The Followers of the Hanged King are a group defined by their shared belief, allegiance, or connection to the Hanged King, and may include anyone from his direct lieutenants to people loosely affiliated with him. Members may or may not be from the New Moon, and may vary in their allegiance to the King or other followers of him.
The Shadar-Kai belong to this group by default, having been cast into the void after failing to conquer Estrodia.
History
The Great Betrayal
Thousands of years ago, the Shadar-Kai attempted to claim their place in Estrodia, rightfully asserting their position as the heralds of the next Cycle. They were betrayed and resisted by the Triumvirate of
The Expanse, who launched what would later be called the Great Betrayal, a massive and brutal war between the Shadar-kai and the alliance of old-world nations. In the end, the Triumvirate was victorious, successfully captured the Hanged King, and hanged him on the walls of his citadel, giving him his eternal title.
For thousands of years, followers would remain hidden in Estrodia, safeguarding the Godsoul Shards and awaiting the return of their King.
Summerhall Followers
In 1227, with the arrival of the New Moon, followers taking refuge in the ruined dungeon of Summerhall would begin abducting people from the nearby town of West Dale, imprisoning them in Summerhall before ritualistically sacrificing them in the name of the Hanged King. Why this was done is unclear, though could have something to do with the presence of the Death Stone in Summerhall. Among their victims were Bertrum and twenty other townsfolk, all hanged in the central ritual room. Moria and Umond were found imprisoned by the cult, but were rescued before they could be sacrificed.
Along with the Death Stone, the Summerhall Sect also safeguarded the Tome of Planeswalking, and it is this artifact that drew Team B to Summerhall. Upon their arrival, Team B infiltrated the cult's underground base and killed all of the present members. decimating the Summerhall Sect and learning the location of other significant Hanged King sites.
The Adaviel Coup Attempt
Upon the arrival of the New Moon, followers of the Hanged King retrieved the Asmodeus Stone and delivered it to
Annaeleth Adaviel, a powerful minister of
Ushana and a new follower of the King. Annaeleth was promised great power and the opportunity to dethrone her arch-rival,
Arvel Telavia, in exchange for her allegiance to the Hanged King, a deal she accepted gladly. Through various political moves and the help of almost her entire family, Annaeleth very nearly succeeded in her attempt to remove Arvel.
However, the arrival of Team B and their investigation into the charges levied against Arvel would prove the undoing of not just Annaeleth, but the entire Adaviel family. Culminating in a chaotic battle between the Ushanan military and the Adaviels' forces, Annaeleth ended up sacrificing her own innocent daughter to make her escape, a sacrifice that was ultimately meaningless. Annaeleth would die in her shrine to the King, erased from the world as a consequence of her failures.
Raeas and the Vanishing Army
Sometime before the assault on Summerhall, the void knight Raeas and his Vanishing Army would be released from their crypt by an unknown Warlock. Raeas immediately set out to secure the three Godsoul Shards, quickly learning of their theft by Team B and setting his sights on the trio. His hunt would lead him to the island of Linktree in search of Pruni Half-foot, and the island monastery was destroyed and pillaged by him and his men shortly after.
Raeas would encounter Team B directly in the village of Bellenau, having learned of the recent death of Annaeleth Adaviel and the theft of the Asmodeus Stone in
Solaris. Raeas attempted to capture the trio, successfully marking
Tungsten's arm with the Hanged King's brand, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Continuing his hunt, Raeas would attempt to infiltrate
Dabreiya to learn what the trio had done there, but was unable to enter the nation due to the technological prowess of the Orcs that live there.
The Ostrad Dome
After being stolen by the Saffon brothers, the Tyr Stone was damaged and locked the city of Ostrad in time. Raeas assumed the stone would be safe while he secured the others, but was alerted to the presence of Team B when they rang the Trial Bell in the Crypt of the Vanishing Army. Upon realizing they were after the stone, Raeas turned his attention to them, making haste for Ostrad.
Raeas would intercept the trio on their way back from Croton, having secured the artifacts they would need to enter the city. He attempted to wave them off from the stone peacefully, but was unsuccessful. The next day, he again intercepted them, this time inside the Ostrad Dome. After a brutal fight to the stone, Raeas was flung from the city inside the destroyed head of the purple worm Monogaro, and failed to stop Team B from retrieving the stone and escaping through a portal to Ushana.
Structure
The Shadar-Kai
The bulk of the Hanged King's subjects are the exiled race of Shadar-Kai that were denied their rightful position as heralds of the next cycle. These Shadar-Kai have been deeply affected by their time confined to the Void, and some have been reduced to almost pure Void beings akin to shadows. Some, like Raeas, retain most of their mortal forms, and constitute the bulk of the Hanged King's forces. The vast majority of the Shadar-Kai reside on the New Moon.
Followers
The Hanged King's supporters in Estrodia consist primarily of disorganized cult cells who exist independetly of one another. Some are more traditional cult cells made of multiple members, like the Summerhall Sect, while others are singular powerful worshippers, like Annaeleth Adaviel.
Void Entities
Though their exact nature is unknown, a number of Void entities have been connected to the Hanged King and seem to be aligned with his goals. The most significant of these are the creatures created by the Eclipse, which consist entirely of Void shadow and are only present in Ushana during an eclipse caused by the New Moon. Similar to these Eclipse beings are the Void Knights, golems given life by Void-touched souls. These knights are not restricted to an eclipse and wear considerable armor, though if it is peeled away and the Void essence within is exposed, the golem is incredibly vulnerable to sunlight and radiant magic. The only known instance of one of these knights is
Sirily Adaviel, who was transformed into one by her mother, Annaeleth.
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