The Land of Anglemour had been at peace for many long years. Many centuries had passed since the downfall of the peaceful Serassan Empire. The people of Esgar, the few that still lived, had disappeared deep into the Forest of Esgar. Still the scars of the First War remained. None could forget the tyranny of the Black Knight; none could forget the hundreds of thousands of men slain by his army. Only the people of now Virelia remained. Throughout the war, the mighty Virelian knights had stood tall. Leading the army of Virelia had been Coralis, the paladin.
Girt in white mail, with his mighty sword in hand, none could resist his charge. When all seemed lost, and the world seemed consumed by darkness, still he shined mightily. In the end, he alone would face Oredun, the Black Knight. Their battle had been fierce, but in the end the Black Knight was slain. Yet Coralis had suffered many wounds, and lying beside his fallen opponent, he too had passed from the mortal world. Still the descendants of Coralis, having passed down in an unbroken line, father to eldest son, led the paladins.
With the war ended, the Virelians had before them the great task of rebuilding their cities, as well as their lives. Many centuries passed, and slowly they recovered. Wealthier and wealthier they grew, their buildings and castles becoming grander and grander. War became a thing of the past, seeming almost unreal to most. Yet still the Virelian knights trained hard, and still they patrolled the borders. The savage men of the south raided homes and villages, plundering and killing whenever and wherever possible.
Only the strongest and most valiant men could become a knight, but even mightier still were the white knights, the paladins. Skilled were they in the art of white magic. The road to becoming a knight was long and hard, but at the end was the greatest challenge of all. A group of young men who had proven themselves worthy would take the final test. Together they would journey out of the region of Virelia, and into Esgar. They would march through the wild lands for many days, until they reached the ruins of Esgaria. There they would each take a single piece of stone from the ruins. If a young man could bring the stone back to Cirtenia, then he would be knighted. But only a select few could become paladins, those who were of the highest blood.
But as of late, to become a knight was nothing more than to prove oneself as a mighty and noble man. A knight no longer marched to battle, no longer drew his blade against an enemy. But the time would soon come, when the knights would be called to arms. It would be the ultimate test of their strength; failure would mean death.