Disparation: Sentinels of the Realm

[fjur]

The Fellowship of Freedom

Sir Paul VIII, Son of Paul was the newest member of a long line of champions of the innocent, endowed with magical powers to fight against evil. His great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph the Smith, received a prophetic vision in his dreams one day, warning him that his village would be raided by marauders. But the village survived due to Joseph’s warning. Each firstborn descendent of Joseph developed a new magical ability and inherited those of his forefathers. The abilities that Paul VIII possessed included foresight, exceptional physical might, the ability to transform into wild beasts, the strength of a giant, the ability to heal the wounds of himself and others, immunity to disease and poison, levitation of himself and other objects, magical vision, and a tough hide.

Lady Maia was a wealthy young noble. But, once while she and her fiancée were returning home to the City of the Rooks through the surrounding dark forest, they were ambushed by bandits, and the Lady’s courter was slain. Thus Maia resolved to avenge him by becoming the bane of banditry. So she learned archery from the best archers in the city, and at night she secretly slipped out to combat rogues and knaves as a hooded forestwoman known as The Wraith of the Woods.

Sir Tyler was one of the most competent members of the city watch. He lead his brothers-in-arms against many threats to the people. His valor was so exemplary that he was chosen to command the newest creation of the Artificers’ Guild: a mobile, one-man siege machine. He used the device well to continue defending his city.

Dame Meredith was a renowned master alchemist. She had cured several plagues and made countless other helpful discoveries. However, her magnum opus was creating the Sandals of Swiftness, an artefact which allowed her to travel with the speed of the wind.

Old Man Frost was a mysterious figure. No one knew from whence he came. All that was known was that he lived in a cave high up in the mountains. He only rarely left his mountain home, and when he did, he returned very quickly. Some folk tell rumours that he is a warlock possessing wintry magicks, and that he is unable to stay away from his cold lair for long, but surely such rumours are entirely unfounded.

Squire Devra was an apprentice to Dame Meredith the Alchemist, and an accomplished sorceress. Unlike her mentor, however, who used utilised alchemy, Devra used only pure magic. Her specialty was the creation of mindless Golem servants, often in the shapes of animals. She most often crafted them out of earth, stone, or timber — or rarely metal, if she could find enough of it.

With the Alliance of Kingdoms facing increasingly dire threats, they knew that they would need a mighty group of defenders. So, the most talented warriors and mages were gathered from throughout the land under one banner: The Fellowship of Freedom!

[fjur]

The Warriors Prime

Makius was an ambassador for the Maerfolk people, as well as an accomplished weather mage. Maerynis, home of the amphibious Maerfolk, was a great floating city. All was peaceful there . . . until Admiral Voss of the faraway land of Thorathia and his conquering fleet arrived and razed the city, killing hundreds. Makius and some others managed to flee to the Alliance of Kingdoms, but not all there trust the Maerfolk strangers.

Hugh was a magistrate who dabbled in astrology. One night when Hugh was stargazing with his brother Nigel (a watchman) a stream of starlight fell to the earth near them. And when the brothers went to investigate, they found a wounded starmage, who bestowed her magicks upon them before dying. The next day, Hugh found that Nigel had disappeared, and so set forth across the land to find him.

Blake was an explorer who specialised in the excavation of tombs, crypts, and dungeons. On one such exploration, he uncovered a magical relic: a spear that was once wielded by a long-lost fire god. Touching the item, the deity spoke to Blake, and offered divine power to him. He accepted, and thus gained the ability to channel the power of the sun! However, Blake’s power also rose and fell with the sun every day, so he was at his mightiest at noon, and powerless during the night.

Makius and Hugh, along with two others — Anthony (a bard) and Helen (a paladin) — were brought together to defeat a rampaging earth elemental, and remained allies since (with the occasional aid of Blake), as the Warriors Prime!

@Editor’s Note

I did not go into any amount of detail on the Argent Adept or Fanatic because this universe’s versions of them are not significantly different from their main timeline counterparts. — Clarifying Fjur

[Thunderbird]

Forsooth! Prithee, what of the whispers of a savage man from ports unknown who fought alongside the Warriors Prime?

Acknowledgement that Haka may not exist here thanks to La Comodora “condensing” the various versions across the Multiverse.

[fjur]

Ah yes, ‘tis true that a mountain of a man, Aata, had joined that stalwart fellowship in their quest to thwart evildoers and miscreants! But alas, due to some foul sorcery, the brave fellow was discorporated in the midst of a heated battle! His friends and allies did grieve for him, and thusly sought for the source of his untimely demise, but their efforts were for not . . .

