.
The Black Watch
Leader: Axidos, ArkayneaClan Creation Date: 2008-12-01
Accepted Races: Alfar
Attitude: RPG
Recruting: Yes
Clan Homepage: http://www.theblackwatchclan.gamerdna.com
Profile Hits: 1063
Last Update: 2009-01-15
Some text about the Clan:
This is a newly formed clan, looking for members with good attitudes that want to be a part of something far beyond endless killing. Sure, we will do our share of this, but that will not be what defines us.The Black Watch consists of a government and a ranking system with opportunity for advancement, which encourages its members to role play. Its basic structure has been well thought out, not something created overnight. With that being said, not every decision has been set in stone. We are currently seeking players with leadership experience to be put on what we call The Dark Council. These are the decision makers that create laws and rules that keep the clan running, with the biggest decisions being who the clan goes to war with and who it allies with. We feel this is a very important aspect because it takes more than one or two individuals deciding on everything within the clan.
Many positions will be available to accommodate every type of player, from a General in the army to a forester with no desire to go to war. We want options to be endless.
When our troops are sent to war, The Black Watch clan will be known for its tactical and disciplined fighting style that is very hard to match. Just as important are the resource gatherers that keep the supplies available for use.
If you're an individual that likes to be a part of something where every single member matters and has the chance to effect the outcome of events, this is the guild for you. Join now and let your voice be heard.
Feel free to send a personal message to Arkaynea or myself, Axidos, on the Darkfall forums.
Please visit the website for an Application.
Much of this story was written by actual members, not the leaders. Join and let your story be heard!
BACKSTORY:
Timeline and Existence
- 14,000, Mirendil
A son is born to the mirdain gods Myrthai and Lorathai. They name him Melechai and he is the apple of their eye. The mirdain (elves) adore and venerate the newborn god, seeing his great beauty and the potential for good within him.
- 9,800, Mirendil
Melechai steals an immensely powerful artifact called the Silver Circlet from his sleeping mother's brow, and thus begins his rebellion. He tricks Myrthai and Lorathai into believing that a Celestial Dragon stole the Circlet, and descends to Mirendil in order to start the second phase of his plan. Shedding his given name, he takes a new one, Melek.
Under the cover of a series of wildfires, Melek and his henchmen kidnap entire clans of temporarily displaced mirdain. They lead their victims deep underground, where no mirdain treads, and where the power of the mirdain gods is weak. He encloses them within a dank, spacious cavern, and goes to work on them.
Using the Circlet's awesome powers of influence, Melek pounds and twists the minds of the captive mirdain, turning them into a vicious race of killers who worship him unquestioningly. He then launches an intense, god-driven breeding program, physically shaping them into a race suited to his plans, and to life in their new subterranean homeland.
- 8,200, Nagast
His work complete, Melek leads his race of followers now called the Alfar out from the Cave of Birth. They found the capital of Shoal in the cavern of Dun Mardukar, and Melek takes up residence in the Towers of Silence, a stalactite-fortress in the ceiling above the new city.
Realizing the awful extent of their son's treachery, Myrthai and Lorathai incite a mirdain invasion of Nagast. Pressing its way to the Dun Mardukar, the mirdain army is defeated in an unsuccessful battle outside the gates of Shoal.
- 5,800, Chaldea - Nagast
After establishing outposts on the Nagast surface, the Chaldeans encounter the aggressive Alfar, who dwell in a system of caverns underneath the newly colonized land. Defeating the Alfar at Moldar, the Chaldeans then establish fortresses near major entrances to the caverns. However, attempts at following – and vanquishing the Alfar armies underground fail.
- 4,220, Chaldea - Nagast
The worst flood in history ravages the Eannic delta, destroying many cities of the Chaldean heartland. At the same time, a large Alfar army strikes against the outposts of the Nagast plains, breaking through all defenses. The Alfar then march on the Chaldean heartlands, laying waste to those cities which the flood had spared. A hastily assembled defensive army is swiftly crushed.
