The Order of the Forgotten Blood
"Hathan ta ve Yaiva Tor" - Order of the Forgotten Blood in the language Camaerath
An enigmatic order of elves within Camaerith, the Order of the Forgotten Blood sought to restore Camaerith to its "former glory." Believing that the war against Orakgra, while morally correct, had led to the beginning of the end of Camaerithian society. By allying with lesser beings like the Theussaun Protectorate, the Order believed that Camaerith had "sullied its purity." They sought to expel all foreign influences from Camaerith, and reestablish the "true elves" of their city as the top of the pecking order once more. And once Camaerith was pure again, they hoped to lead their brothers and sisters to show the world just how great they were beginning with Theussau in the north.
Getting their orders from someone they knew only as "The Forgotten," the Order of the Forgotten Blood had infiltrated almost every single facet of Camaerithian society, from the Camaerithian Circle to the rangers stationed at the Fort of the Concord. As such, the members who constituted their hierarchy were extremely varied. Similarly, the Order had multiple branches, each pursuing one of the Forgotten's plans separately. Only the leaders of each branch knew of the existence of the other branches, so that the rank and file believed themselves the sole proprietors of the Forgotten's will.
In the final week of Tádariel, 899 AT, the Order made their move. Using a Nightfall Pearl to create an unending, unnatural night over Camaerith, the Order and their extraplanar allies took the non-Order Circle members captive and tried to take over the city via coup. The city was embroiled in brutal occupation and fighting for several days, until Camaerithian loyalists -- led by Ilthinaluvar Aramoira and the Five of Swords -- defeated the Order's leadership and retook the city.
Goals
They worked to end the war with Orakgra swiftly, so that they could then rally their people once more. Alongside this, every branch of the Order pursued a very specific goal, which all lended itself to a grand plan that only the leadership fully understood; however, the broad strokes of it were this: work to spread the Order, undermine the Camaerithian Concord, and prepare for the Forgotten's return.Relationships
Before they revealed themselves, the Order was nearly unknown. After their attempted -- and failed -- coup 'd'état, the Order was condemned by the rest of Camaerith and turned into a historical warning, a warning of xenophobia and nationalism taken too far. Most of their leadership was slain in the fighting, and those few who survived were imprisoned for life.Figures of Interest
Ellas Elendiir, the Forgotten
Lawful evil, ancient vampire High General of the Camaerithian Empire during the Reckoning, Ellas Elendiir was a war hero and a veteran of the God-Wars; however, as the fighting continued to drag on and get worse, he feared for his hearth and home. He feared his ability to protect his family and his people. To this end, he pursued greater and greater power. It is unknown who or what gave him his blood, but Ellas eventually subjected himself to an ancient and extremely potent vampiric bloodline. Transformed and empowered, he presented his newfound power as the key to defending Camaerith. His fellow Camaerithians saw him as a monster, and in an event known as Ellas' Fall, they fought desperately to defeat him. Enraged by what he saw as a betrayal, Ellas slew over one thousand Camaerithian warriors and mages before, finally, he was banished by Camaerith's foremost arcanists. He was sealed into a prison plane of Nathrivox, an idyllic mirror of the Camaerith he fought to protect kept in an endless day. His torment: as a vampire, he could never appreciate that which he sacrificed so much to protect. The plane came to be known as the Arakhal Tothor, or Desolate Wastes, a fitting title for such a paradoxical plane. And, for 900 years, he pulled strings through his bloodline to make Camaerith ready for his return. When he was finally freed during the coup, he and Arbane worked to bring his prison plane -- which was collapsing due to his release -- and replace the real Arakhor Tathra with it, an act which would both give them the perfect foundation for an empire and decimate their nearest enemies wholly; however, Arbane turned due to his daughter Valna's words and Ellas was defeated by the Five of Swords. But, surely an ancient vampire isn't killed so easily, no?Ilthinaluvar (Archmage) Arbane Elendiir, Prefect of the Order
