Andera
"Let us, therefore, go against this horde of evil, trusting boldly to good fortune. Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to take us dogs and wolves!"
from Andera's speech to her army of the faithful. chronicled by, St Andrel. from "the Second Coming of the Horde"
The Shield Maiden. The goddess loved and worshipped by Meredians. She is a symbol of light, hope and protection. With the bearing of a paladin of the highest honor, her plate armor shines bright, her shield holds strong, and her sword gleams razor sharp. This idealistic imagery is quite anachronistic of course, since she was said to have existed well before warriors were outfitted as such. Scholars contend she wouldn’t have been much more than a barbarian queen with at most, hide armor and a spear commanding a rabble of zealots.
Roughly a millennia before the coming of the Meredian Empire, an evil arose so vile it threatened to extinguish all civilization. Ravening horrors stalked the land, monstrous colossi rose from the depths of the sea, and the undead devoured everything in their path. Though historians cannot determine whence this horde came, prophets at the time proclaimed it the end of all things, punishment for the decadence, sloth, and evils of the world. A savior came in the form of a young girl named Andera. The popular myth is that this farm girl, barely sixteen, who saw her family taken from her by the horde, was filled with divine energy from the creator. With strength, courage, and eventually, a holy army at her back, she turned back the invading monstrosities. And, at the end, making the ultimate sacrifice, she perished on the battlefield. Her last living act was to vanquish the commander, an undead monster known as Yag'deloth. His last act of defiance was to snap the neck of the warrior queen whilst her sword was buried in his chest. But with their commander removed, the armies of darkness scattered and were easily driven from the land.
The legend of Andera became a story passed down through generations, and after a millennia may have been forgotten. But three centuries before the coming of the empire, the army of darkness returned, and with it so did Andera. Her spirit appeared and once again pushed back the hordes of evil. Thus, her divinity was solidified. She became "The Warrior Goddess", "The First Paladin" and "The One Who Cannot Die". The Paladin Order of Andera was formed and the religion swept over the land like a tidal wave. Bravery, Truth and Justice became their tenets. The old pagan gods were considered obsolete from then on. In fact, people were quick to blame the troubled times on these fickle immortals altogether. Thus began a great culling of the faithless. Tolerance, unfortunately was not among the most devout followers who feared the horde would rise up again were they not vigilant.
Roughly a millennia before the coming of the Meredian Empire, an evil arose so vile it threatened to extinguish all civilization. Ravening horrors stalked the land, monstrous colossi rose from the depths of the sea, and the undead devoured everything in their path. Though historians cannot determine whence this horde came, prophets at the time proclaimed it the end of all things, punishment for the decadence, sloth, and evils of the world. A savior came in the form of a young girl named Andera. The popular myth is that this farm girl, barely sixteen, who saw her family taken from her by the horde, was filled with divine energy from the creator. With strength, courage, and eventually, a holy army at her back, she turned back the invading monstrosities. And, at the end, making the ultimate sacrifice, she perished on the battlefield. Her last living act was to vanquish the commander, an undead monster known as Yag'deloth. His last act of defiance was to snap the neck of the warrior queen whilst her sword was buried in his chest. But with their commander removed, the armies of darkness scattered and were easily driven from the land.
The legend of Andera became a story passed down through generations, and after a millennia may have been forgotten. But three centuries before the coming of the empire, the army of darkness returned, and with it so did Andera. Her spirit appeared and once again pushed back the hordes of evil. Thus, her divinity was solidified. She became "The Warrior Goddess", "The First Paladin" and "The One Who Cannot Die". The Paladin Order of Andera was formed and the religion swept over the land like a tidal wave. Bravery, Truth and Justice became their tenets. The old pagan gods were considered obsolete from then on. In fact, people were quick to blame the troubled times on these fickle immortals altogether. Thus began a great culling of the faithless. Tolerance, unfortunately was not among the most devout followers who feared the horde would rise up again were they not vigilant.
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