The Order of The Emerald Claw
First appearing in Karrnath a few years into the Last War, the Order of the Emerald Claw came to the aid of beleaguered Karrnathi troops, bolstering the nation’s defenses against the invading armies. In the decades since its formation, the order has vigorously set itself to numerous tasks, no matter how base, in the pursuit of its goals. Its members have been praised for bravery, innovation, and toughness as often as they have been accused of flaunting tradition and fomenting treason.
Late in the war, Regent Moranna dissolved the order and cast it out. Though driven underground, soldiers of the Emerald Claw remain a powerful force for evil in the world, and they continue to work for hidden masters, furthering the plots of terrible forces.
Order of the Emerald Claw Lore
History DC 20: Famine and pestilence weakened Karrnath to the point of collapse in the early days of the Last War. Seemingly spontaneously, an order of warriors arose that emphasized flexibility, self-sufficiency, and accomplishment regardless of sacrifice. These Karrnathi fanatics called themselves the Order of the Emerald Claw, and their heroics stabilized previously crumbling battle lines and drew scores of Karrnath’s best to their ranks. These flamboyant knights rattled Karrnath’s established officers with their nontraditional methods, often acting outside the chain of command, but none could dispute their discipline, training, and readiness to give their lives in defense of the kingdom of Karrnath.
History DC 25: The emergence of the order was so sudden and its methods so radical that many officers and government officials were suspicious and resentful. Despite the order’s successes, Karrns who raised concerns about the group never ran out of rationales or rumors. The whispers hardened into accusations when Regent Moranna staged a coup against the order. She removed Emerald Claw members from positions of power, laying terrible crimes at their feet, dismantling the organization, and forcing those who escaped to go underground. Although the order still has its defenders, both inside and outside Karrnath, most consider it, at best, a group of fanatics that overstepped its bounds.
Religion DC 25: The Order of the Emerald Claw is an extremist militant sect of the Blood of Vol. The order is led by a mysterious figure known as the Queen of Death, one of the mightiest necromancers associated with the Blood of Vol. The Emerald Claw’s loyalty to Karrnath was only as strong as the monarch’s subservience to the cult’s demands, and as long as the two institutions were on the same side, the order served Karrnath well. When first Regent Moranna and then King Kaius III rejected the Blood of Vol, the crown and the Blood of Vol broke their long alliance, and the Order of the Emerald Claw fell from power. Despite the order’s fanatical devotion to the Blood of Vol, moderate members of the faith denounce and oppose the malicious actions of the Emerald Claw.
Organization Although conceived as a military force, the Emerald Claw is far more than just a pack of warriors. The organization is widespread, with agents concealed throughout Khorvaire, each working behind the scenes, fomenting uprisings, and performing terrorist acts to weaken existing governments and create footholds for the Blood of Vol to grow its power.
Leader: Erandis Vol and the Crimson Covenant directly control the Order of the Emerald Claw, and the organization follows every dictate that issues from these leaders. Most members know of Erandis only as the “Queen of Death”; they know she is a mighty lich, but do not realize that she is the last surviving member of the bloodline of Vol.
Headquarters: Throughout the Last War, the Order of the Emerald Claw had bases in most of Karrnath’s population centers, but Regent Moranna and Kaius III closed them, tore them down, or repurposed them for the government. Now, the order operates clandestinely, maintaining secret enclaves in major population centers. A few strongholds are hidden in the wilderness, but these places are remote and often double as temples.
Hierarchy: The reversals in Karrnath shattered the previously monolithic order into hundreds of tiny cells spread throughout the continent. Each cell consists of an officer who receives missions from superiors and determines how best to complete the task. Beneath the officers are the knights, proven and veteran warriors who have served with the organization for years and whose loyalty is unwavering. Below the knights come the troopers, raw recruits who serve because they are devoted cultists, Karrnathi patriots, or simply thugs.
Most members are warriors, but the Emerald Claw employs spies as well. These operatives might be full members or mercenaries hired for short stints. Such individuals support the order by infiltrating enemy organizations and sowing disruptions ahead of Emerald Claw assaults.
Members: The Emerald Claw’s officers and knights come mostly from Karrnath, recruited when the order was at the peak of its power. Exile has led to the replacement of fallen troops with able-bodied adherents from nearly every nation and land on the continent. These new recruits pale in comparison with those who fought for the order in its heyday, but an ambitious soldier who knows how to follow orders and get the missions done can move up in the ranks.
