Lore: The Order of Vigilants

Around the year 868 AU, sphinxes throughout the continent watched harpies with growing concern. A power vacuum had been created by the fall of the dridder empire, and the “power-hungry vultures” seemed to be circling. The sphinxes were not interested in filling that void themselves, nor were they opposed to another empire rising. What the sphinxes could not abide was either of the ignoble harpy matriarchs asserting herself as the new empress.

They established an Order, binding themselves by oath to guard against the “unworthy” rising to power. Under their watchful eyes, human and neko civilizations were able to grow without being immediately crushed by advancing harpy flocks, with whom the Order frequently clashed. Plagued by infighting and lacking a leader to unite them, the harpies were held in check by the Vigilants fairly easily—until around the year 1501 AU, when the harpies found a matriarch to unite them.

The “Great War in the Sky” began—blood “rained from the clouds” for many years before the harpies eventually abandoned their cause and scattered. The Order of Vigilants remained watchful over the continent during the relative peace that ensued, which lasted nearly three hundred years.

Another war was on the horizon, as a leader more powerful than the first inspired harpies across Felarya to once again pursue their dream of establishing a harpy empire. The Vigilants took up arms, just as they had done against her predecessor. They defended the continent against the new Matriarch’s megalomania and pushed her across the Shimmering Sea. The war was even larger than the first and took a great toll on the sphinxes, who were aided by other giant races of Felarya.

It could be said that the war was preceded by an omen. As one sphinx recounted, upon seeing countless harpies gather around a light that appeared suddenly, “Though it was night in the desert, it was as if the sun had risen.”