In December of 1999, two adventurers named Owyn and Arkat, from the world of Harvestgain
in Asheron's Call, decided the time had come for them to take the step into Darktide, the
PvP server for AC. They carefully researched the world they planned to enter, and chose
the town of Tufa as their first home. Eventually, they planned to move north to a zone
they had been informed was relatively safe by some friends.
Quickly these sword-brothers learned that the world they had entered was dark, filled with
evil men who would kill randomly for pleasure. Always they swore to stand against this
darkness. And then Owyn conceived a plan. It would not be enough for the two of them to move
to the north and go to a defended place - no, they would have to bring others with them.
Thus the Exodus was organized. Dozens of people wrote to Owyn, asking to be taken along on
his trek.
Then, shortly before the Exodus itself was to take place, disaster struck. The lands to the
north were laid siege to, the battles many and fierce. Owyn knew his tiny and weak band was
no match for the forces of darkness intent of conquest of the northern towns.
After long deliberation, Owyn and Arkat decided that the Exodus would simply settle elsewhere.
And, since they had grown attached to their home, and kept it clear of raiders for the most
part, they selected Tufa as the new homeland for the Exodus. Then the Exodus was no more, and
the Defenders of Order were born - men and women sworn to uphold what was good and right in a
land consumed by darkness.
The town became the stuff of Darktide legend, and many a tale has been told of the light that
sprung from it in those days. Joined there by the Order of Aegis Crusaders, the Defenders held
the town against raid after raid. High levels attacked, and still they held.
Tufa held a very log time, but all things end; in time the "Jewel of the Desert" was shattered.
The Defenders were scattered, many recruited by the selfsame House of Chaos which had broken
the back of the Tufan people. Owyn and Richard D'Acura remained in Tufa months afterward, making
bitter war on the army which had occupied his home, seeking to make certain they reaped a sour
harvest from their victory.
Then the House of Chaos too broke apart, and Owyn was left with an empty town - that was abruptly
shattered by the Shadow Wars, the town completely destroyed. At this, he left.
The remaining Defenders, in the meantime, had met new folk of like mind, and had moved to the
Castle of the Bandit King, an ill-named place which was a new home for the forces of good. There
Owyn traveled, and was re-united with Arkat and the others at last. They were joined there by
Grimwell's family, and the two small groups merged to form a stronger band. Owyn stepped down
from leadership at this time, and the rank of Commander was passed to first Grimwell, then on
to Arkat.
One day, one of the Defender mages found a way to open gates between worlds, and believed he had
found a way to open the path back to their home in Ispar. Arkat volunteered to take the chance -
he passed his worldly goods on to others, as he could not carry them into the portal. At the last
moment, he took with him the sword Owyn had given him when they pledged as sword-brothers. It was
this sword, most likely, that caused him to be lost.
Arkat never arrived at Ispar. Desperately, the Defenders tried to find him. He was still alive -
Owyn knew it was so. Finally, they believed they had found him. Owyn and his friend Avira stepped
through the portal... Into the unknown, to search for Arkat.
They did find him, in a new world, waiting for new legends of the Defenders of Order. And here the
guild has moved - to the lands of the Dark Age of Camelot. Here the Defenders battled new foes, and
carved a new name for themselves. In the lands of Albion, on Galahad, they fought to preserve the
realm Arthur had won before his death. This was a time of rebuilding for the Defenders, and many
new and valiant warriors rallied to their banner. In truth, this was as strong a time as any the
in the history of the band.
Finally, the constant battles over the same lands began to pale. But there were other lands that
needed the Defenders - and so they voyaged on to the place called Mordred. A tiny band was all
that first came, but they once again proved their worth against foes with ten times their number.
Overcoming the odds had become a Defender trademark, and the weeks in Mordred's Beta was no
different. There they reunited with old allies from Dereth like PRX, and met new friends like
the Combine as well.
The stage was set - the true battles are about to begin, and a new set of sagas are waiting to be
lived!