PREYING UPON THE WEAK ❂
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Foundation of the Elite
By 1033AB Silvanus had established himself within the Scarlet Knights. His rank positioned him as one of the leading members of espionage and assassination. The Scarlet Knights were not merely just a faction of the Father’s Sword; they were something else entirely. Founded in 481AB, the Order of the Scarlet Knights was roughly 552 years old. Established by the Three Wings, they functioned as the private army of the War Sage. Their existence was considered a secret. To anyone else they were merely high ranking members of the Father’s Sword. This is why they preferred more remote locations to conduct their training and operations — the less people saw, the less suspicious they were.
Within the Order there were multiple roles, positions and ranks. For centuries the Scarlet Knights had been responsible for most of Dharen’Rhylo’s technological advancements. They were very adept at procuring information from foreign countries and repurposing it. Individuals within the Order were more suited for certain tasks than others. Silvanus fit comfortably into the roles which demanded stealth and an expertise in ruthless murder. When the Blood Wolf was called upon it was always a very serious matter. The target needed to be killed and done so discretely or brutally depending on the nature of the mission.
Silvanus took great pleasure in his work and his record was impeccable. The only complaint he ever received was that he was impossible to work with. He wasn’t a team player and preferred to take on tasks his way and no other. His superiors were well aware of this. Those were the traits which made Raven Blood so invaluable to them. Silvanus wasn’t a surgical knife: small, careful, and best used only when needed — no. Silvanus was the Order’s battle axe: large, extremely sharp, and used to inflict tremendous damage at an arm’s reach.
His services were often put to use for assassinating dangerous threats to the state. A viable one man army, the Blood Wolf gained a reputation for quickly killing his prey. This is what made him such a desirable choice for the Three Wing’s newest pet project: The Crimson Elite. For several years the high council of Dharen’Rhylo kept a close eye on the colony of Selnia. They felt it was only a matter of time before the colony’s leadership would collapse. Already unrest had been stirring within the citizens. The colonists only need to realize that Dharen’Rhylo had overextended their resources. It has been a nightmare trying to reinforce the Colonial Establishment throughout the decade. There was little else they could do.
The pending collapse forced the council to consider reacquiring the colony were the government to finally fall. It would be too costly to invest into a large army to send overseas. A fleet of ships needed to be prepared; men trained, geared and fed; supply lines stocked and established; and a political miracle to avoid another full blown war. The problems with the Selnia Colony derived from the fact that it was a joint affair among many countries — most of which were not too friendly with Dharen’Rhylo. The only reason they agreed to the pact in the first place was to share in the Ahri’s resources as the treaty outlined.
This fiasco started when the imported resources from Selnia were behind schedule. Dharen’Rhylo pleaded with the Colonial Establishment to change their policies to ensure the production increased; however, Frederick Khrane, the Colonial Governor, saw to it that the rights were stripped from those not native to Dharen’Rhylo. While it did increase productivity by transforming the colonists into cheap slave labor, it also created the unrest that threatened to swallow the colony whole.
The Three Wings feared that if they were to launch a fleet to Selnia, the other countries invested in the colony’s growth would react negatively. Politically, the information regarding Selnia was often misleading. Corrupt officials controlling the Colonial Establishment were sending false reports to their superiors. Furthermore, firsthand accounts shedding light on the true state of the colony were hard to comeby. The Colonial Establishment had an iron grip on the transport of goods and supplies in and out of the peninsula. Individuals who were suspected of relaying unsanctioned information were killed on the spot.
The Scarlet Knights were extremely proficient at smuggling precious information — resulting in Dharen’Rhylo knowing far more of the state of Selnia than the rest of the world. Were they to approach other countries, such as Ahri, with information conflicting with their reports it would cause even greater political friction. The relationship between Dharen’Rhylo and Ahri was already treading on thin ice. Dharen’Rhylo needed to be discrete. The current state of the colony was an embarrassment. Even if the government didn’t collapse, they’d need to usurp the Colonial Establishment to regain order. Either way they needed a plan to resolve the problem before other countries interfered.
The resources from the Selnia Colony were too precious to lose. Letting the colony fall and default its control to another country or become independent wasn’t an option. Dharen’Rhylo needed to retain its share on the resource shipments, and if possible increase them.
Enter the Crimson Elite: a group conceived by the War Sage of the Three Wings to eliminate the leadership controlling Selnia, whichever leadership it may be when the team arrives. Objectives were simple: regain of the colony; reestablish the Colonial Agenda Pact; ensure Dharen’Rhylo is favored in the new guidelines; and oversee new supply lines importing goods to Dharen’Rhylo. The Three Wings felt that a team of twelve high ranking Scarlet Knights were more than capable of completing those objectives. When they agreed upon the number, they submitted their list of names of those who they desired to oversee the selection process.
