The Silver Blades of The' Koptar

"Rebels of any manner are usually regarded as traitors, renegades or low-life bandits-but these men fight for the honor and the justice for their bloodline." - the Morwave of Illstanbar.

The Silver Blades of The' Koptar are a group of ex mercenarial war commanders and general rebels hailing from 'The Deserts of the Depraved' who travel around the world in search for glory and wealth and arm warriors in order to overthrow Emir Alamakira Schaibi, whom once betrayed them. They are seen with Silver Curved scimitars and sickles, silver studded plated armour and closed helms. There are an estimated eighty-one rebels, stationed in different parts of Halturia, with their main capital of operations being the North-Eastern parts of the Deserts of the Depraved, fittingly named Malid Palace after the main rebel Kshakir Malid (Sha-Kir).

## Mannerisms and Outlook

Despite their generalised aggressive nature in battle and war, the Silver Blades are a friendly and helpful people whom desire nothing more than to recruit more rebels and help the public. Their leader, Kshakir Malid preaches the Faith of 'The' Koptar' and has ceremonial connections to the deity, almost always holding celebrations and religious ceremonies in his honor. Kshakir is said to be an individual with big ambitions and an even bigger heart that greets all whom welcome him so.

The Silver Blades deal in mercenarial work and work for nobles and for people in high political positions. They tend to the local bandits in areas, even ridding the people of North Aidrozan of the Tiagah Bandits whom plagued the lands for over fifty years. They have also been known to help royalty in carrying out political deeds, in which Kshakir is very skilled in, being the son of the almighty high leader Emir Alamakira Schaibi himself (after the betrayal and rebellions dawning he changed his name to not be associated with royalty in foriegn lands). However, not all Silver Blades are good samaritans. There have been groups to terrorize the local villages and people and even rob and ambush travelling merchants along the roads, using their power and status to further improve their personal wealth.

There main goal is to obviously rid their Emir of his position, and in some cases his life, but also have goals to help create peace and acceptance and better political hemispheres for all of the countries of Halturia. Their second most prominent presence is in Kremechia, where Fort Ard Alshahara (Tree Realm) is and where they hold large recruitations every month. The Wood Elves, whom call Kremechia home, pity and feel very heavily for the Silver Blades and support the cause that they stand for.

## Rebellious Origins

After the first Deserts of the Depraved war with the Empire of Eddessa in the year 246 AP 4E, the Emir, Fhahim Schaibi and his people and armies were left weak and vulnerable. Despite this, the residents of the country worked hard to rebuild what they had lost to the Empire's advances. The Emir held strong and was not manipulated by the Empire this time either, even after the second War in which he was Emir for as well. Up until then, the Empire would not have a hold on the Deserts of the Depraved, that is, until Alamakira Schaibi became the Emir after his father's passing. He too, would not fall to the Empire, that is, until the year 665 AP 4E when he officially combined with the Empire and betrayed his country, family and people. His son, who was twenty-four at the time, was repulsed by his blasphemous and daring actions, which gave the empire almost direct control over the countries political and militarian decisions, requirements for citizenship, allyship with other organizations and countries and general large scale choices. On July 13th, 665 AP 4E, Kshakir Malid would be exiled from Thouervil and the Deserts of the Depraved after such rebellious acts as burning down Shaibi Palace and attacking his father. He would leave the country and begin a rebel-filled group called the “Silver Blades of The' Koptar” whom sought the help others and sought about building up power to overthrow his father and get the Empire's hold on his home.

## Rebellion

In the Deserts of the Depraved and in Lautralia is is forbidden by law to be associated with the organisation, and if one is caught, the sentence is life in prison or even execution. In Fagia and the Atrian State it is completely legal to practice their rebellion. Loosandrool and Aidrozan haven't made any public statements or laws regarding their existence.

## Abilities and Combat

The Silver Blades of The' Koptar use exactly when their named says: silver lined and constructed weapons, which usually consist of scimitars, glaives and silver tipped arrows drawn from sharply shaped bows. The weapons range from a variety of bladed and blunt melee weapons and long bows, but the most common are silver khopesh swords. Behind every glaive, scimitar and khopesh are warriors willed with a strong fighting spirit and powerful capabilities in combat. There are a few very common fighting styles that they use, like stealth and assassinating, dueling, and trickery, but because of the diverse amount and warriors under the belt of the organization fighting styles and magick are different depending on the individual, all except for two types of magick casting and usage: Shadow and Serpent Magick, both based on the ancient rituals and powers of the desert dwellers and gods from long ago.

Aegge, to the ancient peoples of the deserts and jungles in the Deserts of the Depraved, and was known back then as Alzalam, the dark arts of the shadow. When appointed as a Silver Blade, a person is trained in the ways of perfecing the use of the magick. They are able to teleport and hide in shadows easily, conjure shadowy figures and clones, conceal them and others in shadow, and use necromanic damaging attacks. This art is also known to be linked with necromancy and has been outlawed in most places as well, like Lautralia.

Serpent magick, however, is much harder to articulate. Not only is it only used by the innermost circle of the SIlver Blades, but it is also almost impossible to perfect and actually use. Serpent Magickal practices even predate Shadow Magick, by a few thousand years based on historical archives, records and artefacts. Serpent Magick is either completely transparent and unrecognized in other countries or outlawed as it is seen as too powerful and unpredictable. Some of the spells and things you can cast with the Serpent specification of Magick include: speaking with reptiles and draconic creatures, poisoning enemies and substances, breathing underwater for long periods of time, using powerful whispers to enchant their enemies, and even transforming yourself into a large monsterous snake-like demon that can decimate enemies on the battlefield. Serpential Magick is also linked to giving its users prolonged life-spans, letting the normal human live up to three hundred years old and other races even longer. The only race that has been seen to have negative repercussions to this form of magick are Elves, as they have been known to die instantly upon using it or simply living a shorter or sicker life.

These abilities have been seen as forbidden in some countries and cultures, in the countries such as Fagia, Lautralia, North and South Aidrozan and even some parts of the Deserts of the Depraved. The Royal Empire of Eddessa however, have completely outlawed them and have been known to kill-on-sight anyone perceived to be using Shadow and Serpent Magicks.