The Order of the Condemned
Culture
To the members of the Order, everyone has a right to redemption, even their most hated enemies, as no matter how far one falls, there is always a path back to the light. This view is supported primarily from the fact that every member of the organization has been recruited from a prison cell or even the headsman's block, though this does not mean that membership is available to everyone. While the order might believe that everyone has the right to redemption, it does not mean that they must give this opportunity, as many people sitting in cells do not seek redemption.
Public Agenda
The Order of the Condemned serves at the forefront of civilization, seeking to bring order and peace to the world as a whole, while also seeking to give everyone they can the chance to redeem themselves of their actions.
Assets
Across Western Ahuduir's coastline, along the Artian-Laylos border and in the southern Rhonnonr lands the Order maintains fortresses to protect innocents from raiders and to keep bandit populations down. Such fortresses serve as the training grounds for new members, where those initiates that pass the trials are allowed to take the Oath of Redemption and serve as a sibling in arms.
History
Across a three-day pitched battle, known as the Battle of the Stone Cross, in 1873 LS, a Coalition of unlikely allies stood against the insane War-swarm of the Erunur. Comprising a large central bulk of these forces was a Telsin crusader force of conscripted criminals known as the Damned, recently reformed from a unit of meat shields into a proper fighting force by a commander who cared for his charges. While the battle would ultimately be a War-swarm victory, it was a phyrric one, as shortly there after a force of Hammers of Aion arrived and managed to out-maneuver the exhausted Swarm. In the new Protectorate of Anvil's Mercy the sacrifice of the Battle of the Stone Cross has become something of a legend in and of itself, and to an order of Telsinite Paladins, recently shattered in their faith after the Crusade of Bronze & Bone.
These Paladins saw what their fellow Paladins did, what even the lowest criminals did, for those that they did not even know, and came to the conclusion that even those that the Telsinites had once imprisoned were worth redemption. At this revelation, these Paladins came together and renounced their direct service to Telsin, in order to serve one of the ideals of Ylros, that of redemption. Telsin did not seem to mind, and even the Chosen of Telsin stated later that she supported this move, as the world could use a lot more people seeking to give others a fair chance.
Despite their noble intentions, the Order was born into a world that acted like it did not need them, as adventurers swept across the continent, bringing order and stability, for a price. Yet despite this, the Brothers and Sisters of the Order would march into the retreating desert to offer aid to the devastated Erunur Clans, providing protection to the war-weary peoples as many began to try and discover how to live in this new world. During this time it was not uncommon to see Erunur Clans migrating Eastwards with a small host of Condemned marching with them, keeping them safe from opportunistic and desperate individuals.
The first major test of the Order came when the Warlords of the Savanna began to rise and occupy large tracts of land now abandoned by the migrating Clans. Clan Hessanor to the south of these Warlords was large enough to maintain their own borders, but Clan Artia to the East, which had spent the past twenty-six years trying to reorganize after incorporating so many refugee Clans, was not so lucky. When the warriors of the Condemned came riding in on the backs of their beasts to the Battle of Ullort, the Artian defenders called them Knights, a name once given to ancient Baraki beast-rider warriors. With the arrival of heavy cavalry and the declaration from the Order to Artia that they would not leave them unprotected from a hostile expansionist neighbor, the tied began to turn.
As Artia began to build their legendary border fortresses with the aid of the Order and other groups (hired and voluntary), the Order sent detachments further East, to the ancient highlands of the Orcs, where they offered to work with the Kalbrol Empire in keeping the peace, as well as taking some of their criminals off their hands. This Imperial-chapter of the Order would maintain close ties to the Artian-chapter, often trading initiates and resources between the two, a bond that would be tested in the decades to come.
In 70 LS, when the Qivdaram erupted from the caves north of Qidol and began a war against the Kalbrol Empire, it was not something unexpected by the Order. Long had the Order's scouts and patrols encountered strange Orcs near the ruins of the ancient city, and many suspected the return of an ethno-state around Qidol, though no-one could truly prepare for the strength and ferocity of the Qivdaram. Knights of the Order fought to by time for the Empire to raise an army, as adventurers abandoned the nation en-masse, though their moral was severely broken when the army of Western Adventurers was defeated in a pitched battle. Heavily outnumbered and with few places left to retreat to, the Knights of the East led a desperate charge into Qivdaram lines at the Battle of Sarabristan, where they managed to reach and scuttle the only bridge across for miles, delaying the Qivdaram for a time. After this battle, only a handful of Knights remained in the East, where they would spend the rest of the war desperately trying to rebuild and aiding where they could.
When the Qivdaram arrived in the Eastern Ferric League, the Artian-chapter was split on a course of action, as they had a duty to protect those they had built the fortresses for, though if the Qivdaram continued to push west then their charges would already be in danger. Eventually the stalemate was broken when then Knight-Commander Astroud declared that Ahuduir called for their aid, and that they had shirked their duty long enough. Alongside this declaration, a recent major loss for the Laylos at the hands of Hessanor freed up many southern fortresses to send much of their garrisons Eastward, arriving after the Battle of Kharahal to add additional momentum to the united push back.
