Dracoguard (DREY-ko-guard)

The personal defense of any VIP

The beginning of the Rebellion was due to the lack of foresight on the part of our previous Overlords! As powerful as we may be, we need protection. I declare that going forward, all Overlords will be protected by the most powerful members of the military!

— Yevanix Inkozill, 2nd Blue Dragon Overlord

The Dracoguard are an elite organization founded on the principles of protecting important political persons, whether they are a member of the Council of Dragons or the governor of one of the regions of Draconia. The importance of the person being guarded is relative to the power of their regiment of guards; an Overlord is granted their choice of personnel, while a governor or mayor has their members picked for them, for example. While they serve as protection, they also provide personal council to their protected target. Members are often experienced in politics or other matters of social issues, which allows their perspective to be considered in debates due to their close relationship with the VIP.

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Foundation

The Dracoguard were formed after the resolution of the FG Rebellion and Draconian Civil War. The event that ignited the conflict was a botched diplomatic meeting between the Dragon Overlords of both sides. The meeting was actually a trap set by the FG Overlords to slaughter the opposing factions' leaders in an effort to jumpstart the brewing conflict with an immediate advantage. Due to the lack of any protection other than their own fighting skill and abilities, the Chromatic and Metallic Overlords were basically defenseless against an army trained to kill them. This caused the following leaders to reconsider how they would protect themselves, both in and out of conflict.
After lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of establishing what amounted to a secret military order, the leaders eventually came to the decision to create the Dracoguard. The first batch of regiments were established in 517 EoD, with the respective Dragon Overlords picking their candidates.

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Selection

Becoming a member of the Dracoguard is not as simple as enrolling oneself into the military. In order to be added to the pool of candidates that can even be selected, a person must prove themselves in military ventures. Achieving the rank of private or other basic rank is not enough. No, the candidate must have medals and other achievements bestowed upon them before they can be considered. A decorated private who has not been promoted has a higher chance of being added to the list over a captain with no other honors other than veterancy and position. The best of the best have no designations between themselves, the only distinction is their prowess in fighting and tactics.
Another virtue that must be present is the ideal of pride or self-sacrifice. Having guards of elite caliber is only worth so much if they turn tail and run away at the sign of a more powerful threat. To eliminate this possibility, candidates are also evaluated based on how prideful or how willing to sacrifice themselves they are. A prideful combatant is more likely to stand and fight, even at the cost of their life, in order to preserve that pride. On the other side of this spectrum, a soldier who values their job or task so highly that they would sacrifice themselves for it, is the ultimate personification of what the Dracoguard were created for: the defense of leaders and other important individuals.
Once one has proven themselves worthy, they are given the opportunity to add their name to a list of candidates.

Requirements

There are other requirements that stand in the way of becoming a member of a Dracoguard regiment. These rules were created to ensure that only those that lacked potential conflicts of interest would be enlisted.

Blast these requirements. What do you mean I can't become a guard member if I'm an elf? This is ridiculous. I'd never plan to assassinate anyone!

— Arathor of Clan Hylor, later imprisoned for attempted assassination.

Dragon Race: Only those who are of a draconic race can be a candidate for a Dracoguard position. Other humanoid races have an inherent conflict of interest that may result in their betrayal or abandonment of post. To prevent this only the following races may serve as Dracoguards:

• Dragon
• Dragonborn
• Half-Dragon
• Lizardfolk
• Kobold

Regional Bias: To serve in a Dracoguard regiment, one must have originated from or resided in the area that the regiment will primarily serve. A native Briggs soldier cannot serve in a regiment serving primarily in Ruxan. They have an inherent conflict of interest that could lead to assassination of their protective target in order to strengthen their home nation.

Family Rivalries:

If a candidate is a descendant of a royal family with a prominent, ongoing feud with another royal family, they are prohibited from serving in a regiment defending any member of the opposing family. While the Council does not prohibit such feuds, the personal defense units of any prominent figures cannot be allowed to partake in such activities. Lest all chaos and infighting break loose and destroy all order.

