Exemplaris
Structure
Though their are many seemingly independant branches, they are all under one umbrella. They are one unit, just with many departments. One group with decentralized command. One goal, many methods. Each chapter is structured as part of one of the various Cults of the Ascended. They each fit in a different area of expertise within the overall stated goals of the Exemplaris, and the bridging mission statment. Their sects are covered briefly later in this writing.
Culture
Though each chapter has its own loyalties to its homeland and peoples, overall the culture of the Exemplaris is as one embracing faith with function. They hold their faith as a tool, a weapon, a shield, but it does not dictate to them in every action they take. They are, by and large, pragmatic, with a confidence born of their shared heritage within the group.
They see each other as brother and sister, a very insular group, one that you do not just simply 'join', but one where you must earn respect and prove you belong through deeds, not words.
They are aware of their value militarily, yet that does not matter. An Exemplaris cannot be ordered to abandon his or her countrymen no matter how hopeless the situation. Once deployed in such a manner as to defend innocents, no matter whom gives the order, they will not abandon or retreat from that fight. They will turn the tide and save lives, or die heroically trying.
We serve the Ascended and in their light, we know no fear!; this quote says it all for how they feel about death, or even torture. They are indoctrinated, trained well past the breaking point for most people. They are molded, shaped into an elite caste of holy warriors meant to embody the very spirit of Valerick from that long gone age of heroes, the Ascended Champions and their people whom stood before the hordes of Madness, the true Avatars of Sin, and broke them.
Many develop, as one might expect, a bit of a dark sense of humor. Almost callous, one might say. But one should not confuse this coping mechanism with their actual beliefs or behaviors.
A healthy respect for their elders exists as well, culturally this is seen as a vital part of being an Exemplaris. Because age is directly tied to experience among the Exemplaris. If you are still alive and serving in your fifties? That speaks volumes to your skill, your knowledge and of course, the stuff you've likely seen.
They see each other as brother and sister, a very insular group, one that you do not just simply 'join', but one where you must earn respect and prove you belong through deeds, not words.
They are aware of their value militarily, yet that does not matter. An Exemplaris cannot be ordered to abandon his or her countrymen no matter how hopeless the situation. Once deployed in such a manner as to defend innocents, no matter whom gives the order, they will not abandon or retreat from that fight. They will turn the tide and save lives, or die heroically trying.
We serve the Ascended and in their light, we know no fear!; this quote says it all for how they feel about death, or even torture. They are indoctrinated, trained well past the breaking point for most people. They are molded, shaped into an elite caste of holy warriors meant to embody the very spirit of Valerick from that long gone age of heroes, the Ascended Champions and their people whom stood before the hordes of Madness, the true Avatars of Sin, and broke them.
Many develop, as one might expect, a bit of a dark sense of humor. Almost callous, one might say. But one should not confuse this coping mechanism with their actual beliefs or behaviors.
A healthy respect for their elders exists as well, culturally this is seen as a vital part of being an Exemplaris. Because age is directly tied to experience among the Exemplaris. If you are still alive and serving in your fifties? That speaks volumes to your skill, your knowledge and of course, the stuff you've likely seen.
Public Agenda
As stated they each have their own agenda within their country, though Exemplaris generally will not fight each other in times past, in the last five decades, this has begun to change, with these troops taking part in the occasional skirmish. As they've grown, that iron loyalty to church and the Valarian people as a whole has been diluted a bit, replaced with some level of national loyalty, and a willingness to engage as such. But it is still highly uncommon.
The main agenda for the entire organization as a whole is simple however. Stand against the Void, push back and wipe out the Children of Madness wherever they are found, and protect the Valarian people as a whole.
The main agenda for the entire organization as a whole is simple however. Stand against the Void, push back and wipe out the Children of Madness wherever they are found, and protect the Valarian people as a whole.
Assets
Given their ties to all the major accepted churches, along with major ties to their respective nation's militarys, their asset list is quite extensive, and not worth really trying to list all here.
