3. The founding ceremony of the Silver Dawn (Part 2)
A group of Paladins sandwiched between the Empire and the Federation wanted to establish a nation. This was definitely a big event, and due to the strategic position of Stratholme, this nation-building storm attracted a lot of people's attention from the beginning.
From New Stormwind City to Boralus, from Orgrim to White Tower City Port, in the past few days, almost everyone's eyes have been on the Stratholme region in the northern border of the eastern continent. People from all over the world have
The number of envoys attending the ceremony has reached an astonishing 457, and even the night elves, orcs and tauren, who have never been involved in the entanglement between the two major political bodies, also sent their own envoys as a token of appreciation.
In front of the ancient castle of Tyr's Hand, on the slightly crude camp training ground, the paladins of the Scarlet Crusade built an antique ceremony platform here with wood and stones. It was not as gorgeous as when the king was coronated.
However, considering that the Paladins wanted to establish a kingdom of knights, not a secular kingdom, such a seemingly simple ceremony was not criticized by the arriving envoys.
Some Holy Light believers even saw the etiquette spread by the classical knights during the Arathor Empire from the ceremonial stage filled with the flags of the Knights. It was completely different from the cumbersome and hypocritical etiquette of the nobles. It was a warrior
Some kind of transmission of glory between them is like passing on the fire of holy light.
The federal envoy is Gore, a member of the Supreme Council. He only entered the Supreme Council from the House of Lords in the past few years. He is one of the relatively junior members of the federal supreme ruler group, but after all, he is also the federal supreme leader.
One of the powerful people, his presence here already represents the importance the Federation attaches to the founding of the Scarlet Crusade.
On the other side of the auditorium, the status of the envoys representing the Human Empire is even more transcendent. They are the great knights of the old era, the current Guardian Knight Commander of the Holy Light Church, Uther, and the Pope's most trusted Privy Councilor.
, the "Pure One" Paladin Dejek, who is famous throughout the world of human faith, came with him, the Archbishop of the Kingdom of Gilneas, the beautiful "Flower of Holy Light", and "Silver Priest" Partri
Ms. Silk.
Although the envoys from both sides are focused on the upcoming ceremony, the occasional eye contact can still bring about an invisible flame collision in the air. Obviously, at least on the issue of faith, the Federation and the Empire also exist
A huge contradiction.
Not to mention the Holy Light and True Faith on the Empire side, on the Federation side, the Supreme Council promulgated the "Belief Act" in the second year after the establishment of the Federation, declaring freedom of belief within the Federation, respecting the native beliefs of all races in the Federation, and allowing
Every religious force that is considered to be "authentic" opens a church within the federation. No faith may force citizens to worship. Once discovered, it will be banned immediately.
Moreover, the federal belief is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Truth. In other words, although it is said to be freedom of belief, in fact, belief is more used as a "tool" in the federal system.
The instrumental theory is intolerable to the followers of the Holy Light Church, and what makes them even more intolerable is: according to the information in the annual work report released by the federal government in the 18th year of the Dark Portal, within the federal territory, the Holy Light
The faith is being oppressed and squeezed out by the shamanistic beliefs of the dwarves, the atheism of the Sindra elves and dwarves, and the rising orthodox faith of the Moon God in New Gilneas.
Although the Holy Light believers still have an advantage in the federation, according to the current situation, maybe in five years, the Holy Light faith will lose its current advantage in the federation. This is a dangerous signal. Once the people of the federation no longer worship
Holy light represents the tearing of faith in human civilization. This tearing of consciousness will eventually completely split humanity into two camps from body to soul.
This is not what the Holy Light Church wants to see...
This is also the implicit reason why the Holy Light Church supports the establishment of the Knights of the Silver Dawn. His Majesty the Pope hopes that the Knights still in the Eastern Continent can serve as the base camp of the Holy Light Faith in the Eastern Continent, in order to save the endangered faith in the Federation.
form.
"Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang"
As a low bell rang, the slightly noisy scene in the entire camp quickly quieted down. The sound of flying bugles came from afar. Along with the slight vibration of the horse's hooves stepping on the ground, the Crusaders' escort knights entered the camp.
Already.
The spectators stood up one after another, and some even picked up telescopes to watch the founding ceremony of the purest knighthood in the Eastern Continent that was about to begin.
The Crusaders did not disappoint the spectators. The first batch of paladins who entered the ceremony venue were wearing silver armor and holding 3-meter-long ceremonial spears. On the top of the spears hung the Church of the Holy Light.
The respective flags of the Silver Hand and the Crusaders, as well as the personal flags of the three Grand Knights of the current Crusade group, a Grand Inquisitor and a Holy Light Archmage, as well as the battle flags of the three chapters of the Scarlet Crusade.
The 52 carefully selected paladins are all young boys. Their armors are polished and even the vests of their horses are decorated with blue ribbons representing victory and glory. These young knights with excellent equestrian skills are very proud.
He straightened his back and sat on the war horse very majestically. The strictly trained war horses moved forward slowly in a row of five people in a row without the control of the knight, following the rhythm of the loud military music.
The rushing steps, accompanied by the flags flying in the air, in the eyes of the spectators, they suddenly returned to the day when Emperor Lothar was coronated. On that day, the Paladins of the Silver Hand also took the lead.
.
The ceremonial knights are led by Lord Knight Fording's son, Paladin Captain Tyran Fordring, and Lord Knight Mograine's son, Darion Mograine. These two outstanding young knights stand
On one left and one on the right, one person holds the trumpet blessed by the Pope, and the other person holds sacred scriptures that have been passed down for hundreds of years. In the solemn music, these ceremonial knights entered the ceremony venue, and then separated like flowing water.
Juxtaposed on both sides of the slightly crude ceremony stage.
This exquisite equestrian performance and the temperament of classical knights inherited from the Crusaders have been well received by the audience. Whether it is the federation or the empire's envoys, they all gave warm applause. Some young boys and
The ladies even cheered.
After guiding the knights, came the Crusade leaders who entered on foot.
Great Knight Mograine, Great Knight Fording, and Great Knight General Abedis, three white-haired old knights wearing real battlefield heavy armor, with the most solemn attitude, surrounded by the guarding knights,
They walked towards the ceremony stage step by step. Behind them were the Grand Inquisitor Isenlien, who was wearing red clothes and a holy crown, with a solemn expression, and the Holy Light Archmage Du, who was wearing a golden robe and holding a staff of Holy Light.
An and his apprentice Sarnos.
These five people are the founders of the Scarlet Crusade. Among them, Mograine, Fordring and Isenlien were all members of the Knights of the Silver Hand. After the Whispering Port War, the historic Knights of the Silver Hand
Already in name only, these two great knights who voluntarily stayed in the Eastern Continent responded to the call of Grand Inquisitor Isenlien and joined the Crusade with a group of Silver Hand paladins.
General Abidis and Archmage Duan were the former commanders of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. After the defeat of the Human Empire, they were unwilling to give up their ancestral homeland, so they founded the Scarlet Crusade in an attempt to guard the last leg of the empire.
A piece of territory, the arrival of the Silver Hand greatly increased the strength of the Scarlet Crusade, and under the hostility and infiltration of the Federation, it has been surviving to this day.
But these five leaders also have their own conflicts... We will talk about this later.
Behind the five commanders are the current middle-level managers of the Crusade, that is, the commanders of each religious order, including the loyal adjutant of the Lord Mograine, Holy Light Monk Fairbanks, and the high-ranking legion commander Ai
Rigor Dawnbringer, the daughter of General Abedis, Bridget Abedis, the senior paladin, the adopted daughter of the Grand Knight Mograine, the senior priest Miss White Mine, and the mage
The deputy leader of the regiment is Angela, the mage of holy light, the commander of the regiment, Duke Maxwell Tyrossus, the warrior of holy light Thomas Thomson, the warrior of holy light Colfax, and the archpriest Inigo Montoya.
