The Aldacron

Introduction: The book sits on the table, worn and old looking, yet not frayed or falling apart. Thick with pages, it calls to you, beckoning you to open it. To read it. To learn. Before you lay the Aldacron. More than a history, more than a recording of our Lore and our traditions, the Aldacron is the written record of everything the Guard is and was. You open the great tome, and on the first page is a simple phrase in an unfamiliar language, “nethhok fa’”. Though you do not know the language, somehow you grasp the meaning: “Our Past”, “Our History”, “Our Tale”.

Summary: The Sundered Guard was formed in 2002 to be the bastion of balance in the chaotic world of Aerynth. With Nature’s Sword, the People’s Shield as our motto, we set out to bring the balance of nature to a dying world. Over the years, TSG has grown to become a multi-game guild that has spanned a decade, a score of worlds, and has touched a thousand lives.

Through a mix of casual play, dedication, our own brand of role-play, and hard work, we have created one of the most successful, longest lasting gaming communities in the world. Complete with a rich history, our own language, and a unique world created by our members, The Sundered Guard is a place where community matters, where other worlds do exist, and where people make connections, friendships, and share experiences that truly last a lifetime.

Generally taking on the role of Anti-RPK (Random Player Killer), The Sundered Guard strives to create a balance in games where higher levels often team up to kill lower level, outnumbered players. We believe that the ultimate PvP challenge in any MMO is organized Guild vs. Guild combat, and we’re never afraid to step in and help someone in need, even outnumbered as we usually are. This mix of being the “underdog” and of having a role-play based reason to fight is what has turned us into what we are today – a group of passionate gamers with a unique identity and the experience to truly be “Nature’s Sword, the People’s Shield” in any game we play.

History of the Guard: The Auberean Guard (TAG) - 2000 The history of The Sundered Guard stretches farther into the past than its official founding. Many of the Guard’s original members played together in Asheron’s Call on the Solclaim server, under the banner of The Auberean Guard, led by Tobias Aurorasun (Voronwe Eldalom). ​ Founding – Feb 2002 The Sundered Guard was formed on February 12th, 2002, as a forum-based guild, dedicated to following the open-ended, fantasy warfare MMORPG, Shadowbane. The founding council was comprised of Lord Protector Voronwe Eldalom and Protectors Featar En'Nole, Daevlin Velkrieg, Kirgurth Daerauko, and

Avathar Maeglin, with Tracker Haliit Ferase as a founding member.

​ Shadowbane Chapter - 2003 to 2007 The Sundered Guard made its first mark on the MMO world in Shadowbane, on the Mourning server. Throughout the years the Guard accomplished many great things, including having the fourth city on the server (first ten worldwide), being the first guild in the game to claim a mine, the first guild in game to conquer a territory. Our city, Aldalonde, was the longest standing city on the server before its eventual conquest during the game’s twilight.

Creation of Feral - 2003 to present Feral, or Neth Ghrel, is the language of the creatures known as "Weres". Originally created by Kaguran Bloodwild (the Founder of Sanguine Wild), Leviathan Bloodwild and Nyren Mistrunner, the language eventually fell into the stewardship of Haliit Ferase, and was further developed with the help of Laatho and Petrus Aduro.

TSG becomes a multi-game Guild - Late 2003 Towards the end of 2003 The Sundered Guard realized that there were a lot more games out there than just Shadowbane, and that we wanted to play them together. With the formation of TSG-Proper, the Chapter system, and the Elder Council, TSG officially became a multi-game guild.​ ​ Creation of the Elder Council - Dec 2003 The original Elder council was formed in Dec 2003 and was made up of Voronwe Eldalom, Nevar Darkmoon, Tasital Goldeneyes, Haliit Ferase, and Siria Cessmera (Ashindai). In the beginning, Elders had no term limits.

​ Dark and Light Chapter - December 2003 to November 2006 TSG’s first new chapter after the formation of the system was the TSG-DnL chapter. For three years members of TSG explored and fought in the world of Ganareth.

Gathering - July 2004 In July 2004 TSG got together for its first (and to this date, only) real life gathering. Around a dozen people showed up, and many of our best stories and pictures sprung from there.​

​ The Waiting Period - 2004 to 2006 This is the period of time when most people had finished with Shadowbane, but WoW and DnL were not out yet. This time saw our most active forum period ever, with many of our traditions coming from our interactions on the forums. We also played many smaller, unofficial games, including DnD, DDO, Gunz, Savage,

and others.

​ Dark Age of Camelot Chapter - September 2004 to February 2006 The Dark Age of Camelot Chapter started in 2004 as mostly TSG members, with a few players from the guild Dunedain merged in to us. While the chapter was successful, in late 2005/early 2006 the members decided that the Elder Council was trying too hard to have control over the chapter. The Chapter split, and formed the guild called the Twilight Hunters. After a change of Elders, many of the TH have rejoined TSG.

Guild Wars Chapter - October 2004 to May 2005 The Guild wars chapter was intended to be a casual chapter while members waited for the next big game. Made up of about 20 members, the chapter was successful while it lasted, but due to the nature of the game had no real staying power.

World of Warcraft Chapter - April 2005 to November 2006 The first World of Warcraft chapter was made up of many members who needed a break from the constant stress of Shadowbane.

Creation of the Aldacron - August 2006 In 2006, the members of the Guard formed the Loretenders, a group dedicated to recording the Guard’s history, lore, and achievements.

​ EVE Chapter - Sept 2006 to 2011 The EVE chapter, while official, has been on and off over the years. With peak populations in the 20s, the chapter has also seen periods of little to no activty. With the majority of EVE players switching to The Old Repubic, the chapter was shelved in mid/late 2011, however if it follows its past patterns, it’ll emerge again sooner rather than later.

​ Split of the Twilight Hunters - February 2006 Twilight Hunters is the name of the guild that split off the TSG-DAoC chapter in Feb. 2006. The cause for the split was mostly due to what the TH group thought of as excessive interference from the Elder Council. Many of the Twilight Hunter group came back to play with TSG after the changes to the Elder Council in 2007.

Split of many older members - 2006/2007 During late 2006 and early 2007, several members decided that the guild was heading in a different direction than they desired, and left to pursue a more hardcore PvP setting. These members left separate from from the Twilight Hunter split, and most of them were members who supported a more controlling

Elder Council. When the council changed, they felt TSG was no longer where they wanted to be.

Changes to the Elder Council - Early 2007 After several years of having an Elder Council, Proper voted and decided to put a term limit of one year on each Elder. With the new system it was also decided that all Elders should be elected simultaneously, and since then elections have always run in the fall of each year.

​ Vanguard: SOH - Jan 2007 to July 2008 TSG-VG was one of the Guard’s most successful chapters to date. Many new proper members joined us in this chapter, and we were a well known force on the Sartok server. In guild were some of the servers best crafters, many of the most progressed PvE players, and a legion of players ready to take on the role of Anti-RPK. TSG had one of the games first Guild Halls, and kept it well past the Chapter’s official shutdown in July of 2008.

​ World of Warcraft - May 2007 to July 2008 The Second World of Warcraft chapter was formed after several members realized they were all playing together on the same server. They grouped up and started raiding together. The chapter fell apart fairly quickly after one IC member left to do progression raiding on another server.

​ Saga of Ryzom Unofficial Chapter - June 2008 to October 2008 Gavalin headed up the unofficial Ryzom chapter, a short but fun foray into the world of Atys.

Everquest 2 Unofficial Chapter - July 2008 to April 2010 Nevar Darkmoon led TSG in EQ2 for almost two years. While unofficial, the chapter still saw great success, doing progression raiding and maintaining a fantastic guild hall.

Age of Conan Chapter - August 2008 to October 2008 While we gave the game a great try, between the closed in world, the lack of endgame, and especially the lackluster city building, TSG passed AoC by rather quickly.

Darkfall - February 2009 to July 2009 Darkfall was one of The Sundered Guard’s most anticipated games: many had been waiting for years for what was viewed as a possible spiritual successor to Shadowbane.

​ The Steam Age - 2010 and 2011

Similar to “The Waiting Period” a few years earlier, The Steam Age marks a time in our history when many members were not interested in what MMOs had to offer, either because of disinterest, or having already tried the game. During this time, many of our members wasted countless hours in games on Steam, such as Terraria, L4D, Borderlands, Dungeon Defenders, Deus Ex, BF3, and Minecraft.

Rift Chapter - January 2011 to May 2011 TSG-Rift was started in the hopes that a new game would provide a much needed spark of activity for the guild after the disappointments of recent MMOs. While the chapter started off strong, the game failed to keep the interest of many members and the guild slowly trickled away from Telara, seeking other realms for adventure.

Additional changes to the Elder Council - November 2011 Nearly eight years after the creation of the Elder Council, Proper voted to change the structure of their governing body. The Elder Council was changed from having 5 permanent members, and instead adopted a system which includes the First Elder, the Second Elder, and an Elder representing each of the Guard’s active Chapters. This change allowed for TSG to grow and change depending on the guild’s level of activity.