Selection Ceremony

Regiments are formed via a ceremony that is unique to each person forming a regiment. For most, the candidates are random. But for high-ranking politicians such as the Dragon Overlords, they receive the privilege of hand-picking specific soldiers to form their regiments, so long as they fulfill all requirements. This allows them to specialize their protection based off of soldiers they've taken a keen interest in.
After enough qualified candidates are found that also pass the requirements in relation to the to-be charge, they are invited to the ceremony process via a spectral dragon wyrmling. They make their journey to one of two types of temples depending on the continent they reside on, a Temple of Tiamat for Chromaticos-natives or a Temple of Bahamut for Metallan-natives. Every state on both continents have multiples of their respective temples, as do the capitals of each state. Those partaking in the ceremony do not need to be at the same specific temple, so long as they are in a temple of the same type, the ceremony can proceed.
Once every candidate and the charge are located at a temple, the ceremony begins. A designated Cleric or Priest of the respective Deity reads the rites of the ceremony, while a special type of Oracle known as a Fatesealer conducts a binding ritual. The to-be-charge and their selected candidates are instructed to slice open the palm of their hands and allow an amount of blood to pool in a collection duct built into the architecture of the center altar of each temple. As the rites are performed, the blood is enchanted with the Fatesealer's magic, infusing a supernatural level of attachment to each partaking party. The blood, once returned, binds the parties together as one group. Their fates become tied together, ensuring that no matter what events occur, the group will always find itself facing it together.
After the blood is returned, the finishing rites are performed. The Oath of the Dracoguard is invoked while divine symbols and glyphs are inscribed upon the bodies of the soldiers. These marks signify loyalty and unwavering dedication. They lay dormant upon the soldiers, only activating when an act of disloyalty occurs, with each mark corresponding to a different level of betrayal and respective punishment. Glyphs and Punishments

Dhra (Deceive)

Discharged

Dho (Double-cross)

Branded

Bhar (Backstab)

Death

Once both the blood ritual and glyph inscription are finished, the ceremony is complete. The partakers agree on an introductory meeting and location, usually within the charge's political territory. They then carry about their normal lives until the day to meet arrives, at which point their lives change forever.

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Training

After candidates are selected and formed into a regiment, they have their first meeting with their protectee, who doubles as their leader until one is properly appointed. The individual and soldiers introduce themselves and align on the common goal of maintaining the protection of the charge. From there, the soldiers plan formations, tactics and other strategies that best suit their strengths in combat. The regiment sets the frequency at which they train, but most regiments protecting a significantly important person such as Ralbas generally train several times a day. Often times, if the charge is combat-capable, they will also join in on training sessions, either as an offensive threat to better prepare their troop, or as a defenseless person that the troop must take care to not friendly-fire. Ultimately, the elected leader of the regiment commands the troops on what they do, while also maintaining a close relationship to the charge.

Regiment Structure

Once a regiment has existed for a month without any significant internal conflict, the regiment votes upon a leader. The process in which they vote is determined by the members, but it always requires a majority vote for a candidate to become official. When a majority cannot be reached, the protected individual makes the choice of who is elected.
The leader is responsible for training times/days, procuring equipment, communications and protection of their charge when not in active duty, often times living with their charge. The success and failures of the group generally fall upon the leader's head, as they are the ones who oversee operations within the regiment. It is also a sign of respect for the leader to bear responsibility for failures. Not only are they all unified together for the same goal of protecting their charge, but the act of scapegoating comrades is looked at as dishonorable and may result in dischargement.
Underneath the leader is the second-in-command. The leader hand-picks the soldier for this position, generally picking the soldier who was behind them in the voting for leader. The SiC is responsible for maintaining equipment, documentations and the responsibilities of the leader when they are incapable of doing so. If the leader of the regiment is unfit or incapable of continuing their duties, the SiC assumes leadership in the interim period until another vote can be held. The SiC is also the one who designates roles such as Medic, Mage, Engineer or other labels to the remaining soldiers. Often times these roles are given unique callsigns that fit the personality of their comrades.

