Order of the Falcon
"This sickly nation has never been great. From it's birth to it's now looming dusk, there has always been a disease deeply ingrained within. I speak not of the demon consorts that hide among the red lights. Nor have I much care for the various faith's and creeds that lead a village to keep fighting, even when the grain barely grows. I speak of the mockeries to my people, that I've seen. The blasphemy nobles drag into their bedrooms, that then feed from the blood of their servants. I speak of the witch in the woods, who curse her fellow man to ashen fates. I speak of the zealous, the irrational and the cruel, who thought themselves able to bind and contain us like a slaves. Though for every hundered men whom is granted an ultimatum, there will always be the one. The warrior who shall never let themselves be bound by such a choice. The wiseman, whom at his lowest point rather crack, than bend. The headstrong like a bull, who see these rattling chains as nothing but snapping twine, as their two doors given collapse as the wall breaks. This is when you know no fear nor pain will break the resolve which is boiling inside. An unbridled fury that's been etched into the soul through witnessing the tradgedy, cruelty and pure evil the sick of mind can conjure. Hence I say, if you wish to see me bleed, then you better be prepared to crack through my armour. If you wish to hear me scream, be prepared for the response to my battleshout. If you wish to see me kneel, then watch as a thousand on thousand birds of prey take flight from their cages and reign havoc -Ulyssies the Falcon.
Structure
The Gothangelic Order
A small order which consists of two smaller ones, namely the Witchfinders and Falcon Council that united underneath a dream of saving Diestria from itself. Their titles also serve as middle names, as they're directly inspired by the cultures developed in their area of authority.Fal - The high commander of the Witchfinders and the true ruler of the whole order.
Cor - Commanders of elite extort squads.
Van - Free agents and Witchfinders.
Gov - Short for governor, due to someone lacking in creativity. An elder, group of elders or otherwise appointed leader of the people, who work as the unofficial but true power of authority within a populated area, like a city, town or village.
Nobility:
Blueblood
The recognized Diestrian nobility, which have sworn their allegiance to the order, are technically the highest ranked among the order in legal terms to the Empress throne. In the grand scheme of things though, they are slowly turning into more of a cultural remnant that still rule to aid in paving the way for a republic. It's also tradition, that said title is always spoken in the middle of a blueblooded individuals name.Dux - The supreme ruler of the orders provinces, and the second highest claim of nobility in all of Diestria, second only to that of the royal family itself.
Marq - Lesser nobility that governor a province or area within the Dux lands. Also take their orders directly from the Dux, as well as commands on how to rule their land from local Gov's, though nobody else.
Von - A baron or baronessa with the claim to a village, castle or manor.
Et - Close family to either a Marq or Von, also known as a lord or lady.
Honorbound
Servants, protectors or otherwise important companions of the nobles, that are to be garnered respect by the rest of subjects and foreigners to that of the order. It is important to always mention the title of any honorbound, with the exception of Squires, infront of their full names, when adressed, or simply to adress them by title.Chevalier - A knight, bodyguard or otherwise militant companion of a noble.
Steward - A servant and a civil companion of a noble who aid them professionaly in tasks and duties that may be too many, or hard for them to attend on their own.
Majordomo - A servant to a Dux, Marq or Von, who serves as the one in charge of an owned industry, company or organization owned by the noble, like the majordomo of a vinyard or workship.
Squire - A Chevalier or Steward in the making, turtored either by another Chevalier or an Et.
Spycraft and Intelligence
A set of titles of the structure within intelligence gathering and shady covert operations, that are held by members of the order, regardless of which other subgroup they may be a part of, in the greater whole. Operators both within and outside of the field are also mentioned only by numbers, to ensure the anonymity of the individuals, where reports are written in complex mathematical, physical and chemical equations, rather than fully written reports.Owl - A spymaster, General of Intelligence, Master of Safeguard and otherwise people who hold leading positions when it comes to intelligence, both for public safety and against foreign threats.
Fifth - A surperior officer of intelligence, who serve as the left and right hands of the owl. They generally tend to be the link between the owl within the nest and operators within the field, thus relaying orders back and forth.
