The Grim Order of Kala
The Grim Order of Kala were an evil and extreme religious cult which worshiped the goddess of disorder, Kala. The order believed that Kala was right in her disgust of order and peace and believed she was wronged by her twin sister, Ava, the goddess of order along with the other gods.
The Order of Araes believed in balance and natural order and, thus, frequently taught the story of Ava and Kala, order and disorder. Light and Dark. The order taught of Kala's desire for chaos and Ava's struggle to control her sister. They taught of the war of heavens and Kala's imprisonment in order to regain peace.
Eventually a few members began to question the teachings of the order and debate the right and wrong of the gods between themselves. These members came together and created a secret sect within the order to practice what they believed to be the "truth". The cult of Kala, as they referred to themselves originally, believed that Kala was right to try and bring disorder to the world. They believed that a constant state of peace and order was, itself, an imbalance which cursed the world.
The Cult of Kala abandoned the other gods and began to worship the goddess of disorder, hosting many rituals in secret in the hopes of communing with her from beyond the aether. Eventually, Kala would notice the secret cult and take interest in them. It is thought that the goddess thought they were her chance to escape her ethereal prison. While she could not leave her prison, she did communicate with the more powerful priests and priestesses within the cult, appearing to them in their dreams. She would appear as a beautiful woman and provide stories, images and prophecies in order to manipulate them into doing her will. The cult began writing their own tomes and grimoires containing the knowledge they learnt from the goddess. The evil tombs were, and still are, some of the greatest sources of dark teachings.
Discovery The other members of the order grew suspicious of the cult members, believing them to be practicing dark magic and heresy. The order investigated and caught the Cult of Kala. The cult members were imprisoned on the island, but they were caught too late. The cult had grown strong from their worship and teachings from Kala herself. While the Order of Araes is ancient with much knowledge of the past, it has been millenia since gods have interfered directly in the lives of mortals. The cult, with forbidden knowledge on their side, effortlessly escaped their cells. The members gathered their texts and possessions before fleeing the island, leaving a burnt and near destroyed order behind.
It is unknown where the order fled too, some believe they sailed to Mythric while others believed they scattered and hid in plain sight within the kingdoms of Aluin. However, it was clear they planned to continue their practice and worship of Kala, no under the name of the Order of Kala. Those few who knew of the dark order would refer to them as the Grim Order, a name they would eventually adopt for themselves.
Eventually, Yielden Keep fell and the kingdom of Lador was no more. The dwarves of Thindolir pressed their attack against the dark armies. the dwarven king, furious with the death of Lador's royal family who he was close friends with, sent out a large force of dwarven soldiers to push the dark armies back. The king himself would fight alongside them. Little did the dwarven king realize, the Order expected his reaction and planned for it. Lord Nal'loth sent forth a vast goblin horde to tunnel towards Thindolir while the dwarves were focused on defeating the Order. The goblins attacked the great dwarven kingdom from the inside and trapped all escape routes, turning Thindolir into the world's largest tomb. The dwarven king would learn of this attack, but before they could retreat to aid the kingdom, they were surrounded by the very army they thought they were pushing back. The dark armies engulfed the dwarven soldiers, leaving no survivors. It is believed the dwarven king suffered a heart attack as the battle began, the old king learning too much bad news in one sitting.
The Order lurks within the Forbidden Badlands, inside the ruins of Yielden Keep which they call Kas Dhozgul. Unknown to the rest of the world, the Grim Order of Kala continued to regrow in strength, refusing to give up.
History
Origin
The Grim Order of Kala is thought to have begun, around the early 1900s of the First Age, as a secret sect within the larger "Order of Araes" located on Emberfang island. The Order of Araes was a small order of priests, priestesses and monks which kept extensive records which held the collective knowledge of Araes, from cosmogonic myths to stories from the Age of Life.The Order of Araes believed in balance and natural order and, thus, frequently taught the story of Ava and Kala, order and disorder. Light and Dark. The order taught of Kala's desire for chaos and Ava's struggle to control her sister. They taught of the war of heavens and Kala's imprisonment in order to regain peace.