Regiment Hierarchy

There is a general hierarchy among the regiments based upon the importance of their charge. This order is usually respected, and the ranks of the regiment is often referred to as their level of power. The hierarchy is as follows:

Rank V: Overlord and Leader of Council Regiments

Rank IV: Familial Member and Special Council Member Regiments

Special Council Members include Group Speakers, Group Members, while Familial includes the family of Rank V and IV members

Rank III: General Council Member and General Familial Regiments

Rank II: Regional Leader Regiments

Rank I: General Politician or Military Leader Regiments

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Equipment

Due to the variety of soldiers that make their way into the Dracoguard, they have a variety of equipment at their disposal. Weapons, armor, accessories and other items are of utmost importance to the defense of their charge. The SiC of each regiment brings these items to a designated maintenance location whenever needed in order to keep them at a respectable level of care. The equipment afforded to each regiment also differs depending on their rank. A regiment of Rank V is often given equipment by their Overlord from their personal stores, while a regiment of Rank III may have a mix of personal equipment and equipment given by the military.

Dracoguard by StaticStar1 via Midjourney

A regiment of Dracoguard on assignment. Seen wearing protective helmets to safeguard their identities.

Weapons: Soldiers are given weapons according to their personal preference. The armories built around Draconia carry litany of weapons of both common and uncommon designs. These weapons are made with standard procedure, though they are tempered with much more care in order to provide longer longevity. The higher the regiment rank, the more quality materials they also receive. For example, if a Rank V regiment is not given weapons by their overlord, they are made from the strongest materials available, hand-crafted by the most talented blacksmith in all of the land; Ian Shorthalt.
Generally, hybrid weapons (weapons created from the combination of two or more other weapons) are not carried, though they can be created upon special request, though this is only afforded to regiments of Rank III and above.

Armor: The only area of equipment not given to the regiment by their charge, the armor of the regiment is always made to order and hand-crafted. The leader and SiC of the regiment create a design for the regiment and have it delivered to the armorers, where they take the design and shape it into reality. The suits are crafted for each member with their exact measurements, weight and combat style taken into account.
The suits are then shipped to the regiment within a month of creation. The uniform suits are created this way to promote unity within the regiment, as their effort in protecting their charge is a group effort, rather than the efforts of a single individual. The only standard across all designs is that a helmet must be included with visor. This helmet must be worn at all times when on duty to protect the identity of the wearer.

Magical Items: Items of significant magical power are only afforded to Rank IV and V regiments. Rank III and under are not afforded these items by the government, but they can be given by the protectee or used if a soldier is in possession of them.

The higher rank regiments are give this priority due to the significantly more difficult task in defending a much more important individual. As such, regiments of these ranks tend to have much more powerful individuals, both because of magical items and their own skill.

Potions/Accessories: Potions are not usually taken by regiments of Rank III or higher. These soldiers tend to have their own methods of healing, either through spellcasting or other innate ability.

The lower ranks do take potions quite frequently, however. The soldiers at those ranks have not usually developed their abilities to a level of the higher ranks and lack the capability to care for themselves in dire situations.

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Powers and Goals

Stand aside, guardsman. Do not infringe upon the Dracoguard of Overlord Toxlaryan. We are here to oversee this investigation and will be seizing control over the area until it is complete. You are dismissed, carry about your day.

