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Storm Soldiers -- Consistency Errata

by Bruce Heard

I checked in the origins of the Heldannic Knights, finally. There is one nasty bit of inconsistency in the Dawn of the Emperors (DotE) boxed set. In the DM's Sourcebook, Thanatos is the main instigator behind the Hattian Storm Soldiers, while in the player's book, they are worshipers of Vanya.

Harumpf...

Sorry for that clunker, folks. Let's see if I can come up with a patch for this one.

Thanatos indeed was the instigator of the Hattian Storm Soldiers. He passed himself off as Heinrich Oesterhaus and controlled the Storm Soldiers through magic and suggestions. This smacked of direct intervention and eventually Thanatos had to retire, staging his "death" around AC1004.

Meanwhile, Vanya noticed his subterfuge. She started a small church following in Hattias in AC 940, and later sent dreams to some of the more influent Storm Soldiers to join this new warriors' church. Clerics of Vanya knew to dispel any charm or mind-control spells that may have been cast upon visiting Storm Soldiers. Most remained with the church. It wasn't long before the Storm Soldiers split into two groups, the ones under Thanatos' influence, and the others actually worshipping Vanya.

Around AC 945 the Church of Vanya becomes entirely separate from the Storm Soldiers. It had enough following on its own and ceased targeting the Storm Soldiers. In AC 950, Vanya's clerics leave Hattias to conquer the Heldann Freeholds. They leave nothing behind in Hattias, as a sign to all that there is no turning back.

After Thanatos' departure Hansel Oesterhaus, the son of the late Heinrich and Thanatos' mortal minion, remains as the Hattian clique's top dog to perpetrate even more crimes against the Thyatis Empire. Some ties remains between the Storm Soldiers and the Heldannic Knights, especially among the sect called Fist of Hattias. It isn't rare when a Storm Soldier in trouble with the Imperial Law leaves to join the Heldannic Knights.