Whoami

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Well the real call of duty is upon me now. I am deploying first wave for disaster relief in my home province. Will try to keep in touch but I'll be in the mountains so service will be patchy.

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

I'm very much still here. Sorry for going dark suddenly, I blinked and I ended up back out in the field for 2 weeks. This is my first day back home and now I'm apparently deploying BACK out into the field AGAIN for an unknown amount of time to help with disaster relief. Needless to say I'm quite busy. But my interest has not waned yet!

EDIT: By the end of the year, I'll have spent 6 months away from home this year. v.v God I'm exhausted.

Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

I'll put something up this weekend!

Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

PROLOGUE

(Mood Music)
(Ambient Sound)

The sky was a dark grey. The clouds hung low over the mountains, obscuring the highest peaks of the tallest mountains. Thunder rumbled and rain fell. The dirt pathways through the lower districts of Cloudsreach quickly turned to mud. The mood was somber in the streets of Cloudsreach. Thousands of elders, women, and children lined the sides of the streets while others leaned out their windows or over the rooftop edges. There was no cheering. There didn't need to be. Every citizen of Cloudsreach- no, every citizen of Gryphonne was stoic and proud as they watched the remaining garrison of city march through the Holy Hieronymo Gate. The garrison was small, a poultry two-hundred and fifty. That was all that could be afforded now that the darkness was besieging the great border fortresses on all sides. They marched in perfect unison, the parade drill of the Gryphonnians always a spectacle to behold. Every footfall of one man was amplified by the footfalls of hundreds more. Even in the muddy road, their cadence was resounding enough to echo off of the sheer cliff faces surrounding the city. The rain could barely mute the effect. It was the wordless announcement that told the entire city that Epheria's second crusade had begun.

The order of march started with the rank and file arms men of the country, lead by a commander mounted on horseback and his standard bearer. Every hundred paces or so, a priest of the Sunlight Ecclesium walked slowly alongside the troops. He was waving a censor and chanting holy words quietly so that none would leave holy Gryphonne without the Sun God's blessing. "Our Luminous Father... Watch over these few souls who depart from the Fatherland this day... Great Icarius, in death or life, when it is done, cast your light upon our solemn soldiers and guide them to salvation."

Further down the road, a child cried and stepped out to reach for a soldier. A young mother stepped after her and scooped the child up into her arms. She looked up at one soldier, who held a hand out. The woman reached out as he passed, their fingers interlacing for a fleeting moment before he passed. The child cried louder and reached for the soldier as well, but the mother hugged onto the child tight. The child's sobbing pierced the silence, "Papa! Don't go, papa! No... Papa..!"

Somewhere else in the crowd, a grizzled old man sat in a wooden rocking chair. His leg was missing. A veteran from the Foreign War. He nodded up at the commander as he rode past. The commander nodded back. The old man spoke, "Nam Gryphonis, brother."

The commander placed two fingers between his brow and dipped his head to the veteran, "Sanctus vult."

The veteran dipped his head, "Sanctus vult..." The commander took a deep breath and turned his head forward as he rode on.

Passing through the Hieronymo Gate after the armsmen were the Knights of Gryphonne mounted atop their demigryphs. The regal creatures held their heads high as they let out restrained chirps and huffs. The rain rolled off of their down feathers, but it didn't stop a few of the demigryphs from ruffling their features and shaking their heads to try and dry themselves off futilely in the rain. The knights mounted on their backs wore their gleaming plate armor and tabardry. Every squadron had a bannerman leading at the front which displayed the heraldry of their respective squadrons. Some knights wore simple plate helmets with slits to see through, while others wore more ornate helmets adorned with feathers and wings and were trimmed with gold. They were a regal sight to see when mounted on their ferocious steeds. If only the country could commit more of their famous Knights of Gryphonne to the crusade.

