NFT Characters

In the Old Days of the Ash Vales, when the Elders still roamed among mortals, there were those jealous of their power. Eager to acquire it for themselves, a band of warriors ambushed one of the Elders and struck them down, drinking their blood and infusing their souls with the strength of the divine. They would wage war upon the world, only stopped by an alliance of mortals and Elders…

Yet when their leaders were brought before the Elders, they were offered amnesty, in exchange for eternal loyalty to those whose power they had stolen. They agreed, and thus the Fallen were born. Mortals imbued with the power of Elders, they bore weapons too heavy for giants to grip. Their very bodies seemed to ignore harm dealt upon them. They were the ultimate soldiers, born for war and forged for loyalty.

In the present day, the Fallen continue their efforts. Those wishing to join their guild are welcome to do so. They must undergo a series of trials, testing their martial prowess against great beasts, and their mental resistances against demonic whispers, before sipping the blood of the Elder they slew millennia ago, which grants them their incredible powers. Furthermore, the Fallen retain their loyalty to the Elders. The recent seizure of the Pillars has stirred old anger within them. The desecration of the homes of their masters has greatly insulted them, and now they have declared a bloody war against the seven factions who have claimed the Pillars.

Stalkers, trackers, and travelers, the Hunters are masters of the land. Whilst they have not married themselves to it as the Betrothed have, you will nevertheless find them staunch protectors of the land they walk upon.

The Hunters were formed sometime after the First War. The fallout of the great conflict had left great swathes of land uninhabitable, and many safe passages had been blocked by debris or awful abominations spawned from conflict. The Hunters, wishing to protect innocents, became guides and wardens. They protected citizens on their travels, battling against bandits, thieves, and grotesque demons…

The Hunters rose to fame sometime after the fall of the Triumvirate. Whilst the other nations had attempted to contain the demon hordes which had destroyed the Triumvirate, the allure of the gold reserves left within was too much to resist. The Hunters were recruited by the Empire to secure the Last Gold of Dura’s Horde. The expedition began with three hundred and would end with seemingly all the Hunters dead…

In reality, the Hunters had claimed the gold for themselves, unwilling to gift it to the cruel Empire. Not only did they succeed in securing the Last Gold of Dura’s Horde, but they even rescued a few hundred people still surviving within the Triumvirate. They used some of the gold to buy them new, safe homes, and used the remainder to upgrade their operations.

Since then, the Hunters have become the stuff of legend. They’re often recruited for some of the most difficult missions within the Ash Vales, and their theft of what the Empire deemed ‘their gold’ has them banned from all Empire territory… A ban that is often ignored.

Yet now, the Hunters are on a different mission. With the Pillars open, they seek to seize the powers within, in hopes of writing their names into the history books.

Guardians of knowledge to some, holders of secrets for others. The Keepers of Arcana are one of the youngest guilds in existence, only coming to life a few years after the fall of the Forested Dunes. Originally, the Keepers of Arcana were formed by some of the finest mages in existence, whose purpose was to uncover the mysteries behind the Plaguepits and the rise of the Lich Lords.

However, after their research concluded with little discovered, the Keepers of Arcana didn’t separate. The dozen or so mages had grown fond of one another and continued to delve into the mysteries of the world. From the spells that sealed the Pillars, to the demons that inhabited the Fields of Ending, the Keepers dedicated themselves to uncovering everything.

The Keepers of Arcana are known to jealously hoard the knowledge they gather to themselves and their most trusted allies. Even the Union of Guilds is told little, and they only tolerate the Keepers due to their incredible power on the battlefield as well as their willingness to divulge information about entering the Pillars. There are even rumors that the Keepers were those responsible for the breaking of the spells sealing the Pillars, and whilst these rumors are false, the Keepers have happily used them to further their reputation as brilliant mages and secret keepers…

To wear shadow is to adapt to it. To break its will and force it into your service is to wield the night itself. Nightbinders are among the strongest beings in existence, and a veritable fear to common folk and rulers alike. The Nightbinders themselves are not a guild you can join, but instead, one you are born into. The Nightbinders descend from an ancient bloodline that extends back to a coupling between a human and an Elder, which grants them their incredible abilities. 

Trained from birth to serve Lunus, God of the Night, Nightbinders wield the power of shadow. Their simplest techniques allow them to blend into it, granting them unparalleled abilities of stealth. Even the weakest Nightbinders can prove to be brutal assassins. Yet advancing in their training grants them further abilities, from eclipsing cities in darkness to melding into one shadow and emerging from another…

Despite their solitary nature, the Nightbinders have recently joined the Union of Guilds. They’ve enjoyed a friendly nature with the other guilds, offering their services whenever needed. However, whilst their aid is welcome, few trust them… which is undoubtedly for the best.

The Nightbringers have not joined the Union of Guilds to make friends, but instead to seize the Pillars for themselves. The bounty within will prove the ultimate tribute to Lunus, and they will satisfy the God of the Night through magic… or through blood. 

Former rivals of the Fallen, the Betrothed were the first to oppose them in the Old Days. Chosen by the Elders as some of their most loyal servants, they bound their souls to root and bark, tree and plant. They opened their bodies to the magic of nature and swore themselves to protect the natural order. In turn, nature granted them incredible power. 

They aided the Elders in defeating those who would eventually become the Fallen. For their efforts, they were rewarded with stewardship over the Forested Dunes alongside the Elves. The majesty of this place, coupled with its deep connections to nature, only saw the power of the Betrothed grow over the centuries. They dedicated themselves to the protection of the natural order, opposing the violence of industry and the smoke of forges. Such was their power, many feared the Betrothed could one day even eclipse the Elders of old…

Yet such power oft brings with it jealous eyes, and twisted minds. A hundred years before the present day, a great plague spread across the Forested Dunes, stirring the hundreds of thousands of heroes who had been buried there. The undead had risen under Ul’kun, First Lich Lord of the Plague Pits. Whilst the Betrothed and the Elves both worked to defend the Forested Dunes, they could not stem the endless tide of the dead. Furthermore, the sickness spread through root and tree, killing nature and leaving the Betrothed severely weakened.

Now without their godlike powers, the Betrothed wed themselves to a new ally: the Union of Guilds. By pledging themselves to their service, the Betrothed earned the support of the powerful Union. Together, they slew Ul’kun and drove the armies back into the depths of the Forested Dunes, now known as the Plaguepits. Whilst the plague was contained by spells of the elves, the Forested Dunes were beyond saving. The Betrothed would forever be weakened, never to return to the height of their power…

However, the opening of the Seven Pillars brings with it an opportunity. Whilst the Betrothed have loyally served the Union of Guilds for the past century, they have longed to return to the heights of their power, and to restore the Forested Dunes to their former glory. With the Seven Pillars now open, the power within could help them accomplish that goal….