He was borne unto this world during a trip his father was taking to the armory, mother in tow for company on the long journey from their home in Yew. As Jabez shopped for a new sword and a plate helm of the blue hue, Cassandra fell into the labor of child. Jabez heard the screams of his bride and, new sword in hand and fearing a band of brigands or murderous thieves, he ran to her side and protection. He could not protect her from what he saw next!

As Cassandra strained under the laborious pains of childbirth, Jabez held her hand and watched as a local healer came from his nearby shop to assist the woman and deliver the child. “Madame,” the healer started, “you are much too full of child to deliver but a single lamb from this womb.” Cassandra barely heard the man as she screamed and writhed in pain. “What is that you say man?” asked Jabez. “My first child shall be twins?”

Jabez, a descended of the King David, had often prayed for God to bless him indeed, and keep him from evil while expanding his boundaries. His story is often told in the first Chronicles of the life of King David. In his prayers and conversations with God, Jabez had been told that his firstborn would be a son. His name would be Elijah, in honor of the prophet who had called down fire from Heaven at Mount Caramel and been delivered to the Lord in a fiery chariot and whirlwind.

Elijah was delivered from the womb first, and his feet came unto Britannia before his head. The healer spoke of this type of birth as a sign of strength, an indication of the tenacity and endurance of the child. “Someday this one will be feared,” the healer uttered. Little did he know that Elijah would command the King’s Army and be one of the most renowned defenders of the throne in the days to come. “God has promised me great things for him, of the magnitude of the great prophet Elijah, his namesake,” Jabez told the man. The second child was borne both still and hideous. They named him Elmuerto, meaning ‘the dead’ in the native tongue of Jabez. The second child didn’t have a completely human form, rather the form of a small lich or wraith… borne unto this world dead… or undead. The healer cleaned and wrapped Elijah while his helper placed Elmuerto in a canvas pouch and whisked off into the healer’s shop. Soon the mother was cuddled in the wagon with her new child, and Jabez began their trip home to Yew, wife, son, and a sharp new katana and bright valerite helm in tow.

Jabez awoke often in the night to horrible images of the stillborn child Elmuerto and soon found himself on the road back to Britain, to find the healer who helped deliver his children and to find the body of his second son. A proper burial would end the spirit’s struggle, which had awakened him so many nights before. Upon his arrival, Jabez found the healers shop empty and the dust of the streets had covered all that was there. This place had been vacant for quite some time, he assumed, as he began looking through the vials and containers that littered the shelves and floor. Alas, his son was not here, and the men knowing of where the body was taken were not to be found either. Jabez returned to his family in Yew but Elmuerto was never far from the forefront of his mind. The dreams slowed over time but when they did occur, they grew worse and worse. Jabez never spoke of these dreams but seeing the worry in his face, Cassandra once spoke, “My love, I feel him too.” “Woman,” he said, “never again speak of what you feel and let the dead remain as such.” She obediently obliged.

Elijah found favor in the eyes of his father and while very young began to carve sticks into daggers and chase the rabbits around the farm. Jabez was a man of the land and provided well for his family and earned a living selling his radishes to the surrounding community. As a child, Jabez yearned to become a Knight and to follow his lineage as a warrior as did David and so many of his descendants. Although strong and able, Jabez was a peaceful man and could not bear the thought of taking the life of another man. He did, however, find sport in the killing of rodents and other foul spawn that plagued his farm, and he enlisted Elijah to help him do so. Oftentimes young Elijah would catch the rodents and Jabez was amazed at the cunning and tactics such a young child could summon. Unlike his father, Elijah could slay these creatures with a smile and then move on to the next without as much as a shudder. Jabez wasn’t so icy as he would grimace at the end of each of his kills, almost disgusted with himself for taking another’s life, even if it were but a rabbit or hart.

