Redshrouds, the Undead Legion

[Swgrclan 2632]

 

The Undead Redshrouds

(Legion of the Ashkeeper)

 

“We suffer for Men, so that one day, Men may not take our place and endure as we do.”

 

An order conjured from the will of a lone necromancer of old, the undead legion of the Redshrouds is a militant company of undying souls whose decayed, fragmented existence are collectively dedicated to the reign of the one whom bears the mantle of Ashkeeper. Though it bears an unsettling name as per the mention of undeath, the purpose of the unit is to train and unify wayward undead to combat greater threats to the realm.. The dogma of the Redshrouds heavily involves conceptualization of ashes; therefore, the duties portrayed by the sodality of the Ashkeeper are devised to actively include aspects involving the remnants of the once-was, death, or the past, of which these generalities are easier defined by the duties of preserving ruins or artifacts of yore, bringing death to that which overtly threatens the living, and venerating the past and its fallen for the wisdom it imparts to those of the present.

 

The Redshrouds bear a defining aesthetic that allows for committed undead to keep to their own armaments and stylizations while representing the order itself. As their title implies, Redshrouds adorn cloaks of sanguine shades in order to imply their alignment with the sodality and all it stands for, and as per their devotion to hunting beings they define as “agents of chaos” (paying homage to Xionist terminology) such as mindless undead, otherworldly invaders or entities like Voidal Horrors, abominations of life or demon, and even tyrants. Though their grim visage may easily betray their intent, the purpose of the Ashkeeper’s undead legion is clear: to better the realms of mankind.

 

Alongside the title of Redshrouds, they are also known as Undead Hunters, Demonhunters, and very sparsely Ashen Knights, even though they’ve no direct relation to that knightship of yore besides that of purpose. The undead Redshrouds are trained vigorously to make the most of their sullen forms and confront their enemies with reckless abandon; emulating the strength and method of what the Ashkeeper references as the Old Lords, whom existed as the first godless undead that stood stalwart against the meddlings of beings beyond the mortal world. It is through the use of crimson cloaks and a brand of specially-forged swords that the Old Lords are indeed venerated and respected; and thus most, if not all among the Redshrouds are expected to make use of these weapons and most definitely the sanguine shrouds that define their alignment.

Those that are eligible to become Redshrouds are only undead; therefore, beings known as Ghouls, Gravens, Darkstalkers, Liches, Paleknights and other forms may take what is known as the eldritch Lamented Oath and become one with the brotherhood beyond death. The oath is as followed:

“... Verily, I submit myself to the dead;

I shall act in the stead of Horus, and know the Abyss;

I shall stare into the Void, and know it’s chaos;

I shall pry the seeds of havoc from the earth of Men,

And shall subdue the Old Dark where it culminates.

Hail Horus.”

 

Those whom are living and willing to give up their flame of life to become an undead Redshroud must first die before the Ashkeeper in order to prove themselves before being raised as these beings, wherein they may then take the dark oath. The Lamented Vow is an ancient rite of binding said to originate from an ancient society, where the ostracized undead congregated to enjoy a peaceful existence. They revere one known as Provost Horus, who in his age led a legion of undead himself against the mad horrors of the lightless Abyss.

 

In honor of Horus, the Redshroud’s adage is “Hail Horus” in order to perpetuate recognition of his legion’s deeds in times long passed. Many of the duties of the Redshrouds are carried on from legacy of the Provost’s camaraderie, and thus they are venerated by word and by action every step of the way.

 

The Redshrouds are bound to an olden definition of inner-order law. These laws are as such:

i. Thou shall not harm thy fellow undead

ii. Thou shall not steal from thy fellow undead.

iii. Thou shall not spite thy fellow undead in excess or with intent to insult dearly.

iv. Thou shall not seek to kill or destroy thy fellow undead.

v. Thou shall coexist with thy undead brothers and sisters in peace, if

not in respect for one-another.

vi. Thou shall not embed the seeds of deificism in the Legion, nor seek to spread their

venom through its ranks.