-2,000 Nagast- Shoal
While exploring outside the Alfar capital Shoal, a miner named Orodreth was drawn towards the entrance of a deep cave. He did not know the reasoning behind his curiosity as he continued inward. After walking for what seemed like forever, he lost his footing and fell below. When he gathered himself, he realized he had stumbled upon a place that had not seen life in many years, but the bones it contained revealed it used to be home to some. Behind the bed of corpses was a stone pillar. Atop this pillar lay a big faded book. As he touched the book, he felt drawn to it and began to open it; a strange aura circled the book and his hands. With closer look, he saw this was a journal that contained lost pieces of history. After reading through their contents, a few particular inserts caught his eye. They read:
3,701 After the Birth of Alfar
The defeat that Myrthai’s and Lorathai’s armies sustained at the gates of Shoal would only keep the Mirdain army and others away from Alfar lands for so long. Melek knew this. As a result he created a secret elite army. He handpicked the finest warriors the Alfar had ever seen and swore them into allegiance. There primary mission was to protect the stolen Silver Circlet and all its powers. Their name, The Black Watch.
Years before, during the breeding program at the Cave of Birth, Melek chose a select group of women that he saw fit enough to carry his offspring. The Lords of The Black Watch were said to be descendants of this bloodline, containing the Mark Of Melek. There were originally six Lords chosen to lead this elite force in its mission.
The Lords selected the wisest men from the unit and organized the Dark Council. These men were considered the ultimate philosophers. They conducted meetings on all topics related to warfare and politics within the unit, and had the final say in most situations. They were respected by all, with little tolerance for the weak hearted and unorganized.
The Lords would also choose the bravest, most skilled warriors as their Generals to lead their units into battle. Defeat was not an option, and was often punishable by death. It would not take long before The Black Watch made its mark on the battlefield; they unleashed the deadliest Archers, Swordsmen, and Mages that had ever been seen in combat. They fought in complete unison, forcing the opposition to bow before them and surrender in the middle of battle. After years of dominance, even the Gods admired their precision and lethal fighting style.
As time passed and the clan accumulated offspring and more members, they grew to more than just dominance on the field of battle. Some of the finest crafters could be found within their walls, as well as woman becoming more of a factor to their existence. The love and detail put into their craft allowed them to excel in all areas. Discipline found in the blacksmiths allowed them to create weapons and armor far superior to the opposition. Fletchers made the sturdiest bows. Carpenters built glorious structures. Women gave birth to the future of excellence, some who still contained the great blood of Melek. The Black Watch was a force to be feared and admired by all.
Many pages later:
-4,000 After the Birth of Alfar
“We are taught from birth to fear nothing, not even Melek himself; but if there were a time for it, now is it. The scouts returned today with very poor news. We do not know what our future holds for us as the Demigods are migrating back to our lands. The Dark Council and the Lords are at discussion regarding our immediate plans for survival. I already see members of our elite army preparing for battle. Most enemies we face are nothing more than a day’s work, but even The Black Watch is no match for the Demigods. They are the largest forces known to man, standing as tall as small mountains. I hear they have already left many lands in ruin before crossing our borders. We must wait and see what the Council decides.”
`City Elder Elessar
“The army has been gone for some time now. I fear the worst. A boy returned saying he heard screams and what sounded like thunder from a distance, the battle must be nearer then we thought. We shall retreat to the caves outside of Shoal that have long been our safeguard in desperate times, although we have never had to use them. Most of the soldiers committed to this fight and we are left without protection. We must hide and hope we can outlast the evil nature of the Demigods. Our existence depends on it.”