@Editor’s Note

I originally had Haka listed alongside AA and Fanatic in my previous post, but at the last minute I removed him for the reason Thunderbird cites. So now I decided to split the difference and have Aata exist in this universe . . . for a time. — Enlightening Fjur

[fjur]

Baron Fyodor ruled the humble kingdom of Mordengradia. When the land was launched into the Second Great War of the Realm, the Baron came into conflict with Sir Paul VII. The two fought, but the struggle ended when Fyodor’s castle collapsed. Sir Paul survived, but the ruler of Mordengradia did not. Fyodor’s son, Ivan, was crowned the new Baron of Mordengradia upon his father’s death, but he also swore that he would visit vengeance upon Sir Paul and all his descendants. Baron Ivan was a brilliant machinist, and he created many clockwork tools far ahead of his time. He built hot air balloons, cannons, and many more fantastic inventions. Under his guidance, Mordengradia became the most advanced kingdom in the realm, powered by windmills, dams, and furnaces. But Baron Ivan had not forgotten his vow of vengeance.

Dawn developed an innate affinity for fire magic at a young age. The explosive discovery of her magicks, however, resulted in a considerable amount of destruction. Her ability at the craft was quite powerful, which attracted the attention of a local order of wizardry. They coerced her to join their ranks, but instead of treating her as an equal, they conducted numerous rituals on her to learn more about her strange and powerful magic. Dawn had had enough of that, and so escaped into the icy North. She eventually settled on the isle of Insula Draconis, far away from civilization. Yet, many magicians heard tales of her, and went to learn from her. She turned them away, but their words of admiration struck true. She was the land’s mightiest pyromancer, so why should she hide from the world? Thus, Magus Dawn and the Sorcerers of the Sun rose.

Admiral Voss was the ruler of Thorathia, a land far, far away across the sea. The Thorathians were a non-human race, each possessing an innate magical ability. Voss had the power to unleash infernal energy from his hands. Voss was a ruthless ruler, but he was also the creator of a new breed of magic which could permanently bind others to his will. The Admiral lead his Mage-Bound Armada to conquer a multitude of lands. But now, his conquering ships have set their sights on the Alliance of Kingdoms.

The Allcastle was the greatest work of the Wizards of the Order Aldred. The group of mages and spellcasters wanted to create an impregnable fortress that could move across the land under its own power, possessed a well-stocked armoury, and the latest siege weapons which were to be operated solely by the magic enchanting the mighty bastion. They wished for the Allcastle to rove the land, finding disputes and injustices, and swiftly put an end to them. But, during the final ritual to animate the fortress, a single syllable was mispronounced (much to the chagrin of Cedric — the Order’s counselor) and the castle’s imperative was twisted: instead of searching for injustices to solve, it determined that the root of all evil is humanity, so it must destroy humanity to prevent injustice. Thus the Allcastle went on a terrible rampage. It animated the weapons and suits of armour within its stores, which marched forth to destroy. Furthermore, the castle’s magic was far-reaching, and it could cause practically any object to join its crusade.

[Thunderbird]

Allcastle sounds a little like some influence from the Celestial Tribunal got mixed with Omnitron. Kind of reminds me of at least the trailer of Mortal Engines, even though I never watched the movie.

Edit: Oh yeah, I also meant to say Insula Draconis sounds pretty awesome. Just picturing Dawn riding on the back of a dragon if that was your vision.

[fjur]

@Thunderbird

Allcastle sounds a little like some influence from the Celestial Tribunal got mixed with Omnitron.

Yeah, I can see that, although it wasn’t intentional.

@Thunderbird

Kind of reminds me of at least the trailer of Mortal Engines

That wasn’t an inspiration. If anything was, Howl’s Moving Castle was a very small one.

@Thunderbird

Oh yeah, I also meant to say Insula Draconis sounds pretty awesome. Just picturing Dawn riding on the back of a dragon if that was your vision.

Yes. Yes, it was.

[fjur]

Megalot was a thriving city in the Alliance of Kingdoms. It is home to more magicians than any other city in the land, and is known for its famous canals, which make transportation throughout the city quite expeditious, and the mystical grove of trees at its centre, which casts a magical light upon the whole city at night. And perhaps most importantly, Megalot is home to the champions of justice known as the Fellowship of Freedom, who defend it from all manner of monsters and marauders.

