"Codex: Imperial Knights and Ten Commandments of the Imperial Knight
The term of the Imperial Knight is rather loosely used in the Sacred Phoenix Empire, and it doesn't have an exact definition, though this is something that the Empire, despite its roots, has in common with the rest of Azeroth.
In the traditions of Azeroth, the Knights are traditionally powerful horse-mounted warriors of the Alliance and the kingdoms of humanity. They are usually humans, although other factions have Knights as well, such as the Elves.
They symbolize respect and honor among humans. When one becomes a Knight, he or she is given the title Sir or Dame in front of his or her name. An armored knight on his charger with his cape flowing is an icon of the might of the human armies.
Within the Sacred Phoenix Empire, the Imperial Knights could mean several things instead.
It could be either the members of The Holy Templar Order of the Secret Fire, Order of Phoenix Crownsguard, Knights in the aspects closer to the traditional Azerothian meaning or even the members of the Sardaukar.
Regardless of origin, all Imperial Knights follow the Creed of the Imperial Knights. It is the Code of Chivalry that every one of them must follow. These commandments of the Imperial Knights are an integral part of the Imperial society and even that of the government of the Sacred Phoenix Empire.
1st Commandment: By the Divine Grace of the Aeldari Gods, by the Mercy of the Light and Power of the Fire, we serve through the unbreakable Loyalty, Will, Devotion and Conviction
2nd Commandment: Bear true allegiance to His Imperial Majesty, The Fire Emperor
3rd Commandment: Work to promote the unity of the Empire, even at the cost of individual liberty
4th Commandment: Defend the domains of the Empire and expand the glory of the Empire too beyond
5th Commandment: Protect the weak and fight for the right
6th Commandment: Always fight the enemies of Order and destroy those seeking Chaos
7th Commandment: Never give up the fight until the foe is defeated
8th Commandment: Never to break faith with a friend or ally
9th Commandment: Honor and valor are reserved for allies; death is judgment for the enemies in battle, where everything is permitted
10th Commandment: Root out and destroy Greenskins, Demons, Voidlings, Falese Gods and those who Corrupt the Arcane, Nature and Elements and purge the Corrupt, Heretics, Cultists, Mutants and Unclear, Wherever they may hide."
- The Knighthood of Azeroth: It's History, Origins and Modern Form by Scholar Arath Stonefist of the Military Academy of Stormwind, Year 25 ADP
***
"I bid you welcome, Fire Lord Aenarion Septim and General Esdeath Septim."
Aenarion raised his brow because it seemed that somebody had done the homework and found out that Esdeath didn't like to be addressed as Queen. It was just her own personal preference that she liked to be addressed as General instead of Queen.
She liked the first one more, while at the same time, it was a testament to her winning skills and power, not just being married to him. It seemed that when they were discussing the diplomatic visit, King Barathen Wrynn made some effort to find out about their personal preferences.
Even his wife was pleased by this sudden, yet welcomed, surprise in the development.
"Thank you for the gracious welcome, King Wrynn. We are honored to establish diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Stormwind."
Aenarion said, as he was followed by several members of the Phoenix Crownsguard, that he and Esdeath walked side by side and met with the King of the Stormwind, Barathen Wrynn.
Next to the King stood his wife, Varia Wrynn.
Aenarion gave the queen of Stormwind the traditional bow that was commonly done as a form of greeting between Stormwind's nobles, as the queen returned the greeting with a gentle smile, as the entire delegation slowly moved toward the Stormwind Keep.
Both rulers walked side by side with their wives, who followed several steps behind them.
"During the journey to Stormwind, we were able to see the large numbers of Gurubashi Trolls moving toward the borders of Stormwind, and their numbers were not small."
Aenarion said to the King of Stormwind as they entered Stormwind Keep, because the number of Gurubashi Jungle Trolls that they had seen was concerning, as their numbers were too high.
He would be somewhat concerned by such a development if he were the King of Stormwind, and he knew that it wouldn't be long before the Stormwindians noticed the changes in the behavior of the Gurubashi Trolls.
Such huge numbers that were moving all around couldn't be concealed at all unless they used some wide-scale Magic. The Trolls were obviously not using it, considering the fact that they could still observe them from the heights of their Airfleet.
