Lorgon .

The Holy Knightly Order of the Cross is the most feared of all orders. All followers of this order are permitted absolutely everything worldly: they are free to disregard traditions, they don't have to pray, they don't have to attend church, and they can even denounce the Almighty. Their power allows them to enter any home, bow the heads of kings, and make their enemies flee in terror. Each of them enjoys such status that even kings bow their heads before them.

The Order numbers over two hundred servants, but only twenty of them are crusaders. The Order was the greatest and most legendary knightly force. Its main characteristic were the knights imbued with a fragment of the Supreme One's power. They gained their unique abilities through crosses, which granted incredible power but also doomed them to madness. This madness can overwhelm their will and drive them to horrific acts—for example, Lorgon, under its influence, destroyed an entire city. The influence of madness is now weakened thanks to Zegel, who can take it from his brothers and sisters while remaining immune to it. Squires wear crosses on their arms, protecting them from this curse, unlike knights.

Each Crusader is a master of combat, capable of destroying any evil spirit. They are immune to poison and disease, and their wounds heal on their own (except for Lorgon and Ivan, who retained their scars out of respect). However, alcohol still affects them. Crusaders possess the gift of the High One to shape destinies—they can take a life with a single blow. Their duty to the High One is to destroy all evil spirits. To avoid falling prey to madness, they prefer to rely on their own skills rather than on the powers bestowed upon them.
They can hear the Supreme One, but not communicate with him. All Crusaders share the same surname—Weller—but only the captain has the right to use it. Their wounds heal very quickly, but scars inflicted by another Crusader's weapon remain forever.

How did one become a Crusader? After candidates underwent a rigorous selection process, the Pontiff carved a mark on their foreheads with the Dagger of the Sun. Afterward, the candidate was placed on an altar, where the amber blood of the Supreme One was placed above their head. It takes many years for the energy of the Supreme One to become physical, and when enough was present, drops would fall onto the wound on the forehead. But it's impossible to control the quantity and concentration—it's unpredictable each time. Many died not only because of this: the Supreme One chooses only those they deem worthy. Understanding their power requires years of accumulation, while for Crusader Knights it takes only five minutes. The ritual has been abandoned, as Ivan and Lorgon saw that the survival rate was very low—no more than one in five. All those who knew about the ritual or had any connection to it were killed, and close associates were placed at the top of the church to ensure there were no more victims. The Knights have a very large following of faithful followers, whom they themselves have blessed.

The filth fears the sun. They can be encountered even during the day, but during the rainy season or at night, their activity increases dramatically. These creatures primarily affect villagers, although they also indirectly affect city dwellers by hindering trade. All filth share common traits: a weakness to light (they are less common during the day, but during the rainy season, their activity increases sharply, and large raids occur even during the day), a lack of reproduction (the filth do not interbreed; new specimens are created through rituals, curses, or anomalies, and this is an important part of the series' mystique), and varying threat levels (the Crusaders keep track of threats: from a "regular flock of Nots," which a small patrol can handle, to "Goronod" and "unknown hybrids," for which they summon entire squads and prepare special traps).

Bertisa Weller is a knight of the Holy Knightly Order of the Crusaders. She is a pale-skinned woman with chestnut-colored hair and a cross carved into her forehead. She wears a dark shirt, blue pants, and a leather cape that falls loosely over her shoulders. Her specialty is archery. She leads several bands of bandits.

Ruya Weller is a human knight with the title "God's Eye." Her age is unknown. She has long, dark blond hair with a slight burgundy tint and brown eyes. She is quite skeptical. She wields a bow and a sword, and can see through the eyes of birds and communicate with them, having taught Ennon this skill.

Liaf Weller is a knight of the Order of the Crusaders, holding the title "Master of the Seas of God." His age is unknown. He appears to be between forty and fifty years old, with gray hair, a tricorne, and a scar on his face near his eye. He wears a blue naval tunic with white pants and dark boots. He is the one who mines Xonian metal at sea. He is in a power group with Zegel, Iglik, Vair, and Bertisa. He presumably has his own fleet, which is subservient to Zegel's kingdom. The power of his cross is linked to the power of his blood.