Eventually a few members began to question the teachings of the order and debate the right and wrong of the gods between themselves. These members came together and created a secret sect within the order to practice what they believed to be the "truth". The cult of Kala, as they referred to themselves originally, believed that Kala was right to try and bring disorder to the world. They believed that a constant state of peace and order was, itself, an imbalance which cursed the world.
The Cult of Kala abandoned the other gods and began to worship the goddess of disorder, hosting many rituals in secret in the hopes of communing with her from beyond the aether. Eventually, Kala would notice the secret cult and take interest in them. It is thought that the goddess thought they were her chance to escape her ethereal prison. While she could not leave her prison, she did communicate with the more powerful priests and priestesses within the cult, appearing to them in their dreams. She would appear as a beautiful woman and provide stories, images and prophecies in order to manipulate them into doing her will. The cult began writing their own tomes and grimoires containing the knowledge they learnt from the goddess. The evil tombs were, and still are, some of the greatest sources of dark teachings.
Discovery The other members of the order grew suspicious of the cult members, believing them to be practicing dark magic and heresy. The order investigated and caught the Cult of Kala. The cult members were imprisoned on the island, but they were caught too late. The cult had grown strong from their worship and teachings from Kala herself. While the Order of Araes is ancient with much knowledge of the past, it has been millenia since gods have interfered directly in the lives of mortals. The cult, with forbidden knowledge on their side, effortlessly escaped their cells. The members gathered their texts and possessions before fleeing the island, leaving a burnt and near destroyed order behind.
It is unknown where the order fled too, some believe they sailed to Mythric while others believed they scattered and hid in plain sight within the kingdoms of Aluin. However, it was clear they planned to continue their practice and worship of Kala, no under the name of the Order of Kala. Those few who knew of the dark order would refer to them as the Grim Order, a name they would eventually adopt for themselves.
The Great War
Prelude
At some point in 2560 of the First Age, a grim air fell over the world. Blight would hit kingdoms across Araes at random, monsters, spirits and other hideous creatures began lurking in the forests more often. Meanwhile Orc and Goblin attacks would become less frequent. Unbeknownst to the world, the Grim Order of Kala was working on a terrible plan. The Grim Order gathered a great army of orcs and goblins with support from trolls and other large beasts. The force would be later known as the Dark Armies. The Order's greatest pre-war achievement was the enlistment of the Drow, the dark elven children of Kala who were almost extinct towards the end of the Age of Life. A particularly evil drow by the name of Nal'loth quickly rose to power within the ranks of the dark armies and was titled Lord Nal'loth, leader of the dark armies.The War
Towards the later end of the First Age, the Grim Order of Kala began their conquest in the name of Kala. They first invaded the Kingdom of Lador through the vast network of mines, taking the kingdom by surprise. To this day no one truly knows where the armies came from and how they arrived in Lador. The orcish legions swiftly conquered and razed each settlement in the kingdom until only Yielden Keep remained. The dwarves of Thindolir heard news of the attack and declared war on the order, sending an army of dwarves to aid the besieged kingdom. However the army would never reach Lador, busy fighting the orc advance as it moved further into the continent of Aluin.Eventually, Yielden Keep fell and the kingdom of Lador was no more. The dwarves of Thindolir pressed their attack against the dark armies. the dwarven king, furious with the death of Lador's royal family who he was close friends with, sent out a large force of dwarven soldiers to push the dark armies back. The king himself would fight alongside them. Little did the dwarven king realize, the Order expected his reaction and planned for it. Lord Nal'loth sent forth a vast goblin horde to tunnel towards Thindolir while the dwarves were focused on defeating the Order. The goblins attacked the great dwarven kingdom from the inside and trapped all escape routes, turning Thindolir into the world's largest tomb. The dwarven king would learn of this attack, but before they could retreat to aid the kingdom, they were surrounded by the very army they thought they were pushing back. The dark armies engulfed the dwarven soldiers, leaving no survivors. It is believed the dwarven king suffered a heart attack as the battle began, the old king learning too much bad news in one sitting.
