Changes

As a dutiful follower of Magranon, King Holmeir gained posession possession of the Shadow Wraith armor as part of his loyalty to the church instead of any declaration of power or wealth. It was his only intention to keep the Shadow Wraith set secured on behalf of the elders of the church as he was told the known history of the Shadow Wraith pieces and came to understand the risks of allowing anyone to attempt to wield it, especially a potential enemy.

The Knights of Seris were devoted to their mantra of protecting the secrets of the dead from any forces that would seek to exploit them, and occasionally making sure that some of the dead remained dead. As such they did not simply wield weapons of battle, and more often wielded the skills of craftsmen and artisans to fulfill their ordained tasks. It was not uncommon for a detachment of the Knights of Seris to set up camp around or near a particular location of interest to their mission and end up causing a village or entire kingdom to sprout up around them over time with the inhabitants totally unaware of why they were there or what might slumber beneath. Most people never became aware that these settlers or travelers were in fact members of the Knights of Seris as they dressed and interacted normally with everyone in their everyday lives. A disproportionate number of detachments however, would often be lost to time and history. Rarely ever would their fates be discovered. This fact of the order was often attributed to the dangers they faced from the very secrets of the dead that they were often tasked with protecting. Most members of the Knights of Seris were often people who have left village life looking for adventure. This often meant that they were in need of money to get by and the order furnished them with training and funds to purchase their own customized equipment, and funding for any ordained tasks. It is not known where the source of the Knights of Seris’ funding originates. The company of Knights escorting Wynn Nivani out of Grenwiel were only told that they would be escorting artifacts from a previous age along with an accompanying religious cleric that had direct information and rituals to keep the artifacts safe. They faithfully protected the treasure even without knowing what they were protecting. The Knights were well compensated, and knew that their task was of some importance since a King used his wealth to protect the treasure instead of himself knowing that it would never benefit him personally, and even as his kingdom fell to other pressures, his people would be protected from whatever it was they were now tasked with keeping safe. When the Knights first met with Nivani, she led them through an abandoned church with a still working hidden entrance to an underground passage that led under King Holmeir’s castle and to a large underground cave system. They loaded up rafts with the chests they were to escort and enough provisions to get started on their way. Barely wide enough for the rafts, the caves would be a claustrophobic nightmare for some people. Each raft had a single lit torch affixed so they could see to avoid the damp walls of the caves. It would take most of the night for them to carefully paddle their way through the watery caves following a cave map in Nivani’s possession. At the far end a waterfall hid the cave’s exit and passing through the fairly gentle fall of the cold water into the dimly lit dawning of the new day felt like a rebirth after being inside that small, dark, and narrow cave system all night. The captain of the knights immediately set his company to work constructing a wagon with the tools they had with them, and within a day''To Be Continueds labor they had built a sturdy transport with storage compartments hidden by a carefully designed interior to fool the eyes of all but the most astute that something was amiss with the dimensions. Rounding up horses ended up being the real challenge, but with good fortune on their side, a farmstead within a half day walk was willing to sell them the horses they required, thus began their travels. Twenty-two years would pass as Nivani and the Knights of Seris faithfully carried out their service to a long since fallen King and lost kingdom as they moved discreetly among villages and cities to prevent the treasure from falling into the hands of [[Jenn-Kellon]] or [[Mol-Rehan]]. Nivani would contract her eventual death from an illness that would drive her insane in a short time, and as she came to trust the order of the Knights of Seris implicitly, she turned to one of the newer members that had joined up with them named Wheatley who had often regaled her with tales of adventures that put her troubled mind at peace with her mortal affliction. Sir Wheatley was a true, faithful member of the Knights of Seris and when Nivani confided in him the identity of the treasure that they protected, he understood why their mission was so important to her, and knew what must be done.  '''Chapter 8: Into the Valley''' After the passing of Arch-Prelate Nivani, Wheatley explained to Sir Nimoy and the others that they were entrusted with protecting the legacy of Prince Lehimn. He told them everything he had learned directly from Nivani as he trusted each of the group implicitly. After letting the information soak in, they all agreed that their mission was not finished with the passing of Wynn Nivani and they dispatched a coded missive to their order to appraise them of their active situation. The group spent days reviewing scrolls held by the late Wynn Nivani regarding the legends and stories associated with the Shadow Wraith set. Having the advantage of better knowledge and sciences than those who wrote most of the early information pertaining to the Shadow Wraith set, Lady Bell weeded out what she believed to be foolish assumptions or fear based theories, and plans were made from her findings to discover what the helmet was actually pointing towards and move the set away from the expanding conflict between [[Jenn-Kellon]] and [[Mol-Rehan]]. Their first task was to resupply and prepare for a journey filled with uncertainty. This task fell to both Sir Burton and Sir Witwicky, and having plenty of gold to work with they had little trouble at obtaining the best gear that could be purchased or built. Once they had their supplies, they purchased a set of fresh horses as their final task before picking up and continuing their journey.  Using the helmet as a compass of sorts, the Knights gradually made their way toward the direction its face continually pointed. While moving specific distances perpendicular to the way the Shadow Wraith helm faced, they plotted the general area that it was pointing towards and then used that information to decide on what routes to take to avoid patrols by either [[Jenn-Kellon]] or [[Mol-Rehan]]. By boat, by wagon, and by horse, the Knights of Seris traveled steadily, making camp only when needed and keeping their tracks covered to keep their camps secure while Sir Harold and Sir Landon scouted the upcoming terrain based on the facing of the helmet. Much of their journey across the land went by without any intrusion or interaction with the local residents thanks in part to their cartography skills. The knights routinely needed fresh supplies and had little choice but to risk contact with villages and cities. For the most part they would go unnoticed as common travelers in the marketplaces where they would shop, but not always. The supplies they often needed denoted some form of wealth which would draw the attention of highwaymen intent on robbing them, which was the main reason they tended to keep their contact with villages to a minimum as it was common for mercenaries and thieves to keep their eyes open for easy or wealthy marks. The entire group were capable fighters trained in various fighting methods, and any would be robbers stood little chance of besting them individually especially against Sir Harold’s enchanted axes or Sir Baggin’s mastery of various bow types. The few individual attempts they encountered were thwarted without much of a fight of any kind, but a comment made by one highwayman that was being treated for injuries from a fight with them suggests that even the large raiding party he was a part of was outmatched by the skill and tactics of their small group. Some of the only clues we have about the later part of the journey of the troupe of knights came from would be thieves that attempted to steal from them only to be left with a distinct shortage of blood or not quite as many limbs as they once had. The last known mention of their party is a rumor that claims they were seen making a few purchases in a village not far from the gateways in the Golden Valley during the summer of 981 NT. Once in awhile, someone will claim to have found what they believe is a piece of the Shadow Wraith set, but all such claims so far have been proven wrong. Though there are a few people who have mentioned discovering strange markers that might somehow be related to the knights. Even if the rumors are true, no one knows where they finally hid the Shadow Wraith armor and the companion pieces that go with it. Perhaps one day we will learn of what finally happened to them, and perhaps someone may eventually discover the Shadow Wraith set. The real question is, will they be willing to risk the fabled curse of the armor, or attempt to wield the sword and shield that was once wielded by Prince Lehimn during the [[backstory | Great Uprising]] against the [[Ageless]] all those ages ago?