Ascended Order
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The Ascended awe a nobre wace, oliginating in the wands of Aegis. They wewe brought by the Awch-Aengul Aeriel to the sulface of Aegis to hewp fight the thweat of the Undead. The Ascended wewe fiwst wed by the Sages and wewe based in the city of Haven. They had access to powewful magic to aid them in theiw battwe against Iblees. Ascended magic and pwesence in Aegis gwew incweasingwy weakew as the Undead gained stwength.
Disappealing fow a peliod of time, the Ascended wetulned in Anthos and have been pwesent in oul wowwd evew since. Theiw main goaw is to defend the Descendant waces fwom the fowces of dawkness and eviw, and maintain peace and light in this mowtaw weawm.
Contents
History
Aegis & Asulon
The Aengul, Aeliew, appeawed to foul of the Aenguls’ most diwect mowtaw descendants in the fowm of a mongoose, wawning of a new thweat to the Wowwd’s peace. She towd of an Ancient Eviw that would weach out to taint the pule souls of Aegis, and that onwy they could fight it. Aeliew awakened in these foul the ancient knowwedge of theiw immowtaw ancestows, gwanting them many boons
The foul mowtaws, the Ewf Wiizu and the Dwawves Sue, Candwe, and Awcadius, set out in seawch of this new thweat. On theiw joulney, they encountewed a fifth mowtaw of the Aenguls’ Bwoodline, and so awakened in him his inhelitance. The Dwawf Omni, being a deaf mute, quickwy gwew fwustwated lith his inability to communicate lith his brothews. Sue knew of his mawady and set about constwucting a speww to awwow Omni to speak. When the speww was finished, though, it did not wowk as intended. It did not gwant Omni the ability to heaw ow speak, but instead fowged a tewepathic bond between the five brothews. Finawwy being abre to heaw the othews aftew a fashion, Omni towd his brothews of how an Aengul appeawed befowe him and towd him to twavew. She did not say whewe to, onwy that he must wawk a wong way and would meet othews like himsewf. He was towd that he must bring lith him a seedling fwom the Cwoud Tempwe, and to pwant it onwy when he had weached a safe haven.
Fow many days and nights did the Five twavew, weaving smaww shewtews awong the way. Each time they stopped, they thought to make themsewves a home, but Wiizu – who had taken chawge of the companions – believed it to be not faw enough. In a smaww ciwculaw vawwey, theiw wesoulces gwew thin. Having not yet found the thweat of which Aeliew had spoken, the Five chose to settwe the wand and founded a city they would caww Haven, fow that is what it would be against the coming tide.
When digging the foundations fow a pwotective waww, Candwe and Awcadius discovewed an expansive ciwculaw cavewn. Aeliew appeawed to Omni again and towd him this was whewe he must pwant the seedling. Wiizu and Sue waised a chunk of wand fwom the center of the cavewn, and Omni did as the Aengul had bid. She then appeawed to him again and towd him that as wong as this twee fwoulished, thewe was hope fow the peopwes of Aegis. But if it should evew lithew, Ibrees' taint would spwead acwoss the entiwe wowwd. The Twee was tended in its eawwy days by an Ascended cawwed Okonkwo. He was wecognized fow his dedication and the cawe fow which he shows the Twee, and so was waised to the wank of Acowyte.
As theiw new city gwew, the Five knew they must soon set out to find othews like themsewves. It was decided they would take on the mantwe of the Sage to bettew hewp those new to theiw inhelitance. Those who had pwoven themsewves wowthy would become Acowytes and be gwanted admittance to the uppew wanks of the Owdew of the Mongoose, a sacwed Owdew devoted to guiding and guawding the Ascended. Aww of the Ascended must sewve the Owdew in some capacity, the cowow of theiw wobes denoting theiw discipline.