"Dammed created... since the Gnoll War and the expansion of the Stormwind toward the Stranglethorn Vale, the ancient homeland of the Gurubashi Jungle Trolls, we are having rather serious problems with the Troll population and their increasing attacks on the borders."
Aenarion could see that King Barathen was angry, hearing this piece of information..
"Why haven't you attacked them yet? With the power that the Stormwind commands, it should be easy to push the Gurubashi Trolls into the jungles and secure more territory from them."
According to the information gathered by the Onmitsukidō, Stormwind should be powerful enough to achieve such a result, yet for some reason, King Wrynn adopted a non-aggressive stance to these instances of violence, hoping to prevent provoking an all-out war between the two races.
It wasn't really working that well, because over time, what were once small clashes erupted into much larger disturbances. Organized troll warbands frequently began raiding Stormwindian lands, and an ever-increasing amount of blood was spilled during the conflict.
Not to mention, this policy of static defense, ordering his troops to intercept and engage any invaders but forbidding them from launching retaliatory attacks into troll lands, proved to be bitterly controversial within the Kingdom, where the King's own son, Prince Llane, strongly advocated for a more aggressive approach.
Aenarion knew about this from the reports of the Onmitsukidō, and he was also aware of the growing discontent among the Kingdom's Nobiltiy. However, they were not the real danger.
The real problem was coming from the discontent of Stormwind's Military because several Generals and high-ranking officers were not satisfied with the defensive approach of the King to the situation.
"Militarily wise? Yes, we are powerful enough to push the Gurubashi Trolls back and rather easily at that... but that would mean to play on the playground... and if we fight in those Jungles, then we would be suffering huge losses."
King Barathen Wrynn sighed in defeat because he was aware that fighting the Gurubashi Trolls right now would mean fighting them on their home turf, where they would have an absolute advantage in terms of territory.
Not to mention...
Their numbers were huge, they were right now unified under one banner, they had a common purpose and conviction, their Loas behind them, and advanced as one.
"I can understand that sentiment... fighting someone who thrives in the Jungle in the territory itself, would be literal suicide. We need to wait for the Trolls to come to us, to crush them during their offensive on Stormwind."
This was something that both Aenarion and Esdeath understood very well. From the pure strategic perspective, the best course of action would be provoking the Gurubashi Trolls into attacking the Stormwind en masse.
While this would lead to the invasion of the kingdom, at the same time, the material damages and some losses of lives, especially the civilians, could be a bit higher. It would be worth it overall from a long-term perspective.
With this, if they managed to bait the majority of the Jungle Troll forces into attacking Stormwind, it would lead them to become vulnerable, and then Stormwind's Army could surround the Jungle Trolls and exterminate them in one swoop.
Internally enough, the Jungle Trolls were strongest when they were fighting in their natural habitat and when they were being supported by the mysterious Loa.
"That would be the most appropriate strategy against the Jungle Trolls."
Aenarion commented on that, but didn't say anything more, because he could feel that what was the aim of the King Wrynn in this regard. He was most probably aiming to obtain the assistance of the Fire Nation in dealing with the Gurubashi Trolls.
Even though the Gurubashi Trolls were primitive compared to the Stormwindians, they had several advantages over the Stormwindians, which were somewhat hard to counter.
The reports of the Onmitsukidō were relatively clear in this aspect. Even Aenarion was sometimes amazed by the efficiency of the agents of the Onmitsukidō because they were conducting espionage and dangerous missions with a very high degree of efficiency.
The Onmitsukidō was already gathering information on the state of the Gurubashi Trolls and also the information from the Stormwind.
The Gurubashi Trolls were united for the first time, and various Tribes were advancing as one, which was very rare. Usually, the various Tribes were pretty much hostile to one another and often fought to the death.
The second thing about the Gurubashi Trolls that was very problematic was their conviction to strike against Stormwind due to the expansion of the Stormwindians into the Stranglethorn Vale, which was the ancestral home of the Gurubashi Tribe. This was something akin to heresy to them, so they were dead-set on exacting revenge against Stormwind.
And the third thing, which reached the ears of the Onmitsukidō, was the presence of the Loa.
