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The Crystal Riders (of Theodrose)
The Crystal Riders are the personal “knights” of the undead Lord Thedrose in the northern lands of Kalascor. In his service, they have a mixed reputation, but as has their master gone, so have they (his history is their history). Currently, they are the harbingers of the will and word of Theodrose. They settle disputes, they lead forces in battle, and are the embodiment of the strength and power of the northlands outside of Kaald. They were all once members of the Order of Whelm Indomitus. They go where they want, and non stand in their way. They retain their knightly capabilities in addition to their undead status. Their hardened ice bodies and bits of armor give them extra power on the battlefield. They all wield high quality swords and spears. A few even have magical blades, taken from their countrymen when they were in service to the Lich Lords (it is said that two of them wield one of the Postestas Dundarium). Like their lord, they are immune to the effects of the dreaded Fangedfrost.
The Crystal Riders and the Harvest Knights of Kalascor are known to collaborate at times, outside the needs and direction even of those they report to.
Description: Their outward form appears as armor or noble clothes. These bannermen are now spectres, though they collect unto themselves an icy form. Cold vapors of condensation trail them. Upon their heads, they typically place a real skull. Their eyes are red dots that move inside the ice, and they all have carven ice features of what they looked like in real life. Large men of the northern clans of Dundaria. Stoic knights, riding war horses of the same construction. They radiate cold, and damage anything they touch. The ice grates and grinds as it moves. Over their icy form they were pieces of armor – breastplate, a shield, gauntlets at times, some even a helm – all bitingly cold to the touch. Even tabards with the colors of ancient Dundaria and their Duke’s house, frozen over the top of the breastplate.
They place a real skull on top, with large crystal eyes. When they summon their steeds, it comes with a long spear and blood stained pennon of their original cadre from their homeland.
i20™ Crystal Riders Details
Human [variant] Oath-breaker paladins 7th, 8th, or 9th of Whelm Indomitus – last of their order; They are considered one of The Risen. They have the powers of a spectre.
Feats: Mounted Combatant, Sentinel
Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand in the Steel Realms of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
Paladin (Vengeance) – Restored to the Conviction and favor of Whelm the Protector. Whelm supplies he and his retainers with divine power, even in their state. When their loyalty to god and people returned, so their knighthood was supported by whelm, replacing the fealty to their former masters. They use Wisdom as a modifier.
iCore™ Crystal Riders Details
Lieutenants of the Crystal Riders
Lieutenants of the Crystal Riders are ghouls, about 32 left after thousands of years of attrition. They are the best trackers in the north.
i20™ Crystal Riders Lieutenants Details
They only respawn on a 1 on d6 when they die. Also have 5pt Armor of Agathys from Frostfang permanently
iCore™ Crystal Riders Lieutenants Details
Names of the Crystal Riders
The riders have all taken on names after their “death”. They do not use their true names and will not reveal them to anyone.
Andruche: Said to have redeemed himself in battle and returned to the fold of Whelm in the afterlife.
Anselmet:
– Wields the blade “Dawnlight” of the Potestas Dundarium.
Isemberd:
Reynaud:
Garrett:
Anfroy:
Amer: Said to have redeemed himself in battle and returned to the fold of Whelm in the afterlife.
Jarin:
– Wields the blade “Star Breaker” of the Potestas Dundarium.
Hewlitt:
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Knowledge of the Crystal Riders
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Fall of Dundaria: Lord Theodrose’s bannermen died with him, their own spirits bound to him. Nineteen of his most loyal bannermen became bound in death. The Fangedfrost and their loyalty transformed them. Specters without bodies, they could form a body of ice, snow and frost – they could call forth a mount of the same composition.Harbingers of the Shattering Mist: The Crystal Riders would ride in a circle around the city to be targeted as the next Shattered City. They would find the corpses of knights and soldiers (“recruits”) in their rubble and bring them to the Cold Embrace, where they would rise as ghouls in their service.
Harbingers of Vengeance: The Crystal Riders ride alone or in pairs, into the frozen north. No one knows exactly what mission they are on but their master, who works in consultation with the Chain Brotherhoods of the north to determine best time and place to strike. They are worth a company of normal undead. While in the north, they have been known to save any of the free folk there, aid in rescues and taking medicine and supplies during the worst of storms (their undead bodies immune to the environmental effects). They are seen as enigmatic benefactors, as is their Lord, though trust is difficult to give someone in the [undead] guide of the enemy.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
Over the ages, they have taken trophies. They prefer to take the heads inside of helms, using the skulls for themselves as helms as lamp bowls. Helms, shields and weapons line the halls where they reside – mostly non magical. Mostly the work of the necromancers to preserve them – to impress any visitors.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
Though two are said to have redeemed themselves, it is not true. They were killed in ambush by Lich Lords and their allies – redeemed sounds better.
Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand in the Steel Realms of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
Death of Zoras: CY 9168 > When Zoras The Despoiler died, half the ghouls soldiers of the Crystal Riders of Thedrosse were “loosed” from their bonds of The Cold Bargain. They killed many, but Theodrose himself and his riders tracked and killed every last one and their progeny with other orders of knights and the Chain Brothers of the north. Elsewhere, about 10% of the armies of the Lich Lords were lost when these fetters were cut.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
Garland Ilyndriata: This is a bracelet of beautiful blue flowers of a unique and unknown origin. Whoever wears it cannot have nightmares if alive, and does not suffer the feeding pangs on undeath if in that state. It allows healing to work normally upon the wearer, regardless of undead state. As long as the kingdom of Ilyndria Frostshine stands, its magic shall prevail.
Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand in the Steel Realms of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
Freed of the binding of Zoras the Despoiler by the Ur-Ducateon (when they trapped him in the grinding tunnel), he was able to make decisions without being watched at all.
- With Zoras dead, there is no way to track Theodrose or the Crystal Riders at all by the Lich Lords.
- Theodrose’s own personal power is slightly lessened, but this is good to him – he and his will die when the last of the Lich Lords dies as well.
- Theodrose and his Crystal Riders lost some power over undead, but regained their connection to Whelm when Zoras died.