Comprehensive For Honor

Lore Timeline

https://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/1728217-Comprehensive-For-Honor-Lore-Timeline

By: Archo-Vax

Alright... time to piece together these convoluted shards of glass and try to make a mirror.

Just to make things clear:

real-world history is completely erroneous when it comes to For Honor. For

Honor exists in it's own universe, with it's own history, locations, events, and
setting. As far as we've seen, thus far, the only real ties between the real
world and For Honors' universe is that, before The Cataclysm, it was basically
a parallel mirror of Earth, with its own twists and turns. After The Cataclysm,
however, For Honors' universe went on a completely separate tangent and is
completely exempt from any and all constraints of the real world. Which...
tells us literally nothing that we didn't already know. The only solid
information we have is that The Cataclysm occurred somewhere around the
year 1000-1199 A.D.

For Honor's lore-history can be divided into 6 main sections. "Years B.A.D" stands for "Before
Apollyon's Death", and "Y.A.D" stands for "Years after Apollyon's Death". What "modern day" is,
when it comes to For Honor, is near the end (or possibly earlier) of what has been, so far, a seven-
year-long war between all three Factions. You see this in the ending cutscene of the Story Mode, just
before the credits roll, where Ayu, Stigandr, and Holden Cross have just finished spending a few
hours telling each other each of their stories leading up to the aforementioned seven-year-long war.

If you see an asterisk placed behind listed Events that are clumped together, it means that I'm not
certain of the exact order of said Events.

A. TIMELINE
1. Pre-Cataclysm Era
A period of unknown duration, and at an unknown amount of time ago, wherein all Factions,
supposedly, lived in peace and/or were isolated from each other.

Events:
N/A

Extras:
In this era, the empire which was lead by "Centurions" was what the modern Iron Legion
traces it's lineage to. This ancient culture was believed to have been lost in "the destruction"-
The Cataclysm. Remnants of it's grandeur still endure in the modern day in the form of
reclusive enclaves in the wilds. This civilization lived in the region directly west of what would
become modern day Ashfeld.

In this era, Valkenheim was the site of a vast Nordic Empire, only to be swallowed by the
Cataclysm.

2. The Cataclysm
 A period of unknown duration in which the entire planet was ravaged by apocalypse-level
natural disasters, causing millions of deaths, and changing the topography of the world
drastically. The populations of each Faction were decimated, and resources which supported
their civilizations were suddenly in extreme scarcity. This marks the end of the previous era. It
was not one event, but many. Lands rose and fell- the skies rained fire, ash, and worse things-
and seas rose and then retreated.

Events:
Unknown Date - The region in which the ancestors of the Knights of Ashfeld lived was
rendered a barren desert, causing them to expand east and southeast, into what would later
be called "Ashfeld" and "The Southern Deserts", respectively.

Extras:
N/A

3. The Millennium of Bloodshed

A period lasting around 1000 years, almost immediately following The Cataclysm mainly
consisting of near-constant warfare between the three main Factions. At first, it was about the
struggle over scarce resources- the need to survive. Soon after, all Factions involved forgot
what started the war in the first place, and were fighting for reasons that none understood. All
anyone knew anymore was "those guys are the enemy, and we all hate each other".

Events:
Approximately 1000 years B.A.D - The Fall of the Last Sanctuary in Ashfeld. From what can be
presumed, this was what can be considered the ultimate low-point for the Iron Legion during
TMB. The ancestors of modern Ashfeld's Iron Legion held out for six years against 100,000
desperate, starving warriors. We can make the assumption from what we know the Knights
consider a "Sanctuary" (basically, a very large, very fortified castle) that they had been
reduced to a single fortress(which they then promptly lost) in the 1000-year-long conflict. The
 judgment must be made, then, that the Knights somehow managed to come back from this
crushing defeat, and eventually pushed the Vikings and Samurai out of Ashfeld some
years/centuries later- their ultimate victory. One has to wonder how genius of a leader there
had to have been, back then, to manage a feat like that.

Unknown Date - The Vikings, lead by their powerful Lords, completely vanished, sailed across
"the sea" (presumably to the east of the Austramar bay) and didn't return when the sea froze
over. During this period, Vikings almost became a complete myth. Presumably, they were
looking for less resistant lands to pillage. This might have been when they came into contact
with the Highlander's culture on a far-off island, somewhere. Until they came back.

Unknown Date - The Knights of Ashfeld cleared Valkenheim of most of it's vast forests,
revealing ancient ruins of the Warborn Clan.

Unknown Date ("Centuries Ago") - The Vikings returned from across the sea and reclaimed
their ancestral lands of Valkenheim.

Unknown Date - The ancient Viking Lords officially yielded Ashfeld to the Knights, in the
Geyser Fields to the northwest of Ignis mountain.

Extras:
N/A

4. The Degradation

A period of lasting from (Unknown Date) to 7 years B.A.D- it immediately followed The
Millennium of Bloodshed. It was triggered by the Iron Legion successfully pushing all other
factions out of Ashfeld. The Samurai secluded themselves deep in The Myre, and were rarely
seen or heard from.

In this, all the main factions suddenly ceased their fighting- characterized by an uneasy
malaise and tentative peacefulness. It is here that all three factions began to decay and rot in
their own foundations, where gaps in their cultural foundations and infrastructure began to
form.
Without the war to keep the civilizations "sharp", their respective strength and might started
to fade. They would soon pale in comparison to the grandeur and might of their ancestors
who fought in The Millennium of Bloodshed. The Degradation, reportedly, lasted "centuries".

---

The best estimate of how long The Degradation lasted is anywhere from four to two centuries.
The Samurai are once said to have only resided in The Myre for five hundred years- that,
despite living there for that amount of time, "we (presumably meaning the vikings and
knights) still treat them like newcomers". Implying that the Dawn Empire only arrived on the
continent five hundred years ago. This tidbit about the Samurai was made by Apollyon in one
of the Observables in mission 2.5 - Reconnaissance. Given how Apollyon's tone changes in the
 intro to mission 3.6 - Apollyon, we can assume that all of the Observables are "said" just
before the assault on her Blackstone Fortress.

So... a generous estimate would indicate that the Dawn Empire only got involved in The
Millennium of Bloodshed during the last 100 years of it.

Events:
Unknown Date - Mount Rust, a volcano located somewhere north, in Valkenheim, erupted.
The ash from the eruption settled over Valkenheim, completely. The Viking Clans lost sight of
the sun for months, crops and animals used for sustenance died, and were given two years of
frozen-over rivers. Thus, the Viking Clans had a common problem, and only one solution: to
raid and pillage for food and resources. They were united in their need for food. And ever
since then, they continued to raid Ashfeld, yearly. The Legions of Ashfeld, who's past Warlords
of old had already crumbled to anonymous dust, had stagnated and become complacent.
Thus, they were not ready, and could do little more than hide behind their collective shield.
Such was their fall from grace.

40 years B.A.D - The last time that any Knight last crossed the threshold of Valkenheim's
territory at Gränsgård.

*Unknown Date - Apollyon is born in the scrublands of Ashfeld.

*Unknown Date - Apollyon's birth-village is sacked and looted by viking raiders.
*Unknown Date - Apollyon becomes a Warden.
*Unknown Date - A block of obsidian is cut into the shape of a round table, high on the
mountain just north of Ignis- in the volcano's shadow, and in the region of the same name.
This is where the Blackstone Legion is first formed.

Unknown Dates - The Blackstone Circle once contained fifteen Commanders. Eight times, one
would claim the title of Warlord of the Blackstone Legion, and would then be killed by the
others for their perceived incompetency. Eventually, Apollyon took the title for the eighth and
last time- leaving Seven leaders (including her) of the Blackstone Legion in their Circle.

Unknown Date - The Regal Legion is conquered and subsumed by the Blackstone Legion.

20 years B.A.D - The Iron Legion was on the verge of losing the rural areas (the scrublands) of
Ashfeld to the Vikings, entirely.

Extras:
N/A

5. The Apollyon Period

A period lasting from 6 years B.A.D to 0 years B.A.D in which the Warlord of the Blackstone
Legion, Apollyon, used her power to put a stop to the viking raids on Ashfeld, invaded
Valkenheim and sent the Viking Clans into a famine, causing them to go to war with each
other over food for a year, and bringing all Viking civilization to the edge of extinction. This
started a domino effect, causing the formation of the united Warborn Viking Clans and the
recreation of the Iron Legion.

Events:
5 years B.A.D - Hervis Daubeny defects from the Blackstone Legion, after only being a part of it
for a single season, and forms his own mercenary Legion, shacking up in a small fort in the
region called "Westhold". Said fort is said to have been controlled by ten different Warlords in
the past ten years, prior. This triggers Apollyon to send her second-in-command, Holden
Cross, to seek retribution from Daubeny as punishment for his betrayal. This results in the
future Lord Warden being recruited into the Blackstone Legion.

Later that year, Holden Cross would send the very same Warden to reinforce the troops in the
Sanctuary known as "Harrowgate" - the last Iron Legion Sanctuary in Ashfeld - which was
being overrun by viking raiders. The Warden would single-handedly turn the fight around and
help to send the viking raiders packing. After the battle was won, the remaining Iron Legion
soldiers were too diminished to hold Harrowgate any longer after the fact. Apollyon's
Blackstones had to take over, in what can only be called the complete erosion of the once-
great Iron Legion. The deal was officially sealed in the Geyser Fields northwest of Ignis.

In that same year, the Blackstone Legion officially had the viking raiders on the run, and in the
mopping up efforts, managed to bring the rest of the scattered legions under Blackstone
control. All of Ashfeld was Blackstone property. The future Lord Warden was sent, along with
the renowned Conqueror, Commander Stone, to clear out the remaining viking outpost in
Ashfeld. Along the way, the Warden encountered deserters, which would serve as the initial
spark of rebellion in her mind.
4 years B.A.D - After clearing Ashfeld of foreigners, Apollyon would send her Blackstones into
Valkenheim in her quest for war. Holden Cross, Commander of the Blackstone Vanguard
would lead the charge into Gränsgård, the "gate" into Valkenheim. They break through and
execute almost all prisoners captured at the fortified gates.