Zegel Weller is a knight of the Crusader Order, known as "God's Authority." He is a middle-aged man with black hair, gray eyes, and pale skin. Unlike other Crusader Knights, he has two crosses on his forehead instead of one. His attire resembles royal robes, predominantly dark in color, and he wears a black crown. He is extremely proud, domineering, and despotic, yet holds his brothers in the highest regard. After receiving his first cross, Lorgon and Ivan realized that Zegel's power was excessive—he possessed the ability to bend others' wills. They feared that such power would corrupt him, turning him into an arrogant and cruel man. Initially, Zegel's powers were insufficient to help his brothers and sisters, so they carved a second cross from him. This greatly enhanced his abilities, granting him the ability to absorb madness from his brothers and sisters. He can subjugate the will of other people and control madness, while he has the least power of the cross, which can affect the body.

Brani Weller is a knight of the Holy Knightly Order of the Crusaders. He is tall, with a chestnut beard and brown eyes. A golden cross, the symbol of the Crusaders, is visible on his forehead. He wears a gray shirt, greenish pants, and brown shoes. Various herbs are attached to his belt, and a pouch is carried on his back. Brani is known as the kindest of the Crusaders: his kindness knows no bounds, but he does not allow anyone to speak ill of his order. He is rather shy and, when praised, asks others not to, constantly comparing himself to Iglik and saying that, unlike him, Brani is stupid. He never holds a grudge. He supposedly took a vow that he cannot be denied healing. The price for his healing abilities is intelligence—Branni may appear feeble-minded, but this is merely a side effect of the vow. He constantly refers to himself in the third person: "Brani is glad," "Brani will help," "Brani is displeased." He may seem foolish in appearance, but he is the best healer on Earth. He opened his own hospital, where, together with his squire, Ceston, he treats those in need. He leaves his fellow crusaders ointments and healing herbs, which are the best. He never shouts, so as not to frighten the patient or others, and always speaks in a calm, quiet voice—he does not shout either from joy or anger. He always speaks in the third person.

Onnun Weller is a brunette with blue eyes that turn red when enraged, and can turn black when extremely angry. He wears a torn gray shirt and black pants, and his body is covered in numerous scars. Known for his kindness, he is also the most ferocious of all the members of the Crusader Order, and his title is "God's Wrath." He has taken a vow of silence to accumulate the power of the cross and honor the Supreme Being. He wields twin axes, and when overwhelmed by strong negative emotions, he falls into rage and madness. After battle, he is able to cleanse himself of the blood that remains on him. He possesses immense physical strength, far stronger than ordinary Crusaders. He uses only axes, which also bear golden crosses, and cannot use other weapons, as the axes are jealous.

Zhelf Weller is a human knight with the title "Power of God." After the Order was authorized to form, Crusaders Ivan and Lorgon set out for a remote village to destroy the filth. Upon arrival, they saw piles of corpses and realized that a "filthy march" had occurred there. During their search, they spotted a young man single-handedly fighting various types of filth. The older Crusaders helped the boy, and an argument ensued: Lorgon wanted to make him a Crusader, but Ivan objected, claiming the youth was significantly older than the other candidates. The Supreme One himself intervened and ordered both Zhelf and his squire, Potapych, to be accepted into the Order. Zhelf is estimated to be over two meters tall, quite massive and heavy. He wears no clothes—he has taken a vow. His physical strength is a gift from birth, not acquired through the Cross. He is capable of lifting very heavy loads, such as two horses at once, without even noticing their weight. Using the power of the cross, he can harden his skin, which, combined with his physical strength, makes him a powerful fighter in close combat. He loves children and gets along well with them.