This was...
So far, it was the hardest thing to deal with.
"It is... but, if the Gurubashi Trolls decide to attack us with the full force, we would be facing their Gods... the Loa, and according to the Mages of the Dalaran, the Loas are beings of considerable power."
King Barathen Wrynn said as he led the delegation of the Fire Nation into the Stormwind Keep, as they were accompanied by a mixture of the Stormwind Royal Guard Knights and the Phoenix Crownsguard that were watching everything around them like a hawk.
"Do you think that they would use their Loas in the invasion? From what I heard, they are their trump cards and ultimate protectors of their lands. Even uneducated peasants would know that they are too precious to risk that they would be killed or something for nothing."
Aenarion asked because, according to what Onmitsukidō gathered, the Loas were the Gods of the Trolls. Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of time and resources, especially the written books on the Loa, not much was known about them.
It was known that every troll tribe, regardless of its customs and traditions, shared a common religion.
The worship and reverence for the so-called Wild Gods.
The Loa can grant wondrous boons or inflict terrible punishments on trolls. Tales abound in troll culture of those blessed by the Loa with extraordinary regenerative abilities, strengthening their already powerful, natural regeneration.
The tale of Vula'jin the Void speaks of how he regrew almost his entire body after standing in a pool of shadowflame. But just as the Loa can bless, they can also curse; troll children are taught legends of those cursed by the Loa, such as Gri'lek, unable to heal even flesh wounds, to instill the proper respect for their patron spirits.
Fire Nation had some more extensive knowledge on the Loa, something that was known only to Aenarion and his wives, because it was told by the Grand Magister Belo'vir Salonar personally during his visit to the Fire Nation.
Even though the Loa were powerful, according to the Grand Magister, they were, on average, around the Legendary Level, with only the strongest and most powerful of them at the Demigod Level.
Yet, that was not all.
The High Elves, who had the most extensive dealings with the Trolls, as they were fighting against the Amani Trolls for several millennia already, knew that even though some of the Loas could be extremely powerful, there were many restrictions on them using their powers.
Or rather, acting personally.
"I am aware of this, but... as someone who has been dealing with these abominations for a long time, the Trolls are not the brightest individuals under the sun, nor are they the ones that are governed by logic and reason. Especially if they are led by madmen like Warlord Jok'non."
Aenarion could hear the hatred behind it as the man spat out the name of the Troll Warlord like he wanted to chop him into a thousand pieces while he was still alive. The people of Stormwind held a huge hatred for the Troll Warlords, and those like Jok'non who were known for their great aggressiveness...
He talked with the King of Stormwind about politics and various things, as Esdeath was meanwhile speaking with the King's wife, Queen Varia Wrynn, who was accompanying the Fire Lord's wife.
As much as Queen Varia knew, Fire Lord Aenarion had three wives, and apparently, the man loved his wives very much, going with all of their wishes. When her husband was talking with the diplomats from the Fire Nation, they told them that the Fire Lord would be very delighted to see if the wishes of his wife regarding the accommodation and entertainment were fulfilled.
This was because she told Aenarion that she wanted to see the Gryphons and even ride one, that she wanted to see how the Stormwind's Military trained for the combat, and that she had some specific requirements regarding the accommodation.
One didn't really need to be a genius to figure out that, like in many antiosn, the Queen had the King's ear... especially if they had good and strong relationships.
It wasn't much different from Stormwind, where nobles would usually approach her instead of her husband if they wanted something that the King was adamant about refusing or not going with.
She also knew that all wives of the Fire Lord held far more power than any Queen on Azeroth ever held. It was not just the political power that stemmed from being the Queen; they also held real power in the Kingdom itself, including military power.
The woman next to her, was General-Commander of the Khaos Brigade, one of the most elite units in the Fire Nation's military. This was rather unheard of in the Eastern Kingdoms, as the status of women within the Azeorth wasn't equal to that of men.
Most of the Kingdom didn't even allow women to enlist in the Army or Militia, with the exception of Stormwind and Kul Tiras. In Stormwind, due to the ancient tradition of the Arathor Empire, even women were allowed to be enlisted in the military and even become Knights.
