Silverblade Family
The Silverblade family dates back thousands of years in origin near Arak Castle in Outer Tilog. The family was honored among the others in the realm, devout in their worship of the Undead and the Necromantic arts. To ascend to Lichdom was the greatest honor within the family, and the Silverblade Estate was a noble tomb, housing many powerful Lich and Necromancers through the millennia.
In the 6th Age the Silverblade Family saw the birth of the current family members. Xentous and Hexia were the reigning powers, Xentous being a Warlord among the armies named the necrotic horde, and was a descendant from the giant kin and was over seven feet tall and skilled in battle magic. Hexia was said to be more than two hundred years old and still looked as though she was in her late thirties as she maintained her position of high priestess of death.
They had born to them a number of children, but the most notable being the eldest Xlair, followed by Vesceries, and then Xavier, each separated by a year. Xlair, their firstborn, carried many of the best traits of both, having grown strong and muscled like his giant kin ancestors, clever, and cruel. Another member was added to the family around Xlair's early years, a ward of a group called the Shadow Clan named Gabriel.
As the children aged, Xlair fell from favor as either he had no talent in, or cared little for, the arcane arts. While he excelled in martial skill and leadership, to not have the gift of magic was a disgrace among the family. Xavier showed promise, where Vesceries excelled in the magic, soon surpassing the other two children in favor.
As the 7th age dawned, the children grew into maturity as the enemies of the realm increased, and Silverblade estate saw its power crumble. Xantous led the Necrotic Horde into battle against the Dragon Kin, Xlair as second in command against overwhelming odds. The armies of the enemy swarmed the Necrotic Horde and within hours the battle was at an end. Xantous seeing the crumbling horde sounded the retreat, leaving Xlair in the middle of the enemy and surrounded. Fighting through the masses, Xlair made it backward, but not before he fell before the Prince of the Dragon Kin in a long and terrible battle which ended in Xlair getting cut across the neck and falling.
It was Gabriel who drug his body back, hiding it beneath the corpses and kept him alive while the Necrotic Horde retreated back to their castles.
Xantous spread the word quickly, that it was Xlair who called for the retreat, and that the defeat belonged to him. Two days later, Xlair arrived along with Gabriel, a bright red line on his neck that looked to have been healed cruelly by some dark magic. The eldest Silverblade's voice was now no more than a whisper or hiss, but it curled through the air and hit like a whip as if carried through the shadows.
A trial was had and Xantous' infamy held the courts, and Xlair was named a coward, and would be disowned by the family. They brought forward the relic of the House Silverblade, called the Armor of Arshava. Legend had it that the goddess of torture herself still lived within the armor, which would cause the many jags, screws, and blades of the armor to constantly move and grind the flesh beneath those who wore it. House Silverblade used this armor to kill those within through excruciating pain and torture, until death took them. From there, Hexia would raise the tortured soldiers to be captains within the Necrotic Horde.
Within the long halls of House Silverblade, the torturers assembled the armor over top of Xlair's large frame. As all in the room anticipated and awaited to hear Xlair's screams, having been shown up and exceeded by the young noble, they were all sorely disappointed. Xlair did not scream, he even seemed to cooperate as the armor was put over him, encasing him in torture. As each piece was put on, Xantous' rage increased, but an almost prideful smile was briefly seen on Hexia's lips.
Xlair was thrown into the dungeons to await his death. Three days later, he was gone. The jailers were found dead and drained, husks of humans were shrugged against the walls and blood was everywhere. You could follow the bloody footprints for a while but even those eventually faded. They searched for weeks, but Xlair, Gabriel and those known to be Xlair's loyal companions, were all gone.
The estate was quiet thereafter, now bereft of their eldest and their powerful artifact only added to the weakening of the noble family. Xavier eventually went off to engage in the wars of their patron, and Vesceries was groomed as the next leader of the estate.
Five years later, Xlair returned, with his Sanguine Order. The Silverblade Estate became a locale akin to hell itself, so loud were the screams and horrifying was the macabre display of torture. It was said that the torture of Xantous lasted weeks, and that even in death he still screams.
The Silverblade Estate was burnt to the ground, along with the corpses inside.