Runbora Weller is a Xon, a Crusader Knight, with the title "God's Will." He was discovered as a child by Ivan and Lorgon during a period when tensions between the Xon and the Crusaders began to subside. Lorgon became his mentor, and Ivan, his brother in arms. Over time, Runbora embraced the faith of the Supreme Being and joined the Order, dedicating himself to protecting the weak and fighting for justice. He appears to be a man in his thirties. He has dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, piercing blue eyes, and distinctive facial tattoos indicating his descent from one of the Xon clans. A cross is emblazoned on his forehead. His attire is primarily practical: a white shirt tucked into dark blue pants and a long cape to match. He is a steadfast and determined warrior, combining a sense of duty with empathy. He carefully analyzes his actions, values ​​order, self-control, and deliberate decisions. His commitment to his own convictions can be both a strength and a weakness—he rarely deviates from his chosen path, even when it works against him. He is a skilled swordsman and masterfully wields two unconventional swords. He can alter the properties of objects: for example, turning stone into water (the object will remain stone on the outside, but its properties will change) or into wood. He once aided Lorgon by turning most of a church into wood to speed up the burning. A significant limitation is that he cannot use the full power of the cross at once; the recoil could kill him. Beyond his combat skills, Runbora is considered the finest sculptor in the world.

Ennon is a human, Lorgon's squire, a knight's apprentice. He hails from the north, from Rickrich, where he lived in a village with his family. Tragedy struck when his wife died in childbirth, and later, bandits attacked the village and killed his only daughter. Having lost everything, Ennon became a bandit himself, but before that, he made his living as a charcoal burner. His fate was changed by Lorgon: he saw potential in Ennon and took him on as a squire, offering him a chance at redemption. Ennon has black hair, shaved at the sides, and the rest of his hair pulled back into a ponytail. A thick beard adorns his face. He wears a fur cape, under which he wears a white shirt, black pants, and brown boots. His positive traits include courage, kindness, and diligence, but he also has flaws: Ennon is prone to irascibility and can be lazy at times. He's skilled with a sword, but he's not yet fully versed in the Alphabet of God. Ruya taught him the language of birds, and Ennon knows it thanks to her.

Lorgon is the second-in-command of the Holy Knightly Order of the Crusaders. He appears as a young man between twenty-five and thirty years old, with gray hair and piercing blue eyes that turn black during moments of intense emotion. His appearance is completed by a long red coat over a black shirt, as well as black pants and a belt with a gold ring. In his Death Knight form, his hair and eyes turn black, and his clothing becomes inky black.

Lorgon is a true warrior, ready without hesitation to judge those he believes to be in conflict with the will of the Supreme Being. However, he is not without the ability to forgive if he sees genuine remorse. His views on the elves remain contradictory: on the one hand, he views them as enemies, but on the other, he is capable of judging them by their actions, not just their origins.

Lorgon joined the order a day after Ivan. During one of the battles, he fell into a frenzy and committed a massacre in Monthart, for which he was killed by his own brother. However, he was later resurrected by the Goddess of the Buried, and since then they have maintained a special, strange bond. Lorgon is a master swordsman, describing himself as "the best swordsman on the continent." He possesses the ability "Illusion," which allows him to cast illusions but can also influence real objects. Through his connection with the Goddess of the Buried, he became immortal and gained the ability to communicate with the dead, temporarily drawing out their souls for questioning. He knows only a small part of the Divine Alphabet, but it is sufficient for hunting the undead.

Lorgon killed a member of the Blood Brotherhood only because of Ivan's orders. Lorgon is obsessed with beetles, and is, in a sense, obsessed with them. He owns about one hundred and twenty species of beetles. One day, Ivan discovered a gold-shelled beetle in the house, which Lorgon had long coveted, and decided to give it to his brother.

Ivan Weller is the captain of the Holy Knightly Order of the Crusaders. He is over six hundred years old and is human. He is nicknamed "Red-Eyed Ivan." He possesses an inner strength that allows him to contain his darkness. He is bound by a vow that forbids him from taking the lives of others, but this prohibition does not extend to abominations. He is capable of perfectly balancing between madness and reality, which is how he became the captain of the order. The "Alphabet of God" allows him to perform all possible manipulations of reality and even break the laws of the universe. "Emotional Sensitivity" allows him to sense the emotions of others upon contact with an entity. "Time Stop" allows him to stop time, but only for a few seconds. "Space" allows him to separate objects from one another. "Transportation" - Ivan can move between points using, presumably, a system of tree roots. "Flight" - Ivan can fly.