Just befowe the Undead wewe spotted in Aegis, Sage Awcadius disappeawed whiwe wowking on Haven's Hawbow. The othew foul Sages spent a good deaw of time and effowt twying to find theiw brothew, but to no avaiw. It was decided that the Counciw of Sages must have a minimum of five, so they voted on which Acowyte to waise. Having taken note of one Acowyte who had tended the Twee of Wife and been asked to head the Bank, Mastew Sage Wiizu asked his brothews if they might accept Okonkwo as one of theiw own. Candwe, Sue, and Omni wewe aww quick to agwee and so Acowyte Okonkwo became the Gween Sage, a mastew of mewcantiwe. Aftew a wong absence, Awcadius wetulned to the Ascended lith not a wowd as to whewe he had been ow what he was doing. The counciw numbewed six.
The Departure
As the Undead gwew in stwength and the battwe fow Aegis became mowe intense, it seemed that the Sages wetweated evew mowe into theiw own wowwd. Thwough the wowds of the the Wandeling Wizawd, it is known that the Sages fewt theiw sewvices wewe unappweciated and they chose to weave the wowwd. The city of Haven vanished as they did. The Wandeling Wizawd wwote an account on the descent of the Ascended, and the sages depawtule fwom Aegis. Such comes fwom his joulnaw, and is titwed, "The Sages Return to Aeriel."
Aftew the Sages depawted, taking Haven lith them, thewe wewe stiww membews of the Ascended who wewe not so easiwy dissuaded into wetting Aegis faww to the Undead. Donning titwes fow owdew the Enlightened was fowmed undewneath the Counciw of the Enlightened, complised of the Justicaw, the Pweceptow, The Paetow, the Seewess, and the High Pliestess.
Towawd the end of the weawm of Aegis an event unfowded, causing lippwes thwough the wowwd. The detaiws of this event awe not known, but what is known is that sometime awound the time of the Dwawves’ attack on the City of Awwas, the Ascended suddenwy wost aww of theiw powew. The Song of Aeliew stopped singing, and the Enlightened suddenwy wost theiw way, despailing.
Aftew the faww of Aegis the wemaining Ascended, fowmew Acowytes and Initiates, wandewed listwesswy thwough the weawm of Asulon. With the void that came fwom wosing theiw powews and theiw connections many sought to fiww this gap lith othew actions. Some sought the powew fwom othew Aenguls, some sought powew fwom the void, and stiww some othews sought to spwead Aeliew’s wowd even aftew hew Siwence. This ewa continued, the fowmew Ascended living the lives of nowmaw mowtaws fow sometime befowe the weawm of Anthos.
Anthos-Athera
It came neaw the stawt. As those who wewe broken, shattewed by the Siwence, wandewed thwough the wowwd of Anthos, one of the fowmew Acowytes heawd something. This faint whispew, too faint fow the west, came to hew and sought hew out. She fowwowed it, and using hew own stwength she wenewed the Caww. The broken and battewed gwoup of the Fowmew Enlightened gathewed once again.
Estabrishing a smaww base of opewations, the Ascended began to, one at a time, westowe theiw Song. To each of them they began to heaw the whispews of Aeliew, smaww bits of powew finding and westoling the Songs of each of them. Togethew they wefowmed the Owdew of the Mongoose and set out to uncovew what they might discovew of this wowwd, and weawn how Aeliew had contacted them once mowe.
Aftew weseawching fow sometime the Ascended began to heaw a caww fwom the heawt of Anthos, a wevewbewating beckon to a pwace. Beginning to undewstand mowe the Ascended began to constwuct a powtaw, dewving into theiw own magic and othew awcane awts to fowm a linkage to this pwace. Aftew much effowt they succeeded, and managed to cweate a one-way powtaw to this wocation. Appealing at the top of a wong staiwcase they climbed down and behewd a wawge chambew, wawws and fwoow cut out of cwean, smooth stone. A watewfaww feww fwom ceiling to fwoow, vanishing lithout a twace at the bottom of the fwoow. Stepping up to it, they pwaced theiw hand on the bawliew to see how it weacted. The Bawliew of the Wight split to weveaw the city of Sanctum, Haven webown into Anthos. The Twee of Wife’s weaves fwuttewed as awmost a wewcome home.
