Nithra-Dante
The Nithra-Dante protects against the ancient evil known as the Morsindari or, more commonly, as the Dark Elves who plot to destroy Humanity and all on the surface world.
Nithra-Dante is Elven for Night Sentinels. However, its members are more often referred to as Rangers.
Structure
The Nithra-Dante has an informal structure and mostly consisting of humans with a few Elves and Half-Elves. In the past, the membership has even included Dwarves.
Grandmaster
Ruumion, a 200-year-old Half-Elf Mage, and one of Pengellaure's children lead the Nithra-Dante. He is based at the Kaldorian Lodge but spends at least half a year visiting the Order's other Lodges.
Lodgemaster
There are 4 Lodgemasters. Each is responsible for running operations in their region. They meet once per year at one of the Lodges.
Rangers
The rangers are recruited from skilled warriors from all walks of life. Members include sons and daughters of nobles, commoners, and members of nearby barbarian tribes. More than a few clerics and arcanists have also joined.
Support Staff
The Order employs a wide range of trusted support staff. These include researchers, weapon crafters, hunters, merchants, thieves, and mages. Many are friends and relatives of members of the Order.
The Founder
The Orders founder Pengellaure frequently visits Lodges offering support and advice but has no involvement in the day to day operations.
Resourcing
Funds and resources are supplied covertly by the Kingdom of Melderyn and individuals within both the Dwarven and Elven society.
Assets
The Order is based out of four Lodges, each being small self-sufficient forts.
The Midnight Lodge
This Lodge is located in the Kingdom of Kaldor and is the base of operations of the Grandmaster Ruumion.
The Yael Lodge
Located in the far north, in Jarin Bay. This is the most secure of the Lodges and has been attacked twice by the minions of the Morsindari. Membership is mostly a tense collection of carefully selected Jarin and Ivinian warriors plus a few green-skinned Anoa Barbarians.
The Twilight Lodge
This Lodge is continuously threatened by the local Pagaelin Barbarian tribes.
The Lodge of the Shadows
This Lodge has the strong historical support of the nearby Kubora Barbarian tribes. The Tribes have blamed the disappearance of many children on the "Dark Ones".
Lodges have a complement of around 50 Rangers however, usually half, or more are on assignment at any one time.
Each Lodge is located within a few days travel from a Barasi Points. Grandmaster Ruumion and a few other members of the Order have the psionic talent to use these magical portals.
History
683BT - After the Battle of Sorrows King Aranath abdicated his rule over Hârn. Not all the Elves accepted this decision. Gwydriel leads a large band of followers and eventually forming the Morsindari or Dark Elves. The Morsindari continued to wage war on humans, often resorting to dark magics to achieve their goals. This included experimentation on human children.
400BT - Appalled by these events Gwydriel's cousin Pengellaure, a wise and powerful Mage, asked King Aranath to intervene. The King was unwilling, so Pengellaure formulated his plan. He created an Order of Rangers, called Nithra-Dante, dedicated to protecting Humanity from the schemes of the Morsindari. Members included the sons and daughters of noble families, including many of his half-elf children, of which he had many. They waged constant war on the Dark Elves.
270TR - The Morsindari begin experimentation on Orcs. They prove to be useful and brutal slaves. Some of the Order suspect that the dark elves have directed Orc swarms on human and dwarven settlements.
551TR - The Order numbers were dwindling, so it decided to recruit commoners and members of the barbarian nations. This reinvigorated the Order, and it has since grown strong despite periodic bloody clashed with the Dark Elves and their minions. Several times over the last century, a Lodge has been destroyed, and the rangers brutally massacred.
723TR - The Nithra-Dante considers setting up a new Lodge in Northern Rethem. A preliminary force of 10 rangers investigating a location for the lodge were massacred by the Morsindari. Refer Session 149 - Spiders of Doom.
Comments