Later on, the renowned Peacekeeper, Mercy, is sent to clear the way to the market-town of
Sverngård on the eastern edge of Valkenheim's coast by infiltrating and clearing out the
Warborn fort of Dalborg which stood in the Blackstone Legion's way.
Sverngård was one of the focal circulation points of the Viking Clans's total food stores, and in
winter (the season in which the Blackstone Legion assaulted it) most of Valkenheim's food for
the year would be stored in it.

The legendary Jarl of Sverngård, Gudmundr, would be killed in the battle by the Warden.
Upon reaching Sverngård, the Blackstone Legion sacked the town under the leadership of the
future Lord Warden and burned a large portion of the seed grain stored there. Had all the
food been burned, the Viking Clans would have united. But, the Blackstones left just enough
for two-to-three Clans, therefore inciting civil war.

3 years B.A.D - The Legendary Raider rose up into renown and fame after coming down from
the mountains, and joining the Warborn Clan during the year-long starvation-induced civil war
that ravaged Valkenheim, caused by Apollyon. In that year's winter, he began his campaign to
unite the Viking Clans under one banner by leading an attack on a village called "Grön"-
liberating it from the cruel and borderline psychopathic hold of another Raider, named
"Ragnar". A petty warlord among Jarls who prospered on the misery and famine of the people
under his jurisdiction.

Eventually, in that same year, in a matter of weeks and maybe a month or two, the Warborn
grew to encompass many other Clans, and eventually, only two independent Jarls remained.
The Legendary Raider, and a psychopathic Berserker named Siv, who had holed up in the
fortress of "Skällaborg". With many Warborn soldiers and leaders imprisoned and enslaved in
Siv's fort, it was only natural that the Warborn Clans's next target was Siv's Bearclaw Clan. And
so he did. Killing Siv in a duel, and uniting all of Valkenheim's sons and daughters under one
banner.

This consumption of the Bearclaws into the Warborn yielded the freedom of Stigandr. A
renowned Warlord, who would, from that point on, serve as the Warborn's Jarl, and lead all of
Valkenheim's people.

In order to save face from being captured, and in order to prove himself worthy of leadership
position, Stigandr, in the final month of the year, single-handedly lead an assault on Odingård,
the site of one of Valkenheim's main shipyards. After clearing Odingård of Blackstones, killing
their resident commander, Julius Salavander, the Warborn Clans were set to take back their
birthright.

2 years B.A.D - The Warborn Clans's Jarl, Stigandr, spent the next few months, into the next
year, making preparations to lead an assault on the Samurai. The newly-created Viking fleet
sailed southward, across the Austramar bay, and landed at Kaiyo Kabe- one of the Samurai's
naval forts on the northern edge of The Myre. It was one of the few places in The Myre where
a fleet could safely come to shore. The huge gate that dominated the fort used to be a canal,
before the sea-level receded. The Warborn Clans believed the ancient port to be poorly
defended, and were hoping for some quick spoils. It quickly turned into a bloodbath. Bloody,
but manageable. The Legendary Raider was able to turn the assault into a decisive victory.
Especially after he defeated and killed the Samurai Champion, a Kensei named "Fujikiyo",
who's legend had reached across the sea- even into Viking territory.

After finding a safe way through the death-trap known as The Myre, the Warborn Clans began
their attack on the city of Koto, having to fight their way across Sanctuary Bridge. The
Legendary Raider truly earned his name in that battle... as the Warborn's victory was secured
through the death of the great Samurai Orochi: General Tozen. And his apprentices.

During the chaos The Great Raid, the Emperor's Champion, who had been imprisoned for
three years for speaking out of turn, was freed by his Daimyo and a few others who saw the
opportunity to do so. As the Champion and his fellow members of his Daimyo's House fought
to push the Vikings out of one section of Koto, the Blackstone Legion, lead by Apollyon herself,
intervened.

The Blackstone Legion's goal, it seemed, was to capture every Daimyo (twenty in all) they
came across as they invaded Koto, bring all of them directly to the Imperial Palace, kill the
Emperor and his family; then, Apollyon in the flesh told all of them that the Emperor was
dead, and would ask each Daimyo if they wanted to rule.

Those who refused were promptly executed on the spot, while those who (more or less)
accepted the "offer" were allowed to live. Five did. Apollyon cherry-picked one of these
Daimyo, a renowned Orochi named "Seijuro", who she perceived to be the best among them,
and gave possession of the Imperial Palace to him. The rest of the Daimyo who passed her test
were taken out of Koto and dropped off in the wilds around the city with nothing but their
weapons and armor.
By happenstance, one of the Daimyo who passed Apollyon's test was the Daimyo who the
Emperor's Champion owed his loyalty to- a Kensei named Ayu. As it happened, all of the
Daimyo that survived Apollyon's questionnaire were war-criminals- psychopaths, and
sociopaths of all stripes and colors who would undoubtedly tear each other to pieces and take
their respective swings at Seijuro in order to gain the late Emperor's throne.

Ayu, knowing all of this full-well, decided to put a stop to the impending civil war before it
began. What Apollyon hoped would be a civil war that would take years, only took a few days.
She had overestimated the resolve of the three Daimyo that Ayu killed (later remarking that
they were liars and cowards), and underestimated the Samurai's unity. In fact, it was the
common enemy in the form of the Warborn Vikings which were still plodding about The Myre
that served as a catalyst for the Samurai to unite around.

After kicking the remnants of the Warborn's raiders out of their swamp, Ayu set about
gathering what remained of the Samurai's armies who hadn't sworn loyalty to Seijuro and
launched an assault on the Imperial Palace. With the Emperor's Champion infiltrating the
"fortress within a fortress" and giving Ayu's army a way in, Seijuro was defeated in a duel with
the Champion.
 Apollyon might have thought that Seijuro would be executed. However, at this point, Ayu and
the Champion had long-since determined that Apollyon was the true enemy, in this situation,
and was the one who would have to pay for the bloodshed.

0 years B.A.D - After two years of preparation, the Samurai were ready to send an army into
Ashfeld. After the Emperor's Champion scouted the way to Apollyon's fortress through the
region of Aemilianus, the Dawn Empire's full military might, along with the newly reforged
Iron Legion's, crashed down onto the Blackstone Fortress- which sat in the shadow of Ignis.
THIS was the day that Apollyon died... and the day that the Seven-Year-War began.

Extras:
N/A

6. The Seven-Year-War / Age of Wolves

A period lasting from 0 years B.A.D to 7 Y.A.D in which all three main factions warred with
each other in the wake of The Apollyon Period.

Events:
Unknown Date - A group of Centurions (presumably large enough to make a decent difference
in the course of a full-on war) comes out of hiding and joins the Iron Legion's army, under the
Lord Warden's leadership, against the Warborn Viking Clans, and the Dawn Empire Samurai.

Unknown Date - The Shinobi, a previously unknown society of spies, assassins, and warriors
comes out of hiding in order to assist the Samurai of The Myre against the Warborn Viking
Clans and The Iron Legion Knights.

Unknown Date - The Iron Legion begins to draw troops from the likes of veteran gladiatorial
 arena fighters, to fight in the war against the Warborn Viking Clans and the Dawn Empire
Samurai.

Unknown Date - The Warborn Viking Clans draw on the contractural help of the Highlanders
to join in the seven-year-long conflict.

Unknown Date - A large influx of Aramusha join the armies of The Chosen.

Unknown Date - A large influx of Shamans join their kin in the war against the Knights and
Samurai.

Unknown Date - Mount Ignis erupts.

Extras:
The Age of Wolves is, basically, what we (the players) experience in the multiplayer Faction
War. You know? That thing that everyone decided not to care about. The Seven-Year-War, as
we're playing it, takes place before the meeting between Ayu, Stigandr, and Holden Cross in
the ending cutscene of For Honor's Story Mode. And they did eventually achieve peace
between the three nations.

B. CHARACTERS
1. The Lord Warden
"The Warden has travelled to Ashfeld to lend her blade to a worthy cause. It has proven
challenging".

The Warden was a young woman who had joined the Warden academy, because she believed
in it's ideals. But she wasn't going to be defending the weak, fighting for what's right or for
peace in The West's desert hills. So, she traveled eastward, to Ashfeld, to find a worthy cause
to fight for. After all, Ashfeld is the place to seek your fortune.

So, when she arrived in Ashfeld, and ran into Hervis Daubeny. A fellow Warden who seemed
to have a ragtag bunch of mercenaries. For a few weeks, she lived in Westhold Castle with her
fellow mercs.

Then, Holden Cross showed up and used his forces to crush Daubeny's castle. As you know,
the Warden was brought into the Blackstone Legion fold through getting Knighted by Holden. I
suspect that that custom is what happens when one legion is defeated by another- the victor
is free to demand anything of the loser. Including their death.

The Warden suddenly found herself with a much more powerful legion that seemed to be
getting things done very effectively. When she was sent to Harrowgate to reinforce the failing
Iron Legion ranks, there, she was surprised to see that the famed, legendary Iron Legion was
getting it's posterior handed to it. News hadn't been getting to The West very often, in recent
years. Then again, the bureaucratic types, there, didn't really care what happened in Ashfeld,
so long as food was still being shipped from the farms, near the volcano. Despite having to
save it, she still had a lot of respect for what the Iron Legion stood for. Of course, when the
Blackstones had to take over Harrowgate, and thus subsume the Iron Legion, the Warden was
not informed.

She wasn't really told that the Iron Legion was being consumed and absorbed into the
Blackstones. Then again, she didn't really ask, either. When Stone joined the Blackstones, she
didn't think much of it. Maybe he was a bit fond her, she didn't question it.

However, as she was sent to clear out the last Viking-occupied outpost in Ashfeld, she heard
of talk of deserters. This was surprising to her, as these deserters were Iron Legion deserters.
During the mission, she brings this up to Stone, as the idea of Iron Legion soldiers deserting
seemed absurd to her. What she didn't know was that these soldiers were actually deserting
the Blackstone Legion- they were trying to avoid having to submit to Apollyon's rank and file,
since the Iron Legion was absorbed. Unlike the Warden, these deserters knew full-well how
dangerous and destructive Apollyon was.

