The Stormguard

AKA the SG

 

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT KNOWN UNLESS DISCOVERED IN PLAY

THE STORMGUARD
Remnants of The Army of Man
Players: JD and Mike

LD NPC & PC:  all named NPCs are loyal

▪ King Octavian Sirrilius, King of Esscha Endor, high commander of the LD
▪ Queen Desiree Sirrilius, Queen of Esscha Endor, Shield Lady of the SG.
*  Mendes:  2nd in Command of the SG, commander of Blackstone (messy, long, black grey-streaked hair, ice grey eyes, sunken ash grey skin, whithering doom zombie, infected when offering his aid to Keystone in Seumir, often concealed in menacing black armor)
*  Wulgra & Tregarr alpha female and male of the wolf pack unit
*  Generals Agramar, Feorah, Ylsaan, Cordaen
*  Calvalry Commander Tyrwyn Alqwan, rejoined the army after being courtmarshaled for helping a prisoner (Eoghan) escape and for desertion. Morgais dropped all charges against him.
▪ Arms Captain Artorius Xavier, Guardian at the Gate of Acheron (unknown)

▪ Captain of Airborne Defenses Unit, Raegar Berathian (horseman and dragon rider)

*  Unit Captains: Traifellen, Halliks, Saureme, Aglan, Nelora, Astolaf
▪ Vaud Thornfel: commander of the Nine Cups Rangers, alias form of Maaldis (unknown).
*  Erebor Ferai: 2nd commander of the Nine Cups Rangers    
*  Army Regulars: Demis, Lorelai, Seddren, Caliphi, Arigar, Lasgulan, + 1000 standing, and approx 5000 others on call.
The Nine Cups Rangers
* Vaud, namas commander, form of shape shifter Maaldis
* Erebor, namas werewolf, scout, duel wield and archery
* Gregain, Sephorai warrior, sword n shield and long arms specialist 
* Dresard, Namas archer and martial combat
* Cellaen, Namas
* Lleora, Sidhe Elf, tracker, archer, healer
* Aelwoeg/Cernunil, Great white stag and fae druid elf, husband and mount of Lleora.
* Dannera, Shaamae, martial arts master, Beastmaster
* Thornwhistle, shadowlands forest Elf
* Kyran,Trecouri run away, apprentice of lore and alchemy, potions and enchantments
* Drennbar, Tumae, master at arms
* Kirke, Goblin, lore master, master apothecary, merchant 

Allied Forces

The Blackstone Knights
* Knight Commander Mortiara (clanless demon)
* Knight Captain Seress Gulgryvaen (netherelf)
* Knight of Thrones: (in training as squires) Soren Sirrilius (Seth and Maria's son), Beran and Remus of Noctmaire  (sons of Aurelius)
* Knight of Swords: Devyn (namas), Hadroth (namas), Orcrioth (nether elf), Heffar (born devil in quasi-immortal state), Straud (Escion vampire), Manannar (shadowlands elf), Vhaatrl Anmerel  ((Mer), mythanor elf vampire)
* Knight of Shields: Hector (son of Amon and Liz), Aurelia  (daughter of Amon and Liz), Helaeil (ariad draconus unknown (Bestial Deluvian, looks like dragonkin), Darcuss (gold drac demon)
* Knight Errents: Rigel and Vega (son and daughter of Amon and Liz), Sedri Lovek (sephorai), Liarden Vaux (Maelvanor) 
* Squires: Soren, Remus, Beran, Evander, Sidvah, Denleth, Valira
 
The Blackstone Garrison
Commander: Mendes 
Captains: Gregorn, Malgryff, Sendu, Sargridd
Sergeants: Warwiq, Seduros, Wynfel, Helfsyd, Hallus
Armsmen: Jardwyd, Barduin, Elliseant, Caldreth, Denneth, Hawk, Falcenn, Haedenn
(plus 800 others).

Lore Masters;
Celanwi and Elduwyr:  half elven lore smiths, their entire bodies are covered in flesh runes, they have a number of highly protected constructs all named Daxill that manufacture all of their lore items giving them no signatures to disenchant them by. The Dax also manufacture the techarc weapons designed by Dredjinn and Melchaiah. The Daxill were constructed by an elder Trecouri enigineer fugitive who had fled old age euthanization who worked for Morgais and now Octavian.
 
The Dragons:
Svaugrenl (kardan dragon alpha)
Kardan Dragon Tribe: Friends and allies of Seth through Svaugren, there are 12 adult dragons, they reside in the cliff caves scattered along the shore.
Black Dragon Knights:  These independent knights of Noctmaire came under the leadership of Melchaiah when he aided their tribe incidentally by recovering six stolen dragon eggs.  He saved the village he was regent of from the dragons in the process.  Hence he became Dragon friend and the dragon guardians offered to serve him. While Melchaiah serves in Esscha Endor so too do his dragons.  

