Ji'Ardan Family

The Ji'Ardan clan was a wealthy family originally from another faraway land. Kel-Jadoni was the father and the head of household when they first emigrated to Rrerat. Having already lived a life too filled with adventure, he was looking to settle down, and Rrerat seemed about the most peaceful place he'd ever seen. He retired in the Red Blade Keep, and looked forward to the day when Abek, his first born son would take over the job of running the realm.

Unfortunately, Rrerat was a little too peaceful for Lord Abek, an ambitious young man who decided to leave the safety and comfort of his family home for wild adventure in the land of Dwilight, one of the most dangerous realms in the whole world.

This left his second true-born child, Lady Eva his one and only heir. Eva was similar to Abek, in that she was also ambitious, but where Abek saw a quiet land, Eva discovered otherwise, when she decided to become a Knight of Coralynth. Though her father was reluctant to have his precious daughter be put in harms way, he raised his children to be strong and independent minded, so there was no persuading her otherwise, once she made up her mind.

Finally, the youngest son, Gideone, who'd grown up reading the letters of his older brother's exploits in Dwilight, the moment he came of age, he knew his destiny would be to travel even farther than his older brother, to the most ancient lands in the world known as the East Island. He joined the Elven Republic of Sirion and will no doubt quickly establish is own reputation as an up and coming Knight.

There is at least one son of questionable birth, named Pyr, but Kel-Jadoni does not ever speak of him, and he is banned from the family estates. Neither Eva nor Abek know the mystery behind it.

Eva Ji'Ardan

Queen Eva Ji'Ardan, Lady Protector of Coralynth, Duchess of the Dark Isle, and Margravine of Enlod, Marshal of the Shield of Coralynth, Patron of the Mission of The Church of Sartan, is the second eldest daughter in the Ji'Ardan family. She is somewhat young and beautiful, but also a strong and fearless leader, with a bright sense of humor (sometimes lost on all the brooding men she is surrounded by). More than a couple men have tried to court her, but none have succeeded. She is regularly found in full armor and practicing her swordsmanship, and is not above mingling with her men when they are not in the field.

Units Commanded

Red Blade Spears

Her infantry unit, originally called the Red Blade Elites, were reformed as the Red Blade Spears. So called for the red wash their swords and spears are painted with right before they enter combat. Their captain goes by the name Klaus. They can be devastatingly aggressive in combat (if their equipment isn't falling apart!) Eva readily acknowledges that the exemplary performance of the Red Blades in combat is part of what got her noticed for the position of Marshal of the Shield.

In a particularly long and grueling campaign in the far southern reaches of the continent, she lost the Red Blade Spears to a savage ambush by a large group of monsters. She only barely escaped with her life, but her captain and all her men were slain. When she made it back to the capital, she decided to retire the Red Blade Spears name in honor of the brave soldiers who had given their lives for her and her King.

Redspears

The infantry unit Eva commanded next as Lady Protector. They never gained quite as much battle experience has her original Red Blade Spears, but what they lacked for in experience, she more than made up for as a capable commander. She ran a rigorous training schedule with her men and forged them into a single fighting unit. They fought and distinguished themselves in the last battle against the Sun'Sera. Once Lady Eva became Queen, she retired the unit in Enlod to defend the city.

Royal Dragoons

Coralynth had beed without a cavalry unit for sometime, so once Eva was elected Queen of Coralynth, she could finally afford the exorbitant costs of maintaining a cavalry. The Royal Dragoons' captain is a man by the name of Heimar, who's skill and talent with horse is impressive. They are still a new unit, undergoing a rigorous training schedule, and have yet to earn a reputation in battle.

Notable Moments

Assault of Sasrhas/Injuring the Ohnarian King

Viscountess Eva Ji'Ardan, Marshal of the Shield of Coralynth, stood tall, her long hair billowing out from under her helm. The morning sun was slowly illuminating the top of the fortress walls of the capital city of Ohnar West, while a massive host gathered in the surrounding fields. Her King within eyeshot, surrounded by nearly 900 soldiers of the Dark Isle and almost 2600 soldiers from all across the entire Far East.