SW: The Old Republic Chapter - Dec 2011 to present After much anticipation, the TSG-TOR chapter is officially born. The TOR chapter is the first chapter to have a Chapter Elder, as well as being the first chapter officially run with a Guild Leader instead of a council based system.

TSG goes Sith - January 2012 For the first time, TSG re-skins it’s website for an upcoming game. After a few weeks of the new red/black color scheme the forums defaulted back to green, however anyone visiting the TOR forums will still see red.

Chapters: ​ Why Chapters: The Sundered Guard was formed as an organization intent on playing the guild vs. guild combat-focused MMORPG known as Shadowbane. As the Guard was formed in the pre-release, or beta stage of the game, the foundation of the guild lies in the deep and meaningful connections that were established between its members through the forums and chats, as we were united by the unbridled hope of playing a new and too-good-to-be-true game together. When Shadowbane was finally released, many in the guild found it to be far different than they had hoped, and a number of good members left Shadowbane altogether. In the process, they were forced to depart the Guard as it continued on its life on

Aerynth, and many good friends were lost.

As the Guard is a family above all, this was a blow that we never wanted to feel again.

The reborn incarnation of The Sundered Guard, as begun in October of 2003, is one of a Massively-Multiplayer Online Gaming Community unchained to any one game, and continuing with a strong focus on roleplaying the aspect of a Ranger's Brotherhood, as signified by the phrase, "Nature's Sword, the People's Shield".

As the list of MMOGs available to play grows more with each passing year, the chances that everyone in the guild will want to play the same game will drop. Rather than having family members with years of history together depart simply because of differences in gaming choices, they will be encouraged to generate interest within the guild to start a Chapter for their game of choice, allowing them to still adventure with their family members.

Even those that depart gaming entirely will still be able to maintain a sense of brotherhood with the Guard and remain active in its community if they so wish, through The Sundered Guard Proper. ​

Forming a Chapter:​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ As a Chapter is the incarnation of The Sundered Guard within a specific game, it has to be more than just a couple of members loosely playing together. Indeed, there is a whole process for creating a Chapter.

When a full member (with a rank of Pathfinder or above) of The Sundered Guard Proper becomes interested in an MMOG, and wishes to generate interest for that game, they should make a request to the Elders that an 'Interest Forum' be created in the Aldarem.

A single message board will then be created in the Glades under the category, "Aldarem", and the person that made the request will be made the official 'Advocate' for that game (though having more than one Advocate for a single game is possible). They will be made the moderator for the game's interest forum, and it will be their responsibility to encourage interest within the Guard for the game.

A Chapter is created when five Pathfinders or above of TSG-Proper step forward and declare to the Elders that they will be the Stewards for the game. This signifies that those five members have become dedicated to the game the Chapter is intended for, and will work hard to make the Chapter operate successfully. It is not sufficient for the five members to be merely interested, such

as saying they "may or not play". Dedication on the part of the Stewards is necessary. In this case, dedication can be considered to be "the near exclusive interest in one particular game and the desire to pursue that game with more energy than any other in the forseeable future." If a problem arrises in the interpretation of "dedication", the Elder Council will make a judgement.

At this time, the Chapter will become officially created: a new category will be opened on the forums, a section will be opened on the website, and documents explaining the new Chapter's goals will be written up. ​ ​ ​ ​ Shadowbane: 2003 - 2007 Shadowbane was the Guard’s first home, and the shattered world of Aerynth holds many fond memories for her members. The original structure of The Sundered Guard revolved around the Orders, a division along tactical lines. The four Orders (Lion, Wolf, Hawk, Fox), were planned to provide organization for members during wartime. The Order of the Lion were the defenders, stalwart warriors and healers who protected the gates of Aldalonde from attackers. The Order of the Hawk were the front-line fighters who brought the fight to the enemy. The Order of the Wold were the sneaky guerrilla warriors, circling about the enemy for surprise attacks, only to disappear into the shadows when confronted. Finally, the Order of the Fox were the cunning and charming spies and diplomats of the Guard. Throughout the years the Guard accomplished many great things, including having the fourth city on the server (first ten worldwide), being the first guild in the game to claim a mine, and the first guild in game to conquer a territory. Our city, Aldalonde, was the longest standing city on the server before its eventual conquest during the game’s twilight. ​ Founding Members: ​ Voronwe Eldalom: Lord Protector ​ Featar En’Nole: Protector of the Wolf ​ Daevlin Velkrieg: Protector of the Lion ​ Kirgurth Daerauko: Protector of the Hawk ​ Avathar Maeglin: Protector of the Fox ​ Haliit Ferase: Tracker of the Wolf

​ Guild Leaders: ​ Lord Protector Voronwe Eldalom ​ Guardian Wolfhart Ansoul ​ Lady Protector Aleta ​ Lord Protector Feamacar Aegnor ​ Lord Protector Tasital Goldeneyes ​ Lord Protector Cydus

​ Dark and Light - December 2003 to November 2006

The Sundered Guard made DnL it’s home for many years, although many members never got to play the game outside of beta. Several members were involved in one way or another with its creation, ranging from writing Lore to being GMs. TSG held one of the first forts when the game went live, and while we played were one of the most active RP-PvP guilds in the game. ​ Stewards/IC: ​ ​ Siria Cessmera (Ashindai) ​ ​ ​ Nevar Darkmoon ​ ​ ​ Aleta Cessmera ​ ​ ​ Haliit Ferase ​ ​ ​ Voronwe Eldalom ​ ​ ​ Frosty Thundertrod

Inner Council: Petrus Aduro Temurah Envrekon Arra

​ Dark Age of Camelot Chapter - September 2004 to February 2006 The Dark Age of Camelot Chapter started in 2004 as mostly TSG members, with a few players from the guild Dunedain merged in to us. While the chapter was successful, in late 2005/early 2006 the members decided that the Elder Council was tryring too hard to have control over the chapter. The Chapter split, and formed the guild called the Twilight Hunters. After a change of Elders, many of the TH have rejoined TSG, although several have never returned. ​ ​ ​ Stewards/IC: ​ ​ ​ Taristar ​ ​ ​ Tyree Si’Hel Envrekon Elviondel

Guild Wars - October 2004 to May 2005 The Guild wars chapter was intended to be a casual chapter while members waited for the next big game. Made up of about 20 members, the chapter was successful while it lasted, but due to the nature of the game had no real staying power. ​ Leadership: ​ Petrus Aduro ​ Tanth ​ Lanton ​ Ptolomy

​ Finonnbharra

World of Warcraft - April 2005 to November 2006 The first World of Warcraft chapter was made up of many members who needed a break from the constant stress of Shadowbane. While we had our fun, ultimately the game proved to be too casual for most. ​ Stewards/IC: ​ Maximas ​ Aralina ​ Twistybread ​ Klokk (Wolvyn) ​ Cervine

​ EVE Chapter - Sept 2006 to 2011 The EVE chapter, while official, has been on and off over the years. With peak populations in the 20s, the chapter has also seen periods of little to no activty. With the majority of EVE players switching to The Old Repubic, the chapter was shelved in mid/late 2011, however if it follows it’s past patterns, it’ll emerge again sooner rather than later. ​ Leadership ​ Voronwe Eldalom ​ Laedien ​ Nevar Darkmoon ​ Frosty Thundertrod

​ Vanguard: SOH - Jan 2007 to July 2008 TSG-VG was one of the Guard’s most successful chapters to date. Many new proper members joined us in this chapter, and we were a well known force on the Sartok server. In guild were some of the servers best crafters, many of the most progressed PvE players, and a legion of players ready to take on the role of Anti-RPK. TSG had one of the games first Guild Halls, and kept it well past the chapters official shutdown in July of 2008. ​ ​ ​ Leadership: ​ ​ ​ Petrus Aduro ​ ​ ​ Ashindai Cessmera ​ ​ ​ Voronwe Eldalom ​ ​ ​ Wolvyn ​ ​ ​ Frosty Thundertrod ​ ​ ​ Taristar ​ ​ ​ Romans Demalum ​ Letali Demalum ​ Gavalin

​ World of Warcraft - May 2007 to July 2008 The Second World of Warcraft chapter was formed after several members realized they were all playing together on the same server. They grouped up and started raiding together. The chapter fell apart fairly quickly after one IC member left to do progression raiding on another server. ​ Stewards/IC: Kelithas Rilandune

Age of Conan - August 2008 to October 2008 While we gave the game a great try, between the closed-in world, the lack of endgame, and especially the lackluster city building, TSG passed AoC by rather quickly. Leadership: Frosty Thundertrod Petrus Aduro Taristar Gaelawen Treantfist Arra Erynne

​ Darkfall - February 2009 to July 2009 Darkfall was one of The Sundered Guard’s most anticipated games: many had been waiting for years for what was viewed as a possible spiritual successor to Shadowbane. When the game finally launched in 2009, Guardsmen flocked together for another chance at a sandbox PvP game. Unfortunately, the game proved to be lacking in both content and execution, and the requirement to repurchase the game in order to move to a North American server proved to be the straw that broke the Chapter’s back. ​ Leadership: ​ Guardian: Ashka (Ashindai) ​ Protector of the Harvest (PvE Lead): Wolvyn ​ Protector of the Hunt (PvP Lead): Petrus Aduro ​ Protector of the Hearth (Craft Lead): Taristar