A louder gryphon call above the marching knights drew attention away from the parade, some of the demigryphs tilting their heads to the side to track the sound above. A great gryphon flew overhead merely fifty feet above the rooftops. It's massive wingspan could connect a building on one side of the street to the one on the other side. Following behind and aside the first gryphon, in a flying-V formation, more great gryphons flew. Their riders with their brilliant red capes commanding their awe inspiring beasts with ease. Twenty great gryphons in total flew over the parade in their squadrons of five at varying altitudes. The sight of the great gryphons alone made everyone stand with straighter backs. The pride in the creature was infectious, and it was hard not to feel a profound sense of national pride whenever one could lay eyes upon such a magnificent beast.

Once again, the crowd's eyes were taken from the small marching army as a new grand figure appeared. The darkened, stormy sky was immediately illuminated as though the sun had pierced the gray veil. It had not. Standing atop Hieroynmo Gate, with her wings spread wide and her body emanating the most vibrant sunlight, the Holy Saint herself, Queen Epheria, alighted on the masonry and looked down at her forces. The troops never broke stride, even when they could feel the warmth of the light pouring over their backs. There was a small bit of distortion in the air above the cramped street as the heat of Epheria's light turned the tiny water droplets to steam. In one of Epheria's hand was a sword, the sword of the very hero that had held the gate, named in his honor, against a greater foe. The sword of the Saint's fallen husband. The Blade of Noblesser. In her other hand was the divine weapon, forged and once wielded by Icarius himself, the Sunspear. The long bladed tip writhed in solar energies while the entire weapon glowed brightly.

Epheria was wearing her battle armor, a suit of plate mail ornately decorated and etched with both cultural and religious iconography. She was wearing her full helm, gryphon feathers streaming out from either side of the helmet. Epheria's glowing eyes could be seen through the darkness of her helmet's visor. As she stood there, a great gryphon landed at her side. Knight-Commander Godwyn of the Knights of Gryphonne adjusted himself in his saddle as he looked down his mount at Saint Epheria. "The dwarves of the Dun Aquileon have completed their work on schedule, your Holiness. The Underway is complete, and they have secured a safe exit beyond the reach of the darkness. By this time next week, we will have reached the coast."

Epheria nodded once to Godwyn, "Very good. Join your squadron, Commander Godwyn and proceed through the gates of Dun Aquileon. I must give blessings to the people we are leaving behind."

Godwyn nodded his head, "At once, my queen!" Godwyn whipped his reins and the gryphon let out a screeching roar as it spread its wings and threw itself from the Hieronymo Gate.

Epheria looked down at all of the civilians that had gathered to watch the procession of Epheria's tiny army. They had all turned their gazes upward to her. She took a breath, and let it out with a thundering voice, "People of Gryphonne! We stand on a knife's edge! As you all know, our country is beset on all sides. Once great nations that surrounded us have been all but consumed in the path of these ungodly locusts. There are no more friends or allies sharing our borders. There is only death and despair. Yet by the grace of Icarius and the bounty of the Fatherland, WE, the people of Gryphonne, still stand! We are unconcquered! Undevoured! We are pure and free! And we never will be anything but that!"

The somber streets quickly shifted to a ruckus of cheers, claps, and whistles. The mountains echoed the defiant cry of a besieged nation. All around, people smiled confidently and raised their fists. Epheria continued, "I must leave our Fatherland for a time... And I must take the last of our unallocated troops with me... It was not an easy decision to make. While Gryphonne may never fall to the darkness, the longer we sit and wait behind our stone walls, the worse it gets for the world. Know this! I am not leaving to abandon you! I am not leaving to fight for another country when the fight is right here! I am leaving to crusade! To crusade at the sides of any remaining kingdom that will risk everything for the greater good of our world! This is greater than Gryphonne's survival! This is for the survival of Icarius' creations! For us, his children! For Etheria, his paradise! This is the Final Crusade! Sanctus Vult! Deus Vult!"

The people all cheered in unison, repeating Epheria's fianl words as she moved her massive wings and took flight. In that moment, an entire city roared loud enough to unsettle even the earth beneath the city's foundation. "DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT!"