Evilia is an Elkh, a member of the Araneo clan. It is believed that she may be the last of their line. She is a child, but she is memorable not only for her origins but also for her character traits. In a dark world full of disappearances, ancient secrets, and dangers, Evilia remains a child: she perceives everything in her own way. She fled behind the spire of the wind.

Vik is the Chosen One, the future Head of his clan, the heir. The Crusaders call such individuals princes in their own right. He is approximately twenty-six years old by Elkh standards. He does not speak human language and speaks only the Elkh Tongue. He has thick, tousled black hair, turquoise eyes, and a bruise and scratch on his left cheek. He wears a multi-layered outfit: a light inner shirt over which is thrown an unbuttoned dark vest or jacket. Reddish-brown stains resembling blood or dirt are visible on the sleeves. Vik is reasonable and intelligent beyond his years, thinking logically and often making decisions that would be beyond the capabilities of an ordinary child. He understands the value of his people's artifacts and is aware of the responsibility that lies with him. For him, the status of the Chosen One is not a privilege, but a duty. He is willing to risk himself for the future of the Elkh and the preservation of the family tree. Due to the hardships he's experienced, he rarely panics, tries to maintain a cool head, and appears serious and even a little withdrawn. Despite his wariness of strangers, he recognizes genuine help and repays it with absolute devotion and trust. His character can be explained by the fact that he's a deeply traumatized child—a trauma stemming from what happened in the basement of Windspire, where he was and where he was nearly killed.

Far Arnelio the fox is a representative of the High Elf race. By human standards, she appears to be around twenty years old, but her actual age is sixty-four due to the genetic longevity of her race. In her human form, she is no different from an ordinary girl with long white hair and blue eyes, but in her true form, she gains fox ears and a tail. She is kind, but can also become sarcastic, proud, or impudent. Her bravery is often indistinguishable from recklessness, which can be attributed to her young age by Elf standards. She has excellent communication skills, which allows her to quickly establish good relationships.

Patifar is a tall, powerfully built man, hardened by a life among the endless sands. His skin is dark and etched with the marks of the desert winds, and his face is almost always hidden beneath a wide hood. Only cold, amber-red eyes, rarely revealing emotion, are visible beneath it. He wears no armor, only thick, dark robes to protect him from the sun and sandstorms. He bears a crusader's cross. His movements are calm and measured, never fidgeting. A camel almost always walks beside him—his only constant companion on his endless desert wanderings.

Patifar is the embodiment of calm. He is a man of few words and prefers to listen more than speak. He is almost invulnerable, and he makes any decisions only after careful consideration. Despite his stern appearance, he possesses a strong sense of responsibility: if Patifar gives his word, he will fulfill it at any cost. He does not seek glory or power—for him, fulfilling his duty to the Supreme Being and protecting those who are unable to protect themselves is more important. He treats people with respect, regardless of origin, but considers evil spirits and those who voluntarily serve them unworthy of mercy. Patifar dislikes cruelty for pleasure: even when killing enemies, he does so without hatred, like a man carrying out an inevitable sentence. It is difficult to call him kind, and even more difficult to call him cruel. He is more likely to be just.

Vair is a Crusader whose main trait is absolute self-control. He is reserved, calm, observant, and doesn't seek to draw attention to himself. He appears aloof, but in reality, he cares deeply for his brothers in the order, though he shows this through actions rather than words. He doesn't like to talk, but with those he knows well, he allows himself more free communication and even irony—for example, calling Iglik "the fox."

Without his mask or face, Vair looks surprisingly young, but this youth is deceptive. His face is pale, his hair thick and dark, almost black, with a cold tint. Uneven strands fall over his forehead, partially obscuring his face. A cross is hidden among his dark hair. His eyes are the most unusual thing: the irises have almost lost their natural color, becoming a cold white with a barely noticeable silver tint. Because of this, it seems as if he is looking not at you, but through you. His gaze is calm, motionless, and so empty that many begin to feel uneasy after just a few seconds.

