Harbingers of Man

"Before we were enlightened by the Harbinger, we were mere savages. Now, we are above such a status. Whatever the Harbinger's will may be, we follow."

- The First Archon

The Harbingers of Man is a secretive and powerful organization of humans who fight for whom they call the Harbingers. Founded by the Harbingers themselves when they appeared before their first followers, their first Disciples are known to be among the most dangerous individuals to exist; They were willing to die fighting for their beliefs, regardless of what stood against them. Despite being smaller in number compared to many Orders, they are known to win battles against larger numbers of enemies in seemingly-impossible odds.

History
Next to nothing is known about how the Harbingers of Man came to be, but legends say that their most-accepted and widely-known origin started off in Glenumbra, where a group of Bretons, who believed that man should not kneel before any god/s that cared only for themselves, lived in peace in an isolated and self-sustaining secret settlement away from civilization. This settlement was soon found by a religious order who declared them as heretics, and raided the village before proceeding to execute all the inhabitants.

However, before the execution proceeded, a mysterious individual guarded by two other individuals soon appeared, and destroyed the members of the religious order with near impunity. The saviors then turned to face the survivors of the settlement, and promised that if they continue fighting for their beliefs and what they believed is right, they would not abandon them. Two of the three individuals left, with the one that "emitted" the aura of a Knight leading the survivors to a new haven, and so the first Harbingers of Man were born, with the Knight serving as their de facto leader until the appointment of the first Archon, who later took command after the Knight left.

Ideology
"If man can create miracles for themselves and enforce progress no matter the cost, and survive without the guidance of false shepherds, then what is the need for gods, who do nothing but to feed their personal egos and enforce stasis?"

- The First Archon

True to their word, each member of the Harbingers are completely deviant of the gods and Daedra themselves, and believe that humanity must learn how to stand for themselves and fight for what they believe in, regardless of what others may say about them or how they were perceived by many of their world's inhabitants at large. They believe that the gods are mere hypocrites for their 'mercy' and 'benevolence', and that the Daedra, despite some of the Daedric Princes being patrons of the Harbingers themselves, also believe that they had to enforce change themselves and that the Princes will seek to test their resolve one day.

The Harbingers do not believe in giving to the needy, that everyone must do their part in achieving their goals. However, they give the needy one chance to help themselves by teaching them how to live and sustain themselves, before they are left to find their own path in life. They firmly believe that only the strong should rule, and that the weak only live to serve, as per the laws of nature.

Concerning their enemies, they do not directly attack them until they are proven to be threats. However, if on the offensive, the Harbingers are known for their unrestrained wrath and mercilessness for their enemies, noting that "If the hunted is cornered by the hunter, expect the hunted to fight back" and "Commit violence against someone, expect retaliation in return."

Organization
The ranking structure of the Harbingers is relatively simple and straightforward, from greatest to lesser:

The Harbingers
The true leaders of the faction, the original three being hailed as the most important individuals in the Harbingers of man, and serves as both the seeds of their foundation and backbone.

Archons
The de facto leaders of the Harbingers of man. it is claimed that the three Archons are the best and wisest disciples of the Harbingers, and that all Archons were expected to know how to both govern those below them and defend their seats from both challengers and enemies.

Scions
Scions serve as commanders for the Harbingers' military and guards, and all are capable of combat, much like everyone else in the faction, and the Scions are third in power only to that of the Archons and the Harbingers.

Enlightened
The Enlightened are those that make up most of the true file-and-rank of the Harbingers, having passed the required prerequisites, rigorous training, and 'resocialization' processes necessary to join the Harbingers. All are capable fighters, and devote their lives to upholding the beliefs of their faction.

Disciple
Disciples are considered as the initiates of the Harbingers, and those who are considered ones that took the "first steps" to fighting for themselves. Before they can become Enlightened, they must pass all the trials given to them or die trying in the process.

Skills and Equipment
All Harbingers are competent mages and swordsmen, and even Disciples are expected to have some innate talent in magic. They mainly use their magic in conjunction with their blades, and are known to create their own spells which have many applications, in contrast to single-purpose spells.

It is not known if the Harbingers use trademark outfits, as they are merely spoken of by many as a legend. However, some claim that they wear intricate mage robes up to Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor when strong protection is required.