The cheering boomed on and on while Epheria flew over the stone rooftops and made for the great granite gates of the dwarven undercity, Dun Aquileon. The light of Epheria continued to illuminate the mountainside as she flew through the gates, until the all consuming darkness of the underworld was too thick to be pierced even by the saint's light. The granite gates rumbled and shook the earth as they started to close. The lumbering motion of the great iron cogs and massive chains shook the loose stones on the ground and caused birds to lift from their perches in fear of the great noise. As Epheria flew deeper into the undercity, she could still hear the echoes of the city reverbing off of the cavern walls.

"DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT!"

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

@WhoamiAlright i added an except for you specfically.

@vancexentan

Hm?

Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

@Liotrent Thanks! I appreciate the positive feedback!

I'm totally cool with having Gryphonne be situated in the darkness and mounting a valiant defense! As for introductions, I'll have to read over the current IC posts to know where everyone is at. The idea is that Epheria is leading a new crusade, but with most of her manpower committed to the country's defense, she needs the assistance of the other nations.

Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

And here's my CS! Hopefully you all enjoy the contents and I eagerly await a review (and hopeful approval)!

EDIT: All of the cyan runes can be moused over to see their translations

Champion: Queen-Saint Epheria Noblesser

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Epheria Noblesser

ᛩᚢᛖᛖᚾ ᛟᚠ ᚷᚱᚤᛈᚺᛟᚾᚾᛖ
ᛚᛁᚡᛁᚾᚷ ᛋᚨᛁᚾᛏ
ᚨᚡᚨᛏᚨᚱ ᛟᚠ ᛁᚲᚨᚱᛁᚢᛋ

Gender
Female

Race
Ascended Human

Age
31

Physical Appearance
Epheria is a woman that stands at five foot ten inches. Her hair is platinum blonde and often kept back in a bun or ponytail with a white gold gryphon hairpin holding her hair back. Her eyes are a luminous whitish gold that glow faintly with holy energies. Her most prominent features are her large angelic wings that span out to eight meters from wing tip to wing tip when fully outstretched. In battle, Epheria is often seen her ornately crafted plate armor. When sitting on the Throne of Gryphonne, Queen Epheria is often wearing a combination of ceremonial light plate and beautiful silks trimmed with silver and gold. On her back, between her wings and running down to her tailbone is a tattoo in black ink written in ancient runes, words of a prophecy spoken long ago that foretold Saint Epheria's coming.

History

ᚨ ᚹᚨᚱ ᚾᛟᛏ ᛟᚢᚱᛋ
ᚠᛟᚱᛖᛁᚷᚾ ᛒᛚᛟᛟᛞ ᛁᚾ ᛟᚢᚱ ᚺᛟᛗᛖ
ᛏᚺᛖᚤ ᚲᛟᛗᛖ ᚠᛟᚱ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛏᚱᛖᚨᛋᚢᚱᛖᛞ ᚤᛟᚢᚾᚷ
ᛟᚢᚱ ᚷᛟᛞ ᛁᚲᚨᚱᛁᚢᛋ ᚲᚺᛟᛟᛋᛖᛋ ᚨ ᛒᛚᛟᛟᛞᛁᛖᛞ ᛚᛟᚡᛖᚱ
ᚺᛁᛋ ᚲᚺᛟᛋᛖᚾ ᛟᚾᛖ, ᚹᛁᛏᚺ ᚷᛁᚠᛏᛖᛞ ᚹᛁᚾᚷᛋ, ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᛖᛗᛖᚱᚷᛖ
ᚨᚾᛞ ᛞᛖᛚᛁᚡᛖᚱ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚠᚨᛏᚺᛖᚱᛚᚨᚾᛞ ᛏᛟ ᛋᚨᛚᚡᚨᛏᛁᛟᚾ

The Prophecy of Saint Epheria

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Epheria was like any other young girl in the small mountain kingdom of Gryphonne. She learned the women's trades, was the subject of desire for many amorous young men, and she would attend the Roosting Ceremony to welcome the famous Knights of Gryphonne home after long campaigns of war. To say she was unremarkable was an understatement.

