Sentinels of Nature

The Sentinels of Nature are a diverse forestal house comprised mainly of members of the sentinel class, but also welcoming those of the druid, sylvan, priest, paladin, shaman, monk, runewarden, magi, serpent, bard, and jester classes who place nature as their foremost priority in life.

Seeking a less rural lifestyle than their Druid cousins, the Sentinel guild was founded nearly two centuries ago, making its way into the cities of Sapience and currently concentrated in the village of Eleusis. Collectively known as the Pack, they are one of the more militant forestal organizations in their duty to nature. After many successful years of such service, the guild transformed into a house.

Sentinels are free to live life by any moral code; they have the choice to reside in many of the cities and worship almost any God they choose. But above any of these individual freedoms, a Sentinel is loyal to nature and the Pack. Be it forest or desert, hill or valley, if any part of nature is threatened, the Sentinels will act as one, administering their own brand of justice to those foolish enough to cross them.

History

A timeline of the Sentinels' history and other relevant events.

202 AF - The Sentinels guild is founded by Treant, a former druid, with the guildhall in Shallam and Hermes as patron.

221 AF - Treant announces his decision to leave the realms permanently.

222 AF - Blackleaf is elected Guildmaster.

224 AF - Vixen, the Wilderness Guide, begins teaching in the guildhall; Vastar is chosen as patron.

227 AF - The Council of Oakstone is formed.

230 AF - The power to exterminate is given to users of Necromancy.

234 AF - Blackleaf announces the Sentinels' neutrality in the Shrine Wars.

236 AF - Sentinels and Druids form a treaty of non-agression.

c. 238 AF - Due to the inability of the guild to remain politically neutral and still reside in Shallam, the Sentinel guildhall is moved to Hashan.

240 AF - The corpses of birds and other creatures are found throughout the land with their hearts ripped out, the beginning of the Death's Heart Saga.

c. 241 AF - The first Charter of Oakstone is completed, with overharvesting laws in effect.

243 AF - Twilight posts in public news 4584, "Due to the overwhelming wish of the Sentinels to leave Hashan, the People of this illustrious city have voted by a landslide to revoke the Sentinel Guild Charter. Know that the Sentinels are no longer a recognized citizen-entity of Hashan. All guild rights and privileges are hereby rescinded." Technically this meant the guild was no longer headquartered in Hashan, though the guildhall remained (and still stands to this day), and Vixen continued to instruct Sentinels there for several years.

243 AF - Galdrion contests and defeats Blackleaf for the position of Guildmaster.

247 AF - Galdrion is contested for Guildmaster during a lengthy and unexplained absence... Perseon replaces him as GM.

c. 252 AF - An herb ban is imposed upon the Kharon guild, whose members continually launch attacks on Sentinels.

252 AF - Still deciding what to do about the guild hall, Perseon declares -no- Sentinel will be a citizen of Hashan.

256 AF - Perseon welcomes Lady Gaia as the new guild patron and leads the membership to Her temple in the Western Ithmia, where Vixen remains to teach, the new guild "hall."

259 AF - Dalamar exterminates a significant number of rooms; war is publicly declared on him.

260 AF - Lord Sartan offers a "deal" to forestals: allow Him to place an altar in the forests with an annual mortal sacrifice, in turn for summoning beasts to continuously hunt Dalamar. The offer is declined.

260 AF - Due to the absence of Lady Gaia from the realms, and the need to have an active Patron, Perseon welcomes Lady Tarah to the guild.

262 AF - Lady Tarah regretfully announces she will be entering into a deep slumber.

263 AF - The Sentinels pledge their support in the defense of Thera against domination by Ashtan.

266 AF - Covenant suggests that defense of the Gaian Tree during Landmarking is part of the guild's purpose in the general defense of nature; Perseon later declares defilment of the tree to be punishable by outguilding, and strongly recommends all assist in protecting and sanctifying the Tree.

266 AF - Perseon announces he will be stepping down from his position. Covenant is elected guildmaster and appoints Lord Caspian as patron to take over from the slumbering Tarah.

271 AF - Vixen falls sick to a mysterious illness. The Sentinels are instructed to channel their grove energy and annihilate their groves, saving Vixen but costing them the Groves skill. Shortly thereafter, the guild is bequeathed with the long-awaited skill of Woodlore, and a new guildhall in the village of Eleusis.

272 AF - An herb ban is enacted against Ashtan as a wartime embargo.

272 AF - The guildhall is invaded and Vixen murdered several times.

273 AF - The herb ban expands to prohibit sales to any non-guild members, with the exception of Druids, Eleusians and anyone actively assisting the guild.

277 AF - Massive exterminations by Andelas take place, further fueling trouble between Ashtan/Sartan and the guild.

279 AF - Lady Gaia awakens after a long slumber.

279 AF - The forests are shrouded in shadow through the Ritual of the Darkenwood, an attempt by the guildmistress of the Druids and the head of Twilight's order to unite against the forces of evil.

280 AF - Gaia returns to Her temple to find Her dryads slaughtered, their bodies piked, and Her grove exterminated by Sartan.

280 AF - The ritual of cleansing is brought about to lift the darkness from the forests, resulting in the birth of the Darkenwood.

293 AF - The herb ban on Ashtan is lifted.

298 AF - The herb ban against Ashtan is reinstated, as Sentinels have become targets of theft with no attempt on the city's behalf to protect them, even when conducting business within the city limits.

301 AF - Sartan is defeated by the Alliance of Gods, imprisoned beneath an overturned mountain off the west coast of Sapience, ending the shrine wars. A red fog begins to seep from the island onto mainland Sapience, killing all plantlife in its path. The fog was driven back to the island, with the side effect of Sartan's power consolidating and his return to the realms. Most Sentinel enemies migrate to newly-formed Mhaldor, and the herb ban against Ashtan is lifted once more.

305 AF - Gaia leaves the realms, dispersing the last of her essence to the forests. Amidst the turmoil, nine spirits appear, taking their places in the forests of Sapience.

316 AF - Lady Demeter is welcomed as the new guild patron.

324 AF - The village of Eleusis awakens and begins accepting citizens.

333 AF - Oakstone imposes an herb ban against Mhaldor for encouraging and harboring exterminators.

337 AF - Mhaldor and Oakstone form a treaty and the herb ban is lifted, with Mhaldor agreeing to stand by its policy of punishing exterminators with outcitizening and enemy status.

348 AF - After numerous exterminations, Mhaldor's treaty with Oakstone is repealed and an herb ban is imposed by the guild only. Forestals show their strength by reacting swiftly and strongly in response to exterminations.

354 AF - Lady Demeter enters a deep slumber, and Lord Neraeos is chosen to replace Her as Guild Patron.

366 AF - After 100 years as Guildmaster, Covenant retires and Landon is elected as the new leader.

369 AF - The guild's herb ban against Mhaldor is lifted.

373 AF - Caz replaces Landon as Guildmaster.

374 AF - In an effort to discourage theft of forestals, the Sentinel, Sylvan and Druid houses agree to joint enemying program.

383 AF - Vertigo replaces Caz as Guildmaster.

387 AF - Farret replaces Vertigo as Guildmaster.

394 AF - The guild undergoes conversion to a house and is renamed the Sentinels of Nature.

402 AF - The Sentinels celebrate their 200th anniversary.

408 AF - The Sentinels are gifted with the Crown Stag, a powerful Icon on Nishnatoba from which the House draws new powers.

438 AF - Logistics replaces Farret as House Leader.