Crusaders of the Sterling Serpent

The **Crusaders of the Sterling Serpent** are a specialized military group that serve directly under Ester Pyx, the Dragon-God of the Great Northwest. They are based in the Whiteshock Citadel. Consisting primarily of soldiers and paladins, they patrol the mountainous terrain of Pyx’s territory, slaying evil beasts and ensuring the safety of the people. They also travel outside of the territory to spread the religion of Ester Pyx to the neutral and combated lands within Halintar, ensuring security in exchange for faith (and taxes).

These noble fighters live a strict code of honor and faith to their eternal queen and goddess, serving her and defending their kingdom with their lives. While some see the Crusaders as prude and boring, life under their rule is stable and safe, and many owe their livelihoods to their noble fervor.

## History

The Crusaders were assumedly formed over 3,000 years ago, when the first humans came to live under the wings of Pyx in the ashes of the heretic Dwarves after their betrayal.

The first humans who swore themselves to Pyx were known as the First Order, having been bathed in her holy light in order to reclaim and rebuild the Whiteshock Citadel after civil war ravaged it to near total destruction. The leader of this order was a legendary hero known as Ganthamos, the first Helm of Winter, slayer of demons and defender of the meek; not to mention a household name and still a popular one in terms of first names and surnames.

### **Notable Past Members**

* ***Ganthamos, Helm of the First Order.*** The first Helm of Winter to ever serve. Said to have one of the purest souls of all humanity, slayer of world-consuming demons and defender of mankind.
* ***Pontiff Alonne.*** The Silver Pontiff serving at the time during the Battle of Burning Skies. Slain by assassins sent by Tephra during the chaos of the battle, though they were soon frozen into oblivion by Ester's wrath.
* ***HW Edmund Bloodkel.*** The Helm of Winter serving at the time during the Battle of Burning Skies. The first orc in recorded history to hold the title of Helm. Slain by Tephra's assassins on their way to kill Pontiff Alonne

## Leadership

There are two primary leaders within the Crusaders: one provides guidance in battle, whilst the other provides it in faith. The former is called the Helm of Winter, and the latter is the Silver Pontiff.

The leader of the crusaders is given the title of the Helm of Winter, commands all forms of law enforcement, and is exceptional in law magic. In times of peace, the Helm is still respected highly, but less so within the capital and more outside in neighboring towns and cities. The ideal Helm is a model of what every aspiring holy warrior aspires to be. The position is gifted via election, the decision split by a vote between generals and Pyx every ten years. However, there isn’t a limit to how many times one can be elected Helm, as long as they are sound in mind and body.

### **Helm of Winter**

The Helm of Winter is the leader of Ester Pyx's militia, second in command only to Pyx and her brood. They must not only display their physical aptitude, mental sharpness, and magical prowess; but also their intense devotion to Ester Pyx herself by climbing all the ranks of the Crusaders' army. Their shining spirit and talent on the battlefield should inspire their fellow soldiers and citizens of Pyx to be the best they can be.

In times of war the Helm is a strategist and leader of the pack, directing forces to protect Pyx's peoples. They have the final say on where troops are sent and where energy is focused. And when the time comes to fight against the deadliest of foes, whether that be against other countries or against the forces of darkness themselves, the Helm comes down from their summit to fight for honor and glory in the name of Ester Pyx.

On the other hand, in times of peace the Helm is a beacon of light for their people. They spend much of their time patrolling both within and outside of the Whiteshock Citadel. And of course, defending against beasts and unholy creatures that assail the Citadel and it's surrounding cities and towns.

#### *Becoming the Helm*

A new Helm of Winter is elected every 10 years, though the same individual can be selected multiple times in a row as long as their health allows them to. A summit is held at the highest peak of the Whiteshock Citadel, where all eligible Envoys of Pyx meet with high ranking officials, including: other Envoys, both those who are just a bit too old to be eligible to serve the 10-year term and retired Vicars; important priests who serve within the Whiteshock Citadel; and the past Helm and the current Silver Pontiff. All those interested in the chance of becoming the Helm are interviewed and put through tests of faith and physical health, and the one who succeeds in these tests as well as earns the trust of the interviewers becomes the next Helm of Winter.

