Editing Protectorate of Menoth (section)

==Characters==

[[File:02.JPG|150px|thumb|right|Kreoss' Epic incarnation. One magnificent motherfucker.]]
'''Mikael Kreoss''' (aka Paladin without Lawful Good)- Kreoss is currently the only Exemplar warcaster, and was the first Protectorate caster to have three editions (Previously known as Prime and Epic incarnations. Almost everyone called them Kreoss1, Kreoss2 and Kreoss3, and in Mk3 Privateer Press adopted that same naming scheme to differentiate character versions.). His first incarnation, High Exemplar Kreoss, was one of the first warcasters in the game and in the Protectorate (Back when there only were four factions in total and each only had three warcasters). Fluffwise he was an Exemplar commander. Then when his boss and mentor died he was promoted to Grand Exemplar, the head of the entire Exemplar order. Some years later, Severius gave him the title of Intercessor which basically grants him full command of all Protectorate military assets and second in command to only the Hierarch and potentially the Visgoths.
*Kreoss is (or was) the closest thing to a "main character" for the Protectorate. He originally wanted to become a Paladin, but since he was too emotional he was found by an Exemplar instead and taken in for training. Nevertheless he prefers to protect the common man, but does not let his principles and moral get in the way of his orders. Of course, there aren't that many people that ''can'' give him orders. It's pretty much only the Hierarch and Harbinger of Menoth, but she, Severius and Kreoss are bros so they don't mind.
*Currently in the fluff he's working on recalling the Northern Crusade (the army that's been mainly fighting Khador in Llael and converting people), after the capital Imer was besieged by the Skorne led by Hexeris.
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'''Anson Durst''' (aka Dwayne Johnson) - He's a Paladin of the Order of the Wall warcaster, which means he will prioritize protecting the weak and the innocent and saving lives over even following orders directly from the Hierarch (unlike the Exemplars, who would burn an orphanage if they were told to do so, and not spare on the gasoline). Being a Paladin also means he's going to be really tough, which is reflected in everything he does. He's not only the toughest Protectorate warcaster to date, his Feat also makes his 'jacks into solid brick walls, and all his spells are either defensive or defensively offensive (I.e kill my dudes and my 'jack is going to punch your face in). This doesn't mean he's a slouch in combat either. He's got some of the best MAT and P+S in the faction, and can easily kill infantry models and put a sizeable dent in enemy heavies if he needs to, not to mention turn a misplaced enemy caster to paste.
*In the fluff he's pretty much a background character who currently isn't up to anything. He was in Reckoning, the book he was released in, where he said "Fuck you, Hierarch. I'm going to save these Cygnarans and Khadorans anyway, because at least they're not robozombies." which helped persuade Severius to commit the Protectorate army at all (The Protectorate can't afford to lose valuable warcasters on a trivial dispute) and so Iron Kingdoms threw Cryx off the mainland.
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'''The Harbinger of Menoth''' (if Jesus, Moses and Mohammad were a magical girl) - Once upon a time a girl was found in a small Protectorate village. She was floating in the air, and she said Menoth had come to her in a dream and said she was too holy to touch the earth, and so she didn't. The teenager was taken to the capital to meet Hierarch Garrick Voyle, and after a full day of questioning by the Visgoth, the Hierarch stood from his throne and pointed to the girl's shadow, which hadn't moved an inch since she arrived. He knelt before her and asked she become his personal advisor. Fast forward several years and she's now a grown woman who primarily acts as a conduit between Menoth's guidance and the Protectorate. That's not to say she's not for some good old heretic burning every now and then (While the popular meme is she'll float away into the sky without her attendant priests holding her chains, the more reasonable (and [[awesome]]) reason is they're there to hold her back so she doesn't get herself killed charging the enemy gunlines. She is the embodiment of a vengeful god, after all). She was the one who cited the need for the Northern Crusade, partially to convert the locals, but mainly to repel the Cryx that were gaining a foothold within the Thornwood forest. The first attempt succeeded but the Harbinger was killed in the process (But it was okay because Menoth resurrected her in front most of the the Menite faith, which is pretty good propaganda). But turns out they weren't thorough enough, and so the Cryx returned for a second bout, which ended in a combined victory for the Iron Kingdoms in the second round.
