Order of the Ancients

Palatinus Beneseck, The Bell

Early in Beneseck's life, The Rake took him in. His delight in murder was clear, but to serve the Order, his will had to be broken. The Rake's method was to inflict upon him day and night the loud, incessant clang of a bell. It became the signal to trigger his primal, murderous instincts.

The Bell grew to be particularly adept at filling The Order's coffers with silver. He presented himself as a man of charity. In this way, he met wealthy donors who supported the monastery. Once met, it was easy enough to visit them, murder them, rob them, and bury them anonymously in the abbey's graveyard.

Preost Eanbhert, The Vellum

Eanbhert is a meticulous man, careful about all he undertakes and rigorous about his work. Trained as a scribe, he came into possession of some remarkable documents indicating that a secret order existed among his countrymen.

He sought them out and was soon brought into The Order himself. His precision has served him well--he soon rose to the rank of Preost and is given the most difficult assignments and scrupulously executes them.

Palatinus Gifle, The Ash-Spear

Gifle made an odd fit in The Order. He never cared much for hierarchy and rules; however, he found that by doing The Order's work, he earned himself enormous freedom--freedom to indulge in mead and debauchery, but freedom nonetheless.

Thanks to his fearless combat and shrewd judgment, he attained the rank of Palatinus, whereupon he began to forge links with various groups of bandits and bend them to The Order's will.

Palatinus Gunilla, The Adze

Gunilla grew up a dutiful daughter. She worked helping to build ships with her uncles and cousins. Waves of pestilence brought chaos and devastation to her family, and she yearned for a more orderly world.

A passing noblewoman introduced her to the tenets of the Order, and Gunilla was soon apprenticed. Now she oversees shipbuilding and naval operations as The Adze.

Palatinus Havelok, The Billhook

Havelok came to Lincolnscire as a young man with the Great Heathen army. A member of the Order recognized Havelok's quick and ruthless intelligence, and introduced him to the Crozier. As apprentice to The Crozier, Havelok gained stature and experience.

He now is an established landholder and farmer in Lincoln from where he bribes the shire soldiers to do his bidding.

Palatinus Heika, The Sickle

Heika grew up in the ports of Friesland, where she became quite knowledgeable about the poisonous qualities of the Weever Fish.

Later, as Order member The Sickle, she began to use this knowledge in the bakery, spicing her breads with fish scales for those whom The Order prefers dead.

Palatinus Hunta, The Baldric

Hunta, a gregarious drengr from Norway, fancies himself a bit of a skald. His impromptu poems endear him to Norse and Saxon alike, a quality that brought him to the attention of The Order, and he soon joined their ranks.

Recently, he has, in fact, married into a prosperous Saxon family whose members hold both military and financial clout. Hunta has begun using this familial power to grant small favors as a means of bringing as many foot soldiers as he can under his influence.

He is a successful recruiter for the Order of Ancients and holds the rank of Palatinus.

Palatinus Leofgifu, The Scabbard

Leofgifu, known as The Scabbard, facilitates all of the Order's clandestine military activity in Grantebridgescire. She procures weapons and issues exceptional orders to select units. Orphaned by the plague, Leofgifu grew up as a bandit, and eventually sought work as a mercenary.

The Order took notice, as she proved herself an adept fighter, and soon recruited her to the cause. As a valued mercenary, Leofgifu quickly insinuated herself into a position of command by distributing luxury goods and favors to fellow officers. In turn, these officers turn a blind eye to what they believe to be simple contraband but is in fact an amassing of powerful weapons meant for the Order.

Preost Mucel, The Lathe

Mucel was brought into the Order by his colleague, The Anvil, who plucked him away from service of the young Aethelred.

The Order values his great expertise in ship-building and in fashioning wooden implements of torture.

Palatinus Patrick, The Anvil

At a young age, Patrick proved his worth to the Order by fashioning well-tempered blades at his father's smithy. When Patrick grew to adulthood, he was brought into the Order as a master blacksmith.

A proud man descended from lords of Hwicce, Patrick fashions weapons for the Order to the specifications of each member and is much esteemed by them. However, Patrick has grown resentful of following the Order's commands and has become obsessed with the notion of escaping with his wife and children across the sea. He has had this dream for years, however, and somehow never brings himself to actually leave.

Maegester Derby, The Vice

Derby came late into The Order, having already secured the position of reeve in the city of his birth.

Enforcing rules was his joy and pleasure. He saw attaining the rank of Maegester in The Order as a way to enforce rules with even more severity, thereby increasing his pleasure all the more.

Maegester Blaeswith, The Rake

A youthful love gone sour sent Blaeswith into a nunnery at the insistence of her father. There, however, she found a new love: The Order.

She pursued the precepts of The Order with a consuming passion, eventually rising to the level of Maegester.

Palatinus Tata, The Dart

Tata claims he sprang from the soil of Mercia, such is his love for the land. All his youth, he rode the vales of Sciropescire, Oxenefordscire, and Ledecestrescire. His grandfather had fought for old King Offa, and the tales have been passed down.

A wise, thoughtful man, Tata learned all he could of Offa, including the fact that the old king had been in the Order. Therefore, Tata himself sought entry and quickly rose to the rank of Palatinus.

He is a stable master and took the name of The Dart as befits his penetrating wisdom.

Maegester Tatfrid, The Lyre

Tatfrid joined the Order almost by accident. A Saxon who fought with the Norse, he led a successful raid in Wessex, during which he spared the life of three prisoners.

One of those was The Crozier, who soon recruited Tatfrid for his fighting skills and absolute determination. By dint of effort and will, the Lyre recently rose to the rank of Maegester.

Preost Yohanes, The Oil

Yohanes took the cloth to bring respectability to his family name. However, in the Church, he took the lessons of hierarchy and discipline seriously, leading him to join the Order.

His method was to worm his way into contact with influential people, dispatch them, and install his family members into their vacant positions.

Maegester Gorm, The Keel

Gorm grew up under the heel and the shadow of Kjotve the Cruel. His father passed down the rigor of The Order and taught Gorm the lessons of a harsh love: pain, humiliation, endurance.

With the loss of his father, Gorm taught himself pitiless hatred.