### **Silver Pontiff**

The Silver Pontiff is the head priest of Ester Pyx, having lived their life only to serve the Silver Goddess. They spend endless hours praying and hosting sermons throughout the Citadel, in places both meager and grandiose. The holy magic they possess can save the dying and bolster entire armies, serving as a conduit to Ester Pyx's endless power.

#### *Becoming the Pontiff*

Unlike the Helm of Winter, the role of Silver Pontiff can be obtained by past or current members of the Crusaders as well as those who serve as simple priests within the Citadel. Unlike the Helm, the Pontiff is chosen by Pyx and Pyx alone, called to her upon the death of the previous Pontiff. She gathers all the active Cardinals to meet her in a secret location on the first of the Root of the Umber Solstice, training with them until the day of the Last Snow. Upon the dawn of the Last Snow, a Cardinal is chosen to be blessed with Pyx's holy light and taken to the highest peak in all of Halintar, where they go through a transformation that purifies their body and allows them to harness power only ever seen within the hearts of the strongest Silver dragons.

## Membership and Rankings

### **Joining the Crusaders**

While anyone can be a worshiper of Ester Pyx, those who choose to join the Crusaders are individuals with endless devotion to the silver Dragon-Goddess. Whether they wish to serve to fight or to heal, all Crusaders go through a similar training regiment to hone their bodies and minds to peak efficiency. Recruitment and pre-rank training is done within the Whiteshock Citadel, though sometimes troops are sent out to cities and towns within the Great Northwest to escort potential recruits back to home base.

After completing basic training as a Newscale, fledgling soldiers are assigned to small troops with about 5-7 people of similar ranking. The troop is meant to be like a second family, serving together until retirement, fusing with other troops if numbers ever dwindle due to old age, retirement, or death. As they grow in proficiency and experience, they're allowed to explore further and further away from the Whiteshock Citadel and surrounding territories, sometimes even sent to the more distant corners of Halintar to test their mettle and ability to interact civilly with their neighboring countries, or to aid areas in crisis.

### **Newscales**

#### *Newscale*

Often referred to teasingly as “Softscales” or “Scaleless”. The lowest rank of Crusader, this rank is held exclusively by soldiers who are still in training at the Citadel. Crusaders that have been heavily disciplined may also be reduced to this low tier. They have no rank insignia.

#### *Newclaw*

The rank held by freshly trained solders. New troops consist mostly of Newclaws, in order to have them feel a greater sense of comradery. Their insignia is carved into a silver dragon’s scale, one about the size of an apple, and features a simple carving of a downwards facing triangle.

#### *Newfang*

After completing their first six months of service (or defeating a particularly vile creature) soldiers are awarded the rank of Newfang. They are gifted an enchanted dagger made of a silver dragon’s fang as commemoration. The insignia they had before is crowned with smaller triangles, and the carved areas are outlined with shining white-blue paint.

### **Silverscales**

#### *Silver Talon*

Once a year, Ester Pyx honors the brave soldiers of the Silver Serpent in a great ceremony. This ceremony is known as the Honoring of the Silver Talons. If a troop of Newfangs are seen as worthy enough to increase their rank they are allowed to participate in the ceremony that year, even if they only became Newfangs recently. Pyx descents from her roost and blesses the whole Citadel with her holy silver snowflakes. She presents the honorable soldiers with new insignias carved out of her own scales, which have a circle of outwards-facing triangles carved on it.

#### *Silver Strider*

After years of service and training, the troop is sent out to foreign territory. The purpose for this trip varies based on Halintar’s current events- it could be a scouting mission, or a mission to hunt down a runaway criminal, etcetera. Troops at this tier are assigned a dragon to their troop, typically one who is young and just beginning their Crusader training. After partaking in this mission, the soldiers return to be awarded the ranking of Silver Strider for their bravery outside of their normal territory. The insignia they had before has the draconic word for “blessing” engraved in the center of the circle of triangles. Once per day, these soldiers can call upon the blessings of Pyx and use their insignia to cast *Cone of Cold* without expending a spell slot.