Fourth - An officer in the field, usually the leader of a group, segment or crew of spies, sabouteurs or assassins. Sometimes though, a Fourth can also serve as diplomats or ambassadors - in which case they're known as a Cell.
Third - An elite spy, secret service, hitman, unoffical bodyguard or pointman to a scout crew, if there is a lack of Fourth's for a larger scale operation. Third's tend to be highly decorated operatives that are trusted to be able to work alone and survive, as well as ensure the safety of Fourth's or Owl's.
Second - Specialized operatives, trained in some form of art to perfect the cohesion of a crew. Medics, demolition experts, scouts, etc.
First - intelligence gatherers, spies and operatives.
Military and Navy
The warmachine of the Order, which keeps it afloat against all the threats that lurk within Diestria.High Officers
The role of a high officer is to strategically place their armies on a battlefield, and plan an assault or defence before it happens. Generally Generals and Admirals are in charge of several battalions and fleets, while the rest are in charge of a single one. Their titles also all serve as middle names, except for the Hand, which is a title presented before or in place of a name.Bon - Generals and Admirals.
Deu - Field Commanders, Marshalls and Captains. In charge of a brigade or Flotilla
Hand - Allied or otherwise friendly leaders of militant organizations, such as mercenary commanders, guildleaders and even pirate captains or criminal bosses.
Han - Second in command to a Hand, or their most trusted men.
Officers
Officers that help execute the commands of their High Officers, to ensure that the battlefield is as orderly as possible, when the chaos from battle is soon to be ensured. It is their jobs to keep their men alive, as well as to secure the success of objectives on the warfront. Once more, their titles all serve as middle names, with exception of Fingers.Roc - An officer who is in charge of a corps.
Cav - An officer who is in charge of a battalion.
Bis - An officer who is in charge of a Platoon.
Finger - Petty officers underneath the warband of a Hand.
Mil - Bellcaptain, otherwise known as a civilian who's proven to have a natural affinity for leadership, organization, tactics and bolstering troop morale. Is instantly considered to hold the rank of a captain, if no military high officers are to be found during a crisis.
Soldiers and Milita
The majority of the army, which sadly serve as the cannon fodder and pawns on the battlefield. As above, all their titles also serve as middle names.Leet - a decorated veteran or considered elite soldier. Like royal guard, or a heavily specialized elite unit of a battalion.
Fusi - a specialized soldier properly assigned both a role and regiment. Like medic to the third, or infantry to the first battalion.
Man - a new levy or recruit. Soldiers of allied or hired mercenaries and organizations also count among these numbers.
Milis - an armed and usually semi-trained civilan, also known as civil milita.
Religion and Magic
Though the order doesn't actively lay much focus and concern on militarising zeal and magic, as many of them consider such practices to be immoral and destructive, they still recognize the importance of faith and open practice of the old arts, if their republic is ever to be able to consider itself a nation for the people.Lux - The religious leader of a faith, pantheon or other religious group, sworn to the order.
Ars - Principal of a magic school, leader of a magic guild, or otherwise head of any magic related organization.
Sol - Bishops, preachers and other priestly folk.
Sorc - Someone whom has devoted their life to the arts of magic, faith or both, as long as they are a member of the order. Otherwise known as acolytes.
Culture
The members of the order are a proud, strong and cultured unity of people. Though many of them have suffered through war, poverty and a significant increase of crime and violence, the people underneath lands protected by House Lionheart, as well as their bordering territories, met not the threats and horrors with fear but with a rage and ire born from brotherhood. That even for all their ranks and titles, they live through the code of one for all and all for one. There is no worse crime, than to leave a fellow person behind, to be consumed by the abyssal darkness which looms beyond the world's light.
They often hold military parades, with a lot of their traditions and culture involving practices such as firing cannons due to noble births, firing in salute on ordinary funerals, as well as those of veterans and nobility, accompanied by practicing wargames, where battalions go up against one another using nonlethal weaponry to practice tactics, experience and army cohersion before facing real threats, while also showing the rest of Diestria the orders might, not to mention give a spark of hope and pride to their people.
