THE LUMEN ORDER

“OUR OATH WILL ILLUMINATE THE DARKEST LANDS”

THE WORLD

In the realm of Silim, the lands are always ravaged by thieves, violence, and monsters that prowl in the darkest nights. People tend to stay within the city walls when dawn sets & dusk comes. However, it was not always this way. Silim, around the age of progress, was a beautiful land known for its night festivals. People celebrate in the comfort of the star-lit night, they bask in the afterglow of the moon, and most importantly, the people revere the serpent deity, Baku. Baku resides on the surface of the moon, they say the stars are his scales that were shedded and left there so that people will know their way around the lands. Whenever the sun rises, Baku goes away to travel among the stars and returns every night for him to tell stories to his people. In return, the people give offerings to the serpent god for the story and his light.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck on the day of his reverence. While Baku’s stories provided him reverence from his followers. There are some who are not content with his wisdom. At first, it was impure thoughts of wanting power that spread around their minds like a snake bite. These thoughts eventually blossom on how they can persuade Baku to impart his power to their most devout followers. It made their minds numb with greed and obsessed over what they believe to be a way to gain power from the heavenly bodies.

Nobody knew where that baseless rumor started, but the way it affected the land felt like it corroded down to its very core. It is like a that corrupts slowly, creeping its way and numbing the mind of any rationality. It struck the hardest at the Capital, where Baku conducts sermons and it is considered a holy land to its followers. The fanatics visited as well, but with less than pure intentions.

It was ironic, the very incident that will impact the realm for all eternity was around a New Moon. The light in the dark, the celestial body that embodies their very god hides for what’s coming.

First, they sealed every exit. No one goes in or out, the walls stood quietly muffling the screams that came after. Second, they took over the supplies and controlled the waterway of fresh water. They now control who gets to eat or drink. But the usurpers only took it for themselves. Lastly, they took the very children hostage as they waited for Baku to fulfill their demands. Yet he remains firm, they have nothing to gain but stories from beyond the stars.

The fanatics grew restless and Baku calmly looked at them on the altar. His scaled form slithered around the center of the temple. His scales glimmered whenever the flames from the torches came into contact with it. He thought of a way to diffuse these situations, it was normal for people to misinterpret his stories. Baku always resolved it by telling the story again in different angles, much like how the stars tend to look different on certain occasions of the night. Sometimes he would use allegories to better make them understand his teachings, this technique was popular with the children. As he was about to come up with a solution, the fanatics did the unthinkable. The blood of the children flowed on every crack of Baku’s temple. Fresh and warm to the feeling as each fanatic gilded their blade along their necks. Bright young flames snuffed out one by one.

It was a stupid suggestion, a simple quip between one another, a simple hearsay that escalated to fact itself. They suggested that the power would be given with a sacrifice, so they did and all they got was the prowling eyes of Baku.

In his rage, Baku immediately rose up and broke through the temple’s canopy roof. He didn’t even care who might be struck with the rubble. Whether it was the temple priest or the fanatics, the mighty snake god succumbed to rage. Baku rose until he came face-to-face with the moon, still cloaked in darkness. In the sea of stars, he slithered unto the moon and wrapped his whole serpentine body around it. After that, it was quiet down below. The fanatics waited, the priest cowered, and all of who saw it from afar felt an emotion from a being they least expected. Fear.

As Baku wraps his body around the moon, his scales fall onto the world like comets. These fallen stars break and scatter among the lands and everything it touches become corroded and festered into unspoken horrors. The trees died as branches splintered open and oozing with tar-like sap. The ground darkened and cracked as no life began to grow, not even weeds. Small bodies of water began to muddle as fish rose up lifeless, animals who began to drink the corroded water began to change into horrible creatures. They lose any traces of sanity as their skins begin to go gray, their tails losing their skin, and their eyes bloodshot and mindless.

The humans weren’t spared as well, to those unfortunate souls who were touched by the shedding skin had a fate worse than death. Their bones were mangled to a degree that it wasn’t humanly possible. Some were still able to walk with their own two feet, others crawled or were on all fours. Their skin darkened like the night. The hair, nails, teeth, and eyes were stained in blinding white. In the dark, they are mostly dangerous, the only thing you will notice is their wailing. A cacophony of voices fighting over which words to say. But before any foolish traveler could act, the moment of death has been inscribed by the terrors of the night.

Truly the only thing that Baku gave to those fanatics and the entirety of humanity, was just another story in another way. A story of greed in a world sunken in darkness. Their punishment, forevermore.

ORIGIN OF THE FACTION

Silim was not the same after Baku’s eternal ascension to the moon. When dusk falls, monsters prowl into the night. The Remnant Priest referred them as Ecdysis, a term to how serpents and other similar animals shed their skins. Now, became a moniker to the terrors of the night . In the daytime, they mostly prowl inside caves or well-shaded forests. Most travelers showed that the Ecdysis are susceptible to sunlight and heat to some various degree. That is why most of them and several guilds advised people to either travel in daylight or well lit roads.

