The Fallen Brigade - Villains, rogues, scoundrels. Men of measure and men of cruelty. All stand as one, all obey their inner depravity. Evil, yes, but true to themselves and therefore sealed together as a brotherhood stronger than any idealistic knightly order has ever shown. This once-humble band of brigands from the eastern borders of old Khergit lands has swollen into a force of men under the principles of abandoned ideals. They see Calradia for what it truly is. A land of masters and servants, of wealth and poverty, and where goodness is of no utility. The expansion of their ranks into a bandit-kingdom has not come without troubles, but their defiance of the Old Ways of Calradia, of ruler and ruled by tradition to ruler and ruled by power has upset the ancient order.
Their commitment towards their own great power and their radical opposition to the old kingships has brought a great deal of hatred to them amongst the ruling-class across the world. They exist within the crucible of war, and on it, they thrive and excel. They would have it no other way.
Holy Empire (HRE) - The Empire is anything but holy. Scoundrels painted white. These clever men, growing from an organized criminal ring within Narra, create a peculiar polarity with the Fallen. Instead of abandoning the old ways of kings, the Empire has embraced it and twisted it towards their own ends. Although only the most cunning suspect it, they are an intrinsic part of the Fallen Brigade, just as the Fallen Brigade plays an intrinsic part in their own existence as an agent of indirect fear to control their population.
Although the Holy Emperor is the named ruler of the Empire, the true leader is the cunning young Khergit known only as the Rogue. This old Nord from Tihr... or is the girl from Reyvadin? And such is how Rogue retains a strong grasp on his "emperor's" ever-expanding empire.
Hospitaller Order - An order of warriors devoted to a god-concept called "The Light". "The Light" is a collection of three books, The Peace, The Mother, and The Shield. The three books were written a thousand years ago, but the upkeep of the book's integrity was trusted to a religious elite whom outsiders (justifiably) accuse of manipulating the text. The primary accusation is the doctrine these elite priests uphold called the "Division Doctrine", where the three books had at one time been one whole text. Now, the three books have been decreed as applicable to different degrees to the different "classes" of men in Hospitaller society. Their separation has led to very different interpretations than that of the whole.
The Peace is a mild religion, and the Division Doctrine has placed the burden of its strong moral stances and emphasis on tolerating life's miseries with patience upon the shoulders of the lower class.
The Mother is the faith directed towards the middle class, few as they may be. These specialized craftsmen are held to be respected above the peasants, but subject to the paternal authority of the Shield. They are solely responsible for taking care of the peasant class. They are not burdened by the hard work of simple peasants, but they are also responsible for the outcome of their work.
The Shield is the highest authority within the Divisional Doctrine of The Light. These are the upper class and warrior class men; although theoretically equal, this is anything but the truth, mostly given that the upper class is equivalent to the priesthood. The greater one's wealth and influence, clearly, the more divinely inspired and gifted you are by the power of The Light. The paradox of combined faith and material gain over selflessness and benevolence creates an interesting dynamic for the members of the Shield.
Mad Knights (LLJK) - The Mad Court of Sharizis a massive, wild band of men of questionable sanity. Some say it's the heat of the desert that drives them mad, others claim it's the evils spirits in the sand, or a curse that goes back to the time of the last Sultan three hundred years ago. The warlords of Calradia don't have the luxury of wondering, for the Knights of the Mad Court roam far and wide and are as unpredictable as the wind. Wise rulers give them wide berth and keep them at a safe distance. Yet, not all emissaries of the Mad Court are so evidently insane, and perhaps a sign that the Court's unseen leader(s) has a cruel logic of his own. This possibility is of no comfort to anyone.
However, Shariz has not been tossed to these ravenous men by the world. The turning of spring has started a second series of crusades by the noble-hearted and/or greedy mercenaries of the land. Swaths of men from all over Calradia have been riding with the crusades to bring back this most dangerous region, or its plunder. Whether they shall succeed or fail is far from certain.
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RAMSES
Horaem Ramses is a man hailing from the furthest corner of the desert. A powerful man with a commanding voice, he has traveled the breadth of the continent, finding final refuge amongst a nomadic Khergit tribe who tolerated the curious southerner out of fear and respect for his martial prowess. Before the Fallen Compact was formed, creating the Fallen Brigade, his adopted tribe was raided by Beau Blayne's highwaymen. While the cowardly villagers hid in their yurts, Ramses confronted the dozen thieves. One of them foolishly challenged Ramses, and after a sound beating, the man exclaimed "This man is as if fighting six! He shall be no foe of mine!" Ramses abandoned the tribe, joined in the taking of some few valuables, and rode off with the bandits as one of them.
BEAUCHAMP
A small-framed fellow with a boyishly charming face, Brian "Beau" Blayne was the love of young ladies and terror of what few decent fathers are found in the servant class district of Praven. Beau's free spirit and loose morals led to his expulsion from the city after robbing a jeweler of a precious silver chain, which was unknowingly gifted to the same jeweler's unfaithful young wife. The change of scenery did not deter the young Beau, and soon after he had formed a gang of highwaymen. They made their home and hideout to the east, but Beau's eyes would ever so often drift back towards his birthplace.
