Legion of Everblight | |
---|---|
Leader | |
Major Species |
Blighted Nyss |
Official Religion |
Cult of Everblight |
Date established |
605 AR |
The Legion of Everblight has become a dire threat to all of western Immoren in just a handful of years. This lethal army is the ultimate weapon of the dragon Everblight, an ancient creature born from the heartstone of Lord Toruk, the Dragonfather. Everblight long remained apart from his siblings, plotting in secret and spurning their millennia-old alliance against Toruk. Centuries ago Everblight’s physical body was destroyed, but his indestructible heartstone, or athanc, survived. After luring the ogrun Thagrosh to free him from an icy tomb, Everblight turned his attention to the corruption and domination of the Nyss, the winter elves inhabiting the northern lands. These skilled bladesmen and hunters are ideal foot soldiers for Everblight’s legion. Ogrun from the nearby mountains were also horrendously blighted and added to the fighting force, bringing their brawn and ferocity to Everblight’s cause. Everblight has implanted shards of his athanc into his chosen generals, creating warlocks who lead the Legion in the dragon’s name. Their army includes an ever-growing assortment of warbeasts spawned from the blighted blood of Everblight’s warlocks. Each warlock shares thoughts directly with Everblight, giving the army a terrifying singularity of purpose. Now Everblight and his legion march to devour all in it's path and spread the blight eventually devouring his father and the entire world.[1]
History[]
The dragon Everblight began planning the creation of his Legion during his imprisonment at the Shard Spires. After his actions and experiments carried out on the elves in the Iosan city of Issyrah were noticed by the Iosan military Everblight was forced to fight against might of the Iosan military. Despite the destruction of the city and the wiping out large amounts of enemies his wings were damaged by the Iosans in a suicidal maneuver which resulted in his athnac removed from his body and sealed off in Mount Shyleth Breen but the sense of doom projected by Everblight forced the Iosans to relocate the athnac to the Shard Spires. In the Shard Spires the dragon found and observed the Nyss and the dragon planned to take advantage of his earlier research of the elves.[2]
While planning to escape the dragon discovered the ogrun named Thagrosh. Sending whispers to the mind of the ogrun, Everblight managed to bring Thagrosh to the Shard Spires and after climbing to the peak compelled him to push the athnac into his heart. Everblight transformed Thagrosh turning him into his Prophet. Sharing his plans with his prophet ,Eveblight sent Tharosh to recover Rapture. Rapture was a blade created during the dragon's time in Morrdh that allows an athnac to be divided without spawning new dragons. They were soon joined by the Nyss sorceress Vayl who filled with a lust for power and immortality gave herself willingly to the dragon. When Vayl accepted the athnac the dragon received her knowledge about Nyss. Together they tainted the wells with blight and without raising a weapon a massive army was raised. [2]
However the blight could not corrupt the Fane of Nyssor which was protected by the ailing god, Nyssor. When the legion attacked the fortress the priests managed to run away with the frozen god through an underground path. Despite the failure to devour the ailing god the Legion expanded adding the nearby Ogrun. After receiving information about the weakened dragon named Pyromalfic, the Legion raced to the Caste of Keys and after a battle devoured its athnac.[2]
This would however draw the attention of other dragons who joining forces with some blackclads of the Circle Orboros launched what would be known as the "Great Hunt". While the alliance tracked down the warlocks of the Legion and even succeeding in killing a newly elevated warlock named Talys the revelation of another athnac disrupted the hunt. As the dragons moved to acquire the athnac the Dragonfather Toruk left his empire to fight his progeny.[3]
Organization[]
All power within the Legion flows from Everblight. The army’s purpose is to pursue the dragon’s agendas and protect him from obliteration by the other dragons. Those who have received the gift of his draconic blight are unwavering in their loyalty, particularly the rare few who bear a sliver of his immortal essence in the form of the athanc. These vassals commit themselves to him with a devotion that is resolute and unshakable.As the mortal safeguarding the largest portion of Everblight’s being, Thagrosh, the Messiah is at the pinnacle of the Legion hierarchy and the unquestioned leader of the Legion of Everblight. For blighted subordinates there is no meaningful distinction between the dragon and his Messiah. His warlocks know Thagrosh and Everblight to be two beings instead of one, yet they too obey Thagrosh. They can discern when it is the ogrun speaking and when it is the dragon, but both are to be obeyed without question. Only Vayl and Saeryn argue with Thagrosh, and only when Everblight indulges them. Everblight seems to value the spark of free will and intelligence within each warlock and rarely seizes control directly, though when swift action is required all debate ends. Beneath Everblight and Thagrosh in the hierarchy of the Legion are the warlocks in Everblight’s service. All except Kallus are female Nyss who were judged worthy of the ultimate gift of a splinter of Everblight’s athanc. Each of these warlocks distinguished herself in a different way, impressing Thagrosh and the dragon enough to be chosen to fill a niche in the Legion’s leadership. Kallus who is a being sculpted and fully formed from a modified athanc shard , occupies an unusual place in the warlock hierarchy, enjoying the special favor of Thagrosh and was recently sent to a far-off region called Alchiere to create a new spawning holdfast. While the dragon would sacrifice any of his servants to protect himself or to achieve his, his warlocks each bear a portion of his irreplaceable essence and so their loss would diminish him. Thus he risks them only strategically and with the expectation of their survival. [4]