She smiled inwardly, remembering the first and last time Lady Eva had ever visited Sasrhas was when she had first arrived in the Far East as a Knight. She had no idea that Ohnar West was an enemy of Coralynth and that travel there was forbidden to all Dark Islanders.

Now she was back, and while she'd been impressed with the city before, now the walls looked a little taller, more sinister. She was here to lead her army up those walls and slaughter the dragon cultists where they lived. Her god Sartan demanded it, and it was far overdue. The Ohnarians had offended too many, committed too many acts of sacrilege, made too many enemies. Sartan wanted the blood of their Taikun Ingall Altenahr, a name that sounded alien on her lips, and she would take it and offer it to him.

As soon as the sun had risen, the order was given to attack. A large line of infantry brought up nearly 60 siege engines to the tall fortress walls, while massive wave after wave of arrows flew over their heads.

She led her unit the Red Blade Spears up the ladders to the top of the wall. They met up with the North Wall Watch, a militia unit of the city. It was a bloody mess, five of her men were cut down and they were able to throw down the ladder. The viscountess gathered her men, they reset the ladder and they charged up the tall walls again. It would take more than a few lucky hits from a militia to keep her out.

The Ohnarians had managed to damage or destroy 10 of the siege engines, but it wasn't enough. More and more men kept flooding over the walls and through large holes that had been knocked down in several places. She felt the God of War was smiling down upon them all.

When she reached the top of the wall this time it was the Night Watch Macemen militia unit meeting the Red Blade Spears, and this time she was prepared for them. Two more of her men died in the melee, but the militia unit lost almost ten of their macemen.

They were now able to move into the city and attack at will. They met their first actual soldiers of the Ohnarian army, the unit called Last Shadow. She looked to identify the leader of the unit and the normally completely composed Eva's mouth literally dropped open. It was none other than the Taikun himself, there in the flesh. She felt a wave of energy flow over her that she could only imagine was the hand of Sartan himself guiding her right to her offering.

She drew her sword and led her men straight towards the Ohnarian king. Swords and spears clashed against armor and pierced flesh. The king looked at her with utter contempt.

Her men were falling to her left and right, if it were any other target she might have considered pulling back. She finally got within striking distance of the Taikun, his magnificent and legendary magic black war hammer glimmering evilly in the morning light, rising up to strike down the Marshal of the Shield. She tried to step out of the way of the blow and only barely managed it.

In the scuffle, someone on the Ohnarian side stepped in a pool of Coralynth blood, and slipped-- right into the leg of the Taikun. He stumbled and for a moment his guard was lowered, again she felt the hand of Sartan guiding her sword between the plates of armor protecting the king of Ohnar West. She saw his eyes go wide in surprise, and then he stopped moving. She pulled her sword out of the monarch, it was now dark and wet with his blood. His surviving men pulled their king away from the combat.

Before they could decide where to attack next another unit of the Dragon army approached, Dragon in the Sun led by Knight Wilhelm Altenahr of Attlel. Overflowing with adrenaline, the Red Blade Spears charged right into the enemy, and this time it was the dragon warriors falling left and right. Knight Attlel fell to her captain's sword, Klaus was sporting the largest grin she had ever seen the normally dour man display. Without their commander, the Dragon in the Sun fled before her men.

At this point there were so many soldiers inside the city, that she had trouble finding more Ohnarians to offer to Sartan. Almost at the same time, the Ohnarians realized they were now massively outnumbered and no longer protected by their high fortress walls. They fled the field in droves, the battle won.

Eva Enters the Capital As Queen

As Eva Ji'Ardan travelled the last mile of the King's Road leading to Enlod, she looked upon the capital and its high walls surrounding the city. Suddenly the realization was clear: this was now her home. She had lived all her life in Rrerat, so close to the capital, yet so completely different. Rrerat was a quiet, humble, pastoral place, with only the Red Blade Keep and the Temple of Sartan to indicate the power and wealth of Coralynth. Enlod was the opposite, busy, crowded, bustling, the markets, the academies, the various men at arms converging from all over the Dark Isle looking for employment in the armed companies of a knight or lord.