Things changed quickly for Epheria, however, when two kingdoms that shared a border with Gryphonne went to war and pressured Gryphonne into taking a side in order to allow their respective armies to take advantage of Gryphonne's advantageous mountain passes. While Gryphonne wasn't a weak country by any means, his neighbors were far more powerful, both in their military strength and their economies. When Gryphonne declared that they would remain neutral and their passes would be closed to both of their armies, no peak nor valley within Gryphonne's border was exempt from becoming a battlefield in a war Gryphonne had no part in. The strategic value of Gryphonne's mountain passes was too great to pass up, and soon both kingdoms marched their armies across Gryphonne's borders to secure them. In time, the country was split in half as the greater nations became locked in a stalemate over Gryphonne's territory. After the ebb and flow of war saw both sides push deep into the country, only to get beaten back by the other, the passes at the borders of both nations quickly became strong fortresses where they would serve as bastions from which to deploy troops and maintain security on each country's flanks. Foreign troops would march forth from these great fortresses across Gryphonne's land to hopelessly assault the other great nation's fortresses, leaving Gryphonne a war torn nation. The fortresses, with their gates closed and barred, allowed no passage, and Gryphonne quickly fell into an economic depression as crucial supplies couldn't be imported, and their extravagant goods couldn't be exported.

Epheria was eighteen when the capital city of Gryphonne, Cloudsreach, became the next great battlefield. Her husband at the time, a Knight-Captain, led a valiant defense at a crucial gate leading to the inner city before being overrun. Both of the greater nations had made an attempt at the city in order to capture the most treasured items Gryphonne had, the namesake of their kingdom, Gryphons and their eggs. Using highly trained gryphons, the victorious nation at Cloudsreach could simply fly over the impassable mountains and fortresses to strike at the heart of their enemy. Epheria ran up the mountain side, avoiding the soldiers of both greater nations as they sacked her homeland, until she arrived at the gates leading to the inner city. There she found her fallen husband and his ten best men, all killed and trampled under the weight of one of the nation's slave soldiers. Epheria knelt at her husband's side and cried, her hands clasped together in prayer as she begged for Gryphonne's patron god, Icarius, to put an end to the madness. Her prayers were cut short when she heard the heavy rumble of horse mounted knights charging up the hill, soldiers of the other nation racing toward the peak to catch up to the slave soldiers nearing the Gryphon Roost. Epheria heard something, or rather, she felt something. It was a whisper in her bones and her muscles to take up her fallen husband's sword and stand against the cavalry charge alone. She hesitated at first, but then felt another call... Do not be afraid... Stand and fall...

Epheria wrapped her blood soaked fingers around the hilt of her husband's sword and stood with a poor stance, the gleaming tip of the blade pointing at the heavily armored knights and their horses. She didn't stand a chance... The cavalry ran her down, hardly even noticing her there at all. Her body was crushed beneath the trampling horses. After they had passed, she was as indistinguishable as the rest of the bodies strewn about the gatehouse. But from Epheria's perspective, she still stood. She was in a daze. She felt weightless, formless, utterly nihilated. She felt as though she had passed straight through the steel plated horses and remained standing as the initial wave barreled past to head further up the mountain. She turned toward the inner city, but instead of seeing the city, she found herself standing on nothing in the cosmos. Before her was the sun, massive in scale, writhing and swirling as its energies perpetually fueled it.

"ᛖᛈᚺᛖᚱᛁᚨ" a voice said, a bright silhouette of a man emerging from the sun.

"Icarius?! Wh- ho-" Epheria said, her voice breathless.