They needed someone capable of measuring a Knight’s physical and metal worth. The War Sage would have the final say in the selection process, but they needed someone to do the groundwork. A small handful of names were chosen as potential candidates for the task; one of which was the Blood Wolf. Shortly after Silvanus was given summons to report to Alexandretta, the capital of the Father’s Sword and the headquarters of the War Sage. He was ordered to report to the High Templar Academy for review. There the War Sage was to inspect him and the other candidates in person.
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The Crimson Elite ❂ [1034AB]
By 1034AB Silvanus had arrived in the military capital of Dharen’Rhylo, Alexandretta. Never had he visited the High Templar Academy, but even he could see that it was exceptionally busy. It appeared as though Dharen’Rhylo was preparing for war as Alexandretta housed a mass of soldiers. Those within the Father’s Sword knew that the War Sage was planning something. Yet it was unclear what, but it wasn’t war.
The soldiers were amassed for numerous reasons. One of which was to begin the process of selecting the best marksmen. Very recently Annatha Ahri, the brilliant daughter of the Ahri who defected to Dharen’Rhylo, had brought with her the means to give the Father’s Sword a new edge. Only a privileged few were given that information and Silvanus was among them. He was presented with what they called the Sharp-Bolter. He had little experience with bolters, but he was assured by Annatha that it was the most advanced bolter in the world and that it used a new type of ballistics propellant she called Infernite.
The War Sage enlisted the aid of Scarlet Knights such as Grydis Angelus, also known as the White Bear, to determine the effectiveness of the weapon. While Silvanus did not yet meet him, he was informed of his efforts to grade the weapon and find those capable of quickly mastering it. Among the soldiers were other high ranking Scarlet Knights that the War Sage desired to review. The leader of the Crimson Elite had yet to be chosen. And Silvanus was due for his evaluation.
The appointed War Sage, Xander Mordo VII, has been in power for more than thirty years. Unlike the supreme leader of Dharen’Rhylo, the Val’dharen, who was elected from all three divisions of the council — the War Sage was appointed by the military alone. Alongside the Archduke and the High Archbishop, the War Sage was the most powerful position in Dharen’Rhylo. His word stood even above the Val’dharen, who was a powerless figurehead. Silvanus had little choice but to bow to him and respect him. Raven Blood saw to it that Silvanus practically worshiped the War Sage like a god.
Xander informed Silvanus of the state of the Selnia Colony. That was the first time Silvanus ever heard of the colony, but that didn’t distract him. The past few months proved to be troublesome for the War Sage. The Colonial Establishment had gone rogue. Imported goods were no longer being shipped to their destinations. Neighboring countries blamed Dharen’Rhylo of diverting resources to their ports. But not even Dharen’Rhylo received the scheduled shipments. It was clear to the War Sage that the colony was diverting resources to an alternate party for the profit of the Colonial Establishment
Furthermore, the contacts within the colony had gone missing: making information very difficult to acquire. All of this information was kept secret. The only reason why Silvanus was made privy to it was because of his rank and status. Xander continued to inform him of the role that was needed. The mission he planned required a very different kind of assassin; as a matter of fact, a whole team of them. The team needed to be small and fast. The leader of the team needed to be capable of making quick decisions that would shape the outcome of the colony.
The War Sage demanded only the best and nothing less. He had been reviewing the Blood Wolf’s performance. Silvanus had an exceptional record; he was the successor of Raven Blood — who was known for his swift decisions and cutthroat nature; he was a capable hunter and knew how to hide in plain sight; and he was a vicious fighter and good judge of the physical form. The War Sage wanted to dictate the plan and the orders, but he needed someone to choose the candidates.
Silvanus was on the top of his list, primarily due to his connections with Raven Blood. Unfortunately time was running short for the War Sage. He anticipated that the colony would collapse any day. The citizens were not likely to withstand the conditions they were suffering for much longer. The collection of soldiers in Alexandretta was necessary to shape the team. Silvanus was ordered to begin making his own personal selections. While Silvanus was not given direct leadership of the Crimson Elite just yet, the War Sage wished for him to consider candidates as though he was.
All members of the Scarlet Knights were at his disposal for examination. Every single one of them had been summoned to Alexandretta for this purpose alone. Silvanus understood and accepted his task. Shortly after the meeting with the War Sage, the Blood Wolf proceeded to carry out his orders.
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The High Templar Academy was bustling with activity. Among many of the affairs, Silvanus carefully analyzed all of the Scarlet Knights. There were no volunteers. The War Sage gave him all of the guidelines he needed. Silvanus was to choose ten individuals and flesh out his team. The twelfth and final member of the team was already preordained, but not even Silvanus knew who it was.
The Blood Wolf had a very imposing air about him. Those who he inspected found themselves very uncomfortable in his presence. He figured that was why the War Sage chose him. Even Grydis Angelus was made very uneasy beneath the Blood Wolf’s looming shadow. The highly skilled War Priest was incapable of measuring up to Silvanus’ standards, but then again few could.