Defeat
The Grim Order of Kala pushed far into Aluin, annexing large portions of Morhoth towards the climax of the Great War. It was noted that the dark armies sacked the lands as though they were looking for something. It was believed the Grim Order were searching for ancient relics from the Age of Life, one of which possibly located in Aluin. The kingdoms of man banded together and began to halt the dark armies' advances. The elves of Theilon realized the Order's sinister plans and sent a large army which gathered at the island kingdom of Valen. The Kingdom of Atalantia sent its finest legion which joined the elves at Valen before moving to Morhoth. This new alliance became known as the Coalition of Araes. The coalition pushed back the dark armies. The elves attacked from Valen while the humans of Aluin and the Atalantians attacked from the east. The armies quickly crumbled and Lord Nal'loth later fell in battle, sealing the Grim Order's fate. The order and its armies was pushed back into Lador, no known as the Forbidden Badlands, and were locked away from the rest of Aluin with a large wall.The Order lurks within the Forbidden Badlands, inside the ruins of Yielden Keep which they call Kas Dhozgul. Unknown to the rest of the world, the Grim Order of Kala continued to regrow in strength, refusing to give up.
Details
Structure
The Grim Order has two forms of leaders, the cult and the lord of the Order.
The priesthood of the cult are the supreme leaders of the Grim Order and are responsible for increasing the strength of their Order and to plan their movements as they try to release Kala from her ethereal cage.
Meanwhile the Lord of the Order is in charge of the dark armies and campaign strategy. Throughout the Grim Order's history, Lord Nal'loth has been the Lord of the Order and leader of the dark armies. Responsible for building the army and its engines of war.
Beneath the priesthood are the order cultist. The cultists, often kidnapped people and brainwashed, take part in the rituals run by the priesthood. They are often abused and even sacrificed during rituals.
Alongside the cultists are the dark armies. The dark armies mainly comprise of orcs and goblins organized in vast legions and hordes. There are varying ranks within the dark armies which come together to form a fierce killing machine.
The priesthood of the cult are the supreme leaders of the Grim Order and are responsible for increasing the strength of their Order and to plan their movements as they try to release Kala from her ethereal cage.
Meanwhile the Lord of the Order is in charge of the dark armies and campaign strategy. Throughout the Grim Order's history, Lord Nal'loth has been the Lord of the Order and leader of the dark armies. Responsible for building the army and its engines of war.
Beneath the priesthood are the order cultist. The cultists, often kidnapped people and brainwashed, take part in the rituals run by the priesthood. They are often abused and even sacrificed during rituals.
Alongside the cultists are the dark armies. The dark armies mainly comprise of orcs and goblins organized in vast legions and hordes. There are varying ranks within the dark armies which come together to form a fierce killing machine.
Disbandment
The Grim Order of Kala Fell around 2056 of the Second Age. The group disbanded and scattered. Their books and possessions were almost entirely burned with little left of their teachings.
Territories
The Grim Order once conquered a large portion of Aluin. However, since the end of the First Great War, the Oder was pushed back until only the Lador peninsula was left. The Order was thought to be dead and the peninsula, now known as the Forbidden Badlands, was separated from the rest of Aluin by a great wall called Bronzefort wall.
The Order hid in the Badlands, their one stronghold being the ruins of Yielden Keep which is now known as Kas Dohzgul.
The Order hid in the Badlands, their one stronghold being the ruins of Yielden Keep which is now known as Kas Dohzgul.
Military
During its height, the Grim Order commanded a vast army of foul creatures. Orcish legions served as the main footsoldiers alongside great goblin hordes. This coalition of evil was known as the Dark Armies.
