Blood of Ansalon

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Izotz

Entry in the 2006 Nexus Organizations Contest.

History

The Blood of Ansalon was founded during the Age of Might, in 965 PC by a man named Anselm. Anselm was a young man of twenty-eight years when he first came upon the idea of an organization that held his beliefs. Later he structured that idea and made it reality. It recruited members quickly; many were drawn to its ideals. Soon the Blood of Ansalon stood strong in the land, though it was still small and of little fame.

In 910 PC, the Blood of Ansalon was a known group and had a large force to be used wherever they were needed. When the Ogre Wars started, the Blood of Ansalon approached the dwarves and offered to aid them in their time of need. The dwarves accepted, although reluctantly, so the soldiers of the Blood of Ansalon gave their might to the dwarves in the Ogre Wars.

In the year 800 PC, the Blood of Ansalon set up an outpost in an area that was vital to the survival of their armies. In the night, a great horde of enemies attacked the outpost, hoping to crush the remaining bodies of the Blood of Ansalon while they were weak and vulnerable. At the age of seventy-three Anselm himself, taking a group of soldiers with him, bravely met the enemies and delayed them long enough for his troops to escape. His generals tried to deter him from this course of action, but, not arguing long, they led the remaining troops out of the outpost quickly and into safety. Those who stayed behind fought with their last breath and strength until finally the enemy overwhelmed them, slaying Anselm and those with him.

In the year 573 PC, the Blood of Ansalon grew into a thriving organization headquartered in Istar. When their base was built in 576 PC, among of the first things erected was a grand statue commemorating the founder and hero of the Blood of Ansalon, Anselm. They called the fortress the Halls of Anselm - it was the great pride of all in the Blood of Ansalon, named after their founder. It was this year that the necromancer Salius Ruven sent his army of undead to lay siege upon the city of Istar. The Blood of Ansalon reinforced the ranks of Istar and helped protect the city until the Solamnic Knights arrived and decimated the undead army, saving Istar. The armies of the Blood of Ansalon were led by a notable general named Prochorus, his quick thinking and brilliant strategies on the field of battle saved many lives and later earned him the position of Grand Leader of the Blood of Ansalon.

The Blood of Ansalon grew strong and fought to save nations of all races; many humans, ogres, dwarves and even kender owed their lives to the Blood of Ansalon. For many years they held a position of respect and honor among all people as benevolent guardians, until the cataclysm struck and destroyed Istar. When Istar was devastated, the Halls of Anselm fell, the majority of the armies of rhe Blood of Ansalon dying in the wake of the destruction. When the very heart of the organization was destroyed, the small troops that were left disbanded and went on living, though grief weighed heavily on them, tearing at their hearts and slowing their steps. The glorious dream that was the Blood of Ansalon, the great Halls, were now only a memory that lived in the minds of a dozen scattered, broken men.

Goals/Motivations

The goal of the Blood of Ansalon is simple and singular, though it covers many matters. The preservation of all nationalities, societies and the lives of those within them is the one ideal that forms the foundation of this organization. Whether they are of good or evil or whether they come from Solamnia or hail from Neraka matters little to the Blood of Ansalon, and they will only fight those who seek to destroy the lives of others. The same doctrine applies to those who join the Blood of Ansalon. All are accepted as long as they swear by the ideals and the laws of the organization. The army is a combined force of warriors and mages of all races and they all work together as brothers, although born from different mothers. The Blood of Ansalon aids those who are in risk of annihilation and defends them, but they always defend and will never attack.

Headquarters/Areas of Influence

Their headquarters were located in Istar, until the cataclysm, and their influence spread across the entirety of Ansalon. Now the Blood of Ansalon is disbanded and has no headquarters, aside from the ruins of the Halls of Anselm, laid to rest at the bottom of the lowest depths of the Blood Sea.

Leadership/Organization

Notable leaders of rhe Blood of Ansalon are Anselm, Prochorus, Gerlach and Soner - who was the leader of the Blood of Ansalon when the cataclysm struck. Gerlach was noted for his zeal and passion for the beliefs of the Blood of Ansalon, those within the organization named him Anselm reborn.

The rank structure is as follows, with the rank title proceeded by a number of allocated ranks.

• Grand Leader (1)
• General (8)
• Captain (limitless)
• Sergeant (limitless)
• Foot Soldier (limitless)

Allies

Though many people from both sides of good and evil shun the Blood of Ansalon for protecting those of the opposing side, there has long been one organization that respected the Blood of Ansalon and could be called their allies, even though they had met on the field of battle more than once. The Knights of Solamnia have respected the Blood of Ansalon and were quick to aid them when they fought to save those of good.

Enemies

The only ones that the Blood of Ansalon consider enemies are those who seek to eliminate other nationalities, societies and the lives of those within.

Membership

As a member of the Blood of Ansalon, new recruits are sent to training camps where they learn from some of the best warriors and wizards that reside with the organization. They undergo brutal exercises that will hone their physical and mental skills and strengths. Afterward, if they survive the training, they are to take a vow to uphold the laws and ideals of the Blood of Ansalon within the fullest of their capacity. After they have officially entered the organization they are then granted the rank of Foot Soldier and are issued standard Foot Soldier armor with a single medallion on a chain that shows their status and allegiance. Standard Foot Soldier armor is simply steel plate if they are a warrior, silken robes of they are magic-users, and the medallions are a simple circle wreathed in flame, all colored dirt brown. Should they prove themselves worthy they will be opted for promotions, such as to the rank of Sergeant with their medallion gaining a singular sword (Tree Green), Captain with their medallion gaining another (Steel Grey), General with their medallion gaining a heart (Dark Red) and even Grand Leader with a medallion gaining a strong arm (Midnight Blue).

Joining the Organization

To join the Blood of Ansalon one must make the journey to the headquarters in Istar and apply, they are then placed through many interrogative sessions to see whether or not they are worthy of joining and truly agree with the ideal of the Blood of Ansalon.

Costs and Benefits of Membership

There are no costs to join the Blood of Ansalon except for total devotion to the cause with all of your life. As a member of the Blood of Ansalon you will be supplied with a local residence and supplies to live off of.

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