For up in the North, there be a mysterious, uncharted island, and on that island, there be dragons. It be called Insula Draconis, which in the tongue of the ancients means “Isle of Dragons.” Yonder isle contains all manner of scaled beasts, from small dragonets no larger than a hound, to great wyrms that tower higher than the highest, uh, towers. Some of yon dragons dwell in forests dark, others reside in caverns deep, and yet more be living in the waters cold that surround yon island. Magus Dawn — a skilled sorceress — and her acolytes have recently settled on the island, making it all the more perilous. Be forewarned, all ye who would dare to tread there, for few return to tell thy tale.

Port Wagner is the farthest outpost that has ever been built. It lies on the very edge of the Known World. It rests on an island of red rock, and beyond it stretches a vast, endless ocean. From its docks fearless explorers set sail, in attempts to discover new, uncharted lands. They are certain that more lands exist than just the ones that we know if, for a small few travellers have come to the port from such undiscovered lands, including Makius the Maerman, and Portia the Thorathian warrior.

The Tower of the Fellowship lies at the very heart of the fair city of Megalot. It serves as the quarters for the city’s mightiest defenders, the Fellowship of Freedom. The Tower was built after the Fellowship’s previous residence — a modest keep outside Megalot — was destroyed by a black powder explosion caused by the conniving Baron Ivan of Mordengradia. The Tower contains many chambers, among them are an armoury containing multitudes of weapons for Sir Tyler and the Wraith of the Woods, and a well-stocked storeroom of alchemical and magical supplies for Dame Meredith and Squire Devra. The Tower is also protected by a small but loyal force of guards, and its logistics are managed by the Fellowship’s longtime friend, Stewardess Aminia.

[fjur]

The Watchers of the Darkness

Amanda was the daughter of the infamous Magus Dawn. However, unlike her mother, she completely lacked any innate magical ability. But Insula Draconis — the home of Magus Dawn and her Sorcerers of the Sun — was a dangerous place, and without magic, Amanda needed a way to survive the island’s fierce wildlife. So she trained herself in the use of crossbows that she found on the island, which she surmised must be all that was left of an ill-fated expedition to Insula Draconis. Yet despite her mastery of marksmanship, she was still scorned by Dawn and her followers for her mystical ineptitude, and so eventually ran away from Insula Draconis to the mainland City of Rooks. There she used her skills as a sellsword and mage slayer. She eventually was befriended by the Fellowship of Freedom, who taught her that not all magic was evil, and who crafted enchanted, elemental bolts for Amanda’s crossbows.

Peter was a humble villager whose every endeavor seemed ill-fated. He tried to get work at a variety of places, but every time he wound up resigning for one reason or another. Eventually, he signed up to be a test subject for the alchemical Order of Revocation’s experiments in exchange for monetary compensation. The order was trying to perfect a potion of strength, but it had not worked on anyone thus far. However, when Peter drank it, he gained might comparable to that of the famous Sir Paul! Then, for a reason Peter did not quite understand, the Fellowship of Freedom arrived and fought off the Order, and told Peter that they had been a front for the maniacal Baron Ivan. After that, Peter decided to put his newfound strength to use as a defender of the weak.

These days, Old Man Robert just minds his own business running his stable in the City of Rooks. Way back, long ago, he had been taught by a wandering monk how to use his qi to sense the qi in others, and how to use that ability to become a master martial artist. He learned from the wanderer how to use his qi to channel the very essence of the physical world, enabling him to create fire, move earth, bend water, and conjure wind. He used these abilities to fight for justice. But even with all these mighty powers, Robert grew old, and so retired from questing to run a dojo. But one of his apprentices betrayed him, slew his other students, and defected to the Guild. After that, Robert opened a stable, in hopes that no more tragedy would befall him. But his assistant, Charles, has recently been getting into trouble with the Guild, and it might be time for Old Man Robert to once again take up the sword.

Lady Lillian was a young noblewoman, but she always felt overshadowed by her famous cousin, Dame Meredith, who was a part of the Fellowship of Freedom and an accomplished alchemist. One day while she was wandering through the woods outside the City of Rooks, Lillian found a staff of yew wood with an feather encased in amber atop it. Desiring it, Lillian picked it up, but when she did, the untempered wrath of nature’s fury flowed into her. She then used its druidic magicks to summon many creatures of the forest, and commanded them to attack the City of Rooks. Thankfully, Lillian’s plot was foiled by the Fellowship of Freedom, and she was jailed. Years later, the staff called to her, and she escaped imprisonment and again found it. But this time, she was found and calmed by her cousin before any harm could be done. Lillian wanted a chance to redeem herself, so she was allowed to be apprenticed to Faye, a master magician. Under her tutelage, Lillian learned to control her druidic magic and learned many new spells, including those that could temporarily transform her into a beast of the wild.

