The western territories of Agera once played host to numerous affluent noble Houses, which would eventually lay the foundation for the great Silver Dominion. In the early days, these Houses often clashed over land and honor, yet through a fragile balance of power, they maintained a semblance of order. As the centuries passed and their coffers swelled, ambition and self-interest eroded that fragile unity.
A true reckoning came in the year 860 of the First Age, when raiders from the northern kingdom of Kalamar swept down in a brutal and unexpected assault. They pillaged the fertile heartlands of Agera, burning villages and looting the storied wealth of the Houses. Faced with devastation, the Houses had no choice but to set aside their rivalries. Together, they forged a single army — the Silverin Guard — tasked with defending the west from future incursions. This unity marked the true beginning of what would become the Dominion of the Great Houses.
The historian Alacard Silver later wrote:
"Where greed once sowed division, fear and bloodshed sowed brotherhood. Thus was born the shield that would guard the western lands: the Silverin Guard."
Over the centuries, the Silverin Guard grew into more than just a military force; they became the very soul of the Dominion’s strength, a shining symbol of unity and vigilance. Their silvered armor and resolute banners became a familiar sight across Agera, and a common proverb in taverns and temples alike was:
"When the Silverin march, the false gods themselves hold their breath."
The Silverin Crusades
During the Second Age, the Silverin Guard spearheaded a series of holy wars known as the Silverin Crusades. Four great invasions were launched against the distant and powerful Khein Dynasty, each fueled by the Dominion’s dreams of divine conquest. Yet each crusade ended in failure, the harsh deserts and iron-willed Princes of Khein proving too resilient for the Silverin to overcome.
However, their Northern Crusade against Kalamar proved far more successful. After decades of grinding warfare, the Kingdom of Kalamar was forced into vassalage, bowing to the authority of the Silver Dominion. It was a bittersweet triumph, bought with rivers of blood, but it ensured that the Silverin Guard's legacy of conquest would not be entirely one of failure.
As the bard Estienne of Whitewater once sang:
"Southward we faltered, but northward we claimed,
Where the snow kissed our steel, and the world learned our name."
The Infernal Incursion of Malagore
In the year 600 of the Third Age, the Silverin Guard faced their greatest and final trial. The infernal god Malagore unleashed a tide of destruction across Midora, seeking both conquest and the blood of his celestial kin. Four grand armies answered the call to stand against him: the Silverin Guard of the Dominion, led by the enigmatic Pharados; the Sun Lords of the Nagan Empire; the Executioners of Light of the Khein Dynasty, under Horus Khein himself; and the Blackmanes, fierce warriors under the King of Kalamar.
Together they rallied under the ancient gods Diion, Pharados, and Horus Khein, determined to halt Malagore’s advance. Their march led them to the continent of Eros, a land already blackened and broken by infernal fire. On the burning shores, the armies clashed with Malagore’s forces — but the god of conquest had laid his traps well.
As the armies pushed inland across the treacherous lava fields, the Silverin Guard were the first to falter. Overwhelmed by the demonic onslaught and treacherous terrain, their disciplined ranks shattered. They fought valiantly, but the weight of Malagore’s fury broke them. On the scorched plains of Eros, the Silverin Guard was annihilated, their proud banners consumed by flame.
Only their name survived.
In the words of the historian Elowen Marr:
"On the shores of Eros, the Silverin Guard did not retreat, nor did they yield. They simply ceased to be — an echo lost to fire and fury."