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| - File:Lightsworn2011BannertemplateWiki.jpg The Lightsworn Order of Menethil-and-Theramore. After the destruction of Menethil Keep, the Knight's Hall of the Order is currently based in Foothold Citadel, located in the port town of Theramore. Though knightly Orders are originally predominantly a human concept, many different races of the Alliance have since gathered under our banners. Our members have taught each other well of our different cultures and racial diversities, and strive to make our lands a safer place through the strength of unity and purpose. The Lightsworn Order, sometimes refered to as the 'Knights of the Golden Chalice' or 'the Lightsworn Order of Menethil-and-Theramore under the Light of the Alliance', find their origins within the township of Darkshire, formerly known as Grand Hamlet. Under the command of the stalwart Sir Elsinor of Westfall, the Order of the Shadowhunters is a division of the Darkshire Nightwatch specifically poised to combat the occult and the supernatural, as well as the unliving. Due to the nature of its work, the Order employs several Knights of the Silver Hand, amongst which the impetuous Sir Gaebriel of Sunshine. After their commander retired from active service and the lack of funding from Stormwind continued to take its toll on the Order's resources. Many of them folded once more into the Nightwatch or returned to their homelands, though for some of them, the horrors they did witness within the haunted woods, so close to their homes, could never be forgotten. And thus, on a moonless night within the haunted woods of Darkshire, the Lightsworn Order was born. Founded in darkness, but bound under the Light. After they each swore their oaths to the Light and their homeland, these newly wandering knights went northwards to seek adventure and offer their aid to those in need. And thus, the Knight's Lodge in the township of Lakeshire was founded, after which they - mirroring their accomplishments within the Duskwood - established themselves within the area, setting up perimeter guards and fighting against the vile Blackrock orcs that formed a significant threat to the area. Their knowledge of the occult and expertise in combating such vile witchcraft proved of significant value in opposing the foul orc spellwrenchers. As a result, the immediate threat to the area of Lakeshire diminished greatly over time. After many months, a courier arrived bearing a missive from the city of Stormwind. All able companies were summoned at once, to aid in strengthening the garrison at the Kirin Tor stronghold of Nethergarde. The Order rode out within days after receiving the missive, and when they arrived at Nethergarde the terrible truth dawned on them: the horrifying Burning Legion - for many of the Order at that point only known from stories and tales - grasped upon their world. The battle at Nethergarde was gruesome in many ways, though after many days, the knights returned to Lakeshire triumphantly. In the coming days after licking their wounds, aided with the monetary gain that came from their service to the Alliance at Nethergarde, the ever-expanding Lightsworn Order moved northwards once more as they were granted a new stronghold: the Knight's Hall at Menethil Keep. Now firmly established at Menethil Keep, the Lightsworn Order worked side by side with other Alliance forces to defend their borders against vile savages and monstrosities throughout the eastern kingdoms. When the long lost 'king Varian Wrynn' (who was ultimately discovered as a traitor set up by lady Prestor) arrived on eastern shores and returned to the city of Stormwind, it was the Lightsworn Order who stood proudly as honour guard to accompany him to the throne. When the call from beyond the Dark Portal came, the Order was one of many who sent volunteers to venture into the broken world of Draenor to aid with its restoration. When a slithering menace arose from the sands of the far away land of Kalimdor, it was the Lightsworn Order who spearheaded the war in Silithus. Many more conflicts would follow, and the knights of the Golden Chalice ever fought fiercely to protect their homelands, and those who have seen so much war and suffering. But when the threat of the Twilight's Hammer became more and more prevalent, the impetuousness of the Order would almost be their downfall. Adhering to their image as questing knights, the Order set out nearly in full into a valiant crusade to raze every encampment of the Twilight's Hammer they could find on their path. Twisted towers were brought down and blasphemous and tainted cultist were crushed beneath the weight of the Light's justice. Though disaster struck when the Order finally returned home. As the world around them split asunder, they returned to Menethil only to find it under siege by the Twilight's Hammer. Enthralled Dark Iron dwarves from the mountains up north, aided by the vile Black Dragonkin, laid waste to the harbour town which they strangely found virtually abandoned. Surrounded and besieged from all sides, the Order found the only way to avoid certain annihilation was to fight their way to the docks of Menethil and fall back across the great sea, praying to the Light that the waves would not take them. As if their prayers were answered, a single ship remained intact, and without hesitation the Order grabbed what they could, boarded and set sail. And thus after many days, the Order arrived at Theramore at the shores of Kalimdor. Starved, battered and broken. As they came ashore, the Steward of Theramore welcomed them, a familiar face whom the Order did aid on several occasions in the past. And thus after regaining their strength, the newly found Knight's Hall at Theramore was established. The Order soon found out that the sundering of the world did change nothing. Even on a far away continent, their people were besieged on all sides by savage filth. And thus slowly the Order recovered, as they started to work with the people of Theramore to secure scarce supplies and fend off encroaching invaders. One day, news came from the east, from the valiant aspiring guardsman Timothy Clarke. It was found out that he, in his ever-present eagerness, was the one who initially spotted the large Twilight's Hammer forces advancing, and led as many as he could to take refuge in the hills. After the floods washed away most of the invaders, it was Timothy Clark who managed to rally the guard and a large rag-tag band of militia, to drive out most of the Dark Iron dwarves still entrenched within the township. As people slowly repopulated the town and started to rebuild, brave Timothy was honoured with the rank of Lieutenant of the Guard. It was Timothy Clark, who arranged for portal wizards to summon the Lightsworn Order to the Eastern Continent once more, when Forsaken forces were amassing at large in the Arathi Highlands. And after all this time, after many hardships in the wake of the Cataclysm, it was once more the Lightsworn Order who stood strong and held the crossroads of Boulder'gor against wave after wave of foul Horde monstrosities, with their indomitable resolve and tenacity. All of the Lightsworn Order who stride into battle amongst their brothers and sisters in arms, shall bear its heraldry proudly but humbly. the noble crest of the Golden Chalice emblazoned boldly upon their chests: A deep red field, symbolizing the blood of