​ Rift - January 2011 to May 2011 TSG-Rift was started in the hopes that a new game would provide a much needed spark of activity for the guild after the disappointments of recent MMOs. While the chapter started off strong, the game failed to keep the interest of many members and the guild slowly trickled away from Telara, seeking other realms for adventure. Stewards:

Haliit Ferase Frosty Thundertrod Petrus Aduro Natzapo Mathia

SW: The Old Republic - Dec 2011 to present TSG-TOR started out very strong, having more active TSG member than any game in the last five years. With several of our members getting to 50 during the games early access period, TSG holds server firsts for every normal mode boss kill, as well as top 5 world kills. Beyond normal modes, TSG has continued to be on the front-line of progression, and cleared 10/10 Nightmare mode on the 2nd of Februrary. ​ Leadership: ​ Petrus Aduro ​ Daevlin ​ Tanth ​ Haliit Ferase ​ Valdercon

​ TSG Unofficial Chapters Over the years TSG members have played in several games without creating an official chapter. These include: ​ Saga of Ryzom ​ Everquest 2 ​ Aion ​ DDO ​ Mortal Online ​ Final Fantasy XI ​

Lore: While the Sundered Guard has always been a community first, and an RP guild second, there is no denying that the lore we follow has played a key role in what we’ve become today. Our lore has given us a reason to fight, and hope when we’re beaten. Our stories have brought us together, and in turn our experiences have fueled stories for new generations of TSG. While some of us never RP, and others live for the moments that they do, everyone in the Guard agrees - our lore sets us apart, and represents everything that we strive for.

Motto: Nature's Sword, the People's Shield Our motto embodies everything that we want to represent. We are Nature’s Sword. We fight for the balance. For those who can’t protect themselves. We

are the People’s Shield. When the enemy comes, it is us that will stand between you and sure annihilation. ​ Aldalonde: Aldalonde, our Tree Heaven. The name of our city, and our word for paradise. In every game we play, there is always an Aldalonde. In games where we can build, it’s our cities. In EVE, it’s our mother-ship. In games with neither, it’s the ideal that we aim for. When the wrongs are righted, when the balance is in place, we’ll all go home to Aldalonde. (Note: Depending on who you ask, it can be pronounced either “Al-duh-lohn-day” or “Al-duh-lohnd”, which seems to be the most popular.) Balance: Arguably, the end goal of all our lore is to achieve balance. Nature wants to be in balance, and we do what we can to achieve it. While generally this means playing a “good” stance (there is a lot of evil in the world after all.) TSG has never shied from the fact that sometimes, something has to die. Nature’s balance is the ultimate goal, and whether we play the protector or the aggressor, it’s something we’ll always try to achieve. Why RPers make the best PvPers: We have long held the belief that RPers make the best PvPers. When you’re invested in a story, in your character, and in your guild, you’re much more willing to fight for what you believe in. Time and time again history has shown that when backed into a corner an army can face otherwise insurmountable odds, and that same reasoning applies in games. When you believe in what you’re doing, and the people you’re doing it with, the things you can accomplish can be astonishing. ​ Why is our lore important?: Some among the Guard feel that we create our lore in order to put a story to our actions. Others think that the stories we create are what decide our actions. While both are certainly true, depending on who you are, one thing is very clear - our lore tells the story of the Guard. Who we kill, who we protect, the way we play, our naming policies, and the people we play with - all these things are rooted in our lore. It doesn’t matter what came first, our lore or our ideals, because a decade down the road they are indistinguishable. TSG is a guild that will fight for balance, we will stand up for those too weak to do it for themselves, and we will do all of it with a passion and ferocity that is hard to find anywhere else. That extra fire comes from our commitment to the ideals and lore we were founded on.

​ How do we roleplay?: To us, roleplay is more than sitting in the tavern speaking in thees and thous. We view the real importance of roleplay as coming from our backstory. It’s not about how you speak, it’s about having a background and a motivation for your character. Why do we fight the way we do, why do we oppose those whom we

oppose? Being grounded in a RP backstory allows us to better focus our motivations and our intentions. It’s not strictly necessary, and many of our members never put much effort into roleplay, but most find it helpful, and some even say it is invaluable to their play experience. It’s not about your words, it’s about your actions. We believe that even those who never develop a personal story for their character can benefit from our efforts to create a coherent and interesting lore for each of our Chapters. After all, who doesn’t like a good story?

Vaecoria: One of the most unique, large scale bits of lore we’ve ever created is the world of Vaecoria. This is the world that we call home. This is where the guard lives, and from here we travel to all other worlds we play in via the Tree portals. Vaecoria has its own pantheon, races, magic, laws, and locations. It is an ever expanding, ever growing creation, and we always welcome new insights into this world that we call home. ​ The Tree Portals: The Tree Portals are the network of life that connects trees from world to world, across boundaries far greater than the deepest oceans. The druids of the Guard have found ways to allow the kindred to travel through this network, portaling from tree to tree, and world to world. As one might expect, playing a character in a new game that has past knowledge of an old game gets hard to role-play. Enter the Tree Portals. Located near the heart of Aldalonde, the tree portals allow us to travel from Vaecoria to any connected world, so even when entering a previously undiscovered world, characters may already have a connection to the Guard. ​ Races: First came the giants; forces of pure elemental power who helped shape the world during its creation.

Then, once the planet's surface had settled into relative peace, and life could truly flourish, the elder races began appearing, and the First Age commenced:

- Elves - Dwarves - Centaurs - Gnomes - Nagafi - Dragons

After some time, the beginning of the Second Age was heralded by the slow appearance of these 4 races:

- Halflings - Nokra

- Kauwryn - Ungaru -

And finally, in the middle of the Second Age, came the Humans.

Geography: Vaecoria is a small, earth-like planet that follows the typical game-world paradigm - a place of geological extremes, where soaring mountains lie alongside endless plains, and vast, scorched deserts neighbor deep, mysterious oceans.

There are six main continents on the face of the planet, two of which are arctic poles and are thus very much uninhabited. There is one large continent that sits alone, and it rests mostly on the southern hemisphere. On the opposite side of the planet from this solitary landmass lie three continents that are joined together in the middle - two of which sit mostly in the northern hemisphere, with the third landmass stretching out across the south. The majority of surface-dwelling sentient life on Vaecoria lives in this part of the world.

Due to events in the Third Age, the vast majority of human civilization now exists predominantly along the coast lines, leaving the deep wilderness long untouched in many places.

The Magics of Vaecoria: The magics of Vaecoria are as many and as varied as the people of the world. In this book, "The Magics of Vaecoria", the author will explain in a scholarly fashion the different magics and how they are used.

The Rules of Magic ​ 1. Almost anyone can use magic. Only personal choice and experience limit what you can or can't do. 2. While some magics are compatible, because of the type of magic, the two main arch types are rarely able to be used by the same person.

The Types of Magic

1. Belief Magic - This is magic gained by the belief of gods or powerful deities. Those that use it are normally clerics, healers, or paladins, but almost anyone who believes in a god is able to use it to some degree. Those that practice practical magic are the exception to this rule, since

they deal with what is in front of them it is only rarely that they can use a divine spell.

2. Practical Magic - This magic is based on what is real or fact, or from what someone calls forth from themselves. This magic is in every living thing. Those that use it tend to look down upon belief magic, because it is ​ not as physical or real as practical magic. Practical magic comes from both the world and from the individual caster. Because the effect of the spell is limited only by the casters imagination and power, this magic has the ability to do anything. The drawback is that it takes a lot out of the caster, so very few can use it to its full potential. Besides that, if the caster is depressed or does not believe in themselves, the spells which they try to cast will not work.

Types of Belief magic

1. Deity Magic - This magic is traditional holy style magic. It is called forth in a time of need when the user truly believes that the god they are asking for help from will answer their call. The more powerful the god, the ​ ​ more powerful the spells able to be used. It should be noted that Deity magic is not necessarily good, but can be used to summon evil spells as well. 2. Blood magic - This magic is almost the opposite of Deity magic, but it stems from the same source. Rituals are used, normal containing blood of either the caster or a third party to petition the help of a god.

Types of Practical Magic

1. Will magic - This magic is the most powerful, and has the most possibilities. It has very few masters though, and even the best tire quickly since the source of the magic is from the caster. The caster has to ​ believe that they can do whatever they are trying to cast, and as long as they truly do it works. Because so few master this magic it is thought that many things can't be done. Because of this even some of the most skilled casters can't cast spells.

2. Living Magic - This magic is inside all living things. Users of this magic are extremely powerful where this is a lot of life, such as crowds of people or in the forest, but are very weak when there is no other living ​ creatures around. Because this magic is in everything, it is the easiest to use, but very few master it.

