Eckbert Zimmerman

The Fellowship of the Divine begins to train some of its Divine clerics into the first vindicators—soldiers who use Divine magic as an offensive weapon against the Terran Republic’s enemies, all the while healing and inspiring their fellow soldiers. Soldiers who showed a talent for Divine magic are also recruited to become vindicators. Vindicators could fight and heal using Divine magic, as well as deal with Megor recondites more effectively than any other military unit. The vindicators are managed into the newly formed Champions of the Divine, which works with the Fellowship of the Divine under the umbrella of the Divine Church.

Anson Hodges, Cyril Behrends, Eckbert Zimmerman, Franko Adamson, Liupold McCrae, Paskal Rivera and Wilhelm Frenz become vindicators. They also join the nascent Champions of the Divine as its founding members.

The number of vindicators within the Champions of the Divine grows with each passing year. As such, the Divine Church implements a leadership structure in the form of the Council of Twelve to help govern and manage the Champions of the Divine. The Council of Twelve is made up primarily of the founding members of the Champions of the Divine, including:

• Anson Hodges, appointed as Overseer,
• Cyril Behrends, appointed as liaison for the Terran Republic military,
• Dewi Horn, tasked with handling the nascent Insurgency,
• Eckbert Zimmerman,
• Franko Adamson,
• Hercules Henson, appointed as disciplinary officer,
• Jacob Whitney, appointed as liaison for the Dragoon Corps,
• Jayson Vinkov,
• Liupold McCrae,
• Paskal Rivera,
• Riagan Esgro, appointed as secretary, and
• Wilhelm Frenz, appointed as director of training and recruitment.

The Council of Twelve presides over the trial of Wilhelm Frenz, with Anson Hodges as judge, Hercules Henson as prosecutor and Riagan Esgro as court clerk. They declare that Wilhelm is to be expelled from the Council of Twelve and the Champions of the Divine. Anson also excommunicates Wilhelm, cutting off his access to Divine magic. Wilhelm embarks on a self-imposed exile and leaves the Plumeth planetary system.

The Champions of the Divine are disbanded. All members of the Council of Twelve are dishonourable discharged from service by the Divine Church and the Terran Republic, for their respective commissions. Vindicators who were once part of the Champions of the Divine fall under the jurisdiction of Fellowship of the Divine.