The Annals of the Exalted Codex
Age of Strife
Our history before the Exalted Codex is inconsistent and fragmented, a tragedy countless historians over the years have attempted to correct. I will do my best to summarize what certainties we have been able to cobble together. Centuries ago, not long after the Lost Age, mankind began rebuilding. Structures tall enough to touch the sky dominated the horizon, some so large you could get lost in their shadow. Food was plentiful, people were safe, and mankind flourished. But in their complacency did grow a darkness, a malevolent force driven to eradicate humanity: the Blight.
We achieved greatness as a race, yet in spite of that we grew accustomed to individualism, a debauchery of the soul that eroded our attachments to one another. A callous disregard was born for the lives and well-being of any save our closest companions. This was among the first chinks in our armor, a crack the Blight would use to infiltrate our people. Sinister and subtle, it molded our ancestors like clay, implanting strange desires and offering even stranger rewards. It drove wedges between friends, colleagues became distant, and fights were sparked amid family. Soon all were strangers.
The Blight, having grown fat on the ignorance and apathy of our ancestors, struck at our weakest and most vulnerable members, our children. Taken in the night and cloaked by indifference, only 8% under the age of nine were recovered. Panic spread through the human race like a virus, contagious and deadly. With Blighted minds people could find no peace, no respite from this sympathetic siege. Emboldened, the Blight found new weapons to strike at us, the twin human constructs of ambition and avarice. Entire cities were lost to this era of vandalism and theft.
It was in the ashes of our civilization that our Order was born. Comprised of survivors who treasured discipline, fellowship, and martial prowess above all things; the forefathers built the Enclave. Designed to be self-sustaining and endure any assault, the Enclave become home to thousands. Were this to be a happy story, it would end here. Sadly, we had only evaded the Blight, not destroyed it. Insidious as always, it infected our people and drove them against us. However, we were not as unprepared as our ancestors. We fought valiantly against countless agents of the Blight, each more hideous than the last, as if we could see the humanity sloughing off them.
Despite our gallantry our numbers dwindled and our hope waned as the vastness of our foe became apparent. Just when our will began to fade, a scholar named Drusus discovered a way to fight back against the Blight itself. He had been compiling a journal detailing the appearance, capabilities, weaknesses, and even the origin of every monster we overcame when he noticed a striking similarity: each creature originated from chaos, unpredictability, or uncertainty. Order needed to be maintained and enforced with rigor. In this we were able to strike the first blow against the Blight.
Although his work outlasted him, Drusus’ journal would become the foundation of mankind’s survival. Many years after his death, the Templar Aemiliana began to question the lessons of Drusus. She was stubborn and compassionate, dangerous traits that had earned her a reputation for recklessness. But it was these same traits that lead her to the Order’s second blow against the Blight. During a routine sweep outside the Enclave, Aemiliana’s team captured a Blighted agent. Although her commander insisted on following standard execution orders, Aemiliana exercised her right to duel a commanding officer for poor judgment. She claimed to see fear in its eyes and questioned all present to ask themselves, “What if killing this creature is what the Blight wants of us? If we kill senselessly, needlessly, are we not giving the Blight an entry into our minds?”
"Librarian Aelius went on for three hours detailing the battle between Aemiliana and her commander. I have omitted this for the sake of brevity. Seriously, three hours of tactics and descriptions of metal striking armor. Apparently, she's that big of a deal."
-Captain Monsai, H.E.P.L.
In the end, Aemiliana was able to discover a method to return this creature’s humanity, although I’m told the method today is far more effective and less taxing on the supplicant. As we perfected this art our tactics against the Blight shifted. We needed to analyze how tattered the humanity of a monster had become before we end its life. These poor creatures were suffering at the hand of the Blight as much as we were, perhaps moreso because they lacked the guidance of the Codex. They were not the enemy, but rather stricken, diseased, and vulnerable. We needed to become angels, graced by knowledge in the Codex, to rescue their souls and recover their humanity.
-Librarian Aelius
“In studying the Order of the Exalted Codex, I have found that their organizational structure is the key factor in keeping much of their society functioning. While the Historians and Templars I have interacted with have spoken endlessly about the hierarchy of the Order, they have not been entirely descriptive on what each group actually does.”
-Captain Monsai, H.E.P.L.
Castes (Each caste and sect is unquestioned in its field)
Learned Caste
Sects - Historians, Scholars and Advisors
Roles:
Librarian, learn and instruct
Scribe, collect and create new knowledge
Vanguard Caste
Sects - Inquisitors, Commanders and Diplomats
Roles:
Templars, martial focus
Paladins, mystic focus
Enforcement Caste
Sects - Valiants, Soldiers and Reclaimers
Roles:
Crusader, unbreakable, unstoppable, never fighting alone
Zealots, reckless but effective monster hunters
Ranks (Primus is superior to Secundus, etc)
Primus
There is only one Primus ranked person per sect.
Secundus
There are always two Secundus ranked people per sect.
Tertius
There are always three Tertius ranked people per sect.
Quartus
There are always four Quartus ranked people per sect.
Novus
The designation given to an unranked in any sect.
Age of Discovery
We learned to defend and hide the Enclave to prevent even the smallest unknown intrusion. Although it may seem standoffish to keep it hidden so, try to understand, we do this for the greater good. If even a minor element or, Codex-forbid, an agent of the Blight were to find its way in, the future of Humanity would no longer be safe. I believe it was a patrol led by Templar Caratacus that stumbled upon a Wayfarer scout that led to our introduction to the “Age of Discovery”.
The last two years have forced us to change our tactics once again. We must be careful how quickly we open our gates and services to others or the Blight may use this opportunity to assault us once again. Yet, we would be neglecting our duty to the human race if we did not offer any assistance to those who are so obviously struggling. We’ve made arrangements with the Trade Princes to allow our Valiants, accompanied by an Inquisitor, to serve as mercenaries while we learn more about one another.
-Paladin Tiburtius