OSAS Guild Guide (03/10) - The Champions

I just got out of The Expendables 3, and in my humble opinion, every single movie ever should end with a fistfight between Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson.

Other than that, and Antonio Banderas being hilarious, it was exactly the movie you'd expect. But still, Stallone vs. Gibson is the best final fight scene for any movie, regardless of genre. It's kind of like how Christopher Lloyd should be cast as every movie character, regardless of gender.

On a slightly less serious note, Amazon has finally allowed pre-orders for self-published authors! So from now on, starting with Of Sea and Shadow, I'll be putting up a pre-order option for all of my new books!

You know, as soon as I finish them. Which, for Of Sea and Shadow, will be this winter. Just a little reminder.

And speaking of my new series, here's entry #3 in the Guild Guide...

(Hit the jump)

The Champions:

            I doubt there is a single child in any corner of the Aurelian Empire who does not know some story of the Champion’s Guild, but I will still labor to separate fact from romantic fiction.

            The Champions as we know them today rose out of an old Izyrian tradition. In ancient days, before the Empire, the continent of Izyria was divided into a thousand clans. When two clans had a dispute, instead of going to war, they would send two representatives into a formal duel. The winner’s clan, of course, won the dispute. These clan champions were often Soulbound, strengthened by some secret alchemical technique, and highly skilled fighters.

            When the Emperor (may his soul fly free) originally crossed the Aion Sea with the aim of enfolding Izyria into his fledgling Empire, he created his own collection of duelists to defeat the natives at their own cultural game.

            Thus, the Champions were born.

            Champions became, as we have all seen, the best fighters in the Empire. They singlehandedly quell rebellions, reinforce Imperial troops in the field, and put down dangerous Kameira. And sometimes, when the Empire still needed to fight its own duels, the existence of this Guild ensured that the Emperor never lost.

            Since the death of the Emperor, this Guild has become—dare I say it—a dangerous liability. Each Champion has largely gone his or her own way. The Guild still trains initiates according to the old traditions, but it doesn’t have the organizational stability or control it once did.

 

Guild Head: Baldezar Kern, an undefeated duelist and the man who singlehandedly pacified the South Sea Revolutionary Army. Though he is known as a gentle man with an easy sense of humor, when he straps on his trademark horned helmet, he becomes a force of carnage on the battlefield like none I have ever seen. I had the opportunity to witness Kern on the warpath almost fifteen years ago, and the sight of this man in battle will haunt me until the day of my death.

            Symbol: the Golden Crown