Covenant of Light

Members of the Covenant of Light come from many different faiths, all devoted to a common cause— shaping the draconic Prophecy to serve the powers of good. The Song also reaches out to those who were not previously conspicuously pious. Many Covenant disciples previously lived lives of unattached wandering or base self-service. Anyone can potentially hear the Song and be drawn into the light. A character who followed the song to Stormreach is likely to be approached by the Covenant within hours of arrival.

All your life, you have felt your thoughts and actions to be guided by certain mystic rhythms. Later you would come to recognize this as the Song, the celestial music that rings in the heart of every Covenant disciple. The Song was often accompanied by visions of a faraway continent, and you associated feelings of elation and strength with the benevolent energy there.

Eventually the Song became impossible to resist, and you journeyed to distant Xen’drik. You came to recognize the Song as the true voice of a force that goes by many names. Dol Arrah, some might say, or il-Yannah. Some disciples prefer to employ no name at all, but they know the Song as well as you. It is the power of life and light, energy and transformation. You have come to believe that its potential energy can be made actual by shaping of certain aspects of the draconic Prophecy.

The Song always guides you in deed and thought. At times its power is almost overwhelming, and you can fall into trancelike states for hours. But the Song is most beautiful when sung with the collective voice and prayer of your companions in the Covenant.

Under the leadership of Lady Lirashana, the Covenant and its members have chosen to focus their efforts on a single goal while operating in Xen’drik: shaping the evolution of the draconic Prophecy, particularly those aspects relating to the Caldyn Fragments. In Stormreach, this singlemindedness often means turning a deaf ear to the cries of the needy and oppressed all around you. You might at times feel conflicted about this requirement—and in fact it is a point of contention among many in the Covenant—but you must obey the dictates of the Covenant and conserve your energy for the larger task at hand.

Combat

Many sorry foes have underestimated the righteous might of the Covenant. Like your brothers and sisters, you uphold the ideals of honorable combat, selfsacrifice, valor, and courage. Neither stealth nor vicious savagery can truly threaten the warrior of the Covenant, for you serve a higher purpose, and a singularly potent force guides your sword. You know in your heart where true power lies. You hear the Song, and thus need not fear. And the fearless warrior is the mightiest of all.

Advancement and Missions

The quickest route to advancement is to complete missions for the Covenant, always with the greater good in mind and never at the expense of others of charitable will. Such is the way of the Song, that the righteous and brave should triumph and in unity achieve the ultimate goal. To this end, the forces of darkness must be staunchly opposed—especially those who would violate the Prophecy, twisting it to wicked or irrelevant purposes. This opposition particularly includes the vile mockery that is the Cabal of Shadows, and also the misguided mercenaries of the Blackwheel Company and the amoral academics of the Crimson Codex.

The Covenant of Light encompasses many distinct flames, from Adaran seers and paladins of Thrane to Sovereign priests and ascetics of a dozen different holy monastic orders. The Song has called out to more unlikely places as well, drawing shifter shamans from Sarlona’s Tashana Tundra, utopian cultists from the marshes of Q’barra, and even repentant rogues from the gutters of Stormreach.

As with the other factions that pursue the secrets of the Caldyn Fragments in Xen’drik, the Covenant of Light is principally interested in Stormreach as a way station, a stable port from which to mount expeditions to the interior. The leadership of the Covenant also recognizes that Stormreach is the likely port of call for new aspirants following the summons of the Song. As such, the Covenant keeps a standing force in the city, based out of several small temples located throughout various districts.

Lady Lirashana mandates that the disciples of the Covenant are not to become involved in local affairs on any level. Stormreach is a dangerous, lawless place, and the Covenant is not trying to clean it up. Disciples are in Xen’drik on a far greater mission—shaping the draconic Prophecy to their own ends. Still, members might stray from the leadership’s dictates out of simple compassion, bringing the Covenant reluctantly into play.

Structure

The Covenant of Light is divided into three branches.

The Scions are the standard adventurers and agents of the Covenant of Light; most adventurers will be Scions in the organization.

The Radiance is a leadership level in the Covenant; all members of the Radiance are of celestial blood or are sponsored into the branch by a patron celestial.

The Nightstars is a very small branch, unknown to most members of the Covenant of Light. It counts rogues, bards, and other stealthy agents among its number and performs services for the organization that serve the cause of good but must be achieved through methods that are less than honorable.

NPC Reactions

To most in Stormreach, the Covenant is just another expeditionary outfit using the city as a base of operations. The adventuring Scions are not unlike any other group, if perhaps a bit more aloof and high-minded. Those affiliated with the Blackwheel Company or the Crimson Codex view Covenant disciples as competitors at best—or perhaps blood enemies, depending on recent developments “in the field.” Those who associate with the Cabal of Shadows target Covenant disciples for later engagement, when the sun goes down.

Higher-ups in the Cabal of Shadows and the Covenant of Light are quite aware that the Calling and the Song seem to be virtually identical phenomena. Naturally, this fact disturbs both groups. Their leaders explain away such concerns by saying that their opposite number is a twisted, invalid reflection of the true voice that only they hear clearly. But secretly they wonder why such a parallel exists, and if—unthinkable as it would be—they really are the same in the end. And if that were true, what does the Singer (or the Caller) want from them all?