However, it is uncertain that people will follow through with this simple rule. Out of necessity or desperation, travelers will travel beyond the darkness. But in the end, they will bite more than they could chew. For the first few years, around 30% of travelers in larger groups were killed. 20% were from smaller groups, albeit some of them survived. While 50% were unscathed. This statistic all came from travelers who traveled to towns, the numbers tend to grow larger when it comes to cities. The information led to some towns secluded themselves from outsiders until a group of clandestine travelers arrived with a solution.

The Crest of the Lumen Order [https://i.imgur.com/Yjz1h36.png]

They call themselves, “The Lumen Order.” An organization that establishes to make the roads safer again from the Ecdysis. Adorned in a crimson banner with three candles inside a ring and a crescent moon in the center. Most travelers tend to see their banner as a lantern in the void, a warm light in tormented darkness. The Lumen Order swore to protect the travelers in their travels and hopefully liberate Silim from the dark horrors. What started as a noble cause, The Lumen Order slowly became the land’s enforcers of order. Their presence is enough to rival any monarch’s power, their banner is as strong as any decree, and their forces grew enough to take a city if they wish. But The Lumen Order wishes only to liberate their world and the world should be thankful that their intention still rings true to this day.

But rest assured, if your town or city has their banner, you can sleep soundly at night.

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THE LUMEN OATH

From a group of travelers of varying degrees of upbringing, The Lumen Order slowly garnered people from various lands, sworn to the cause. Should you wish to join, new members are casted inside the hallowed halls of The Lumen Order’s Lighthouse for training. Depending on your combat experience, your stay could only be six months or five years. However, regardless of how long your stay is, all initiates must swear to the oath of Lumen’s Authority:

> “I solemnly swear to remember my training in the darkest nights. Bring compassion and safety in the gentle evening. Let my light shine the path ahead until morning light. If I falter, brothers and sisters shine a light above me. I am a lost ship looking for the guidance of the light. Bring me back under its golden ray, for I am the bane of darkness, I am the light bringer, I am Lumen’s Authority and our oath will illuminate the darkest lands.”

This oath embodies what The Lumen Order should be, solidifying their resolve and most importantly, gaining some resistance to the Ecdysis. The origin of The Lumen Order’s magic is still a mystery to this day.

THE HIERARCHY OF ORDER

The Lumen Order has a fairly simple hierarchy, the process of ascending one’s rank is dependent on various factors. The first is merit, second is recommendations, and third is full support of a Lumos. The simplest one is merit, any Lumen Order can ascend rank easily if they did their job, depending on certain cases, extraordinary merit can ascend a Lumen to a higher standing. Every Lumen Order headquarters has a specific member and all of them follow the hierarchy. The hierarchy is as follows:

The Lumen Hierarchy [https://i.imgur.com/96mRgvd.png]

LUMOS: The highest power that any branch of The Lumen Order can offer. Their responsibilities are mostly off-field and always coordinate with any town or city official. Unlike the other positions, A Lumos cannot be simply ascended on one’s merit alone. There are certain factors that need to be met before a Lumen rank is to be given. A first factor is that a Lumos member must pass away. After that, there will be a meeting to be held among various Lumos from various branches. They will discuss certain candidates and each of them will then vouch for that said candidate. Once that is settled, the candidates will then introduce themselves to one of its founding members or one of its descendants and they will show their prowess in various fields. These fields consist of: Politics, Arcane Arts, Martial or Weapon mastery, and Situational Events. Once the necessary information has been met, the founder will choose the next Lumen and the role will be filled and assigned to a specific branch.

LIGHTKEEPER: Lightkeepers are considered the Left and Right hand of a Lumen. They mostly answer to a Lumos and prioritizes them above all else. Lightkeepers are usually assigned personally by a Lumos themselves and most likely trained by them. Although Lightkeepers are considered as the most skilled second to a Lumos, their roles are solely focused on being administrators. They handle any important paperwork and prepare any verification for the Lumen. However, there comes a time when dire situations arise, Lightkeepers will often handle war table strategies and important missions that are to be handled alone. This is why it is important that Lightkeepers are often inside, because if anyone saw them outside and armed, you better run. For if there is a Lightkeeper, there is a darkness that not even Torches and Wicks can handle.

LIGHTBEARER: Lightbearers often handle fieldwork, training, and maintenance. They assign jobs, tasks, and deploy Lanterns wherever they are needed. Lightbearers are skilled individuals who can take on any Ecdysis even if they are in the deepest of darkness. Just as the name suggests, they bear a powerful arcane that can illuminate a Ecdysone Mist. In a party of two Lantern squads, there will always be Lightbearer with them. They act as a beacon and provide information to a Lumen Order branch. But if they are not on-site, they act as mentors and provide necessities to other members. Most initiates believe that Lightbearers are the heart of any branch due to how helpful they are to the Wicks and Torches.

