Eldritch Army
The Eldritch Army serves as the linchpin of the defense of the Kirinal Pit and the world. These arcane knights mix steel and magic to fortify Chagroth's Tower and the Orrery of Worlds. Only the most accomplished graduates of Wizard's Peak University and the most powerful warriors of the Silver Alliance are given the honor of serving.
When I served on the Pit Wall as a young orc, I thought them silvery pansies on our left flank were getting by on reputation alone. Then one bad Shatter, our tower was overwhelmed by screaming worm wizards. You can bet I was glad to see the green fire of the silver wizards that day!
The other members of the Kirinal Defenders give the Eldritch Army grudging respect as the finest fighting force on the Pit Wall. These mystic warriors take great pride in the fact that they defend Chagroth's Tower, home of the Orrery of Worlds and the most important structure around the Kirinal Pit.
Commonly known as Chagroth's Army, they ostensibly serve directly under the Navigator of Worlds, even though he rarely exercises that power. Instead, the current Red Feather Battlemaster commands the Eldritch Army in the Navigator's name.
The Army consists of 4,000 wizards and warriors who man the Tower's slice of the Pit Wall. They also rotate service onto the three skyship dreadnaughts that serve the Tower: the E.S.S. Serena, the E.S.S. Ariana, and the E.S.S. Mikaal.
The soldiers of the Army are evenly divided into three battalions that rotate duty throughout the day. The most seasoned troops are in the Dawn Battalion which stands guard when the sun rises and the Manifest changes in the Kirinal Pit. The Day and Night Battalions take over when Dawn stands down.
An Eldritch Knight's Morning
Before dawn, the fifth bell wakes me on the morning of Elemental. In the solitutde of my assigned cell, I go through the physical and mental exercises to awaken my mind and body for the day's challenges. The scheduled Manifest will be the Plane of Air and a visit from the Djinn Citadel of Ice and Steel.
I hear the rattle of the breakfast cart as it drops off my order. The smell of coffee along with eggs and bacon on toasted pan de sol arouse my hunger. I smile at the fresh bibingka on my tray, the cook must be in a good mood!
As I eat, I prepare the spells I will need for the day. The words in my spellbook flare as their power enters my mind. I select Callisto's Fiery Wings, Pellman's Ward Against Ice & Lightning, Melosa's Green Blade, and others.
I don my silver armor and sheathe my enchanted blade at my side with a satisfying thunk. Both were forged by my own hand as part of the ritual making me an Eldritch Knight. At the half hour, I step out of my room in lockstep with the other knights of my cadre. Together we march to the Wall to watch the new world arrive in the Kirinal Pit
Mustering In Mages
The Eldritch Army finds recruits amongst graduates of Wizard's Peak University and from the members of the Silver Assembly. All graduates of WPU are required to serve for 2 years in the Army. They require all new soldiers, even those not from the University, to have at least a basic understanding of arcane spellcasting. As a result, the Eldritch Army has the best-educated, most intelligent soldiers in the Zone.
Wings in the Air
The Red Feather Battlemancers form the most elite force in the Army. This formation of flying mages accepts members from the Eldritch ranks and from outside mages who can combine flight and devastating firepower.
Traditionally, the leader of the Red Feathers is also the Commander of both the Tower and the Army. The current Battlemaster, L'Dante Katigbak, is a fire genasi wizard who is rumored to be the illegitimate child of an ifrit sultan from the City of Brass.
It is the honor of my lifetime to serve the Navigator as his Battlemaster. We must never forget that we stand on the edge of the world to protect our families and our civilization. We remember the sacrifice of those who served before us and prepare the generations that will follow.
Skyship Dreadnoughts
The winged Red Feathers are reinforced in the sky by three state-of-the-art skyships constructed in the Maharlitech shipyards of Magus Valley. The finest magitech engineers of WPU have equipped these dreadnoughts with the most powerful weapons and the finest armor that they have reverse-engineered from hundreds of worlds across the multiverse. They are named after Chagroth's three children.
These floating weapons platforms are manned by a full complement of 250 skyboys and eldritch knights each. Veteran members of the Army rotate service on and off of the dreadnoughts as fighters. A dedicated crew of 100 skyboys man each ship. They are led by the Eldritch Admiral, who commands the E.S.S. Serena.
I graduated at the top of my class to get on the fast track to Dreadnought Warmage. Now that I'm on the E.S.S. Serena, I get to blow things up nice and regular!
Boots on the Ground
The main force of the Eldritch Army consists of war wizards and eldritch knights who man the Northern Gate and their slice of the Pit Wall. They are famous for their fiery green blades and silvery armor warded with runes and arcane power.
They are led by the Commander of the Northern Gate who has the final word on when the Gate opens or closes. Only the most trustworthy and uncompromising soldiers are chosen for this position. The Commander's orders for the Gate supersede even that of the Navigator and the Battlemaster.
Everyone loves to look up in the sky at the Red Feathers and Dreadnoughts, but someone has to stand on the Wall and guard the Gate. I don't need the glory. I have the power.
Nice artilce! They sure seem like a force to be reckoned with, especially with all their additional skypower :p Do other (enemy) armies also have that much sky support or is the eldritch army far ahead of the rest?
Thank you! They never know what kind of threat will appear in the Pit on the Day of Shatter, so they've learned to prepare with overwhelming force. It's still not enough sometimes!
Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!