These five defenders have now banded together to strike back against evil, and have become known as the Watchers of the Darkness!

[The_Justifier]

Small suggestion: I would replace Magus Dawn with Magister Dawn, as it sounds better imo, and preserves the rhythm of the original name. By the same token, I would go Wizards of the Aldred Order, the Mage-Bound armada, and the Order of Revocation. I would also switch Mordengradia and Thorathia back to just being Mordengrad and Thorath, as those don’t sound out of place in a fantasy setting.

Interesting choice to drop Atlantis from the core set. I suggest that since you’ve largely swapped space travel with horizontal travel across the ocean surface, it makes little sense to have Atlantis under the waves, and it should instead be the ruins of a flying city located far above an inaccessible land area (mountains or desert would work best, with either permanent cloud cover or a mirage hiding the sky palace from viewers on the ground).

PS, I really like making Fixer’s four Styles into elemental effects. It even makes sense of why they destroy each other, as elemental spirits hate spirits of a different element; if you were in Fire Style and you switch to Earth Style, the fire now refuses to serve you again until you reattune yourself to it.

[fjur]

@The_Justifier

Small suggestion: I would replace Magus Dawn with Magister Dawn, as it sounds better imo, and preserves the rhythm of the original name.

True, it preserves the rhythm, but magister merely means master, which lacks any magical connotations. I have seen it used to refer to wizards, but only in one book trilogy. Also, it reminds me of the word magistrate, which makes me picture a stuffy bureaucrat.

@The_Justifier

I would go Wizards of the Aldred Order

Sure, but I feel like the noun-adjective order sounds more mystical.

@The_Justifier

the Mage-Bound armada, and the Order of Revocation

These two I like. I think I’ll go and edit the posts to change them to these.

@The_Justifier

I would also switch Mordengradia and Thorathia back to just being Mordengrad and Thorath, as those don’t sound out of place in a fantasy setting.

Fair enough, I can see your point. But I don’t really see reason enough to change them.

@The_Justifier

Interesting choice to drop Atlantis from the core set.

Well, see, I didn’t, really. If I don’t include a character or environment in a post that seems like it should logically include them, then chances are that they do exist, but their counterpart in this universe is so similar to the main timeline version that I wouldn’t have anything new to say about them. Examples include AA, Fanatic, Haka, Akash’Bhuta, The Ruins of Atlantis, and Magmaria.

Your idea for Atlantis is pretty neat, and I don’t really have anything else, so it’s canon.

@The_Justifier

PS, I really like making Fixer’s four Styles into elemental effects. It even makes sense of why they destroy each other, as elemental spirits hate spirits of a different element; if you were in Fire Style and you switch to Earth Style, the fire now refuses to serve you again until you reattune yourself to it.

Thanks. I really like that concept too.

Hmm . . . I wonder if I could map Slim’s EE Styles to the four elements. Let’s see, Grease Monkey Fist is almost certainly Fire (offense), and Driving Mantis is probably Water (counterattacking). And Alternating Tiger Claw could be Earth (unstoppable), while Riveting Crane would be left with Wind.

[The_Justifier]

@fjur

True, it preserves the rhythm, but magister merely means master, which lacks any magical connotations.

I disagree; it’s faux-Latin, that’s magical enough. At the very minimum, it’s suggestive of Catholic priests; whether those feel magical probably depends on how you grew up.

@fjur

I have seen it used to refer to wizards, but only in one book trilogy

I’m not sure where I got the term from originally, but it definitely wasn’t that, which I’m certain I’ve never consciously observed prior to today. In terms of my current awareness, it makes me think of the term Magisterium (Catholic again), which makes me think of the Mysterium, one of the four Orders of mages descended from Atlantis in the RPG “Mage: the Awakening”. That may be how the term got codified in my head, but depending on when exactly MtAw was published, my first use of the word Magister to mean “an archmage in a scholastic and formal tradition” may have predated it, dating back possibly as far as 2003.

@fjur

Also, it reminds me of the word magistrate, which makes me picture a stuffy bureaucrat.

A bureaucrat, sure. Stuffy, perhaps. If you would apply these terms to Dumbledore in Harry Potter, then they equally might apply to Magister Lenson, the character who I originally created as an arcane superhero and later rolled into my D&D campaign, as the author of a historical treatise regarding dragons.