"ᚤᛟᚢ ᛋᛏᛟᛟᛞ, ᚨᚾᛞ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚠᛖᛚᛚ. ᚾᛟᚹ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚨᚱᛖ ᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᛒᛖᚠᛟᚱᛖ ᛗᛖ. ᛁ ᚺᚨᚡᛖ ᚨᚾᛋᚹᛖᚱᛖᛞ ᚤᛟᚢᚱ ᛈᚱᚨᚤᛖᚱᛋ."

"I don't understand..." Epheria's memory was all just a haze.

"ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᛗᚨᛞᚾᛖᛋᛋ ᛖᚾᛞᛋ ᚾᛟᚹ. ᚨᚾᛞ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚨᚱᛖ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛟᚾᛖ ᛏᛟ ᛖᚾᛞ ᛁᛏ." Icarius said as he outstretched his hand.

"Me? How can I? I'm no soldier..." Epheria frowned.

"ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᛗᚤ ᚺᚨᚾᛞ, ᛖᛈᚺᛖᚱᛁᚨ, ᚨᚾᛞ ᛏᚱᚨᛁᚾ ᚹᛁᛏᚺ ᛗᛖ. ᛏᚱᚨᛁᚾ ᚠᛟᚱ ᚹᚺᚨᛏ ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᚠᛖᛖᛚ ᛚᛁᚴᛖ ᚨ ᛚᛁᚠᛖᛏᛁᛗᛖ, ᛒᚢᛏ ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᛟᚾᛚᚤ ᛒᛖ ᛗᛖᚱᛖ ᛗᛁᚾᚢᛏᛖᛋ. ᛏᚱᚨᛁᚾ ᚹᛁᛏᚺ ᛗᚤ ᚹᛁᚾᚷᛋ, ᚨᚾᛞ ᛚᛖᚨᛞ ᚷᚱᚤᛈᚺᛟᚾᚾᛖ ᛟᚢᛏ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛋᚺᚨᛞᛟᚹᛋ ᛟᚠ ᚹᚨᚱ, ᚨᚾᛞ ᛒᚨᚲᚴ ᛁᚾᛏᛟ ᛗᚤ ᛚᛁᚷᚺᛏ. ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᛗᚤ ᚺᚨᚾᛞ." the god instructed her.

Epheria stared at the hand for a long moment. The closer her hand drew to Icarius', the slower time around flowed. Then her hand fell into his much larger palm, and he took it. In the material world, the dark clouds above the mountain cleared outward as a ray of bright light pierced through and shined over the gatehouse. Epheria's corpse, ruined and broken, elevated from the mud and rose a hundred meters into the air. The fighting around the gatehouse stopped as all looked upon the ascending body. Then a lance of energy beamed down from the sun, carried along by the ray, and engulfed Epheria's body. The force of the sunbeam hitting her threw some onlookers off balance. The flash of light forced people to look away. But when it cleared, there hovered Epheria, resurrected by Icarius' glorious light. Great white wings flapped slowly, effortlessly keeping Epheria aloft in the sky as she looked down at her ruined city and dead countrymen. What was left of her torn clothing was been singed and burned at the edges. In one hand, she carried her fallen husband's sword, and in the other was a spear that any Gryphonnian would recognize as the Spear of Icarius as depicted in the ancient standing stones.

Epheria turned her glowing golden gaze to the mountainside as she saw the cavalry that had ran her down slamming into the back of the slave-soldiers just hundreds of meters before the Gryphon Roost. With a great beat of her wings, Epheria launched herself toward the invaders, the sun bouncing off of her pure white wings and gleaming gold in the orange sky. She alighted between the enemies and the roost and stood alone before the ever advancing cavalry. Not one knight made it past her. She was a whirlwind of strikes and fury as she crossed swords and pierced armor. Her wings allowed her to very quickly change her position and approach at unexpected angles. Those who knew Epheria before her ascension knew that she could hardly swing a fist to save her life, and yet here she was single-handedly fighting off the elite knights of Barallia.