Almost everything about him is black: a long, deep-hooded cloak, dark armor, leather belts, and slings concealing his weapons. Straps crisscross his chest, holding throwing knives and small pouches, and a wide belt holds everything he needs for stealth operations.

Vair can make his body intangible, passing through any physical object. He can completely change his appearance, but only his appearance is copied—he must imitate the person's speech, habits, and knowledge. Experienced crusaders and certain creatures can sense that the person before them is not the same. He also possesses absolute stealth—a refined mastery of using light, noise, and terrain to his advantage.

Iglik is a young-looking crusader with dark brown hair styled in loose, slightly tousled strands. He has expressive green eyes, fair skin, and soft features. He wears a patterned brown leather coat, a red jacket, light gray pants, and black shoes. His appearance is understated, but more inviting than Vair's.

Iglik is a remarkable intellectual with a rich vocabulary and a penchant for complex formulations. He is erudite, inquisitive, thoughtful, and highly observant. Simply learning something isn't enough for him—he strives to understand its causes and patterns. He is self-assured, but his confidence is grounded in real knowledge. His primary contribution to the order is the compilation of bestiaries, in which he details the abominations he discovers. He also created two books that allow correspondence over any distance (one of which is in Lorgon's possession).

Iglik possesses the Alphabet of God, like all knights. He can create artifacts and control gravity—he can enhance it in a specific area, which he used against an unknown abomination. His cross grants him access to all knowledge, including knowledge of the future and parallel worlds.

The Mother of the Buried, also known as Ruri, is the goddess of the dead. She is believed to be between several million and several billion years old—she existed before the creation of humanity or after its emergence. She is immortal. Her nickname is "Mother of the Buried." She can raise the dead, grant immortality, resurrect any dead creature, and can reduce or reverse the madness of a crusader, as she did with Lorgon. Essentially, she has almost the same powers as a god.

She is something of a god, but unlike the Supreme Being, she is a distillation of all that is dark and evil in this world. Her character is arrogant, self-absorbed, and possesses all the other bad human qualities. In appearance, she is a black, bony filth, supposedly human-like, though in theory, she has no appearance at all.

The Supreme, or Most High, is a god worshiped by humans, some Xon, and rarely by the Elkh. He created all life and is the creator. He supposedly existed from the beginning of the universe—before the creation of Earth and the solar system. He created Earth, humans, Xon, Elkh, and everything else. He is omnipotent. His power can only be used by the Crusaders to whom he bestows it. He possesses all the good qualities. The Crusaders are his servants on Earth, who carry out his will and word. The Supreme himself chose them during the initiation ritual—he himself decided who was worthy of being a Crusader. His servants carry his blood.

The Xon are a race similar in appearance to humans, but with a distinctive feature: facial tattoos. The color of the tattoo indicates the clan to which the Xon belongs.
The Xon are pagans: they worship idols and revere their ancestors. Family traditions and ancestor worship are important to them. The race has a special metal mined from the sea (Liaph oversees this). It is used to make weapons and armor—protective plates. The metal is not particularly durable, offering only a basic level of protection, but it is still widely used. Crusader weapons are made from Xon metal.

The main character traits of the Xons are: loyalty to the clan and family (the interests of the clan are almost always above personal ones), respect for traditions and ancestors, restraint and composure, and a sense of duty is perceived as something self-evident.

The All-Mother is the spirit of life, fertility, spring, and healing, the patroness of family and procreation. She embodies gentleness and growth: the awakening of the forest, blossoming, the emergence of new foliage, the birth of young, and the onset of warmer seasons. For the elves, she is the source of care and comfort, the guardian of the hearth and clan bonds. She is worshiped through offerings of flowers, seeds, fruits, and woven wreaths, quiet songs, and lunar circle dances. At important moments—the formation of a couple or the birth of a child—she is invoked for a blessing. It is believed that the soul after death returns to the All-Mother, who accepts it and grants it the opportunity to be reborn into a new cycle of life.