Stone, for his part, was confused by the Warden's lack of understanding of the situation, at
first, and feigned ignorance when they both confronted the deserters. Even pretended to be
just as confused and angry as the Warden. Perhaps, he was trying to keep the Warden from
finding this stuff out the hard way.

When Apollyon came out of nowhere, and exercised her famed "Laws of Selection"... the
Warden then understood the state of things in Ashfeld. But she couldn't exactly bug out. Not
after having taken her oaths to the Blackstone Legion. For valor in battle and honor in service,
after all. Doing so would be a death sentence. She'd seen how Daubeny had been treated for
deserting the Blackstones.

The Warden's thought process after Mission 1.3 must have been something along the lines of:
"oh. Well, I, uh... I kind of screwed up, didn't I? Well, whatever, it's probably fine, right? How
bad can Apollyon and her Blackstones be?". She would soon find out.

The idea of forging into Valkenheim, exacting retribution for the yearly raids on Ashfeld,
wasn't particularly great to her, but she was excited for more combat. What better target than
the Vikings? If they were strong enough to raid Ashfeld every year, then it would at least be
challenging. And putting a stop to the raids seemed good, too. Fast-forward to the sacking of
Sverngård... and the Warden would have to quickly learn not to choke on her own foot.

Sverngård wasn't a proper fortress. It was barely deserving of the name, "military outpost". It
was just a market town. Civilians. Merchants. In the Warden's mind, she thought that they
would simply attack a few large fortresses to make an example and make it clear that the
Blackstone Legion and Ashfeld were not to be trifled with, anymore. Instead, they were there
to induce famine throughout Valkenheim.

That was the last straw. The Warden deserted, and went rogue, going into hiding. Establishing
her own band of fighters. They used guerrilla warfare against Apollyon's forces. The
Blackstone Legion, after the sacking of Sverngård, would put down many other rebellions. But
 not the Warden's. Four years later, she was joined by Holden Cross, Stone, and Mercy. It was
then, that they officially recreated the Iron Legion, and began recruiting other disillusioned
Blackstone soldiers. Little did she know, but her rebellion was only allowed to continue
because Apollyon decided to let it do so. She, like she did with the vikings and the Samurai,
pitted her own people against each other, and cherry picked the Warden's rebellion as being
the best opponent for the Blackstones.

When the Emperor's Champion was captured spying on her recruitment drive, the Warden
saw an opportunity. She figured that, if she could secure the Samurai as an ally, it would be
one less thing to worry about when they brought the fight to Apollyon's castle. "The enemy of
my enemy", and all that. So, she had a duel with the Champion, and managed to get on
friendly terms with him. She granted the Samurai's armies passage through to the Blackstone
Fortress.
She knew that she should have probably made this unspoken agreement more clear to her
new Iron Legion, but there was work to be done. When Iron Legion and Dawn Empire forces
began to siege the Blackstone Fortress, it would require all of her attention.

When the siege ended, and the two armies found themselves facing each other, the Warden
and the Emperor's Champion weren't present to stop the bloodshed. It didn't help that the
vikings decided to take that moment to run in and start killing. Thus: the Iron Legion, Dawn
Empire, and Warborn Viking Clans would fight for seven years. A war that the Warden didn't
start, but was forced to command in as the new Lord Warden. Gods know she wanted to end
it.

2. Holden Cross
"A practical man of limited ambition but of endless talent. Apollyon's second-in-command and
one of Ashfeld's Lawbringers. Holden Cross carries out the Blackstone Legion's judgements".

I suspect that Holden, unto and including the sacking of Sverngård, is going through something
of a mid-life crisis. He was a part of the Blackstone Circle, second in command to the Warlord
of the Blackstone legion. He, basically, was vice-president of all of Ashfeld. He is one of the
greatest Lawbringers to have ever lived, and helped put an end to the Viking raids on Ashfeld.

What else is there to do? By the time he met The Lord Warden, he'd already reached the peak
of his career. Mercy, in her own analytical way, seems to be rather convinced that he'd lost his
way. His thoughts, throughout most of the Blackstone Legion's activities in Valkenheim must
have been something along the lines of, "well. This seems to be it. This will be my legacy". He
was only going through the motions. His life, at this point, was completely made up of: "carry
out the Blackstone Legion's judgements. Do as Apollyon says. It's not like there's anywhere
else to go, anymore".

However, this would begin to change.

When Apollyon spared Ragnar's life, Holden was surprised. Caught off guard. He'd thought
that her Laws of Selection only applied to Knights. He, up to this point, thought that the entire
point of the foray into Valkenheim was to wipe out the Vikings and secure a safe future for
 Ashfeld's people. Genocide. He must be very much a nationalist. He wouldn't have become a
Lawbringer if he didn't have a pride for the Knight's laws and civilization.

But, when Apollyon started her schemes of "showing the Vikings who they really are" and
breeding Ashfeld's enemies to be more and more dangerous, Holden must have realized that
Apollyon's goals would only bring ruin to everyone. He wasn't a fan of the Vikings or Samurai,
but Apollyon's plans would inevitably bring Ashfeld into the line of fire and endanger it's
citizens.

All for the sake of some perverse idea that war is, somehow, a good thing. Yeah, when
Apollyon took control of the Blackstones and made her intentions of creating war everywhere
perfectly clear, Cross went right along with it. "War is the natural state of our species", must
have struck him as: "Knights should be attacking it's enemies actively, not cowering behind
their shields". At the time, he thought that the goal was to destabilize the other factions and
give Ashfeld time to become greater and more powerful without the viking raids constantly
hacking the society's knees, every year.

When he met her, he already trusted The Lord Warden, and regretted her departure from the
Blackstones. When she made her rebellion against Apollyon public knowledge, it didn't take
much for Holden to see an opportunity in it. In addition to everything else that's already been
said: "how gargantuan of a task would it be to undermine and strike at the heart of the most
powerful Legion in Ashfeld? Very". The challenge gave him the spark, and when the Seven-
Year-War began, it gave Holden a purpose once more.

3. Commander Stone
As a Conqueror, Stone understands the term "beaten dog", very well. He was an ex-convict,
after all. Only earning his freedom after being conscripted into the Iron Legion's military. And
shining bright as a diamond in the rough. When he reached his renowned status, it wasn't as
great of an honor to be made Commander of the Iron Legion's forces as it could have been,
since said Legion was on the verge of being destroyed. So, put in charge of a failing military
force, and having to make due with what he was given, Stone's disappointment at only being
given a single Warden as reinforcements for when the Iron Legion's last Sanctuary was being
sieged, was immeasurable. He must have figured that, "hey, well- if we do get destroyed,
today, at least I can say I didn't screw up with a clerical error, like those damned Blackstones".

But, he was pleasantly surprised to see that this Warden was no slouch. The siege was broken,
and the vikings were pushed back. The Iron Legion was going to be subsumed by the
Blackstones, but Stone couldn't find much of a reason to care, at this point. They only put him
in charge of the Legion's armies when the damn thing was about to be mobbed by viking
savages.

When the Warden's naivety and lack of understanding about recent events in Ashfeld became
apparent to him, Stone defaulted to his usual tactic of: "roll with the punches; assume the
role". He sort of just went along with the Warden's tiny crusade of going after the deserters,
and did his best to delay any outright revelations for his new friend. He liked the Warden- she
simply seemed like a decent person, and a good soldier. She was the main reason why he
 joined the Blackstone Legion, anyway. Her being the only positive relationship he actually had,
at this point.

The deserters made his job easy for him when they decided to jump the pair. Though, the cat
somewhat came out of the bag when Apollyon showed up. After that little incident, he went
ahead started explaining what exactly the situation in Ashfeld was like. Though, he suspected
she'd already figured it out.

When the Warden deserted, Stone was the first join her, when he had the opportunity. She
was his best friend (or the closest thing to it), and he didn't particularly care for the
Blackstones, too much.

4. Mercy
"Mercy is efficient. She doesn't waste any movement or words. She is a natural predator".

From the way Mercy behaves, it becomes apparent that it must take an extremely specific
kind of personality in order to be a Peacekeeper- the secretive organization which works to
stop as many conflicts between the Legions of Ashfeld from happening as possible.

My diagnosis? There is very strong evidence to suggest that Mercy is a high-functioning

psychopath.

She speaks extremely little, has an understanding of conventional morality, is analytical, talks
to herself when alone, keeps a constant mental list of all the people she works with and seems
to always think of said people while on her missions- making judgements and noting all
occurrences, and is prideful in her work. Like all psychopaths, she is incapable of sympathy or
empathy, and is only truly concerned about herself. Her interests, her advancement, her
preservation.

Any sympathy she displays will be feigned - the logic, in her mind, being "hm. I should
probably comfort this person, shouldn't I? It won't cost anything and it'll probably make
manipulating them easier in the future" - and those around her will most likely think of her as
being charismatic. If she ever does chose to interact with others. Her job as a Peacekeeper
probably doesn't provide much time for socialization. And she's probably okay with that.
Psychopaths are excellent actors, and are always hedging their bets. In the mind of someone
with this condition, every single thing around them is either an asset or detriment. An ally or
obstacle.

Things such as gratitude, loyalty, or love, to a psychopath, are always either nonexistent, or
are turned up to eleven and made into an extreme, depending on the circumstance. And, yes,
I am somewhat referring to the Anime concept of a "Yandere". Though, it's not very
important. Or common.

When she comes across the bodies of hanged Blackstone soldiers, she remarks that when
other soldiers see the corpses of their friends, they would "cry, and cringe, and rage". She
comments that, sometimes she would pretend to share their grief, while on other occasions
she would simply wish that she did.

From this, she seems to be aware that there is something "wrong" with her, and has a desire
for said abnormality to not be the case. There is a disconnect between what she feels is right
and wrong, what she reacts emotionally to, and what other people display. She's aware of this
difference, and like any psychopath, will adhere to the moral conventions of society because
doing so furthers her goals. She will, at least sometimes, attempt to imitate the emotional
reactions of others around her in a bid to see if she actually feels something in response to
certain situations.

To her, the only thing stopping her from committing a serious of gruesome murders is: A) the
potential legal consequences, and B) the reward for doing so not being worth the risk/effort. If
neither of those conditioners were in place, nothing would stop her from doing so. Certainly
not emotional or moral dilemmas. It's all about consequence.

