The Prodigal Soldiers
The Prodigal Soldiers are a violent splinter faction of the Sainthood of Ashes that abandoned the faith's humanitarian mission in favor of aggressive undead extermination. During the Sainthood's early days, extremists who prioritized destruction of the undead over compassionate aid coalesced into armed contingents of warrior priests and lay soldiers. Armon Lang and his daughter Nicolette led one such group, training fighters to hunt undead nests proactively rather than waiting for the dead to come to them.
The faction's purpose warped into atrocity when Lang's contingent discovered a riverside settlement of Retrogrades and Lascarians. Armon ordered a cull despite Nicolette's objections. The settlement's residents fought back, and during the battle Nicolette was fatally wounded by a Lascarian blighted shiv while defending her father. Her death broke whatever restraint Armon Lang had left. In the days that followed, Retrograde families were slaughtered and Lascarian shelters were burned across the surrounding territory.
The Prodigal Soldiers remain active but condemned by the Sainthood mainstream. Sporadic attacks on Retrogrades, Lascarians, and bystanders continue across the wastes. What began as a crusade driven by conviction ended in ashes and blood, and the father's grief became the frontier's recurring nightmare. Reports of Prodigal attacks still surface with enough regularity to remind the wastes that the faction has not died with its cause.
The faction's purpose warped into atrocity when Lang's contingent discovered a riverside settlement of Retrogrades and Lascarians. Armon ordered a cull despite Nicolette's objections. The settlement's residents fought back, and during the battle Nicolette was fatally wounded by a Lascarian blighted shiv while defending her father. Her death broke whatever restraint Armon Lang had left. In the days that followed, Retrograde families were slaughtered and Lascarian shelters were burned across the surrounding territory.
The Prodigal Soldiers remain active but condemned by the Sainthood mainstream. Sporadic attacks on Retrogrades, Lascarians, and bystanders continue across the wastes. What began as a crusade driven by conviction ended in ashes and blood, and the father's grief became the frontier's recurring nightmare. Reports of Prodigal attacks still surface with enough regularity to remind the wastes that the faction has not died with its cause.
