"A ceaseless horde has ravaged our world into ruins... We have cornered ourselves, our kind hiding away from the abominations that plague us, seeking shelter at the Gate... Even we cannot be safe from their clutches, in spite of sending forth our mightiest warriors and heroes. They too have fallen to the scornful plague - adding to the mountain of corpses.
But there is yet hope... the Crown of our King, an ancient relic from the dawn of our age... it has intervened in the souls of the greatest warriors before succumbing to the horrid affliction, forging them into something greater.
The fallen have arisen as gilded warriors...their bodies are remolded and their weapons are forged of golden steel, granting them the gifts of the Crown itself.
They are our answer - the unparalleled and the unrivaled warriors, the Paragons, the guardians of the Crown and the King."
Paragons
A paragon found roaming within the Hollowed Gate.
Description
Paragons are a collective group of humanoid entities that reside exclusively within the Hallowed Gate, and possibly Level Alpha-Omega. They fervently guard and defend these levels from any intruders, be they foreign entities or wanderers.
Paragons appear as tall humanoids clad in armor resembling that of knights, with several extravagant accessories. Most of the armor is primarily composed of gold and marble, yet it is extremely durable. Their weapons are massive and heavy, but they are able to lift them without any effort at all. The weapons are primarily for close-quarter combat, such as longswords and battleaxes, and even more sophisticated forms of "transforming" weapons. While Paragons do wield guns, they prefer non-firearm weapons as the first option.
Paragons possess superhuman physical attributes. Not to mention their reality-warping properties, which they will use indiscriminately to defend their levels.
Archeological findings suggest that these entities are some of the greatest warriors who died in battle long ago, only to be reborn as more powerful versions of themselves.
"We were once mortal warriors. We served and fought for many things; for honor, our kingdom, and our gods"
"I remember when I was but a child, following in my father's footsteps. I aspired to be like him, eager to learn and train as a warrior... It was a long time ago, before I became who and what I am now."
Behaviors
Paragons are cold and silent to most beings, remaining ever-stoic and dignified. They wander throughout the Hallowed Gate, scanning for potential threats. If/when threats are detected, the Paragons will eliminate them with impunity. Interestingly, many Paragons will often praise both the King and the Crown in religious fervor amidst the heat of battle, hence their purpose in defending the level. When in battle, they are very aggressive.
Paragons are rarely willing to communicate[1] with few besides those among their own ranks and members of the Court. If provoked, they may forcefully eject the subject from the Hallowed Gate or even eliminate them. Overall, they are loyal only to the Crown and the Court, who they will follow without question. There is one exception to this, as Paragons follow a sort of "warrior code". If someone displays strength, be it physical or otherwise, Paragons may deem them worthy to wander their level. Of course, members of the Court may override this decision.
Paragons seemingly have little to no form of personality, as exhibited by their outwardly stern and cold demeanor. They do not seem to display interest, curiosity nor enticement towards anything. Highly disciplined and well-versed in combat, Paragons can handle almost any weapon without any difficulties. It is believed that their aversion to the use of firearms is born from a philosophy that considers such weapons "cowardly".
Paragons seem unable to venture outside of their native level for some reason, as if being physically prevented from doing so by an unknown force, though they may not even wish to leave anyways.
"A towering gate looms amidst the vast empty darkness. What lies beyond this gate is other-worldly wonder and splendor - truly a realm for the gods, along with their best warriors..."
"Through harsh trials, some of us lost their lives, but that is to be expected. Then... there awaited one last trial... to fight and die against the oncoming cosmic threat... the unnamed horror that we needed to fight off for the sake of our world and our gods'... we were to die to gain the promise that awaited us."
"We followed without question... but the unspeakable abominations were endless. They tore every soldier asunder with such ferocity and some even fled in fear of meeting the same fate... and that was when I realized that this was our last test... to die and prove that we do not fear death or any worse fate could befalls us. And I was ready to die for not only my world, but our very existence."
Biology
Paragons are tall humanoid beings, standing around 7'8 feet tall (233.8 cm). They may be male or female, and despite their imposing stature, they are surprisingly agile even if they have heavy weapons and armor equipped. They are durable both physiologically and physically, thanks to their armor.
Paragons are also immune to disease, and resistant to most anomalous effects. They can be injured and can shed blood, which has been seen to shine with a glint of gold in its reflection. They regenerate quickly by enveloping the affected area in a blinding light. However, if their head or any of their vital organs are destroyed, they will dissipate in a blue fire before disintegrating into nothing. But even this may not be enough to completely stop them, as some have reported initially destroyed Paragons to re-emerge from sarcophagi.[2]
Reality Manipulation
Every Paragon possesses reality-bending properties, some of which are specialized in certain skills which help them in battle. The common form of these properties is the manifestation of marbled-gold geometric objects, usually used defensively. They may also manifest their weapons on a whim as they switch to another, or throw them as numerous projectiles.
