Sigrith Andravos

The Order of the Shattered Throne is proud to have amongst its ranks many legendary heroes and even some who have ascended to Sainthood upon their deaths. The final deeds of the exalted few are a humble reminder that, for the enactment of the Everlating’s vision for the world, sacrifices must be made. The Cathedrals of Astaris and Tempras hold within them the remains of many of these heroes, placed where the faithful may go to be encouraged in the knowledge that their own sacrifices will not be in vain. While the Everlasting are the only true godly beings, the martyred heroes of the Valcarist Church and of the Knights of Charn are considered ascendant beings themselves, and their presence and influence can be felt by all the true believers. Even after death, they serve as beacons of hope, courage, strength, and wisdom to the Paribus and the Princepts alike. While the common folk finds solace in the notion of beings that can serve as a conduit between them and the Everlasting, the Princepts are enthralled by the idea of one day ascending to this legendary status themselves. It can be said the people of Dynas unwaveringly follow the voices of long-silenced heroes, in hopes that they may guide them into a new golden age for the Astarian Paradux. But if dead saints have this much influence over the greatest nation to have risen from the Fall, what effect can a living one have?

Some would call it blasphemy to proclaim such things, and the Valcarist Church is certainly not unanimously comfortable with the idea of one who claims to receive divine guidance, especially when those revelations deviate from the path the church endorses. Nevertheless, they cannot deny the influence Sigrith Andravos has had on the general populace and the spark of hope she has ignited even within the highest ranks of the Clergy and of the Knighthood. If all that wasn’t enough, her rise to relevance was not only timely but downright portentous.

The auburn-haired maiden from Egran Falls rose from nothing but a page to the Knights of the Lily into one of the most skilled combatants in the continent by the blessing of the Everlasting alone, or so the Valcarist Church would have us believe. In truth, the lowborn Paribus girl had been taken in by Lady Welstead and trained in secret, not to be a common fighter in the ranks but to become as the Princepts themselves are. She was already a formidable fighter by the time the Battle of Penitent Crossing took place and the first miracle happened. Sigrith was found there by the Heralds, unconscious and surrounded by a pile of corpses, having single-handedly held back the advance of the northern rebels until the forces of the Valcarist Church arrived. In her left arm, the Heralds immediately recognized an object, blessed by the Everlasting in a time even before the Fall. It was a shield known as the Andravon, and it had miraculously protected the girl. Sigrith and the Andravon were taken back into the Valcarist holdings. While the shield was taken to the holy city of Tempras to be studied, Sigrith was taken to Sanctorum, to recuperate.

When Sigrith finally awoke, her first words were of grave warnings about a calamity to come. She knew at once where to find the Andravon and spoke of revelations made by a voice in her mind. A voice not her own. While many spoke of heresy and corruption, accusing the girl of being possessed by a malignant spirit, the Herald of Salvation, the winged savior of the desperate and downtrodden, spoke in favor of the girl. She took it upon herself to escort Sigrith to Tempras and reunite her with the Relic that, despite protests by the Princepts and the Priests, had clearly chosen this Paribus girl to wield it. If that were not the case, it would soon be made evident by the Relic itself. Finding themselves with no arguments, the discontented higher class of Sanctorum allowed Sigrith and the Herald to depart.

On their way to the holy city, Sigrith spoke often of the voice she heard, of how she had heard it for many years, even before finding the Andravon. She told the Herald of how the voice had guided her, throughout her life. The Herald was skeptical, but the girl was so sure of herself, so insistent… Either way, all would be proven when they reached Tempras. The Relic would be the judge of Sigrith’s worth. Strangely, despite the urgency and haste with which Sigrith behaved, she also insisted on taking strange detours along the path. The Herald was often surprised at how, with each deviation, they came upon citizens being attacked by bandits or monsters, or even servants of the Church in need of assistance. In each of these places, Sigrith showed the skill to fight the wicked, the power to slay the monstrous, and the compassion to save the weak. All those who witnessed her felt something different, as if a light had risen in the darkness and they could again see the path. Most of them decided to follow that light, and Sigrith and the Herald arrived in Tempras accompanied by a small group of the faithful.

In the holy city, The Herald announced Sigrith to the Lucidi, the leaders of the Seven Rites of the Valcarist Church, and told them of all she had witnessed. Some of them denounced her as an apostate, while others were apprehensive but hopeful. Could this lowborn woman, apparently capable of wielding a Relic, be a sign that the hour of reclamation was at hand? Eventually, it was decided that she would be given a chance to meld with the Relic, and the results would decide her fate. Sigrith responded by saying that: “My fate has always been in the hands of the Everlasting.” 

When Sigrith walked into the great chamber of the cathedral, where the test would be performed, she found that she would not face this day alone. Tales of her deeds had spread ahead of her and reached several cities. Recognizing the girl that had been described, representatives of the Knights of the Lily and of several other knightly traditions had been sent, in hopes of recovering one of their own ranks, along with the Relic. Several of the faithful had also gathered to bear witness, led by the ones she had saved. They all held their breaths as she confidently strode onto the chamber and reached the Andravon. Three priests, trained in Relic magic by the church, fumbled with the shield as if it was too heavy to handle and burned them at the same time, its power too great to be contained by them. Sigrith picked up the shield, and, as soon as she did, a light emanated from her, and she spoke with a voice not her own. The words were a warning, a prophecy of an attack on Sanctorum, that would destroy the city and be the starting point of the Order’s downfall. While some screamed accusations of blasphemy, others, perhaps more sensible, started trying to organize an effort to save the distant city. Unfortunately, despair and infighting took the chamber, and not even the Lucidi managed to unite under a single banner at this point.

That’s when Sigrith spoke, performing what may have been her second miracle. Every word she uttered reached the hearts of every single person present. She spoke deeper truths than any had been capable of, as her voice boomed like thunder and roared like a deep flame. When she was done, the knights and the priests, the Princepts and the Paribus, were all a single people under a single banner. She went ahead, carried by the wings of the Herald of Salvation, confident that a force of the united people of the Order was amassing behind her. The Herald conveyed Sigrith back to Sanctorum as swiftly as her powers allowed. When they arrived, they found chaos. The city was already under attack by mountain ogres, too many to count. Even the Herald despaired, as she knew the Seekers and herself would not be enough to stop the bloodshed. That’s when Sigrith performed her third miracle. 

With the Andravon on her left arm and a sword in her right hand, she moved with unwavering determination through the battlefield. She knew where the people she needed to save were, she knew where to strike her enemies so they would die swiftly, and she knew what words to speak to rouse the defenders of the city. As she fought onward, people heard her voice and the ringing of her blade and joined her in the fight. She barked orders of those who should be saved and of those who should be left behind, for no time could be wasted, no mistakes could be made. The city could not fall, no matter the cost. In the end, many had perished, but the city still stood as the reinforcements arrived from Tempras. 

Sigrith took a name inspired by that of her Relic and became the penultimate symbol for the ideals of the Order of the Shattered Throne. The voice of the Andravon still speaks to her, guiding her actions toward the only correct future for herself and the Order. Recently, the voice has revealed a great evil rising in the south, threatening the great vision of the Everlasting, but there is also a great opportunity, for in the heart of the continent lie the instruments necessary to manifest that vision into reality. She marches now to the Malediction, to Old Osterath, and to a future that must come to pass. Many in the Order hope that she will accomplish her mission. Many more outside the Order, fear that she will.