`City Elder Elessar
“I have returned to our ancestor’s caves outside Shoal and discovered there are survivors from the city, however very few elite soldiers. Everyone was trained to fight from birth, but not to the extent of our veterans. I regret that I am the bearer of such bad news as I am the only one to return from the battle. All have perished, including our great Lords and my fellow Generals. There are few supplies stored in the caves and they will not last long. I will consult with the Dark Council, and review our situation further. I will propose that I gather whoever can wield a bow, sword, or staff and return for one last stand. We must protect our way of life. My greatest fear is that Melek will hear of the losses of those who bear the Mark of Melek. I do not wish his punishment upon my brothers and sisters when he becomes aware of the death of his greatest descendants. It is almost certain he will banish all who left them to die. We must return to the battle and avenge their deaths to show our worth.”
General Hanicor Axilious
“General Hanicor Axilious left with the remainder of the soldiers with permission of the Dark Council. I fear they have joined the others in the afterlife. The same fate has found some of us in the cave as food is scarce and many are dying slowly. A hunting party returned today empty handed. The Demigods left all in ruins and left no resources. No wildlife, water sources, or crops are left to gather. We are the last of The Black Watch and its bloodline unless there are survivors on the outside somewhere, which I leave little faith in. Our time is coming to an end.”
Telthenion of the Dark Council
“This will be the last entry into our ancestor’s Great Book of Knowledge. I am the last alive with little energy left. I will use what energy remains to cast a bind on this book, locking it forever. Only a descendant of Melek will possess the hands to open and reveal our past. The person who can do this has the ability to repopulate the lands with our blood. May the day come when a child is born once more with the Mark of Melek. That child will hold great powers.”
Telthenion of the Dark Council
Orodreth stood there looking at his hands, recapping what he had just read and wondering to himself. If he could open the book, this only meant one thing, some must have survived against great odds and he wasn’t just an ordinary miner. Melek’s blood had been running through his family’s veins for generations unknown. Since both his parents had died and he was an only child, Orodreth was possibly that last remaining of his kind. Orodreth turned to the next open page and made the first entry the Great Book of Knowledge had seen in nearly 2,500 years. He had found his destiny.
-1,000 on Nagast
Although the Dark Council could not be reestablished again until a Lord was present, the race never lost hope. Generation after generation, the descendants of Orodreth waited for the day when a son might be born with the Mark of Melek, for that day would be a special day, as it would mark the return of The Black Watch.
-30 Nagast- Shoal
Two Alfar sons are born the same month. The families felt a special presence about them. As the village elder examined the newborns, he could not believe is eyes. He realized they were both carrying the Mark of Melek. The news got out to Melek. The day had come. Nearly 4,500 years after its creation, the feared Black Watch would resurface with these two Lords at the helm. They would have many followers. The legendary Dark Council would be formed as soon as the two were of age. They were named Lord Axidos and Lord Arkaynea.
...
Upon the birth of the Lords Axidos and Arkaynea, the keeper of the Great Book of Knowledge realized the import of the event.
Immediately, he took the title "Bol Zhaun'ol", meaning both "Great Book" and "Keeper of the Great Book", for without the keeper the book cannot be, and without the book there need be no keeper.
The descendent of Orodreth observed keenly the development of the Lords and their peers. When the time came for The Black Watch to be re-established, the stories of influential people and events were once again written so that all future readers would know the great story that unfolded.
...
From the Bol Zhaun'ol comes the Stories of the Dark Council, and these entries:
The Selection of Vaern:
Approaching adulthood, the young but skilled Lords Axidos and Arkaynea went on a patrol with a number of their Alfar peers. Among them was Vaern, assigned as a mage in support of the patrol.
Fulfilling his role, Vaern gave each member a potion of balm that he had brought, and he explained its purpose and use to them. His knowledge of alchemy was sufficient to ensure that each patrolmen was equipped with a valuable complement to their other weaponry.
In addition, Vaern insisted that the group remain in formation as they marched, for although this tactic was well understood by the Lords, others in the group were not so wise.
As fate would have it, the patrol came upon a group of Naedra thrice their number. In the flash of a blade the unit was set upon them with feverish violence. The group's formation was well considered, for they weathered the initial charge and supported each other in melee.