Something that was considered extremely rare in the north, often being frowned on.
"Tomorrow, we have prepared a military inspection and also the training of the Gryphon Knights."
Gryphons are powerful and highly intelligent winged beasts with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion. Native to the Aerie Peak and the Hinterlands, they have long shared an inseparable bond with the dwarves of the Wildhammer clan, who were the only ones in Azeroth who could have said to have tamed them entirely.
Stormwind had only a handful of the Gryphons that they managed to obtain through their friendship with dwarves, and the number of people who could ride the Gryphons in Stormwind could be counted on one hand.
"That would be splendid. I heard that the Gryphons are one of the fiercest kinds of beasts on Azeroth."
Esdeath was rather delighted that they would be going to see the Gryphon and the Gryphon Knights of the Stormwind. The number of the Gryphon Knights in Stormwind was extremely low, as there were only something below thirty of them, but each of them was an Elite-Level Knight, and they were the most powerful military unit of the Kingdom.
Stormwind invested a lot of resources into cultivating these Gryphon Knights, as their were on of their trump cards during the conflicts. At the same time, most of the Gryphon Knights were from the Royal Guard or from the Brotherhood of the Horse.
"I heard that you are also one of the most prominent Generals of the Fire Nation aside from being the Queen and daughter of the Patriarch of the Partas Tribe."
After the events of the "Great Purge" that was carried out by the Onmitsukidō in several waves, the traditional nobility of the Fire Nation was almost exterminated to the last one, and now, only a handful of them remained alive.
Those in positions of power could be counted on one hand.
The only notable one among the Clans that survived the purge was the Feng Clan, and together with the Partas Clan, they were something that was called the Great Principal Clans because Aenarion would be reinstating the concept of nobility in the Fire Nation.
But contrary to the old times, this time it would be with many changes.
"In the Fire Nation, only two things matter. Power and Merit. Even before my husband became the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation was always built on the concept of personal power and Military War Merit, and even though the Partas Tribe is one of the major Clans of the Fire Nation, we are first and foremost, a Clan of warriors and hunters. Nobody respects the weak in the Clan, and from a young age, my father taught me to fight and carve my own place in the world. In the ned, due to that, I even met my husband."
Esdeath explained as she started talking more and more, which brought a slight smile to Aenarion's face because it seemed that Queen Varia Wrynn was striking up a conversation with his wife.
Which was...
Like a small miracle.
Usually, the topics for conversation with Esdeath were related to training, Bending, military, and hunting. Not to mention, within the Fire Nation, the number of people who even dared to talk with her casually could actually be counted on one hand, as there were not many of such people.
"You are really fortunate, King Wrynn."
Aenarion said as he looked at the fellow ruler.
"Why do you say, Lord Septim?"
King Barathen Wrynn raised his brow at the Fire Lord as they were all sitting in the dining room in the Stormwind Keep and waiting for the servants to start bringing the food. Right now, only the members of the Royal Families of the two kingdoms are present, as the Nobles of Stormwind were not invited to the gathering.
The King of Stormwind wanted to have a private discussion with the delegation of the Fire Nation, without any intervention from Stormwind's Nobles.
"Because your wife is really skilled at dealing with people, based on how easily she is generating Esdeath. Something like that is considered a rare sight... all of my wives are rather strong personalities..."
Even though he loved Esdeath and Azula with all of his mind and body, he had to admit that it was very hard to get along with them. Both of them were extremely dominant and often disregarded others if they didn't hold some respect for them for whatever reason.
And obtaining such respect was an extremely arduous thing to do.
June was the only one among the three wives who was very easy to get along with, as she was pretty friendly in her nature. But for Azula and Esdeath, one needed to obtain their respect, and obtaining their respect was much easier said than done.
He still remembered that when he first met Esdeath during the campaign against the Northern Water Tribes, they had several duels to the death before she actually started looking at him like he was her equal.
She was very hard to approach due to her upbringing and the environment she was growing up in, as the conditions of the Parta Tribe were really terrible before they started working together with the Fire Nation, as the Northern Water Tribes drove them to hunger and almost extinction.
And Azula wasn't much better as the former Crown Princess of the Fire Nation was the epitome of arrogance and similarity to Esdeath; she only respected the strong and competent.
