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Areas of Influence: Neutrality |
Many ages ago, before Thera became as civilized as it now is, the land was seething with chaos and death. Every individual had to look out for themselves and their loved ones, and people used any means they could find to gain power. Magic was strong in the world, and without it no one could survive for long. Into this world were born two who were unable to manipulate these magical forces. One was a human born into the nobility, the other was a commoner among a dwarvish clan.
The noble, Aegnor, grew in power through physical training. He mastered sword and mace, axe and staff, spear and shield. His strength was known all over Thera, and his reputation as a great warrior grew. A true hero he was, and the heavens rewarded him for his true heroism by granting him immortality beyond what any hero saga could have done. The one great goal he had, was to bring natural balance back into the world by ridding it of the use of magic.
The dwarf, on the other hand, struggled. From his first memories, he had to fight for his life against those using magic to oppress and destroy his family and loved ones. So he fought, studied, and learned the ways of a warrior, taking his battle prowess to a level previously unheard of in all the land. Soon his might grew to be so great that he realized magic was weakening those who opposed him rather than strengthening them. To prove his point, he laid siege to the Tower of Magic, a tyrannical group of ArchMages who ruled through fear of their mighty enchantments. For many hours the dwarf fought without tire, slaying mage upon mage, and a wall of bodies grew sheltering him from others who would swarm upon him. However, the goddess of magic, Xyza, seeing this rampant destruction of her devoted followers laid a plan to see this valiant warrior struck from the face of Thera forever. She channeled a bolt of raw energy through the hands of a follower, striking the dwarf warrior down, and draining his life from him.
This act of courage was witnessed by the Lord Aegnor, and he knew that he had found his champion. So he gathered the young dwarf's soul and wove it into a great War Banner which was then given a name of power. Aegnor took this War Banner and founded a great army who followed the beliefs of this warrior. They forsook the taint of magic and studied the arts of battle. These warriors became known as the Crusaders of Valor.
Over the Eons the leadership of the Crusades has passed through many hands. When Lord Aegnor became unable to lead the cause, he left it in the hands of a strong immortal lord and disappeared into the farthest reaches of the heavens, working, to the best of his ability, to bring neutrality to the lands and to ensure that magic would not corrupt and taint natural order. He recognized that there was a place for light and shadow in Thera, and from the heavens, very discreetly, he worked to ensure that balance remained strong, lest the world crumble under the weight of too much light, or too much shadow.
Ideology
Rules of Worship
Holy Days