Elijah often ventured into his father’s chambers, a place Jabez allowed no one. Jabez, of course, knew of the child’s direct disobedience but he often lay in wait, watching intently as Elijah would try and pick up one of the grandmaster crafted Viking swords that his friend Digdug had pounded from his forge. The most intriguing sight of all, though, was the way Elijah would sit for hours staring and ever so gently caressing the valerite pieces of armor that Jabez had collected over the years. The helm was the final piece to complete the set, the helm that marked the birth of Elijah and the death of his brother Elmuerto. Elijah was always most fascinated with this piece, as if he knew of the significance of it’s addition to the collection. Every year after the harvest was complete and the monies collected, Jabez would load Cassandra into the wagon and they would venture to town to purchase another piece of the valerite plate that he loved so much. The year of Elijah’s birth marked the final trip to the city in search of the armor yet marked the beginning of a saga surrounding the helm, the city, and the death of his brother, Elmuerto.

Elijah had few friends while growing up yet he was always quite a social young boy when the opportunity presented itself. Digdug, the blacksmith, had a son named Apollo who was but a few weeks younger than Eli and the two would often play together as their fathers told stories of their youth over a ceramic mug of ale. This occurrence took place more and more often as the years passed, as Digdug was a man of great skill but a very lazy man as well. During the winter months between the harvest and sowing seasons, Jabez had plenty of spare time that Digdug took full advantage of. They were great friends and to this day, the old man Digdug still smiths all of Elijah’s weapons and armor while accepting very few jobs on the side. Apollo was somewhat of a renegade, much like Elijah but also very different. Apollo was quiet, stealthy, and always preferred the war of swords to the war of words. Much of this rubbed off on Elijah and the two often sparred in the Castle British courtyard when they accompanied their fathers to the city. The guards never minded the young children’s fascination with the Castle, and the boys often marched together, out of sight of course, pretending to be guards of the King himself.

As time passed, these two boys became young men. Other children were borne to Jabez and Cassandra, and the old Digdug never married but took many a lady into his chamber and had a few children of his own. Herrador was the middle child of Jabez and Cassandra, and he was a flowery child, much to the chagrin of his father. Cassandra nurtured him though, and spoiled the boy at times, even teaching him to cook and sew. Ezra was the baby of the family but he left home at the early age of twelve because of the hatred his father had for the magery he and his friends would practice in the barns. Oftentimes the horses hay would be set ablaze by a stray fireball or energy bolt that the boys could conjure but not control. Very mature and having found a mentor at such a young age, Ezra left for the dark lands, returning much later in this story as a protector of his brother and all things righteous. Herrador never did stray far from his mother’s breast and yet today lives at home, doing the duties of a servant to the family and his brother’s charge.

As Elijah grew older, he became quite adept on horseback and began to venture further into the woodlands, following the roads at times half way to Skara Brae. His skills had developed nicely and his strength was that of two men as his labors on his father’s farm honed his muscular shell. In the winter month’s, Elijah had the painful responsibility of setting forth into the woods to chop trees for the night’s fire. As he grew, the axe became his weapon of choice as well. As he hunted for prey along the paths and roadways, he noticed that his sword, although deadly accurate and strong, inflicted less than half of the damage administered by a blow of his axe. These thoughts never ventured far from his mind while he endured the cold and ice every winter gathering the logs for their fires.

Elijah, in his adventures further and further from home, learned the route to the capital city of Britain and ventured there often after completing his chores. He began to learn of guilds and armies of men and women who were joining together for the purposes of both good and evil. Adept with the axe by this time, and a Master of the sword and battlefield tactics, Elijah stood firm against the evil which spawned from the crotch of Minax whenever he encountered the fiends upon his route. During one of his short stints in town, he found a group of what seemed like hundreds of red cloaked bald men in the streets beside the healer’s shop where his father had shown him as his birthplace. They all wore the same clothing and carried the same title… this must have been the recruitment phase of one of these guilds he had heard of! There were cloaks for the recruits lying about on the ground and Elijah quickly snatched one up, threw it over his armor, and stood in line with the other recruits and began to ask questions. He spoke and spoke, asked and asked, and yet no one would answer him or return his salutations. “Bah!,” he spoke after some time of being ignored. “You all must be one of those cults I read about in the monk Sparhawk’s fables.” “Damn you all back to Minax and her bowels,” he shouted as he cut the red cloak into bandages and rode away.

