Elven Guard

Formerly known as the Insel Guard, the Elven Guard is a group of elves dedicated to the service of Lysander Ulgar, leader of the splinter Insel Elf group that remained in the area of Windfall Tower after the Greater Races War.

History

The Insel Guard was founded by the first Avery of the Insel Elves, Shenfara Fremont. The Insel Guard were separate from the Striking Stone Monks, in that they employed more conventional forms of martial combat, and did not have the same emphasis as perfection of the mind and soul.

The Insel Guard for years kept the shores of Insel and Elflin Islands safe from the many pirates that stalked off the shores of the coast of Andel Boum, keeping the elves safe from encroachment and raids, and are partially responsible for the aggressive nature the elves were often attributed with that has lead to their continued mistrust from the other races of the continent.

Greater Races War

Prior to the Greater Races War, Eric Carver visited Insel and assisted a member of the Guard, Duncan Ulgar, take out a rogue elf wizard who had gone mad from his use of the arcane arts, and was terrorizing the people Insel. Duncan and Eric became fast friends and traveled with each other. After the start of the war, upon thier return to the continent, Duncan sought out his brother and Master Vadoré, Lysander, and together the two assembled the first expedition of the guard en masse from the island. The Elven Guard was an essential unit during the Greater Races War who, along with their brethren from the Striking Stone Monastery, often undertook the most difficult tasks faced by the Army of Order during the war.

After the Battle of Windfall Valley, Lysander seeing the damage to the natural land and the feywild that Hayze had caused, decided to stay and start a small settlement just outside the valley, to guard the valley and fight against any evil that might spawn within.

Structure

The Elven guard consists of three separate Orders, the Vadoré, the Sinar, and the Q'sha. All three orders are lead by a Master of the Order, and in turn the Master Vadoré is in charge of the Guard.

Vadoré

Vadoré, or Knights, are versed in combat with a sword, and serve as front line fighters in the guard. They wield a thin elven blade similar in attack capabilities to the longsword, but bearing a closer resemblance in it's design to a rapier. How the elves construct such a light, yet sturdy blade, is a skill closely guarded, and only one who was not an elf or eladrin knew the secret: Haldur, the Godsmith. Fighting with the blade is normally one-handed style, leaving the other hand open to be used to balance the attack. When a shield is used, the Elven Knight tends tends to favor smaller bucklers and shields for added mobility. The Knights are often schooled in the ways of diplomacy and tactics, and tend to serve as the face of the Elven people. Though horses are not found on Insel, the Elven Guard of Nirvaset East have undertaken the task of breeding a special type taken from local Gallantrian stock and merged with some Eladrin horses with a connection to the feywild, and the result is a fast, agile horse unlike any other. They have increasingly started drilling on use of this animal in more traditional cavalry and scouting missions.

Sinar

Sinar, or "Sentinels" are ranged fighters and scouts. They are learned in the bow and occasionally two weapon fighting, and fit the archetype of elven supremacy over nature. In larger scale conflicts, they tend to take on a role as skirmisher and harrier.

Stalkers

Q'sha or "Stalkers" are the silent arm of the Guard. They engage in espionage and assassination. Through extended study of their enemies, the Q'sha are capable of devastating attacks and feints in battle. The signature weapon of the Q'sha is the deulamm, a twin-bladed dagger wielded in pairs.

Tactics

With the synergistic combination of these three orders, the Elven Guard are masters of stealth and tracking. They specialize in close quarter fighting, and ambush their enemies and use hit-and-run tactics in large battles, preferring to move in and take out a few enemies, then fading into the woods again while planning their next attack.