LOKI
Kith Lokis of the Wai-pha'ra tribe in the heartlands of the Khergit steps is a hawk, physically and mentally. Shrewd, decisive, and vicious, Lokis had usurped the old warcaptain of his tribe by the age of sixteen. The Wai-pha'ra tribe had always been traditionalists and highly nomadic, but the ruthless young Lokis and his cadre of ambitious young warriors wanted more. Although an extremely talented archer, Lokis saw the benefits of modernization and at his forceful emphasis, the tribe begrudgingly learned to adapt more metallurgical practice and founded several permanent winter and summer camps. After a decade, the old chieftain had became a pawn of the willful young Lokis and the formerly peaceful traditionalists had become one of the most feared tribes of the Steppes. Yet Lokis wanted more. His ambition took his warband further than it had ever traveled, and to the west Lokis found what he had desired- a true test of men, a battle of steel and sword not simple bow and club skirmishes as was custom in the tribelands. Although his tribal forces were out-armed and armored, they fought valiantly to their defeat. Lokis and his closest companions escaped and moved towards Swadian lands to recruit a mighty warband amongst the civilized peoples.
SMILINGDAEMON
Samuel Daevon is a brilliant, energetic man of plain appearances from the Vaegir tundra. For a decade, prior to his meeting and joining Beau Blayne in Rduna. He smuggled every imaginable cargo, seeing his shadowy schemes as a most fantastic and elaborate game. The flow of illicit goods had never been so consistent, and frustrating to the city guard. As wars escalated across Calradia, even the Crusading factions found themselves relying on goods passed under the cloak of Daevon. But after a decade of growing obscenely wealthy, Daevon wanted a new game and thus began his masterstroke. In an elaborate scheme, Daevon bribed and worked a small, highly trained team of men into the service of the Lord of Curaw. At a great feast to celebrate the harvest holiday, Daevon successfully put his men amongst the dinner waiters for the banquet. As the guests arrived, each was given a simple first round of bread and wine with the wonderful scent of roasting meats and spiced dishes and sweet cakes coming through the castle halls. As the guests grew impatient, Daevon's men entered into the kitchen and removed every morsel of the prepared feast and moved quietly from the still castle to the streets of Curaw, taking it straightaway to the starving slums to be consumed. But Daevon remained in the castle, threw open the grand doors of the banquet hall and announced his identity and his scheme- the Lord and guests would go hungry and the impoverished masses will feast gloriously at their expense. The dumbstruck Lord paled, his guests knew not if they should laugh or cry foul. Daevon gave his final regards to the Lord of Curaw and left a gift bottle of fine Velucan wine on the table. The guards, stooges placed there by Daevon, escorted him stealthily to the city gates. Daevon left to find a new game.
PUNISHER
Greer Pershane, an old veteran soldier from the Vaegir coast, is a quiet man. Although he's by no means decrepit, his years have begun to take a toll on the ex-soldier's abilities. Pershane more than makes up for it with talent and experience, however. Having been deceived by his former lord and losing the wealth acquired over the timespan of several long campaigns, the pragmatic Pershane abandoned his position and homeland and started south towards the profitable crusades. He stopped in Rduna, and after saving the young Beau Blayne from getting beaten by a few snobbish pages, was talked into joining him. Pershane's eye for spotting talent was put to good use, and he splits his time at the sides of both Daevon and Blayne to help keep the younger men in line.
BOSS AWESOME
Jallik Azram is a tall Khergit man and one of the few confidantes of Kith Lokis. Like most of Lokis' warriors, he is particularly talented with bow and arrows. Azram tends to be reflective and from time to time mysteriously wanders off from the warband, telling none where he goes. However, only a fool would question Azram's devotion to the cause of the Brigade. He has time and again played a central role in the strategic affairs of the Wai-pha'ra warbands. Some boldly assert that the destruction of the warband was in fact a scheme of Azram's, giving Lokis and his companions the liberty to escape the traditions of the Wai-pha'ra way.
MANNHAMMER
Havost Mandrahm, the Monster of the Western Steppes, both physically and of spirit. This larger-than-life warrior lives in excess in every way. He is a master of arms, and famously turned the tide of an early battle in Fallen history by charging six enemies at once. Although he was unsuccessful in defeating them all, the truth has been obscured and most contend that he would have slain them all if not for the battle-rage. Such is the power of his legend and legacy. Regardless of mythology, Mandrahm played a major role as both a tactical advisor, commander, recruiter, and soldier at Kith Lokis' side. His role would develop into an inquisitorial role amongst the wicked Fallen Brigade, ensuring loyalty and accomplishment by force and fear. He is notoriously known for crippling his defeated enemies with hammers.