The clothing which is usually worn by the citizens of the Falcon's domain are often regal, broad shouldered coats or jackets. It is common that military officers, as well as decorated personel wear their uniform coat mid public, as except for the many medalions worn on a ribbon that run across their chest, the regular citizens tend to wear similar coats combined with fine trousers or suspenders. This style is finished by fancy dress shoes, cotton gloves and often wide brim hats or tricornes. Oddly enough, this wear is common not only in the cities, but within towns and villages as well - although tends to change a lot of smaller details from region to region, as well as the cultural norm of women also wearing the exact same fashion. As for the colour scheme, depending on the nobility in question, blue and white wear is the most common, due to house Lionheart adorning those colours, but green and blue, brown and black, black and green and blue and yellow are also common schemes.
A reason as to why a more militant fashion is worn by the people, has to do with the order arming all it's citizens that are capable of weilding a rifle and knowing where it's muzzle and end is. Everyone, from the age of fourteen to sixteen, depending on their emotional and mental maturity, have to go through four years of milita training within the confines of their city, town or village - so that even if no military would be present during an attack, the local populus could still defend themselves well enough.
Public Agenda
The order seeks to first and foremost liberate the civilians and innocents that have been broken underneath the tyranny of the Occuli Singernica and Red Clergy, through a revolution meant to cast out the nobles as the ruling class and replace them with a governor or representative brought forwards by the local citizens. The idea is that the people would manage their own laws and regulations, which is seen as best fit for their own needs, though underneath guidance of the High Court of Peregon to rule supreme, should another tyrannt come to rise.
Though this is their main promise, as well as goal, the order also seek to enforce lesser ones that already have come in play on their own soil. Zeal and religious practice in deities that promote violence and destruction is illegal and punishable by jail time. Torture and slavery, though technically already illegal to all humanity, as demanded by the High Court, shall be properly rooted out and exterminated by death penalty. Magic shall be heavily regulated, where the destructive arts are only to be taught to military personel, though while healing and harmless ones shall be open for everyone, not just nobility, to be taught. Finally, they have also vowed to take actions against occultism and demonic summoning, where all demons and daemons not sworn to the order and a promise to never utilize dark arts, will be executed.
Territories
Brietaine - A lush meadow peninsula, with some woodlands and mountainous regions, nearly spot middle of the western shores in Diestria. It's the home region of House Lionheart.
Marche of Floeur - A flat snaking landscape above the northern coast that connect with Normania. Known for it's many flowers and pretty open nature, as well as horses.
Normania - Another flat, open landscape which is famous for it's beautiful shores, vast green fields and intricate castles, often found on top of small hills. Oh, and airships, lots of airships.
Lore - Technically a mystical river, from which the region's copied it's name. It is almost impossible to not run into a vinyard while trekking through this region.
Gothangela - A dark and heavily mountainous region which can be found on the central western shores. It's woods are known to once have inhabited cults and foul magics.
Gévaulia - A dark forest region, which can be found the furtherst away from Brietaine. Known to be a harsh and dangerous wild, where civilisations reaches have yet to fully claim it.
Baronies of Oquitaine - A large square of land, which spans two seas down the southmost lands that the order owns. Home to several cities, towns and trade barons.
Marche of Floeur - A flat snaking landscape above the northern coast that connect with Normania. Known for it's many flowers and pretty open nature, as well as horses.
Normania - Another flat, open landscape which is famous for it's beautiful shores, vast green fields and intricate castles, often found on top of small hills. Oh, and airships, lots of airships.
Lore - Technically a mystical river, from which the region's copied it's name. It is almost impossible to not run into a vinyard while trekking through this region.
Gothangela - A dark and heavily mountainous region which can be found on the central western shores. It's woods are known to once have inhabited cults and foul magics.
Gévaulia - A dark forest region, which can be found the furtherst away from Brietaine. Known to be a harsh and dangerous wild, where civilisations reaches have yet to fully claim it.
Baronies of Oquitaine - A large square of land, which spans two seas down the southmost lands that the order owns. Home to several cities, towns and trade barons.
Military
Blueblood Lionborne - The royal army which serves the Dux, and house Lionheart. The main army of Brietaine.
The Crowned Rifles - An army with heavy focus on infantery and rifling, born out of Oquitaine.