When she was the last one standing, Epheria could hear the thunderous cheer of the Gryphon Knights in the roost behind her. They had returned to the roost to protect the young gryphons once the motive of their enemies became clear. Standing in the towers of the roost were great winged gryphons with plated knights saddled on their backs. They spread their great wings and roared triumphantly as their knight companions urged them to dive from their perches. Epheria took flight at the head of the Dive of Defiance. The counter-attack was fierce, the Knights of Gryphonne galvanized by the appearance of their new saint. Every foreign force that found themselves below the gryphon knights either surrendered or were mercilessly cut down by blade, beak, and claw. Years of oppression and hardship in this foreign war had inspired the vengeance of the Gryphonnian warriors. For every kilometer of their capital city liberated, more Gryphonnian soldiers rallied to the Dive of Defiance and to Saint Epheria.

In under an hour, Cloudsreach had been retaken. Following the battle, Saint Epheria lead the Knights of Gryphonne on a two year long campaign to drive off the forces of both greater nations. Every fortress they came across was easily defeated by the flying knights coming over the mountains. Once they were driven from Gryphonne, Epheria returned to Cloudsreach and was greeted by a thunderous applause. In her absence, statues had been erected in her honor, and she even found herself to be a sort of religious symbol for the Sunlight Ecclesium, Gryphonne's dominant religion which worshipped Icarius. With the war in Gryphonne over, Epheria turned her efforts toward rebuilding the war torn country. The king had died during the final battle of the war, but the people were quick to decide that Epheria should inherit the throne. She was the chosen of Icarius after all, and everyone knew her name from small child to grizzled old veteran. Epheria accepted her country's appointment.

Epheria has held her place upon the Throne of Gryphone ever since. New fortresses were established at the kingdom's borders, this time facing outwards, and people from all over the world have come to see a living saint with their own two eyes. Gryphonne has since become an economic and military powerhouse in its corner of the world, but since Epheria had ascended to the throne, the country has never gone to war since. It promotes a strict policy of neutrality and defense high up in the mountains. But now with the rise of a dark and ancient threat, Epheria must leave the peaks of Gryphonne for the first time in over a decade. She must, because once again, Icarius has spoken to her.

Equipment
Blade of Noblesser
The sword of her late husband, Knight-Captain Hieronymo Noblesser of the Knights of Gryphonne. It is a hand-and-a-half sword with a red hilt, ended in a golden pommel and crossguard. There is a luminous diamond inlaid into the center of the crossguard. The blade is magically enchanted to forever keep its keen edge.

Spear of Icarius
A legendary and fabled weapon crafted by the god Icarius himself. The spear manifested into form when Epheria was resurrected. The spear glows vibrantly in the day, and glows enough to be a source of light at night. The metal of the elongated blade-like speartip swirls with magical fire as though it were a piece of the sun. A strike by the spear of Icarius burns and can potentially ignite victims. Epheria can also fire a beam of sunfire from the spear from a distance.

Abilities
Wings of Icarius
Wings gifted to Epheria by the God of the Sun himself. They grant her the ability to fly.

Holy Magic
Epheria is quite knowledgeable in the arts of holy magic. This magic can be used in a number of different ways, though it is most commonly known to be used for healing or banishing unholy foes. Icarius has taught Epheria how to use solar magic as well, a sub-type of holy magic that channels the energy of the sun. Solar magic is usable only in the day.

Regiment: The Knights of Gryphonne

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More Images

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The Knights of Gryphonne

"Icarius demands vengeance!"

