The Triumvirate and The Blinding of the Gods
Forty years past, the gods went blind.
There was no sign, no celestial event when it took place. But when it did, the entire valley slowly realized what it meant. Those touched by the gods, paladins and blackguards alike, came to the realization that they could no longer sense the righteousness of the soul. No longer were paladins able to discern the holy from the corrupt, nor those fiendish warriors who served dark gods able to distinguish potential tool from dangerous foe. This strange happening seemed to take place only within Sundren’s borders. The farther one got from the formerly war-ridden country, the ability to sense good grew.
The knights of the Triumvirate, though few in number, gathered at a summit in the halls of the Temple of Lathander. While at first formal and restrained, the more the holy warriors debated the cause, the more fractious the meeting became. There were those who believed that it was a test from Tyr and the other goodly gods, while some thought it a sign to abandon the valley to its devices. Others proclaimed a holy crusade, asking to bring faithful from other lands in, while yet still more remained steadfastly certain that their power to see the hearts of men was clouded by their own sins, and that they had all fallen.
“All that is, but one. Lady Tehk of the Lance, sworn paladin of the Red Knight “
Finally, a holy knight of the Lathanderite temple called a pause to the deliberations. Speaking calmly to those gathered, the knight brought forth an empty hand and spoke.
Those gathered heard the wisdom in the knight’s words, and to a great extent agreed: their mission had not changed, nor had it any bearing on their behavior in the eyes of their gods. Calling the summit to an end, the knights filed out.
The Vanitium
All that is, but one. Lady Tehk of the Lance, sworn paladin of the Red Knight sought favor with her fellows for a purpose: to seek out the reason behind the blindness, and to remove it. A sworn faithful of the Red Knight, Lady Tehk rode off into the wilds of Sundren with a small cadre of knights, calling themselves the Vanitium. These knights are a small group even within the Triumvirate, and are seen mostly as foolish wanderers who chase the wind. Ridiculed by some, they are a priceless aid in the wilds. While they are seen rarely within civilized lands, the Vanitium protect explorers and travelers when they are come across in the wilds. Many a merchant or explorer has owed their lives to these questing knights, and they have a fearsome reputation as trackers and warriors.
Dispater