to learn as much as possible about it before compiling a threat level report. Ranking from F (low threat) to S (extreme threat), Aelrrigans should assess the danger to the world, stability, or the Aelrrigan Order (and indirectly, the good standing of Mage-rights in the Empire), before agreeing on a plan on how to deal with the entity. This should also be done for more routine threats, like Greater Vampires, Arken, Magical Events and so forth.
  • Artifact Agents: The Aelrrigan Order controls who gets to use Artifacts, and who does not. They have an internal review process to determine what Artifact is too dangerous to own for anyone, and what Artifacts should be disabled when owned by the wrong people. If Aelrrigans have knocked down an Artifact Owner, they can perform the Artifactspark breaking ritual, which destroys the Artifactspark (but they cannot take the Artifact). Additionally, Aelrrigans may take Artifacts from their own internal Vault and use them in whatever way their conclave deems necessary, even if they just want to passively keep owning them.
  • Doomed Fates: Doomed Fates are Primal Revenants who died before they could complete their mission (religious, or for the Regalian Empire), so not cleansed Spirits or Spirits who socially hang out without explicit purpose. Doomed Fates are considered "Good Spirits" in the eyes of Aelrrigans, and while they shouldn't outright and transparently help them by fighting with them, they should indirectly aid them by keeping those who would ensnare or banish them off their backs, and making their work easier to complete, for when they do, Doomed Fates can be at peace and pass on into the afterlife that is reserved for them, which is the fastest way to be rid of them.
  • Magic Progress: Aelrrigan Knights are exceptionally politically active. Whether attempting to do so themselves, or urging and championing the cause of others outside of the Order, Aelrrigan Orders must ensure there is always some kind of pro-Magic legislation political party that aligns with their "freedom, but under order and control" policy towards Magic. This can be led by the Aelrrigans themselves, or by Noble allies in the peerage who look fondly on the Aelrrigans. The Aelrrigans should seek to reinforce such a political unity, and expand it by adding additional members or allies.

History

Aelrrigan Order history is closely linked with Breizh cultural history, as its founding location was the Kintyr lands in the Regalian Archipelago. Its foundation is linked to the Dydd y Farn, a term that is loosely translated to Doomsday Prophecy, but rather than a set of tenets and beliefs, it actually refers to a highly unusual meeting and the events that came as a consequence of that meeting. To understand the event however, it is important to understand the context in which it took place. Kintyr at the time was one of the most divided but also populous regions in the Regalian Archipelago, which was nonetheless troubled by the Elven slave raids in the surrounding lands. Kintyr was unable to properly unite a common force against the foreign invaders because their land was so bitterly divided over religion. In almost equal numbers, the Breizh people were Draconists of Regulus, Fornoss followers of both pantheons, and held a unique religion called the Weards of Eirlys, with all three religions making up roughly a third of the total population and splitting it three ways. An often unspoken about topic that also bothered them, were the Void Conduits. A Conduit happens when a large amount of Void Magic or Exist Magic converges in an area to saturate it to such a degree that it becomes cancerous to anything living in the area, and rots anything that comes in contact with it. Void Conduits happened more and more as the world came closer to the Void Invasion, though obviously the denizens of the world did not yet know it was coming. These Void Conduits manifested all over the Regalian Archipelago but also in Kintyr, because of the rampant Magic usage halfway across the world in the Allorn Empire.

The Dydd y Farn refers to a meeting of the three Religions in the valley called Meysydd Siarad in Kintyr. First came the Dragon Regulus assuming Ailor form with long black hair, silken robes and purple eyes. Second came Eirlys, white feathered wings with songs of the fae from the clouds, and third came a pairing of Fornoss gods, riding a long thunderous strike. Which pairing of gods this was is probably the only unclear part of this legendary meeting, but guesses range from Bard and Svol to it instead being two Arken acting on behalf of the Fornoss pantheons as representatives. The meeting is well recorded, because the faithful took effort to announce this coming meeting ahead of time, meaning hundreds if not thousands of people were present to witness it from all faiths. During the Dydd y Farn each divine representative of their Religion made a verbal agreement and demand of the Kintyr people to set aside their religious differences, and unite against the threat of the Void Conduits, which were causing a plague on the land called the Black Mold, a high contagious disease that was caused by inhaling Void corrupted spores, with guaranteed fatality. The divine entities made it abundantly clear that this unification was necessary, to prevent utter calamity. This event is exceptional for each Religion even, as Dragons were not known to interact this much with their own worship which they often disregarded, and it is also the only recorded time in history when gods of different religions were present in the same area, let alone preaching a common goal.