History
The Exemplaris, or their precursors, were formed as a direct response to the aftermath of Age of Torment, the concept concieved after the Draconic Wars, to hear most churches tell it, but not formally organized in full under their current forms until the Abyssal Sundering and the aftermath, through the long Wars of Reclaimation era. They were born of faith and necessity, to deal with a cataclysmic age, and to otherwise combat the ever present threat of the various Children of Madness.
Mythology & Lore
They are taught the ancient secrets of the Void intrusions, and the long forgotten truth of the Draconic Wars. They understand, unlike many, that the Void, the Ruined Ones are an omnipresent threat that is never truly going to go away. It is eternal, and ever hungry. All that can be done is to contain it. This is their purpose and their understanding of the situation and their duties. They learn the truth of the Draconic Wars, the truth of how even the ancient Primordial beings, the first children of Creation, fell prey to the insidious temptations, some of them anyway. They learn the truth that Dragons fought Dragons, we were merely bit players, foot soldiers. They learn all this to provide that warning. If the forgers of our world could fall to this taint, you are easy prey. So you must be ever vigiliant!
Divine Origins
The Exemplaris orders as a whole, hold their existence to the Abyssal Sundering, and the wars for reclaimation. This is what forged them. The horrors and nightmares from a realm of eternal suffering and darkness. The Void, the broken sins, the twisted images of our cultures, of us, given dark life. This is what they are and who they are. This is the reason for their existence. To fight back. To be our shield, our swords, our protectors and saviors. They are a religious order borne of history. The things they are meant to fight, we know damn well they are real. So yes they are of faith. They are of religion. It gives them strength of mind to face down the things they must. Whatever it takes to do the job. If faith works, then you use faith. Clearly, faith worked.
Tenets of Faith
We are the blades, the bombs, the bullets and the shields of Valerick. We are the ones whom go towards the danger, whom seek the fight. We are the ones whom make the hunters become the hunted. We serve no country, though we hold loyalty to our homes. We serve no lords, though we respect their laws. We serve no people, though we protect them all, we do not answer to their commands. We serve the Ascended, though we hold faith to one, we answer to all. We serve the faith, the belief, the great truth that Valerick is ours, is for the Children of the Ascended, the seven races, the seven peoples, the nine nations strong and just. We serve the Ascended, and in their light we hunt the darkness. We serve the Ascended and in their light, we know no fear!
Vow of the Exemplaris, first paragraph, before your chapter oath.
Ethics
The Exemplaris are ancient holy orders tied to each Ascended and their faith. They are elite warriors, masters of combat or magic, or sometimes both. They come in a variety of subgroups, but their overall mission is the same. Protect the innocent, the unknowing from the evils dark and hidden. Destroy the monster. Slay the terror beasts, break the will and grip of the heretic. Slaughter unrelentingly the Children of Madness, the Beasts of the Blackness. Run not in fear, and vanquish the Nightmare, Night Terror, or Avatar of Sin with the blade, bomb, bullets, blessings or magicks. Whatever will destroy them is what you use on this most holy mission. You are the defenders of civilization, the ultimate warrior or military operative within your homeland. You are the breakers of the grips of Madness, the vanquisher of Nightmares. The light in the dark when all hope seems lost. That is what it means to be Exemplaris. That is what it means to be a champion.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Their direct political influence is almost none, as they are forbidden from holding any sort of office, and even within their church and faith, they can hold no offical membership to any order of Cloth, Book or Blade. They are almost a subset, outside the official church, but blessed and ordained by them. As such, though their direct political influence is next to none, they hold great sway by proxy, due to their ties to the high ranking members of their religion, and the fact that they answer directly to their respective faiths, and only indirectly to their home country's political leadership.
Sects
Storm Lancers; Established within the church of Sir Kartheart in Suranth, serving as the 2nd Brigade of the Suranthi armed forces, their area of expertise and their particular skill set and training is that of heavy cavalry, shock troops. They specialize in fighting Greenskins and their ilk, more specifically in breaking hordes of such foes.
Wyldemasters; Established within the church of Talia in Depenwood, serving as the 4th Brigade of the Depen Armed forces, their area of expertise is magic and guerilla war-fare, move fast strike fast tactics. They specialize in combating Fell Fey and their allies
Wolfsguard; Established within the church of Boran the Bloodhound in Raechin, serving as the 1st Brigade of the Raechi Armed Forces, their area of expertise lies in small group tactics, skirmish warfare. They specialize in combating the dreaded Damn-Kin and their allies.