Otherwise, she would not even look at the person.
Though Aenarion knew that deep inside, both of them were rather big softies when they were alone, which was rather ironic.
"Yes... Varia has always been more skilled at politics and handling people than I ever was. Fortunately, our son inherited this trait from her, because another generation of the Warrior Kins would be detrimental to the Stormwind."
King Barathen Wrynn said with some degree of nostalgia as he knew that his wife was the political mind of Stormwind. He was a warrior, strategist, and leader, but he was rather far from being a politician.
It wasn't really something for him.
Nor did he have an interest in playing politics.
His wife was handling most of the politicking in the Kingdom, and she was the one who was dealing with the Nobles and so on. And she was excellent in that role, far better than he would ever be.
"So... shall we speak about the possible alliance and trade?"
***
Outskirts of Stormwind City
Meanwhile, the delegation from the Fire Nation was meeting with the dignitaries of Stormwind.
Not far from Stormwind City, something different was taking place.
A group of several tens of Jungle Trolls was getting into the nearby woods near Stormwind City.
The Jungle Trolls had bluish-purple skin; this was because the bodies of Jungle Trolls were covered in short, soft fur that caused them to appear purple or grey. They had long limbs and a rather striking and fearsome appearance.
Its most defining features were its facial features, which include a long, sharp nose, tusks protruding from its mouth, and glowing eyes. The troll's wild, red mohawk and pointed ears give it a distinct tribal warrior look.
The Trolls were adorned with golden and red armor pieces on their shoulders, decorated with tribal patterns and feathers. Most of them were wearing loincloths, bracelets, and anklets that matched the tribal theme.
As the weapon of choice, many of them were using jagged daggers that had curved handles and radiated an ominous, glowing aura, or were holding staff-like weapons adorned with skulls.
These were the Jungle Trolls of the Gurubashi Tribe, and they somehow managed to find their way straight to the heart of Stormwind. In the end, it wasn't anything surprising, considering the fact that they knew the territory like the back of their hand.
The contingent of the Gurubashi Trolls in their secret mission to Stormwind was Bloodlord Mandokir. The very powerful Jungle Troll of the Hero-Level was one of the favorite servants of Hakkar, the Soulflayer.
Right now, their purpose in Stormwind was very simple.
They were to summon the minions of their God into Stormwind City, which would take the humans by surprise, as most of the human forces were being concentrated on the borders of Stormwind and in the new distant territories of the Kingdoms.
"Move faster. Is everything ready, High Priest Zanzil?"
Bloodlord Mandokir was bigger than the average Jungle Troll; he was also more muscular and was wearing more ornamented armor. Not to mention, the armor that the Bloodlord Mandokir was wearing was much better than that of the rest of the trolls, which was also suble sign of his position within the Gurubashi Tribe.
"We would be soon ready. We'r fortunate that most of them and their Mages are on the borders and not in the capital."
The High Priest Zanzil was a Witch Doctor, who were spellcasters and alchemists among the Trolls. Troll Witch Doctors utilize Voodoo, Juju, and the Arcane, or some different types of some really dark and evil Magics and Spells.
At the same time, he was one of the religious leaders of the Trolls, who worshipped Hakkar the Soulflyer.
Hakkar the Soulflayer, the Blood God, is a malevolent and destructive loa notably worshipped by the Gurubashi trolls, and known in the troll pantheon as the Loa of Blood. At one point, he controlled the Gurubashi Empire's fallen capital of Zul'Gurub. Despite the fall of the Gurubashi Empire, Hakkar the Soulflayer remained the dominant deity that was being worshipped by the Gurubashi Trolls and a few other Jungle Troll Tribes.
"Then hurry up, High Priest. We have only around twenty minutes until they will scour the area once more."
Bloodlord Mandokir stated impatiently, because even though most of the forces of the Stormwind's military were tied to the borders and were stopping the raids of them into the kingdom, the capital still houses sizeable garrisons.
Including the Battle Mages that were scrying the area of the Magic disturbances in the capital and its surrounding environment.
The Jungle Trolls were working on the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual, as they were placing crimson crystals on the ground in a specific pattern, while the rest of the Jungle Trolls were controlling the perimeter of the area.