Each of the divine beings demanded a unified effort on the part of the Breizh people, to form the Aelrrigan Dathonair, the forerunner of the modern Aelrrigan Order. Each of the royal houses (which would later become the Ducal houses as petty Breizh royalty wasn't the same as Imperial royalty) swore fealty to the Dathonair, giving their second born sons up to the Order to be guided by the Gods. In return, the Gods taught the Dathonair the complex and dangerous rituals involved in cleansing the Void Conduits, calling upon a mixture of Dragon, Fornoss, and Wearden powers to bring a halt to the Black Mould plague that was sweeping the region. It is mostly this event and subsequent formation of the Dathonair that modern scholars credit as the reason why nobody really remembers just how awful the Void Conduits were, as they were so successful, that after 200 years, there were no Void Conduits left. Some even dare speculate that because the Dathonair cleansed the lands, by the time Cataclysm happened (which in itself was a very destructive magic-caused event) there wasn't enough magical energy on the Archipelago for the Cataclysm to erupt like a catalyst, thus preventing any major natural disasters in the area and setting up the Regalian Empire with an easy start five years later.

The Dathonair continued their work even into the founding of the Regalian Empire. The Wearden of Eirlys as a standalone Religion would soon cease to exist, as the Concilly Council incorporated the Wearden into Dogmatic Unionism during the first schism, after which the second Emperor of Regalia re-confirmed the commitment of the Everwatcher to uphold the pact made by Eirlys during the Dydd y Farn. In essence, Unionism took over the responsibility of the Wearden of Eirlys, as Unionism replaced said Religion, while Draconism and Fornoss worship remained in place, with various priests of both Religions also ratifying the succession of Unionism which holds more or less to this day. With the Empire's somewhat loose attitude to Magic early on, the Dathonair were able to continue doing their work, but also found because of their efficiency, that little work had to be done. This in turn invited complacency among Regalian officials about the need of the Dathonair. This came to a head roughly 70 years after the first Unionism Schism, when anti Evintarian sentiment and the concept of magical mutations and evolutions gave rise to strong purist sentiments.

The dark times for the Dathonair truly set in when anti-Magic Regalian sentiment peaked in 100 AC with the creation of the Azure Order, allowing Grand Vigil Nicholas to implement his anti-Magic reforms. A true purge followed where many non-Magi signed up to the Azure Order and spread out across the Empire to hunt down Magic users, including Dathonair Mage-Knights. Many of the Dathonair Sanctuaries and Chapter houses were burned, with the Knights slain or imprisoned in the Azure Spire in the City of Regalia. Few of the Order survived without being captured, and most of the Bayor tapestries recording the history of the order were lost, or hidden away and soon forgotten as their protectors were slain elsewhere and taking their location with them to the grave. In 140 AC, the Azure Order declared the Dathonair destroyed, with the burning of Grandmaster Robwyn of Coltyr, being the last captured Dathonair who hid away in the mountains of Alstyr in Kintyr.

The spirit of the Dathonair was kept alive by those proud Ducal families who had once been the first to pledge their allegiance nearly 1200 years prior, hiding their bayor tapestries that recorded the codes and conduct of the Dathonair. They even kept alive knowledge of the rituals and artifacts used to cleanse Conduits, even though none of them were actually trained how to use them. It is during this time that some Fornoss and Draconists blame Unionism for radicalizing and breaking the Dydd y Farn, but reality is far more complicated. By this time, Draconists had also soured on Mages, with the notable Gray Witches in Anglia becoming extremely xenophobic towards Magic users and infected, refusing to even cure simple magical ailments. Similarly, the Fornoss worshipers in the region had been dealt a heavy blow by Magic-using Solvaan who supported the Regalian Empire in the Skagger Wars, thus increasing anti-magical sentiment (also because Elves were very popular among the Dathonair, and commonly lived in Kintyr also). With the death of all Dathonair and the loss of know-how to destroy Conduits, the Azure Order that once hunted the Dathonair now turned their destructive means on the Conduits, causing a lot of collateral damage in the process as they started appearing more and more as time passed further since the death of the last Dathonair.

It was however Unionism that also breathed life back into the compact, during the reign of Emperor Justinian II. Emperor Justinian along with the succeeding Kade dynasty, would later be known as the People Realists, or ruling entities that were more aligned with the needs of the people, than the needs of the Nobility. In doing so, Emperor Justinian II became acutely aware of the effect of Azure cleansing on the people. Far from the Dathonair cleansing rituals of old and the healing of the local population, the Azure Order would call down an extermination order on areas which housed Void Conduits, using cannons and explosive barrels to turn the area into a massive crater, thus denying the Void any matter to hold onto, while also hunting down any person who would have come close to the Conduit and putting them to death as a precaution for Void Demon infestation. This had a huge toll on the local population, and turned sentiment against the Azure Order at large.

Despite severe protests from the Azure Order, the ban on the Dathonair was rescinded by Justinian II in 270 AC, which immediately resulted in the Conclave of Coltyr, where all the major Ducal families brought the remnants of what they had hidden of the Dathonair together, and re-founded the order. This time, to distinguish it from the past, it was referred to as the Aelrrigan Order, leaving the history of the Dathonair in the past. The struggle over influence between the Azure Order and the Aelrrigan would continue until the former's destruction at the hands of the Deathling Occupation. Emperor Alexander I simply never renewed the charter for the Azure Order, and as such, the Aelrrigans had essentially outlived their foe, and were free to formally exist as a Knightly Order without organizational enemies, who would nonetheless later re-appear as Lothar Knights.


Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Processors HydraLana
Last Editor Dedjok on 04/16/2024.

» Read more