, the leader of the Scarlet Legion, Mallan, the killer Rohan, the light hunter Leopud, the angry Mataeus, and Lord Waldemar who led his troops from afar and volunteered to join the Crusade.
These are not all the commanders of the Crusade, but judging from the Crusade commanders who have appeared, although the Scarlet Crusaders are not large in strength, this faith organization that sticks to Stratholme is full of talents, and its quality
It is definitely no worse than any other army in the world, and is even much better.
This is also the reason why the Crusaders can securely occupy Stratholme despite the hostility of the Federation... A few years ago, the Crusaders even dared to confront the Dark Blade Chapter stationed in Tirisfal without falling behind.
Feng...this kind of combat power is no longer comparable to that of ordinary military organizations.
Under the gaze of hundreds of spectators representing different forces, the three knights stepped onto the ceremonial stage. Amidst the clang of heavy armor, the three Crusaders leaders looked at those who followed them in this land surrounded by enemies.
The young people on the surrounding land who have persisted until now have a lot of emotions in their eyes. Even the most stubborn General Abidis couldn't help but sigh at this moment.
During the period just after the empire's defeat, all the knights of the Scarlet Crusade were filled with fear. Everyone thought that the undead on the Chen Bing border might attack the lightly defended Holy Light's Hope Chapel and Tire in the next moment.
With their own hands, they completely wiped out their remnant army, but perhaps due to fate, they finally survived and have been able to support themselves until now.
The most dangerous thing in the world is definitely not a battlefield with real swords and guns. Facing the Empire far away in Kalimdor, which wants to support but is unable to do so, and the Federation, which has ulterior motives and always wants to use sugar-coated bullets to corrode its own will.
For the undead who occupied Stratholme and established their own civilization in a grand manner, the great knights found out in a flash that they and the knights under their command had fallen into a "peaceful" war.
Moreover, this war is protracted and more dangerous.
The founding of a nation... is just a helpless move. In fact, no one knows what the future fate of the Scarlet Crusade and the soon-to-be-established Order of the Silver Dawn will be.
But these knights who crawled out from the dead will never bow to reality and fate... They will fight until the fate that truly belongs to them comes.
"Soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade!"
General Abidis took a step forward. He reached out and took the Holy Light Torch handed over by his daughter. He held it high, like a forerunner holding the Holy Fire high. His low and majestic voice spoke in this ceremony.
The venue echoed:
"We are loyal to our faith in the Holy Light. It burns our lives and prevents us from getting lost in the darkness. It finds the way forward for us. Sincere faith is not only the armor that protects the soul, but also protects our interests.
Sword, and today, under the protection of the Holy Light, its most loyal people will establish a kingdom of the Holy Light on the earth!"
"This is a great day!"
Great Knight Mograine also took a step forward. He also took the burning torch from his son Darien. His voice was like the most determined sword:
"We should not forget the sufferings of the past, but we cannot be restrained by the sufferings of the past. We must move forward. We must find the meaning of the existence of the Holy Light in this changing world...defend its majesty.
, such as defending our lives, the redemption and guardianship represented by the Crusaders will not be forgotten, and on top of the heavy responsibilities on our shoulders, we will get a new mission."
"We will exist in the world in a new form. This is not a blasphemy, but an attempt."
The last great knight, Old Fording, took the silver torch from Tyran's hand and said loudly:
"In this turbulent era, the Order of the Silver Dawn will be a reinterpretation of our faith by those of us who hold the faith. We will use our actions and our will to prove to everyone that faith and progress are not in conflict.
We will prove to the whole world that we, the sincere believers, are not rigid and ignorant..."
"This is not just our responsibility, knights, it is everyone's responsibility!"
"Today, here, I announce!"
The three great knights simultaneously put the torches in their hands into the rock-carved furnace in front of the ceremony platform. With the first golden flame of holy light, the whole ceremony venue under the daylight was lit up because of that.
The surge of pure holy light power was covered with a layer of golden light, making it look like the most gorgeous wonder on earth.