The Kingpriest Ascendant alternate timeline requires further exploration in this part 2. Let’s look at the various organizations in this Alternate Krynn. Buy the Legends of the Twins sourcebook: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3252/legends-of-the-twins-3-5?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
There is more to this alternate timeline than first meets the eye.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about the Alternate Timeline – Kingpriest Ascendant in this Part 2. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing the Legends of the Twins sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
In the Alternate Timeline: Kingpriest Ascendant, Part 1, we discussed the timeline and how and where it diverged from the canon Dragonlance timeline. Let’s now look at some of the organizations of this Kingpriest Ascendant alternate Krynn. A few of these are carried over from the primary timeline, as they were a part of Krynn before the River of Time split. The first of these are the Knights of the Divine Hammer. This order remains strong and capable, the right arm of the Faith. They are charged with protecting all lands under the banner of Istar, and those who live therein. One can imagine the sheer magnitude of this task, and how it would require an ever growing force to properly execute their orders. This means that all knights, local clerics and traveling Querists are tasked with keeping an eye out for any boys coming of age who display a high degree of strength or martial skill. When discovered, they are led to the nearest Hammerhall.
When accepted they only need to take a single vow, and that is one of complete devotion to the Godpriest and the Faith. The knight’s strength is born from their bond with their fellow knights. These knights actually bring comfort to the citizens of the empire, and their local garrisons are received warmly. The Knights of the Divine Hammer understand the realities of the everyday world in a way that reflects the citizens rather than other orders working for the Godpriest. Their Hammerhalls are found across the nation from the grand marble and gold keep of the Lordcity to encampments along the borderlands. Their roles extend from protecting the empire’s citizenry to maintaining ceremonial guard at the gates of the Arena of Istar and undertaking raids into the minotaur lands.
The Brotherhood of Querists were originally called upon by the people of Istar to prove their innocence of accusations of evil. Now, however, it is the Querists who accuse the citizenry. They have shifted their role from defenders of the people, to becoming their judges. They make the final verdict on their own accusations and summarily hand off the guilty to either the Divine Hammer for punishment, or the Temple of Istar for Purification. The Kingpriest originally learned the secrets of mind reading from renegade mages, and he then passed those secrets to the Querists, imposing upon them the mandate of discovering and punishing the guilty. The Brotherhood of Querists answer only to their own order and the Godpriest himself. They travel all across Istar in search of evil, and show a degree of understanding to those who have only strayed slightly from the path of the Faith. While they take their role seriously, they acknowledge that they themselves are not as pure as the God priest, and thus exert this understanding on their duties with others. They are bitter about the stain they find in themselves though, and exert that frustration out on the guilty through their well-used gibbets and blackened fire pits all across the empire.
The Knights of Solamnia have what can only be called a complicated relationship with the Faith. While they are among the oldest allies to Istar, having fought alongside the Divine Hammer, as the years have passed, the Grand Circle of Knights have become concerned about the changing nature of the Faith. Istar has in turn been jealous of Solamnia and desire to send their Querists to its nation, disbelieving anyone could truly live up to the Oath and the Measure. When Solamnic Knights were probed mentally by the Querists, to their great surprise, the majority were true to their convictions. This means that Istar trusts the Knights of Solamnia, and has a treaty with them to cross their borders as they wage war on the kender of Hylo.
Again, the Grand Circle of Knights is wary of Istar and the Faith, especially after declaring the neutral gods in opposition to the Faith, they have secretly resisted in their complacency with Istar. If they ever formally declared war on Istar, Istrar would no longer be able to raid the Minotaur Lands and Kender of Hylo, and instead face a trained force as large and well trained as their own, it would truly put the Divine Hammer and even the Faith to the test, possibly breaking out in world wide open war as allies are called to each side in conflict. I wonder if the minotaur nations would rally under the Solamnic banners?
The Burning Robes are wizards from all of the orders of High Sorcery who refuse to sit silently in debate with the conclave, and wish to strike back at Istar. They named themselves after the massacred mages at the destroyed Towers of High Sorcery. The vast network of cabals stretches across Ansalon, training new apprentices from their hidden laboratories. Their beliefs are simple: first the reconstruction of their lost Towers of High Sorcery, and second, the complete and utter destruction of the Faith. The Blood of Mithas is a dynasty which rules the largest of the minotaur kingdoms. This dynasty has battled for dominance with their own people. With Istar’s Third Crusade into their lands, they were dealt a mighty blow as their holy temple of Sargas was destroyed. This invasion was a terrible embarrassment for the Provenbloods of the kingdom, as their ancient enemies in the Blood of Kothas were the ones who destroyed the invaders. Now the Blood of Kothas must set aside their war with the Blood of Mithas to focus on their new enemy in Istar. The Blood of Mithas still lead raids into Istar, burning whole towns to avenge a single death.
The final order is The Purified. These are the elite warriors of the Faith who are sent into areas to solve the toughest problems and stalk the most dangerous of enemies to Istar. Originally these Purified were created at great cost to Beldinas the Godpriest, but now they are able to be created by the High Clerics, who after the ritual, fall into unconsciousness for a month! The Purified created by the High Clerics are as powerful as the original Silvanesti Purified. They are granted enhanced strength and boosted reflexes. The conversion drains the Purified of all emotion and personality, turning them into nothing much more than a living fighting corpse.
Outro
And that is all I have to say about the alternate timeline – Kingpriest Ascendant. Do you have a favorite organization in this timeline? Would you ever play a campaign in the Kingpriest Ascendant timeline? And finally do you think the Knights of Solamnia could defeat Istar and the Godpriest if joined by the minotaur kingdoms, the kender of Hylo and the wizards of the Burning Hands? Leave a comment below.
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You know nothing, Great One! You are a fool!
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