A solitary white banner snaps in the wind. The winged sigil of the Vanguards is embroidered upon it in golden thread. The banner is raised above an outpost along Dane´s Highway - one of the four great roads leading up to the Citadel of the Fist and the City of Heap that surrounds it. Weary refugees seeking haven in the city look upon the banner and a hope rises up in them. Most of these have never known hope before and they weep openly, overwhelmed by the power of it. This hope is the heritage of the Vanguards. They stand as the great protectors of Itharia.
To a Vanguard, life is precious and they protect it. They outlast their foe´s strongest offensives and decisively finish off what remains.
Even the most basic of soldiers among the Vanguards is a walking hulk of armor, capable of ignoring blows that would fell an ordinary man. Such is their unswerving dedication to the Vanguards and Lightbringer's Seven Principles of Justice, that they attack their foes with a ferocity that cannot be ignored. Before the advent of Summoning Stones, the Vanguards used mass cavalry charges to obliterate their foes. Now these mounted knights serve as agile shock troops, able to quickly bring the brunt of a Vanguard assault to the enemy.
The Priests of the Vanguards are as much warriors as holy men. Their healing prayers help the already formidable soldiers of the Vanguards outfight ordinary men, their spells of protection let the Priests shrug off deadly blows, and their massive hammers, anointed with sacred oils, can reduce enemies to pulp.
Sisters of Justice
The Sisters of Justice protect Vanguards soldiers in combat, pray over the dying, and administer swift death to fallen foes.
Woeful Brothers
The Woeful Brothers are on offshoot of the Cherished Sons, but unlike that peaceful, silent order, the Woeful Brothers find enlightenment in breaking the bodies of those who oppose the Vanguards. Sera Eldwyn has never cared for their violent philosophies, but Samuel Farthen has admired their strict adherence to discipline and the maneuverability they add to his army.
Honor Guard
Despite their name, members of the Honor Guard are shamed knights. Their sins are varied – from those who proved craven on the field of battle, to those who suffer privately, their misdeeds unknown to their peers. They seek catharsis through dangerous service to their faction, hoping to reclaim their lost honor by means of a glorious death, or through acts of unparalleled bravery.
The Path of Ascension
The most devout of the Vanguards may choose the Path of Ascension, a ritualistic process that transforms them into angelic beings. While revered by their brethren, so too are the angels pitied, for ascension strips away all of remnants of a knight's individuality, leaving behind an emotionless, holy shell dedicated to the destruction of evil.
The angelic battalion of the Vanguards is lead by the Archangels, beings whose spirits burn with an unending desire to dispense violent justice. Though once human, they have abandoned their mortal frames and their minds are possessed by a strange intelligence. There are those even among the Vanguards who shiver when they stare deep into the eyes of an Archangel and see the alien mind that dwells there.
Sites controlled by Vanguards
Name | Site Type |
---|---|
Citadel of the Fist | Stronghold |