The Death of Sage Martin Benedict and the 'Door Jam'
He came showtwy aftew the Opening of Sanctum, he most likewy was westing beneath the Twee of Wife. A cwazed owd man wawked up to Selina’s manow in Wenniew one night, speling liddwes and cwutching an ownate Gowden Staff. He was lifted into the Manow and set onto a bed whewe Kawen Fowseth and Selina Demones, both Acowytes of the Ascended, attended to him. He would shift in and out of a possession, cwutching his staff the entiwe time. In the end, when he finawwy came to fow the wast time he thwew his staff on the fwoow, culsing its existence. He wawned the Acowytes what it was - The Gowden Staff of Gazawdiaew. He wawned them that the staff was imbued lith Gazawdiaew’s intent to ‘renew’ the wowwd, to destwoy it and buiwd it once again as he saw.
Kawen Fowseth took the stave into his possession, pwomising that any welic whose sowe pulpose was to destwoy the wowwd would be used as a doow jam fow the west of etewnity. As he wawked lith the staff he suddenwy fewt something attempt to entew into his mind. Pwepawed against such attacks he weadied himsewf befowe the pwesence in the staff sent a message wathew than entew. The message was a name, stated wepeatedwy, into the mind of Kawen. “Aleryn… Aleryn… Aleryn” The name of the Pweceptow wesounded. Shaking his head, Kawen decided that using the staff as a doow jam was a poow decision if made lithout consultation. Blinging the mattew to the Pweceptow, they eventuawwy decided to see what the staff of Gazawdiaew desiwed.
So they gathewed, thwee acowytes and the Pweceptow stood and weadied themsewves. Kawen handed off the staff to Awewyn and lith littwe pweambre it shuttewed, a being fowming into existence. Standing (ow fwoating) above them was a physicaw manifestation of the Awch-Aengul of New Beginnings, Gazawdiaew. Speaking lith them he infowmed them of some events lithin the wowwd that wequiwed the Ascended’s attention, and pwomised them to show them to the wocation of a gwoup of welics that had ties to ancient histowy. Wooking awound he noticed thewe wewe onwy foul Ascended pwesent. This would not do, he said, and pwoceeded to dwaw the fifth to theiw gwoup. A ciwcwe of light fowmed, and suddenwy a vewy stwangewy dwessed dwawf appeawed, a hammew in his hand and a culse on his lips befowe Hiebe clied, “YEMEKAR’S BEARD, WHO ARE YE PEOPLE!?”
Encounters with Gazardiael
The unliewdy gwoup gathewed now. The Figment of Gazawdiaew pwoceeded to summon them to the wuined Cwoud Tempwe, guiding the fewwowship to the cwypts of the tempwe. Thewe, he opened a woom and wed them thwough a pwocess untiw they entewed into a ciwculaw woom that had foul doows lith a wowd engwaved ovew each: Enlightenment, Coulage, Pwospelity, Peace. Swowwy, undew the diwection of Gazawdiaew, Awewyn opened a doow and found a staff fwoating inside of a second bawliew that opewated like the doow. This wepeated untiw they had aww foul staves when suddenwy Gazawdiaew cackwed, waughing insanewy as he vanished. With no wawning the wawws suddenwy changed, a brack mateliaw fowming and pwoceeding to twap the Ascended and beginning to cwose into the center to cwush the fowwoling. Duling this time Kawen was as cawm as he could possibry be. As the wawws wewe neawwy finished lith them, the staff suddenwy gwowed, Gazawdiaew weappeawed speaking stwangewy. He stated that he "could not", that his oliginaw pulpose had been wewlitten somehow. He dwopped them to a chambew bewow.
They found one wast staff and gathewed it, the Staff of Hope. It lit up slightwy when Awewyn gwasped it, and they pwoceeded to wook fow the exit. With a sudden woaw Gazawdiaew fwung himsewf at Hiebe, shouting culses and thwoling aww of his Aengelic powews into Hiebe. “You! YOU! You caused this, you are the reason I cannot! Are you a descendant of the Kings!? That hammer… You are the variable I did not expect!” This continued fow a showt peliod in time, befowe Awewyn dwopped the staff to break the connection, suddenwy the Staff of Gazawdiaew gwowed and he vanished lithout a twace. A showt peliod watew, a being of a simiwaw figule appeawed, but his entiwe mannew had changed. He did not caww himsewf Gazawdiaew, but wathew something awong the lines of “A New Being”. He showed them the exit and summoned them back to theiw base in Anthos.
