"Ever since the time of Caledor the
First, the closest bodyguards of the Phoenix Kings have come from the forested
wilds of Chrace. These are the bravest of the young Elves of Chrace, chosen for
the honour of serving the Phoenix King by ancient rites. Not all are worthy to
serve, and each must demonstrate his skill and bravery by tracking down one of
the fierce white lions that roam the dark forests and barren mountains of that
land. When they find one they must kill it in hand-to-hand combat and take its
pelt. Those that have proved themselves wear the cloak of the white lion as a
sign of their undoubted courage and may serve the Phoenix King as one of his
bodyguard. "
—Recounted by Unthwe Windrider, Herald of
the Phoenix King
The White Lions have served as the personal
guard of the Phoenix King since the time of Caledor the First. Whilst hunting
in Chrace, Caledor received news that he was to be next Phoenix King. He
immediately took the road to the Shrine of Asuryan, but was intercepted by Dark
Elf Assassins. He would surely have died, but for the intervention of a party
of Chracian woodsmen who swept out of the forest to defend him. The Chracians
slew the Dark Elves and, thereafter, saw Caledor safely to the Phoenix Shrine,
employing every iota of their woodcraft to avoid further Dark Elf ambushes that
lay in their path. Caledor's first act, once crowned as Phoenix King, was to
form the Chracians into an official bodyguard based in Lothern.
A warrior can only join the ranks of the
White Lions after displaying considerable valor and skill upon the battlefield.
He must then also complete the traditional rite of a Chracian warrior -- to
hunt and kill a white lion. These great cats are amongst Chrace's fiercest creatures;
they stand as tall at the shoulder as a horse, and a swipe of their claws is
enough to shatter a spine. There are accounts of prides of white lions ravaging
convoys, and even attacking isolated villages, should they become hungry
enough. To slay such a beast is therefore an exceptionally difficult task but,
if the warrior succeeds, he is entitled to wear the lion's pelt as a mark of
courage. The thick pelt has another use too -- worn over armor, it offers
excellent protection against arrows and shot.
Although every Phoenix King since Caledor
the Conqueror has offered his bodyguard their choice of replacement weaponry,
the White Lions continue to proudly bear the traditional woodman's axe into
battle. Many of the axes are ancient heirlooms, handed down from father to son
across centuries untold, yet they never lose their keen edge, and can fell a
tree or cleave a man in half with but a single blow. White Lion regiments are
often dispatched to join the armies of Ulthuan during times of particular danger,
tasked with protecting High Elf generals and mages, or bolstering the overall
strength of the army. White Lions are renowned for their unflinching courage in
the face of overwhelming odds and terrible horrors, protecting their charge
whatever the foe and regardless of the danger to themselves.
Wargear
Lion Pelt: The white lion's pelt protects
the warrior against light missiles by entangling arrowheads and the equivalent
in its thick fur.
Woodsman's Axe: The White Lions carry a
heavy axe based upon the native Chracian design of the woodsman's axe. They are
extremely skilled in the handling of these weapons, using them to fight bears,
lions and even more monstrous creatures as well as marauding.
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