 

Through scriptures written by the Ashkeeper Abdiel himself, the founder of this red legion of the fallen, the purpose of the Redshrouds can be clearly defined:

 

i. Thou shall hunt the true-wicked; the world-invaders; the unnaturalities of life, demons; the stirrers of chaos; the breakers of Man and adherents of dark gods; the dark magi whom seek to stir ill-will; the undead whom terrorize with reckless abandon; and those deemed the enemy of the Red Sodality.

ii. Thou shall know the Ashkeeper as thy good keeper, for he leads thee, gives thee purpose, and lessens thy painful cravings with bounties of Lifeforce and restorations of thy forlorn form.

iii. Thou shall pay homage to the Old Lords, and reflect them by thy red cloth and granted blades.

iv. Thou shall delve into ruins, and behold what they hide; thou shall expunge the undoers of ruins and preserve the history which their visage implies; thou shall protect histories and annals extracted from these ruins, and thus pay respects to the ashes of the past; thou shall honor the once-was, and learn from the mistakes of antiquity.

 

The Purpose

 

The primary goal behind the Redshrouds is to establish a basic order of alignment-gray undead soldiers whom follow the command of a simplistic hierarchy. The design of the sodality compounds a lot on the concept of gray moral alignment in a way where the guild could be designated as an “anti-hero” faction; the majority of it is comprised of undead beings, but they are bound to an oath which motivates them to act as vanguards of mortality as a whole. They are similar to the Marked Men in this regard, where they seek to pursue unnatural creatures, involve themselves in expeditions expected to promise some kind of powerful or dangerous boon, and to defend the world from overarching threats.

 

This demands that the Redshrouds defy their original nature the best they may; to act as antagonists. It is expected that there will be trouble in this effort - the undead as a whole have been known to terrorize the lands which the descendents have roamed, which will make convincing everyone IC  that they are indeed not an antagonist quite the struggle if they are perceived as such initially. In the end, it’s up to the players to decide how they want to interact with the Ashkeeper’s legion; the rest will follow.

 

The Legion

 

There exists a simplistic, three-rank hierarchy in the Undead Sodality; the Ashkeeper and his Hands, the Wraithheir and Soulwardens, whom acts as the primary leaders, the Redshrouds, whom are the bulk of the legion itself, and the Marked, whom are undetermined applicants. The Ashkeeper is a title intended to be kept by a necromancer - one able to raise undead such as Ghouls and Darkstalkers, both of which make up 2/3rds of the order’s population by default.

 

The Ashkeeper’s mantle bears a much deeper meaning than to merely lead their legion, for they “keep to the ashes” and tend to undead who suffer alone in the world and offer them a second chance by bringing them into the legion. They hold an authority over all those below them, as the secure chain of command allows it. It is always the tradition of the Ashkeepers to treat his fellow Redshrouds with respect, like his very own brothers -- for they are all dogs of war, lost to curse of undeath or the afflictions of dark magic. It is through these mediums that they better the mortal world with their acts.

 

The Wraithheir and Soulwarden acts as their Ashkeeper’s lieutenants and commanders, and like the Ashkeeper himself, are traditionally Necromancers themselves as to assist with the processes of Lich and Darkstalker creation, as well as to assure that there are no external owners of their forces beyond the Legion’s ranks. While the Wraithheir commands the Darkstalkers and martial-relative Redshrouds, issuing operations oriented with waging war with enemy organizations, guarding locations deemed suitable for their brand of security and other military matters, the Soulwarden oversees magical progression and research within the Legion, and holds reign over all Liches. They are not a primarily fighting force, but if tasked by the Ashkeeper, the Soulwarden’s Liches may assist the others in battle or military operations.

 

In order to assure a chain of command, the Wraithheir holds the phylacteries, or contained souls, of Darkstalkers, while the Soulwarden holds the phylacteries of Liches. This assures they may command their respective forces effeciently and retain loyalty, lest dissenters in the ranks are undone by the destruction of their phylacteries. The Ashkeeper has his hands take the Lamented Oath a second time, and thus seals an agreement with them -- if they betray the Legion, they may be subjected to permanent death.

