The Imperial Order of Brothers of Saint Markos, the House Ah’Riz and of the Temple of Rayalra’ad

Well met, people of Elyria, rejoice and praise the Dragon God! For the holy knights of the Black Fang have returned to our lands!

Once lost and thought myth by the people of our modern day, our great order has lain dormant, a story. We have been remembered in many lights; religious fanatics, demons, dreadknights hailing from southern climes, feared by their enemies and revered by their comrades. Though some of the legends about my order hold true, many stories have become twisted and misconstrued to suit the ends of the storyteller. Often the order has been demonised in these legends, our beliefs and ideals bastardised, corrupted. All lies. Before anything, allow me to tell you the truth, a truth that was passed unto me from my father and from all those that came before; of our Ideology, our History and our Faith.

So Who Exactly Are the Order of the Black Fang?

Though to outsiders one might assume we are just a military, those of you who intend to join us must understand that we are more than that. The Order is also a faith, an ideology and, above all, a true brotherhood. For, regardless of what life you had lead before, to join our order is to become a part of one family; a family under the watchful eye of our glorious dragon god.

Our history stretches far into the past and our ability to withstand not only near total annihilation, but also the cruel hand of father time, is testament to our resilience. Our rich culture lived on and once again we stand tall, rising to power.

Those who know us truly, know of our loyalty, our vigilance and zeal. They know our ambition is strong and our hunger for knowledge, equally so. They know our reputation as fierce dreadknights, demons of the battlefield, is not to be taken lightly.

Our ideologies are strong and we ensure that we uphold our beliefs throughout our daily lives. We believe strongly in self improvement, sharpening our skills with practice and our minds with knowledge. In the same vein, we put great emphasis on the next generation becoming even greater than the last. We do not suffer binaries such as good or evil and our way is truly our own.

So, Why Should I Join the Order?

Our order is one immersed in deep, rich history, culture and faith and to join us is to be a part of something special. The best weaponry, the best armour, the best education, the best martial arts. You will be the elite of the elite, the cream of Elyria's crop.

Others, those from the outside, may fear you. For they fear a power they cannot think to grasp. But know that a knight of Rayalra'ad is never alone. The bonds of the Dragon God's children are unshakeable, each member considered kin. We are a family. And those who choose to trespass against our family will know pain. For the wrath of the Dragon God, the heat of a thousand suns, delivered by your brothers and sisters in arms, will bear down upon them.

OOC

Website: http://knightsofrayalraad.enjin.com/home (Big thanks to Psyso!)

Application Form: http://knightsofrayalraad.enjin.com/recruitment

Discord: https://discord.gg/2WVeDq

Quick Summary: So this is essentially a religious order of knights that worship a dragon god. We don’t really subscribe to good or evil and are more of a lawful neutral type. I’ve taken inspiration from semi-monastic orders from the crusades, such as the Teutonic order, Knights Templar and other chivalric holy orders. We have currently sworn fealty to Nirath and are serving as the King's Royal Guard.

Current Leader: Grandmaster Izas Ah'Riz

Motto: A dragon never truly dies. ¦ “Anur Rayalra’ad!” (Praise the Dragon God!)

Sigil and Banner: We fly a banner that consists of a gold dragon, facing forward, holding its arms out. It wields a sickle sword with a black blade (the black fang) in one hand and the sun in the other, on a field of maroon red.

A few notes: I don’t want to get overly specific with rules right now, until i have my six elder dragons (See: Ranks and Administrative Structure). This is also sort of for RP reasons, it makes sense if i come up with the final rules alongside an actual council. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Be sure to check out our more detailed history and background at this link!!!: The Order of the Black Fang: A Closer Look

Playstyle: I want to make this mainly an RP guild, but those who aren’t particularly into that should feel welcome too.

Goals: I would like to establish a strong, tight knit, band of individuals and get a true brotherhood formed. We seek to build a grand citadel, our own military city state, and to restore our order to it's former greatness. We would function as we please, though i would also like to forge solid alliances that i can fight alongside.