On his trip back to Yew that sunny afternoon, some angry ettins, trolls, and a few harpies cornered Elijah. The evil Minax must have heard him swear at her followers and she would not be let him live! Deep from the depths of his belly, Elijah screamed out, “Send all of your whores Minax!” “Send them all and I’ll deliver them back to you with their fatal wounds from my axe still fresh and bloody!” Suddenly a man dressed in a light blue uniform arrived and quickly and skillfully helped defend Elijah from the evil that had spawned around him. Breathing heavily and beginning to apply a bandage, the man introduced himself. “Hail sire, I am Wynn of the Royal Squires of Britannia.” “Well met, Wynn,” Elijah replied. “You fight a mean fight,” Wynn continued, “we need men like you to help defend the throne from this evil that seems to be plaguing the lands.” “You’re looking for men ‘eh?” Elijah asked. “Well I fit that description… Hehehe… what type of men are you looking for and what is your group all about?” “Well, I am but a Squire,” Wynn began, “but I’ll soon be a Knight and promoted into the ranks of the RKB, the most powerful army in the land.” We are set forth to defend the throne of the King and I’ve been training quite some time for the opportunity to finally see battle,” Wynn began. And so the story of the First Knight begins…

Elijah followed Wynn back to Britain to meet his leader, a man he called Marcus. Marcus was the chancellor of the RSB, The Royal Squires of Britannia. Their mission was to train the finest warriors into fearless Officers who would serve to lead the King’s Army. Talks of a Great War were spreading across the land and the Royal Knights of Britannia were preparing to defend themselves against the dark warriors being assembled by Lord Blackthorn himself. Elijah had heard of the King, Lord British, as well as his friend Lord Blackthorn. The pubs of Yew often were abuzz with talk of these two men, friends from childhood but bitter enemies on the battlefield. It seemed as though Lord British was striving to unify the lands of Sosaria by any means possible whereas Lord Blackthorn believed in the virtue of Chaos and the sacredness of all life, including that of evil. This distinct separation of beliefs began to split families, friends, and cities alike. Elijah was a man of honor, a man of good intentions, and a man with no regret upon taking the life of evil with his axe or sword.

Marcus was a man of good intent and a knowledgeable man in all of the ways of the land. Elijah took a liking to him quickly and spend two whole days serving at his side. Gold needed transported, hides carried, and ore transferred from a fleet of ships to the home of Octavian, the leader of the craftsmen who supported the Royal Knights. In his newfound loyalty and commitment, Elijah had spent two full days away from home. Although he had remembered his family in his prayers, he had neglected to travel home to tell them of his new endeavor. Upon travelling back to his home in Yew, he found his father had become quite ill. Although the healers believed he would not perish, he was weak and the farm was in need of much attention. Elijah had to return to his post at the Castle and thus enlisted the help of his two brothers to comprise a plan to take care of themselves and their mother and father. In just hours, Ezra returned to the family homestead to teach Elijah the ways of the mage. Although they only had a few hours, Elijah was taught the way of the magical recall, a spell cast to instantly be teleported through time from one place to another. Through the use of this spell, Elijah could journey home and back to the castle in just a short period of time and thus was able to visit his father much more frequently and help to care for the family’s affairs. Ezra’s healing and curing spells delighted their father as well, and thus Ezra was welcomed back into the home once again. Although seldom weaned from the side of their mother, Herrador began learning the trades necessary to maintain a farm and together, the boys took care of their farm until their father passed a few years later.