Having cast off the yoke of servitude to their frozen god, the Nyss came to accept their destiny at the vanguard of the rising dragon’s army. Those so transformed are still in the process of determining what their new society will be; the pressures of survival and functioning as an army have taken priority over any longer-term considerations.It has been only a few short years since Thagrosh brought the Nyss the blighted message of their new master, yet Everblight’s circumstances required these new converts to function as an effective army immediately. Vayl applied her unconditional authority toward a fundamental reorganization of the dragon’s new army. Although many elements of Nyss culture were abandoned as unnecessary remnants of an extinct society, some traditions were easier to adapt, and several groups remained mostly intact. The raptors, for example—hunters and warriors practiced in riding the swift ulk—embodied the strengths Everblight sought. Similarly, the rangers were reshaped into the striders. A group of sacred warriors once called the ryssovass became the Legionnaires, sworn to protect Thagrosh as his inner guard with their traditional weapons, armor, and fighting techniques. Most Nyss continued to identify strongly with the tribes into which they were born as well as their extended hunting groups, or shards. Vayl set these ties to a new purpose by establishing the shards as the basic divisions of the legion, each made up of fifty to eighty warriors. Each shard is led by a prior, a captain of the Legion who formally carries the title of aransor once reserved to elders of the Fane of Nyssor. Deacons in charge of large hunting packs within the shards serve as the priors’ chosen lieutenants, while smaller hunting groups are supervised by ruthless sergeants called vassals. Some fighting traditions also use titles and ranks specific to their training and needs. Blighted Nyss sorcerers aid and advise the warlocks and stand just below them in authority. While sorcery was always a part of Nyss life, the dragon's touch transformed and in some cases, augmented powers once linked to the Fane of Nyssor. In addition to being able to invoke traditional Nyss magics of wind and cold, many Legion sorcerers exhibit control over the blighted energy that seeps into the fiber of their beings. These sorcerers retain mastery of the written Aeric language and so are involved in the fabrication of important weapons and tools. They are generally more intelligent and possess greater initiative than most of the dragon’s warriors. [1]
While Nyss make up the majority of Everblight’s Legion, there are substantial auxiliary elements, in particular the blighted ogrun. Though each has a role to play in the fights ahead, the Nyss and ogrun do not coexist comfortably. These groups remain segregated in daily life, only mixing as necessary for specific strike forces. The blight turned ogrun into brutal creatures more akin to the ravening hordes of Caen’s primordial past than to the noble people unblighted ogrun have proven to be elsewhere, such as in Rhul. While they retained their fierce loyalty and some tribal traditions, the blight infected them with unbridled savagery and an unquenchable thirst for blood. Abandoning their ancient ways, they venerated Everblight with blood sacrifice and named his prophet Thagrosh their unquestioned korune. These ogrun follow a basic command structure rooted in their feudal traditions. Individual ogrun serve those better and stronger than themselves, who take the title of vassal just as their Nyss counterparts do. Those ogrun strong enough to earn the respect of several vassals take on the role of deacons, who serve as lieutenants to the war chiefs. The size of the warbands under the control of each war chief varies considerably, but some have gathered hundreds of proven warspears and warmongers. War chiefs have nearly absolute authority over their sizable tribes but are united in their reverence of Thagrosh and consider themselves sworn to him. Thagrosh rarely delivers orders to them directly, but his aloof bearing does not diminish their fierce loyalty. Regardless of their rank, ogrun have no authority over the Nyss, and occasionally the ogrun are directed to heed the orders of senior Nyss, reinforcing their lower stature. The ogrun do not seem to resent this, for they believe they have a special connection to Thagrosh.[1]
The lowest in the legion's hierarchy are slaves from other races specially those of minor races that serve as Minions for the Legion. Those who survive being forced into fighting are almost invariably later sacrificed and their blood used to fill the Legion’s nightmarish spawning vessels. The small number who prove useful may be spared but few minions survive lengthy campaigns.. As time goes on, prolonged exposure to the dragon’s blighted servants and warlocks may begin to warp the survivors in both body and mind. While this does not provide the benefits of the dragon’s deliberate manipulation, it twists the flesh of those it touches and develops scales, spiked growths, and talons. The Legion’s soldiers are more accepting and lenient with those who bear these blighted marks, and those so marred realize that even if they could escape the Legion’s grasp they would have nowhere to go. Their bodies are already the dragon’s, and their souls are not long to follow.[5]
Forces of the Legion[]
Warlocks[]
- Absylonia
- Anamag
- Bethayne
- Fyanna
- Kallus
- Kryssa
- Lylyth Voassyr
- Rhyas Shyvess
- Saeryn Shyvess
- Thagrosh Hellborne
- Vayl Hallyr
Warbeasts[]
Warbeast pack[]
Lesser[]
Light[]
- Afflictor
- Naga Nightlurker
- Nephilim Bloodseer
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower
- Nephilim Protector
- Nephilim Soldier
- Raek
- Teraph
- Belphagor
Heavy[]
Gargantuans[]
Battle Engines[]
Warriors[]
- Blighted Nyss Archers
- Blighted Nyss Hex Hunters
- Blighted Nyss Legionnaires
- Blighted Nyss Raptors
- Blighted Nyss Scather Crew
- Blighted Nyss Swordsmen
- Blighted Ogrun Warmongers
- Blighted Ogrun Warspears
- Blighted Rotwings
- Chosen of Everblight
- Grotesque Banshees
- Grotesque Raiders
- Hellmouth
- Ice Witches
- Strider Blightblades
- Strider Scouts
- Spawning Vessel
- Beast Mistress
- Blighted Nyss Shepherd
- Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion
- Blighted Nyss Warlord
- Forsaken
- Grotesque Assassin
- Incubi
- Spell Martyr
- Strider Deathstalker
- Succubus
- Warmonger War Chief
- Annyssa Ryvaal
- Ammok
- Craelix
- Bayal
- Captain Farilor
- Gorag Rotteneye
- Blackfrost Shard