The Citadel of Roseguard
"From Bondage, Brotherhood."
The Citadel of Roseguard stands upon the southern coast of Eastern Warlderia, overlooking the seas that separate the civilised lands from the darkness beyond. Although modest in size compared with the great Human states, Roseguard has earned a reputation far beyond its borders as a realm where courage is measured not by birth but by character, and where former enemies now stand side by side in defence of the innocent. Unlike many nations of Warlderia, Roseguard was not founded through conquest or dynastic ambition. It was born from liberation. For almost thirty years the city, then known simply as Roseguard, endured Orc occupation. Once celebrated as one of the fairest Elven cities of the south, it became a place of chains and despair. Its elegant gardens were allowed to wither beneath thorn and briar, its marble halls were desecrated and its people reduced to slavery. Worse still, the Scholar's Quarter fell into the hands of the Human necromancer Ulan Vast, whose dark experiments filled the ancient libraries with undead horrors. Few believed the city could ever be reclaimed. Near the closing years of the Higher Wars, however, hope arrived unexpectedly.
A small force of Half-Elven knights landed secretly within the harbour and, aided by the city's slaves, launched a daring uprising. Fighting raged through the streets for an entire day until the garrison's Half-Orc auxiliaries, themselves little better than slaves to their Orc masters, turned upon their commanders and joined the rebellion. The decisive battle centred upon the magnificent Library of Art, where Ulan Vast had established his dreadful laboratories. There, a young priestess of Mayaheine led freed slaves, knights and Half-Orc warriors into the library itself. After fierce fighting the necromancer was slain, though not before uttering a final curse that he would one day return from death to reclaim his city. Whether those words were prophecy or madness remains unknown. With the city finally liberated, the victors expected the priesthood to assume control. Instead, the High Priestess refused. She declared that without the courage of the Half-Orc soldiers, Roseguard would never have been freed, and that any nation founded upon justice must recognise the sacrifice of every race that had fought for its liberty. Those words became the foundation upon which modern Roseguard was built. Rather than restoring the old Elven order, the victors created an entirely new state, one where Humans, Half-Elves and Half-Orcs would govern together beneath the ideals of Mayaheine. The ancient library was consecrated as the Grand Temple of Mayaheine, whilst the liberating knights established the Order of the Rose, a military brotherhood dedicated to defending the innocent wherever darkness threatened. Centuries later those same ideals continue to define the Citadel.
Government
Roseguard is governed jointly by two great offices whose authority balances faith with military necessity. The spiritual heart of the nation is the Grand Master of the Order of the Rose, currently Urien Talastar, a respected Half-Elven cleric whose wisdom and diplomacy have guided the state for more than two decades. Military affairs fall to the Marshal of the Garrison, based at the Red Tower, whose duty is to defend the realm and command its professional armies. Neither office dominates the other. Together they rule according to the teachings of Mayaheine, believing that justice without strength is fragile, whilst strength without justice inevitably becomes tyranny.
A Nation of Three Peoples
Perhaps nowhere else in Warlderia do Humans, Half-Elves and Half-Orcs live together with such mutual respect. Each race remembers that the Citadel was born through their shared sacrifice. Humans provide much of the skilled administration, agriculture and commerce. Half-Elves dominate the Order of the Rose and many of the priesthood. Half-Orcs form the backbone of the professional army and remain justly renowned as disciplined soldiers and formidable pikemen. Whilst prejudice still exists beyond Roseguard's borders, within the Citadel an individual's loyalty is valued far above ancestry.
It is said throughout the southern lands: "In Roseguard, a good sword arm is measured by honour, not blood."
The Order of the Rose
The Order of the Rose remains the most famous institution within the Citadel. Originally founded by the Half-Elven knights who liberated the city, it has evolved into one of the most respected military orders in southern Warlderia. Unlike most knightly orders, membership is open to any worthy individual regardless of race or birth. Although Half-Elves remain numerous amongst its ranks, Humans and Half-Orcs have long since earned equal honour within the Brotherhood. The Order maintains a powerful fleet based within the harbour of Roseguard. Their white-sailed warships patrol the southern seas, escort merchant convoys and stand constant watch against pirates, slavers and darker threats emerging from the Isle of Hate. Their knights are as likely to be encountered commanding ships as leading cavalry, giving the Order a unique reputation amongst the military brotherhoods of Warlderia.
The Shadow to the South
For over a century the greatest threat facing Roseguard has not come from Orcs, but from the mysterious Isle of Hate. When the final battles upon the island ended generations ago, broken armies fled to its shores carrying tales of plague, madness and the restless dead. The Order of the Rose dispatched an expedition to investigate. Very few returned. Their reports confirmed every rumour. Since that day the Order has maintained an almost continuous naval watch around the island. Though never a true blockade, their patrols ensure that few vessels willingly approach its cursed shores, and fewer still ever leave them.