Tridenser Host
I am one of those who serve the God of Justice, Anam. I am proud to be a member of the Tridenser Host. When called to service, I serve in a support role as a medic and advisor to the Lord Commander of the Citadel. We soulforged honor Anam in thanks for rescuing our souls from their imprisonment in the Kirinal Pit.
The Tridenser Host and the Frozen Horde have a long and checkered history of trying to wipe each other out of existence. They're the only ones who could stop us from taking over the continent! Now we fight on the same side defending our world. My ancestor orcs would be horrified to see me partnered with a mechanical Anamite teaching point ears and humies, but here we are! Interdimensional conflict sure does make strange bedfellows!
In the annals of history, the Tridenser Host has been seen as the most powerful army for the forces of law and good, the power behind human hegemony, and the strong sword and shield of the Sovranty of Lozar in all its forms. The Order of Tridensers send their finest and most dedicated warriors to The Citadel of Anam to take their rightful place as Kirinal Defenders.
The Tridensers, the Church of Anam, and the other members of the Oath of Anam take great pride in their service to Anam, the God of Justice. When He Withdrew from the world with the other gods, he charged his Church and the Tridensers with the duty of saving the Dead of Lost Kirinal. They see the creation of Soulforged and the resulting redemption of the Dead as a sacrament of their religion.
Every soulforged re-born comes back due to the efforts of the Church and the Tridensers. They serve in the Host for a minimum of five years and see it as a small price to pay in return for their lives. Many soulforged remain in service for the rest of their lives and the Citadel and Tridenser City have the largest populations of soulforged in the multiverse.
The Tridenser Host consists of 10,000 heavily armored soulforged and ordinary mortals. They form the largest fighting force in the Zone. Their numbers are bolstered by the constant stream of soulforged reborn from the Dead of Kirinal.
The Host is divided into 5 battalions of 2,000 soldiers each. Those battalions are named after each of the Five Immortal Paladins, the Tridenser Saints. Those are furthed divided into 10 companies of 200 soldiers each.
Mechanical Man at the Gate of Heaven: Year One
This one is designated #1,975. This one is genderless. This one's purpose is to stand at the Eastern Gate. This one holds a spear. This one permits or denies entry.
The day is designated Heaven. The Manifest celestial dimension is designated Elysium.
The flesh mortals designated "pilgrims" come to visit the Manifest Elysium. As of the 7th hour past dawn, the number of flesh mortals passing me are 3,502 and counting.
The flesh mortals have leakage from their optical sensors. The flesh mortals make vocalizations associated with emotions. "Ha. Hu. Ha. Huh." This one cannot tell if it is the laugh or the cry.
A small human bearing colored foliage walks by and looks at this one. It comes to this one and says, "I love how you hold your spear! But you look so sad! I was bringing this sunflower to give to the gods, but you look like you could use it more!"
This one now has a flower on this one's armor.
Knights of the Tridenser
Over the millenia, legendary Knights of the Tridenser have faced down evil hordes, demonic invasions, and insane elder gods. They have never turned away from a fight, even when the odds were hopeless. They continue their watch on the Kirinal Pit with the promise that their banners will never run.
Tridenser Knights serve as the command structure of the Tridenser Host's battalions, companies, and banners. Each knight has been trained since squirehood to lead soldiers into combat. They form the most disciplined and best organized leadership corps in the Zone.
An old alliance with the metallic dragons allows each commanding Knight in the Zone rides a bronze dragon into battle.
I trust my steel and ceramic troops just as much as I trust those of flesh and blood. We have stood together no matter what the Pit has thrown at us.
Holy Defenders
The heavily armored Holy Defenders form the bulk of the Host. The majority of them are soulforged with the balance made up of humans, dwarves, and half-elves coming from the lands who make up the Oath of Anam.
They are typically covered in heavy armor, carry shields, and wield pikes and longswords. They protect the Pit Wall and guard the Eastern Gate.
We are stronger together. We will not break.
Mechanical Man at the Gate of Heaven: Year Ten
Self Designate #1,975 called Spearholder. Self guards the Eastern Gate. The Manifest today is Elysium.
Self looks through the crowd of persons going through the gate. Self looks for, Flower Giver, the formerly small person who is now a grown person. Self sees the red hair and green eyes of the young human carrying a bouquet of sunflowers. The young human comes every Elysium Heaven to give flowers to the young human's gods.
"Spearholder! It's always good to see you!" The young human pulls a sunflower from the bouquet. "It's my wedding day today! Wish me luck and many children!"
The young human makes the sound known as laughter. The young human makes the movement known as dancing. The young human enters the Eastern Gate.
Clerics of Anam
The fighting Clerics of Anam form the heart and soul of the Tridenser Host. Most of them are devotees of St. Maryam, the Silver Tridenser. They provide divine support for the soldiers they serve with. These talented healers also double as mechanics and repairmen for their soulforged brethren.
Skyguard, Soulforged Skyships
Like the rest of the Kirinal Defenders, the Host has a skyship armada to turn back aerial threats. They supplement the already formidable Tridenser dragon riders with a fleet of skyships called the Tridenser Skyguard. The Skyguard consists of three capital class ships and their attendant group of smaller frigates and patrol ships.
The signature of the Skyguard are the unique Soulforged Sky Ships. Soulforged aviators control capital class dreadnoughts through Hex Crystal Soul Helms, allowing them to use the skyships as if they were their own bodies. The Soul Helms are expensive and difficult to manufacture. The Host only maintains three of them, installed on their main dreadnoughts.
The flagship, Falcon Skyguard, is a sentient dreadnought whose soulforged captain merged with the ship permanently through a Soul Helm accident. She has resisted all attempts to separate her, preferring to live as a sky ship, rather than having a mortal sized body.
Mechanical Man at the Gate of Heaven: Year One Hundred
I guard the Eastern Gate on the Day of Heaven. It's Elysium today. I shed a tear as I do every Elysium Heaven. I miss my friend.
Strength & Honor Award 2022
I really love the story that weaves through this about Sunflower. It was really lovely to see their language and concept of self develop as it goes on, and as they grow attached to other people. At first glance I thought it was an odd story to see contrasted with a description of an army, but the more I think of it the more I like it. Armies are built up of people, and sometimes it can be worth reminding readers of that.
Thank you! It does fit in strangely, but hopefully it serves its purpose of livening up a relatively dry explain-y article!
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!