I suspect that part of the reason she became a Peacekeeper in the first is because she wanted
to have an excuse for not having to constantly adapt to social cues. Social cues which she isn't
fond of following, anyway.

Mercy seems to be slightly obsessive over her job. She repeatedly recites mantras to herself,
such as "Doubt is death; Doubt is Death", and "Service is Life; Service is Life". Whether she
taught herself these things and uses them as motivation for her role in the Blackstones, or if
these things were impressed upon her in Peacekeeper training is unclear.

When Mercy deigns to tell The Lord Warden what the true purpose of the Blackstones in
Valkenheim was, the Warden comments: "I think you know". This seems like a very specific
line, meant to communicate a specific point. Mercy isn't actually a part of the Blackstone
Circle. Nor is Stone. If she was, why would the Warden have to have made that comment? If
she were part of the Blackstone Circle, of course she would know. So, what does this mean?
Well, Mercy must have a reputation for coming across information that she isn't supposed to
know. She always keeps tabs on everyone around her, and being a spy, it's only natural that
she go snooping about. On Apollyon, she says, "Apollyon's darkness will cover the world, I
think", and "we will leave this place a ruin".

No one else comments this, so she must be, either have figured out Apollyon's goals and
motivations from her speech, or have gone snooping about in Apollyon's plans.

But, why would she do so? Surely, if she were found out, the punishment for doing so would
be grievous. Well... what if it wasn't? She's a Peacekeeper. Maybe she has the pre-ordained
right to scrounge up any information about and in the Legion in which she serves. "What they
know could destroy legends... or create them", after all.

When the future Lord Warden deserts the Blackstone Legion, it is unclear what exactly makes
Mercy go along with him.

On The Warden she says, in Mission 1.5, "I wonder who will betray that Warden", "Holden
trusts that Warden. Well... maybe", and "that Warden is a decent person".
 On Holden, she says, "Holden has lost his way. It's sad".

On Commander Stone, "Stone is trustworthy, I think. Rude, but trustworthy", and "Stone
would be dead if not for that Warden. Hah".

5. The Legendary Raider

"The Vikings needed someone to unite them, so the Raider came down from the mountains
ready for war".

The Raider has great pride in his people. He's a visionary. Analogous to a sort of: "Tiber Septim
Lite". Like all Raiders, he is, as a rule, bloodthirsty- but is possessed of a tremendous pride for
his Clan, and his people, in general, in particular.

Apparently... he also "boned" Siv at one point. It wasn't a bad experience, but it happened.

6. Runa
"Runa is tired of seeing the Warborn fall into disgrace. She will do everything in her power to
raise her clan back to glory".

Not much more to be said than that. She's inquisitive and very spiritually minded. She asks the
Raider in Mission 2.4 what significance he thinks the many statues of the Samurai at Kaiyo
Kabe hold. She also asks whether he thinks the Samurai go to Valhalla. Odd, that she doesn't
already know the answer to that, since she's a warrior priestess.

She also seems to have a bit of a sadistic side, since she kicks a Samurai soldier in the head...
to death... despite knowing she wouldn't be able to understand any confessions he made. If
she was even aiming for getting information, at all.

7. Helvar
A slightly insane bloke, with a dry sense of humor, who loves to fight.

8. Stigandr
I, uh... I'm honestly not sure about him. He has a good sense of humor, and isn't very dark
about most things.

9. The Emperor's Champion / The Jailed Orochi

"The Orochi was jailed for speaking out of turn. During a meeting with the Council of Houses,
the Emperor said something that The Orochi did not agree with. So, being an opinionated little
 snot, the Champion mouthed off at the Emperor and was summarily jailed. There is no need
to learn your lesson when you are the best swordsman in the kingdom".

The Orochi was deigned the greatest swordsman in The Myre. As such, he enjoyed many
privileges while serving as the Emperor's body guard and enforcer.
But, when he was jailed for three years for speaking out of turn, he had plenty of time to
think. And, as such, he learned the meaning of patience and humility.

10. Ayu
"Ayu's House was exiled by the Emperor for a trivial act. She fights to regain her honor".

11. Okuma
The amount of things Okuma has committed to and given to, for the sake of his House, is
staggering. He has sacrificed much more for those he considers his extended family, than any
of his friends could ever claim to. He's a Shugoki, after all.

As such, he doesn't talk much, but when he does speak, it's almost always couched with deep
meaning or simplistic relevance.

12. Momiji
She's a country bumpkin. A combat-thirsty, quirky, witty, smarmy, hamlet-dweller. Hence her
fascination with the fact that The Emperor's Champion lived in a place so lavish and beautiful
as the Imperial Palace. Probably creates a bit of a foil, for him, actually. She, who has known
nothing but the simple life of village farmers (and protecting said village farmers, as per her
position as a Nobushi), as opposed to him, who is literally the best swordsman in The Myre,
and has known privilege due to his high rank.

13. Apollyon
Apollyon, if she were put in the real world, would probably be a hardcore Republican. She'd be
a very big fan of Nietzsche and Aristotle. Why? Well, the key lies in her origins. Apollyon was
born in the rural scrublands of Ashfeld, sometime after 40 years B.A.D. She lived in her village
for around nine years. But, those of you who are especially observant, will know that this is
the exact period where the Vikings would raid Ashfeld yearly. Fairly early on, in that.
So, one day, a Lawbringer came to Apollyon's village. He was in charge of scouting about and
allocating where his Legion's forces should fortify their territory in case of a Viking attack.

The reason he came to Apollyon's home town was to decide whether it was worth protecting.
His Legion knew that a Viking party would be coming to the area within the next week. So,
they had to properly allocate their resources in order to stand the best chance of repelling the
invaders and preserve their most useful assets. "Assets", in this case, meaning: the farming
communities from which they got food, materials, and recruits from. The people who they
were obligated to protect, in the first place.

However, when this random Lawbringer arrived at Apollyon's village, he turned up his nose at
the, allegedly, worthless little hamlet and told his superiors to move forces away from said
village in order to protect more vital centers of control.
Naturally, in that same week, Apollyon's childhood home was invaded and burned to the
ground by Viking raiders. Looted, pillaged, and destroyed in it's entirety. Her entire livelihood
and foundation was reduced to ash as she watched and hid. She survived, luckily. No one else
did.

Her family, her parents, her friends- all of it: taken away. All because of one man's decision.

This is where Apollyon learned that, in this world: strength is everything. This trauma is where
she developed her Wolves vs Sheep mentality.

In the following years, Apollyon would become, both, a highwayman-bandit and a Warden.
She, at one point, ran into the Lawbringer who doomed her village and family to destruction.
The interaction ended as well as you might think. She murdered him, nicked his armor, and
had it refitted to suit her proportions. Which is the armor that we see her wear in The
Apollyon Period. Eventually, she would join the Blackstone Legion and take it by storm
through her ruthlessness and compelling ideology.

Apollyon, obviously, admires strength. But, despite what you may think, she does not blame
or hold weakness against the peasantry. She does not blame the weak for being weak, or hate
them. In fact, after subsuming all of Ashfeld under her rule, she rightfully did her job as
Warlord of a Legion and protected the farmers and citizens. Granted, they all came to her
because bandits and vikings were infesting every other bit of territory, other than that of Ignis,
where her Blackstone Fortress resided.

But she could have easily turned them away and told them to suck it up and be stronger.

No, it is not weakness, in and of itself, that she despises. What she cannot abide are liars.
Hypocrites. Be weak if you want, fine- but don't try and act as though you're strong or as
though you have more power than you actually do. And if you find yourself in a position of
power, you'd bloody-well do your damned job and do it well. If you fail, you have no excuse.
You're either good enough, or your not. And if you're not: don't try to hide that fact. Just duck
your head and let the big kids handle it.

As such, I can only imagine that, if a real-world feminist were to prance about Ashfeld,
spouting their usual victim-hood, entitlement drivel (provided they didn't immediately cave-in
on themselves due to the harsh conditions and adapt to the social order), Apollyon would
most likely track that person down and, either: beat them into submission and force said
person to be a foot-soldier in her army, or challenge them to a duel, humiliate them, and
laugh right in their face.

Try to talk to Apollyon about privilege or unfairness? HA! Good luck leaving without a few
bruises or an injured ego!
 She's also 6 feet and one inch tall. We now have some scale with which to measure the other
Heroes.

Growing up after escaping from her doomed village, she always had a bit of a chip on her
shoulder and was resentful about authority figures. Though, I suspect that those inhibitions
were swept away when she murdered the Lawbringer that refused to do his job. When she
and the rest of the Blackstone Circle took on demon titles, Apollyon felt that she was
becoming who she was "meant to be", and relished the occasion as a result, while Holden
Cross merely tolerated the experience. She also is a bit embarrassed about where she comes
from.

C. LORE-RELATED TIDBITS
 The Knights of Ashfeld speak Latin. The Samurai of The Myre speak Japanese. The Vikings
speak Icelandic. And the Highlanders speak Gaelic.

 In Mission 1.3 - The Blackstone Legion, there is an Observable wherein Apollyon refers to the
fact that punishments like "The Cage" (when a criminal is put in a suspended metal cage and
left to starve) were long-since outlawed in The West. But, that, "here in Ashfeld", such
regulations are much less stringent. What does this tell us? Well, during The Cataclysm, the
area in which the Roman Dynasty lived was transformed into a desert. So, it would stand to
reason that the descendants of this Dynasty had to expand their civilization east and
southeast, into modern Ashfeld. Due to the existence of the Eitriunten lake, life was able to
thrive in the region. Also, the position of Ignis (the volcano in the region named after it), and
it's near-constant lava-flow, would provide a lot of nutrients for the nearby land. The result:
lots of fertile land to farm in and around the Blackstone, Ignis, and Westhold regions. Thus:
lots of opportunity for the trading and transport business.

So... what exactly is The West doing while the knights of Ashfeld are having to beat the other
factions out of their territory? Well... it may be a sort of situation where there's a bit of a
cultural and/or situational disconnect between the Knights living in Ashfeld and the Knights
living in the area to the West of Ashfeld. The West could possibly be the bureaucratic,
unscathed section of the Knight's civilization; where their food and water is provided to
them by the peasants living in Ashfeld. That's probably part of the reason why there have to
be Sanctuaries and fortresses in Ashfeld- for warriors to protect the farmers. I would wager
that The West is where the Gladiators reside. Apollyon once refers to "the Royals". And the
"Iron Commanders". Might The West also be where they reside?

