Shining Blade
This article is about the Krytan Royal Guard. For the legendary weapon, see The Shining Blade. For the trinket, see Shining Blade (accessory). 
“Dark times call for dark deeds.
The Shining Blade is the Krytan royalty's personal guard, sworn to protect the Royal Family. Although they are the smallest and least known of the three Krytan military orders, the Shining Blade are superlatively trained as an elite force. Unknown to most of the populace, the Shining Blade also conducts many covert operations such as spying, message delivery, and other activities carried out in the shadows. The organization is presently led by Master Exemplar Anise.
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The Shining Blade was founded in Kryta by Evennia and her band of royalists loyal to the Krytan royal family between 1070 AE and 1072 AE. They opposed the usurping White Mantle cult and their false Unseen Gods, the mursaat.[1][2] The White Mantle had taken over the kingdom following King Jadon's sudden disappearance from the capital city of Lion's Arch in the wake of the human-charr conflict, and had called themselves saviors of Kryta after defending the kingdom from charr invaders. Evennia and her inner council discovered that the White Mantle was far less benevolent than appeared and was abusing its religious power, so they intended to expose the cult's crimes to the masses. However, the White Mantle used its authority to brand the Shining Blade as heretics and outlaws who wanted to spread chaos throughout Kryta instead, and began hunting these rebels down to preserve order.
Guild Wars Prophecies[edit]
In 1072 AE, the Shining Blade managed to convince the heroes, who had initially aided the White Mantle in the manhunt, that the Mantle had been manipulating both the people of Kryta and the Ascalonian refugees all along. The heroes and the Shining Blade witnessed the White Mantle sacrificing the Chosen, people identified to have potential in ways of magic, on the Maguuma Bloodstone for their mursaat masters, further convincing the heroes of the Mantle's villainy and the Shining Blade's innocence.
While the heroes were away trying to find a means to combat the White Mantle's powerful mursaat masters, the Shining Blade's inner council member Markis betrayed the group and revealed their hideout to the White Mantle. Markis's actions led to a massacre in the Henge of Denravi as the Mantle's soldiers stormed the area. The surviving Shining Blade barely fled alive although they lost some members such as Saidra, one of their leaders, in the process. The Shining Blade regrouped with the heroes and avenged their fallen by hunting down and killing Markis, and eventually defeated Confessor Dorian and the White Mantle's high council while exposing the truth behind the cult's actions to the masses.
Evennia stepped down from her post after the destruction of the White Mantle high council to focus on politics as the Shining Blade had discovered Salma, the lost King Jadon's recently discovered daughter born out of wedlock, and wished to place her on the Krytan throne. Bartholos succeeded Evennia as the Master Exemplar of the organization to continue the fight against the White Mantle's tyranny, while Evennia continued rallying support for Princess Salma and acted as both the advisor for the princess and an ambassador for their cause.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North[edit]
Some Shining Blade agents aided the heroes and their allies in defeating the Great Destroyer, champion of the Elder Dragon Primordus, in 1075 AE.
War in Kryta[edit]
The Shining Blade gained more members over the following years and received help from the Lionguard to place Salma on the throne. They were opposed by the White Mantle who continued clinging to power, escalating the Krytan Civil War into a full-blown clash between the two armies for the fate of the kingdom. Evennia's delegation traveled as Kryta's ambassadors to Ascalon City to seek King Adelbern's aid against the White Mantle in the civil war; however, the delegation disappeared some time after reaching the city and were not heard from again although some rumors would claim years later that the paranoid king might have viewed the Krytan delegation as assassins and had them all hanged from the city's walls.[3] The civil war ended with the Shining Blade's victory once they had defeated Dorian's successor, Confessor Isaiah, as well as a handful of mursaat survivors assisting the remaining White Mantle forces in the Battle for Lion's Arch in 1079 AE. The few White Mantle who had survived the assault fled into the Maguuma Jungle.