There was a crowd of people flooding around Rrerat Gate, waiting to catch a look at their new Queen. Surrounded by her Redspears infantry company, she led them towards the gate. As Marshal and Lady Protector of the realm, she was wearing good quality armor made by Enlod's finest blacksmiths, but it was still more functional than ornate, so she really didn't look all that much different than the men around her, (certainly she looked more like another road weary soldier rather than a Queen just yet) and so the crowds weren't entirely sure who it was that was approaching.

Suddenly, much to her surprise, her men all shouted in unison, "All Hail Queen Eva! Long Live the Queen!" Which caused the curious and twittering crowds around the gate to errupt into cheers and shouts of joy, as they passed through the gates to the crowds shouting "Long Live the Queen!" Eva not accustomed to being the recipient of such an outpouring of effection, blushed profusely, tried valiantly to maintain her composure while waving at the people shouting her name.

As they moved away from the gate, they left some of the crowds behind. If it ever got too quiet, her men would shout "All Hail Queen Eva!" and start the whole cycle over again. Fortunately the trip from the gate to the palace was not very long, and soon she was in the security and comforts of the palace. It was difficult not to think of this marvelous beautiful home as still belonging to King Azgath, she knew he would cast a long shadow on her rule.

While all the official administrative paperwork had been signed and notarized a day ago, Eva still felt it was important to have a coronation ceremony. She was only the second monarch to rule in the history of Coralynth, and Enlod had just gone through some hard times, and so the Queen felt a little celebration was in order.

She summoned her ministers and advisors to the throne room and issued her first official command as Queen of Coralynth, "Tomorrow there will be an official coronation ceremony, followed by a festival to be held throughout the city. Make preparations, and send the criers out to inform the people!"

Abek Ji'Ardan

Abek Ji'Ardan, Lord Strategos of Astrum, Marshal of the Austere Army, Count of Ammando (after Duil was lost) in the duchy of Eidulb, in the kingdom of Astrum, Knight of the Temple of Sanguis Astroism, and he sits of the Vasilif's Council. He is a serious and stern man, but also willing to give someone a second chance. He does not chase a fight but will not turn away if a fight is called for. His eyes glitter with intelligence, and though he came to Sanguis Astroism as a late convert, he's come to believe that the Bloodstars do shine on his future and his fellow citizens.

Units Commanded

Whitebows

An archery unit, noted for their deadly accuracy. Their bows are either painted white or made from a light colored wood, and the fletchings in their arrows are a crisp bright white as well, so they can be seen from quite a great distance. Their captain goes by the name Axelbrand, whom Abek trusts and confides in completely. When Abek is called to lead the Defenders of the Bloodstars as Vice-Marshal, he leaves the command of the Whitebows to his captain. Very few units can withstand a fully volley of arrows from the Whitebows and not be utterly wiped out.

Blackbows

When the Whitebows were slain in the War with Asylon & Niselur, Abek retired the name Whitebows in honor of his fallen soldiers. His new unit he called the Blackbows, and as the Marshal of the Austere Order and Strategos of Astrum, they have seen continuous combat for quite a long time, and remain a core part of Astrum's fighting capabilities.

Notable Moments

Becoming Vice-Marshall Right Before a Big Battle

Abek was relaxing comfortably with his unit near his command tent. They were celebrating their recent battle in Knyazes. It had been the Whitebows' first battle in a raging storm. All their advisers had said that their archers would be worthless.

"Tell that to Knight Batugan!" and the men laughed. The Farronite commander had left the battle field with their white-fletched arrows buried in his body.

Captain Axelbrand ran up to Abek ending their brief moment of light campfire banter.

"Sir, this just came in! Marshal Turin is in Sabadell. Duke Brance has just named you the new vice-marshal for the Defenders of the Bloodstars," the captain said to everyone, their faces slack-jawed, including Count Abek.