​ Gods and Goddesses of Vaecoria: The Three Sisters Milaia: Milaia is the Aspect of arising, nurturance and progression, (aka positive energy). She is the Mother of Life. Her color is white and she is associated with the constitution stat (life-force). She is the consort of Yarntaric and sister of Thanotep.

Raiuna: Raiuna is the Mother of Wisdom, and is the Aspect of Water, whose domain includes intimate understanding; calm, enduring emotion; and contemplative, relentless effort. Her color is blue and she is associated with the wisdom stat. Consort of Thanotep, and sister of Fiera.

Fiera: Fiera is the Mother of Passion, and is the Aspect of Fire. Her domain includes intense, swift emotion; desire; passion in both battle and life; and prowess in combat. Her color is red and she is associated with the dexterity stat. Consort of Mogard, and sister of Raiuna.

The Three Brothers Thanotep: Thanotep is the Father of Judgment and the completer of Time; he is the Aspect of Cessation (negative energy). His domain includes completion, finality, judgment, withdrawing, collapsing inward, deception and dominance. His color is black and he is associated with the charisma stat (death’s tongue probably sounds awfully sweet). Consort of Raiuna, and brother of Milaia. He ends up waging a subversive war on the races of Vaecoria and on the other Aspects in his desire to collapse everything back into Quay. He is eventually defeated and imprisoned, and his portfolio is split and shared by Milaia and the Yarntaric His name is almost completely forgotten by the Elder Races by the time of the adventure in Fornost, and utterly unknown by humans except by a tiny few scholars.

Yarntaric: Yarntaric is the Father of Protection and Stability, and is the Aspect of Earth. His domain includes protection, foundation, shaping, endurance, and slow, irresistible strength. His color is green and he is associated with the strength stat. Consort of Milaia, and brother of Mogard.

Mogard: Mogard is the Father of Intellect and Curiosity, and is the Aspect of Air. His domain includes distanced, analytical thinking and knowledge; focus and concentration; curiosity; and aloofness. His color is grey, and he is associated with the intelligence stat. Consort of Fiera, and brother of Yarntaric.

Allies and Enemies: The Sundered Guard has journeyed through many worlds, and in our travels we have met many friends and formed lasting bonds. Every game we play we run into old friends, and make new ones. Throughout our history we have been honored to call many guilds our allies. Some of the most prominent and long-lasting relationships we have had include guilds such as House Ancora, The Shipwrecked Pirates, Twilight Hunters, Sanguine Wild, Court of Evermore, and House Avari.

Of course, we are bound to pick up enemies along the way. Though these conflicts are usually well-natured and reserved to in-game hostility (roleplaying focused), we do have our rivalries with many guilds, including our fiercest nemesis, the Undead Lords.

​ Our Code: ​ ​ To Love Milaia, the world's Mother; Nothing would be without her To Defend the natural order from those who would harm it. To Protect the peoples of the world; with appreciation or without. To Cleanse the world of the taint of Chaos and Undeath To Bear the suspicions and superstitions of our calling, and heed not those who would taunt us out of our ways. To Stand against the misguided masses, but persecute them not; they are blind in their faith, but faith it still is. To Forgive the folly of the past, and look always to the future. To Aid any of like-mind in their endeavors; the Restoration foremost. To Love my Brother and Sister, for it is my kinship that gives me strength. ​ Feral: Feral, or Neth Ghrel as it is called among those who speak it, is the language of the creatures known as "Weres".

The language was originally created by Kaguran Bloodwild (the Founder of Sanguine Wild), Leviathan Bloodwild and Nyren Mistrunner. Sanguine Wild is a close ally of The Sundered Guard, some may even call us sister guilds.

Originally intended for use among the were-wolves, bears, and rats of Sanguine Wild and The Sundered Guard in Shadowbane, Feral started out quite simply. A few simple words and phrases, mostly used as battle cries or greetings.

With the decline of Shadowbane, Feral fell into disuse. After a few years, stewardship of this dying tongue fell to Haliit Ferase of the Sundered Guard. It would still be a few more years until Feral's true revival. After seeing Haliit using

the language, Laatho of the Sundered Guard became interested in Feral due to his strong language sense and went about consolidating and organizing the language into a new dictionary. With the help of Haliit Ferase and Petrus Aduro, the three of them set out to breathe life back into Feral.

Now, Feral has been reborn and revitalized, with a greatly expanded dictionary and actual grammar. Though still a work in progress, the language is much more than it used to be. It is currently in use by The Sundered Guard in any world we can find a place for it. In Darkfall, it was the tongue of our Mahirim tribe. In Vanguard, the tongue of the Vulmane. In EVE Online, it is the nearly-exterminated language of a Matari tribe, once used as a tongue of rebellion aganist the tribe's Amarrian overlords, and newly restored by the tribe's sole surviving member.

​ Pronunciation Guide: Pronouncing Neth Ghrel, or Feral, right is just about as important as knowing what you say when you're speaking it.

Feral is a guttural language, full of hard letters and sounds. One thing you'll notice looking at the words is the almost complete lack of words with the 'ay' or 'th' sound. While there are a few, most words have a er, gra, gru, ka, etc. sound to them.

The below examples are the basics of the pronunciation, and any similar word should be pronounced just like them.

Numbers: ker - kehr

ere - air-ay

tan - tahhn

ana - ahnah

bek - behk

ura - urah

zah - zahh

ote - ohteh

rok - rhok

dah - dahh

Words: shakah - shahkah

snara - snahra

greral - grerahl

gra - graw

therah - thherah (not there-ah)

nran - nhran

kakeirn - ka-keyurn (the key-urn should be said without a pause)

​ ​ Numbers and Grammar: ​ ​ ​ Numbers

1. Every single-digit number has three letters, to make typos less of a problem. Here they are: 0 = ker

1 = ere

2 = tan

3 = ana

4 = bek

5 = ura

6 = zah

7 = ote

8 = rok

9 = dah

2. An apostrophe is put between numbers to form numbers with 2 or more digits. Like so: 2=tan

5=ura

4=bek

25=tan'ura

425=bek'tan'ura

3. Do not use UPPERCASE lettering in the normal way, because this denotes if their place is higher than one digit. This is easier to demonstrate than explain. The number of uppercase letters shows how many zeroes follow the number: 2=tan

20=Tan

200=TAn

2000=TAN

2050=Tan'Ura

2005=TAn'ura

4. The 'hok' suffix is used to denote ordinal numbers 5=ura

5th=urahok

Past and Future

1. The prefix fa' is used to show that an action took place in the past. Example: "I kill" -> "nere keshi". "I killed" -> "nere fa'keshi."

2. The prefix na' is used to show an action that will take place in the future. Example: "I hunt" -> "nere snara". "I will hunt" -> "nere na'snara".

3. 'na is also used to turn a verb into its infinitive form (to (verb)). Examples: "na'snara" -> "to hunt". "na'keshi" -> "to kill".

Asking a Question

Asking a question in Feral is quite simple. To ask a question, start the sentence with the word gnar. By starting a sentence with gnar, the person knows you are asking them something. To put it simply, gnar is like saying "Hey, I'm about to ask a question." Example: "Do I know you?" -> "gnar nere kakna gru?"

Other Notes

Don't start a sentence in Feral with a capital letter. Some words are spelled the same, but have a different meaning if they are capitalized. Examples of this include nakah versus NAkah, Hira versus hira, and the numbers.

​ ​ Common Words/Phrases: Are you finished?---gnar gru naar? Are you sure?---gnar gru kna? Death to our enemies!---shi nethhok numkeh! Do I know you?---gnar nere kakna gru? Do you need help?---gnar gru vru khen? Do you yield?---gnar gru nehh? Enemy---numkeh Farewell---naaar Feral (the language)---Neth Ghrel Give it to me---keag ra nere Good hunting---kna snara Greetings---NAkah

Heal me!---khen nere! Hi---aroo I'm sorry---nere nrah Thank you---karn gru Trouble/danger---arafe Welcome---srendi Where are you?---gnar mron gru? Yes---eah ​ ​ You can view our full Feral word list here.

Chapter lore: ​ Guildwars: As night became day Tiamay was returning to Aldalonde with the next group of those coming of age. The five had been on a Quest of Enlightenment to learn the ways of the Shield and Sword. Pleased with the progress they had made, the Lady of Guidance was bringing them back to the Whispering Dell before going on to Aldalonde. They were all excited to be finished and wanted to tell their tales to their family and friends; yet the progress was very slow due to the storm.

The storm in the pre-dawn was wild. Winds of torrential strengths blew the rain in all directions. Thunder rolled, crashing loudly, announcing the beginning of a new day. Ribbons of lightening burst into the darkness, adding brightness before the true dawn had crept upon the land. Climbing the last hill before Aldalonde, Tiamay stood, wind whipping through the red hair that billowed down past her waist. The Lady, dressed in healing white, stood outlined between the flashes of lightning, and looked down on a horrific vision. Below,, her eyes did not find Aldalonde but met destruction and flames - flames that were reflected in her hair and her eyes. The storm around her was nothing compared to the storm rising within her soul.

