Crusader, the House of Valor

Immortal Leader: Darkwood, Guardian of Honor
House Immortals: Maelstrom, Thunder of the Heavens (semi-retired)
                        Nycholas, the Lord of Steel, Warrior of Virtue (semi-retired)

Many ages ago, before Thera became as civilized as it now is, the land
was a seething of chaos and death. Every individual had to look out
for themselves and their loved ones, and people used any means they
could find to gain power. Magic was strong in the world, and without
it no one could survive for long. Into this world was born a young
dwarf without the ability to manipulate these magical forces. From his
first memories he had to fight for his life against those using magic
to oppress and destroy his family and loved ones. So he fought, studied,
and learned the ways of a warrior, taking his battle prowess to a level
previously unheard of in all the land. Soon his might grew to be so
great that he realized magic was weakening those who opposed him rather
than strengthening them. To prove his point, he laid seige to the Tower
of Magic, a tyrannical group who ruled through fear of their mighty
enchantments. For many hours he fought without tire, slaying mage upon
mage, and a wall of bodies grew about him, sheltering him from others
who would swarm upon him. However, the goddess of magic, Xyza, seeing
this rampant destruction of her devoted followers laid a plan to see this
valliant warrior struck from the face of Thera forever. She channeled
a bolt of raw energy through the hands of a follower, striking the
warrior down, and draining his life from him.

This act of courage was witnessed by the Lord Aegnor, and he knew that
he had found his champion. So he gathered the young dwarf's soul and
wove it into a great War Banner, which was then given a name of power.
Aegnor took this War Banner and founded a group of warriors who followed
the beliefs of this warrior. They forsook the taint of magic and studied
the arts of war. These warriors became known as the Crusaders of Valor.

Essentially, the Crusader is a powerful knight that seeks the path of
purity and valor. His/her body and spirit are pure, and he/she is in
the best physical and mental condition possible. Crusaders may serve
any god, and are known to vary in alignment and ethos accordingly.
Although a Crusader can be of any class, most are warriors, thieves,
rangers, or monks. The other professions usually result in "inferior"
Crusaders after they have given up any magical talent they possess.

Crusaders learn several useful battle skills. They are also granted the
ability to recall from their immortal leader. But their two strongest
powers come from their two core traits. A Crusader's dedication to the
combat arts, combined with the blessing of the gods, and the purity of
his/her body, give him/her the ability to reflect spells back upon their
caster. And the dedication that the Crusader shows allows him/her to
fight on when the damage sustained would slay the normal foe. A Crusader
that shows a constant lack of one of these traits will lose their ability
of the corresponding power.

Over the Eons the leadership of the Crusaders have passed through many
hands. When Lord Aegnor became unable to lead the cause, Lord Ceran took
up the banner and led them. After Lord Ceran, Lord Julive took up the
banner to lead the Crusaders. During this time there was much treachery
rampant within the House, and it was disbanded by the pantheon, and Julive
imprisoned. But through a pact with Lord Awrathre, Julive escaped his
banishment, and rebuilt the Crusader's Keep in a new location. At this
time, Lord Julive also drained the essence of the War Banner and imbued
it into a mighty gauntlet. However, Julive proved to be a traitor, and
when he abandoned the Crusaders, his place was taken by Maelstrom, the
god of storms, who leads the House to this day. Under the immortal
leadership of Maelstrom, Nycholas was granted mortal leadership for quite
some time. Through undying devotion to the Crusades he eventually was chosen
to ascend to the heavens and now aids Maelstrom to this very day.

Through the ages the direction of the Crusades has also changed many times.
In the beginning there were many bent on utter destruction of all who
would weave the words of magic, which led to the senseless slaughter of
many innocent denizens of Thera. Now through the wise immortal leadership
of Maelstrom the powers of the Crusade are kept in balance by the requirement
that all those who wish to join the ranks fight with honor. Through
unending vigilance, Maelstrom had discovered that mortals with clumsy fingers
and slow minds were draining the source which all that use magical power
call upon faster than Xyza, the One True Spell, could replenish. Unaffected
herself, Xyza continues to this day to share the magical source which the
remainder of the Pantheon's lives depend. Now those serving the Crusade
are commanded to turn their blades on those who squander that which they
have no right to and gain the support of all Thera.

An applicant should send a note to 'Crusader' so that the current members
may evaluate the applicants worth. The application should include the
applicant's name, race, profession, rank, ethos, alignment, reasons for
applying, and why he/she is worthy to join the elite.

-Maelstrom, the Anvil of Storms, Thunder of the Heavens
-Nycholas, the Lord of Steel, Warrior of Virtue

Crusader Code
Battle Code of the Crusade