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The Sons of Rakkis were the forces who followed Rakkis in the Zakarum Crusade.

Lore[]

The Sons used the wolf as their sigil.[1] They were known for their horses.[2]

Early Battles[]

The Sons of Rakkis were formed in the year 1045, by order of Emperor Tassara of Kehjistan. Wary of Rakkis's growing popularity within the empire, he declared a crusade to "enlighten" the West of Sanctuary. Tassara reasoned that if Rakkis failed, he would lose much of his popularity. If he succeeded, the emperor could reap the benefits. Rakkis accepted the task, and the emperor granted him nearly a third of Kehjistan's standing military. The "Sons of Rakkis" were thus formed, and Rakkis and his men sailed across the Twin Seas to the West.[3]

The fleet landed at Lut Gholein and Rakkis moved his forces out. Their first opponent was Ivgorod, which at the time, held sway over portions of Entsteig and the northern deserts of Aranoch. Across the dunes, the two sides clashed in a series of one-sided engagements, the Sons claiming easy victory. The Kehjistani were masters of desert warfare, and they crushed Ivgorod's forces at every turn.[3] After their first losses to Rakkis's army, Ivgorod's legendary breaching towers were converted to mass pyres.[4]

Ivgorod and the Northern Steppes[]

The Sons moved north through the Tamoe Mountain Range into Ivgorod proper, and the Northern Steppes. In both cases, the Sons suffered setbacks. In the case of Ivgorod, its forests and mountains were much better suited to Ivgorod's style of warfare, and it was here that the Monks of Ivgorod were unleashed upon the Sons. Both steel and faith clashed,[3] and while Ivgorod would never recover from Rakkis's crusade,[5] the Sons were forced to turn back.[3]

In the Northern Steppes, the Sons had similar setbacks. While the Barbarians lost control of much of the West,[3]the Sons were never able to conquer the Northern Steppes.[6] The Sons pulled back to Eastgate Keep, which had been constructed to guard against enemy counterattacks. Morale is said to have been low, but Rakkis himself wasn't dissuaded. He believed that victory was his destiny, and gave speeches about his "rightous cause," about the destined ascendancy of Zakarum, and rallied the soldiers for the next leg of their campaign.[3]

The Conquest of Westmarch[]

In the far west, nine warring clans existed around the southern edge of what is now called the Gulf of Westmarch. Rakkis knew that their disunity was a disadvantage, but also knew that launching his armies against them would unify the clans into a larger force. Instead, Rakkis lived among them, learning the clans' culture, language, and of their gods. All the while subtly spreading the Zakarum faith to anyone who would listen. Through an arranged marriage, Rakkis bound himself by blood to the Ortal Clan, the third-largest of the seven clans. Using his new standing, he was able to bring four of the lesser clans under his banner.

Afterwards, Rakkis led his combined forces against the Hathlan, the largest and most hostile clan. Through a series of bloody battles, the Hathlan's army was dismantled and its leader slain. With this victory, the remaining clans pledged themselves to Rakkis and declared him their king; but even as Rakkis assumed dominion, he rallied his subjects with talk of mankind's inner Light and glory. It was his strength and conviction that truly unified the clans of the far-West into a single kingdom. In honor of his long campaign, Rakkis named the new land Westmarch,[3] so named as it marked the westernmost point of his conquest.[5]

Later History[]

The Sons of Rakkis rooted out the followers of the demon Astrogha in the region.[1]

The Sons later became defunct within Westmarch. However, they left their mark. The wolf sigil was adopted by the Rakkis Dynasty, and even after its succession by the Justinian Dynasty, the hallmarks of the Rakkis Dynasty remained. Many in Westmarch bore the blood of the Sons of Rakkis.[1]

Sentinel's Watch[]

The splinter of the Sons of Rakkis remained active centuries later at Mount Zavain. The Sons manned the outpost of Sentinel's Watch, which stood guard over a nearby village. In 1270, the outpost came under attack by khazra.

Known Members[]

Sentinel's Watch[]

Trivia[]

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This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.
  • The term "Sons of Rakkis" tends to be used interchangeably with Rakkis's overall army, and as a Paladin order that was part of/composed said army.

References[]

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