Hand of Tyr
The Hand of Tyr
Once a holy order of elite knights and warriors under the direct leadership of the King of the Holy Lotharian Empire, today the Hand of Tyr are the disciples of the now fallen god, dedicated to his faith and the preservation of his body. As an organization with a history of clandestine operations some whisper of a new, hidden agenda to the once elite order of knights, however no proof has come to light.
History
Founded in 270 BS, the Hand of Tyr was created by the Lord Protector of Keystone, King Relan Stonet, as a force of experienced soldiers whose sole duty it was to protect the human kingdom of Keystone. Despite its name, the Hand of Tyr was not a religious order, but instead a martial one who simply drew upon the imagery of the God of Justice in order to help justify their existence. Believing that the Kesir of Tunis would take exception to the spread of humanity on Tunis, the initial duty of the Hand was to protect Humanity from any potential incursions by the Kesir. Fortunately for Humanity, the Kesir were instead occupied by the constant incursions of the Orcs and Olith'Dar into their forests and deserts to care about what was occurring on the other side of the Worldspine.
As time passed and the likelihood of a Kesir incursion became less of an imminent threat, the purpose of the Hand of Tyr shifted. The order became a visible force of order and showed the dominance of the Keystone to all those who would dare challenge the reign of the current leaders of the growing kingdom. This visible force of good was just a show for the masses however. The true purpose of the Hand of Tyr was much more clandestine- to infiltrate the martial structures of neighboring kingdoms and settlements, using their influence to bring the ideals of these potential world powers more in-line with those of Keystone.
Over the centuries the success of the Hand of Tyr became apparent, particularly after the Lotharian Summit in 106 AD and the formation of the Holy Lotharian Empire with Keystone at its heart. The Hand was held up as the elite protectors of the realm, commanding the Holy Protectorate into battle when necessary. As such, the priority of the Hand of Tyr shifted to protecting the values of the Holy Empire from the undead scourge known as The Unhallowed of Valis, particularly after the threat of invasion became realized with an attack on an expeditionary force of the Holy Protectorate in Valis in 187 AD.
Shortly after the start of the War of Dominion and the invasion of Greyfaulk, the Holy Lotharian Empire brokered a treaty with the Kesir of Tunis, forming the New Tunarian Alliance in 208 AD. For the first time non-human members were welcomed into the Hand of Tyr, with dozens of Uradum, Drakken, Rilis'Kesir and Khiasa'Kesir joining their ranks. It was at this time that the more religious beliefs came to the forefront of the order and although worship of Tyr was not mandated, it was strongly encouraged. One tenant of the order that did solidify during the early days of the War of Dominion was that its members were not allowed to practice "unnatural" (arcane) magicks, allowing only holy and druidic magic-users into their ranks.
The Hand of Tyr continued leading legions of soldiers into battle throughout the War of Dominion, that is until their namesake, the God of Justice Tyr, took to the battlefield personally after possessing King Marcos Vissell of Keystone. As Tyr set out to meet the God of Death Kadum in combat the Hand of Tyr rallied around him, creating a legion of some of the most accomplished soldiers and warriors the world has ever known. With the direction of their patron god, the Hand cut their way through the defenses of the Unhallowed, coming face to face with Kadum in the Greenrock Hills of Oderath. The battle lasted for days and in the end Tyr stood victorious over Kadum. What happened next is up for historical debate, but according the the members of the Hand present, Tyr offered Kadum mercy and feinting acceptance, Kadum raised his blade, driving it up through Tyr's jaw and out the top of his skull.
After the Battle of Tyrfall, the Hand of Tyr and the armies of the New Tunarian Alliance were crushed. Few mortals had seen a god in the flesh, and no one had ever seen a god fall. A procession of thousands of soldiers carried Tyr's body back to southern Keystone, to the secret headquarters of the Hand of Tyr. There the body of the God of Justice was interred, the complex becoming known as the Tomb of the Godking. After Tyr's defeat dozens of divine beings joined the war; the escalating conflict becoming known as the Godswar. As the gods' battles scarred the lands and the Holy Lotharian Empire began its collapse, the Hand of Tyr stood silent, vowing to protect the tomb of their god above all else.
In the two centuries since the end of the Godswar the Hand of Tyr has continued its vigilance in the protection of the body of Tyr. The order has shrunk dramatically, currently claiming only a few dozen members operating out of the Tomb of the Godking. Despite appearances, some believe that the Hand of Tyr has fallen back to its old ways, working from the shadows while keeping up a front to the world. This is highly unlikely, but if this is true, no one outside the order knows of their renewed purpose.
Goals
While the original goal of the Hand of Tyr was to covertly align the interests of the various Human kingdoms to Keystone's way of thinking, that time has long since passed (as illustrated by the divergence of rulership methods each of the Shattered Kingdoms now employs). Since the fall of their patron god Tyr, the Hand has dedicated itself to the protection of the body of the divine. Entombed deep within the Tomb of the Godking, the body of Tyr radiates divine energies- energies that could be corrupted by greedy mortals to further their own ends.
Likely due to the dramatic change of methodology and purpose after the end of the Godswar, membership of the Hand of Tyr has shrunk to only the most devout of Tyr's followers. The modern Hand consists mostly of monks, clerics and paladins dedicated to their fallen deity. Proximity to the Holy Body has allowed the clerics and paladins of Tyr to continue to gain their holy magic, despite the lack of a living patron. Because of this limitation it is extremely uncommon to see the holy warriors of Tyr outside of the Tomb.
Relationships
Although previously tied directly to the Holy Protector of Keystone, the modern Hand of Tyr has severed these bonds and now exists as a largely autonomous order. The leaders of the order understand the Tomb exists within the borders of the Kingdom of Keystone and as such they must stay within the good graces of the current Lord Protectors. A small number of the Hand of Tyr exist within the Lord Protector's court, mostly to keep an eye on him. Although they feign fealty to Lord Protector Philip Canthon of Keystone, the fact that he is not a true heir of King Marcos means behind closed doors the Hand does not recognize his authority.
The Hand of Tyr does keep very loose contact with the other nations of the Shattered Kingdoms, however there is no representation of the order within the remaining courts, resulting in very limited authority or influence within those countries. The Hand has severed all contact with the Principalities of Rhan after the death of King Viron Ulmer and the rise of the magocracy under the Archmage Thayl Ulmer due to their utter distrust of arcane magic.
Figures of Interest
- Lord Commander Bertrand Dunkirk- Brought up on the stories of the Battle of Tyrfall in his native Oderath, Bertrand became a devotee to the fallen god early in his life. Rising through the ranks of the kingdom's protectors, the Righteous Brand, he made a name for himself while quite young. Eventually getting the opportunity to join up with the Hand of Tyr, Bertrand jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunatly the days of the glory of the Hand of Tyr were behind them; something Bertrand continues to have a hard time with. Since taking over for the late Lord Commander Truscan, Bertrand's new responsibilities weighs heavily upon him. With the rich history of the Hand of Tyr behind him, Bertrand yearns for a rise to greatness that is simply incompatible with the current goals of the order.