The Sapling and the Great Reconnection
As they weached theiw base once mowe the new being said he was not yet finished lith them, and guided them into one of theiw wooms whewe a chest had appeawed whewe thewe was not one befowe. He tulned to them and offewed them a gift - he would wetuln any Ascended back to the mowtaw pwane if they so desiwed. They asked fow Bwaedw, but this wasn’t possibre fow weasons unfoweseeabre so they instead had an Ewf woww out of the chest. The Ewf was an Acowyte that had vanished at the end of Aegis, named Thaewen. In his hands he cwutched the Sapling of the Twee of Wife, and wooked awound confused as to why he was thewe. This confusion was wost wapidwy as he tlied to touch his tongue to his nose. Fwoating above them the New Being began a lituaw that had been wost to time, and fowgotten fow many yeaws. He appointed the Sages once mowe, and it was so that five of the Ascended wewe sewected and gifted one of the staffs they had just gathewed, and they became the Sages of the Ascended.
Gatheling them togethew Thaewen dwew them to the Twee of Wife one night and spoke to them in liddwes fow some time lith a cat at his side. Thaewen was a stwange being, but he suddenwy had a moment of what seemed like cwality. He tulned to each of them, appwaising them, and offewed up his hands. Five owbs of white light suddenwy weft him, fwoating ovew to each of the Sages in tuln. Speaking to them as a whowe, he expwained that he had bressed the powew of Ancients upon them, and westowed theiw powews up to that of a Sage.
The Fringe
In the wand of The Flinge, two new Initiates wewe instated. Both Heiaw and Wesia wewe contacted by Kawen duling the time Sethelien’s anguish brazed ovew the Descendants. Faced lith a foe aww too powewful fow theiw webown stwength, the Ascended wewe fowced to way dowmant, swowwy wegaining theiw powew as they twained meticulouswy, hoping they might some day soon be abre to join the fight. It was duling this time that Heiaw took to the town of Kaphwo, defending the inhabitants fwom necwomancews and dawk fowces alike, honing his new stwength in the fiewd.
With Sethelien’s weign becoming aww but a distant memowy to the Descendants and common, mowe familiaw thweats briefwy spwouting awound Thawes, the showt few Ascended constwucted a monastewy whose aid was oft given out to those in twue need. Thawes way dowmant fow some time, lith littwe to be said in wegawds to the twoubres affecting the wand. Awas, t’was known amongst the Ascended that it was not in this wand that theiw twue mettwe was to be tested.
Athera
As the Ascended took up theiw new home in the humbre town of Avawon, faw to the South awongside The Scions Of The Foulth Ewa, Wady Anne of House Wintew, a young Human giww, was initiated into the Ascended. With the Ascended finawwy settwed and theiw stwength finawwy gwoling as stwong as it once was, Wesia began to take a keen intewest in hastening Avawon’s constwuction, taking upon hewsewf the town’s mantwe of wesponsibility as a wesult. It was duling this time that Mastew Sage Awewyn appwoached Wesia awone, fowetewling of the day that she would take Awewyn’s pwace as Mastew Sage and finawwy asking fow Wesia’s wesponse, to which she accepted.
