The Imperial Order of Brothers of Saint Markos, the House Ah’Riz and of the Temple of Rayalra’ad
If you are interested in actually becoming a part of the order, be sure to let us know on our recruitment page at this link: The Order of the Black Fang: Recruitment.
A History of the Order
The Imperial Order of Brothers of the House Ah’Riz and of the Temple of Rayalra’ad, also known as the Order of the Black Fang. (After a legendary weapon; it is featured on the orders banner.) An ancient military order that prided themselves on their deep traditions, martial skill, dedication to the progression and prosperity of their people and of course their devotion to the Dragon God.
Originally an order under the banner of a vast empire in the south, the Black Fang were always adamant that they remained independent. The empire they served, valuing their strength, afforded them this freedom, allowing them to function as their own city state within their lands.
Their lands were a good size, home to over 50,000 citizens, with over 20,000 of these being knights of the order. The city was famous for its grandeur; the beautiful architecture, monuments, statues and religious idols were the envy of all who laid eyes upon it. The centerpiece of it all was the great Ziggurat, a colossal, pyramid-like structure, in which the grand master resided. It was here that the knights were taught all they knew from a young age. Every student was required to learn to martial skills and of course basic education. However, once a child reached the age of 12, they would be allocated to a more focused education based on where their skills were biased.
Although the emperor they were allied with was happy to fund his greatest asset in any way they could, the grandmaster was insistent that the order don’t take handouts from the empire. They made the majority of their money during military campaigns, providing weapons, armour and siege engines to the empire they served under in addition to their other allies. However, due to this focus on military exports, the city relied somewhat on trading services during peacetime; their engineers, masons, blacksmiths and scientists were highly sought after and many flocked to the city for their wares.
The Order was notorious for their skill, zeal and ferocity on the battlefield. The knights were easily identifiable by their maroon, black and red cloaks and surcoats, with beautiful dragon-themed patterns and motifs embroidered in gold across them. (They wore robes with similar designs off the battlefield.) Under these, they wore dark lamellar armour with gold trimmings. Their helmets ensured that their faces were always masked, either by cold, expressionless faces, or by a demon’s visage; they were an intimidating sight for most. They wielded many weapons, though they were most famous as wielders of the sword. Constantly developing new and unorthodox designs, their weaponry could vary greatly from chapter to chapter. However, the majority utilized finely crafted curved sabers, khopeshes and shotel sickle-swords. Alongside these, large shields protected them from arrow-fire. The order was also known for their use of large warhounds, that were often used to cause panic and disarray in the enemy lines before a charge. They weren’t particularly known for utilizing mounts, but a few chapters are known to have dedicated themselves to riding. It has been said that a few grandmasters rode astride dragons into battle, including the very first grandmaster; this however, is highly disputed, especially seeing as most of these accounts are from the earliest days of the order, where some stories became somewhat hyperbolic.
With strong belief in their god and great confidence in their martial ability driving them into battle, they were a virtually unshakeable force that only the most elite forces could even begin to contend with. “Anur Rayalra’ad!” they would cry as they charged. They were known for roars, yells and forced laughs that they used to demoralize their enemies whilst they clashed.
However, their numbers were small and they were most effective when in amongst greater numbers, although much of their strategy was tailored to compensate for this. Because of this power on the battlefield and partially due to misconceptions about their beliefs, it was widely believed that the knights of the order were demons, or derived their strength from such beings. This didn't tend to faze those who sought their protection however, with trade caravans, diplomats and even emperors flocking to them.
Unfortunately, the empire they were allied with became the target of a few other larger empires. This combined force was overwhelming and they destroyed the majority of the Order’s ally. Eventually, being considered a huge threat, the home of the Order itself was targeted and a siege of the citadel began. Unfortunately, despite an incredibly valiant defense by the Black Fang, their numbers failed them. After what is documented as a ten year siege, the defenses (now pushed back to the Ziggurat itself) failed and the order was destroyed almost in it’s entirety. Most remnants of the empire they served and the Ziggurat had been completely destroyed, with the earth salted. It is likely new kingdoms have long been forged atop this ground.