Crimson Dragoons; Established within the church of Feyheart in Rohara, serving as the 1st Brigade in the Roharan Armed Forces, their area of expertise is that of versatile cavalry engagements, that is light on their mounts, able to harry, harass and dictate pace. They specialize in combating the monstrous Joten and their ilk.
Draconis; Established within the church of Deat-Ka in Kang-Chorath, serving as the 5th Brigade in the Chorathian Armed Forces, they are one of the more secretive of the Exemplaris orders, and seem to have no real speciality in how they recruit, train or in whom they combat. They seem to take a very generalist approach, one based on magick
Dicemen; Established within the church of Varis Tomain in Susma, serving as the 11th Brigade of the Susmain Armed Forces. They specialize in large scale engagements, particularly the arts of holding or taking an entrenched position. They specialize in combating the vicious, but disorganized, Bestials and their kin.
Sky-Riders; Established within the church of Vosana Falconhand in Valewyr, serving as the 8th Brigade in the Valewyrian Armed Forces, they specialize in the art of unconventional engagements. Their speciality is in destroying the Restless Dead and things of that nature.
Razorfins; Established within the Church of Captain Black Jeremiah in Mora, serving as the 2nd Morian Fleet, they specialize in naval war-fare, and specifically are experts in handling the likes of the Scaled Folk and their kindred.
Devil Dogs; Established within the Church of Cormaq Thunderhand in Waston, serving as the 3rd Brigade in the Wastonian Armed forces, they specialize in the art of technological war-fare. They don't generally train for a specific foe, instead utilizing different tools/weapons as appropriate for the enemy. Versatility is their calling card.
Wyldemasters; Established within the church of Talia in Depenwood, serving as the 4th Brigade of the Depen Armed forces, their area of expertise is magic and guerilla war-fare, move fast strike fast tactics. They specialize in combating Fell Fey and their allies
Wolfsguard; Established within the church of Boran the Bloodhound in Raechin, serving as the 1st Brigade of the Raechi Armed Forces, their area of expertise lies in small group tactics, skirmish warfare. They specialize in combating the dreaded Damn-Kin and their allies.
Crimson Dragoons; Established within the church of Feyheart in Rohara, serving as the 1st Brigade in the Roharan Armed Forces, their area of expertise is that of versatile cavalry engagements, that is light on their mounts, able to harry, harass and dictate pace. They specialize in combating the monstrous Joten and their ilk.
Draconis; Established within the church of Deat-Ka in Kang-Chorath, serving as the 5th Brigade in the Chorathian Armed Forces, they are one of the more secretive of the Exemplaris orders, and seem to have no real speciality in how they recruit, train or in whom they combat. They seem to take a very generalist approach, one based on magick
Dicemen; Established within the church of Varis Tomain in Susma, serving as the 11th Brigade of the Susmain Armed Forces. They specialize in large scale engagements, particularly the arts of holding or taking an entrenched position. They specialize in combating the vicious, but disorganized, Bestials and their kin.
Sky-Riders; Established within the church of Vosana Falconhand in Valewyr, serving as the 8th Brigade in the Valewyrian Armed Forces, they specialize in the art of unconventional engagements. Their speciality is in destroying the Restless Dead and things of that nature.
Razorfins; Established within the Church of Captain Black Jeremiah in Mora, serving as the 2nd Morian Fleet, they specialize in naval war-fare, and specifically are experts in handling the likes of the Scaled Folk and their kindred.
Devil Dogs; Established within the Church of Cormaq Thunderhand in Waston, serving as the 3rd Brigade in the Wastonian Armed forces, they specialize in the art of technological war-fare. They don't generally train for a specific foe, instead utilizing different tools/weapons as appropriate for the enemy. Versatility is their calling card.
We serve the Ascended, and in their light we hunt the darkness. We serve the Ascended and in their light, we know no fear!
Founding Date
611
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Comments