The ten that were chosen shared many traits with Silvanus. Not quite his spitting image, but all of them were the fruit that did not fall far from his tree. The War Sage ordered the best assassins that the Scarlet Knights had to offer, and the Blood Wolf delivered. They were a ruthless collection of dirty, underhanded bastards that got to the top by killing those under them: the perfect pack for the Blood Wolf to run with.
When Silvanus provided his list to the War Sage, he was suddenly presented with unexpected news. Informants had finally reported about the state of the Selnia Colony. According to the report, the Colonial Establishment had been dissolved. The Selnia Colony was under the control of its citizens. The informant was one of many who had been imprisoned by the former Governor. He, along with his colleges, was presented with a message that the citizens of Selnia wanted to relay:
“We’re free now and we intend to remain that way. Selnia declares its independence from the countries of Eht’Moriah. We hail to no flag other than our own. We will no longer be exporting goods for the benefit of other countries. We intend to establish ourselves as a free nation. Do not return to Selnia unless you wish to negotiate terms for trade.”
As the War Sage predicted, the Selnia Colony had fallen out of Dharen’Rhylo’s control. The preparation time had to be moved ahead of schedule. In an expedited effort to regain control of the colony, the War Sage appointed Silvanus as leader of the Crimson Elite. Naturally Silvanus was taken aback by the swiftness of the declaration, but he accepted his duty and proceeded to submit his finalized list.
The War Sage had planned every step thoroughly. He explained that the brilliant Annatha Ahri was to accompany the team as its twelfth member. He instructed Silvanus that she was to be second in command despite her overall lack of military experience — as her and her Infernite were integral to the mission’s success. She knew how the substance worked and would oversee its placement when the time came. Silvanus was to ensure her safety above all else.
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The Plot to Re-Take Selnia Colony
Phase 1
Arrive in Selnia Colony and assess the situation without being seen. Silvanus and his team were charged with the duty of identifying those currently in control of the colony. The leadership may have passed to the people but there were always leaders among them. Once identified, the second phase would begin.
Phase 2
Throughout the colony resided key locations in which people gathered. Churches were often an ideal location. As the year would come to a close, the winter solstice would provide a perfect opportunity to use the Infernite to create chaos. Weeks before the Blessed Departure (Formally the Blessed Parturition), the ritual winter solstice holiday, the team was to position quantities of Infernite within or beneath each of the colonial churches. The Infernite was to be shipped with the team and offloaded to a safe position until all of it was relocated. Annatha was given charge of the Infernite and would determine the proper quantity for each target.
Phase 3
When each of the churches were primed with quantities of Infernite, Annatha and other key members were to ignite them simultaneously during the holiday services. This would create a chaotic environment. While casualties were expected, Annatha assured that they would be minimal. During the confusion, Silvanus and his team were to eliminate the current leaders of the colony.
Phase 4
With colonial leaders dead, order needed to be quickly re-established. Using Sharp-Bolters, various members of the team would position themselves at high points throughout the colony. This would provide cover fire for Silvanus and Annatha to inform the colonists that the leadership would be changing hands back to Dharen’Rhylo. The Sharp-Bolters were available if there was expected retaliation. But it would be up to Annatha to assure the colonists that a functional government will see to their needs accordingly.
Phase 5
Send word back to Dharen’Rhylo that the colony is under control once more. Political envoys would then venture to the colony to rebuild a more stabilized government that everyone would benefit from.
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A Wolf in Ruin ❂ [1034AB]
All that remained for Silvanus and his Crimson Elite was to complete their training and to proceed with the plan. Their vessel was arranged to arrive at the colony at the beginning of the last month of the year. They would have twenty days to complete the first two phases of the plan. Barrel after barrel of Infernite was loaded onto their ship. The biggest risk they faced was the volatile substance exploding before they arrived. Only the Crimson Elite were aware of the risk. The crew had no idea what the barrels contained and were oblivious to the danger throughout the entire journey.
The team was on schedule and proceeded with their plan. Once they arrived in Selnia, they blended in with the community and positioned themselves in a small building near the port. The structure had been procured prior to their arrival. It was chosen because it had an underground hold, which provided a perfect location to store the shipment of Infernite. Their investigation continued and they located each of the key leaders of the colony. Meanwhile, Annatha Ahri spent her time scoping out the local churches and working out the math for the quantity of Infernite she needed for each.
Silvanus kept himself occupied by identifying and marking multiple positions throughout the small city. Despite his imposing figure, he did not draw any suspicions to himself. Like the rest of the team he wore simple clothes and did not carry any weapons. He merely marked everything with his mind and later provided the information to Annatha, who kept a detailed record.
