The Knights of Truth and Beauty are so ancient that most people of Shira'tol have forgotten they ever existed at all. Yet, exist they did and a thousand years ago, they desperately worked to stem the flood of evil influence coming into the world. The lantern was the key, yet it and its guardian disappeared before the knights could carry out their plans, and the world was shrouded in darkness.
The Sun, Dark and Red
It may be difficult to believe today, but the sun of Shira'tol was once bright and warm. Forces beyond this world conspired to influence Shira'tol with their foul energies. The Knights of Truth and Beauty bent their power and considerable numbers to stopping this cataclysm, but would ultimately fail.
They crafted a lantern that could only be opened by a member of their inner circle. And inside this lantern, they placed a spark. This spark was said to be the heart of a star, discovered by one of the founding members of the Knights of Truth and Beauty. For thousands of years, they guarded it, knowing that someday it would be the thing that saved the world from darkness.
Lost and Found
One of the most trusted members of the Knights was tasked with transporting the lantern and the spark to a shrine of power. There, the knights would perform the ritual to defeat the coming storm. However, as Sir Gerrard traveled the sea, his ship was attacked by a beast of shadow, and the ship and lantern were lost beneath the waves.
A thousand years later, that sea had become a desert and the ship lay in the dunes. Sir Gerrard was long dead, but his soul was sustained in his bones by the lantern and the spark. His oath tied him to it, despite the failure of the original order.
Nice article. This seems like a very important artifact in your world! A shame that the shadow beast managed to stop the ritual.
Thank you :) It's actually one of the main McGuffins for my current campaign, I plan on updating and adding more to this once the no-edit phase of camp is over.