The Dark Armies also commanded several horrid monsters, ghouls, wraiths, trolls. Lord Nal'loth even controlled a Wyvern. Cultist necromancers would turn the corpses of their enemies into mindless zombie hordes which would now serve the Grim Order against the kingdoms they once belonged to.
When the Order first fell during the First Great War, it was believed that the Dark Armies were all but destroyed and the remaining orcs were fractured into clans that fought among themselves. And it was believed their leaders were long dead.
The Dark Armies also commanded several horrid monsters, ghouls, wraiths, trolls. Lord Nal'loth even controlled a Wyvern. Cultist necromancers would turn the corpses of their enemies into mindless zombie hordes which would now serve the Grim Order against the kingdoms they once belonged to.
When the Order first fell during the First Great War, it was believed that the Dark Armies were all but destroyed and the remaining orcs were fractured into clans that fought among themselves. And it was believed their leaders were long dead.
Worship
The priesthood of the Grim Order regularly prey to Kala to strengthen the bond between them and the imprisoned goddess of darkness. In return they receive premonitions and teaching through dreams, meditation and illusions.
The order also hold many rituals of varying kinds to prove their devotion to their goddess. Rituals often involve incantations and enchantments, creation of spells and necromancy and a release of chaotic magic.
The Grim Order is also known to occasionally sacrifice innocent people and lower cult members as offerings to Kala. These ritual sacrifices are often bloody, violent and chaotic. The blood rituals are done in the hopes that Kala would bestow onto them more dark knowledge of ancient arcane magic.
The order also hold many rituals of varying kinds to prove their devotion to their goddess. Rituals often involve incantations and enchantments, creation of spells and necromancy and a release of chaotic magic.
The Grim Order is also known to occasionally sacrifice innocent people and lower cult members as offerings to Kala. These ritual sacrifices are often bloody, violent and chaotic. The blood rituals are done in the hopes that Kala would bestow onto them more dark knowledge of ancient arcane magic.
Priesthood
The Grim Order of Kala was originally lead by a small cult of priests and priestesses who followed the teachings of Kala. They held ultimate power in the Order but didn't involve themselves in the running of the armies and campaigns.
Instead the order kept to themselves, allowing Nal'loth to do the leading as lord of the order. The priesthood is run by the High priest who organized worship and rituals to Kala. The high priest is also the one which Kala appears to as dreams most often. The other priests are responsible to carrying out the rituals and continue learning all they can about the dark magic of the world.
Other cultists were part of the Order, these people, often kidnapped and brainwashed, would work as slaves and would occasionally be used in rituals as sacrifices.
Instead the order kept to themselves, allowing Nal'loth to do the leading as lord of the order. The priesthood is run by the High priest who organized worship and rituals to Kala. The high priest is also the one which Kala appears to as dreams most often. The other priests are responsible to carrying out the rituals and continue learning all they can about the dark magic of the world.
Other cultists were part of the Order, these people, often kidnapped and brainwashed, would work as slaves and would occasionally be used in rituals as sacrifices.
Granted Divine Powers
The Priesthood of the Grim Order have been constantly learning under the teachings of Kala. The priesthood hold forbidden knowledge of higher necromancy, dark magic, and anima corruption.
Kala has also, on occasion granted the priesthood the gift of foresight in the form of dreams where kala would appear to them as a beautiful woman and tell them of things long forgotten or things that have yet to come to pass.
Kala has also, on occasion granted the priesthood the gift of foresight in the form of dreams where kala would appear to them as a beautiful woman and tell them of things long forgotten or things that have yet to come to pass.
DISBANDED/DISSOLVED
Darkness that drowns the light
~1900 (1A) - 2056 (2A)
Type
Religious, Cult
Capital
Alternative Names
The Order, The Grim Order, Order of Kala
Formation Type
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Government System
Despotism
Deities
Divines
Location
Notable Members
Comments