Gatekeepers

I shall swear to no nation, and I shall swear against glory. I am the light that heralds the dawn, and the bastion against the dark. I am a watcher over that which guards against the tide. I pledge myself to the Gatekeepers, now, and forevermore.
The light protects.

— Gatekeeper's Oath

The Order of the Gatekeepers is a small, but an elite, organization of holy warriors, clerics, priests, and noble arcane archers who dedicate themselves to keeping watch upon the Ironsgate Walls, monitoring and culling the corruption and numerous, foul, undead denizens of the Morbog. They are among the most skilled standing armies in the world and are exemplary warriors trained in the slaying of undead creatures of all types.
The Gate Keepers were established during The War of the Undying under a different name since lost to history when the Ironsgate Keep was built as a fortress bastion on the front lines near the Morbog—the site of the initial outbreak of undead. The Order and the Ironsgate Keep stifled the tides of dead before Vauldis' forces began to manifest across the world. Near the end of the war, the Order played one of many vital roles in the defeat of the lich.

Command Structure

The Order is one of the most skilled standing armies in the world, and are exemplary warriors trained in the slaying of undead creatures of all types. Each member of the Order is specially trained in dispatching the undead, be it through blessed arrows, bolts, blades, ballistae, or divine magic. Because of this, undead creatures that wander near the walls are swiftly put down.

Commanders are leaders of the Order—decorated veterans of many campaigns to suppress the Morbog's corrupting influence. Beneath them are a number of Captains that oversee coordinated campaigns and organize logistics across the cursed marshes. Lieutenants rank beneath Captains and lead small parties of holy warriors into the Morbog. Lieutenants are typically seasoned paladins to bolster their fellow compatriots with divine light as they carry out dangerous operations to stamp out growing threats. The rank and file soldiers of the Order are often veterans chosen from many different armies across many nations and are specially selected for their courage and fearlessness.
Strike teams are regularly sent out into the Morbog to keep the numbers of undead low and to confront dangerous developing situations reported by Order scouts. These small teams also run supplies between the two walls through a network of sparse pulley systems over portions of the bog. Small groups are kept as such because larger groups are likely to be noticed by the wandering dead, which risks attracting a horde. Many strike teams prefer the use of magically-imbued ranged weaponry to keep, imbuing their arrows with divine light to put down the wandering dead from afar, but can easily fight with a holy blade if necessary.
Smaller strike teams of Order knights, warriors, and scouts are also less likely to return with larger numbers of the undead by their side, as those that die within the Morbog seldom stay dead for long. Should larger regiments perish and rise in the bog, such significant spikes of death energy risk the creation of so-called 'black spots'—pockets of corruption and weakness in the Astral Filament. The more undead creatures that gather in one place in the Materium for an extended period of time, the larger a black spot becomes, enabling more wild and uncontrolled undead creatures to emerge from beyond the veil. Should a black spot spread irreversibly, more intelligent undead can emerge to coordinate a horde.

Strength in Unity

Each and every member of the Order possess roots from across numerous empires and nations, having traveled long distances to safeguard Meyland, the Dynasty, the Commonwealth, and many other civilizations. The Gate Keepers carry the torch of those that fell during the war, taking to heart the ideals of the Pact—the oath that briefly brought the nations of the world together against a common enemy near the end of the war.

Regardless of rank and status, no one member of the Order holds loyalty to their nation above their dedication to the cause of the Gate Keepers; to keep in check the corruption of the Morbog. They possess many faiths, nationalities, creeds, and beliefs, united by the principles of the Order. Because of its multi-faith nature, many deities are worshipped throughout its ranks. Most align with some degree of light worship, such as the Angelic Pantheon and Alsham, though some might worship the Dwarven Pantheon or the Pantheon of the Wild. One of the most prominent Living Gods worshipped by a significant portion of the Order is Takanda for her personification of life, in stark opposition to the undead creatures of the Morbog. Banzala's priests are a rarer sight, but will often be present to sanctify the remains of the dead—while Banzalan priests revere death, undeath is considered by them as an abomination to the natural order.

Avenging Light, Blade of the Order

One of the most revered weapons within the Order's repertoire is called 'Avenging Light', a platinum longsword of legendary renown used in the first days of the war. It was the blade that dealt the killing blow to many of Vauldis' most loyal and powerful servants and was passed down through three generations of Gatekeeper commanders until it saw its most significant days during the Invasion of Kalki Isle. It was used by the legendary human general, Tarthus Garrand, to strike a mortal blow against Vauldis himself. Since then, Avenging Light has been passed down through the highest ranks of the Gatekeepers, passing through the hands of many Commanders.

Founding Date

NC. 5

Type

Military Order

Alternative Names

The Order, The Keepers of the Walls, The Keepers at the Gate

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Leader

Selma Dawnbringer

Leader Title

Commander

Location

Ironsgate Keep

Controlled Territories

• Ironsgate Keep

Related Historical Events

• NC. 0 → NC. 100
  The War of the Undying