Category:Ensigerum

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The Ensigerum Order is an order of super-powerful time-ninjas living in a village somewhere in northeastern Veracia. They are aligned with the Veracian Church as a matter of expediency, although their first priority is assuring survival of the village. Most of the monks use time magic and enhancements to do their work, much to the annoyance of Imperatrix Anita.

It is tradition for initiates pulled from outside the village to undergo a test of loyalty, to make sure that when push comes to shove they're shoving with the order and not against it. The tests range from the murder of a relative to a simple visit to one's hometown to see if an initiate tries to speak with an old friend or family member. In recent times the tradition has fallen out of practice due to the sheer glut of outsider initiates, but Sara has been set up so perfectly for such a test that some of the upper monks just can't let the opportunity pass.

Contents

History

The history of the Ensigerum Order is murky, as is most everything else about them. According to themselves (or at least Anita), their order is incredibly ancient and predates just about all other existing human power groups, notably the Veracian Church which was "just a bunch of cultists living in a swamp" when the Ensigerum realized they might be useful. This is more or less confirmed by Sarine, whose history lesson for Meji, and later pre-fight trash talking with the late Warrel suggests that a monkish order of human mercenaries dates back to the good old days before the elves kicked the humans out of the elven homelands and a good way before the Errant War really started. On the other hand, also according to Anita, the Ensigerum village has been in its current location for for less than a thousand years, since the Elves withdrew from the world.

Where were the Ensigerum before the village was formed? Current research indicates that there were at least four major phazes to the history of the Order;

  1. Phase 1 involves the founding of the Order and their training, by the Viradior.
  2. Phase 2 involves their activities during the Errant War.
  3. Phase 3 involves their expulsion from elven society, when the elves withdrew.
  4. Phase 4 was from the time of the founding of the Ensigerum Village.

Either way, Tsuirakushiti is much older than the Ensigerum Village.

Capabilities

The Ensigerum Order are also known as Time Ninjas, Time Mages, or Time Monks due to a unique magic trick that allows them to move in accelerated time. This gives them a decided advantage in most combat situations. Of these, the second, Time Mage, is probably the most accurate as they are Mages and are able to use basic magic like any other mage. It is questionable that their magecraft, outside of time magic, is the equivalent of a Tsuirakuan Arch Mage, as Tsuiraku has elevated the art of magic to, at least, a technology, whereas the Ensigerum Order has been focusing all their efforts to develop combat skills, Durus Flamma, and time magic, to the exclusion of most else. For some author's commentary on the pluses and minuses of time magic, see the "Poe Notes" at the end of the article on Anita.

In addition to time magic, Ensigerum monks have been seen to cast something like a Force Bolt in two sequences: the combat with the trolls (where it's cast by Sara Amraphel), and in the chambers of the Veracian Church, when the disguised Sandel uses it for an effective magical back-stab. Monks have also cast Healing spells from time to time. Other spellcasting capabilities among the Ensigerum aren't clear yet.

Ranks

The Ensigerum has a hierarchical system for designating standing in the order. Known ranks, from top to bottom, are:

There are probably others, or at least sub-ranks of Monk; not all of the Monks seem to have the same standing and prestige. At the very least, Paul gets to wear a slightly fancier robe than the other Monks do. However, if he has some rank other than Monk, we don't know what it is. It isn't known what advantage there is to a Novice in being elevated to Monk status, but it's important enough to have become a significant plot point.

Known Members

Other, unnamed members of the order are seen in sequences starting here, here, here, here, and here.

Weapons

Most Ensigerum members use Lancea weapons, a type of long hilted sword or pole arm tipped with a Durus Flamma blade, when on missions. Other types of Durus Flamma weapons (Dolon and Spatha) are also used by some members. However, they commonly practice with blunt look-alike weapons. Note that when Sandel shows up in his role as spy in the Veracian Church, he's using the same sorts of weapons as the other guards (although not very frequently, to hear his boss tell it), so he, at least, has some degree of proficiency with weapons other than the usual Ensigerum arsenal.

Errant Road

The Ensigerum also exists in the universe of Errant Road, the on-line, free-form role-playing game. As far as can be told, its general structure and function there are about the same as in the Poe-verse. However, as with all people, places and things in Errant Road, nothing happening there is "canon" and the organization's Errant Road activities should be considered to have nothing to do with what's going on in-universe in the main story.

Subcategories

This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

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Pages in category "Ensigerum"

The following 18 pages are in this category, out of 18 total.

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Media in category "Ensigerum"

The following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total.

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