-------------

The majority of the Guard had been celebrating the christening of the newest child. The party had been going for days and most were exhausted, either in wine or battered by the long vigilance at the gates during one of the decade’s worst storms. Just as the chimes rang the darkest hour of the night THEY had struck. Evil had come to the land to murder those of The Sundered Guard.

Those Guardsmen that could pulled out weapons, but most of the inhabitants were slaughtered where they lay. The hordes from other Guilds came through the town: looting, pillaging, killing, burning - bringing to Aldalonde the War. The entire city was laid to waste along with most of those who had called Aldalonde home.

------------

Cold and hungry, yet in a strange state of alertness, Petrus and the rest of the group were returning from their week long Quest of Enlightenment. Knowing he was now truly an adult, Petrus was overjoyed at the thought of being home and talking once again with his family. Aware that the guard had been celebrating the birth of a child, he knew that the party would still be going on.

Walking up to the top of the last hill, the Dell as the Guard called it, Petrus noticed Tiamay stop. Walking to her side to join her in admiring the beautiful city of Aldalonde, the sight that met his eyes was anything but what he expected. His city in flames. His family gone. His life destroyed.

He could hear the screams and cries in his head of all those that fell, dieing at the hands of murderers. The link that brought the Guard together and let them talk across distances now filled his mind with images of what had happened. Looking out at the city again, all that was left was the burning embers. No one was there. These cries were from the past, the last sound his family had made.

Screaming in pain, Petrus fell to his knees. He raised his hands up to the sky and let out a cry of rage and depression. Just as his knees hit ground a blood red bolt of lighting raced down from the sky and struck the center of what was once the town.

Right then and there he knew what he was to do, and how he was to do it. Feeling the power of fire and anger flow through him, he vowed to rebuild the Guard, and to burn all those who did this to his home and his family.

Turning towards the city and walking slowly there, Petrus stoped before the charred remains of the tree of life, and once again fell to his knees and wept. Picking up a torn but still intact banner of the Guard, he gently folded it up and stuck it in a pocket. Looking down where his tears hit the ground, he noticed something not burnt, something green. Quickly digging it up, he found five seeds, seeds from the tree of life. With new hope in his heart, he picked one up and placed it inside a padded pocket in his robe.

Turning to the others gathering around him, he just smiled.

---------

Lanton, the Ranger that he was, had been admiring the foliage upon his return with the others after his coming of age. The mornings storm had left a smell of freshness and cleansing he had never felt before. But something was amiss in the air as well, Destruction. Hoping that it had just been the storm that had caused that feeling, he had tried to keep in high spirits.

Hearing Petrus scream, his heart skipped a beat as he ran to see what the scream was for. Stopping dead in his tracks by the side of Tiamay and Petrus, he saw what they saw.

Now running at full speed no one was able to stop him before he ran into the city. Checking for signs, any signs of who, what, where... trying to see if any had made it though. Checking and rechecking every burnt out house and store he found little to make him think that any had lived though this.

He need not stop searching for friends. Deep in his heart he knew that had any survived they had fled or worse. The storm that raged outside was nothing compared to the anger, sorrow or worse the hatred that now burned within. Needless to say he still searched, searched for anyone whom he could hold accountable.

----------

Tanthalas slowly approached the burnt husk that once was the Tree of Life. The tattered banners of the guard lay about the ground torn and smoldering. The tables and decorations still hung from building to building from the festivities earlier but they were nothing more then a mockery now. Twisted, burnt and blood soaked. Snatching one quickly Tanth placed it in his pack. Pausing only briefly, he also pocketed a large acorn cast off from the tree in its death throes.

It didn’t take Tanth long to find the mass grave on the outskirts of town. As he slowly walked to the perimeter he could see the twisted charred carnage that was once his friends, his family, and his life. Then it caught his eye, movement in the pit. The ranger never ran so fast in his life, running down the near vertical sides of the hole. The shadowy figure recognized the danger it was in when it quickly tried to escape the

oncoming hell that was Tanth.

Before he could even register his actions Tanth deftly lifted the enemy squire off the ground. He was a boy no older then 15 but he was still the enemy, regardless if his comrades abandoned him or not. Drawing his scimitar Tanth quickly drew a crimson line across the boys’ throat and threw him back to the ground. Calling on the last of his will power Tanth climbed from the pit of death and collapsed in tears on the ground exhaustion both mental and physical quickly engulfing him.

----------------- ​ Ptolomy lagged behind the others a ways, but slowly the half-giant lumbered up to join the others, an expectant, joyous smile plastered on his face. Despite the wicked storm that screamed across the sky, his profound delight at returning home could not be dampened or lessened in any way. The sight that met him as he stood behind the others and looked down at his beloved city was anything but relieving, however.

For a moment he could not tear his eyes away from the still-smoldering Aldalonde, and watched helplessly as the thoughts slowly registered, one by one; his family was gone. His friends? Murdered. His proud, beloved city lay in waste and ruins. Bitter sadness and biting anger filled him and Ptolomy turned away, choking back tears of rage.

With eyes set stoically ahead Ptolomy stopped before the scorched, dry Tree of Life and fell to his knees. Aldalonde really was gone, but somehow the whole atrocity just didn’t seem real.

The man gave a short yelp as he pressed his palms into the ground, chin resting on his chest, and when he lifted one hand up from the smarting pain he found a the tip of a young acorn clinging to his soft flesh, amongst the dirt and ash that had been pressed on there. The half-giant suddenly looked up at the dying Tree and gave a weak sort of smile. The city was burnt. The guard had been cut deep.

Amongst the turmoil though there was still hope. Amongst the wreckage in this realm of death, new life still struggled to survive. He pocketed the seed, stood, and turned to Tiamay who still stood on the hill, silhouetted against the angry sky. The struggle would be long and hard but they still had a chance; The Sundered Guard would prevail.

---------------

It was with a saddened heart that Tiamay gathered up those Guardsmen that were still with her and lead them from the city walls. The small group without a home were now truly The Sundered Guard. With their home in flames they had few paths before them. They could just give in, give up, disperse - NOT!

Calling the four before her Tiamay stood on the Traveler's Stone within the Whispering Dell. "Squires - you are children no more - this tragedy has sadly depleted our ranks - it is now time for you to step up and lead those forces that we can acquire to rebuild Aldalonde. May I have your swords - You were to be knighted eventually; it seems the time of your Knighthood has arrived now. All of you - please kneel." Tiamay then gathered up their swords and plants one in front of each of them.

Turning and kneeling before Tiamay, Petrus looked at her and took a deep breath, thinking of all those that he had lost.

"I Petrus Aduro come before this royal court and request the granting and anointing of Knight Hood. In honor of goodness, integrity, and valor. To uphold and protect what is of good character, and good intentions upon of The Sundered Guard. I swear to uphold and protect the good and honorable kingdoms that I have so been requested and to honor the rules of Chivalry. I swear to be loyal to my brothers, the fellow Knights of The Sundered Guard, and assist them in any way I am able."

When Tiamay called for his sword he solemnly handed it over, taking it back silently when her short ceremony was over and done with. A new determinacy in his step, the great man strode down the hill towards the remains of his city, the stench of smoke and blood replacing what once would have been the soothing smell of the green wood.

Then the two others said their oath, the oath that this time made them knights, yet also more than knights, Leaders of this sundered and broken guard. "Lords, Yes Lords - you are now all that remain of Aldalonde presently, use your swords wisely and we will triumph in the end. Welcome to the Knight's Council, Lord Protectors"

Aldalonde, that once proud Tree Haven was no more. It truly was the dawn of a new day for those of The Sundered Guard. The frivolity is over

- we have entered the Guild Wars.

​ ​ Darkfall: -480: Fresh from uniting the continent of Rubaiyat under their rule, the mighty Akkadian Empire arrives on mainland Agon and conquers the human society of Imric and the lands of present day Mercia.

-470: A small faction of mirdain are exiled from Mirdendil Forest, after frustrating several elflords with their persistent lobbying for the Grand Parliament to consider a multinational response to the Akkadian threat before it grows too large.

-450: Facing the predicted increase in threat from the Akkadian Empire, the mirdain Grand Parliament finally revisits their decision to join forces with the other nations. Soon after, the Great Alliance is born between mirdain, mahirim, dwarves, northmen, ithwen, and imric refugees. Within a year, the invading Akkadian army is decimated by the superior Alliance forces.

-448: Clan Gray Claw, one of the few mahirim tribes to cooperate in the campaign, returns to their nomadic life in the Tribelands, satisfied with their bloody participation in the Alliance's swift victories.

The group of mirdain originally exiled for encouraging the forming of the Alliance is welcomed back to the Forest Republic. Most accept citizenship again, but remain living at the fringes of Republic life in settlements on the northeastern outskirts of Mirendil Forest, adjacent to the Heartlands of Agon.

