Blackwall Company

Summary
Defenders of the Silver Pass during the War of the Underworld, fighting the Lunar Fey side-by-side with the High Templars during the Battle of Devil's Moon, and stubbornly refusing to yield to Sidyrakyz the Inferno - any of these alone would make an organization worthy of song and legend. But for the Blackwall Company, they are instead grim reminders of their purpose, and how easily epic victories could turn to crushing defeat.

History
Originally formed as a volunteer guard organization called the Moredhal Company to supplement the High Templars' ranks in Moredhal, the Blackwall Company traces its origins back to the aftermath of the Travian Conquests and the rise of the Pantheon to supremacy in the Northern Realms. Less extreme in their beliefs than the Angelmoon Circle, the original Moredhal Company was nonetheless primarily formed of Old Ways devotees but recognized the need to maintain order and stability if there was to be any hope of coexistence between the Pantheon and the Old Ways. Despite violence and unrest fomented by the Angelmoon Circle, the Moredhal Company acquitted themselves admirably in the eyes of the High Templars, and when the Battle of Devil's Moon began the vast majority of them sided with the Pantheon without hesitation. In the years after, Moredhal worked out an agreement with the High Templars to have the Moredhal Company serve as the non-religious peacekeepers in the future Blackwall Protectorate. Though largely unconcerned with mortal politics not involving the Pantheon, the High Templars agreed, and Moredhal honored its treaty as it had honored its earlier alliance during the Battle of Devil's Moon.

For nearly two thousand years, the Moredhal Company was little more than a coalition of dutiful guards and patrols working to keep the region stable and relatively peaceful. As the War of the Underworld spread to the Northern Realms during the Silver War, the Moredhal Company faced its greatest foe since the Lunar Fey in the form of the Durau and their allies. Outnumbered and outmatched, the Moredhal Company nevertheless fought valiantly against the invading hordes but were ultimately defeated in battle and Moredhal itself was sacked. The survivors of the Moredhal Company still consider their efforts a victory, however, as they purchased valuable time for Moredhal's population to evacuate and flee. When the Durau were later defeated and abandoned Moredhal, the Moredhal Company resolved to prevent a repeat of that defeat and constructed the Silver Pass Wall in addition to rebuilding and fortifying Moredhal proper. Their greatest test came two hundred years later when Sidyrakyz the Inferno stressed those defenses to their absolute limit.

The resources and discipline devoted to building, maintaining, and expanding the Silver Pass Wall and Moredhal's own fortification gave the Moredhal Company the strength to survive the assault of a Great Red Wyrm and her cowed minions as they attacked the Silver Pass Wall. Sidyrakyz the Inferno was capable of melting and even disintegrating solid stone with her fiery breath, but an extensive network of tunnels, secondary walls, and reinforced battlements allowed them to survive for over a week, long enough for Lady Andara and her assembled band of dragonslayers to arrive and slay the beast. Even though miles of the Silver Pass Wall were charred black and melted beyond recognition, the Orcs and Kobolds at the Great Red Wyrm's command were unable to break through, and they fled at the sight of Sidyrakyz the Inferno falling from the sky as Lady Andara unleashed the Eye of Andara upon her. Bloodied, battered, but unbroken, the Moredhal Company surveyed the ruin of Moredhal and with the same grit and resolve as before vowed to rebuild yet again. This time, however, the smoking black stone gave them the idea of establishing themselves as a symbol, claiming the image of an indomitable force even Sidyrakyz the Inferno could not break, and the Moredhal Company became the Blackwall Company. Moredhal itself followed suit and became Blackwall.

As the Blackwall Company, the organization grew larger, more militant, and almost zealous in its devotion to the ideals of stability, unity, and ironclad purpose and discipline in pursuit of the greater good. By 3600 DY, the Blackwall Company transformed itself into the ruling body of the Blackwall Protectorate and sought to expand their influence, to stop invasions before they began. To do so, the Blackwall Company began to sell its services to other nations and power groups, and though viewed as soldiers-of-fortune, in truth the Blackwall Company enacts the will of the Lord-Marshal in the long-term goal of establishing Blackwall as the next Great City of Coznakk.