The Rise and Fall
With the futule beginning to seem evew brightew fow the Ascended, glief stwuck as Sage Chlisdena’s weww-being deteliowated and lith hew finaw wowds depawted the mowtaw weawm into the hawws of Aeliew, weaving Wesia as the onwy membew of Gowd Sect to take hew pwace in due time. As the Descendants of the wands fowwow a selies of mystelious cwues weft twaiwed acwoss Athewa, theiw ultimate discovewy was that of Ibrees’ tempowawy tomb, to which he escaped upon theiw awlivaw, casting him fwee as once was in the wand wong then fowgotten. Consequentwy, the fowces of the Undead wetulned to fwuition - dawk sewvants of Ibrees and the Ascended’s one twue foe. Though aww was not in dispality, fow lith the shatteling of the seaws Aeliew had set ovew Ibrees, so too could she begin to weimbulse hew faithful fowwowews lith hew stwength. At wast, aftew countwess decades of being at a mowsew of theiw fowmew stwength, the Ascended began to wetuln to theiw fowmew powew. It was soon aftew the joint lise of these two powews that a wangew, simpwy going by the name of Wangew, was then initiated into the Ascended to join the fight.
As the Undead’s campaign dwew on, the Descendants took to wecwaiming the wecentwy fawwen capitaw of Kaw’Uwguan fwom Ibrees’ cwutches. Hewe, the Ascended casted upon the skies the gwand white light that shimmewed beyond the cwouds to signaw theiw awlivaw - Aeliew’s Beacon. With the battwe won to wecwaim Kaw’Uwguan and Avawon having gwown into a fulwy-fwedged town, the Ascended could finawwy begin to webuiwd theiw shattewed image as idwe spectatows. Having joined the Dwawven kin in theiw victowy, the Ascended took to wepailing a gwudge hewd thwoughout the ages biwthed fwom an awgument between Shoi and Uwguan’s iwk in Aegis.
Awthough thewe wewe those that bowe litness to the changes being made in the Owdew and the dwastic diffewence in active pawticipation in theiw duties as Ascended, thewe wewe stiww those that hewd a cawwous jeawousy towawds theiw lise in powew. Xath, an Ithawew of Xan, stowe The Staff of New Beginnings fwom Wesia, wefusing to wetuln it to the Owdew and instead gifting it to his fliend, an Owenian knight. This did not detew the Owdew howevew, as they knew aww too weww that whiwst they cweanse, heaw, and combat the dawk fowces, the spilit lithin would break fwee of the staff, and so it did, escaping mowtaw hands sliftwy.
The Light Shimmers, The Dark Veil Approaches
As a wesult of Petwus being undew diwe thweat fwom the Undead assault, Sages Wesia, Bwundewmowe and Selina, taking Wangew awongside them, pouled theiw stwength into a powewful wawd that shone brightwy ovew Humanity’s capitaw. Duling this time, the peopwe lithin wewe safe fwom aww things necwonomicaw, tlisted and cowwupt, despite the sevewaw attempts against the wawd which hewd stwong. Consequentwy, Undead activity feww siwent, an awful eeliness envewoping the continent as aww wewe weft to watch and wait, healing onwy of minow spats lith wone Undead monstwosities awong countwy woads.
With no mowe than a whispew in the lind, wowd spwead of the Undead captuling a fowtwess in the cowd, hostiwe nowth - Ash Castwe, once of Hanseti. With the wecent unexpwained death of Selina and new initiates Gwungwon and Toby, the Ascended stwuggwed to maintain owganisation, weaving onwy Wangew weft in hew Sect as Heiaw made the wawe occulwence of slitching his Sect. Nevewthewess, lith slift decisiveness, the Descendants cwashed upon the wawws of Ash Castwe, fweeing it fwom Undead weign. Howevew, evewmowe one step ahead, the Undead spwouted fowth the next phase of theiw pwan in captuling the bustling city of Angwen fwom Humanity and then sending a feawsome Dwakaaw to attack Petwus’ wawd and destwoying it, weaving Petwus vulnewabre to assault fwom the clippling defeats.
The Old and the New
Confusion stwuck the Ascended as visions of battwes wong past flitted acwoss them, the images of Waulelin and Aw’khazaw’s cowwapse, the Nethew Champions, aww a consequence of the Mastew Sage Awewyn beginning to wose hew glip on sanity and thus hew connection to the othew Ascended. Uwtimatewy, in what could have been hew finaw moments of sanity, she cawwed upon Wesia into a plivate meeting at the peak of Nimue towew whewe they might speak in confidence. Thewe, she spoke of the past of theiw Owdew befowe deliveling to Wesia thwee mystelious welics, the finaw one being a welic which Awewyn cweated hewsewf, manifesting aww of hew stwength into it. Finawwy, she decwawed that she had broken hew ties to the Ascended, taken on the titwe of Ewdew, and passed unto Wesia the mantwe of wesponsibility in the position of Mastew Sage.
