The Beacons of Hope
"The Beacons are a good bunch. We travelled with them for a time and, don't tell anyone I said this but... They live up to their name.... Also Emrys scares me."The Beacons of Hope are an adventuring party formed during The Union of the Kingdomsthat joined together to help solve some of the issues that had arose around Arrasgoth. The group helped to deal with the rising civil war between the Kingdom of Cosmopolita and the Kingdom of Carowen, fighting to keep the continent together as one whole. They also became literal 'Beacons of Hope' against The Darkness. The Darkness is an entity and a cult from The Shadowfell that began to plague the continent and the Beacons of Hope were one of the only forces strong enough to be able to push them back. They pushed them back by promoting and spreading hope in different settlements to stop the rising tide of the Darkness seeping into downtrodden and despairing minds. They fought monsters, saved people from their own thoughts and spread joy with music and stories.
Structure
The Beacons of Hope had five main members, though in recent months this has dropped down to four. This is due to Jebediah wishing to stay at home with his wife and child rather than continue to fight. The four remaining come from different places across Arrasgoth. They work as a team to keep all places safe from harm that they can. There is no official leader amongst them but each person takes turns leading fights or negotiations.
Alfyn Weis
"I've never once thought myself as the Hero type. Like sure I was hard working and responsible with my work but there was never a notion that my actions would help decide the fate of the world or anything like that. It's quite scary actually, but at the very least I won't have to shoulder this great burden alone, I have great friends who'll help me on this difficult path, and I'll be there to help them as well through this story of ours."Alfyn Weis was the son of the leader of Inham Farms, a large farming settlement. He had been delivering a cow when he came across a few members of what became the Beacons of Hope. As they adventured further, his divine nature became stronger and more holy until he was eventually blessed by his god herself, Tasdia, Goddess of Nature. She made him her Chosen and gifted him with powers he had yet to understand or recognise. Alfyn fought for the common people, for the people that could not fight for themselves. He believed there was goodness in everyone and that anyone can be saved if their group tried hard enough. He was naïve at times and did not always recognise that his decisions had consequences further down the line. He always wanted what was best for everyone, and very rarely thought of it from a selfish perspective.
Emrys Ddraig Sy'n Ddu
“They call us the Beacons of Hope. Name sounds pretentious but people seem to have latched onto it. I may hate it, but if it gives people hope then I’ll be their beacon.”Emrys Ddraig Sy'n Ddu was the oldest son of the leader of a tribe of black dragonborn in the Vivid Marsh. He was an intelligent man, tasked with learning and exploring a book that gave him the powers to travel between two different parallel timelines. His prowess was not only in his mind but upon the battlefield too. He soon earnt the name of 'King Slayer' after destroying King Finch in one moment after the group sided with King Facilion. He was blessed by Dutdur, God of Knowledge within his own realm and given a book filled with knowledge they would need. Emrys fought for everyone and preferred to take the direct approach rather than step around an issue. His actions earned him many titles, and his romance with Ruthren the Reaper led him to help organise the settlement of Purgatory. He believed that not everyone can be saved but if they continued to fight, then a good lot of people could be. He believed that as long as they continued to do what they were doing, hope would continue to flow.
Freya Holliend
"So maybe sometimes our methods can seem a little out of the ordinary, but what does it matter? We try and be the heroes that people paint us to be, and carry the torch of being 'Beacons of Hope'. If that means we sometimes drink with a tavern full of people instead of going to church, then so be it. We go where we're needed."Freya Holliend was the oldest daughter of a merchant in Blossoming Sands. She was brave and tenacious, attempting to fill the shoes that her mother had left behind with her passing. She was a thorn in the side of her settlement, always fighting for the betterment of her people and of those less fortunate. This led to her getting into less than legal situations and running with many unsavoury characters in the hopes of making things better against the leaders that showed little remorse or concern. She continued to fight for the less fortunate as she joined the Beacons of Hope, but focused her fight on destroying the Darkness this time. Freya is much more of an act first, think later person. She doesn't like to wait around, especially if something bad is happening. She is normally right at the front with her sword out and despite being a paladin, does not necessarily embody the typical paladin ways. She tries to be a hero to people but sometimes falls short when she is in a tight space. With having lost many of her family to death, being trapped or them converting to the dark side, she fights hard to keep her found family safe.
Harlin Wyllt
"Fear not, for we are your light in the dark times. We are your champions who will stand against adversary, your shield... " Harlin starts laughing. "I'm sorry, let me try that again. I'll keep a straight face this time.... Who wrote this? Alfyn?!"Harlin Wyllt was the oldest son of a noble family in Banshaw Edge. He was somewhat of a liability, more interested in having fun and entertaining himself than being anything of any importance. He took quickly to the bardic arts, spreading his music and various other things across the continent. Harlin knew someone in every settlement at one point, could get you into the hardest to get into places and had a song for every occasion. He often got himself into mischief once joining the Beacons of Hope and needed help getting out of it, but he always tried his best to keep his party safe. Harlin is a joker and an entertainer, which then translated into the way he fought and dealt with the situation of the Darkness. Harlin very rarely lost hope because he had his own way of combatting it. Despite how much the rest of his party tended to say they hated him or berated him, he was the glue that kept them sane. With him to take their frustrations out on, they could continue to be the best they could be, and Harlin was always ready to give it back.
Public Agenda
The Beacons of Hope have one main agenda - to spread hope amongst the people of Arrasgoth. Their name was not one that was chosen by them but given to them by the people. The main reason for the name was that they shed hope like a light in the dark places, most of them literally with radiant light. The people see them as people to guide them through this dark and lonely time, especially with The Darkness as their enemies.
Assets
The Beacons of Hope are their greatest asset. They have trained with each other to become the best versions of themselves they can be. They have also learnt from allies and enemies along their journey. They have a large amount of magical power between them from various sources. They also carry a lot of magical items between them which makes them a formidable force.
History
"They don't seem like much at first glance, very unorganised but their hearts are in the right place... Some of them, anyway."The Beacons of Hope started out in their own towns and cities and tribes, all with their own goals in mind. The first to join the team were Emrys Ddraig Sy'n Ddu, Freya Holliend and Jebediah(Jeb) Winthrope. They met in Prosperity Bay when Freya accused Jebediah of not paying the town he was in charge of. This set off a series of events that led to them meeting Harlin Wyllt and Alfyn Weis. Since their meeting, they have travelled across the country, helping settlements and people. They started the return of The Ancient Dragons from the different places they had been trapped in. They also were the first people to come into contact with The Darkness and told the Council of Capitals of their appearance. Their main job as 'Beacons of Hope' began after The Parlay. The Council of Capitals decided they were the only people who had a chance of finding what was in The Shadowfell. After returning, they explained what they had seen, and that they all needed to be prepared for a war. The Beacons of Hope have since moved around the continent, promoting hope and helping to build beacons. They are preparing settlements for war and trying to keep morale high. They have also been helping find more of the Ancient Dragons and building alliances individually.
The Beacons of Hope - Written and performed by Satrium and Oncoming Shower
Founding Date
8th of Tomideb 0 UOK
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Plots
I really like the song you made with Satrium, so I was very happy to see this article. Are Beacons of Hope your D&D party?
If you are looking for my Worldember articles check Magic Earth or My Worldember Progress Page
I adore that song! Thank you! The Beacons of Hope are my lovely D&D party, yes!