*Up until recently the Harbinger was traveling around the countryside, converting villages and towns and using Reznik to crush all resistance they encountered. As of currently, both she and the Testament of Menoth (the second closest warcaster to Menoth) are missing and nobody knows where they went perhaps save Severius.
*In the game she's primarily a defensive warcaster who focuses on aiding infantry by keeping them alive (Harbinger takes damage, infantry dude stays alive for another attack). While her massive focus pool of 10, the largest in the game, could be used to run a bajillion warjacks, it's better spent on her powerful spells and to protect herself and you only really need the bare minimum of defensive 'jacks with her (Let Exemplars deal with enemy armour). For Mk3 her feat was literally cut in half, and so many players discarded her as junk. But she's still a powerful choice against the right opponents and can be as oppressive as ever if you know what you're doing.
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'''Severius''' (aka the Obligatory Old Man) - Old timer who started off as the one of the three first warcasters in the faction. Literally his first page of fluff way back in Mk1 described how old he was becoming. Age has it's advantages though, and he's one of the most powerful spellcasters in the faction. He started off as the Grand Scrutator (Basically head preacher and inquisitor rolled into one), and he can convert entire towns with nothing but his voice. He was cool with his current station, but when the previous Hierarch, Garrick Voyle, died, he was deemed the most appropriate choice for the new Hierarch by the Harbinger herself, and nobody disputed that he was the most qualified. Where Voyle built the Protectorate's infrastructure, industry and military, Severius focused his attentions on spreading the Protectorate's influence and faith. He was at the forefront of the Northern Crusade until the very end, converting or burninating. Being away from the capital for so long has started to cause fractures within the hierarchy, and so after a vision from novice warcaster Tristan Durant warned against a hidden threat to the faith, he deemed it was time to return. While en route home along with Tristan they received news that Tower Judgment (The Paladin headquarters and a prison/torture chamber) was under siege by the Skorne. After joining the battle and [[Awesome|as an 80+ old man fighting toe to toe with one of the greatest warriors in the Skorne Empire]] he was grievously wounded and '''died''', the first instance of a long-running, major character death in Warmachine & Hordes. This isn't really a spoiler either since it's literally on the cover of the novel Godless, and it's been brewing for quite some time to be honest. Without a strong Hierarch to lead the Protectorate's future is uncertain.
*In the game, both Severius' incarnations sacrifice personal combat power and defense for some of the best spellists in the faction, powerful feats and a large focus pool. Nobody slings defensive and offensive spells like Old Man Sevvy. Bring his personal arc node Blessing of Vengeance with him and he'll easily kill enemy casters and infantry with mind bullets. Severius1 is famous for being able to run literally anything in the faction and make it work, since he's just that flexible. This writer is hoping that Severius3 will be a pimped up Vessel of Judgment with [[Awesome|Severius' soul casting spells and controlling warjacks from beyond the grave]]. Even in death you still serve Menoth.
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'''Servath Reznik''' (aka Chaotic Evil on a leash)- Reznik is the High Executioner of the Protectorate, which should tell you most of what you need to know. A church-sanctioned murderer who enjoys his job way too much for everyone else's good, his job description is hunting down heretics decreed by the Synod and Hierarch, and either outright execute them, strap them to a wrack, burn them, or a combination thereof. At least he's entirely loyal to the Visgoths and Hierarch, so think of him like the Protectorate's Butcher with an off switch. He's the closest you're going to get to a Black Templar, especially with how large his rageboner for witches and heretics is. Nobody likes him and even fewer want to be within a mile radius of him. Except Malekus, as the two are probably drinking buddies.
*In the fluff he was recently promoted by the Harbinger into the Wrath of Ages, which is pretty much the same thing except Menoth is literally giving him a thumbs up for his work. Our god is an awesome god. He spends most of his time being an antagonist in other factions warcaster's fluff or acting as a ruler to show that most of our other casters are actually kind of benevolent.