Agents of the Emerald Claw Emerald Claw soldiers live to obey. They plunder tombs, scour ruins for lost treasure, murder, commit arson, kidnap, and do whatever else is demanded of them.
Order of the Emerald Claw Lore
History DC 20: Famine and pestilence weakened Karrnath to the point of collapse in the early days of the Last War. Seemingly spontaneously, an order of warriors arose that emphasized flexibility, self-sufficiency, and accomplishment regardless of sacrifice. These Karrnathi fanatics called themselves the Order of the Emerald Claw, and their heroics stabilized previously crumbling battle lines and drew scores of Karrnath’s best to their ranks. These flamboyant knights rattled Karrnath’s established officers with their nontraditional methods, often acting outside the chain of command, but none could dispute their discipline, training, and readiness to give their lives in defense of the kingdom of Karrnath.
History DC 25: The emergence of the order was so sudden and its methods so radical that many officers and government officials were suspicious and resentful. Despite the order’s successes, Karrns who raised concerns about the group never ran out of rationales or rumors. The whispers hardened into accusations when Regent Moranna staged a coup against the order. She removed Emerald Claw members from positions of power, laying terrible crimes at their feet, dismantling the organization, and forcing those who escaped to go underground. Although the order still has its defenders, both inside and outside Karrnath, most consider it, at best, a group of fanatics that overstepped its bounds.
Religion DC 25: The Order of the Emerald Claw is an extremist militant sect of the Blood of Vol. The order is led by a mysterious figure known as the Queen of Death, one of the mightiest necromancers associated with the Blood of Vol. The Emerald Claw’s loyalty to Karrnath was only as strong as the monarch’s subservience to the cult’s demands, and as long as the two institutions were on the same side, the order served Karrnath well. When first Regent Moranna and then King Kaius III rejected the Blood of Vol, the crown and the Blood of Vol broke their long alliance, and the Order of the Emerald Claw fell from power. Despite the order’s fanatical devotion to the Blood of Vol, moderate members of the faith denounce and oppose the malicious actions of the Emerald Claw.
Organization Although conceived as a military force, the Emerald Claw is far more than just a pack of warriors. The organization is widespread, with agents concealed throughout Khorvaire, each working behind the scenes, fomenting uprisings, and performing terrorist acts to weaken existing governments and create footholds for the Blood of Vol to grow its power.
Leader: Erandis Vol and the Crimson Covenant directly control the Order of the Emerald Claw, and the organization follows every dictate that issues from these leaders. Most members know of Erandis only as the “Queen of Death”; they know she is a mighty lich, but do not realize that she is the last surviving member of the bloodline of Vol.
Headquarters: Throughout the Last War, the Order of the Emerald Claw had bases in most of Karrnath’s population centers, but Regent Moranna and Kaius III closed them, tore them down, or repurposed them for the government. Now, the order operates clandestinely, maintaining secret enclaves in major population centers. A few strongholds are hidden in the wilderness, but these places are remote and often double as temples.
Hierarchy: The reversals in Karrnath shattered the previously monolithic order into hundreds of tiny cells spread throughout the continent. Each cell consists of an officer who receives missions from superiors and determines how best to complete the task. Beneath the officers are the knights, proven and veteran warriors who have served with the organization for years and whose loyalty is unwavering. Below the knights come the troopers, raw recruits who serve because they are devoted cultists, Karrnathi patriots, or simply thugs.
Most members are warriors, but the Emerald Claw employs spies as well. These operatives might be full members or mercenaries hired for short stints. Such individuals support the order by infiltrating enemy organizations and sowing disruptions ahead of Emerald Claw assaults.
Members: The Emerald Claw’s officers and knights come mostly from Karrnath, recruited when the order was at the peak of its power. Exile has led to the replacement of fallen troops with able-bodied adherents from nearly every nation and land on the continent. These new recruits pale in comparison with those who fought for the order in its heyday, but an ambitious soldier who knows how to follow orders and get the missions done can move up in the ranks.
Agents of the Emerald Claw Emerald Claw soldiers live to obey. They plunder tombs, scour ruins for lost treasure, murder, commit arson, kidnap, and do whatever else is demanded of them.
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