The White Mantle and the Shining Blade

The White Mantle is a group of outlaws and the previous leaders of Kryta.  The White Mantle was started by a drunkard thief named Saul D’Alessio. D’Alessio was exiled from Kryta and fled to a forest about three weeks ride away from Kryta. On the brink of death he found the angelic like beings

he called the Unseen Ones. The Unseen Ones were actually the Mursaat. The Mursaat nurtured D’Alessio back to health and returned him to the broken nation of Kryta. D’Alessio brought together a small group of followers, who would later become known as the White Mantle. D’Alessio delivered a message of salvation during Kryta’s darkest time, when the Charr threatened the nation. This message was false. Afterwards D’Alessio brought an army of white robed men and woman to fight on the battlefield.  After their victory, The White Mantle took control of Kryta. It is said the D’Alessio was killed during an ambush when the Charr retreated back. The legacy of the White Mantle lived on thanks to D’Alessio’s successors: Confessor Dorian and the Justiciars Hablion and Thommis. These three men took leadership of the White Mantle after the death of D’Alessio.  This is when things changed. The White Mantle became greedy, abusive and arrogant thanks to their newly seized power over Kryta. 

Every year, the White Mantle would have a ritual called the Test of the Chosen. The Test of the Chosen would find “chosen” recruits and lead them to the Temple of the Unseen to train and ensure the White Mantle’s strength – so it was claimed. In actual fact, the White Mantle took these chosen Krytan citizens and sacrificed them on the top of the Bloodstone. The sacrifices are said to number in the thousands.

The White Mantle began to fight the undead Orrian forces that threatened Kryta after Zhaitan arose from his slumber.  A group of rebels ambushed and assaulted the White Mantle using guerrilla army tactics. This group of rebels called themselves the Shining Blade. The Shining Blade rejects the White Mantles ideals and don’t believe the creatures that the White Mantle call gods. The Shining Blade was originally led by Evennia and council included Saidra and Markis. When the White Mantle used to hold the Test of the Chosen, the Shining Blade used to kidnap the “chosen” citizens that the White Mantle was going to sacrifice in order to save them.

During 1072 A.E, The Shining Blade recruited Ascalonian adventurers in order to orchestrate the occupation in Henge of Denravi, the theft of the Scepter of Orr, In order to gain the aid of Vizier Khilbron, the Undead Lich. Evennia and the rest of the Shining Blade were betrayed by Markis during the exchange between Khilbron and the Shining Blade. Most of the Shining Blade were captured and murdered while the rest fled into the Southern Shiverpeaks. Evennia and Saidra were captured and it was planned that they were to be executed atop of the bloodstone. 

Evennia was freed by the Ascalonian adventurers and Markis was killed. After which, the remaining Shining Blade and the adventurers set out to the Ring of Fire to open the Door of Komalie, Vizier Khilbron stated that the Door of Kolamie would unleash a weapon with the power to eliminate the White Mantle’s gods, the Mursaat. After the Mursaat were defeated, Evennia retired as leader of the Shining Blade so she was able to serve until the new princess, Princess Salma, and gave Bartholos the leader position of the Shining Blade.  The war between the Shining Blade and White Mantle continued. Bartholos enlisted the help of an Asura named Gadd in order to get the upper hand by gaining aid and weaponry from Gadd. Later on, the Shining Blade returned the favour by helping the Asura defeat the Great Destroyer in 1078 A.E. 

The Shining Blade established and setup a new cameo in Talmark Wilderness a year later; this is where Salma had begun to march on Lion’s Arch to reclaim the throne after enlisting the aid the Ebon Vanguard and also that of 2 Asuran named Zinn and Blimm. Salma and supporters managed to retake the hold without bloodshed. After the keep had been secured, they initiated a series of assassination ops against the White Mantle Inquisitors and against Mursaat survivors. The Shining Blade was forced to defend Lion’s Arch against the White Mantle after the death of Koril The Malignant. After this long battle, the Lionguard, Ebon Falcons, Zimm, Blimm and the Shining Blade were victorious and Salma issued a public statement announcing that the Shining Blade would serve as her and the thrones personal royal guards under the leadership of Livia. In more current times, the Shining Blade still protect the throne and the royal family. The Shining Blade carries out a lot of tasks that have to be performed undercover. The Shining Blade is also currently lead by Countess Anise who works closely with Queen Jennah. 

I hope you guys enjoyed the read as much as i enjoyed writing about it! Thanks for reading and see you guys next time J