Everything went rather smoothly. The team utilized their skills to an exceptional degree and the churches were primed and ready ahead of schedule. So the team waited patiently for the holiday. They prepared by positioning weapons in key locations, double checking the ignition devices that Annatha designed, and finally suiting up into their signature crimson colored robes in the early hours.
That day there was a very light layer of snow on the ground like powdered sugar. The people were especially excited and wore a cheery demeanor as they made their way to the churches in droves. Entire families came. Men, women, and children packed into the churches and began to sing the hymns that gave them so much joy. Silvanus kept out of sight. His target was spotted moving into one of the larger churches in the center of town. He kept his robes hidden under another layer of warm winter clothing as he found shelter in a stable across the street.
Like him, the other members of the team found their targets and equivalent positions of opportunity. Silvanus quietly waited for his moment. He spent his time fashioning his hands with his signature claws. Things were going to be very chaotic, and he felt he needed their protection more than ever. The team agreed to ignite the Infernite as the bell of the central church chimed. It began to ring at the top of the hour, singing out the morning song as the holiday services began.
On the fifth strike of the bell Annatha and other team members ignited the charges at each of the five churches. By the time the bell tolled its last – an earth shattering roar broke through the air and violently exploded in all directions. All five of the churches vanished — replaced by a black pillar of mud, wood, and body parts that shot high into the sky. Silvanus was suddenly thrown off his feet and slammed through the stable wall as the building groaned. The pressure of the blast left him gasping for breath and his ears ringing.
But before he could think to regain his composure, the building started to crack. Even with swift reactions he could not escape. Wood rained down before it all came crashing around him. In the darkness he could hear the screams of the people. He clawed at the wood and flexed his great muscles. He used every ounce of his strength to pull himself from the wreckage. But as he did so felt the dust and dirt rain down from the heavens.
Quickly he assessed the situation. But as he did so smaller explosions cracked throughout the city. That was not part of the plan. Suddenly fire roared from one building another and rapidly jumped to the more as the wind picked up. Silvanus gathered himself, but felt a laboring pain in his left leg. Upon further inspection a thick piece of wood had driven through his calf. Blood soaked into his trousers and boot. He pried it out and limped through the street. The chaos he saw was not the chaos he anticipated.
He looked at the church as his eyes feverishly scanned for his target. But there was no church. Instead there was a deep hole in the earth. It looked as though the entire building was swallowed whole. The structures that flanked it were entirely unrecognizable: broken in upon themselves and fallen at an awkward slant away from the crater. He was expecting to see people running in the streets, but he didn’t see any. Instead he saw mounds of dead littered throughout the roadway. Most of which were entirely unrecognizable: just bloody red chunks of human flesh.
Without a target to seek, he thought of the next stage of the plan. His mind whirled as he tried to think of what to do next. He fell back to the position where Annatha was to be waiting. But when he arrived she wasn’t there. He couldn’t find any of the team. Still wracked with pain, his calf begged him for mercy. He bound the wound to stifle the bleeding and kept searching the city. But the fire raged rapidly. When he stepped out of the building he felt only a blistering hot wind seer his face.
Faster than even he could have anticipated, the city became entirely overrun with fire. He saw people fleeing for the port as ships clustered. Silvanus didn’t give up easily. He gritted his teeth and kept limping through the city. The only teammates he found were dead. They had been knocked aside by the power of the explosions just as he was, but they were not as fortunate. He counted seven of them before he gave up. He had lost most of the team and the sky was quickly blackening under the smoke. There were few options left for him — he had to retreat.
He considered Annatha Ahri a lost cause. In his mind she was dead like the rest of his team. He stripped himself of the crimson robes and hid away his claws. Like the rest of the survivors, he made his way to the docks. The panicked people clambered onto ships like rats. Easily he managed to blend in among them. As he found himself on the deck, he tended to his wound as best he could manage. But his eyes did catch a glimpse of the city enveloped in flame. Not a single building was spared. The Selnia Colony wasn’t going to be retaken. Nothing would be left to take.
Surrounded by the cries and moans of sorrowful passengers, Silvanus tried to focus. The shock of the situation started to ease as the ship grew further away from the shore. He had failed. He couldn’t protect Annatha. He couldn’t recapture Selnia. But the more he thought about it, the more he became enraged. The failure wasn’t his fault. He did everything he was ordered to do and he did it all perfectly; however, Annatha and her Infernite destroyed everything.
Since Annatha wasn’t be found and the colony destroyed — it must have some kind of plot. Perhaps the Ahri daughter didn’t defect after all and this was all some sort of elaborate plan to destroy Selnia and befoul Dharen’Rhylo. Silvanus became confident that he wasn’t at fault. His mind kept reeling, endlessly listing the ways Annatha was at fault. He had nothing to worry about as he returned to Dharen’Rhylo to inform his superiors.