 After Mount Rust erupted, and the vikings started raiding Ashfeld, they would start to
establish permanent residents in Ashfeld. Which would then be eradicated by the
Blackstone Legion.

 The Legions of Ashfeld have a cultural habit of decorating their gates and doorways with
statues and depictions of Wardens. Apollyon claims that to do so is a show of hypocrisy, and
 that the oaths of a Warden run much deeper than what any common Legion soldier can live
up to.

 Almost every fortress built in Ashfeld was first built early on in The Millennium of Bloodshed,
and ever since, subsequent generations have been constantly building new castles and
Sanctuaries on top of the old. "Children playing at empire".

 Many of the machines of warfare (such as the battering rams and ballistas) that the Legions
of Ashfeld use are of ancient designs- techniques handed down through the generations
which modern Knights have lost the technical theory for- even in academic circles. Still- they
know how to build the things and they work just fine.

 The seven leaders of the Blackstone Legion, after Apollyon took the title of Warlord for the
final time, took demon names. Apollyon's name means "destroyer". Holden Cross's demon
name is "Asmodai". Though, nearing The Apollyon Period, he preferred to go by his original
designation. They did this as a warning to others and a reminder to themselves. That they
are strong and must be sure of what they choose to do with that strength.

 The Knights living in Ashfeld, technically, all follow the same god. Apollyon, though, claims to
have sat in their services and listened to their hymns- and has only determined that the
many Legions of Ashfeld do not agree on the teachings of their deity and that most followers
do not even live up to the ideals of said deity.

Many would think that this runs in contradiction to when she describes the various deities of
the factions. How the vikings worship gods of Wood, Storms, and Stone. The Samurai
worship gods of Fire, Wind, and Thought. The Knight's gods are of Iron, Steel, and Gold.
But... each faction also believes in a God of Power- it being the only deity that all three
cultures agree on. I would wager that the Knights in The West worship gods of Iron, Steel,
Gold, and Power, while the Knights in Ashfeld only follow one of said deities. Which one is
up for debate.

 The Knights worship a God named “Mars”, since the Gladiator says in his Skewer move,
“Mars me Adiuvat!”. Meaning: “Mars favors me!”. This being the same God as in the real-
world Roman Pantheon, except, in this universe: Mars is associated with War and with one
of “Iron, Steel, Gold, or Power”. I’d guess “War and Power”.

 The Vikings worship a God called "Fenris". Basically "Fenrir". I suspect that they worship the
same gods as in Norse mythology, but each one is, in addition to it's existing spheres, also
associated with, either "Stone, Wood, Storms, and Power".

 Valkenheim's valleys are filled with horns, drums, and signals fires. Anything that comes into
Valkenheim will never go unnoticed.

 The Legions of Ashfeld have always had better technology than the Viking Clans. The
Samurai's contraptions, however, make the Knight's siege engines look like toys by
comparison.
 Each Viking Clan has it's own customs and members of each will often make offerings to
their gods for certain boons. Strength in war, for example.

 There is a Viking joke about a fish and an archer.

 The Viking Clans have always warred with each other much more than they've fought with
either of their neighbors. There have only ever been two occasions in which the Viking Clans
have united. The first time was when they decided to pack their collective belongings and
migrate across the sea. The second was when they started raiding Ashfeld upon Mount
Rust's eruption.

 Vikings record the exploits of their greatest heroes in stone. The runes remind them of the
debt of glory that must be paid to enter Valhalla. To die in battle is one thing, to die a legend
is another. The more glory a Viking earns, the greater their legend when they are gone.
Unlike other cultures, their gods require them to share that glory with the rest of their
respective Clans and family.

 Through example, the Legions of Ashfeld accidentally taught the Vikings the art of siege
warfare.

 There are many Viking fables about why they decorate their ships with depictions of
monsters.

 During and after The Cataclysm, the Dawn Empire were forced to exodus from their
homeland by way of ship. Possibly a similar situation to the Redgaurds and their homeland
of Yokuda from The Elder Scrolls series. They encountered many different cultures in their
search for a new home, and would not be as dangerous as they are without having learned
from such peoples.

 The Myre, the vast swamp in which the Samurai live, serves as a natural barrier and shield
for their cities. The Samurai of the Dawn Empire have lived there for long enough that
they've learned how to navigate it safely. Others would not be so fortunate, and would
probably be swallowed by the swampland before even getting a clue. It is a dreadful place
for an (invading) army. It can swallow up an entire force without a trace- it's paths shift and
change constantly with the ocean's tide. Boats are no safer when the defenders of The Myre
have hidden catapults and fire arrows.

 The control and defense of The Myre is split among the many Daimyo Houses. Their
defenses vary in quality, but none of their defenders lack in skill.

 The first, second, and third scout groups that the Warborn Clans sent into The Myre during
the Great Raid never returned.

 The Daimyo Houses of the Dawn Empire fight among themselves almost as much as the
Viking Clans fight each other. They would claim to be at peace, yet fight so many battles with
each other every year.
 Decades before 0 years B.A.D - possibly between the eruption of Mount Rust, and the last
time that the Knights entered Valkenheim at 40 years B.A.D - the Vikings once sailed a fleet
into The Myre at high tide. By nightfall, no Viking stood in Samurai lands. It was something
they would not forget.

 Approximately 1000 years B.A.D, The Myre was little more than an ocean- a part of the
Austramar bay. Along it's shore, the Knights of Ashfeld had cities, there. Sometime between
then and 600 years B.A.D, the sea-level retreated, and The Myre was transformed into a
tropical jungle-swamp.

 To the Samurai: taking a person prisoner after a battle is to disrespect / dishonor them. To
the Knights: it is a show of mercy. To the Vikings: it means to make them your slave.

 When their homeland was ravaged by The Cataclysm, their Emperor failed to escape the
destruction. The next Emperor - "The First of the New Emperors" - who took control as their
homeland was destroyed, is believed by some to be inherently false.

 The Samurai, as a culture, swear loyalty, first, to their respective Daimyos, and then to the
Emperor and his family- they revere unity and honor.

 When the Dawn Empire arrived in The Myre, they had brought various animals and plants
from their homeland. They knew that their previous home was gone, and sought to remake
it.

 The city of Koto is built upon a high mesa, which was the only part of The Myre that
remained above-water. Koto was built on the remains of a Knight city. And that Knight city
was built on the ashes of another, older civilization's fortress. A civilization which is nowhere
to be found.

 The Imperial Palace was added to the city of Koto by the Second of the New Emperor's. A
stroke of indulgence.

 The Seventh New Emperor of the Dawn Empire had a river diverted to pass through the
Imperial Palace. It was used to carry away waste, irrigate their cliff gardens, and automate
machinery.

 When the Samurai arrived on the continent, they were forced to live in the places that
others wouldn't. In the fens and wastelands. All the better. That way, they had to tame the
various dangers of the wilds and use it for their own purposes.

 Every attempt to build permanent structures in The Myre, other than on top of the mesa
which city of Koto rests on, has resulted in disaster.

 The Dawn Empire is vast. Any untamed lands the Knights abandoned, any secluded region
the Vikings could not reach: there, you will find Samurai.
 Just in the twenty years that Apollyon rose up among the Blackstones, The Myre
experienced seven separate civil wars among the Samurai's Houses.

 Due to their extremely small population, the Samurai are under constant threat of
extinction.

 The city of Koto is one of the most secure fortresses on the continent. It has been destroyed
twice by fire and six times by civil war. Never by outside invaders. The Blackstone fortress
could not withstand a siege for a tenth of the time that Koto could.

 The Dawn Empire's capital wasn't always in the Imperial Palace at Koto. It used to be far to
the east- where the Emperor would live. For some unknown reason, one of the New
Emperor's moved the capital to Koto.

 The Tenth New Emperor was a brutal warmonger.

 In the four years between the sacking of Sverngård and the death of Apollyon: much of the
citizens in Ashfeld's wilds took residence in the Blackstone Fortress; the crumbling castles
and ruins surrounding the Blackstone Fortress were constantly being fought over by
highwaymen, thugs, and, criminals- which Apollyon allowed for, because each gang of
criminals provided more soldiers for her Legion; the Iron Commanders whom lived in The
West continued to send the Blackstone Legion reinforcements; and the Blackstone Legion
had been putting down several rebellions from within- instituting martial law.

 The old cathedral in the plains to the east of the Blackstone Fortress, in the region of
Aemilianus, was once part of a larger city. Most of it is gone, sunken into the earth.

 By the time the Blackstone Fortress was assaulted by the Dawn Empire's army and the
recreated Iron Legion's forces: Viking looters were awash in all the lands; the new Iron
Legion was already in a civil war against the Blackstone Legion; the Samurai's armies had
been striking at it for weeks before cracking it open; and Apollyon had all of the escape
passages blocked off.

 The Blackstone Fortress was taken from a petty Lord, one who called himself a "Noble",
despite not living anywhere near The West. Apollyon seized the fortress from him. It is a
castle, built on a castle, built on a castle, and so on- in an area called "The Shard". The
Fortress has been the property of many Legions in the past.

 In the ending cutscene where Holden Cross, Ayu, and Stigandr have finished telling their
stories, Holden refers to the leader of the new Iron Legion as "The New Lord Warden". He is
almost assuredly speaking of The Warden whom we play as in the Knight's Story Mode. But,
why does he refer to her as the "new" Lord Warden? She was presumably made into the
Lord Warden at the beginning of the Age of Wolves, which (in context) was seven years ago.
Not particularly "new", is it?

So, why the word "new" in her title? Perhaps it's because the idea of a "Lord Warden" ruling
over all of Ashfeld and all of the Knight's forces is not a new one. I propose that there used
 to be an "original" Lord Warden- a great leader of Ashfeld's guardians, of the Knight's
armies, who had to rise up from anonymity to serve his people as their one, true lord.
Perhaps... that "genius of a leader" I mentioned, who managed to pull the Knights from the
brink of death after The Fall of the Last Sanctuary in Ashfeld, back during The Millennium of
Bloodshed?
I can only assume that this Lord Warden came to power without the various Legions being
dissolved or absorbed into a larger one. Which would mean that this "First Lord Warden"
was a temporary leader, a sort of "emergency dictator / marshal", due to the dire straits of
the Knight's ultimate low point in TMB. So, this Lord was helped along by powerful Warlords
of various Legions, much like the manner in which The New Lord Warden is assisted by
Stone, Cross, and Mercy.