Following the end of the Qivdaram Invasion of Ahuduir, the Order of the Condemned had a new target on their radar, though it was an enemy that they could not openly fight, the League of Ferric Ventures. During the Order's Eastward push many terrible living and working conditions were witnessed in the lands of some of the Ferric Guilds, causing tensions between the Order and their allies. Once the Artian-chapter returned to their fortresses, a general meeting of all fortress-commanders was called, in order to discuss the future of the Order. The Southern Fortresses were no longer needed by the Order to keep the Laylos at bay, meaning that their garrisons could be redeployed elsewhere, and the Order already had a target. In a public display these fortresses were left to local Artian forces, their former garrisons declared that they were no longer a part of the Order, and marched into the Toria Mandate. Secretly, however, these forces are still a part of the Order, operating in a covert war against the League for how many of their member states treat their people.
These Paladins saw what their fellow Paladins did, what even the lowest criminals did, for those that they did not even know, and came to the conclusion that even those that the Telsinites had once imprisoned were worth redemption. At this revelation, these Paladins came together and renounced their direct service to Telsin, in order to serve one of the ideals of Ylros, that of redemption. Telsin did not seem to mind, and even the Chosen of Telsin stated later that she supported this move, as the world could use a lot more people seeking to give others a fair chance.
Despite their noble intentions, the Order was born into a world that acted like it did not need them, as adventurers swept across the continent, bringing order and stability, for a price. Yet despite this, the Brothers and Sisters of the Order would march into the retreating desert to offer aid to the devastated Erunur Clans, providing protection to the war-weary peoples as many began to try and discover how to live in this new world. During this time it was not uncommon to see Erunur Clans migrating Eastwards with a small host of Condemned marching with them, keeping them safe from opportunistic and desperate individuals.
The first major test of the Order came when the Warlords of the Savanna began to rise and occupy large tracts of land now abandoned by the migrating Clans. Clan Hessanor to the south of these Warlords was large enough to maintain their own borders, but Clan Artia to the East, which had spent the past twenty-six years trying to reorganize after incorporating so many refugee Clans, was not so lucky. When the warriors of the Condemned came riding in on the backs of their beasts to the Battle of Ullort, the Artian defenders called them Knights, a name once given to ancient Baraki beast-rider warriors. With the arrival of heavy cavalry and the declaration from the Order to Artia that they would not leave them unprotected from a hostile expansionist neighbor, the tied began to turn.
As Artia began to build their legendary border fortresses with the aid of the Order and other groups (hired and voluntary), the Order sent detachments further East, to the ancient highlands of the Orcs, where they offered to work with the Kalbrol Empire in keeping the peace, as well as taking some of their criminals off their hands. This Imperial-chapter of the Order would maintain close ties to the Artian-chapter, often trading initiates and resources between the two, a bond that would be tested in the decades to come.
In 70 LS, when the Qivdaram erupted from the caves north of Qidol and began a war against the Kalbrol Empire, it was not something unexpected by the Order. Long had the Order's scouts and patrols encountered strange Orcs near the ruins of the ancient city, and many suspected the return of an ethno-state around Qidol, though no-one could truly prepare for the strength and ferocity of the Qivdaram. Knights of the Order fought to by time for the Empire to raise an army, as adventurers abandoned the nation en-masse, though their moral was severely broken when the army of Western Adventurers was defeated in a pitched battle. Heavily outnumbered and with few places left to retreat to, the Knights of the East led a desperate charge into Qivdaram lines at the Battle of Sarabristan, where they managed to reach and scuttle the only bridge across for miles, delaying the Qivdaram for a time. After this battle, only a handful of Knights remained in the East, where they would spend the rest of the war desperately trying to rebuild and aiding where they could.
When the Qivdaram arrived in the Eastern Ferric League, the Artian-chapter was split on a course of action, as they had a duty to protect those they had built the fortresses for, though if the Qivdaram continued to push west then their charges would already be in danger. Eventually the stalemate was broken when then Knight-Commander Astroud declared that Ahuduir called for their aid, and that they had shirked their duty long enough. Alongside this declaration, a recent major loss for the Laylos at the hands of Hessanor freed up many southern fortresses to send much of their garrisons Eastward, arriving after the Battle of Kharahal to add additional momentum to the united push back.
Following the end of the Qivdaram Invasion of Ahuduir, the Order of the Condemned had a new target on their radar, though it was an enemy that they could not openly fight, the League of Ferric Ventures. During the Order's Eastward push many terrible living and working conditions were witnessed in the lands of some of the Ferric Guilds, causing tensions between the Order and their allies. Once the Artian-chapter returned to their fortresses, a general meeting of all fortress-commanders was called, in order to discuss the future of the Order. The Southern Fortresses were no longer needed by the Order to keep the Laylos at bay, meaning that their garrisons could be redeployed elsewhere, and the Order already had a target. In a public display these fortresses were left to local Artian forces, their former garrisons declared that they were no longer a part of the Order, and marched into the Toria Mandate. Secretly, however, these forces are still a part of the Order, operating in a covert war against the League for how many of their member states treat their people.
From the darkest cells to the brightest lights
Founding Date
5 SA
Type
Military, Paramilitary/Militia
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Brother/Sister
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