Abek responded, shocked, "He did what?" His men were shouting and clapping and celebrating the news. Abek and Axelbrand locked eyes and exchanged a grim silence.

He pulled his captain to the side and spoke quietly but quickly, "We need to get up to speed as quickly as possible. While I have command of our army, I will be depending on you to ensure the Whitebows continue to perform as we have both come to expect."

"Of course, Vice-Marshal," he said with a smile. He had always liked his Lord. Fearless in combat, friendly and approachable to his men, he had earned his Lord's trust and respect and would die for him without hesitation if it came to that.

"Dispatch a letter to the Lord Strategos, I need to know what our orders..." Count Abek began as a scout ran up to him and saluted.

A breathless scout interrupted, "Lord Abek, the Farronite peasants have formed a militia and are blocking our movement into the village!"

Abek looked over the reports of the "enemy" forces, "Grim work putting down peasants, but the Defenders will not be turned away." At least he could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that his first command would almost certainly be a success.

He dispatched runners to all the other unit commanders, ordering them into the "Archer Opening" formation, of course.

Once the battle was over, Count Abek pulled a flask from within his tent and shared a good stiff drink with his Captain. Reminiscing about days long past when, as a young knight, he had travelled back and forth across these peaceful lands in search of any way to earn a name for himself, and often arriving after the battle was over.

"Now we were at war against three enemies, above and below, and I'm in command of one of the largest armies in all the land," they both took another drink from the flask. These were certainly interesting times.

"It's time we talk to the Lord Strategos," his captain nodded and pulled out his quill and ink and began scrawling on a piece of parchment...

Realizing the Depths of Farronite Insanity

Finally, the last Farronite banner fell, splattered in blood, defeated. Their echoing screams could still be heard throughout the entire bailey.

A nasty ugly battle, that revealed one thing to Count Abek's mind: the Farronites were a lost cause. He had once believed that the Asylons had somehow tricked or bribed corrupt officials in the Farronite Republic in order to convince the rest to turn on Astrum, but even if it were true, it no longer mattered. The Farronites had thrown their lot in with Asylon completely, and whatever ties Astrum and the Farronite Republic had once shared, whatever hope there had been for them to come to their senses had died along with the 1500 soldiers of both sides on the walls of Farrowfield, a tragic unnecessary slaughter.

He could still hear the mocking laughter of the Farronite nobility in reply to his offer to spare the slaughter of their own countrymen. What kind of person laughs in the face of their own doom? Clearly, whatever light the Bloodstars shone within these heretics had long gone out, in its place a diseased flesh that seemed human but was not.

There was nothing to do but reap the diseased flesh of these lost heretics off the body of the Church, and pray to the Bloodstars that when all was finished, the Church would be stronger for this struggle.

A Plea for Unity in Dark Times

Abek wrote this letter to all his countrymen in an attempt to calm the division that was starting to splinter his people apart:

Honored and Noble members of Sanguis Astroism,

Let this be a warning to all: The maddening is bright. The cataclysm our world is going through, as well as the recent trauma from the false prophet (now utterly revealed to be a permanent enemy of the Church and all the true theocracies) has left us all vulnerable. Do not let your fears overwhelm you, nor prevent you from no longer being able to tell friend from foe.

We are only as strong as we STAND STRONG TOGETHER.

Paranoia, antipathy, discord, division, these are the fruits of our enemies and those forces that reject the Blood Stars. Bite into them at your PERIL.

We will fight this invasion with every last drop of blood, but have NO ILLUSIONS. We are not as strong as we were.

Astrum survived a war waged on it by 3 enemies, the betrayal of the traitorous Duke Karibash, and starvation and the hordes have reduced our kingdom by HALF. Yet still we fight on. Because the light of the Blood Stars flow through our veins, and their light shines brightly still!

Before you raise your voice to slander or defame your brothers or sisters, examine your own heart and the source from which your darkness originates. Let the light of the Blood Stars shine brightly in that darkness, and then you will see that we are all one FAMILY. A pain you suffer, is a pain I suffer.