D. HEROES
The Heroes are warriors of legendary stature and status. Fighters with strength and skill of damn-
near super-human levels. On the same tier as Gilgamesh, William Marshal, or Melankomas of Caria.
On the small end, they're always at least six feet tall- nine feet on the large side. The Heroes are
anything but "average".

There are two types. The Disciplined, and the Storied:

1. Disciplined Heroes are those who became what they are through specialized training by a
specific group in each society.
2. The Storied are those that were not trained in any particular fashion, but whom fit the
description of their respective title, and gained fame through their exploits.

1. Wardens – Disciplined
Their order, according to Holden, had long fallen into dust by the time The Degradation came
around. I can only assume that, by "dust", he means, "degraded". The Wardens are still
around, and are still being trained. So, their order is still taking recruits. Though, their actual
quality of training may be a bit less reliable than it was back during TMB. And their grandeur.
And their general power/scope/reach.

The Wardens, by all accounts, are taught to fight for what is right. To follow a strict set of
rules, and traditions. They are the sight for sore eyes that anyone would be happy to see at a
dark hour. The paragons of strength and morality that all should aspire to be. Chivalrous.
Dutiful. But they're not blindly-loyal pawns. The lord Warden once says, "Being a skeptic is a
death sentence, but doubt is a part of integrity". A Warden is obedient to his/her Warlord and
Legion, but won't hesitate to speak out and act against what he/she perceives to be wrong.
Or... at least, this is what they try to be.

2. Conquerors – Storied
 The Knights of Ashfeld, in recent years throughout The Degradation, have been forced to fill
up their ranks with conscripted criminals. Conquerors, are conscripted criminals who just so
happen to be really good at fighting, and just so happen to use a shield and flail. And happen
to be seven feet tall...

3. Peacekeepers – Disciplined
What they know can destroy legends or create them. The silent blade keeps the peace, and
when wars rage, a Peacekeeper's work is never done. They are the Knight's assassins, spies,
secret agents, and secret police. Selected from the desperate, the humbled, or the devoted.
And sworn to secrecy by unbreakable oaths. Their job? To maintain peace between each
Legion as much as possible, and to serve their respective Legions when at war with outside
civilizations. When wars between Legions do happen, I suspect that a Peacekeeper would
essentially serve as a double-agent. Serving their Legion, while working with their fellow
Peacekeepers from various other Legions to end the conflict as quickly as possible. Where do
they get their recruits? Most likely: the homeless, the poor, the legally condemned... or simply
anyone who tries hard enough. Obviously, their intervention was, either, ineffectual, or
outright countered when Apollyon's Blackstones started devouring Ashfeld and subsuming
every Legion there ever was.

Their job, in a battlefield situation, is to sweep the aftermath and put down any and all
wounded soldiers who would not or could not survive their injuries.

4. Lawbringers – Disciplined
Judge, Jury, and Executioner. Judge Dredd with a Poleaxe. They know the Knight's laws like the
backs of their hands. When a Lawbringer joins their order, they become exempt from their
loyalty to their home Legion. They typically operate alone, and will seek out areas where
lawful control over the populous has broken down. Where cruelty and criminals rule. What
with Ashfeld being so separated from The West, it's only logical that the Knight's government
would routinely release "Walking Court-Martials" into the comparatively rural Ashfeld. Got to
keep the law, somehow.

If one ever encounters a Lawbringer, it is almost always bad news. Because, if a Lawbringer
has come to an area near you, it probably means that you've got bandit gangs or criminal
syndicates infesting your village and/or city. Good news is: as long as you yourself aren't the
criminal, you'll be fine.

I suspect that Lawbringers possess some amount of autonomy. The ability to serve, assist,
target, or shake down anyone of any Legion. They are the law, after all. "Iudex, Judico, et
Carnifex". And no one is above the law. "Ego sum Lex". Not even the Warlord of the most
powerful Legion in Ashfeld. "Accinctus enim Iudicium".

I'd wager that Ashfeld's Lawbringers are trained in whatever counts as "the capital city", out in
The West. Their order is probably centered there. I'd also wager that the Peacekeeper's order
 is much the same. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lawbringers and Peacekeepers, typically, work
in close conjunction to each other. Peacekeepers serving as intelligence agents, and
Lawbringers serving as uncompromising dealers of justice.

All of this changed when Apollyon showed up, most likely.

Their Order is made up entirely of Lawbringers. The only exceptions are the bureaucrat
administrators that give out assignments in The West, as well as the highly skilled blacksmiths
and armorers that craft the equipment of the Lawbringers. The Lawbringers are self-appointed
and have no true leader.

5. Centurions – Storied
The Centurions, since the end of the Pre-Cataclysm Era, have gone underground. For
something like 1500 years (around that), they remained hidden, whether by accident or on
purpose, is unclear. The modern Knights of Ashfeld, The West, and The Southern Deserts
remembered them, to be sure. Knew that the Centurion's glorious dynasty was their ancestor.
Yet, everyone believed the Centurions to be dead and gone.
When the Age of Wolves began, however, the Centurions reappeared. Whether by accident,
or by choice is unknown. But, regardless, they came out of the woodwork and have joined
their kin, the Knights of Ashfeld, in the war.

6. Gladiators - Storied
The first few sentences describe arena combat. I can only assume that it's mostly similar to
real-world Romans, since there isn't anything else quite like it to draw on. How a Gladiator's
ultimate fate would be up to (primarily) the crowd. How Gladiators are entertainers, first, and
trained killers, second. Gladiator fights rarely result in the death of an opponent, and having to
constantly retrain new fighters after every bout would be expensive. Gladiators were also,
mostly, slaves (the romans didn't discriminate based on race- their slaves were almost always,
either, war prisoners from conquest, or orphans kidnapped off the street. Sometimes not even
orphans- a slave trader might simply just kidnap a few kids) who, if they won enough fights,
would be granted freedom.

There was one gladiator, named "Flamma", who was a Syrian war-prisoner who fought in the
arena so much (for 13 years) that he earned the Wooden Sword on four different occasions-
the key to his freedom.

But he never took the opportunity, and instead chose to continue fighting. Until he died of old
age. Of course, there's a weapon skin in the game named "Flamma". So... there you go.

Holden says that the "thrill of the fight has waned". And asks himself how these Gladiators
would fare on a proper battlefield. The way he phrases that makes me think that Gladiator
fights are, probably, commonplace in modern Ashfeld- even during the Seven-Year-War. The
Iron Legion culture must have inherited Gladiator fights from the Centurion's dynasty.
Holden says that the Gladiators have "risen the ranks of fighters and have run out of
 challengers (what does he mean by "ran out"? Are there literally not enough fighters,
anymore, or are these specific Gladiators simply deemed to skilled to fight in the arena?
Gladiators are on the level of other Hero classes, so maybe it would be like fighting one of the
Grunts/Captains from Skirmish or Dominion).... it is now time for Gladiators to fight for
something greater than themselves".

So, what does this tell us? Well, the Iron Legion, in the Seven-Year War, is officially pulling out
all the stops, and sending blood-sport entertainers into the battlefield. I suspect that the
intensity of the Faction War will only increase, before it eases up.

But... all of this raises the question. Where did these Gladiators come from? The Iron Legion
doesn't ever reference having slaves (they obviously understand the concept, as Apollyon
refers to how, in Viking society: to be taken prisoner, is to become your captor's slave.
Whereas, in Iron Legion culture, to be taken prisoner is seen as a mercy. For the Samurai, it's a
display of disrespect / dishonor). The Conquerors are simply referred to as "conscripted
criminals". And in the Gladiator trailer, they are never referred to as slaves, criminals, or
POWs. So... I guess they're just professional fighters by choice.

---

7. Raiders – Storied
The Raiders embody Viking ideals to a tee. Freedom. Fearlessness. A thirst for battle. And a
pride for one's Clan and people.

8. Warlords – Storied
Buff blokes who use a sword and shield. To be a Warlord is to be of service to all who need it:
for life. To be a Warlord is a name that is earned- for a leader who doesn't charge in with the
frontline is no leader at all.

9. Berserkers – Disciplined
The Berserkers are a mysterious group. If an individual is chosen or gets taken by Berserkers in
the wilds of Valkenheim, that person will have to learn to survive in the harshest of conditions
the way that the Berserkers do. Away from the safety of walls, and villages, and numbers.

Regardless of the circumstance, when a warrior returns from being lost int he wilds of
Valkenheim, he/she is always forever changed into a Berserker. For, if they survived the wilds,
then there is no other thing they could be. When you live in solitary in Valkenheim's secluded
wild lands, you either become food for crows, or you learn to be a Berserker. Survival by any
means necessary.

10. Valkyries – Disciplined

 Warrior Priestesses. Trained religious officials, whom's job it is to secure the ultimate paradise,
Valhalla, for those whom they deem deserve it. For those who never had the chance to earn
glory through dying in battle. There are other paradises, of course- other paths for one to
take. But Valhalla is the best kind of afterlife. The highest reward. A Valkyrie's job, ultimately,
is never finished. Not only does she have to earn glory for herself, and for all of those whom
she wishes to bring to Valhalla with her when she dies: but the very act of taking on the glory-
burdens of others requires an ever-higher blood price of glory in battle. They are your
salvation, should you not have earned it yourself.

11. Highlanders – Storied

One of the first things said about them is: "Ancient alliances have kept their land safe, but
their oaths have come due. They join our war out of obligation.". So... right off the bat-
confirmation of the Highlanders being mercenaries.