Number
250 Total

20 Flying Cavalry
Knight-Captains in full plate armor
Armed with spears, swords, and shields
Mounted on winged Great Gryphons, all of which are armored
Divided into four squadrons of five

80 Cavalry
72 Knights-Brothers in light plate armor
4 Knight-Captains in full plate armor
4 Knight-Sergeants in full plate armor
Armed with spears, swords, and shields
Mounted on wingless Demigryphs, captain and sergeant Demigryph's armored
Divided into four squadrons of twenty, one captain and one sergeant per squadron

100 Infantry
A combination of dismounted knights belonging to other knightly orders, squires, and regular Gryphonnian armsmen
Knight and squire equipment varies, armsmen armed with swords, spears, and longbows and protected by chainmail and padded leather

50 Support
Stablemasters, blacksmiths, cooks, quartermasters, administrators, spiritual leaders, medical staff, and war council all fall under this group

Specialization
The most notable trait of this regiment is their unique flying cavalry. Their ferocious gryphons allow the Knights of Gryphonne to outmaneuver most hostile forces. They are great for surprise raids. Despite their small numbers, the mobility and strength of the gryphons and demigryphs are a huge force multiplier in favor of the Knights of Gryphonne.

Due to their unique ability to take flight, the Knights of Gryphonne are exceptional in mountainous regions where the terrain is limiting for any ground based force. This also carries over onto any other hard or impassible terrain that most armies would circumvent, allowing for the Knights of Gryphonne to strike at exposed flanks and critical supply lines with ease.

Description
Knights of Gryphonne all wear the heraldry of their nation. Their gleaming armor is covered by a tabard of red and white lined in gold. Their emblem, a sun peaked mountain is centered on the chest of the tabard. Knight-Captains wear either bright red or bright white capes. Sergeants and up have winged helmets. Knights of Gryphonne wield hand-and-a-half swords with shields or cavalry spears with a longsword sidearm. In more recent history, some Knights of Gryphonne have begun to experiment with crossbows to be able to strike from the sky without ever swooping or landing.

The rank and file armsmen that support the Knights of Gryphonne are equipped in a standard fair of padded leather and chainmail, and they'll wield common martial weapons found in the regular forces of most armies. The padded leather makes the regular troops a muddy brown when amassed, but their shoulders bear the red and white colors of Gryphonne.

History
The Knights of Gryphonne are famous purely for the beasts they ride on. They are a small order of knights as the winged and highly intelligent Great Gryphons are difficult and rare to breed, and demigryphs are much more difficult to train because of their more feral nature. Due to the difficulty of breeding gryphons of any variety, those inducted into the chivalrous order are thoroughly vetted and they all often have a prior reputation. Most Knights of Gryphonne originally hail from many of the country's lesser knight houses, ones that are more akin to knightly houses of other parts of the world.

Before the Foreign War in Gryphonne, the Knights of Gryphonne would often march out to fight off hordes of orcs and goblins, hillman tribes, or encroaching nations trying to exploit the resources found within Gryphonne's mines. A handful of minor wars have given the Knights of Gryphonne a well respected reputation and an air of notoriety for their exotic tactics which make full use of their steeds' unique abilities. The Knights of Gryphonne are the country's pride and symbol of independence.

During the Foreign War, the Knights of Gryphonne set out to observe the battles of two greater nations to ensure their bloodshed and carnage wouldn't bring harm the Gryphonnian people. Unfortunately, the rich landscape of Gryphonne's lowland valleys and abundance of gold and precious stones in the mountains made Gryphonne a highly coveted stretch of land, and the knights would unfortunately be forced into defensive battles to keep the two larger nations from stealing their resources. The Foreign War led to the loss of nearly eighty percent of the knightly order, and even after twelve years of peace, the Knights of Gryphonne haven't been able to fully recuperate their numbers. Still, they are a proud order, and they are staunch protectors of independence and peace. Despite that, many have learned not to incur the wrath of the Knights of Gryphonne, lest they fall victim to vengeance from above.

Country

Gryphonne

A mountainous landscape situated in the western reaches of the continent. Gryphonne is still out of reach from the darkness for now, but already the country has begun to fortify and prepare for the impending doom. Luckily, the mountains serve as natural barriers, putting Gryphonne in an excellent position of defense. With impressive fortresses guarding the passes and entrances to the mountain roads, Gryphonne will stand in the darkness for a long time yet to come.