Let our ties of light and love bind us together despite these tests and challenges set before us. We will come out on the other side of this a stronger, healthier, and more united Church than this land has seen in far too long.

Do not fail in this ultimate test of your faith, or we will all fall forever into darkness.

Abek Ji'Ardan
Strategos of Astrum
Count of Ammando
Marshal of the Austere Order
Knight Crusader of Sanguis Astroism

Facing King Grimrog of Asylon in Battle

Lord Strategos Abek had been marching his men all night and all day. Organizing the movements of a large army to defend against and attack a large enemy army was not an easy task. It tasks the patience of any general, even Lord Abek. He did not like being away from his soldiers when they were going into battle.

Asylon had tried to catch Astrum off guard, and indeed they did. When Asylon first attacked Eisinik, a good portion of the Astrum army had been journeying to or coming back from the capital in Mimer to repair their armors and replace their forces that had been left in Eisinik as a garrison.

Fortunately, the Blood Stars, as they so often had in the past, blessed the holy warriors with some luck. A significant portion of the enemy forces didn't arrive in Eisinik in time to participate in the battle; instead of it being a lopsided battle in favor of Asylon, both sides were almost evenly matched. Unfortunately for Asylon, Astrum's superior archery units were decisive in the battle, though Count Turin, the Strategos' predecessor had been captured.

Unfortunately for Astrum, Asylon still had a lot of reinforcements arriving at dawn. The second battle of Eisinik was a lopsided battle, and Lord Abek, the Marshal of the Austere Order army, was pained that he could not lead and fight with his valiant soldiers. Their mission was to inflict as much pain on Asylon as they could before what would almost certainly be a hasty and bloody retreat. Scouts reported spotting the King of Asylon himself among his troops wearing his trademark girdle and vest. The Astrum forces still had superior archery numbers, so the cost for Asylon would not be slight. The Marshal of the Asylon forces was wounded, but King Grimrog escaped the battle without a scratch.

As the sun was setting in Mimiravair, the Strategos had finally caught up with his men. The Vasilif of Astrum was by his side, the two of them commanded a large host of archers that represented almost half the fighting strength of the Astrum forces. As predicted, Asylon was attempting to push their advantage in Eisinik, but the Strategos was ready for them this time.

Astrum versus Asylon, Vasilif Sergio versus King Grimrog. This time the battle was lopsided in Astrum's favor, this time it was Asylon who was forced to fight without a Marshal leading and organizing their attack. The Lord Strategos sent out orders to all unit commanders, it was time to make the barbarians pay, and pay dearly for all their crimes against the Theocracies. Abek looked to the Blood Stars, felt their Light shine and glitter all around him, and noticed the wind die down as the sun dipped behind the horizon. That was going to make his archers very happy.

He commanded his Blackbows to fire, and fire they did. A sea of arrows flew at the Asylon invaders. Right from the start, the Vasilif and the Strategos' archery units each wiped out an entire Asylon unit, three other units were retreated or slaughtered. The Blood Stars were shining fiercely tonight.

The battle won, King Grimrog was forced to flee the battlefield in a panicked flight for his life.

Gideone Ji'Ardan

Gideone Ji'Ardan is a Knight of Karbala, in the duchy of Karbala, in the Elven Republic of Sirion, and Knight in the Army of Sirion. He spent quite a long time travelling to the Eastern lands from the Far East, and though he is far out of his element, he has adapted to the strange ways and customs of his new brothers and sisters of Sirion.

Units Commanded

Silverhawk Marksmen

The Silverhawk Marksmen are still a young unit, only having been in service for a short time. They recently emerged as victors in their first battle against an angry horde of monsters. The Captain of the Silverhawks is a man who goes by the name Trubald, who's receding hairline is the source of constant amusement, but who's accuracy with a bow is deadly enough that only an utter fool would crack a joke within earshot of the old elf.