"I died... but what now? A light peered out from behind me. I went closer and closer, reaching out my shapeless arm to the light until I was blind.
"And with that... I was reborn along with the others who had fallen in battle... but my body was changed. I was donned in the greatest armor made with marble and gold, my weapons from before are now refurbished with cosmic stars... That is our reward through death in the bloody battle against the endless tide... They knighted and ascended us through our rebirth in ornate caskets..."
"No longer were we mere mortals. Now, we had become the immortal guardians of the Crown and the King. For each death, we fall and burn with bright blue holy fire, then rise up from ornate marbled graves to fight once more...we are bound to this realm, yet it is not a curse, and rather a blessing."
"Now, we eternally watch this Gate for all and fended off these things from this realm with our newfound powers."
Connections and Relations
Paragons do not have any interactions aside from eliminating any intruders who venture deep into their level.
The Court
During the period in which Hubris wore the Crown, the Paragons displayed hostility to members of the Court as they traversed the Hallowed Gate. However, they were eventually freed of Hubris' influence when the crown was separated from him.
The list below details the relation of Paragons to various members of the Court:
The Dark Sovereign
He mostly oversees the Hallowed Gate while maintaining it with the help of these entities. He does also take command much like the Crimson Wanderer but focused on guarding the entrances and surveying the level. He also has a habit of talking with them.
The Crimson Wanderer
He acts as a sort of captain and leader to the Paragons, treating them as his own personal regiment. They will follow his orders, and they guard him with their lives, serving as a testament to his leadership skills. Since they follow their code as warriors, they are highly respected by him. They can be seen sparring with each other, with him training and honing their skills.
The Keymaster
He ordained the Paragons as guardians of every threshold, every doorway, every entrance and exit in the Hallowed Gate. He is strict when it comes to vigilance and tactfulness.
"As warriors, we honed our skills and tempered our golden steel bodies through the in of battle... we fended off the abominations until every last one of them were vanquished. And for that, we have won... but deep in my mind, others played a role in the eradication - though it is still a victory for us nonetheless."
"Everything went quiet in years following - after the crusade against the things of nightmares finally ended. It was all peaceful...but all quiet and lonely, for we found ourselves in a darker age. The King was gone."
"The King's Advisor was a traitor, along with his own progeny. It is said that the Advisor is the reason for the downfall that led our world into ruin by forging his own defiled crown - mocking the image of our Crown, the ancient symbol of our kingdom. Needless to say, he paid for his treachery, and is held prisoner
"But as for the prince, he escaped our persecution... only to later return and insurrect the Crown by right of blood. We became his unwilling slaves, forced to do his bidding. He toyed us with his depraved and sadistic desires. Until the King's Court arrived in this divine abode along with an unlikely ally."
Encounter
Fighting a Paragon is not ideal, due to their reality-warping and combat abilities that can eliminate most opponents with ease. The best way to avoid an altercation with a Paragon is to simply not display aggression towards them, especially in the vicinity of the Hallowed Gate, and find a way out as soon as possible.
"Through the efforts of the court, the miserable worm fell, and we were finally freed from his control. We are grateful for their battle against him, and for that, we are once again in servitude to the King's Court."
Discovery
Paragons, along with the Hallowed Gate, were discovered by a group of anonymous wanderers who accidentally entered the level. The Paragons responded accordingly to this perceived intrusion. Some of the wanderers managed to escape the level and lived to tell the tale, while the rest were not so lucky. There have been some attempts by various groups to explore this level, but all expeditions have returned with numerous causalities and little success in extracting artifacts for study. However, this has not yet seemed to stop them.
"The Regent has ordered us to guard a certain place within the abandoned sections of this Gate, forbidden from entry to all. We work to repair the decay that has taken root over many years; the Chamberlain has made us guard against any trespassing mortals of the new world that have recently entered this heavenly abode; and the Knight ordained himself as the captain of our regiment, honing our skills with his knowledge."
"We have heard that our ravaged, ruined reality has become drastically different ever since we first guarded this Gate - that explains the strange beings and mortal travelers have intruded on this Gate."
"And as for me... I've been tasked by the Regent to guard this peculiar chamber sealed below the gate. I ask of him what is so important inside of it, but he remained silent."