The Royal Squires accepted Elijah warmly and began the daily training of the skills necessary for battle. Eli was quite a bow crafter, a skill he taught himself while spending so many of those hours in the forests chopping trees for his father. He also was quite handy with a bow as he practiced often the numerous ways to slay a rabbit or bird. These skills soon became rusty, however, as new skills in anatomy and the parrying of blows with a shield took precedence in his training. Elijah had never used a shield before this as his favorite weapon, the executioner’s axe, was heavy and required the use of both hands to swing. He trained hard in these new skills and honed those he was already adept in using.

Excited with the news from the past few days, Elijah set out looking for his good friend Apollo. Upon finding him in the woods near his home chasing and wrestling with camps of orcs, Elijah began to tell the tale of his newfound friends and colleagues. Apollo was excited and together they raced toward Britain to declare Apollo’s intent to serve the King beside of his friend. Along the way, the two young men found two others who were being attacked by some vicious creatures from the depths. Elijah and Apollo joined in with the men and cleared the area of any more of the spawned evils. They introduced themselves and Apollo said with anticipation and excitement, “We’re off to join forces with the King and his Army!” “Can we join too,” asked Fast and Erich A. Zann? “Hmmm,” Elijah replied, “I don’t see why you couldn’t, come with us and we’ll get you all some uniforms together.” So off they rode, the new Squire Elijah and his first three recruits. They all began to train hard together and within days, Elijah found himself initiated into the Royal Knights and looked at his reflection in the Castle moat. “I look good in blue,” Elijah muttered to himself with a grin. “Damn good indeed.”

Elijah soon met a man everyone had spoke of but no one really knew. The man was Avaris Stonesoul, the First Knight of the Royal Knights. It was his charge to lead the Knights and their army into battle and he reported directly to the King. It was said that Avaris could wrestle four armed men and heal himself quickly enough to defeat them all. This was most difficult to believe but alas, upon meeting the First Knight for the first time, he was sparring exhaustively with four men, all of whom were armed and hitting him quite hard. Avaris laughed and spoke without missing a breath, “Hail Elijah, ‘tis nice to have you. Welcome to the RKB.” Now the mere appearance of Lord Avaris commanded respect and Elijah quickly bowed to his Lord, and spoke softly but confidently, “Lord, I’ll serve you, honor you, and make you proud.” With that, the men left.

The news of the Great War, a war dubbed “The Dragon War” was quickly becoming the topic of most every conversation in the land. Elijah didn’t really understand the war, nor did he think war was ever a good solution to a problem but he served his King now and would honor him and follow in his commands. It was obvious to most that Elijah was a cut above most other men on the battlefield. The evil creatures that spawned from the belly of the lands were no match for him as his skills with the axe grew greater and greater each day. By this time his old skills in archery and bowcrafting had faded completely and he had become a Grand Master of four skills, that of the sword, the parrying of blows, the anatomy of man, and the tactics of a battlefield warrior. His skill in defending himself against magical attacks has also grown and he was ready for his first commission as an officer.

His good friend and mentor, the monk Sparhawk, often invited Elijah to his home in the woods to drink an ale or talk of battles both past and future. Spar gave Elijah a trunk in the corner of his home to store some of his more precious belongings. Sparhawk also knew of the ways a soldier could make money in the lands and Elijah was interested in a home of his own someday so he listened intently as his new brother in the bonds gave him tips and insights onto the ways of the merchant. Although Elijah had little time for anything other than his training, he took heed to Sparhawk’s words and often enlisted his brother Herrador to collect some items Spar had said the men in town would purchase. Gaining knowledge of the city and it’s folk, Elijah soon built a small fortune in the trunk in the corner of the home of his friend. “Soon”, Elijah thought, “I’ll be able to afford a cabin the woods of Yew where Apollo and I can spend our weekends making decorations from the helms of the orcs we slay there!” Soon after he found his brother Sparhawk to have defected from the King’s Army and taken up with the Black Knights, the enemy in the Dragon War. Their friendship held firm but it was soon time for Elijah to move on…