*On the table, almost every ability and spell on Reznik1's card has to do with spell hate. Cast a spell at his battlegroup? Burn the witches, his warjacks get to move. Cast a defensive spell on your models? Burn the witches, both he AND his personal Decepticon now get extra dice against them, if he doesn't just remove the spell entirely. If he feats he removes all of your focus and fury, so you're completely defenseless when he hulks up to tear apart anything short of a Colossal. The best ability on his card is when he kills a warrior model, he can actually strap them onto a Wrack. It's an act of great satisfaction and humiliation to wrack the enemy caster. Reznik2 trades some spell hate for army support, which is just spell hate on a larger scale in his case. He's a fragile but powerful warcaster. Most importantly, this puts him at the reins of a [[Awesome|giant, burning war chariot with a bunch of crucified heretics on the flatbed]], making him the most metal warcaster in the game.
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'''Testament of Menoth''' (aka A big guy) - Originally the High Reclaimer until he journeyed into Urcaen, where he fought his way to a holy city of Menoth. There he found the Omegus, basically the Stone Tablets of Moses. After that souls of dead Menites helped him come back to the mortal world, making him the only mortal to enter Urcaen and return. Overall this guy is pretty cool and is a good commander, all without saying a single word, for as a reclaimer he is forbidden to talk, so-much-so that they bolted a metal mask to his face (removing it would be extremely painful.)
*Typically forces that travel with him adapt mainly black attire to reflect the Testament's journey through Urcaen. He's currently missing along with the Harbinger.
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'''Feora''' (aka Trogdor the Burninator) - <s>She's hot</s> {{BLAM|'''*SSFPHOOOOOOSHHHHH* BURN THE HERETIC!'''}} She developed the ability to control fire at a very young age (it's rumored she might actually be an arcane mage with an affinity for fire magic, but if that's the case her powerful parents covered it up, and her warcaster ability gives her merit points. And she's a very faithful Menite too, which helps.), and as a grown woman she's unrivalled when it comes to controlling, manipulating and empowering fire, which is a pretty good in a nation where fire is the main (undesired and involuntary by the importers) export. She's the head of the Flameguard Temple, and has made it loyal to her first, Hierarch second. And she has ambitions to govern the Protectorate, so what could go wrong really. Even the people who dislike her have to admit the Protectorate's military successes wouldn't have been possible without the ranks of well-drilled Flameguard at the frontlines. With the death of the Hierarch, it's likely she's going to make a move to take the position of Hierarch soon. She has a long-running rivalry with Kreoss, partially because Kreoss outranks her and because their ideologies don't match very well. That Severius was grooming Kreoss to become Hierarch doesn't help either.
*On the table all three incarnations of Feora focus on lighting things on fire, and she's pretty good at it.
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'''Vice Scrutator Vindictus''' (aka Cousin Vinny) - Generally seen as Severius' right hand, or the dagger Severius holds behind his back. A master of information warfare and the arts of the Scrutator, his job is largely governing the Protectorate in the Heirarch's absence. With his death, it's not known what Vindictus is going to do next. He's one of the main obstacles of Feora and the reason she hasn't tried a coup earlier. He's also a very skilled converter of heretics, though uses more force and torture where Severius uses words.
*On the table he focuses largely on protecting infantry with defensive spells and on speeding up his army. He has all the best defensive Protectorate spells, and a great defensive feat to boot.
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'''High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza''' (aka if Bruce Lee was middle-eastern) - One of the leading members of the Order of the Fist (Monks that act as both the Protectorate's police force and the FBI/CIA.). He's an Idrian tribesman who eventually converted to Menoth after he overheard a priest's sermon. Overall he doesn't really have much fluff and is a very minor character in the grand scheme of things. In battle he uses a giant ball and chain and has some martial arts-related abilities, making him a bit [[weeaboo]], but he's pretty awesome regardless. Besides that, on the table he is the unmatched master of running lots of warjacks. Between Synergy and Mobility, two of the best battlegroup support spells in the game, he can turn up our warjacks beyond 11 in accuracy and damage output, and give them both a speed boost and Pathfinder (an ability that's otherwise hard to get for Protectorate 'jacks). His downfall is somewhat poor raw defensive stats, low Focus, and a pretty unimaginative feat. But you can't have everything, and Amon is still one of the best warcasters in the Protectorate for those who wants to run lots of stompy robots.