-400: The mahirim prophet-king Amurran conquers the central region of the Tribelands and establishes a fortress at the sacred site of the Moontower. Clan Gray Claw is angered by this blasphemy against Theia and the subsequent expansion of the city Red Moon. The clan attempts a series of unsuccessful attacks against Amurran and his forces, but is repelled and forced to migrate out of the central Tribelands. Clan Gray Claw moves to the Tribelands' southeastern outskirts, bordering Agon's central Heartlands, and continues their nomadic and predatorial existence there.

-150: The growing trend of civilization and permanent settlement within the mahirim tribes, following the example set by Red Moon, disturbs many in Clan Gray Claw. New factions begin to develop within the clan over the differing opinions on what should be done about the distressing situation.

Tensions continue to rise over the next few decades, with the strongest growls coming from those starting to entertain notions of demolishing civilization in its entirety.

-100: Dissatisfied with the current civilizing trend and disenchanted with the worship of the traditional moon-gods Theia and Neith, a growing number of mahirim turn to the worship of the primeval demon, the Moonbeast, and establish a cult in his name. Many in Clan Gray Claw embrace this new cult, disgusting their former packmates with the depraved mutations inflicted upon them by the cult's ritual practices.

With most of the once great tribe of Gray Claw now under the spell of the Moonbeast, the two remaining factions of the clan split off into their own groups. One joins with the Long Claw hunter-traditionalists, while the other chooses to remain an independent tribe, adopting the name the Sundered Claw. Moving deeper into the Heartlands of Agon, the Sundered Claw struggles over the next few decades to carve out their own territory.

-52: Distraught by the death of the mirdain heroine Ilynna, the youthful descendents of the formerly-exiled supporters of the Great Alliance are spurred into a flurry of rebellious action. Frustrated with the mirdain Grand Parliament's lethargic pace and reluctance to embrace joint military effort against the enemies of the Forest Republic, the unruly elven youths mount an independent attack against the Forest Prophets in direct defiance of an elflord's commands.

Though their attack is successful, it leaves the elflord both humiliated and enraged. He subsequently banishes the group of mirdain youths from Mirendil Forest, and they return to the homeland of their childhood at the border between the Forest and the Heartlands.

-51: A human-owned trading company known as the Mercian Sun Merchants begins construction of an outpost in the Heartlands, on a trading route between Charybdis, Ymir's Tear, and Sanguine. Several families, including those of several dwarves under the company's employ, move into the outpost under the protection of the company's militia.

The operation is observed with curiosity by the recently exiled mirdain, but they do not interfere.

-50: The Sundered Claw encounters the Mercian Sun outpost in their migrating. Considering it an affront to their land, the tribe mounts a series

of raids against the outpost, but all are repelled by the merchant company's forces. The clan moves on at the end of the season but returns yearly to stage raids on the caravan routes leading to and from the outpost.

-45: The mysterious plague arrives, sweeping across all of Agon and decimating communities in every nation but the alfar's. The Sundered Claw is forced to abandon their plans for a final strike against the Mercian Sun outpost, which is also hit hard by the epidemic, and brought to the brink of death.

-44: Blessed with apparent immunity to the plague, alfar raids in the area increase in frequency and ferocity, as the vile beings seize the opportunity to wreck further havoc while many lay already dead or dying. Having no fortified settlement of their own and taking pity on the threatened families of the outpost, the exiled mirdain approach the human community, offering their assistance against the alfar in exchange for shelter. The outpost families eagerly welcome the mirdain's help, and together the two groups weather the raids and disease.

-36: Having lost much coin between the plague and incessant raids, the Mercian Sun Merchant Company abandons their outpost in the Heartlands. While many of its residents return to the Empire, some mercians and dwarves choose instead to take up an offer by the mirdain to stay and build a new independent settlement. This community takes up the name "The Heartland Guard" and adopts the cause of protecting the fertile lands that they have come to know as their home.

In the decades that follow, the people of the Heartland Guard succeed in establishing a secure, self-sustaining village amidst the woods near to the abandoned outpost, all signs of it now erased from the land by the Sundered Claw. The two groups continue to exchange blows throughout the years, with neither succeeding in causing much harm to the other.

A tenuous respect grows between the warriors of the two communities, and eventually the Sundered Claw turns their focus toward obstructing the efforts of the swelling Moonbeast cult, while the Heartland Guard begins efforts to establish security on the trade route that lies near to their settlement. With the mirdain's appreciation of the forest rubbing off on their neighbors, the Heartland Guard takes on the elves' name, "Aldalonde", or tree-haven, for their village and surrounding woods.

-5: A series of powerful visions is simultaneously visited upon several

mirdain priests of The Heartland Guard and mahirim shamans of The Sundered Claw. Though the details in each dream differ, they all come to the same terrible end: a sickly shadow, emanating from a black spire so as to cover and consume the Heartlands, suffocating all life and forever perverting the earth. Also present in each dream is a brief vision of Aldalonde, bathed in silver moonlight cast by Theia in the sky above. The sound of howling wolves follows, driving the shadow back from the village and forest.

The interpretation of these visions becomes a deeply debated subject within both communities. Tired of the bickering among her tribe and believing that she knows the true meaning of the visions, a popular elder of the Sundered Claw travels to Aldalonde alone, and is surprised to discover they have also witnessed the visions. Inspired, the Sundered Claw elder and leadership of the Heartland Guard arrive at the unavoidable conclusion for the meaning of the shared visions: the two groups must band together to face the coming darkness.

An even fiercer debate rages in the two communities at the announcement of the idea, and though the horror of the visions is profound, neither group finds themselves able to accept the proposal of joining with the other. The dim but still present memory of the Great Alliance between mirdain, human, dwarf and mahirim is frequently invoked, winning some over to the idea; but in the end, the charisma of the leaders is not enough to overcome the more vivid memories of strife between the two peoples.

-4: The nightmarish visions are eerily realized as the black tower of the Deathless Mage rises and the Pall of Synochus spreads across much of the Heartland. It is not long before Aldalonde and much of the Sundered Claw's territory is swallowed by the shadow, and the two retreating peoples are forced into forging a contentious union, renaming themselves The Sundered Guard.

Since the loss of our shared homelands, we have struggled and strived as one to drive back the Pall and purify the Heartlands from the taint of the Watcher and his Deathless army.

-- A History of the Sundered Guard, as compiled and recorded by the pens of Voronwe Eldalom, mirdain historian and Ashka, mahirim matriarch

By fang and claw, shield and blade, our lands protected, our truce is made

In answer to our Mother's call her dreams foretelling of Agon's fall

The darkness grows, vast evils wait Their shadow's pall, we'll annihilate

Their weak will plead, their best will bleed, we'll hunt them down 'til the last have flee'd

For this we swear on the Mother's light We will not fall without a fight

Nature's Sword, the People's Shield Never surrender, never to yield - "Nethok snara twan" - Battle verse of The Sundered Guard

SW: The Old Republic: ​ Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

We Sith are a proud people, and rightfully so. Since the days of our first Dark Lord, Ajunta Pall, we have fought and trained to become the epitome of strength. Our bodies and minds have become the perfect weapon, forged in the fires of war.

Through passion, I gain strength.

We have sought power, grasped it, held it, tamed it, and made it our own. A power never before seen in the Galaxy. Our ancestors have learned and forgotten more wondrous and terrible secrets than the foolish Jedi who exiled them will ever know.

Through strength, I gain power.

Our power has been unleashed upon the Galaxy, and the Republic cowers in fear before us. We have struck at their heart, and hold the Jedi by the throat. And yet the Empire has faltered, stopping short of our ultimate victory. Our enemies were in our hands, ready to be crushed, and

yet the Empire allowed them to slip through our grasp.

Through power, I gain victory.

Victory that does not prove superiority is hollow, worthless. We seek to conquer our enemies, to own them entirely, through our strength, skill, and guile. Anything short of domination is no ultimate victory, and without it we shall never know our full potential as Sith.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

We have Sundered ourselves from the greater Sith order. They have fallen from the Code, and walk the path of fools. Together, this brotherhood of ours will reach the true heights of power that is our birthright as Sith and reclaim our lost glory. We will be forged in the fires of war, sharpened through combat, and made perfect through victory.

The Force shall free me.

The Force is not as the fools say, calling one side dark and the other light. The Force is a tool, a weapon to be wielded by those strong enough to master it. We are such masters. All in the galaxy, even the Force itself, will bend to our will. Through the power of the Force, we will triumph. Our victory will prove the truth of these words.

I am Sith.

We are The Sundered Guard.​

​ Shadowbane: The Sundered Guard was reformed out of the ashes of a long past order splintered by the War of Tears, and sundered by the Turning. Our roots are deep, and unforgotten, for it is in the early days of the Twilight Empire that our values and purpose were decided upon. We exist to maintain natural order; to hunt the spawn of Dragon and Chaos, to heal our Mother when she needs us most, and wash away centuries of needless hate between the children of Aerynth.

Out of the death and suffering the Dragon first brought upon Aerynth there came only two things; fear, and resolve. Most feared for their lives, and hid it behind anger. So in their fear they created the Twilight Empire and vast armies with which they would eventually challenge the gods themselves. But those of resolve vowed they would not dishonor their loss

with fear, and anger. They were devotees of Braialla, and took an oath in her name.