But the attackers still came, and magic forced silence upon all casters in the group. The wounds they suffered during those moments of quiet could not be soothed by spell, and so the potions of balm they carried sustained them through the fight.
At last the magic silence was lifted, and the battle continued. From the flank of the group came a Naedra wielding dual sabers, and it came directly at Vaern the healer. Unflinching, the young mage continued to cast spells of healing upon himself and his allies while the Naedra struck at him. It was Axidos that came to the assistance of Vaern and struck down the assailant. Though grievously wounded in the attempt, Axidos was returned to full health by healing spells, and continued the fight.
In the end, every attacker was defeated, and although every member of the patrol had sustained injuries from both melee and magic, all had survived the encounter.
When the time came to select members of the Dark Council, the Lords remembered the deeds of that day, and deemed Vaern worthy of selection, for his wisdom, for his skills, and for his courage. He could be trusted.
The Selection of Divolg:
Long ago, a necromancer had once terrified the Alfar countryside. This necromancer was recruited to fight a doomed battle against Demi-gods threatening the existence of the Alfar. This necromancer had developed fields of necromancy long since forgotten. Even old-timer Alfar (rare as they are) possessed scant details of this being, except for his great power, his evil, and his name. The only thing surviving the death of this necromancer was that his name was still invoked by Alfar parents to scare young Alfar into staying in their beds. Stories of this long dead necromancer spoke of his affinity to consume live victims as he worked strange spells. The name of this necromancer was Kulde.
Things were falling into place for the two lords of the Black Watch, Axidos and Arkaynea, with a few exceptions. They wanted to establish the Black Watch of today with the past, to learn and succeed where past lords had not. They wanted more information about the history of the Black Watch—firsthand information. With this intent, the two lords undertook a bold move. Axidos and Arkaynea entered the forbidden necropolis of the legendary necromancer, Kulde, whose name is only used to frighten young Alfar, to attempt to raise and command his servitude. The two lords had found the location of Kulde’s tomb briefly referenced in the Book of Knowledge, and used this information to entice every notable necromancer they could muster to invoke a spell they shared from the same book with the necromancers…a spell of raising the dead. Many necromancers responded to their summons with great enthusiasm, as the legend of Kulde had not been perceived as fact among many adults in the Alfar community, excepting the necromancers. Among the last allowed to come was a young necromancer by the name of Divolg. Divolg had been brought along not for his great power, but as a resource of knowledge of the art and lore of necromancy.
Many deadly traps lined the warrens and tunnels of the ancient necropolis, of which Divolg identified for the assembly. Many traps failed to operate—the presence of the marked ones, Axidos and Arkaynea, acted as a key allowing the gathering to bypass the most treacherous of traps and monstrous guardians protecting the rows upon rows of crypts (according to Divolg.) With the two lords referencing their notes made from the Book of Knowledge, everyone arrived at the undisturbed entrance to the crypt of the dread and powerful Kulde.
The crypt’s massive obsidian valves pivoted open at the touch of the marked ones. All of the necromancers passed across the threshold before the doors closed with an ominous boom. Eager with anticipation, the most powerful necromancers began sifting through the materials on hand; golden sheets inscribed with ancient writings, objects of strange design and gloomy style, and numerous remains of long-dead servants who, upon the first touch of an object by one of the necromancers, attacked and nearly drained the life from the individual before the other necromancers were able to disintegrate it with their magic.
Axidos and Arkaynea ordered the necromancers to disturb nothing else in the tomb, to which the necromancers complied. Beneath the floor they had entered was another chamber containing mountains of treasures and records surrounding a great stone sarcophagus. Axidos and Arkaynea broke its seal and they all removed the masks and layers of wrappings about the corpse of the dread and powerful Kulde. The necromancers asked Axidos and Arkaynea to stay completely out of the ritual, in case anything should go awry the necromancers would be able to deal with it.
With great care, the necromancers invoked the powerful ritual, as it was related to them by the lords of the Black Watch. The remaining layer of blackened wrappings of the long dead necromancer popped and tore apart as it stirred. All watched with the exception of Divolg, who doubled over with an expression of unbridled agony.