During the first meeting of the officers he had ever been invited to, Elijah was presented to the group as a new Captain. No prior notice had been given and Elijah was stunned at his appointment. How quickly he had moved from the lad on the farm to a man responsible for the welfare of his brethren on the battlefield! Elijah was nervous and excited about his new position and he raced home to tell tale of it in Yew. His mother was delighted and his brothers both rolled their eyes as he excitedly recalled the events of the past few days. “And there’s a war coming,” Elijah exclaimed as he was finishing his story. With this, Cassandra drew a slow breath and hung her head a bit as she was all too familiar with the resulting and lingering effects of war. “I’ve taught you from your childhood that war is not a solution but a cause,” she began. “I’ve nary seen anything good come from the wars I’ve witnessed, nothing but death and blood, egos and cowardice revealed, and families left without brothers and fathers,” she continued. “Mother,” Elijah interrupted, “I have no intention of stoking the coals of war, nor will I when I take leadership of the King’s Army someday.” Herrador giggled at the thought of his brother being the First Knight of the Army of Britannia. With an evil glance, Elijah quieted his jovial sibling and left the farm once again for his other home, Castle British.

The Dragon War came and went, brother fought brother, and men died in droves protecting what they believed to be right. As a young officer, Elijah learned many lessons including how not to fight a lone battle against a group of experienced spell casters and that tamed dragons were a foe not to be taken lightly. He was gravely wounded in several battles and even spent time during the Battle of the Bridge stationed in the Castle Armory in protection of the King’s stock of weapons. He heard the cries of the men from outside the door but remained inside for most of the battle as his orders were to not leave and to attack the enemy on sight as they came inside the armory in search of a new weapon. As the battle wore down, Elijah and his troops finally moved from their post to help defend what was left of the King’s Army. Shame had been cast upon the Royal Knights, being defeated in war by an army less than half of their size. The King was furious and expelled the Knights from the Castle. “I’m homeless,” Elijah thought, “It’s time for me to collect my things from Sparhawk’s and buy a place, hidden in the woods, where I can keep from showing my face in the city after this shameful defeat.”

And so it began, the search for a place to call home. The hasty expulsion from the Castle had really caught Elijah by surprise, as the King was typically a kind and generous man. How must the King feel, as his honor was so poorly supported in the fight against the Black Knights? The RKB was in shambles. Elijah went to the home of his friend Sparhawk and began to collect his things. Sparhawk was seldom found at home and Elijah cherished this fact, that his face would be hidden and his friend wouldn’t see the shame in his eyes. Elijah found a old, run-down wooden house in the forest just East of his family farm. Although the house was in poor shape, the asking price was still much more than Elijah had been able to save. Another young officer, Dj, was also a good friend of Elijah’s and he was kind enough to loan him the money he needed to amass the funds to buy his first home. Although there was hardly room for Elijah and his horse, Prophecy, his friend Apollo soon moved in with them. The men reverted quickly back into their childhood friendship and follies, hunting the stray animal or creature spawn in the woods around their new home and eventually doing some errands to keep the food on the table.

Elijah had lost some of his fervor for the RKB since the end of the Dragon Wars. The teamwork and brotherhood that had once defined the group now slowly disintegrated but the framework for greatness still stood firm. Elijah’s loyalties never faltered but the events that helped the brotherhood flourish no longer occurred and organization of the group was in shambles. Marcus had moved away after the War and multiple pigeons were sent to retrieve him but all to no avail. The First Knight Avaris was slowly growing old and weary, the War had taken it’s toll on the man and his days of leadership were drawing to a close. Avaris had lost no favor in the King’s eyes but the process of rebuilding was at hand and this was giving Lord Avaris fits to no end. He began to call together his most trusted men, the men who stood firm over the War and who loyal and faithful to the King. Elijah was included in this meeting and he listened intently as Avaris began to layout the groundwork for the new Army.