 

The Redshrouds are undead soldiers trained to fight worldly threats known as “agents of chaos”, explore and protect old ruins and sites of yore, and to preserve eldritch, dark knowledge. The Ashkeeper assumes the role of leading them, satiating their cravings of Lifeforce (which Gravens thankfully do not have) and mending their sullen forms so they may act as legitimate threats to those they may oppose, as well as to mantain other common functions necessary for interaction with others. The Marked are applicants whose living characters are “watched” and, if deemed worthy by the Ashkeeper, are either confronted or kidnapped so they may become one with the brotherhood of the damned. This allows for a fluid, organic means of recruitment, where roleplay is involved to discern whether a character is suitable to serve the sodality.

 

As only the living can be designated as Marked, undead of the several preferred forms (Ghouls, Gravens, Darkstalkers, Paleknights and Liches) have a more streamlined induction; this is because the partial purpose of the legion is to contain undead and force them to adopt an orderly existence so the world may not be terrorized by them. Those who are living experience a slower process because they willingly submit themselves to the Ashkeeper’s reign, and therefore undergo the process of being Marked after the player applies so their abilities may be judged.

 

The member roster is as thus:

 

The Ashkeeper:

Abdiel Ipos (Swgrclan)

 

The Wraithheir:

Redshroud Varron (knghtartorias)

 

The Soulwarden:

Atramedes (Geoboy66)

 

The Redshrouds:
Redshroud Raziel (Darksalvo)
Redshroud Drauch (HBrules)

Redshroud Revenant (WhimmyWham)

Redshroud Lisbeth (Dumbaed)

Redshroud Aehesir (grannyrivenE)

Redshroud Reimarch (alpet)

Redshroud Candle (IDontCare_Bear)

 

The Marked:

(Unoccupied)

 

The Ashkeeper's Records

Here, the interior of the Legion is peered into through the lens of the Records; varying public (IC) and nonpublic (OOC) documentations of Redshroud interactions, missives and substantial transpirations.

Record I - 17th of the Sun’s Smile, 1577

 

Record II - 11th of the Amber Cold, 1577

 

Application Process

 

What is thy name?

What is thy soulname (MC name)?
What is thy age?
Art thou Undead?

If so, what form doth thou take?
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds?

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship?

What is thy mastered martial profession?

Art thou godless?

 

[ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Km66Sl4RVrQhmEe6kXQH3Kz_LjZsuYOSIUeoD_Sl81M/edit?usp=sharing ]

[Jentos 6813]

Application Process

 

What is thy name? Fangrin Dawei

What is thy soulname (MC name)? Jentos
What is thy age? I am old, I have lost count...
Art thou Undead? I am not

If so, what form doth thou take?
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I have been willing to die since long

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? I am a stone cutter

What is thy mastered martial profession? The sword

Art thou godless? I believe in my master, I have served all my life, and I am willing to serve in death

 

[GDPR 014 23]

16 minutes ago, Jentos said:

Application Process

 

What is thy name? Fangrin Dawei

What is thy soulname (MC name)? Jentos
What is thy age? I am old, I have lost count...
Art thou Undead? I am not

If so, what form doth thou take?
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I have been willing to die since long

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? I am a stone cutter

What is thy mastered martial profession? The sword

Art thou godless? I believe in my master, I have served all my life, and I am willing to serve in death

 

 

Denied.

[Norman Osborn 247]

Application Process

 

What is thy name? Richard Reimarch

What is thy soulname (MC name)? _SuitAndTIe_
What is thy age? Around 16
Art thou Undead? Indeed

If so, what form doth thou take? A Graven
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I am already dead

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? Let us say my skills have not been put to the test

What is thy mastered martial profession? The use of a sword and board, also the shooting of a bow.

Art thou godless? Why would GOD forsake me to this endless limbo of this weird balance between life and death, so yes, I am godless.

[Harri 4813]

36 minutes ago, _SuitAndTie_ said:

Application Process

 

What is thy name? Richard Reimarch

What is thy soulname (MC name)? _SuitAndTIe_
What is thy age? Around 16
Art thou Undead? Indeed

If so, what form doth thou take? A Graven
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I am already dead

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? Let us say my skills have not been put to the test

What is thy mastered martial profession? The use of a sword and board, also the shooting of a bow.

