Iudex Artor Lore: Official Story
The last Lightbringer to leave the Sacred Order was Iudex Artor. He would argue, however, that the Sacred Order left him. Before the Lightbringers departed the Order, Artor was respected by its members for his impartiality and wisdom in all things, and all came to him to settle disputes or mete out justice. His position required difficult decisions and sacrifice to ensure the Order’s sense of right and wrong was adhered to, and thus he was never loved by his comrades and fellows. In this way, he showed the kind of rigidity inherent to the Lightbringers’ being, to a greater extent than perhaps any other of his kind.
This rigidity was the initial driver of the Lightbringers’ division from the Sacred Order. At first, during the Second Great War, the Lightbringers were commanders, inspiring beings of Light devoted to Lumaya and awesome in aspect, enheartening all mortals they led. Creatures of order, an essence that insisted upon regularity and symmetry in all things, their tactics and strategies proved to be too predictable, and in the heat of battle Lightbringers were often slow to react to changing circumstances. Over time, mortal officers grew angry. The forces of Light suffered avoidable defeats or failed to prosecute sudden advantages to secure greater victories due to the Lightbringers’ inflexibility. They came to Iudex Artor, and for hours he listened in silence, hearing account after account. Then he heard the accounts of the Lightbringers. For hours after, once all had said their piece, he deliberated.
His conclusion? Almost all Lightbringers should hand over command responsibilities to mortal officers. He made his case to his own kind, who almost all agreed with him.
Artor believed he had done what was best for the Order. He had soothed anger in the fold and at the same time strengthened its military. Arguably, his efforts helped win the entire Second Great War. But it separated the Lightbringers from mortals, and the latter were flexible in thought and deed. An asset in war, but a potential liability.
And so it proved to be, years later, when a complex chain of events resulted in the Red Crusade, a furious purge of the Skinwalker, Ogryn, Orc, and Lizardmen populations of Anhelt. The Lightbringers left the Sacred Order in sadness and disgust. Some entered Shards, others departed for distant lands. Iudex Artor stayed, determined to turn things around. But he failed. He tried to bring the worst killers to trial, only to be denied time and time again. Some even pointed the finger at him, calling him a traitor for attempting to besmirch the ‘good names’ of ‘valiant warriors’. Artor’s impassive mask, for years a symbol of cold adherence to righteousness, hid the Lightbringer’s tears as he left the Eternal Citadel for good.
To this day, Artor believes the Order can be turned away from the fanatical, corrupt, and almost bloodthirsty organization it has become, and he upholds what he considers to be its original values: to be a sworn enemy of Siroth and protectors of ordinary folk. He remains every inch and fibre the same foreboding figure. His voice is grave and stern, booming and sonorous – not necessarily loud, but resounding with natural authority that pierces background noise like a stiletto blade.
Artor also retains the artefacts of his office as iudex. His mask is not just a representation of truth and justice, but an arcane device that enables him to see and interpret any indication of dishonesty in those around him, whether it be pulse, breathing rate, sweating, or eye movement. Artor’s primary weapon is a censer-flail named Righteous Judgment, at once a weapon with which the Lightbringer can smash aside shields or shatter helmets, but much more. Within the censers, Artor burns enchanted herbs and incense, the smoke from which motivates individuals around him in whichever way is most effective. Some inhale the smell of home in the summer, which they must protect; for others the scent brings to mind the squalid gaol cell they may be imprisoned within should they refuse to fight. With whispered incantations Artor can enhance the effects of the smoke, driving wounded warriors to battle on regardless of their injuries, or drive those fit to charge the foe with hearts full of courage and muscles feeling stronger and fresher than ever. With the correct herbs and spices burning, Artor can even extract his interlocutors’ deepest secrets without threat or gift.
Artor now resides in Wixwell’s Vault, guarding original Sacred Order texts and artefacts. He leaves often, to recover more relics or to thwart the forces of Darkness should they come too close. He works hand-in-hand with Chronicler Adelyn, for her missions take her far and wide where she might learn of new threats or antiquities of importance to him.