The Red Pact
&
Knightly OrderMercenaries,
Necromancers, etc. etc.
A knightly order of vampires and outcasts oathbound to restore their kingdom from the ashes of a forgotten genocide. These red-clad knights and witches pursue this ancient agenda while masquerading as a traveling mercenary band, feeding on the blood of their enemies while taking contracts in areas of interest to their secret agenda.
Hierarchy
The Pact led by a Red Sorceress and circle of advisors, who they themselves wielded authority over the "two pillars" of the pact, whose disciplines were Arms and Arcana. Each pillar followed a separate chain of internal command but answered to the circle.
Climbing the ranks of these pillars was simple in theory, whether it be a recommendation from one's commander, demonstrating power to the circle or Expertise to the Grandmaster, leaders of The Pact were always on the look out for figures of note who may prove useful to the coming kingdom no matter their birth nor form.
Climbing the ranks of these pillars was simple in theory, whether it be a recommendation from one's commander, demonstrating power to the circle or Expertise to the Grandmaster, leaders of The Pact were always on the look out for figures of note who may prove useful to the coming kingdom no matter their birth nor form.
_ | GRANDMASTER Leader and spiritual guide. Advised by the Lunar Circle. | _ |
Pillar of Arms | LUNAR CIRCLE Council of commanders & allies. Each carry an enchanted tarot card as proof of rank and are named after their corrasponding card. | Pillar of Knowing |
PACTSWORN KNIGHTS Martial leaders and guardians of the circle. | _ | ARCHMAGES Arcane leaders and guardians of pact secrets. |
PACT SERGEANTS Martial leaders of small units. Several may follow a single knight. | _ | MAGES IN RED Battle-mages, necromancers, witches etc. |
PACT SOLDIERS Soldiers both mundane and supernatural, from humans to ghouls. | _ | COMPANY OF THE DEAD Non-sentient undead controlled by necromancers. |
Rules
The Red Pact followed a strict code reminscent of the holy tenants from their ancient homeland Edanea, though few remember it's origins now. In this new age, their oaths had become tools of survival and loyalty.
- The secrecy of the covenant must be protected at all costs.
- No vampire may create another without approval from The Circle.
- Blood must never be taken by force from one sworn to the creed.
- None can be denied the blood of an enemy to the pact.
Intent
The Pact's quest was twofold; to build a nation for the undead and the outcast, and to shield it from the sun. To achieve this, The Grandmaster leads them in search of ritual components to shroud their land in darkness and amasses coin through the mercenary trade. This bloodmoney is then used to grow The Pact's power and influence, which will one day be used to rebuild the ruins of an abandoned kingdom for their own.
Lore
It is said The Red Pact can trace it's origins to a time long before the current age, when the kingdom of Edanea was still ruled by vampires worshipped as demi-gods. It is unclear exactly when or why this kingdom met it's end, but it did so in dragon's fire that reduced the whole of their land to ash.
A cunning and powerful figure known today as "The Eldest" had forseen the great tragedy and sent away his most greatest servants to be entombed in foreign lands, sworn to wait out the firestorm until the land had grown green again, and to return so that their nation may rise anew and prepared against their enemies.
They called this oath The Red Pact.
But these vampires did not awaken as promised. They dreamed for centuries without end and the world moved on. The kingdom regrew without them, crumbled, and was reclaimed by nature thrice more until even the sins of their past and the name of that land was long forgotten.
Then in the 380th year of Age of Chronicles, One awoke.
The tomb of Carmelea Nosfir was discovered after flooding on the river sayve which washed away the bank which had formed over it. Knowing what may lurk within, a group of vampires and their hired mercenaries ventured deep into the earth and came face to face with the last survivor of the ancient order.[1] Realizing the implications, Carmelea immediately declared the restoration of her order and set out to fulfull her oath.
Those who followed would become the founding members of the reformation and find followers of their own.
Only this time they were not all blue blooded aristocrats and self-proclaimed divinity, for Carmelea had learned much from the downfall of their land. This time they took in the witches banished from societies that no longer needed them, undead cursed to walk the earth alone and made ghouls of humans to whom this new purpose promised salvation from their short miserable lives. Peasants became soldiers, students of the forbidden were respected as scholars and breath given anew to smothered ambitions.
They were promised lands and titles in this remade world of theirs, in a nation for the abandoned and reviled.
Now this company of the damned roam in the guise of mercenaries, carving their bloody swath through Arethil in search of coin and ritual to realize a dream whispered long before they were born.
PARTIAL LIST OF MEMBERS:
A cunning and powerful figure known today as "The Eldest" had forseen the great tragedy and sent away his most greatest servants to be entombed in foreign lands, sworn to wait out the firestorm until the land had grown green again, and to return so that their nation may rise anew and prepared against their enemies.
They called this oath The Red Pact.
But these vampires did not awaken as promised. They dreamed for centuries without end and the world moved on. The kingdom regrew without them, crumbled, and was reclaimed by nature thrice more until even the sins of their past and the name of that land was long forgotten.
Then in the 380th year of Age of Chronicles, One awoke.
The tomb of Carmelea Nosfir was discovered after flooding on the river sayve which washed away the bank which had formed over it. Knowing what may lurk within, a group of vampires and their hired mercenaries ventured deep into the earth and came face to face with the last survivor of the ancient order.[1] Realizing the implications, Carmelea immediately declared the restoration of her order and set out to fulfull her oath.
Those who followed would become the founding members of the reformation and find followers of their own.
Only this time they were not all blue blooded aristocrats and self-proclaimed divinity, for Carmelea had learned much from the downfall of their land. This time they took in the witches banished from societies that no longer needed them, undead cursed to walk the earth alone and made ghouls of humans to whom this new purpose promised salvation from their short miserable lives. Peasants became soldiers, students of the forbidden were respected as scholars and breath given anew to smothered ambitions.
They were promised lands and titles in this remade world of theirs, in a nation for the abandoned and reviled.
Now this company of the damned roam in the guise of mercenaries, carving their bloody swath through Arethil in search of coin and ritual to realize a dream whispered long before they were born.
PARTIAL LIST OF MEMBERS:
- Carmelea Nosfir - Grandmaster, "V - The Heirophant Inverse"
- Alisande - TBA