Art thou godless? Why would GOD forsake me to this endless limbo of this weird balance between life and death, so yes, I am godless.

Accepted for a trial! Drauch shall visit Richard the Graven soon.

[TavernLich 324]

-= The following is sloppily written and its legibility wavering, splotches of ink and liquor mar the parchment's content =-

 

What is thy name? Ansel Vyoawn Kraussss

What is thy soulname (MC name)? TavernLich
What is thy age? La- No tells.
Art thou Undead? Undead as ye moder

If so, what form doth thou take? Ye moder
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Red shrouds? Ye

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? Drankardship andshi'

What is thy mastered martial profession? Plowin'

Art thou godless? I love

 

[Merkaken 516]

-snip, misunderstood the guild purpose cuz I'm a moron)

[wolfdwg 1497]

What is thy name?

Basheed Al-Amir

What is thy soulname (MC name)?

_Gypsy
What is thy age?

57
Art thou Undead?

I am not.

If so, what form doth thou take?

N/A
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds?

I've lost my way in life. I only find comfort in the arms and surroundings of death.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship?

I have tilled fields along with felling trees.

What is thy mastered martial profession?

I am a man of the horse. I've perfected my life around the lance and scimitar.

Art thou godless?

I confess I never prayed in my life. I never felt the need or assurance of a deity.

[Harri 4813]

10 hours ago, _Gypsy said:

What is thy name?

Basheed Al-Amir

What is thy soulname (MC name)?

_Gypsy
What is thy age?

57
Art thou Undead?

I am not.

If so, what form doth thou take?

N/A
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds?

I've lost my way in life. I only find comfort in the arms and surroundings of death.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship?

I have tilled fields along with felling trees.

What is thy mastered martial profession?

I am a man of the horse. I've perfected my life around the lance and scimitar.

Art thou godless?

I confess I never prayed in my life. I never felt the need or assurance of a deity.

Drauch sends a note to Basheed, telling him to expect a visit.

[Lhindir_ 3436]

What is thy name? Anordal

What is thy soulname (MC name)? Anordal_
What is thy age? 44
Art thou Undead? I am not.

If so, what form doth thou take?
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I am, yet I would request time to live in order to fully master my Arcane before embracing death.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? Fishing

What is thy mastered martial profession? Fire, Shifting, Water and Electrical evocation.

Art thou godless? Aye.

[thaddeus11 75]

What is thy name? Dorin Irongut

What is thy soulname (MC name)? Thaddeus12
What is thy age? Over 750
Art thou Undead? No, I am not currently. 

If so, what form doth thou take?
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? I am very willing. Though I wish to finish learning my studies of the arcane, which shall be soon.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? Lumber jacking. I wish to master Alchemy as well.

What is thy mastered martial profession? I have mastered Fire Evocation, Morphon and Primordial Conjuration,and Water Evocation of which I use as my martial professions.

Art thou godless? I currently have no faith, aye.

[Fiend422 10]

Application Process

 

What is thy name?

Fro'Ky'low

What is thy soulname (MC name)?

R33my
What is thy age?

roughly 18
Art thou Undead?

No.

If so, what form doth thou take?

N/a
If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds?

On your whim.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship?

Veteran Miner

What is thy mastered martial profession?

learning Futher Alchemy

Art thou godless?

No god has ever bound me, or ever will, I'd Godless

[drfate786 1639]

Application Process

 

What is thy name?

Alrith Amorice

What is thy soulname (MC name)?

Syreno
What is thy age?

54
Art thou Undead?

Nay

If so, what form doth thou take?

If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds?

Perhaps, but the living are much more useful against the ascended.

What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship?

Mining and smithing.

What is thy mastered martial profession?

Dashing Rapscallion

Art thou godless?

God is dead, I serve the unborn.

[gandalfo 1413]

This current Guild has been deemed inactive and has hereby been moved. If you wish to appeal this decision you must present evidence to myself proving the guild is still active.