the innocent, mingled with the blood of the enemy. It reminds us of our people we have forsworn to protect, and end this terrible age of war and strife. It is crowned by leaves, representing the pristine beauty and splendour of our homelands we have forsworn to defend. Golden in colour, as when touched by the Light that resides within us all, they too shall come to full fruition and bloom. And behold, the noble crest of the Golden Chalice. It symbolizes our kinship to one and another, all equal in the face of the Light that guides our deeds and actions, regardless of heritage or right of birth. Brother to brother, sister to sister, as a solid wall of faith and steel we shall stand fast against the shadow that rapidly encroaches upon our homes. And wherever our banners fly and our horns resound, the hearts of our allies shall be rekindled with newfound courage and strength. And wherever we walk, the Light shall walk with us, and the darkness shall scatter and cease to exist. In the Light's name, it shall be so! We shall stand out to our people, as a beacon of hope and resolve: a bastion of the mind as well as one of the body. And remember at all times, that none shall stand alone in their crusade against the wicked and the impure. For wherever we stride, We Stand As One. Prowess To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandisement. Justice Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. If the 'right' you see rings agrees with others, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure. Loyalty Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them. Defense The ideal knight is sworn by oath to defend his liege lord and those who depended upon him. Seek always to defend your nation, your family, and those to whom you believe worthy of loyalty. Courage Being a knight often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people you value. At the same time, a knight should seek wisdom to see that stupidity and courage walk hand in hand. Courage also means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring terrible grief. Faith A knight must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that failings create. Humility Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights. Largesse Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required. Nobility Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that though the ideals cannot be reached, the quality of striving towards them ennobles the spirit, growing the character from dust towards the heavens. Nobility also has the tendency to influence others, offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of righteousness. Franchise Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you shall be well remembered for your quality and virtue. Praise the Light for its guidance enduring and everlasting It shall guide our hand and strengthen our spirit as we walk in its blessing forever We are the Order of the Golden Chalice surrounded by darkness and strife We shall seek out the taint which poisons our lands and hunt down and vanquish the vilest of evils When our horn does resound its bright clarion call it fills us with courage and strength Our banners fly proudly from Menethil Keep and none shall stand before us It is we who are avowed to stand vigil over the battlements of our sacred homelands For we are the Lightsworn Order and no darkness shall break through our watch Our brothers and sisters are fearless a beacon of Hope and resolve We shall strike down the darkness that threatens our homes and our people shall rally as one Unbroken we stand as a bastion of hope and never shall we falter The Light shall protect and enarmour our souls, as we stand guard over those of our allies Though shadows and filth do surround us no darkness shall enter our hearts No dishonour shall blemish our deeds and no pride shall sully our thoughts The Light is our weapon, our faith is our shield we wield it with greatest resolve With blade and with hammer and spell we shall fight and our faith in the Light shall protect us When all flee in despair and the absence of hope unbowed and unbroken the Order shall stand Fear is a concept unknown to our knights great courage we draw from the Light When the Light demands justice, to cleanse the impure ours is the blade that descends When unspeakable filth dares to strike at our lands Ours is the hand that shall parry the blade Our brothers and sisters ride proud into battle never to bow in defeat Our victory shall be unquestionable For we are the chosen of Light Guidelines, or *coughs* 'rules': The most important thing that a member should take into account is that you represent the Lightsworn. The Sha'tar Realm is a Role Playing realm and you are expected to respect the policies and rules of the general server. There are a few basic rules within the guild itself and whilst it is unlikely that anyone would find themselves being immediately thrown out, it is expected that you would respect these rules too. These rules apply to everyone, regardless of their status or rank. Guild Channel: The Guild Channel (/g), is In Character (ic). There is no formal reason for this and you are free to think of your own mechanic for it. Bracketed text is accepted, but if you are likely to want to start a long debate, we have an Out of Character (ooc) channel too. OOC Channel: When you join you will be told of the Out of Character (ooc) channel. There are no restrictions here and conversation deviates wildly. Elite: So we're probably considered a fairly heavy role playing guild. But we're not looking for elite attitudes. Criticizing use of bracketed text, or generally thrashing a person's ego because they cannot remember the square footage of Stormwind Cathedral, are frowned upon. Above all, act in good stead. We try our best to create a fun environment where as many people as possible can enjoy the game at their own pace. Sure it doesn't always work and we might not always address what interests you most about the game – tell us and if we can help we will! Role Playing: Honestly, we try to run as many events as possible. The majority of Lightsworn people lead fairly hectic and heavy 'real-life' lifestyles in addition to playing WoW, and we can be highly irregular - sometimes we have a lot of events in quick succession, and at other times it's more peaceful and quiet. It is likely though that there will always be something ongoing, with storylines and such. Members are free to contribute with events at any time, assuming they fit the theme of the Lightsworn. You will find a number of stories on the forums that relate to events going on in-game. Raiding: The Lightsworn does not do structured weekly raiding as a guild. That does not mean that we will never take on the occasional raid, though! Some members with a more voracious appetite for these challenges have found different ways to raid regularly though and quite a few raid with the community known as 15th Dusk. There is information on this contained on the forums. Guild Vault: The Guild Vault is there to put things into it and then take them out. Really, you can take something out of there. Monetary and all other contributions are voluntary. There are funds for guild repairs and fashion, of course. Do remember though that if you use money for repairs and do not put anything back, one day it'll all be gone and we'll be broke!
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