I have a hunch that it happened somewhat like this... back in The Millennium of Bloodshed,
the Viking Clans united and left Valkenheim across the sea? Well, what do you think the
Vikings did during that time?
Meaning... perhaps the Viking Clans tried to invade and pillage the Highlander's territory? I
assume that the Highlanders come from, either north of Valkenheim, or on an island off of
Valkenheim's coast. Perhaps, the Vikings weren't quite able to manage taking the Highlanders
down. Anything that can stand up to the might of all of Valkenheim's children would definitely
have to be formidable, especially if that population is small enough to go unnoticed by the
other three Factions (Knight, Samurai, and Shinobi. I'm not including the Centurions, because
it's not entirely clear if they actually have a full-blown civilization buried in the wilds of
Ashfeld. Or just a few, untouched farming communities. Or maybe a single city-state).

So... recognizing of their battle prowess... what if the Vikings struck a deal with these
Highlanders as... insurance? So, in exchange for keeping the Highlander's society hidden and
safe from the outside world, the Highlanders (among a few other things, presumably) would
have to sign a defensive pact with the totality of the Viking Clans. Remember, at the time, all
the Viking Clans were united. Separate, but united.

Of course, in The Degradation, raiding Ashfeld didn't blow up in their faces. At first- for a few
decades. Then, Apollyon showed up, revamped the Iron Legion's military with her Blackstones,
kicked Valkenheim's door in, and incited war amongst the Viking Clans.

Stigandr (or it may be a different voice actor, not sure) says one last thing which caught my
attention. "The elements battering their lands have made them strong. War has made them
deadly". So... the Highlanders have gotten into a few wars of their own? With... other
civilizations not including the Iron Legion, Viking Clans, Dawn Empire, Shinobi Enclaves, or the
Centurions?

...

Well, then.
 In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if the Highlanders have strong nautical roots, given their
exclusive Symbols of jellyfish, and other aquatic creatures.

12. Shamans – Storied

"Do you hear them? They are always whispering. Just out of reach. But when The Red spills...
she can hear them louder.

They shout excitedly when bones break. Do you hear them, now? They scream of war- they
scream the names of those next to die. She will use her dagger and hatchet to cut the bodies
down, and then she will use her hands.

They are louder, now- the voices: overwhelming. They won't stop- they won't stop until ALL.
ARE. DEAD!".

Near as I can tell, the Shamans are basically Berserker 3.0. They have possible ancestral ties to
the Highlanders, but obviously split off from them a while ago. I suspect that they are raised in
close proximity to animals.

The Vikings appear to have some amount of reverence and/or fearful respect for these wild-
lings. It may be the case that the Shamans are the ones who train the Berserkers.

Apparently, they live directly adjacent to the Highlanders' territory. They, like the Highlanders,
were drawn into the Age of Wolves war by the Vikings.

---

13. Kensei – Disciplined

They are generals. Trained, professional battlefield generals. Whether serving their Daimyo, or
serving as the Daimyo, they provide battlefield tactics and strategy for their respective
Houses.
Every great leader since The Cataclysm, and the Samurai's exodus from their homeland, has
been trained to be a Kensei. A Sword-Saint. Such training requires extreme strength and skill
to properly use a Nodachi. Of course, just because the leader is trained as a Kensei, doesn't
mean they actually fight like one. We can assume that most Daimyos and the Emperor have
been trained in strategy and Nodachi use, but may still be Nobushis, or Orochis. Shugoki are
probably exempt from this. They are, typically, trained from infancy to fight and die for their
House and Emperor. Groomed for the role.

14. Shugoki – Disciplined

The Shugoki, at one point, were of a different people than the Samurai. By the time The
Cataclysm, and Exodus came around, however they served as guardians to the Dawn Empire.
When The Cataclysm hit, they became as family to the Samurai- an irreplaceable caste of
 warriors. A vital sect of fighters. The amount of training and grooming and willpower that it
takes to become a full-fledged Shugoki is staggering. Only the tallest and strongest are
selected in adolescence. And after that, the training regimen for the next ten years is grueling.
Strength of a demon, and unbreakable will. The life of a Shugoki is one of sacrifice and service
to one's House. It requires you to put everyone around you first. None of these is a problem
for Shugoki who pass their trials.

Real-life Shugoki were just as formidable. If I've heard correctly, only two ever died on the
battlefield. And both occasions were when fighting against other Shugoki.

15. Orochi – Storied

The Orochi are elite swordsmen who have become so good at using the katana, that they no
longer need any other equipment. Allegedly the finest warriors the world has ever known.
What separates an experienced katana-wielder from an Orochi, is that the Orochi has
borrowed techniques and some kunai from ancient ninja texts. They probably all are
emulating one specific historical figure who used ninja tech and form with a sword.

If General Tozen is any example, then it would seem that many Orochis tend to get tattoos to
mark their accomplishments.

16. Nobushi – Storied

They're the citizen militia / police force for their respective Houses. They protect the wilds and
rural territories of their Houses, backwater villages and various hamlets, both from bandits
and criminals, and from other Houses. A bunch of country bumpkins who have gotten really
good at what they do. So much so, to the point that their respective Houses may or may not
call upon them to serve in official military matters. Like a cop or P.I who somehow manages to
get recruited by the FBI or CIA for his skills. Or a CIA / FBI agent who gets recruited into the
formal military. I suspect that their tradition of wearing masks is a similar function to how
executioners in medieval times would wear hoods. No one wants to be friends with an
executioner- just as a Nobushi who apprehends or kills a criminal doesn't want them or their
friends to come after his/her family. They do their work in the rural villages of their House,
after all. Small community.

17. Shinobi – Storied

The first sentence uttered about them is that they are a "secret society", suggesting that the
Shinobi clans all live in some far-away offshoot of the Dawn Empire proper, and that the
Shinobi have their own, self-sufficient population. They are stated to have been, largely, a
legend or myth, and that the Chosen were not even sure if they existed in the first place.
However, the Shinobi weapon (the kasurigama) "... echoes through our past and proves they
are from our blood". "We now know that they are always close... ", meaning that the Shinobi
Clans must have been spying on the Dawn Empire society and using it as a medium to the
outside world. "They have entered this war and won't leave until their job is done".
18. Aramushas – Storied
"Brash enforcers for the most prestigious Houses. Once noble fighters- now: mercenaries.
Their dual katana may have killed to satisfy their own ego. But those crimes belong to the
past.
They join this war not out of duty, or command... they join because they are elite warriors in
search of their own destiny. A destiny stained red with the blood of those in their way".

Ah. The Aramusha used to be called the "Ronins", back when their existence was leaked to the
public. As such, I can only imagine that For Honor's Aramushas are directly inspired by the
real-life counterpart. But, in any case, it appears as though these Aramusha are Ronin Samurai
who fell from grace, specifically due to committing certain violent crimes.

Funny thing is, real-life Ronin were directly equivalent to black knights (AKA: "hedge knights")-
warriors who have no master to serve. You must understand, an important part of being a
knight is: "loyalty to your lord". For the Samurai, said loyalty counted for two-fold. See, a lot of
Bushido was, essentially, this: "serve your Daimyo/Shogun with the utmost effort, loyalty, and
blind servitude as humanly possible. Carry out their orders to the letter, spirit, and logical
conclusion".

There was absolutely zero room for individual thought or ambition.

Ronins were Samurai who found themselves unable to carry out this oath- who were unable
or unwilling to commit seppuku after the fact. As such, many of the interesting legends and
stories from Japanese culture revolved around Ronins.

I can only imagine that the Samurai in For Honor were unable to honorably execute these
Aramushas, wether because you'd have to capture them first (and that isn't easy to do), or
because their population is small enough as it is without having to put down valuable warriors.

The Aramushas, near as I can figure, have no Daimyo and do not swear loyalty to The
Emperor- not to the extent that the rest of the Samurai do. They are the official "black sheep".
I can only imagine that they spend most of their time roaming about The Myre, seeking a
challenge in order to pursue their "destiny". Occasionally taking jobs from certain, wealthy
Houses. Perhaps serving as bodyguards to Daimyo and unbiased advisors?

When the Seven-Year-War started going strong, after the Highlanders and Gladiators came
out of the woodwork, a lot of Aramusha must have become curious and decided to give full-
scale warfare a stab.

One thing that was said is that the Aramushas, by some odd revelation are in the same order
as the Shinobi. I can only imagine that, throughout the ages, many disgraced Samurai who
abandon their Houses somehow get pointed in the direction of the Shinobi Enclave by other
Aramusha or because they feel the need to follow in the footsteps of those that had a similar
path in life. So, the Shinobi Enclaves must routinely take-in and train Aramusha.
One might ask "why?".
 I theorize that, in order to be a Shinobi, or work with the Shinobi, you have to be exempt from
the following the will of a Daimyo. Near as we can tell, the Shinobi Enclave works in the
shadows to do good for the Dawn Empire, free from the blind loyalty to any House Leader,
and free to make decisions on the fly, for the good of their people.

Aramusha are Samurai who are disgraced, and are too skilled or valuable to be executed
outright. So, while they are exiled, they must, at some point, be contacted by the Shinobi
Enclave and brought into their fold.

None of the Samurai Houses (except, possibly, for the Emperor) know of this. All they know is
that Aramusha sometimes hire themselves out as body guards and enforcers to wealthy
Daimyo. What they don't know is that, the Aramusha might very well be a lot more organized
and motivated than they look. The Aramusha must somewhat serve as independent agents for
the Enclave.

Whenever a Shinobi can't ensure the safety of an individual, or whenever a certain object
cannot be discreetly obtained by one, they might contract the help of their Aramusha
counterparts in doing so. Where a Shinobi can't operate for fear of being exposed and
breaking incognito, an Aramusha can operate with relative impunity due to his status as a
mercenary.

I can only imagine that Aramusha are gender locked as male because disgraced female
warriors still have inherent worth due to their ability to birth children. And the Samurai
population is too small to forego such a resource. Disgraced male Samurai get outcast and
exiled from their House.

I can only imagine that, when the Seven-Year-War started, the Shinobi were able to forego
secrecy, while most Aramusha sort of just hung about and did odd jobs as sell-swords. 'Till
Season Three, at least.