[Jeysie]

@fjur

I have seen it used to refer to wizards, but only in one book trilogy

FWIW, “magister” is also used in Pathfinder to refer to a head wizard/court wizard type, particularly in their Kingmaker Adventure Path.

[fjur]

Well then, in light of the valid points raised by @The_Justifier and @Jeysie, I will concede that Magister could be an accurate title for this Dawn. However, my mind remains unchanged, as I simply personally prefer to call her Magus Dawn.

[The_Justifier]

In that case I hereby copyright my own original character, Magister Swan, plz no steal kthx.

[Sea-Envy]

a humble suggestion about Ra when you get to him
In standard "modern’ continuity, he is a little out of place being an Avatar of an ancient god.
In a world with wizards, where Thorathia and Wagner base are across the sea, I would suggest Ra gets his power from Aliens from the stars with fantastic technology

[fjur]

Well, @Sea-Envy, I actually did already get to Ra. He was in the Prime Wardens/Warriors Prime post (third paragraph).

[fjur]

Graham was the Lord of the House of Pike, and also the chairman of the City of Rooks’ premier Alchemists’ Guild. But, unknown to all but a select few, Lord Pike was also the boss of the city’s largest Thieves’ Guild, which was known simply as “The Guild.” The Guild controlled all crime in the city. The organization’s ranks include corrupt guards, assassins, burglars, sellswords, and informants. Lord Pike himself is a skilled unarmed-combatant. And, unknown to everyone except his right-hand aid, Pike is also an immortal, undead being.

Sophia was Lord Pike’s right-hand assistant and operative. In her youth, she was a student at Sifu Robert’s martial arts dojo, where she learned to become a skilled martial artist, as well as a practitioner of her sensei’s signature elemental styles, before betraying her master to the Guild and slaying all of her fellow students.

Randy was an infamous smuggler who operated in the subterranean catacombs underneath the City of Rooks. But, due to the amount of time that he spent in those ancient tunnels, he was slowly warped by the arcane and mysterious energies that permeated that primeval realm. He was transformed into a monstrous beast: the first Were-Rat. However, his condition only afflicted him while he was in darkness. Nonetheless, he came to the surface during the dark of night, to terrorise the inhabitants of the city.

Jack the Mad was a ruthless killer, but he was eventually apprehended by the City Watch and sentenced to execution. However, the Pike Alchemists’ Guild’s corrupt city officials arranged for Jack to instead become a test subject for their less ethical experimentations. Jack was pumped full of magical elixirs that had killed all other test subjects, but he thrived. He escaped to once again plague the city. But now, he had developed an appetite for magic of all kinds. Whenever he had a chance, he devoured arcane elixirs, drained the energy from magical relics, and even absorbed the magical power of mages.

Gabrielle was part of a family of nomads. But after a disastrous end to a courtship, she decided to run away, taking her family’s ancestral artefact with her. She shortly discovered that she could use said talisman to perform luck magic, and twist the strings of Fate itself. She could cast hexes and banes upon others, while granting herself and her allies blessings of good luck. She soon found work as a mercenary-mage.

The Terror Tower was a gigantic siege machine that mysteriously appeared in the countryside one day and began destroying it. Luckily, though, the machine was defeated by some chivalrous heroes, although its operators got away without being questioned. After the tower’s defeat, the Order of Revocation offered their services to clean up its destruction. But unbeknownst to anyone, the Order themself had constructed the mecha-machine, so that while they were “restoring the land,” they could really harvest the arcane crystals that had been buried underneath the countryside.

Sir Ansel was a famous actor who was renowned for his breathtaking performances in plays and theatres. But acting did not suffice to satisfy his ego, so he began hunting magical creatures. However, that, as well, was not enough for him. Ansel went to the Order of Revocation, and had an enchantment placed upon him which allowed him to set ablaze anything he could touch. Armed with this magic, Ansel set his sights on the one challenge worthy of him: the champions who defended the Alliance of Kingdoms, especially the savage Aata.

[The_Justifier]

On the plus side, “The” Guild sounds way better than “The” Organization. I get what C&A were going for with that name, but it has absolutely never worked for me. The cover of the Sentinel Tactics expansion illustrated it best; swapping “The Guild” in on that cover would instantly make it way more intimidating.

Other than that, though, Rook City has a rough transition to try and fit into a medieval setting. Points for effort, and some of these are probably decent, but my brain just kind of slides right off them the second I look, just because of how obvious the genre mismatch is.

[Jeysie]

The City of Rooks makes me think of what you’d get if you had Ankh-Morpork without Vimes or Vetinari. (Or rather, evil versions thereof.)