“The days of the ranked officers are over,” Avaris began. “From this day forward, those present here today will be the chosen Knights of the RKB. You will define our future, you will define our greatness.” Elijah chose the Knight of the Prophecy as his title, immortalizing once and forever the life and death of his namesake, the Prophet Elijah. As a new Knight, Elijah had the responsibility to train other men in the ways of the King and to impress upon these Squires the virtues of the realm. While training in the sparring grounds of the castle, Elijah was approached by a young army member named Ariakas. A fine looking lad but a bit wet behind the ears, Ariakas was looking for a Knight to train him and inquired of Elijah’s availability. Alas, the journey as the trainer of men would begin… The First Knight…

Elijah quickly began training the young Ariakas in the ways of the sword and of the tactics of the battlefield. “A man who’s not a Grand Master of at least two of the skills of the warrior is not worthy of being called Knight and, quite frankly, would die easily at the hands of most brigands and rogues of the land,” Elijah explained to Ariakas. “Although our King has no rules prohibiting unskilled Knights, we do have honor amongst us and will never let an unskilled warrior pass the Gauntlet of the Knights.” Ariakas was confused at this and inquired about the Gauntlet Elijah spoke of. “The Gauntlet of the Knights is a voting session, held in private, of the Royal Knight’s themselves,” Elijah began, “The virtues, skills, and even personality of the Squire is rated and discussed in detail. The Knights all are allowed but a single vote in their selection of whether the Squire is qualified for a position amongst them. This process is sometimes painful, sometimes difficult, and oftentimes takes many days to tabulate all of the votes.” “Jeepers,” Ariakas said with a scowl, “Would I ever pass such a vote?” Elijah smiled broadly and said, “Ariakas, if I train you well and you remain noble and loyal at all times, you will pass this vote.”

The days turned into months and the RKB continued it’s downward spiral. Avaris had grown quite old and his health was fading quickly as well. He often sought council with Elijah as the two men had developed a mutual trust and respect. The same aspects of Elijah’s personality which drew criticism from his peers commanded respect from his leaders. Elijah was unknowingly becoming Avaris’ choice to replace him and continue the rebuilding of the Royal Knights. This secret was so tightly guarded that Stingray, Avaris’ most trusted friend and fellow Knight to Elijah didn’t even know to whom and when the torch would be passed.

Late one evening, as many before it, Elijah sat in the study of his liege speaking freely of the problems of the day, both within the ranks of the RKB as well as the Knights. Avaris was clearly agitated this evening, stewing and fretting about the current state of affairs and friends who’s loyalty had passed. “Elijah, I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” Avaris said obviously stricken with grief. “The men are turning on me and the RKB is about to become a part of history.” “That will never happen,” Elijah exclaimed as he rose from his chair. Pointing at Avaris and continuing Elijah said, “Sire, the brotherhood which is the RKB will never stop. Your time as our leader may be ending, but the history of who and what defines us has yet to be completed. The virtues of our King need defended yet today and if you’re not the man to do it, give control to me and let me show you.” Elijah, obviously becoming more and more agitated as he continued, spoke but another few words before pausing and retreating to his chair, hands folded across his head in disbelief at the disrespect he had just shown his Lord. “Sire,” he began softly, “Give control of the RKB to me and I’ll either take us to greatness or I’ll ride us into the ground with dignity and honor.”

The room became deathly quiet as Avaris began to speak in a stuttered tone without ever looking up from the floor, “Elijah, it is done… the troops are yours… treat her well and lead her in honor as this beautiful child of mine, the Royal Knights of Britannia… needs you.”

And so this story ends… or begins… as the new story and future of the RKB unfolds around us as Sosaria reunites in the realm of our King, Lord British…