Novus Opiate
Two vast armies with crimson and blue banners face each other across a misty plain at sunrise, a ruined watchtower between them.

Chapter II · Banners

Monarchies and allegiances

PKs, antis and neutrals, and the banners that rose out of them.

Camps
PK · anti · neutral
Dominant power
Blood, from 2000
Great rival
The Last Stand

An allegiance was a family tree with a crown on top. Its histories were written by its own members: loud, proud and partisan.

Three camps

Player recollection

PKs hunted anyone. Antis protected newcomers and starter towns. Neutrals, the majority, levelled where it was safe, and their numbers decided wars.

Sources · Blood-side, OutsiderAsheron’s Call: PVP SRS BSNS – Part 1Asheron’s Call Part 2: CarebearsHistoryCommunity Driven “laws”

The opening powers

Original-era evidence

The Mercs raided Eastham and Arwic. Black Rose held Kara for the antis. SiN made its run at Arwic in December 1999. The Feared fought beside Loch, Shollos and Red Devil.

Accounts differ. Both sides name the same cast, not who struck first.

Sources · Blood-side, Black Rose-sideDarktide’s PastHistory

Blood

Original-era evidence

In February 2000 the Keepers of Chaos (KoC), a PvP guild from Ultima Online, united under a character named Blood. Its base moved from Khay and Lin to Kara, to Lytelthorpe, back to Kara, then Ayan Baqur.

The community wiki lists Blood among the noteworthy players. Its sizes are its own claims, unverified: about 1,200 in 2000, past 3,000 in 2001, later “18,000+ followers”, probably counting every character.

Accounts differ. The Black Rose side says Blood arrived late.

Sources · Blood-side, ReferenceHistoryNoteworthy Players; TradingDarktide

The anti-PK alliances

Original-era evidence

Never one banner. Xanthro held Sawato. The Shadow Warriors fought Bael’Zharon. About seven anti guilds raided Blood with Black Rose and The Feared.

Sources · Blood-side, Black Rose-sideDarktide’s PastShadow Warriors vs. Bael’ZharonHistory

GEN

Original-era evidence

Rose at Ayan Baqur in December 2000 to rival Blood, claimed more than 3,000 members by its rivals’ count, and fed into The Last Stand.

Accounts differ. Three sources, three origins; none is GEN’s own.

Sources · Blood-side, Black Rose-side, OutsiderDarktide’s PastHistoryAsheron’s Call: PVP SRS BSNS – Part 1

The Last Stand

Player recollection

A coalition against Blood, probably from 2001, remembered as Darktide’s strongest allegiance from about 2004. The wiki’s late-era list still shows it under the monarch Khao.

Accounts differ. Founders and date differ by source.

Sources · Blood-side, Outsider, ReferenceHistoryAsheron’s Call Part 2: Carebears(Darktide) Who was the person you hated the most in PVP?, page 2Darktide/Allegiances

After the founders

Original-era evidence

The KoC core left at the end of 2002. Blood carried on into 2004, and new banners took the towns.

Sources · Blood-side, ReferenceHistoryDarktide/Allegiances