The Sanctum Vanguard

The Vanguard are the steel fist of the Sanctum Alliance. With technology and skill that is par with the best the Imperial military can bring to bear, they venture forth from the holy city to complete quests in the name of the Sleeping Savior. Their zealotry is a thing of legend, whether it is a great beast that needs slaying or an Imperial strikeforce that needs destroying, Vanguard operatives are expected to fight and die without hesitation. The blessing of Elysia has its limits, of course, and those that venture far beyond the lands of the Alliance cannot expect to feel her grace when they fall in battle.

History

In Sanctum's early history as a free city a shadowy cabal, harboring resentment towards the shift of worship towards Elysia and seeking to seize control, plotted in the dark.
Faced with this hidden threat, the Council turned to their most elite warriors, those with both unwavering faith and loyalty. They hand-picked individuals who had not only proven themselves on the battlefield, but whose commitment to Elysia burned with an almost fanatical intensity – men and women who would not hesitate to silence those who dared question her will, and would die without complaint.
The Sanctum Vanguard was born in those shadowed days, a whispered legend within a city already steeped in tales of miraculous resurrections and divinely guided blades. Their deeds, cloaked in secrecy, were often attributed to unfortunate accidents, divine retribution, or simply the cruel whims of fate. With the fall of the traitors complete, these warriors changed their target to the Emperor himself.
It was the Vanguard, hidden within the largest army that the Sanctum Alliance had ever mustered, that forced the Emperor into his final battle and sealed his fate. The identities of Vanguard operatives are normally kept secret, but the brave souls who boarded the Emperor's flagship and gave their lives to end his reign are emblazoned on a plaque within Elysia's cathedral, an eternal reminder of the sacrifices made to ensure Sanctum's freedom.

Membership

Becoming a member of the Vanguard is not a path actively sought, but a destiny bestowed upon those deemed worthy by Elysia herself, her whispers guiding the Council’s hand in selecting her instruments.
Elysian Guard who demonstrate not only exceptional combat prowess but also a stark disregard for their own mortality, often pushing themselves to the brink of death in pursuit of their mission, are noted. Those who seem to possess an unnatural luck in surviving seemingly impossible odds or those who are revived by Elysia's grace with a renewed fervor are marked as potential recruits.
Those chosen receive a cryptic message, a scrap of paper bearing a symbol of the sleeping goddess, left in their quarters. No words are spoken, no explanation given. They are expected to understand, to follow their intuition, guided by a faith so deeply ingrained that it becomes an instinct.
Their intuition leads them deep beneath the Sanctum Cathedral, into the labyrinthine catacombs that lie forgotten beneath the resting place of the Sleeping Savior. Here, amidst the whispers of ancient stones and the subtle pulse of Elysia's power, they are greeted by a figure – the Vanguard's enigmatic commander, a man who is said to have been the only survivor of the Emperor's assassins, and who had slain the godlike figure in single combat aboard his burning vessel.

Operations

Operatives are given access to the Armory of Whispers, a secret vault overflowing with weaponry and artifacts from across Yrdde. They choose their tools, guided by intuition, need, and the nature of their assigned task.
Each mission is delivered with minimal instruction. The Sanctum Council whispers the target – an Imperial official undermining trade negotiations, a dissident spreading rumors about Elysia, a source of vital information or perhaps an old-world relic guarded by insurmountable defenses. Given access to Sanctum's resources, each Vanguard operative gathers a team. Loyal veterans of the Sanctum military, skilled mercenaries hungry for gold, or individuals possessing unique talents – a master thief, a gifted mage, an expert in magitech sabotage.
Once a mission is undertaken, it is up to the operative to decide how to complete it. Most groups attempt to blend in with normal society, pretending to be merchants or a Hunter's Guild team on a hunt.

"The Sanctum Vanguard... I saw them at Stonegard. Shadows in the firestorm, each movement a dance of blades and whispers of power. To watch them fight is to see faith weaponized – a terrifying grace, an utter lack of fear in the face of death. Those fanatics took down the Emperor, sacrificed themselves to crack the hull of his flagship, knowing the power of their goddess wouldn't bring them back. Talk about a story for the ages, darling! You’d think Elysia herself breathed ice into their veins, froze their hearts against any doubt, any hesitation. They’re painted as heroes, instruments of a sleeping goddess. But power like that, unquestioning devotion… it can warp even the purest soul. Where’s the line, I wonder, between righteous fury and blind fanaticism? One misstep, one slip of that blessed blade, and you're doing evil's work in the name of a saint. I respect their skill, their loyalty. But give me a healthy dose of skepticism over blind faith any day." - E Dawnstrider