I want to us be the premier military order that merchants, lords, kingdoms and empires will be seeking, mainly for our martial skill; I want them knocking at our door for help.

Server Base: EU

The Main Ranks and Administrative Structures of the Black Fang

There is a strict hierarchy within the order that must be adhered to. I will list them here in descending order of authority:

The Grandmaster - The supreme commander and overseer of the order. Elected from the ranks of the Elder Dragons by the entire order, the Grandmaster is generally the best man for the job. A paragon of the order's values, they must ensure that they not only preserve the order’s traditions, but they must also have a clear vision for the future and what direction they wish to take the order in.

Elder Dragons - Always a group of six, the Elder Dragons are second only to the grandmaster in authority and take their orders directly from him. Along with the grandmaster, they form the council that makes most of the more important decisions within the order and helps the grandmaster dictate the direction of the order. Each elder dragon commands a maximum of three knight commanders directly and each are protected by a minimum of one Dragonknight at all times.

Knight Commanders - Generals within the ranks of the order, Knight Commanders run their own individual chapters. They are not always the best fighters, but generally the best military minds. These men and women live and breathe strategy and must be able to administrate well off the battlefield and coordinate their troops exceptionally on the battlefield. Knight Commanders can command up to 10 divisions, but no more.

Dragonknights of Saint Markos - The most elite knights in the order who not only display exemplary adherence to the beliefs of the order, but distinguish themselves in battle will be put forward by their commanders to become a Dragonknight. A rank reserved for only the best in the order, the Dragonknights of Saint Markos are fierce warriors that are identifiable by their highly ornate armour and helmets with a dragons visage. Excellent bodyguards, at least one of these Knights tends to accompany the upper echelons of the order. Although they are usually ex-captains, it is more than possible for a normal knight to ascend to this rank as well. They are named after Saint Markos, the knight who was supposedly granted the legendary sword, "Black Fang", by an old dragon.

Knight Captains - When a knight has proven themselves capable of leading multiple squadrons into battle, displaying strong leadership qualities and good command, they can be put forward by a higher ranking member to attain the rank of captain. They will run a chapter of around 10-20 knights. They will usually lead units into battle, either alone or alongside their Knight Commander.

Knight Vice-Captain - All captains assign a vice-captain as their second in command. This vice-captain can be a knight of the captains choice, however they must be at least the rank of Sergeant.

Knight Sergeant - Knights that distinguish themselves as competent warriors and display good leadership qualities will be considered for the rank of Sergeant. They are oftentimes recommended by other Sergeants or sometimes promoted directly by a Captain. Sergeants generally lead squadrons of around 3-5 into battle.

Knights - The mainstay of the order. Regardless of what direction their training takes them, warriors or not, any member of the order that completes their training, finishes their time as a squire and is knighted by an elder member. The Knights are assigned to their various divisions based on skill biases shown during training. Divisions are geared towards various roles, including: military, law, administration, religion, research, engineering, smithing, building and more.

Squires - Though mostly children that are currently in training, this also includes new members. The role of the squire is to be a shield-bearer for a knight. They must assist their assigned knight in any way possible, mainly by running errands and serving.

Half-Brothers - An honorary title that is generally given to associates of the Black Fang. Half brothers are outsiders who serve the order, but have not taken the full vows required to become a knight. Oftentimes, when an outsider joins the order, they will be considered a Half Brother rather than having to start off as a squire.

The Freemen - Those who have been granted permission to live and work under the protection of the order. The Order is mainly dedicated to military, technological and spiritual prowess. Because of this, they employ peasantry to work the fields and provide other services for them. As all those who work for the order must do, the freemen must pay a tax to live and work on Order land. This tax is mainly paid through currency however an alternate cost may be paid depending on professions for instance, in the case of a farmer, providing either livestock or crops can suffice.