After Salma had successfully claimed her throne, the Shining Blade pledged themselves to become the restored dynasty's personal guard from that day onward as they knew that the White Mantle survivors and other forces could still threaten the queen in the future. Bartholos stepped down to become the first captain of the newly created Seraph army for Kryta, and Livia succeeded him as Master Exemplar.[4][5]
Interim years[edit]
Some time after the Shining Blade's victory over the White Mantle, one of the last, dying Seers gifted a magical sword of Seer origins to the organization and bestowed the members with a duty to destroy the last known mursaat survivor Lazarus should he ever return. The sword was named the Shining Blade, and Livia imbued it with a spell known as the Oath of Confidence which would ensure that anyone taking the oath could not betray the organization's secrets to others like Markis had done as it would cost the oathbreaker's life.[1][2]
White Mantle spies attempted to assassinate Queen Salma some time around 1157 AE. The queen survived with only a minor wound because of Livia's cunning and vigilance. The Shining Blade immediately began a campaign to find all infiltrators. Livia stepped down and retreated into seclusion in the Shining Blade headquarters, and was succeeded by Laurelai.[2]
When the sylvari's existence became known in Kryta some time after the first sylvari's awakening of 1302 AE,[6] Master Exemplar Eive reviewed evidence of this new race, including direct contact with them in the Grove, to find out if they were a threat or not and deemed them to be gracious, honorable, and kind. In response, the Master Exemplar publically announced that the race was welcome to visit Divinity's Reach and should not be subjected to criminal abuse, or the Krytans responsible for harming them would answer to the Shining Blade.[2]
Eive stepped down and passed on the mantle of Master Exemplar to her successor, exemplar Countess Anise, some time after the Ogre Revolt caused by the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik's awakening in 1320 AE.[7] Her retirement was made official with a document signed by herself, Anise, Queen Jennah, and two other witnesses. In it, both Anise and Jennah expressed their gratefulness for Eive's service, while Eive stated that she had loved the Shining Blade as her own family and would continue to do so, but her responsibilities would occasionally take her away, so she felt that the Shining Blade deserved someone fully dedicated to leading it.[2]
Personal story[edit]
Living World Season 3[edit]
In 1330 AE, Anise initiated the Pact Commander into the Shining Blade's inner circle by having them undergo a ritual and take the Oath of Confidence so the Shining Blade could openly discuss what plans they had in mind for the mursaat Lazarus. Depending on the Commander's origins, this was potentially the first time that a non-human was allowed into the inner circle.[8]
Organization[edit]
“The pillars of the Shining Blade are loyalty, courage, and service. Loyalty and service to Kryta and the Shining Blade, courage in the face of threat.
The Shining Blade's leader is known as the Master Exemplar, currently Countess Anise, who is hand picked by the ruling monarch. The inner council consists of the Master Exemplar as well as exemplars who are all required to take the magical Oath of Confidence to ensure that the organization's secrets will not leak to outsiders.
Members[edit]
- See also: Category:Shining Blade
- Alari Doubleblade
- Canach
- Countess Anise
- Crystal Runner
- Exemplar Caulden
- Exemplar Kerida
- Exemplar Mehid
- Exemplar Salia
- Exemplar Talie
- Exemplar Ylan
- Lady Valette Wi
- Less Longbow
- Livia
- Shining Blade
- Shining Blade Agent Bilman
- Shining Blade Benk
- Shining Blade Captain
- Shining Blade Guard
- Shining Blade Guard
- Shining Blade Guard
- Shining Blade Kimber
- Shining Blade Officer Ralan
- Shining Blade Paratrooper
- Shining Blade Ranger
- Shining Blade Recruit
- Shining Blade Swordmaster
- Notable historical members
Gallery[edit]
- Promotional material
- Concept art
Notes[edit]
- All members wear a Banded armor set with a Draconic Coat, dyed a combination of Sand, Calfskin, Pottery, Swamp Grass and Country Teal, and carry a sword.
Trivia[edit]
- Nameless NPC members of the Shining Blade are all of average height (both male and female), have brown hair in similar styles and fair skin. This is perhaps a nod to the Swiss Guards, another small, elite-trained organization that serve as the arm of their head—they are noted for having a height requirement for joining. Named Shining Blade NPCs—such as Exemplar Mehid and Exemplar Salia—do not follow this pattern.
See also[edit]
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The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Shining Blade. |
- Associated items
References[edit]
- ^ a b The Shining Blade Manual (complete)
- ^ a b c d e Shining Blade Secrets
- ^ Open Letters
- ^ Lion's Arch (War in Kryta)
- Princess Salma: Guided now by our loyal servant Livia, the Shining Blade will continue to serve Kryta, not as a rebel group nor as a militia, nor even as an army, but shall henceforth serve as the royal guard for all kings and queens of Kryta. [...]
- Princess Salma: In that spirit, we hereby announce the formation of a new army for the defense of the whole of Kryta and for all humans who call Kryta their home.
- Princess Salma: Honoring the winged goddess who protected us in our final battle against the fiends who had usurped our kingdom, this new group will be called the Seraph, and the valiant Bartholos shall be their commander.
- Princess Salma: In this new army, common citizens and former members of the White Mantle and Shining Blade will serve side-by-side. You will know the Seraph by the wings that adorn their helms and shields, and by their resolute defense of our land. They shall be the protectors of Kryta.
- ^ Lion's Arch Historical Marker
- Original site of Lion's Arch Keep. Here in 1079 AE, the White Mantle was defeated by Queen Salma of Kryta and her Shining Blade, at the Battle of Lion's Arch.
- ^ Timeline in the novels Ghosts of Ascalon, Edge of Destiny, and Sea of Sorrows.
- ^ When Kralkatorrik's rise led to the Ogre Revolt in Edge of Destiny, Anise was still stated to be an exemplar.
- ^ Shining Blade Secrets
- <Character name>: I'll take the oath, if that's required. But, I can't entrust the aspect to you until I know it won't be misused.
- Countess Anise: You told him/her about the oath?
- Exemplar Kerida: Talking about the oath won't kill me. Just telling the secrets. Besides, he/she wouldn't shut up about it.
- Exemplar Kerida: You're not Shining Blade. We'd never allow you to take the oath.
- Countess Anise: Actually, I think it's a wonderful idea. I can imagine no more trustworthy—and useful—a person to have on our side.
- Exemplar Kerida: What?
- Countess Anise: Follow me, Commander. Allow me to introduce you to the Shining Blade's inner circle.