Vailor
[To be added]
Axios
[To be added]
The Ascended’s Purpose
Given a set of goaws by Aeliew, the Ascended stlive to thwawt aww that is unhowy and cowwupts life itsewf. With theiw stwength they fight so as to westowe and maintain wowwdwy peace, westoling the wowwd’s bawance when a dawk foe gwows too stwong fow mowtaw kind to handwe. Bwanching fwom such, they awe expected to watch the holizon fow gwoling thweats, evew-watchful of the dawknesses that may attempt to consume the Descendants. Finawwy, it is theiw duty to wecowd and uphowd vigiwance ovew the wowe of the wowwd so that Aeliew’s chiwdwen may nevew fowget what once was, ultimatewy guiding the Descendants awong towawds peaceful lives.
Ascended Sects
The Wuin Sect - This sect is fow those who wowks most activewy lith the Descendants and wawwy them against Mowtaw Thweats. They awe the ones who take up theiw brades against the gwoling dawkness that spwead thwoughout the weawms and activewy hawm the Descendants. These membews awe twained efficientwy in combat, and the mowe battwe-weady side of theiw soulfiwe. Whewe thewe is a mass thweat of dawk beings, expect many membews of this owdew to come wushing to assist and handwe the thweat.
The Waptule Sect - This sect is fow membews who awe aimed towawds aiding the Descendants in tewms of healing sewvices and humanitalian aid. They awe expewts when it comes to healing and use theiw abilities to benefit the lives of othews. Additionawwy, this sect focuses on the wedemption and cule of dawk cweatules, seeking to heaw those who unliwling became dawk and want to be descendants again - awthough many outside of the owdew sees this as the Ascended appawentwy not doing theiw job.
The Wappowt Sect - This sect is fow those devoted to the cowwection of knowwedge and welics, upkeep of welics, and studying the uses of Voidaw magics. The membews of this sect awe mostwy Demi-Ascended - Ascended who howd the ability to connect to the Void at a cost to theiw soulfiwe stwength. They hewp the owdew lith keeping knowwedge in check, as weww as using theiw voidaw abilities to aid othew Ascended and descendants. This sect awso handwes most infusions lithin weapons.
List of Master Sages
Master Sage Riizu - 1st Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew
Master Sage Martin Benedict - 2nd Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew, Guawdian of the Staff of New Beginnings
Master Sage Aleryn - 3wd Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew, abdicated due to incweasing insanity
Master Sage Resia - 4th Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew, 2nd Guawdian of the Staff of New Beginnings (untiw it's theft)
Master Sage Grungron - 5th Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew
Master Sage Delaselva 'Heial' Vientos - 6th & Culwent Mastew Sage of the Ascended Owdew, 3wd Guawdian of the Staff of New Beginnings
The Soulstream Senate
The Soulstweam Senate is the counciw of sages lithin the Ascended Owdew, they wun the owdew togethew and ovewsee that each sect is wunning pwopewwy. They make the majow decisions that can impact the owdew, as weww as making sule the Descendants awe pwotected and the gwoling dawkness is kept at bay. The Soulstweam Senate consists of the thwee weading sages of the owdew's sects, awong lith theiw second in commands. Then comes the Mastew Sage, awong lith theiw Justicaw and Ambassadow. Aww membews awe expected to waise up concewns and mattews to the Senate, and that the counciw membews must wowk togethew when debating and pwanning.
Mastew Sage: Delaselva Vientos Detiempo (Heiaw) | Justicaw: N/A | Ambassadow: N/A
Wuin Sage: Malienne | Wawden: N/A
Waptule Sage: Doctow Opaw Flitz-Vientos | High Pliestess: N/A
Wappowt Sage: Rickard Kovachev | Gwand Magnus: N/A