LANTERN: Lanterns tend to work best when they are outside. They handle any Ecdysis related activity in the area and handle any public disruption. Essentially Lanterns are one of the peacekeepers. Lanterns however do not work alone, they work as a squad composed of Torches and Wicks. A Lantern can have a squad of three Torches and five Wicks. They’re responsible for the welfare of the squad and ensure that the Torches and Wicks are able to finish their task dutifully, swiftly, and most importantly, safely.

TORCH: Torches are one of the ranks you usually see when you travel at night. They have enough combat talent to engage low ranking to medium ranking Ecdysi. They are comparable to guards and are mostly stationed to watchtowers on every road.

WICK: Wicks are a term referring to initiates, they have some combat experience to low ranking Shedders and in higher numbers, they can take down a single medium ranking Ecdysi. While they do appear in patrols, Wicks are considered as trainees and they are often trained in a Lumen Order headquarters. Wicks on patrols are often accompanied by Lanterns in a squad or a Torch if they travel by pair.

FOUNDING MEMBERS

The Lumen Order was founded by individuals who have some background in merchant and travel. As such, these people became the backbone for the organization in its infancy stages:

Cornell Layzon - Cornell was part of a circle of trading guilds that used to be a center of power for Silim. Their central spice trade and efficient groundwork made it possible for merchants to sell their wares, even in remote locations. Due to their knowledge, Cornell established The Lumen Order’s scouting path. Cornell is currently retired but he assists in choosing the next Lumen.

Emeritus Dulcina - Emeritus owned various mining companies and has connections to world renowned forgeries and smiths. His connection and knowledge over smithing and minerals paved the way to most of The Lumen Order’s equipment and a more secure watchtower. At present, he is the Lumen of the Makilias branch of The Lumen Order.

Lady Quince of Navis - Lady Quince of Navis is a curious individual. Ever since she was young, she was afflicted with a disease that made her incapable of traveling beyond her villa. Quite ironic for being a daughter of a Traveling Merchant Guild, The Dune Gazer. Yet, that didn’t stop Quince in dreaming of travel, while her physical state didn’t allow her to travel as much, her mind became her faithful companion. She was a scholar, loved every book especially if they are geographical in nature.

But the one thing that everyone knows about Quince is her fascination with mechanics. Even if she has lived her whole life in a wheelchair, her expertise became invaluable to the Merchant Guild and eventually, to the Order. She improved upon the present equipment of the Order and in return, Quince was provided with enough funds to improve more. She even managed to adjust her wheelchair to make short distance travels between towns. Currently she teaches machinery and mechanics to the students of the Navis Institute.

Margaret Stola and Elise Stola - The Stola sisters were seafaring merchants, they managed the transportation of precious materials and imported goods from various corners of Silim. Ever since the arrival of the Ecdysis. Merchants tend to avoid or even outright cross out the option of using the sea to export their goods. While it is safe during the day, at night, the sea-based Ecdysi often prowls the murky depths. Rumor has it that these creatures were able to capsize frigates, leaving nothing but stray planks. The Stola sister’s involvement with the Lumen Order started with the sisters meeting Emeritus. For a while, The Stola’s discovered a way to light up their ships with the use of a bioluminescent algae. However, the algae itself is toxic to the touch. While they could think of a way to attach them to their ship, it was simply not enough for their funds. Emeritus discovered their predicament and offered to fund their research in return they must offer their results to the Lumen Order. They happily accepted if it meant saving their business. The result was a small ship but with transparent tubes filled with bioluminescent algae around it. Currently Elise Stola manages the seafaring business, while Margaret Stola handles the Lumen Order’s seafaring affairs.

Stork Briel - Stork Briel was a noble that grew sick of mingling with the nobility that profits from the Shredder's attacks. He first came across The Lumen Order due to some nobles sneering at their beliefs. At this point, the order lacked a connection to any royal court. Without any sort of validity, they might as well be branded as a merchant militia. The Order simply needed a noble to vouch for them and they were able to gain an audience with the Royal Court. Stork couldn’t care less at first about their beliefs, but Stork always wanted to wipe the smirks off the nobles. So in his petty actions, Stork vouched for them. During his time with the Lumen Order however, his outlook began to change. He noticed the Order were genuine and true, even if it was for a short while. This single moment made Stork become an Ambassador for the Order. With his connections, he is able to initiate global connection for every kingdom with the Order. Stork Briel unfortunately passed away when his carriage was attacked by Shedders. However, House Briel continued to support the Lumen Order and for many years to come