#### *Silver Swords*

At this point, increasing in rank is rare- many troops stay as Silver Striders until they are too old or injured to keep serving. Those troops or individuals who are still willing and able are appointed the ranking of Silver Swords. Individuals are reassigned to new troops to serve as their leader and mentor, while whole troops who make it to Silver Swords are assigned the most dangerous of missions. Silver Swords have an additional draconic inscription carved around the outside of the insignia, which enables them to communicate telepathically with their troop and other high-ranking soldiers.

### **Envoys of Pyx**

#### *Envoy of Pyx*

It’s an immense honor to receive this ranking. By showing great radiance and dedication to Ester Pyx and your kingdom, you’re granted the honor of riding on the back of Pyx herself to the dragon’s lair, living amongst her brood for an nondescript amount of time. During this stay, it’s said that the high elder dragons of Pyx teach the mortals about the history of the known world, and inscribe the deeds of the troop into a great wall of history in the peaks of the mountain. After returning from the peaks the troop is treated like royalty, adorned with magic armor made of Pyx’s own scales by her own hand. Envoys have their name written in draconic within the triangles of the insignia, and can speak their name in draconic to sprout dragon’s wings from their armor.

#### *Cardinals of Pyx*

Like the Pontiff, Cardinals can be individuals chosen to join the Crusaders even if they hadn't originally served as soldiers. Those who show faith through service as priests, or must retire from soldierdom due to illness or injury, are offered this position within the church of Pyx. They are beacons of faith within the Whiteshock Citadel, providing their years of wisdom as guidance for the common folk. Additionally, when it is time to choose a new Silver Pontiff, they are chosen from the current Cardinals.

#### *Vicar of Pyx*

If a soldier serves for many years as a loyal soldier to Ester Pyx and the Crusaders, they’re given the choice to peacefully retire as a Vicar of Pyx. The only ones allowed to do this are either very old, permanently crippled, or on their deathbed. As a ceremony of passage, these honorable people are allowed to ride on the back of the goddess herself, flying over the countryside and to the highest peaks of Halintar to see the peaceful domain they have helped protect. Vicars are given a staff/cane enchanted with the tears of the dragons, which can cast *Crusader’s Mantle* an unlimited amount of times in a day. They are also granted a new insignia, a smaller pendant made of one of Ester Pyx’s scales that has the Crusader’s emblem etched and painted onto it.

## Traditions

The Crusaders, being a heavily faith-based guild that relies heavily on the guidance of law, have many a tradition that span back up to when they were founded 3,000 years ago.

Prayer is the most well-known of these traditions, being a habit that is executed by all worshippers of Pyx at least three times per day, if not more. Once at sunrise, once as it reaches the center of the sky, and once as it falls.

The movements of celestial bodies is especially important to Crusaders, as they use them to navigate the mountains, count the days on the road, and tell stories about soldiers of the past. Seeing a falling star the night before a mission is seen as lucky, and a whole meteor shower is seen as a sign that Ganthamos himself is watching over your troop to ensure your success, as meteors fell when he felled great demons in legend.

## Activity

As teamwork is highly encouraged, soldiers are split into various troops of 5-7. Then, those troops are merged into regiments with 4 troops each; usually these are 2-3 Newscale troops and 1-2 Silverscale troops, though more dangerous areas may have one or no Newscale troops and instead have more Silverscales and maybe even an Envoy troop or two. These regiments patrol the areas around cities and towns, as well as the travel routes between them. Individual troops are also assigned to populous areas for increments of up to 2 years at a time.

Typically, only Silverscale troops on their missions to become Striders are seen outside of the Great Northwest. During times of environmental crisis higher-ranking troops can be found aiding in relief efforts, bringing with them their Silver Dragons to help move large amounts of refugees to the Citadel or whatever nearby shelter may be available to them.