Allfather is the spirit of strength, protection, winter, and warriors. He embodies fortitude, boundaries, and defense: the frost that binds the earth, the sturdy tree trunks, the sharp rocks, the storm that must be weathered. He is the patron of warriors, guardians, and those who protect the forest and the clan. If Allmother represents growth and warmth, then Allfather represents firmness and the ability to persevere. He is worshiped through rituals of strength and endurance, and gifts associated with protection are offered: carved amulets, arrows, stones, and branches of sturdy trees. Before trials or battles, he is asked for fortitude and protection.

The Elkh see the world as a balance of these two principles: without the All-Mother, there will be no growth and life; without the All-Father, there will be no protection and boundaries. Worship takes place in sacred groves and at special natural sites—old trees, springs, stone circles. Songs are a key part of the cult: through melody, the Elkh convey requests and gratitude to both deities.

Everything takes place in a medieval world where people strongly believe in God. There are several church orders, each performing their duties and fighting with the power they are given.
Whenever people encounter crusaders, they say, "Glorificatum Altiorum!" to which the crusader always replies, "Altiorum Gloria." The crusaders' power is such that even kings bow their heads before them. However, the Church disbanded their order, and the three of them submitted. Fearing their power, the Church now hunts the elves to create the Blood Brotherhood—humans similar to the crusaders.
About fifty years ago, the Crusaders fought the Elves at the behest of the Church. The Elves believe in the All-Father and the All-Mother, not in the Almighty. The Crusaders won that war.
The Knightly Order of the Crusaders consists of twenty knights and their squires. The Crusaders are feared, for they have been granted power by God himself. There are three main races in the world: humans, elves, and Xon.

The Windspire is not just a church, but an elongated spire-fortress: a narrow tower about twenty-five to thirty meters high, tapering toward the top. The walls are made of dark gray, veined stone; thin strips of stained glass run along the edges, letting in a dim amber light in the darkness. At the top is a wind resonator: a structure of metal plates that hums in strong winds. Inside is a high-vaulted central hall.
There, Lorgon clashed with the cardinal, engaging in a heated discussion about the limits of power, effectively challenging the church's leadership. Later, Lorgon burned down the church in Windspire, under the power of the Goddess.

The Church of Windspire, even with the Crusaders' human allies, secretly conspired with the Blood Brotherhood, kidnapping elves and performing rituals with their blood and sorcery in the basement. This violated the law established by the Crusaders—the prohibition of any rituals. The church was later burned by the Crusaders, and Lorgon burned himself along with it to free the dead souls of the elves, who were killed and used for rituals in the basement.

The Blood Brotherhood are antagonists of the Holy Knightly Order of the Crusaders. Members of the Brotherhood harvest the blood of the ancient, half-beastly race of the Elkh to gain powers similar to those granted to the Crusaders. Their distinctive mark is a red cross on their forehead. The Brotherhood is the Order's adversary. It was created by Lucius, who devised a ritual using Elkh blood to create a cross capable of absorbing madness and transforming it into "reverse light power." This was done as additional protection for Lucius himself. When the truth of this conspiracy came to light, the Church ordered the Crusaders to eliminate both Lucius and the Brotherhood. Direct confrontations between the knights of the Blood Brotherhood and the Crusaders are shown, such as a fight between a Brotherhood knight and Lorgon.

Mondohard is a large city where the "Pest Invasion" occurred, destroying the city. In reality, it was Lorgon, consumed by the Madness of the Cross. At the center of the city is the Order's Citadel—a massive fortress of dark prismarine and andesite, with high battlements and beacon towers. Inside are barracks, armories, and meeting halls. Surrounding the citadel is the administrative quarter: stone buildings with iron bars, narrow windows, and minimal decoration. Here are the courts, archives, and interrogation rooms. Closer to the gates are the trading rows: wooden shops, awnings, stone warehouses, where a discreet trade in equipment, supplies, and maps takes place. Near the outer walls are the outskirts and slums: a chaotic cluster of planks, cobblestones, and fences, home to refugees, small artisans, and