The Wytchguard
Structure
Elderguard
Senior members of the Wytchguard that have either outlived their charges or are still active in the field. To reach this prestigious rank a Wytchguard must serve for at least fifty years, and spend a few years training at the 'Guards fortress. Most member's of the Wytchguard revere the Elderguard as parental figures, with great respect and trust, though there are always some outliers.Wytchguard
Once the boon of the 'Guard has been gifted, an initiate has completed their training and is now a full member of the Wytchguard. Shortly thereafter the Wytchguard will be bonded to a Charter mage and spend the next few decades of their life guarding and monitoring these mages, in order to ensure that they do not wander from the Path of the Oaths. A Wytchguard is most easily defined by their dominant arm being comprised entirely of wood, and the special bows that they carry.Initiate
As sure as the sun rises, Vampires will breed with mortals. This has been a fact for millennia and will most likely continue to be one for millennia more, though people do not think often of what happens to their offspring. The Iarion Charter figured that a watchdog comprised of near immortal warriors trained to fight mages from birth might be the right idea, and found themselves a unique population of 'unwanted' individuals to utilize, the Dhampir. These young half-vampires are now taken in by the Wytchguard, given the rank of Initiate and spend their first sixteen years training for the duties of the 'Guard. Some require more time than this, though most cohorts graduate at the same time, mostly due to the strange sense of camaraderie that tends to form within cohorts.Public Agenda
The Wytchguard is Ahuduirs primary line of defence against mages, rogue and Charter, as they spend their lives monitoring and eliminating magical threats. Charter propaganda has twisted them into something akin to selfless heroes that live in the dark to fight the dark, though this is not always the case.
Assets
The Wytchguard are trained within the walls of secretive fortresses located somewhere within the bounds of the Great Range, entirely accessible via overland travel however the paths to reach them are kept hidden. Within these walls the Wytchguard are trained to hone their skills, and learn the Way of the Bow, in order to keep their charges safe. It is also here where the isolated growth of Tirsloch known as Barsil is located, and where it bestows the member's of the guard their boon.
History
In order to keep an eye on and police the mages of the Charter, the Iarion Magi Charter created an Order of Bodyguards/Commissars to watch over the mages, keep them safe and eliminate them should they break the Charter. These elite warriors are kept in line through the amputation and installation of a magical wooden draw-arm, to prevent these Archers from betraying the Charter themselves. To date, only a handful of Wytchguard have betrayed the Charter, though most have since been hunted down by their kin in order to cover their tracks.
Most would wonder where such an order can gather and train so many members, though the Charter managed to find a near unending supply of applicants; the Dhampir. Half-Vampire and Half-Mortal, the Dhampir are often left despised by their mortal kin and tossed aside by their immortal parentage, leading to a massive number of Dhampir orphans. When given the option for a family and a purpose, most take the chance, though these days many Vampires deliver their bastards straight to the Order.
While the Mages of the Charter are mostly trained in the south of Ahuduir, the Wytchguard are trained in a number of isolated fortresses across Ahuduir, between which the classes of the ‘Guard emigrate during different stages of training. This even includes a training fortress in the Ashland city of Qharoal where the Karoshim train the Wytchguard in their styles of movements and stalking. Many wonder how the Order convinced Aion and the Karoshim to take part in this endeavour, though Aion mostly points to a series of devastating conflicts caused by or heavily involving mages, and the simple fact that rampant mages pose a threat to everyone.
Security through Sacrifice
Founding Date
68 SA
Type
Military, Other
Parent Organization
Notable Members
Related Plots
Comments