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'''Thyra, Flame of Sorrow''' (aka Insert period joke here) - Thyra was a pretty normal, happy woman at one point, until Cygnaran mercenaries murdered her whole family and children (basically she is the knify version of the Punisher). That caused her warcaster abilities awaken and she went a bit insane. From there she became the leader of a band of zealots, mainly women who had also lost their loved ones, and wrecked [[Cygnar]]'s shit. Eventually a priest tried to stop her rampage, but Thyra struck him down. This being the Protectorate, she was captured and sentenced to death. Feora, seeing her potential, used her influence to save her and took her on as an apprentice. Since then Thyra has become the leader of the Daughters of the Flame, an all-female force of mobile assassins consisting of widows who seek vengeance for the death of their loved ones, and to [[Grimdark|earn entry into Urcaen so they can be united with their families again]].
*On the table Thyra has one of the most flexible list of abilities in the faction, making for a true jack of all trades or generalist warcaster who can play a vast variety of lists and has a large supply of tricks up her sleeve. Her main weakness is a low Focus stat and reliance on her spells, but while she's in a similar seat as Amon in this regard, she has tools and stats to stay safe even in otherwise dangerous positions. Fitting of the leader of the Daughters of the Flame, she's also an infantry meat grinder with excellent assassination potential should the opportunity arise.
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'''Tristan Durant''' (aka The new kid on the block) - Fresh of the presses that is Reznik's warcaster training program, Tristan brings some much needed Sympathy to balance out the Psychopathy in the Protectorate warcaster stable. Originally from Llael, he saw the light as a child when Grand Scrutator Severius walked through the gates of his town. Sicne then he's spent a lot of time preaching to the locals, and his only desire was to become a priest and teach the common man about the Creator. Then it was discovered he was a warcaster and he was immediately assigned to learn the arts of a warcaster under Reznik. After being with the Northern Crusade for a few years, he received a vision from Menoth showing a great threat to the faith. Bringing this to the Hierarch's attention, Severius deemed it as time to return to the nation's capital. As described earlier, this didn't go so well and Severius was killed. Afterwards he was thrown into the Protectorate bureaucracy, wholly unsuited for due to his lack of experience. He became surprisingly good friends with Malekus, despite their differing ideologies, and the two worked together while defending the capital from the Skorne Empire. His story is currently being developed in the Fire & Faith trilogy, starting with Godless. Even as a warcaster, Tristan is very humble and cares for the common folk of the Protectorate. He often visits the poor areas of cities to preach and sermon the Creator's word. For some reason the citizens of the Protectorate like him a lot.
*Tristan1 is the Protectorate's journeyman warcaster. He's got enough focus to fuel one or two warjacks, and has a defensive spell to boost the armour of a 'jack, and an offensive nuke you will probably never cast. A very effective package is to run him with two Redeemer warjacks, which he can fully fuel and let it rain high explosive ordinance. Sovreign Tristan Durant, or Tristan2, is primarily a 'jack caster who focuses on giving out lots of focus, improving his 'jacks damage and accurate as well as being able to heal all nearby friendly models. People are a bit split on him, but in general he's not bad.
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'''Malekus, The Burning Truth''' (aka Mr Freeze with a fancy for fire) - You know that song, 'School's Out Forever'? Turns out that is Malekus' personal motto if you read the Mk3 fluff for the new Warcasters. Sorry kids, your teacher has no skin left, and you have no school anymore. Raised in a super shitty Morrowan orphanage Malekus torched it to the ground and entered the Protectorate where his devotion to Menoth allowed him to find peace, tranquility, love and purpose. Just kidding about those first three, his purpose is to burn everything remotely blasphemous to the ground. The right hand of Feora, he's dedicated to self inflicted masochism and Feora-sama. Malekus might just be around Reznik levels of crazy. In fact, the two are likely excellent drinking buddies when they're not occupied with their favourite pastime of burning heretics. Godless has shown that unlike Reznik he's probably not entirely irredeemable, and has become good friends with Tristan. If this friendship will become a problem if Feora and Tristan end up on different sides, we will have to wait and see.
*Malekus, similarly to Feora, is all about burninating the heretics to crisps. To help him he's got a cookbook in one hand and a barbecue fork in the other, but he's pretty cool nonetheless. His spellist is a bit weird, but at least he has Ignite for extra damage and 7 focus. His feat grants an additional die to all fire damage rolls, making Reckoner cannons shoot what equates to an ICBM nuclear warhead as far as damage output is concerned. Overall he's not bad but a bit inflexible in what he does.
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