Silverhawk Talons

The Silverhawk Marskmen were lost when Perdan launched a surprise attack on Sirion. Gideone recruited a new unit and named them the Silverhawk Talons, to honor the memory of the original Silverhawks, and charged them with getting vengeance for their deaths. The Captain of the Silverhawk Talons is Bertolf, and he is quickly whipping the new recruits into shape.

Notable Moments

Gideone's First Battle

It was less than a week ago that Gideone Ji'Ardan had first met and pledged his fealty to his lord, Duke Ryu, wherein he was granted a beautiful estate in the city of Karbala called the Mersault Plaza. There were reports coming in of monsters and undead rampaging throughout the lands, so Gideone's service as a new knight in the Republic was welcomed and appreciated by the Duke. Though he arrived with a platoon of competent and capable archers who called themselves the Silverhawk Marksmen, their number was too small and their experience was too green to take them into battle just yet.

After clearing up some concerns about the high level of taxation on his estate (the Duke claimed half of all of his earnings), Duke Ryu granted him some extra gold with which to recruit additional men and begin his own training in the long sword. Once he arrived in the capital, he found some capable archers who hailed from Al Amarah, as well as a new captain who went by the name Trubald (do not say a word about his receding hairline!) He had time enough for a little instruction with a sword master, though the tutor refused to let him even hold a sword until he had first "mastered the art of breathing and standing."

It seemed a crime to depart the magnificent jewel that was the grand city of Sirion so soon after arriving for the very first time. The way the sun caught the white granite in top of the ducal palace, reflecting its light brilliantly, it could be seen for miles around in every direction. While this had been his first visit to the capital of the Elven Republic of Sirion, Gideone knew it would not be his last.

A request for assistance had just arrived from Knight Garas of Sirion with a scout report of Limbar that indicated the local militia was about to be overwhelmed by a hoard of just over two dozen monsters. As Limbar was a short journey from Sirion City, it would be a good first taste of battle for his still green Silverhawks, and they should arrive in time to help Knight Garas and the local garrison.

As the sun came up, Gideone met up with the other commander that had heeded Knight Garas's call, Baron Tiberius. His reputation and honor were sterling, and his division the Domitius Honor Guard consisting of over a hundred archers far eclipsed his own meager platoon. Knight Garas commanded a platoon of just over thirty infantry that looked only slightly more experienced than his own green archers. Garas thanked us both for arriving in time and the battle was underway.

Unfortunately, the wind was not cooperating, and the creatures seemed undaunted by the large host that had arrayed to defend Limbar from their onslaught. When the monsters charged, the Silverhawk Marksmen were the first to maneuver into position and fire off an initial volley. The monsters were tough though and only a couple slumped to the ground.

Garas bravely led his Gabanus Guards into the field to confront the creatures, while the militia stayed behind their camp fortifications. The Silverhawks and the Domitus Honor Guards held their position and kept launching volley after volley of arrows. Almost half of the monsters were slain, mostly from arrow fire, but the Gabanus Guards were nearly completely slaughtered when they crashed against the deadly monsters.

Amazingly, even though there were only 10 infantrymen left under the command of Garas, they did not flee their commander and kept on fighting. Gideone positioned his archers closer to the bloody combat, so that his archers would have better shots at picking off the monsters engaged in claw to hand combat.

All but one soldier were slain in the next few moments, and Gideone now found his Silverhawks the lead unit in the battle. "All archers, FIRE AT WILL!" They scored many hits, but if it were not for the support of Baron Tiberius' archers, his entire unit would have been destroyed just like Knight Garas had witnessed. Finally the Limbar militia advanced out of their encampment and joined in the fray. And even though 8 of his men fell (7 of whom would never rise again), the last of the monsters were utterly and finally wiped out.

Limbar was safe, for now.

Bastards

Pyr is a commoner with some questionable connection to the Ji'Ardan family that is unclear. Not having the expectations and obligations of the noble-born children, Pyr has enjoyed exploring the lands to a much greater extent than his siblings. To date, his most notable encounter was the discovery of a special ring, the Brilliant_Band_of_Glory, he also recently discovered the Cursed_Chain_Mail_of_Sasat