Hunters of Gévaulia - A woodland based army, from the region of Gévaulia. Relies heavily on bows, subtletly and beasts in contrast to the other armies more modern weaponry.
Dragoons of Floeur - An army based around cavalary alone, which practices shock tactics as well as hold some of the orders finest grenadiers among their ranks. Found in the region of Floeur.
Knight Chevaliers - An army consisting of oldschool knighthoods, led by a host of nobility. Based in Lore.
Hellblazers of Normania - An army hosting a large aerial fleet consisting of airships, warballoons and zeppelins. Based in Normania.
The Falconwatch - Gothangelic elites, Witchfinders and anti-magic/anti-demonic units.
The Steel Anchor - A fleet owned by a mix of barons, rich traders and ex-pirates which protect the southern seafront, around Oquitaine.
The Royal Marines - The royal fleet of the Dux, harboured around the capital city within Brietaine.
The Crowned Rifles - An army with heavy focus on infantery and rifling, born out of Oquitaine.
Hunters of Gévaulia - A woodland based army, from the region of Gévaulia. Relies heavily on bows, subtletly and beasts in contrast to the other armies more modern weaponry.
Dragoons of Floeur - An army based around cavalary alone, which practices shock tactics as well as hold some of the orders finest grenadiers among their ranks. Found in the region of Floeur.
Knight Chevaliers - An army consisting of oldschool knighthoods, led by a host of nobility. Based in Lore.
Hellblazers of Normania - An army hosting a large aerial fleet consisting of airships, warballoons and zeppelins. Based in Normania.
The Falconwatch - Gothangelic elites, Witchfinders and anti-magic/anti-demonic units.
The Steel Anchor - A fleet owned by a mix of barons, rich traders and ex-pirates which protect the southern seafront, around Oquitaine.
The Royal Marines - The royal fleet of the Dux, harboured around the capital city within Brietaine.
Technological Level
The order itself, is a wild mix between old and new. Their fleet of ships and airships, while not the best there is, at least make the cut to be a serious threat against the rest of the Diestrian factions. Their weapons as well by all means encompass cutting edge revolvers, repeaters and sharpshooting rifles, though a lot of milita still wield muskets due to their less limited supply. Their cannons and mortars are all well made, as well as pulled by some of the finest steeds that humanity has bred - accompanied by other curious contraptions like gun-carriages and mounted gattling turrets.
For everyday city life, the new Westport invention of the radio has helped both military as well as ordinary people communicate through vast distances, and nobles as well as the richer have access to early telephones where they can speak to one other from distances. The streets as well are lit by electrical lights, which get their power from waterpower, as well as through the burning of coal in factories.
The villages though, especially those found in the outskirts of civilization and within the depths of the woods, are stuck some two to three hundered years behind in development, much due to how hard it is to trade with these regions. Although some are able to have at least a radio com within military barracks, as well as some few alchemical streetlights.
Trade & Transport
Goods traded and transported within the order's lands are mostly shipped by boat, as nearly all regions flank the sea, or at least has some river within which leads out to the big blue expanse. Though, where the forests grow and the coastlines become a distant memory, the populace have to trust in caravans consisting of horse and wagon, which are generally managed by the more or less global Merchant's Guild.
Most of the trade at sea though, as well as the orders imports and exports, is handeled by certain rich families and free companies, which are all part of a group named the Oquitaine Merchantile Union. Though an essemblage of noble families, rich merchants and even a few wanted criminals, the group calls itself a unity regardless of their internal competition to be the best and richest. As long as it's a healthy contest, which furthers industry, wealth and welfare among the orders citizens, it's a welcome game that is being played among the southern barons.
To stand defiant against cruelty, a candle within the darkness.
Type
Military Order
Capital
Government System
Monarchy, Crowned Republic
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Reiksdaler
Legislative Body
The Gothangelic Order
Judicial Body
Free Governors Union
Executive Body
High Court
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Traditions
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Organization Vehicles
Related Species
Comments
Author's Notes
Been trying something different for my worldbuilding, with more descriptions for larger organizations, which will lead to shorter but more condensed articles of said subgroups. Hence, this is still a BIG W.I.P! Criticism loved.