The Northern Resistance

The Blackwatch, or the Northern Resistance as it is less commonly known, emerged from the ashes of the Battle of Mohrladen Hold. Their history is as tumultuous as the lands they hail from, full of strife and rebellion, a mirror of the harsh and unforgiving world they inhabited. From a band of remnants of a human army sent from Mercadia, they fought valiantly at Morlahden Hold, standing against the merciless onslaught of the Shadowclan as it bore down on the Elven capitol of Arandor. Under the determined leadership of General Ironmantle, the first to bear the name Grayson Ironmantle, they held the line against the grim tide. But their bravery was not met with the support they had hoped for. Following the aftermath of the battle, in late 16868, the Kingdom of Mercadia sought to capitalize on the conflict, seeking to expand its borders and establish an outpost as a buffer against the aggressive cultists of the Dread Bog.

The outpost was intended to stem the tide of cultists, who had swelled their numbers by taking in survivors from Olverton, and refugees from Ameresh. But the venture was marred by problems from the start. The Blackwatch found themselves ill-supplied, their resources strained, while the Mercadian nobility squabbled among themselves. Forced to forage from the land and shelter in makeshift tents, they found themselves fighting off cultist incursions and bandit raids on a regular basis.The frustrations of the Blackwatch reached a boiling point, and they broke their ties with Mercadia, declaring themselves a wholly separate entity. But their act of rebellion did not win them friends amongst the other races. The Elves, ever suspicious, saw their declaration as a power grab, an attempt to seize control of nearby Elven territory, and they withdrew further into Arandor, their aid to the Blackwatch only minimal.

The Dwarves of Karagard, ever pragmatic and focused on self-preservation, fortified their mountain home against further incursions by the Shadowclan. They expanded their fortress under the mountains until a great port sat on its eastern edge, effectively isolating themselves from the turmoil above. The Blackwatch now stand alone amongst the four races of the realm, a group of hardened warriors defined by their resilience and their refusal to submit to any outside control. It is rumored, however, that not all who grow up under the shadow of the Northern Resistance remain there. There are whispers of desertion, of Blackwatch members or descendants of members slipping away to Tilverton, and even back to Edana.

Today, the Blackwatch continues to uphold its independence fiercely, their resentment for the powers around them still burning strong. They are a testament to survival against the odds, a beacon of stubborn defiance in the face of a world that has offered them little but strife and hardship. Even so, they endure, carving out a harsh existence in the northern wastes, ever watchful, ever resistant. Their legacy is a complicated one, forged in the fires of conflict and marked by betrayal and abandonment. But it is a legacy they carry with pride, a testament to their resilience, their tenacity, and their undying will to survive.

Notable Quotes

"Ladies and Gentlemen, brave warriors, stalwart citizens of the Northern Resistance, tonight we stand here, not as victims, but as victors, united under the banner of The Blackwatch. Tonight, we cast off the shackles of our unjust past, and look toward a future forged by our own hands. There was a time, a time when we served the Kingdom of Mercadia faithfully. We toiled, we bled, we paid our dues in sweat and blood, trusting in the promise of a greater common good. But we were met with betrayal, our trust squandered, our hopes left to wither in the cold. It has been a long, hard journey, fraught with the perils of cultists, bandits, and the brutal elements. But we have endured.

Tonight, we say 'no more'. No more will we bear the yoke of Mercadian misrule. No more will we be treated as lesser, as pawns to be sacrificed for the whims of a far-off nobility, or some feeble monarchy. We are not the dregs of society to be tossed aside, we are the iron backbone of this land, and it is high time we were recognized for it. Our path will not be easy. We stand on the precipice of an uncertain future. The nights are cold, our resources scarce. Every day brings with it a new struggle for survival. But remember, it is the wolf at the bottom of the hill that is hungriest, and we, my friends, are famished. Our enemies may come in many forms. They may be the cultists lurking in the shadows, seeking to undermine our unity with whispers of chaos and division. Or the bandits that prey on the weak and the helpless, hoping to benefit from our strife. Yet, we shall not falter. For our strength lies not in our swords or our magic, but in our hearts, in our unyielding spirit. In the face of despair, we will find hope. In the face of adversity, we will stand strong. We are not just survivors, we are warriors. Warriors do not simply endure; we prevail. We fight not just for ourselves, but for our families, our homes, and the promise of a better tomorrow.

Let the Kingdom of Mercadia hear our declaration this night: We are not your servants! We are not your pawns! We are the Northern Resistance! We are The Blackwatch! Let them underestimate us, let them scoff at our resolve, let them dismiss us as rebels and renegades. For every harsh word, every insult, every dismissal is but fuel to our fire. And I tell you now, my friends, this fire, our fire, will light up the darkness. It will burn so brightly that it will be seen from the throne rooms of Mercadia itself. The hour is late. The time for talk is over. Now is the time for action, for unity, for resistance. With each passing moment, we grow stronger, our resolve steeled by our shared trials and tribulations. Remember, it is the storm that forms the strongest stones, it is the fire that tempers the toughest steel. Look around you, at your brothers and sisters, your comrades in arms. Remember this night, remember why you are here, why you fight. Carry this moment in your heart, let it be your beacon in the darkest night, your shield in the fiercest battle.

Tonight, we begin a new chapter in our history. Tonight, we stand as one. Tonight, we are The Blackwatch. And by the strength of our will, by the depth of our courage, by the purity of our conviction, we will not be broken. We will not be defeated. We will prevail! For we are not the beaten, the battered, the downtrodden. We are the champions of our own destiny, the writers of our own history. We are The Blackwatch.

Long live the Northern Resistance! Long live The Blackwatch!"

~A speech given by Grayson Ironmantle on the day they declared independence from the Kingdom of Mercadia

Bosses

Lieutenant Dunnharrow: A skilled officer who is second only to General Ironmantle

Can leverage weapon special moves

Can call for reinforcements

General Ironmantle: The aged leader of Blackwatch, still a fierce and able warrior

Can use Berserker Rage

Can use weapon special moves

The Northern Resistance