It didn't take them long to prepare everything, as the Gurubashi Trolls were in a hurry as they prepared the ritual to summon the avatar of their God, Hakkar the Soulflayer, and its Spawns and Sons.
Soon enough, the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle lit up in a crimson color and was activated.
When the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle was activated, it started congregating huge amounts of Mana in the environment in one place, and soon enough, hundreds of creatures started flooding outside of the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle.
All of them were the Wind Serpents.
They were brightly-colored, winged serpents that sport a feathered head.
Wind Serpents could be found all across the Eastern Kingdoms; primarily, they could be found in The Barrens, the Wailing Caverns, Thousand Needles, Dustwallow Marsh, Feralas, Zul'Gurub, the Temple of Atal'Hakkar, the Sethekk Halls, Netherstorm, and Blade's Edge Mountains.
Additionally, the Wind Serpents had a very strong connection with Hakkar the Soulflayer.
Hundreds upon hundreds of Spawns of Hakkar, which were red-scaled Wind Serpents, were flooding outside of the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle, and they were soon followed by the Sons of Hakkar.
The Sons of Hakkar looked mostly like the Spawns of Hakkar, but their scales were deep scarlet in color, while at the same time, they were bigger. Most of the Sons of Hakkar were also at the Elite Level and were fairly powerful.
Most of the Jungle Trolls had already started to retreat from the position of the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle, because when they saw the flooding of the Wind Serpents emerging from the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle, they knew that it was time for action.
Soon enough, the enormous pressure erupted from the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle as enormous silhouettes started emerging from it under the zealous eyes of the Gurubashi Trolls that were observing everything from a distance.
The creature was an imposing and menacing figure, blending elements of dragon, demon, and serpent. It had a humanoid upper body covered in dark, spiked armor, with large, bat-like wings that shimmered in shades of blue and purple. The creature's head resembled a dragon, with sharp horns and an open mouth revealing jagged fangs.
Its lower body transitions into a serpentine tail covered in golden scales, coiling around a blood-soaked altar. In the background of the creature, there was a translucent image of the massive, glowing red moon, adding to the ominous atmosphere.
The creature held a glowing orb of energy, possibly a source of power or a symbol of Dark Magic. Blood dripped from its wings and body, emphasizing its fearsome and god-like status.
This was the Avatar of Hakkar, the Soulflayer.
The enormous avatar of Hakkar, the Soulflayer, roared as it fully materialized from the Blood Sacrificial Summoning Ritual Circle. It turned its sight to the capital city of Stormwind and ordered the Wind Serpents to march into the city.
"Get ready. We will infiltrate the city amid the chaos and kill as many of their Nobles, Clerics, and King."
Bloodlord Mandokir ordered the Gurubashi Trolls as he was tasked by the leader of their Jungle Trolls to gather one hundred Elite-Level Trolls and attack the heart of the Stormwind Kingdom.
They were oppressed and pushed back by the humans for a very long time, to the point where the Gurubashi Tribe managed to unify the rest of the Jungle Trolls that lived in the southern Azeroth continent and unite them against the humans of Stormwind.
And when the humans of Stormwind started expanding to the Stranglethorn Valley, the Gurubashi Tribe used this as the rally point for all of the tribes of the Jungle Trolls against Stormwind to reclaim their ancestral lands.
***
The Stormwind Keep, Capital City of the Stormwind
Suddenly, as Aenarion was talking with King Barathen, and their wives were also having a conversation on their own, he felt something. Simultaneously, he stopped eating as they had traditional Stormwind cuisine for lunch.
"Something is wrong."
The Fire Lord muttered as he immediately felt some sort of disturbance in the Chi in the air.
With the heightened power that he had experienced since his arrival in Azeroth, his senses were becoming much sharper and more accurate. Right now, Aenarion could feel something in the air.
Something very evil.
Oppressive.
Dark.
Not only he, but also Esdeath was feeling the same thing.
Chi Masters, like them, were very sensitive to changes in the environment and the sources of Chi.
Everything that lived had Chi or the Life Force.
And the source of this felt...
Wrong.
Really, really wrong.