Nephesis
Nephesis
Much of the early history of Nephesis is shrouded in mystery. All that remains is the oral traditions describing the constant warfare of Nephesis between the living and the dead. The native Nephesians lived in flux as surges of Upyr would assault their home, providing little respite. The king had long since been killed, the throne laying empty for an eternity. People survived by rallying around heroic swordsman, powerful mages, or the safety of walls. It was a time where heroes walked the land, magic knew no bounds, and monsters walked the world. This all changed with the arrival of Arcturen.
No one truly knows where he came from. Some say he was a warrior of legend that fell to the Upyr horde and came back as one of them with a soul. Other tales tell of an arrival shrouded in mist from a far away land. Regardless of the origin, all the stories agree on what happened next, the conquest of the Eternal Throne.
Blarg
Nephesis is ruled by the Eternal King Arcturen, King of the Nephesians and Kindred, Lord of the Northern Realm, Protector of the Way. None truly know when his reign began, but it is believed that he is at least 500 years old. Arcturen's reign has brought much needed order to Nephesis. The region was once plagued by unending war between the Nephesians and the Kindred. Arcturen brought both sides to heel and forced peace upon both. Stories say that he cut down leader after leader of each group until they agreed to his terms. Since then, the Kindred adopted the Code, a subsect of the major religion of the region called The Way
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The Kindred go by several names; the Kindred Knights, vampires, and upyr among the most common. The Kindred are distinguished from most Upyr due to their vows, all Kindred are sworn to uphold the Code and have allegiance to the Eternal Throne. Their word is their bond and they are the sworn protectors of the realm. The Kindred are widely respected as some of the strongest and most noble warriors in the world. The often will either swear themselves to a specific quest, or be assigned to one by their chapter head. They will pursue this until the achieve their goals or die in the process. They are also sworn to never take a life unless it is in the defense of others. Some view this as a weakness to be exploited, but the Kindred believe that their vows give them strength. Regardless, most are unwilling to risk any encounter with the Kindred.
The Kindred Knights despise those Upyrs who do not uphold the Code, aptly naming them the Unsworn. The Kindred view it as their sacred duty to eliminate the Unsworn wherever and whenever they are found. For some, this priority supersedes any other.
The Code is a section of the Way and serves to govern the Kindred Knights.
"A knight is sworn to valor,
Their heart knows only virtue,
Their blade defends the helpless,
Their might upholds the weak,
Their word speaks only truth,
Their wrath undoes the wicked."
"The righteous can never die,
If one mind still remembers the deeds.
The words are never forgotten,
If one voice speaks them clear.
The code forever lives,
If one heart will carry it."