Vanguard of Eclipsion

The **Vanguard of Eclipsion** (or simply the **Vanguard**, sometimes identified as **Battlemaster Atraxis' Vanguard**) is the complete warfare branch that governs the city of Eclipsion. It is lead by the Betrayer's Triumvirate, which in turn command the three key parts of the Vanguard's society. The Vanguard is composed of a number of legions whose numbers remain unknown to Ayciel tacticians.

## History

### Pre-Dawn

Main article: *Vanguard of Revash*

The Vanguard of Eclipsion was originally a portion of the Vanguard of Revash, from which it gets its structure and aesthetics from. Battlemaster Atraxis was chosen by Revash to lead an invasion force to Earth to prepare it for his arrival. The invasion would require the subjugation of the land's natives in order to build several arcane constructs to focus the magical energy present in one region of the planet. Using this radiant energy as beacon within the Void Between Worlds, the Vanguard of Revash were guided to Aycilon, arriving directly on Mt. Radas. In popular culture, their arrival is often depicted as the cause of the mountain's eruption at around the same time, though there is no evidence to suggest that this actually happened.

During the Dawn of Aycilon, the Vanguard of Revash was splintered into numerous smaller groups. All but one of these groups, the group lead by Battlemaster Atraxis himself, regrouped and promptly left the planet. With the location of Earth within the Void lost, this left Atraxis' group effectively abandoned.

### Founding of Eclipsion

Aware that most of his forces had left him and his group behind, Atraxis set about gaining a permanent foothold on the planet. He lead his soldiers south, to one of the abandoned Obelisks in the Thyrenis Mountains, and over several hundred years helped to construct a near-impenetrable fortress around the Obelisk. This fortress became the *Heart of Darkness*, around which the city of Eclipsion was built.

During the construction of Eclipsion, a much larger army led by Battlemaster Ortakris arrived on Earth and sought out the abandoned kinsmen. Among these forces were four Abysswalkers, knowing in popular human culture as Abaddon, Anubis, Apophis and Armaggedon (though their actual names are not known), and numerous Corefiends which would be instrumental in many future victories. Ortakris demanded that Atraxis hand over command of Revash's forces on Earth to him, as his new invasion master. Atraxis disposed of the Battlemaster after declaring his independence from Revash, retaking his position as commander. He turned the newly-arrived forces against Revash, both by force and by mere suggestion, and promptly began preparations for a war against the Ayciels.

### Creation of the Archons

Main article: *Archon*

As the Vanguard of Eclipsion prepared for the Aycilon War it extended its sphere of influence over the surrounding mountains. The cities of Parthenire, Fort Morrharon, Fort Atraxis were built several years after the Vanguard's creation, later followed by a city on the Obsidian Crag. Using geothermal energy from the volcano, the Vanguard developed most of its industry in the area around the Obsidian Crag.

It was during this time that the Vanguard began to replicate bionics previously developed for them by engineers in Revash's armies. Atraxis requested that a self-aware, primarily inorganic species be created for the sole purpose of combat and, some decades later, the first of the Archons were created at the Obsidian Crag. The first Archons to be tested in a combat scenario proved to be extremely efficient fighters, however they lacked the proper ability to distinguish between friend and foe, and owed no allegiance to any but themselves. After an Archon uprising, production of Archons stopped until a fully sentient 'species' was created.

### Betrayer's Triumvirate

Main article: *Betrayer's Triumvirate*

At the beginning of the Aycilon War, Atraxis ordered Abaddon to go to the Ayciel province of Aldrigis and corrupt the people within. Starting with Agren Pathiris, Abaddon gradually subjugated the province and turned its Paragon against his liege by forcing him to declare independence from Ekkeris Fell. Shortly after, he allowed Abaddon to cause the Ruination of Aldrigis, permanently establishing his presence in the mountains and destroying a vast swathe of present-day Aycilon.

The Ruination of Aldrigis unleashed the plague of haematomorphis on the province, biologically 'killing' every last one of its citizens and turning them into slaves to Agren and, by extension, Abaddon. From there, Agren pledged his allegiance to the Vanguard of Eclipsion and divided his enormous army between Dunewatchers in the south and Ayciels in the west.

Agren, Atraxis and Kovatar (the de factor 'leader' of the Archons during the Aycilon War) later met in Eclipsion to formally declare their alliance. It was during this meeting that the structure of the Vanguard of Eclipsion finalised and its leadership, the Betrayer's Triumvirate, was formed.

### Aycilon War and Aftermath

Over the course of the Aycilon War, the various legions of the Vanguard - namely the Abyssal and Obsidian Legions - swept back and forth across Aycilon on a bloody, constantly-shifting front. After the Return of Aycilon, the Vanguard was forced to swiftly adapt to the technology of humans, particularly with regards to anti-aircraft weapons and naval warfare. This was done with great ease, much unlike the Dunewatchers in the north who were crippled by human forces.

The Vanguard of Eclipsion assisted with the defeat of the common enemy, Kiranor Verderen, in 2082, but were then locked in a war of attrition with the combined Ayciel and human forces. After years of slow but decisive defeats, the Vanguard was defeated at the Siege of Eclipsion in 2099.

Following the Siege of Eclipsion, and the subsequent capture of all of its territory, the remaining Vanguard forces retreated deep into the lava tunnels beneath Aycilon. Over the coming centuries, after long periods of recuperation, the Eclipse, Abyssal and Obsidian Legions began to retake some of their former holdings in the Southeast Peaks. Most notable of all, the Eclipse Legion established itself in the ruins of Eclipsion, its presence first noted in 2171. Since then, Ayciel and human forces have remained outside of the city but keep it under careful watch. A year earlier, the Obsidian Crag was retaken by the Obsidian Legion. There are concerns among adjacent administrative areas that the Vanguard is attempting to produce Archons again in the depths of the Obsidian Crag, however many believe that they do not have the capacity to process more than a dozen Archons in total.

## Structure

The Vanguard of Eclipsion is both a military force and a form of government. At its head is the Battlemaster of the Vanguard.