Phoenix Guard

The Phoenix Guard are the sacred wardens of the Shrine of Asuryan, the holiest place in all Ulthuan, where the sacred flame of the creator-god burns eternal. Those chosen to serve gaze into that fire during their initiation and are granted a terrible gift: a vision of the moment of their own death. Struck silent by the revelation, they take a vow never to speak again, lest some word of what is to come escape and unravel the pattern of fate. Clad in ornate armour and feathered helms, their faces hidden behind expressionless masks, they wield great halberds with flawless, wordless discipline. Because each knows he cannot die before his appointed hour, the Phoenix Guard fight utterly without fear, advancing into the deadliest peril with serene, unhurried certainty. In battle they are a wall of silent, gleaming death, and the eerie quiet of their ranks unnerves even hardened foes. They guard the flame, they keep their secret, and they meet their foretold ends exactly when destiny decrees: no sooner, and never a moment late.