— Leader of Nedra's Dracoguard regiment

The regiments of the Dracoguard are given much more power than any standard military unit. They are only outranked by Overlords, regiments of higher rank (and the charges of those regiments) and the Force General. This gives them the power to outright dismiss, demote or even disband other military units should they end up crossing paths. While this rarely happens, as the Dracoguard are meant to be looked at as protectors, rather than aggressors, it does occur. This level of command essentially makes them high-ranking members of the army, despite being a different organization created for a separate purpose. During conflict, this has also created situations where a regiment of Dracoguard takes control of platoons or squads in order to achieve a goal different from what the squad/platoon leader intended.
These soldiers also carry a level of political power as a result of their close relationship to their charges. Rank I regiments are able to influence their charge, participate in debates and sit in on Council meetings, with the level of power climbing higher with the regiment ranks. Rank V regiments are the pinnacle of this privilege. They are given near-complete leeway to ignore most laws so long as it befits their purpose, whether it's investigating an event that threatens their Overlord's life, or interrogating a suspect that might have lead on an assassin. In some cases, these regiments have even enacted martial law upon a town in order to get what they want.
While the Dracoguard possess all of this power, most often they do not use it. They have no need when their sole goal and purpose is to protect their charge. If the charge is not in any form of danger, then there is no purpose in them abusing their power. When there are times of caution, or even times when they have failed in their initial duty, a regiment often stops at nothing to return their charge and stop what harm is coming to them, even at the cost of outright disobeying orders from a superior. This is the benefit to the screening process that every candidate must undergo. By locating those with pride in their work, a will of self-sacrifice and honor, they find soldiers who will not abuse their power unless absolutely necessary, but also soldiers willing to use what power they have to make change. Often times the ones driving politicians or even Overlords to vote new legislation through are their Dracoguard protectors. Without them, they would be at risk of death anytime they step outside. The reward to this dedicated service is being able to help create the world they want for themselves.

The coat of arms used by the Dracoguard as a whole.
Dedicate your life to the preservation of theirs -Motto of the Dracoguard

I swear upon my draconic blood,
This oath I take to protect my kind,
I shall stride to defend and honor,
Strive to ward temptation and evil,
With this oath, I swear my loyalty,
My will shall not waver, only fortify,
And with my power, I will guard,
Even at the cost of my life,
The life of my charge will continue,
As I dedicate my life to theirs.

— Oath of the Dracoguard

Founding Date

517 EoD

Type

Government, Secret Service

Alternative Names

Regiment, DG's, V/IV/III/II/I's (Rank dependent)

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Decorated/Honored

Parent Organization

Council of Dragons

Location

Virdio

Related Traditions

• Belief of Societal Hierarchy

Virdio by StaticStar1 via Midjourney

Virdio, where central headquarters for the Dracoguard is located.

Classified government information

While the Dracoguards are a concept created by Draconia, that does not mean other's haven't created their own. The Master of Gems has created his own that may be meddling in affairs. Who knows what other factions have created their own defense squads?

Notable Regiments:

 Ralbas's Crimson Tide: 

Current Number

7

Consecutive Years Served

40

Description

Formed in 3006, the Crimson Tide have numerous successful missions attributed to their record. The most decorated of current regiments amongst the Dracoguard regiments. Most recently defended Ralbas against an assassination attempt during a trip to Briggs.

Nedra's Deceivers:

Current Number

5

Consecutive Years Served

2

Description

Most recently formed Dracoguard regiment, formed in 3044. Limited combat distinction, but highly proficient in magical abilities. Usually stationed inside Castle Aida as a result of Nedra's isolation. Armor has a unique symbol inscribed upon the back plates.

Pyra Wixis' Honorary Elves:

Current Number

10

Consecutive Years Served

4

Description

One of the first Dracoguard regiments to have a familial value instilled into it by its charge. Valued by Pyra as siblings and treated as if they were members of her own race. They seem to return this affection. Highly effective at defensive fighting and stealth capabilities

Zilvaroth's Immovable Wall:

Current Number

20

Consecutive Years Served

3

Description

The second newest Dracoguard regiment. Formed after Zilvaroth overtook the Overlord rank after Xordas' disappearance. Despite their relatively recent formation, they have the best defensive fighting tactics, strategized around protecting Zilvaroth at all costs.

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Eternal allies and mutualistically beneficial relationship.

Dracoguard

100

Council of Dragons

100

Both organizations empower the other. The Dracoguard by defending the Council and its members, while the Council rewards the Dracoguard for their efforts by granting them leniency against laws and political agency.