Lawful neutral, wood elf archmage Grandson of Ellas and Ilthinaluvar of the Camaerithian Circle, Arbane worked for most of his seven century-long life to further the machinations of the Order. His father, Fendrel Elendiir, groomed him for specifically this purpose. A cold, calculating man, Arbane likely would have been the perfect Prefect of the Order, had it not been for his wife Aninyel and his daughter Valna. Children among elves are exceptionally rare. As there can only be three hundred elven children every decade, elven parents consider themselves blessed and extremely lucky. Though he did not realize it, Valna's birth and Aninyel's began to form cracks in his purpose to the Order. Arbane did further the War Against Orakgra, enact the coup, and free Ellas, but at the precipice of the Order's victory, it was Valna and Aninyel who stopped him. Aninyel's castigation and Valna's belief in Arbane's true self gave him the willpower to defy Ellas and stop the arcane rites that would replace the Arakhor Tathra with Ellas' prison plane. Though he must still pay for his crimes, it was Valna's willingness to redeem her father that ultimately led to the Order's defeat.Ilquithea (General) Earwenen Bertanonel, Lady of the Mithril Manifest
Lawful evil, high elf general Strongest proponent of the War Against Orakgra, talented general, and ruthless commander, Ilquithea Earwenen Bertanonel was the Lady of the Mithril Manifest. Composed of hundreds of sympathizers within the Arms of Mithril, the Mithril Manifest formed the bulk of the Order's military might. Earwenen believed wholly in the Order's ability to bring about a world united under Camaerithian supremacy, and was willing to do anything to achieve that end. Earwenen was slain during the coup, where she died defending her home from Camaerithian loyalists trying to take her captive.Harmathar (Master Merchant) Annaeleth Haelond, Lord of the Golden Chain
Lawful evil, wood elf merchant Owner of the Hatta Loulaev (Food Home) and Lord of the Golden Chain, Annaeleth Haelond's primary goals were amassing more wealth for himself and securing Camaerithian prosperity. He was a cutthroat merchant and businessman, and was more than willing to sacrifice workers and land for a good profit. As the Lord of the Golden Chain -- the economic arm of the Order -- he was a perfect fit. He was, in the end, a coward. When loyalist forces were cutting through his Mithril Manifest guard force to take him captive, he committed suicide, opting to face death than the judgement of his former peers.Cardama (Curator) Thilenwe, High Priest of the Elendiir's Will
Neutral evil, wood elf priest Compared to Cardama Thilenwe, Annaeleth and Earwenen seem tame. As High Priest of the Elendiir's Will, it was Thilenwe's job to find clergy members and holy people who were willing to use their divine gifts for the Order's benefit. To this end, he was mildly successful; however, Thilenwe's true power lied in his ritual capabilities. By tapping into the dark energies of Nathrivox, Thilenwe could create horrid monstrosities from stitched together corpses. The more brutally they died, the more powerful the creations were. Thankfully, Valna and Veldrin of the Five of Swords killed Thilenwe early in the coup. Who knows what he would've done or created had he been given more time.Caidentuss, the Amethyst Wrath
Neutral evil, adult amethyst dragon Centuries ago, Caidentuss went through a planar rift and ended up in an idyllic breadbasket region -- perfect for him to carve out a lair of his own. As an amethyst dragon, this strange planar space would provide him what he needed to continue his research and satiate his endless curiosity of Yophas; however, he encountered a power far greater than his own. Being barely a young dragon at the time, it was a small matter for Ellas to bend Caidentuss to his will. Once that was done, Caidentuss lived and grew within the boundaries of the Arakhal Tothor, eventually serving Ellas by creating his own brood of amethyst dragons and exploring the Mistlands of Nathrivox. Working with Arbane, Caidentuss helped secure the aid of other prisoners of Nathrivox, such as the Elder Brain of Seoziaran.The Elder Brain of Seoziaran
Chaotic evil, illithid elder brain Being a fellow prisoner of Nathrivox, the Elder Brain of Seoziaran works tirelessly to free itself. When Caidentuss found it and offered it a chance at freedom, it quickly agreed to aid Ellas in whatever way was needed to be freed. To this end, it gave many of its subservient illithid and other extraplanar slaves to the Order to boost their ranks. With the fall of the Order, the Elder Brain remains a prisoner on its barren prison plane. With a several century plot foiled, who knows what its next goals may be?
Type
Secret, Occult
Comments