The Forsaken

None dispute the existence of the The Avanís Pantheon and their hold over Daënfel - they are the creators of this world and its guardians. There are, however, those few who spurn the tyranny and controlling nature of the Gods and chose to walk a darker path.   The Forsaken were formed in the wake of Avlar's conquest and ascension - the revelation that a God could be killed was a huge cultural shift across Daënfel.   Trinity, the second largest city in the Kingdom of Avalon, fell into disarray following the ascension of the God-King. During a time known as the 'Great Enslavement', the city became a crucible of fervent faith and brutal conscriptions - followers of the God-King tearing support and power away from the other Gods. The clerics of each of the Gods fought on the front lines against one another, and the entire city was brought into the conflict. The Founding Fathers still perpetuate a conflict similar to this today.   From this oppression the Forsaken emerged; born of villagers from humble origins - peasants torn from their homes to serve the insatiable hunger of gods. Surviving the horrors of Avlar's Conquest and then the relentless scrutiny of zealous priests vying for power in their Gods' name, these people were desperate.   What started as congregations of citizens hoping that the conflict would end, after decades of heightening danger and less security each passing year, the members of this organization grew increasingly bold. They emerged from the shadows to raid temples and holy sites, leaving behind a trail of shattered idols and broken faith.   As locals who knew the areas of Trinity intimately and could blend in with its population so naturally, the Forsaken were masters of guerrilla warfare. Inquisitions were launched by The Founding Fathers of Trinity after each attack, but while some members were captured and executed, few bore fruit as the Foresaken blended back into the populace with ease.   This heightened the tensions and conflict in Trinity - normal civilians were being wrongfully persecuted for the attacks, further increasing the recruitment of this organization and fuelling the fires of war.   Their motto became 'No Masters, No Slaves' - their guiding philosophy that fuelled their rebellion and proved quite effective in recruiting the survivors of the ongoing religious war.   For a time, their conflict intersected with that of the Sons of Avlar. The Sons were being routed by the Founding Fathers, and so too did they hide amongst the wilderness in eastern Avlar's Folly. But all it took was one false step or one frustrated word against the wrong orc, and the might of the Forsaken came crashing down upon them, for where the Gods are the root of all evil, a group claiming that one God stood above the rest was evil beyond the Forsaken's comprehension.   Eventually, after decades of fighting within the forests and swamps of Avlar's Folly and from unity born from a mutual enemy, the once-fractured religious factions of Trinity set aside their rivalries to hunt down The Forsaken, launching a relentless campaign to crush the rebellion. Their end was swift and decisive - no power can match that of the Gods - and after a final bloody battle along the River of the Ancients, the heralds of Trinity announced that the Forsaken had been sent back to the fringes of civilization.   In the many years since their defeat, murmurings across Daënfel speak of an increase in this anti-divine sentiment, though who leads them, where they are based and to what end they have returned? None know. However, the Trinity Guard stay vigilant and keep their ever-watchful gaze on the underwarrens of Wallsend.