Light's Roster is a castle and settlement in the Kingdom of Lordaeron. The site currently serves as one of the main bases of operation of the Silver Hand under Queen Madelynne I.
History[]
Origin[]
Although its foundation is very recent, the stronghold has already seen much activity.
Originally raised by Edward the Pious, a Captain of the Argent Crusade, its explicit purpose was to serve as the staging point for his Order's territorial expansion in Lordaeron. However, the military enterprise quickly devolved into something far more sinister and cruel.
Given the task, but wanting for the manpower to accomplish it, the captain developed a foul scheme to complete his mission. Instead of choosing a more central location to the fortress, Edward deigned to build the settlement at Blackmarsh's doorstep. In order to remain undisturbed and undisclosed, the knight trusted the isolation provided by the large mountain chain to the west of the Grave, which was considered - and still is - to be treacherous.
After establishing a perimeter close to the border, his expedition then needed a multitude of laborers if it was to erect a fortification in limited time. He needed to look no further than Blackmarsh, the very land he intended to conquer in the name of the Crusade. The realm suffered a ravaging famine, and the spirits of the common folk were demoralized by the brutality displayed by the Royal Army during the recent rebellions.
Therefore, he associated with a small, albeit growing criminal organization known as the Bandits of the Grave United. Using the culprits as pawns, Edward spread malicious papers against the Queen and the Falconheart throughout the city of Hollowmoor, the closest township to the mountains. In those messages, the captain urged the common folk to abandon their crops and journey west.
This seditious campaign enjoyed great success, due to the aforementioned poor conditions of living that the peasantry in Blackmarsh and, in the Grave most gravely, experienced. Moreover, to lure those that somehow resisted the need to find greener pastures, the bandits were unleashed into the town, kidnapping those who defied the plan and further damaging the property.
The end result was nothing short of a miracle. With a large labor force, the main keep was completed and most of the outlying were fully operational.
The First Battle of Light's Roster[]
Despite the great success obtained by the scheme, or perhaps because of it, the Pious' operations did not go unnoticed forever. After some time, the then Highlord of the Silver Hand, Theodore Varill, learned of the slanderous papers circulating in Hollowmoor, that decried his monarch and the Duke of the Grave, Lord Danyl Graves.
Worried that this was but more fuel to the fires of chaos in the Kingdom, he promptly set the paladins to investigate the matter. After following several leads and dismantling the Bandits of the Grave United, they finally learned the plot masterminded by the Captain of the Argent Crusade.
The expedition, led by Velenor Lightmane, decided to confront the Crusader with their evidence and ask for an explanation for his immoral and criminal activities. After all, it had been discovered that rather than willing workers, the people of Hollowmoor tollied under the oppressive yoke of slavery. However, to the Silver Hand's dismay, the guards denied them entrance, forcing the use of more subtle means to get inside the castle.
Finding a gap in the wall, the knights entered Light's Roster and confirmed their information. They found many citizens from the Grave working as slaves. Still, that was not all that had been revealed: it came to their knowledge that an uprising had recently occurred, spearheaded by those who were unhappy with captivity. The crusaders were able to quell the riot, though it hindered the construction's progress immensely, allowing the gap in the wall to exist in the first place.
After some convincing, the Queen's champions were able to galvanize the rebellious prisoners into action against the Crusade. Now with an army, the forces of Lordaeron clashed with the Argents into combat, in order to bring Edward the Pious to justice.
In a brilliant showing of leadership by Dame Melendy Hunter, who was a mere squire at the time, the gallants of Madelynne I arose victorious. The self-styled Lord of Light's Roster fell on his knees, in complete surrender.
The Second Battle of Light's Roster[]
Upon learning of his subordinates' victory in battle, and its circumstances, Theodore Varill envisioned the fortress as a great bastion of the Light, and the possibility of a turning point against the enemies of the Kingdom.
Therefore, he petitioned the Queen for the property of the conquered stronghold to remain in the possession of the Silver Hand. In addition, he arranged with the Falconheart for the common folk, originally from Hollow, to be allowed to settle in Light's Roster.
Both parties agreed to the terms, and the plans for the castle were immediately put in motion. Having led the expedition that dismantled Edward the Pious' plot, Velenor Lightmane was entrusted with acting as the administrator of the fortress and the surrounding lands. The Highlord also commissioned from Archmage Suzanne Vibben the creation of a sophisticated scrying system to protect the territory from magical infiltration and detect possible arcane threats.
For a time, these efforts were largely successful and Light's Roster remained a beacon of peace in a war-torn realm. Nonetheless, the War of Argent Aggression saw it all changed, as the Argent Crusade marched against Lordaeron from pratically all sides, and the western border was no exception.
Commanded by Sir Murdoch Hill, the crusaders laid siege to the castle, as it stood a barrier between them and Blackmarsh. Although the Silver Hand forces under Velenor initially tried to resist, they were eventually overwhelmed by a far more superior host. The Steward of Light's Roster fled from battle, and the Argent Crusade seized the fortification.
Upon the war's end, both parties came to an accord, and Murdoch Hill's relinquished control of the castle once more to the Silver Hand, and by extension, the Royal Army.
Current day[]
Formerly under the administration of Velenor Lightmane, the castle was briefly left without a proper leadership. The former knight, after reuniting with his daughter Ethel, who was a ward of Lady Edevyn Bayne, decided to leave Lordaeron. It was unclear whether that was out of fear, resentment or shame for having surrendered Light's Roster during the war, but the fact of the matter was that the Silver Hand bastion, and the people that depended on its good stewardship, were unguarded for some time.
With the rise of famine and the Black Lotus, the former Highlord of the Silver Hand saw fit to rally his peers into action. Although not formally appointed to the office by William Glendover, Theodore Varill used his prestige with the veterans to take the reins of the castle in all but name.
One of his first acts was to coordinate with the Church of Lordaeron the construction of a makeshift field hospital, at the base of the mountains, in order to look after those who ran from the plague in the Grave. In addition, he opened up the border to refugees, taking advantage of the fact that there were still some fertile land available to be toiled. In time, the paladin hopes that the food produced there will be able to feed not only those who live nearby, but alleviate the hunger issue in Blackmarsh.
Finally, with the rise of the Silver Fist and the decline of the Argent Crusade in the region, those based in Light's Roster see the opportunity to bring more cities under the banner of Madelynne I.
Noteworthy Sections of the castle[]
WIP
Hunter's Barracks
Saint Agnes' Chapel
Light's Glory Keep