Hello and welcome back to Grim Misadventures! As work continues on the next exciting chapter of Grim Dawn’s story and world, we will continue to provide you with glimpses into what is in store for you. Previously, we provided you with introductions to two of Cairn’s factions featured prominently in Act 3: the infamous Black Legion and the enigmatic Order of Death’s Vigil. Today we will talk about the origins of the Order’s hated enemies: Kymon’s Chosen.
Where the Order of Death’s Vigil represents the pursuit of forbidden knowledge and the manipulation of life’s essence, Kymon’s Chosen stand vigil against abominations and the tampering of what they consider to be the domain of the gods. Their promise of a brighter future for Cairn gives people hope where they had none, and their numbers have swelled following the Grim Dawn.
Kymon’s Chosen
Kymon’s Chosen are followers of the enigmatic self-proclaimed prophet Thaidrus Kymon. Born to a great house of Erulan, Kymon grew up in the capital, witness to its many intrigues and scandals. Even as he was groomed by the members of his household to be the next great Kymon, Thaidrus was becoming disillusioned with the petty political rivalries and corruption around him. Much to the disappointment of his father, Thaidrus increasingly abandoned his political and martial training to immerse himself in books, devouring any writing on the pre-imperial histories and mythos that he could get his hands upon. He became fixated on myths from the dawn of humankind, when Empyrion the light-bringer was fabled to have ruled over the other gods, enforcing order in the world. Thaidrus became convinced the old myths were real and that only the return of Empyrion to the world could uplift humankind from their base existence. When his father took the extreme step of having the Kymon’s vast library removed from the manor house and set ablaze, Thaidrus resolved to leave home and experience the vast world for himself.
It was on this journey that the noble came face to face with the poverty and misery that presided over much of the region around the capital. On more than one occasion, Thaidrus sadly discovered that the martial training of his formative years was of more value on the open road than the knowledge and lore he had amassed while engrossed in books. The journey opened Thaidrus’ eyes to the harsh reality of the world, but it also wizened him to deeper truths. If people would not readily embrace change and the ideals he extoled, perhaps change had to be forced upon humankind for their own betterment.
Thaidrus returned to Erulan a changed man. He took up the mantle of his house once more and agreed to serve the empire, although not as a member of the court. He instead dedicated himself to the Luminari and eventually became an inquisitor. Outwardly, he seemed exemplary in his new role, zealous even but for Thaidrus it was a means to an end. As an inquisitor, Thaidrus had access to forbidden texts and knowledge thought too dangerous for the public that was kept locked away in the vaults of the Luminari. He encountered dark powers and accumulated esoteric lore traveling the far reaches of the empire. He collected many exotic artifacts, some of which he neglected to turn over to the Luminari.
One of his inquests led him to a remote village, built atop the ruins of an ancient city, which villagers claimed was the resting place of a forgotten god. The faded visage of the god, etched into the wall of a chamber below the city was similar to ancient stones he had seen in other parts of the empire. Although it was frightful to behold, Thaidrus thought perhaps it represented Empyrion and, if so, the ancient city might be the key to awakening him.
He spent many months there digging in the ruins, deciphering the dead language etched into crumbling blocks. Thaidrus repeatedly delayed reassignment by the citadel of the Luminari and finally ignored summons demanding his return. In time, Thaidrus mastered the dead language and pieced together the secrets of their religion. With trembling hands he prepared the grisly components needed to undertake the archaic ritual he had uncovered and, in a quavering voice, recited a passage in the dead language that would invoke the forgotten god. A pressure seemed to build in the air as a presence gathered in the dark chamber. Thaidrus felt it coiling around him and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end; he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake. A great intelligence invaded his mind and, in a burst of searing pain, it thrust a multitude of thoughts and feelings into his consciousness. It was almost too much to bear and it took several moments for Thaidrus to comprehend what the alien entity wanted and when he did, he recoiled. It offered great power but at a terrible price. Thaidrus summoned all of his mental discipline to push out the invader and used the arts of an inquisitor to sever the connection and ward himself from the entity.
Thaidrus left the village in flames; its inhabitants cast out into the wilderness. He returned to the capital, tired and defeated; ready to answer for his transgressions. However, he found that the head of his order was strangely indifferent to his absence. Thaidrus encountered other former acquaintances that seemed somehow changed and he noticed a pattern of peculiar behavior and events throughout the capital. It went unnoticed by most, but years of research and his experiences as an inquisitor had made Thaidrus especially observant of patterns in the world around him. Military regiments were removed from strategic locations and reassigned to defend positions of seemingly little importance, iron mines were shuttered, magistrates began to imprison citizens for minor offenses, and so forth. Thaidrus was disturbed and he quietly began his own inquisition of the empire itself.
His investigation came to a head when Thaidrus undertook the extreme measure of abducting the head of his order and putting him to the question. It was a perilous episode as his former superior eventually revealed himself to be possessed when he transformed and attacked Thaidrus. It was only with the power of an artifact taken from the chamber of the forgotten god that Thaidrus prevailed. He retreated to the manor house of the Kymons and considered his next move. The empire was in the grip of some malevolent otherworldly force, poised on the edge of oblivion, just waiting for the final stage of their great plan to unfold. It was the very thing that Thaidrus needed; the missing piece of his own plan that he had carried in his heart from childhood. It was the catalyst that would allow him to rebuild the world.
Now that Thaidrus saw the destruction of the empire and perhaps humankind itself was imminent, he knew his time had come. Perhaps it had been destined. He just needed the strength to survive the coming apocalypse and the power to claim his place as an architect of the new dawn. He knew, with apprehension, that the forgotten god could offer him all that.
In the days that followed, a great and unquenchable fire enveloped the Kymon manor house, killing all inside; all but one. Kymon the Prophet emerged to a crowd of spectators, untouched by the flames and he preached to the crowd of the coming apocalypse and of the salvation that he offered. Thaidrus was exiled from the capital soon thereafter but a devoted following left with him. These would become the first of Kymon’s Chosen.
When the Grim Dawn struck, Kymon’s Chosen were prepared to face the threat. Armed with the divine flame and Kymon’s holy word, the Chosen set out to eradicate corruption and prepare the world for their ascension as the chosen people. Still, some cannot help but wonder if the promises Kymon makes are too good to be true. None but the Prophet himself has spoken to Empyrion, and none are allowed to observe when he communes with his god. Despite any doubts, the divine power Kymon wields cannot be denied and his mission of salvation brings hope in humanity’s darkest hour.
Chief amongst his opponents are the followers of the Order of Death’s Vigil, whom the Chosen see as abhorrent devil-spawn that twist the divine threads of life to their will. The extermination of the Order is chief among the Chosen’s goals for Cairn’s new dawn, something the necromancers naturally do not take kindly to. To the Order, Kymon is a fool and his followers even greater fools; but even a fool can be dangerous when armed. The Order will not allow history to repeat itself.
So what will it be? Will you side with the righteous divine flame of Kymon’s Chosen, or will you instead join forces with those that would tamper with the divine thread and side with the Order of Death’s Vigil? The choice will be yours in Act 3.
Check back on 12/08/2014 for the next dev update!