The people of Gryphonne are sturdy. Given the natural landscape, most Gryphonnians are adept climbers and miners. Those who grow up in the mountain valleys farm and provide wheat to the nation as a whole. Hunting is common in the wilds of Gryphonne, with many hunters resorting to falconry to find their quarrels. The high altitudes of the nation have made the people naturally resistant to biting colds, as the winters in Gryphonne are unforgiving and the storms are relentless. The people refer to Gryphonne as the Fatherland.

Their architecture consists mainly of stone harvested from their great rock quarries. The capital city, Cloudsreach, occupies the gentler slope of Gryphonne's largest mountain, Mount Icarion. Some portions of the city are even built into the mountain, and there is a sizeable undercity mostly inhabited by dwarves. Gryphonne has many tribes of savage hillmen that often raid the valley towns and villages. Goblins and other greenskins come out in the summer and spring seasons to raid at night.

As suggested by its name, Gryphonne is the home of the Gryphon, large apex predators that are a cross of large cats and birds of prey. The flying species of gryphons, Great Gryphons, are very rare and noble creatures. They possess a burning intelligence that is on par with humans. The more common demigryph is wingless and more feral. But their bestial nature does not mean they are stupid animals. On the contrary, Demigryphs are also quite intelligent, and they thrive in pack societies like wolves. Demigryphs are large and strong enough to be used as steeds as well, and they are often bred and rigorously trained by the Knights of Gryphonne.

The patron god of Gryphonnian society is Icarius, the God of the Sun and the Sky. The nation's church, known as the Sunlight Ecclesium, worship only Icarius. Their cloth of faith is red and gold, and they worship at midday when the sun is highest in the sky. The Summer Solstice marks the Gryphonnian New Year. The faith of the Sunlight Ecclesium reaches out to nearly seventy percent of the population, and those who don't necessarily worship still respect the Ecclesium and partake in their holidays.

Ruins of towns, cities, and fortresses dot Gryphonne's landscape. Remnants of the Foreign War which brought the country to the brink of collapse. Saint Epheria's emergence and following liberation of the country has since saved the country and returned it to a position of strength. Statues can be found all around the country of Gryphonne's living saint and ruling queen. Taverns and town centers are often occupied by bards singing tales of Saint Epheria's exploits.

Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

Are you still open for more characters? I'd love to join :D

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

I'll allow the now nerfed versions of the spells given except the curse of retribution. I hope you don't mind this but the concept of taking a part of a person's soul. Unlike the curse of the slavery given in the series this is merely a verbal, and sight aligned spells that essentially shaves off a part of an individual's soul and gives them a somewhat hard to get rid of curse effect that will just continuously effect them until its removed. More so it would be hard to work with beings that are feral, and thus have no mind and can't help to be evil such as some evil monsters who would just be in continuous discomfort up until they die. I just don't feel this specific spell matches the series lore, and there's also the chance a person a way to track someone to know if they are alive or not until death. Theoretically (not saying this would be used by Auriel on him) this could be used on someone like king Vincent and force them to act in a way they aren't comfortable doing less they be in some variation of pain. And what of a slave seller like the ones in melromarc? Do they just go bankrupt is the spell is used on them because for the most part being a slave is evil despite it being legal but frowned upon in the country.

@vancexentan

All fair points to bring up. Alrighty I'll leave that one out.

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Consecrate and Purify have been nerfed, and they have been renamed with the 'Lesser' prefix in front of them.

Curse of Retribution now requires the victim to hear all of the words being spoken to them to become cursed, in addition to needing to be within view of the speaker. If the words are interrupted, or line of sight is broken, the curse is rendered ineffective.

Removed Sunbreak

Added Holy Bolt, a simple offensive bolt of light that is extra effective against unholy enemies

Added a new Trait, Novice Swordsmanship, to better reflect that Auriel had trained with her skilled mother and learned new techniques. She is no capable of using a sword in combat now and being able to properly defend herself.