ARMY ADVANTAGES
*Area Dead Zones:  Used only as necessary.  No power that extends beyond body or held weapon can be used inside zone, no ranged magic or elements.  If up against powerful magic users or gods, Comes ahead of their armies and covers large areas around castles, citadels, cities, etc. being attacked.  Drains health by -1 HP per day, losses permanent until restored.  Flesh Lore and Hard Lore.

*Training and Moral:  the LD's people are well trained according to their class and placement and their moral is high as a result of confident and charismatic leaders.  The people who make up this army are treated as well as possible in a given circumstance.  Traitors are shown no quarter if evidence stacks against them.

*Quick Recovery: This army is trained to bounce back from pitfalls.  When dead zones begin to fall some of their people may panick, but the Leaders help their Army adjust to the fact that dead zones can fall and remind their troops that they are trained for that contingencies and to fall back ON that training.

*Non-Disclosure Tattoo:  No subordinate member of the SG can speak of army matters to anyone who is not an SG high ranking officer.  If they attempt to do so, they are seized by their Fixed Gate Ring and transported to an 'incoming' stockade in a base camp.  Once war has been waged, this tattoo boosts strength and stamina by +10. 

*Networked Smart Wards: set around their camps; auto-seize trespassers or hostiles and their weapons; void magic and elemental attacks; also detect clandestine factors such as cloaks, active planar abilities, falsehoods, disguises, lies, and subterfuge. Camps are concealed from divination and probes.  Dismantling the wards is difficult.  Hard Lore.

*Rings of Augment:  enhance various checks and vital stats according to class, Hard Lore.

*Fixed Gate Ring or Rune Tattoo:  protect from haste within a modest range around them (10 yards, 20 yards for officers).  Hard or Flesh Lore.

*Rune Tattoo:  protects against spirit and mental attacks (possession, domination, charms, will and the like).  Flesh Lore.
*Rune Tattoo:  protect against drains, poison and disease.   Flesh Lore.
*Rune Tattoo:  protects against bonds and siring.  Flesh Lore.
*Rune Tattoo:  lock item; locks any lore or enchanted item to their body so it can only be removed by wearer, or if dismembered to retrieve item they are gated to a healing camp.

*Fixed Gate Ring:  rapid-gates wearer to a random, cycled healing camp when they are critically injured, near death or dead.  Disclosure Contingency (see non-disclosure above).  Unlike other items, this Ring cannot be removed by wearer and is part of a pledge to serve the LD with honor.  All in the LD have one of these rings and are informed that the rings once placed cannot be removed until they have been discharged from service.  These rings dissolve into dust if removed from body or if dismembered to remove it.  By recycling warriors and mages they gain survival experience while their losses fluxuate only little.  Those who are recycled too many times are sent to retreats where they can rest and heal from trauma.  No soldier is forced to go back into battle after a death or near death experience. Hard Lore.  Rings have no signature.

*Hidden Camps:  their base camps, artifact camps, and healing camps are hidden within various planes and are moved frequently to new locations by gate beacons.

*Fixed Gate Beacons:  by triangulating a number of these beacons they can gate their armies and receive them enmass.  Hard Lore.

*Ground to Air Combat:  They are prepared and well trained to defeat flying legions (ballista, launched nets, trebuchets, special archers, etc).

*Airborne Units: either flight equipped or trained to take down and kill dragons, eagles, flying demons, devils, etc. with nets,  arrows, slings, cannons and ballista, and have tribe of dragons to help combat aerial attacks.  Svaugren commands the dragons.

*Mobile Gate Stones:these stones link to their gate rings and can be dropped anywhere then picked up on return.  They look like normal riverjacks when placed upside down.  Hard Lore.

*Defenses:  the dead zones; shields and armour, armour weight dependent on class type; riposte; strategy; regroup and retreat skills;  teams who build up rock and picket walls quickly to make forts; teams who use rune strengthened landing boats to build walls around shoreline camps; plain clothes officers in battle; tents do not indicate officers or leaders from regular tents; hard lore on armour, clothing, or jewelry which improves protection -- toughness, increased riposte, increased AC, etc.;  

*Weapons:  They have many weapons and machines of war and many chemical agents of war (incidiary, acid, fire, sticky fire, explosives, rune enchanted melee weapons (precision, elements, etc), trebuchet, slings, catapults, siege towers, battering rams, siege ladders, arrow and spear launchers, balliste, and well trained, well organized soldiers with smart and even some genius leaders.  

Officers and leaders have very powerful lore on their weapons, accessories, flesh and armor.  

(Give this army their due.)
 
"Look around... There are demons and angels all among you.  They just haven't become immortal yet."  Said Maelmorda to the King of Cliff City.