The Vesta en'Vara.

To Love Braialla, the world's Mother; Nothing would be without her. To Defend the natural order from those who would harm it. To Protect the peoples of the world; with appreciation or without. To Cleanse Aerynth of the taint of Chaos, and the Unholy Legion. To Bear the suspicions and superstitions of our calling, and heed not those who taunt us for our ways. To Stand against the misguided, but persecute them not; they are blind in their faith, but faith it still is. To Forgive the folly of the past, and look always to the future. To Aid any of like-mind in their endeavors; the Restoration foremost. To Love my Brother, for it is my kinship that gives me strength.

The Vesta en'Vara, though changed slightly over the millennia, still retains it's meaning to those of the Guard, as it did for those before them.

Over the next few ages the devotees, who had came to call themselves the Vakhar Tel’Meiva, the Guardians of the Balance, fought as they’d vowed they would. They were a group of mighty warriors and priests of Braialla. They walked the Elvish streets with pride, at least until the Taming. When the call to battle rung aloud they did not come. And they were outcast from their people for it. Some showed open violence, but most wouldn’t utter a word to them; those who stood on their beliefs. So they took to the forests and learned it’s ways. Many would call them Rangers, and Druids, but they were still the Warriors and Priests of Braialla.

Over time they regained some of the trust of the people because when they would cry out for help against the monsters of the land, they would already be there to slay them. So when the War of Darkness came to Aerynth, they were well ready to fight the servants of Chaos and were among the first to soil their blades in their blood. The war came to victory for all of Aerynth, but many of the Legion still tainted the land, so they too were added to the Oath.

When the Blood Curse was placed upon the Humans the Order again would not aide the Empire. During the uprising the Order gave sanctuary to Humans, and the Order came to include several humans in their ranks. Though their lives were short they were vibrant and driven. Over time more Humans joined them in their Oath.

The next great war was perhaps the greatest seen on Aerynth; the War of the

Scourge. The order suffered many casualties, lost some of it’s greatest heroes, but endured. In the wake of the battle Aerynth saw the most prosperous time it’s had since before the coming of the Dragon. Centaurs, Elves, and Humans lived together and exchanged ideas. The Vakhar Tel’Meiva’s ranks swelled in this age to include a majority of Humans, and even Centaurs.

The War of Tears would destroy much of what was created in that time of prosperity. At the beginning the Elves within the order were forced into hiding, leaving their Centaur and Human brethren to continue their work. Not long after the Centaurs were forced to leave as well. They were splintered into several groups. As had happened to the first Vakhar during the Taming, the Human Rangers and Druids were subjected to mistrust for not joining the war effort of their people. Mistrust turned to threats, then to violence, and they too were forced to leave. A call was sounded to all to who fought as they did to meet in the marshes of the south. There they would recollect themselves.

Then the most grievous blow was dealt to our Green Mother. The very ground beneath our feet was ripped and torn. Many of the Order shattered to the reaches of Aerynth. In the twenty-forth year after the Turning an Elf, a natural born leader, and long time member of the Order, met with another Elf of the Order, pious, though emotionally void. They believed in the worth of the Oath with all that their hearts could muster in those times, and would see it resurrected. They were Featar En’Nole and Voronwe Eldalom. They sent a call out on the wings of hawks, and the first to answer were Kirgurth Daerauko, an accomplished Bladeweaver, Avathar Maeglin, an Elvish Scout, Haliit Ferase, an energetic young Aeflborn Druid, and Daevlin Velkrieg, a gruff Human Knight devoted to Braialla.

They were filled with shame that they had failed to protect Braialla from that cursed sword, and they would not forget their failure. They took a new name, as guardians of a new age, and as a mark of their duty to the sundered Aerynth. They were the Sundered Guard, and together they vowed to restore their Order, Aerynth, and Braialla.

​ Vanguard: Long ago, a group of twenty magi, working under a research charter from the Elvish magical college, The Lyceum, set out to study the ruins of Treangal Keep, seeking a way to eliminate the undead threat. The expedition lasted for six long months, until the day arrived when a momentous discovery was finally made. The group of magi set out in haste to return with their findings to the Lyceum, but upon their arrival they discovered to their horror that the school had become corrupted. Undead now roamed the halls in place of the students, and dark magic

defiled the walls of the once tranquil university. Suspecting that their discovery in Treangal Keep had played some part in the chaos that now befell the Lyceum, the group decided to erect a small compound near the school-grounds, in order to study their discovered artifact. The magi sent out word, both far and near, for any willing, able body crafters and men at arms to help defend against the growing undead force.

Soon after, tradesmen, soldiers, and healers of all types began to gather within the compound, funded by drafts through the school’s accounts. The group of magi worked relentlessly, day and night, immersing themselves entirely in their studies of the undead and the enigmatic artifact found at Treangal Keep. So long and tirelessly did they work, that after some time their obsessions consumed them, and their own magics began to take on a darkened, necromatic form. After all, when one stares into the blackness for so long, eventually the blackness begins to stare back - and now it found a new home, in all but six of the wizards-turned-necromancers.

Thus a plan started to form among the now darkened souls - the necromancers turned their focus from purifying the school to claiming and expanding it. The first step in the plan was to turn all the craftsmen and arms men in to undead. Six of the twenty opposed this and soon a fierce battle broke out between the necromancers and their allies. There were fourteen necromancers against the six necromancers and the soldiers willing to help fight. The losses were heavy, mostly among the soldiers and in the end the compound was razed and both forces withdrew without a clear victor.

Twice sundered from every thing they knew the six necromancers took up the name “The Sundered Guard”. ​

Traditions: Throughout the years, TSG has started many traditions and jokes that have survived the ages. Below are some of the most prominent - things that you’ll still hear to this day, as well as some of those that have fallen to the wayside, but that will always live on in our memories.

Hive mind/Hive Five: Back before the release of Shadowbane, when The Sundered Guard existed only as a presence on the forums, the Guard developed a reputation for possessing a “Hive Mind”. Threads on the official Shadowbane forums would be

swarmed with TSG members posting essentially the same thoughts at roughly the same time. This swarm of Hive Mind activity, shown off by our matching signatures, helped to draw the attention of new members to our fledgling community. Nowadays, any time two or more Guardsmen post a similar thought at the same time, they are rewarded with a *Hive Five*. ​ Offices: Started in Shadowbane by Tasital Goldeneyes, the guild’s Lord Protector at the time, offices served as a fun way to recognize the quirks and accomplishments of our members. The official list of Offices follows: Recilps - TSG Office of Troublemaking Haliit - Promotion Monkey Nevar - Office of Co-ed Naked XP Dancing Siria - Office of Co-ed Naked XP Dancing Karieth - Office of Cookie and Spanking Distribution Aleta - Office of Whips and Chains Featar -Office of the One Word Posts Frosty -Office of Incoherent Spelling Kelithas - Office of Most Annoying TSG Scout Tinok - Office of Tim the Enchanter Mavar - Office of RP Quality Control Maximas - Office of I'll Always Be Shorter than Tas Fidus - Office of Pizza and Beer Supplier Glenn - Office of Kelithas's Little Brother Gaelawen - Office of Mac's Are for Noobs Tasital - Officer of Jealous Raging/Office of Useless Knowledge Voronwe - Officer of Jealous Raging Cydus - Office of UDL Alt Impersonators Iseldiera - Office of Hoarding Phat Loot Wolvyn - Office of the Uber Craftsman Lanton - Office of Vent DJ Bish Glenn - Office of Operation Human Shield Shrike - Office of Uber Scout* Twisty - Office of Send in the Clones Wolfhart - Office of Uber Crafting Cyanblade - Office of Punctuation Abuse/office of nerd denial and undercover geeks Eowynn Obereth - Office of Tas's Templar Footstool/Office of Crash Queen Feamacar - Office of Pathfinding for Bird Brains Tribulastus - Office of Cute 4 Year Old Half-Troll Shkala - Office of the Queen of Stabbing DeDe - Office of Bouncing Kienne - Office of Pretty Colors Cydus - Office of Shirtless Scariness