Very few escaped, around thirty or so members to be exact, however the son of the last grandmaster was one of these survivors. Dispersing across the continent and as far from their enemies as possible, the original teachings of the Black Fang and the Dragon God lived on through their descendants.
It was only recently however that the current grandmaster, descended from the line of house Ah’Riz, a long line of original grandmasters of the order, made it his ambition to restore the order, rebuild the great Ziggurat and bring it back to it’s former glory.
Our Main Beliefs as a Faith and as an Order
Rayalra’ad, the stormbringer. The chief deity of the the Order’s faith. He takes on the form of a dragon with scales the colour of blood, that shimmer as gold as the sun in which he resides; lightning crackles and sparks from his body. A father figure, the Dragon God is generally referred to as male. However, it is explicitly stated in religious texts that despite this, this is merely a form the deity prefers to appear in and is not indicative that it is any set gender.
There are a few main tenets of the Faith of Rayalra’ad. They are very clear and reiterated throughout religious texts, though are often a deal looser than many religions. It is strictly against our beliefs to actively punish those who don’t subscribe to these tenets, for lack of a better word, religiously. For it is believed that it is their spirit that will suffer and that is is the place of the Dragon God to punish them, or in the case of some tenets they will suffer anyway. The only exception is made when a holy decree is made by the grandmaster, against those who have deliberately made a strong trespass against the faith. (This includes murdering members of the faith, unauthorized inquisitions, unjust holy wars etc. In the case of the latter, what constitutes as unjust can tend to be rather fluid depending on the current grandmaster.)
The Main Tenets
Strength of Body: To neglect the body, or to harm oneself without cause is a sin. Physical fitness is highly encouraged and is generally achieved through martial training, though even simply eating correctly and generally keeping in shape is honoring this teaching. Those who do not are encouraged to do so.
Strength of Mind: Knowledge is power and a healthy craving for it is highly encouraged within the ranks of the Black Fang. Learning skills and cultivating them to mastery also falls into this category. As such, most knights strive for mastery in their preferred fields. Faith must go hand in hand with science and, no matter how fanatical, a believer must never be ignorant, or disregard knowledge in favour of religion.
Strength of Faith: Although not a particularly restrictive religion in comparison to many, it is clear that it’s followers are some of the most devoted. From an early age squires become well versed in the faith of their ancestors and the values of the religion are seamlessly interwoven with their education. However, once squires go on to learn their specializations, they are only required to learn more should they choose to do so. In fact, children are encouraged to make the choice for themselves whether they subscribe to the teachings of the Dragon God or not; most do. Prayer is generally done at least once a day, though it is not the rule. Chapters of the order often sing war hymns and battle prayers before they march into battle, but beyond that there isn’t a truly organized regular time of worship. The temple is open all day every day, so believers may choose to worship when it suits them. All subscribers to the faith must acknowledge and partake in holy days and festivals however.
Unity Under One Banner: The order are especially dedicated to fellow worshippers of Rayalra’ad and are essentially guaranteed to provide assistance against enemies of their religious brethren. Those who follow teachings derivative of the faith are also included in this and should never be considered heretics, however should their new interpretation of the ancient texts become misguided and directly conflict with the main tenets of the religion then they are an enemy of the faith.
Balance of the Tenets: A key teaching of the faith is that a good balance of each of the teachings must be kept. For instance, to focus solely on physical training and neglecting the mind completely would be a sin. It is often said that if one was going to devote many years to one thing, they should devote just as much time to the others.
The Importance of Children: The next generation are highly important to those who follow the faith. Anything in their power is done to ensure that they not only will the children live a better life, but are stronger and smarter than the generation before them. As such, a good education is a necessity and the continuity of the faith is emphasized.
There Is No “Good” or “Evil”: The order do not concern themselves with good or evil. The Dragon God teaches that these notions are completely subjective and one must instead do what is beneficial to himself and his people, regardless of what those from the outside believe. Believers must also understand other perspectives and are not obligated to interfere in outside affairs despite how “Evil” the perpetrator might be. All are welcome to the Order, regardless of their past. However should they bite the hand the feeds them, justice will be harsh and swift.
