The Ode Dynasty

The glory of The Dynasty of Ode began in the year 0 O.U (Ode Un or Of Ode) or 206 A.E. Previous to this were the Ages of Darkness in Kentor, led by King Joseph Barlow, a weak man whose will had been bent by the Shadow Lord. Chaos ruled the land and greed, poverty, lust, sin, and godlessness were plentiful. However, a spark of hope grew when King Barlow was stricken by the Bright King, punishment for a life filled with sin. In the wake of his death, the High Council met to determine an heir. In their council they were granted wisdom by the Bright King and found Ode I, Ode the Prime, then only a simple priest. They pleaded with Ode to take the mantle of King, and save Kentor from the rotting plague that was engulfing it. Knowing this was his destiny, Ode begrudgingly accepted the tremendous responsibility of leadership. But the Bright King knew that no mere mortal, even one as pious as Ode, could accomplish this great task alone. God himself sent apart of his own soul down to Ode to show him wisdom and guidance. Joined with the Soul of God, the Eldunmyr, Ode became one with the Bright King, a god among mortals.

The Prime acted quickly, early in his rule he established the Church of Light and the people of Kentor were blessed with the embrace of a loving God. Temples and monuments of false gods were rightfully destroyed, in their absence the foreign host within Kentor found anguish, just as a drunkard finds in sobriety. Many fled our great nation, but those that remain have found love and wisdom under Ode. The Seat was moved from Crystalfin, a city which had grown fat and lazy, to Eldunode high in the Red Mountains. Here Ode and his people could find closeness to the life giving Sun, closeness to God himself. For many years The Prime worked tirelessly for Kentor, erasing brothels, taverns, and other dens of sin, with each passing year the hope and faith of Kentor grew. But Ode, despite his godliness, still possessed a mortal body and quickly grew tired in his old age. When the Prime passed on in the year 65 O.U. (271 A.E.) to enter the Kingdom of the Sun and truly become one with the Bright King. Ode the Prime was gone, but the Eldunmyr remained in Kentor, and was passed to the son of Ode, Ode II, Ode the Warrior.

The Warrior ruled for many years, continuing the work of his father. Most notably he abolished the Isle Guard of Polemos and freed the enslaved Orcs held there. The orcs, grateful to Ode for their freedom, swore undying loyalty to The Warrior and still fight for him and for Kentor to this day, making up the largest portion of the Royal Army. The Warrior also established the Realm Hearts and the Colleges housed within them. Along with these schools came the Historians and the Brightguard. At the same time, Ode outlawed the practice of arcane magics outside the Church. The Warrior recognized that there are many sources for spellcasters to draw from, and only those that draw from the Bright King, those that learned to do so in the Hearts, are truly pious. All others practice not magic, but sin, worshiping foreign gods and evil powers to harness dark powers.

After Ode the Warrior came his son, Ode III, Ode the Wise. The Wise expanded the role of Historians in Kentor and worked tirelessly to improve the Order of Priests. These Priests and Historians, along with The Brightguard, spread knowledge and faith all across Kentor, ending any worship of foreign gods and eradicating the followers of the Shadow Lord. The Wise was also a great diplomat. He taught us that we cannot conquer all of our enemies, but must rather meet them with peace in the hope that they will one day welcome God into their hearts. Ode III ended a long history of tension and aggression between Kentor and the Old People (non humans). We can only hope that in this peace the heathens can find the Love of Ode.

Finally Ode IV came to us in the year 107 O.U. (312 A.E.). Ode the Young. Only nineteen when his father passed on, The Young has only just begun to lead us ever closer the the Bright King. Faith has taught us that he can never let us down.

## The Hearts

There are six Realm Hearts in Kentor, one in each of the Five Realms, and one is, of course, Eldunode itself. These Hearts each house a College of Ode were learners study to become Priests, Historians, and Brightguard. Each of these roles is unique, and equally important to the Church. Priests are spread all across the land, supervising the building of churches and monuments, and spreading the word of God. Historians both study the past, record the present, and predict the future. They are blessed with the ability to see agents of the Shadow Lord and worshipers of foreign gods. Historians are responsible for ensuring that the lies of these false deities cannot be spread any farther. This would be impossible without the Bright Guard. These are soldiers of Ode, holy warriors. After blasphemers and evildoers are found by the Historians, it is the Bright Guard that do battle with them. Theirs is a dangerous and noble task, but they are also the very powerful as they are trained well in strategy, tracking, stealth, combat, and the magic of the Bright King.