Vaelgard - Office of the Baby Powder Blue Armor Adelaide - Office of the Blonde Factor Solaries - Office of Mispelt Ofise Katilyst - Office of Unusual Smiles and Stabbing Finonnbharra - Office of Losing Overly Silly Threads Petrus - Office of Pointless Pondering/Office of mIRC Soccer Ball Rilandune - Office of Evil General of Cubicle Commandos Celvandil - Office of Only in Queyna! Ptolomy -Office of OMG One Paragraph Stories! Agate - Office of Lurker #1 Tanit - Office of Oopma Loompa Elendur - Office of Portending Doom Tanthalas - Office of TSG Newbie Migrant Worker Evrekon - Office of Crai More Noob Aelwyn - Office of OMG WolfPack Stole My Lastname Khareesa - Office of Internet Mom 2: Fin Strikes Back Kalyah - Office of Drunken Elven Love Affair Elendur - Office of Incessant Nagging, City Obsessing Madman Advocate Chack - Office of TSG WannaBe Cervine - Office of Bush Camoflage Strike Manuever Setris - Office of TSG Trash Digging/TSG Pond Scum Kayletta/Damonous - Office of Naked Aelfborn Healer, Destroyer of Bane Stones

mIRC/Echo Rock: *Haliit slaps Petrus around a bit with a large trout* NEVER! /kick - and thus an office was born. In the past members of TSG spent quite a lot of time in mIRC and Echo Rock chat rooms. These nights, where sleep deprived people giggled on endlessly, formed some of our best, most lasting traditions and memories: Foxy boxing: Our resident foxy members (those of the female persuasion), would host numerous Foxy Boxing matches. This usually led to Foxy Wrestling, as well as... Vibrating: It’s nights like these that we really miss. - ‘nuff said ​ Bubble armor: Perhaps the most looked at picture in TSG. The bubble armor picture was taken during our real life gathering. In it, Wolvyn is showing off his nekkid dancing skills. While many people claim to avoid the picture, it tends to pop up every few months, especially when new members are around. [img]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q80/PetrusAduro/TSG/BubbleArmor.jpg[/img]

Say cheese thread: The Say Cheese thread used to be the highlight of our Shattered Sky forums. A collection of real-life pictures, it is easily one of the the largest, longest running threads in the guilds history. Sadly, jealous web admins have removed some of the most fun pictures, but our memories of them will live on for some time.

Nekkid XP dancing: Perhaps owing to our roots as a guild focused on nature and protecting

the balance, Guardsmen have a tendency to randomly disrobe and run about nekkid. This sometimes even is done as an organized event, with members gathering together to dance and fight without armor or weapons. In Shadowbane, many groups would gather to grind for xp, while others would dance nekkid in the background.

Footstool: A long-running joke among the Guard, Footstool has served as a special rank reserved for whoever happens to piss off someone with power. This rank has also been a way for Council Members to play pranks on each other. You could never be sure when you would log in and your rank had been changed, and your signature set to read “X’s Footstool”.

Lost treasures: Sadly, time (and jealous men) has stolen some of our best traditions from us. These include the previously mentioned Foxy Boxing and Vibrating, but also one of our greatest pictures of all times - Ashindai and Adelaide in their undies, kissing.

Code of Conduct: While The Sundered Guard allows each chapter to make their own rules, we do have some that apply to every chapter, as well as the forums. Maturity - Kindred (members) of The Sundered Guard are expected to show maturity at all times while on the forums, in game, and during real time chat. Immaturity is something that the kindred of The Sundered Guard look down upon, and rarely tolerate. Kindred should handle situations to the best of their abilities and will not resort to immature behavior, defined as: ​ ​ - Obnoxious and purposefully annoying actions ​ ​ - Unrestrained outbursts of anger ​ ​ - Exchanging out-of-character insults or trash-talking ​ ​ - Any action defined as immature by the leadership of the individual's Chapter.

Roleplaying - Roleplaying is a fundamental part of MMORPGs and The Sundered Guard. Roleplaying is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged amongst our kindred, and those who do not engage in it themselves should at least respect it. Provoking other kin who your character may be opposed to through roleplaying is acceptable, though only if the other party welcomes it. Conflict between members should be for roleplaying purposes only, and only in an appropriate setting. Members should respect those who wish to roleplay, and not intrude on an RPer's immersion where possible. When publicly speaking with members of other guilds, our members should do so in-character whenever possible.

Self Sacrifice - Kindred must be aware that while they are involved in this guild for personal gratification - the better their brothers and sisters in the guild do, the better they will do. Our community thrives on a foundation of generosity and compassion towards one another, and we expect this attitude to be present in every one of our members. Kindred will be expected to lend their aid for the protection and well being of the guild when needed. During peacetime, members are tp help one-another as a family. Every

member is considered to be a brother or sister, and shall treat each other with respect. During wartime, a member's ambitions, wants, or desires will come last after the needs of the guild. This is not without reward, however. For their generosity and self-sacrifice, most Chapters of The Sundered Guard provide all their kindred with whatever they need, to the best of the Chapter's abilities.

Honorable PvP Conflict - We are an organization founded on the pursuit of Guild verses Guild conflict with a Roleplaying basis (RP GvG) and a firm belief in honorable fighting. These games are meant to be fun, and we feel the best fights are the ones in which both sides walk away feeling satisfied. Though the particular style of how we PvP may vary from Chapter to Chapter, depending on the game's needs, most Chapters are anti-RPK (against Random Player-Killing) following our guild's creed of protection and restoration.

Multiple Characters - Kindred may join other guilds with which we are on a neutral or better basis and maintain both memberships simultaneously. However, kindred may not have characters in guilds to which we are at war with without explicit consent from the leadership of the individual's Chapter. If The Sundered Guard finds that a member has been supplying sensitive information to other guilds, he or she will be expelled immediately, with permanent banishment being probable.

Harassment - The Sundered Guard does not support the harassment of any players. All members are expected to treat each other with respect, and extend that respect to other players as well. Members will have disagreements; these disagreements should be dealt with maturity and kept private. Any matters that cannot be resolved privately and peacefully should be taken to the Chapter's Leadership for mediation, or to the Elder Council if it involves a matter outside of any Chapter.

Cheating/Exploiting - We do not support knowingly taking advantage of serious bugs or oversights within the game, unless they have been cleared by that game's officials. Doing so removes you from the intended gaming environment and disgraces our guild, for it is against the moral standard we set for ourselves.

Disciplinary Action - Conduct unbecoming a Guardsman - defined as acting in violation of this Code of Conduct - will result in disciplinary action. For events taking place in a game to which we have a Chapter, judgment and sentencing are the responsibility of that Chapter's leadership, and will be subject to that Chapter's Charter. For all other domains, the enforcing of this Code and the Bylaws is the responsibility of the Elder Council, and will be subject to the format outlined in the Bylaws of the Guard Article. ​ ​ ​ ​

Proper: Proper is our word for our core group of players. It’s the people that stay with us

from game to game, who are truly invested in the guild, and who are willing to take on the responsibility of leadership, decision making, and problem sovling.

Why proper was created: TSG-Proper was formed when the Guard switched to a multi-game guild format. Each game was a chapter, but a chapter of what? It was decided that a core was needed, and from that core all chapter leaders, Elders, and stewards of new games would come. Proper is both a symbol of your commitment to the Guard, and an acknowledgement that you’re willing to go above and beyond a game, and to put work and dedication into making the Guard a better place. ​ ​ Joining Proper: A Guardsmen can ask or be nominated to join TSG-Proper when the parties involved feel that they are a dedicated, active member of the community. The idea behind Proper is to bring people from different games together, and to do that Proper members need to be active on the forums, willing to meet new people, and willing to learn about the Guard.

​ Mentorship into Proper: When a Guardsmen has been approved to join Proper, they become a TSG-Proper yeoman, and start their mentoring. They are paired up with an existing member who speaks about our lore, history, and accomplishments. They are taught about the Guard so that in the future, when they’re leading a Chapter, they can draw upon the past in order to make wise decisions in the future. We strongly believe that our identity and principles are what make us such a unique community, and through our mentorship we try to instill these same ideas on each new member we have.

Sages: ​ What are the Sages? The Sages of the Guard are handpicked members of Proper chosen to assist an Elder in the running of the Guild. Each Elder gets one Sage, and may dismiss and pick a new one as often as they like. This is a relatively new change, and in the past Sages have been Elders whose term is over and stick around to advise the new Elders in the coming year. Sages have no voting power and are only there to give advice, however they may step up when their Elder is not around.

Elder Council:

What is the Elder Council?: The Elder Council is the ruling body of TSG-Proper. They are tasked with providing direction and leadership for the guild as a whole, making sure that The Sundered Guard remains an active and healthy community for our members.

The council is made up of the First Elder, who is responsible for bringing new ideas to the table on a somewhat regular bases. They have 1.5 votes in the Council, settles disputes and have the final say. The Second Elder is the communications facilitator - responsible for monthly guild activities, posts, contests, etc.

In addition to the First and Second Elder, each Chapter chooses their own representative on the Council. These “Chapter Elders” are responsible for a monthly chapter update, getting new members mentored both in-game and for TSG-Proper (if that member chooses to do Proper), and representing their Chapter’s interests in the Council. The Chapter Elder coordinates chapter events so they do not conflict with guild events.

Each Elder serves a one-year term, with elections taking place in December.

​ How Does the Council interact with the Chapters?: The Elder Council does not necessarily have any direct control over a Chapter’s affairs. While the Council initially approves the creation of a new Chapter, from there it is mostly left to Chapter to organize and manage itself. Excepting to step in and stop a Chapter from sullying the good name of the Guard as a whole, the Elder Council has no direct influence over a Chapter’s operation.

Conclusion: Turning the last page, you realize that even though the book was filled to bursting when you started, there now seems to be plenty of blank pages for the story to continue. On the first of these blank pages, another phrase appears before your eyes. “nethhok na’”. As you start to close the book, all you can think is... what’s next?