Order of the Portal Wardens

Prompt 2: Somewhere in your world describe an organization or religion connected to a natural phenomenon.
Order of the Portal Wardens
The portal wardens are a knightly order of paladins dedicated to protecting the natural occurring portals in the equator and poles of the continent of Thar’kor and destroying unnatural portals to evil realms to restore the correct balance of the continent's ethereal barriers. Members of the order can be identified by their holy symbol or the motif on their shield and tabards of a swirling vortex surrounded by the seven stars of Selune. The order was established in the year 2815 of the Ancient Kingdoms (AK) when the glacial mountain barrier was created. The ancient order has remained vigilant to its duty throughout the ages and operates outside of normal society and political activities. As such they often operate in secret and are held in equal parts with an aura of fascinating mysticism and with fear of their unknown intent. They recruit magic users in the regions close to the equator and polar regions and maintain keep around or near the standing portals that maintain the magical power that prevents Demogorgon from further corrupting the continent. In the northern desert, the Order recruits heavily from the Duskshar’ri and works closely with them often travelling as tribesmen and utilizing their secret paths and hideouts to move unseen in the dark lord's kingdom.
Recruitment has become easier in the Post-Imperial Age as parents with magical children are eager to find a safe home for their children who are pariahs in society. Communities are so fearful of the corruption of magic that they will either chase the child, or the entire family out of town, if not worse. Life in the Order is often a better choice than local magical schools which can often be run more like prisons, or life on the street. The order is a military organization as much as it is a religious order. The order worship Selune as the creator of Thar’kor and the natural enemy of Demogorgon. They swear an oath to protect the realm against the forces of evil by controlling and maintaining the balance of the portals in the land to maintain the power that keeps Demogorgon out. The Dark Lords portals are a threat to that balance and they are seeking the power to close the portals. The Oder is led by Grand Marshal of the Order Talis Graymount, who despite his age is a fearsome and powerful warrior. The next ranks are the Region Commanders who control the three regions of the order, the northern desert force, the glacial mountains force and the southern polar force. Under these are the keep wardens who command a small legion of paladins to protect the natural gates and the strike wardens who command small but highly skilled battalions of paladin rangers who specialize in infiltrating enemy territories unseen to close portals. These battalions are a constant thorn in the Dark Lords' side and his Lich generals are regularly having to reopen portals that are being sabotaged by the strike battalions. The general rank and file are called Portal Wardens, except for the Strike Brigade soldiers who are simply referred to as closers.
The Northern Desert Force is numerous and powerful but single-mindedly dedicated to its cause. They live in hidden keeps carved into rocky crevasses in the plateaus of the northern desert, usually at a natural source of water or a natural water cistern to provide their keep with food and water in case of a siege. They dress in sand browns and reds to blend more easily into the background and Of all the order these paladins are more likely to have skills in other classes beyond a paladin. Particularly the strike wardens who require stealth, tracking skills, and other abilities to launch attacks deep into enemy territory.
The Order would be a formidable ally against the forces of the Dark Lord. However, it would require ambassadors with good standing with Talis and a plan that could achieve the restoration of the balance of the portals to win over the order to open combat rather than the guerilla warfare they are currently engaged in.

Type

Civilian, Knightly Order