Illustriel

Illustriel, an Elven Prelate, was my first Feature Character created and used in the Beta Test of Shadowbane. This was the even where we created two cities, one good and one evil and, truth be told and technical issues aside, was a lot of fun.

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I, Illustriel, known as the Wise, Bishop within the Church of the All-Father, was chosen by the Archon of Judgment to lead the forces of the White Star. Within moments of my arrival on this fragment, I was given a Seed and planted the Tree of Life that would become the center of the City of Redemption.

For the first few hours, a flurry of other heroes arrived upon the fragment. Many chose the way of the Black Hand. Some within my congregation worried as the City or Defiance grew and grew, but my faith endured. I quickly gathered all of my guild brethren and proclaimed the following to them:

“In the immortal words of Saint Kellast, “this must not endure”! The sinful and the blasphemous have gathered together under the banner of the Black Hand. They wish to hear the cries of the tortured and to run through lakes of blood. They shall have these things… only it shall be their very own blood they run through as they flee like the dogs they are. And it shall be the screams of their heathen comrades that ring in their ears.

If you wish for a better world… if you wish to bring back the Glory of the All-Father through his Servants… then you have no choice but to join the City of Redemption!”

With that said, a cry of joy and faith rang throughout the city. Our members quickly began banning together, forming city walls, placing the various buildings we would need, and then searching out the scourge of the land.

The first few days were glorious and we quickly saw that we had the upper hand upon the City of Defiance. While they easily outnumbered us, we were organized and not divided by our petty differences. The Black Hand was nothing more than a mob while the White Star quickly became an army of Messengers of Heaven.

It has been weeks since then, though, and much has occurred since then. The Black Hand has fragmented. Sir Ganelon DeVore left the Black Hand and created his own city called New Dalgoth. At first, it looked as if they had an alliance with Dalk and his ilk but ever the liar, Dalk and his High Commander known as Bone Dancer stabbed Ganelon’s guild, The Unwavering”, in the back. From that day, we have had an uneasy alliance with Ganelon’s kinsmen.

Unfortunately, all has not been well within the City of Redemption either. My Viceroy known as Roland the Red Priest and some of this left the city and joined a band of Irekei. A faction within our walls known as the Pluggers also caused unrest but they have since moved on. Even for a time, I was gone.

But that is the past and a new day dawns upon us. Envoys have been sent out to many of the City-States and Nations that have sprung up upon our fragment and alliances are being made. I was content before to keep our Nation away from Dalk and his ilk… building up our defenses and only confronting them when they were in our homeland. NO MORE, I say! We shall not endure this sin upon the lands! We shall seek them out and destroy them in their dens of before they have a chance to remake any more of this world in their image! This I pledge!

Those of you who believe it is my desire for the Archons to rule us, you are wrong. I pray nightly for HIS return for none can truly lead but the ALL-FATHER HIMSELF. But, until HIS return, who better to help mend the lands but those that serve in HIS Heavenly Host? I have seen the world and how it will become if the Dalks of the land have their way. This I will not allow!

So, Children of the All-Father, gather your arms, amass in numbers, for there is holy vengeance to meet out!