E. FACTIONS
1. Roman Dynasty
 The glorious dynasty from which the modern Knight Legions descend. Lead by Centurions.

2. Nordic Empire
The precursor to the modern Viking Clans.

3. The Legions of Ashfeld

There are many Legions in Ashfeld. Each one is an independent army that serves to protect
and rule over a specific area- usually around their largest fortress or Sanctuary. The many
Legions of Ashfeld, if referred to in third person, would often simply be called "The Iron
Legion", collectively- named so after the strongest and most powerful Legion in the land.
Conflicts between various Legions are not uncommon, but are not a monthly occurrence,
either. Should a conflict arise, it would almost always end in, either, a surrender, one Legion
being defeated and subsumed by the other, or a stalemate.

Each Legion has it's own Circle- a group of highly ranked individuals who serve as advisors for
the Legion in question's Warlord- it's leader. The Regal Legion had the Regal Circle, and the
Blackstone Legion had the Blackstone Circle.

4. The Iron Legion

 The New Iron Legion was created when Apollyon, after uniting all of Ashfeld under Blackstone
might, incited rebellion within her own territory. This rebellion took the form of the future
Lord Warden, Holden Cross, the Peacekeeper, Mercy, and the renowned Conqueror,
Commander Stone, all casting off their Blackstone yoke and recreating the Iron Legion. A
tribute to the former Iron Legion which used to be the strongest Legion in Ashfeld, before and
mostly during The Degradation. The old Iron Legion was subsumed by the Blackstone Legion.
When the Blackstone Fortress was sacked, and claimed by the New Iron Legion, all of Ashfeld
fell under it's banner.

5. Shinobi Enclave
The secret society which exists to train spies, assassins, and stealth operators for the benefit
of the Dawn Empire. They live separately, and require no recruitment. Their existence is (most
likely) only known to the Emperor or Empress him/herself.

6. Viking Clans
Each Viking Clan is a formation of various families and groups who have come together
through shared cultural and social traditions. Each Clan is lead by a single Jarl. During the
Millennium of Bloodshed, there were Lords instead of Jarls. Disputes and civil wars between
various Clans are rather par for the course, when it comes to the Vikings. Alliances between
different Clans are common, but are just as commonly broken.

When it comes to warfare: every individual is trained to fight. Every. Single. One. From
childhood. For Valhalla, and such.

7. Warborn Viking Clans

Clans never do truly "join" each other. You either slaughter or enslave another clan, let it live
on on it's own, or dominate it, and make it a Vassal Clan. "The Warborn Clans" is basically
shorthand for saying "All of the Viking Clans whom are unable to beat the Warborn Clan in
combat".

As such, when the Legendary Raider united all of the Viking Clans under the Warborn's
 banner, they had effectively created a single fighting force out of Valkenheim's children,
without sacrificing any of it's cultural diversity, or killing off huge swathes of people.

8. The Dawn Empire

This Empire is vast, truly. The Myre is not the only places that it has dominion over. Simply the
biggest. When they fled from their doomed homeland, every Emperor would be called a "New
Emperor". There have been at least fourteen New Emperors since the Cataclysm. Probably
more.

There has always been many Daimyo. Leaders of powerful political and cultural groups, called
Houses. Each Daimyo is subservient to the Emperor. And each House competes with all the
others, in order to have the next Emperor be of their own kin.

They war with each other, these Houses- despite how all of them claim to value unity and
honor. They do. They just have a long list of caveats to go with it.

The more powerful a House is, the more territory of The Myre it controls. The more territory,
the more resources to use.

9. The Chosen
Ayu's House. The combined Samurai forces by the time the Age of Wolves began. With her
being the only commanding Daimyo in The Myre, by the time the Samurai marched to the
Blackstone Fortress, she is, presumably, Empress. Seijuro's House is all but gone. And all the
others would have had no choice but to adhere to Ayu's rule. Presumably, her House was
called "The Chosen", before Apollyon ever came on the scene.

10. The Highlander Stronghold

A people who (presumably) live on a single mountainous island chain. Their prowess in battle
let them fend off the combined might of the Vikings.

F. NEW LORE FROM MARCHING FIRE

After the Cataclysm circa 1000 A.D, the Chinese Empire was consumed in civil war. While the
Millennium of Bloodshed was being played out by the Vikings, Knights, and Samurai, and while
Apollyon was kicking around Ashfeld, awaiting the arrival of The Chosen, China, or what was left of
it, was sorting itself out. Either that, or on a downward spiral to end in collapse. The Wulin faction
(whoever they are) among the rest was beginning to get a decent hold on China, but ultimately
failed to establish order, despite their constant strife. So now, presumably at least a year and a half
into The Age of Wolves War, "four warriors of the Wulin march West", loyal to no one but
themselves and labeled "outcasts". Marching away from their failed state and toward that corner of
the continent upon which the Vikings, Samurai, and Knights are still fighting.
By "four warriors", I can only assume "a population big enough to have some impact in a war
between three warring countries".

The name "Wulin" is an abstract word that means society or community, with the "wu" part simply
referring to martial arts.

------

1. New Faction: The Wu Lin

After The Cataclysm, China descended into hundreds of years of civil war. Of all the factions
partaking in the civil war, the Wu Lin have begun to rise to the top. But even they have begun to
splinter after so many years of conflict. Many of their warriors have begun to travel west, each with
their own reason ranging from honor and glory to exile and disgrace.

2. New Heroes from the Wu Lin

Shaolin
"The Shaolin are fierce warrior monks known for their athletic, monkey-like fight style, and
their prowess with a staff. They hold their written prayers close to them at all times".

The real-world Shaolin used staves (instead of swords) to defend themselves from bandits
because they believed killing to be the worst sin imaginable. Given the state of For Honor's
world, I'd say that they had to make a few exceptions, especially given the Wulin intrusion into
the Faction War.

Tiandi
"The Tiandi are loyal protectors to Kings, Queens, and Emperors. They are masters of the dao
blade, the weapon of choice for these Royal Guards".
 The name "Tiandi" means "Heavenly Emperor/God Emperor", which is less a statement on the
person and more so just a descriptor for who they work for.

Jiangjun
"The Jiangjun are generals among the Ancient Chinese armies. They are wise leaders who have
mastered the guandao weapon".

The name "Jiangjun" means "general", which is apt. They, unlike the Tiandi, likely served
around the borders of their nation-state. The Jiangjun seen in the trailer for Marching Fire
appears to be a real-world historical figure- a man named "Guanyu". Apparently, the guandao
was originally called a "podao", but they renamed it in honor of Guanyu.

Nuxia
"The Nuxia are trained bodyguards and assassins who often disguised their talents through
dance. They are deadly artists of the hook swords".

Their name means "fury/rage + "morning/evening glow". Which, when interpreted a certain
way, comes out to mean "female vigilante".

3. New Characters
Each Hero that we play as in the multiplayer of For Honor is their own unique character,
rather than just being "another one" of their respective groups.

I shall be filling in the gaps as they are revealed to us...

The Nuxia – Kaili

Kaili was a bodyguard, trained as a dancer, sworn to protect a powerful governor. When an
army attacked the palace she was stationed in, Kaili rallied nearby allies to help, but she was
betrayed by those she trusted. After enacting revenge on those who betrayed her, she shed
her dancer's robes and donned a warrior's armor. With a bounty on her head, Kaili turned
west, never to trust again, and hungry to engage every fight with a dancer's grace and a killer's
precision.

When used in dance, her hook swords were as beautiful as they were deadly. When used in
battle, they allow her to isolate and control opponents, making her a formidable one-on-one
fighter. As an assassin, she is at her best when utilizing fast counterattacks at short range, but
with the ability to link her hook swords together, she can be deadly from long range as well.

It is likely that she turned westward due to it being the destination of many, many others of
the Wulin Faction. Everyone else was already heading in that direction, so she hitched a ride
with the rest of them, in th process of escaping her bounty.
The Male Tiandi – Shidou
The youngest son of the great Emperor, Shidou was the most skilled fighter in his family, but
sat fourth-in-line to the throne. Unwilling to settle for a life of servitude to his brothers, he
killed each one of them in one dark, bloody night. Horrified by his own madness, Shidou fled
the palace. Now, he prays for his own death in battle to atone for his sins. Unable to find
worthy opponents in the Empire, he marches onward to the West in search of death.

The Female Tiandi – Ying

Ying served as a royal guard recruit in a great palace. One winter night, the royal guard was
ambushed while escorting the queen to a war council. After a bloody battle, all lay dead but
Ying and the queen. The queen bestowed her dao sword to the brave fighter and made Ying
her personal guard. They rushed home to warn of the attack, but the queen was slain by her
own palace guards. While Ying slayed the assassins, the traitors blamed her for the queen's
death. She escaped with only her dao and the royal armor on her back. Now a wanted woman,
she travels west. With no patience for the dishonorable work of politics, she brings change the
only way she knows how: with her wits and her weapon.

The Jiangjun – Gaunyu

Guanyu was a simple peasant who stumbled into conflict and got a taste for war. As he rose
up through the ranks, he began to amass a small army. During a battle against an enemy force
that greatly outnumbered his own, the general stepped down from his horse with only his
guandao polearm. Wishing to spare the lives of many on the battlefield, he challenged the
enemy's best warrior. Instead of facing him, the enemy fired a lone arrow and pierced
Guanyu's heart. He collapsed, but instead of dying, he rose up and ripped out the arrow. The
enemy fled, afraid of the beast that rose from the dead, and a legend was born. Now in his
twilight, Guanyu has no army. Still hungry for combat, he marches for fresh foes in the West
to savor the thrill of combat before his days are done.

A heavy Hero, Guanyu utilizes the formidable reclining moon blade. He fights using strong
slashing movements and momentum to keep his heavy blade moving. The result is a hero with
high survivability and a strong offensive attack that specializes in maneuvers meant to counter
multiple foes at once.

The Shaolin - Wei Chang

Once a warrior monk who chose peace during the reckless civil war, Wei was forced to fight
when one army brought the conflict to his monastery. While Wei and his monks fought back,
the monastery was overwhelmed, and Wei was forced to watch as all his fellow monks were
put to death. He would have met the same fate if not for a timely earthquake, which allowed
him to escape. Wei vowed to honor his good fortune. He tattooed the monastery's lost
prayers onto his skin and honed his formidable warrior skills. Now, he travels west to spread
the word with his staff, fighting to honor his lost brothers.
A mobile, counterattacking hybrid, Wei uses his versatile staff to quickly switch between
offense and defense to take advantage of any situation.