All were puzzled by Divolg’s reaction. The necromancers all grumbled that he was suited only for managing the library of the dead, rather than true necromancy.
Divolg rasped weakly, “Don’t you—feel it?”
The other necromancers ignored his words, entranced by the presence of a legendary practitioner of their art.
“Stand back, Divolg. Do not get in our way,” snapped one of the more well known necromancers.
Eyeless sockets of a small corpse looked down on the assembly. The body turned about once, and then, the most powerful necromancer in the assembly, called Zegra, stepped forward and began to speak the spell of command, for necromancers are known for their ability to command the dead to their bidding.
Nothing happened. Several of the necromancers began intoning new spells, with similar results. The standing form of the long dead necromancer, though eyeless, seemed to sense where they were gathered beside the open sarcophagus. Darkness seemed to close in about them.
The necromancer called Zegra tried once again. Others tried as well. Divolg remained on the ground, appearing quite ill.
Suddenly, the corpse raised a hand. The air took on a wintry chill. Clouds of steamy breath puffed from the lungs of the living within the chamber. Zegra screamed, producing a much more pronounced steam cloud. Within ten heartbeats, Zegra croaked and collapsed to the ground, a dried out husk. The other necromancers began casting more spells. More necromancers fell, while the being standing in the sarcophagus began to show signs of rapid growth of ligaments and blood vessels, bones and sinew. After nearly all the necromancers were dead, only Divolg and one other remained, the corpse of the now living or undead Kulde, spoke.
“You dare disturb my resting place!”
The other necromancer cast a spell at Kulde. Kulde laughed, raised his hand and suddenly the necromancer’s flesh crawled with patches of rapid decay.
Kulde spoke to the dying necromancer, “You dare attempt to use a necromantic spell against me? None of you were fit to wield such magic in life. Perhaps you can learn to wield it through undying study in my servitude.”
Divolg stumbled and wavered as he stood before Lord Axidos and Lord Arkaynea, his expression barely masking his pain. When the last necromancer, aside from Divolg slumped to the floor, the dread and powerful Kulde turned and faced Divolg with an outstretched hand. Divolg held both hands up, palms out, ready to counter. The instead Kulde began to invoke the same spell that had destroyed the others, he halted and swayed backward.
Divolg snarled, “I felt you…you could have taken my life. Why did you not?”
“You…are fit to study the craft,” said Kulde. “Why have you disturbed my rest?”
Divolg responded, “We bring two, who seek your aid, oh dread one.”
“I am long past giving aid to the living. Let them step forward. Perhaps their life force can be useful to complete my revival,” said Kulde, his voice had the quality of a dry wind.
Divolg picked up a torch and moved aside, while Axidos and Arkaynea stepped forward into the light. Kulde waved a hand and all of the fallen necromancers stood, awaiting his command with silent obedience. He turned to face them and spoke.
“You…both bear the mark.” Kulde stopped a moment, apparently processing what his senses were flooding into his being. “How may I—serve you?”
What followed were many hours, days and weeks of questions asked of Kulde. When the three of them left the crypt of the dread and powerful Kulde, they seemed to carry a heavier burden than when they first entered the crypt. Divolg no longer looked young. When asked the fate of the others, or what happened within the tomb of Kulde, the three always changed the topic.
The two Lords ordered the entrance of the crypt not to be sealed, and that any who entered did so at their own risk.
Divolg’s practice of the craft of necromancy resumed at an accelerated pace almost at once. Axidos and Arkaynea announced Divolg’s acceptance to the Dark Council weeks later.
Residents living near the entrance of the necropolis of Kulde report movements of beings to and from the crypts clad in black robes of necromancers. Tomb robbers once active in the area have vanished. Some speak of the dread and powerful Kulde having risen once again to feed upon the living. Among the Alfar, no longer do mere children fear the name Kulde.
OUR TIME IS NOW