Order of Argozi Knights

"Wyan, good to see you." Senior Wizard Yrnid Coppercliff nodded to his favorite apprentice who was now a First Junior Wizard Inquisitor. "Master Yrnid, always a pleasure." Wyan smiled as he always did when seeing Master Coppercliff. "Let's move over here while the others are still arriving." Yrnid led the way to an unoccupied corner. "You know why we've been assembled, Master Yrnid? It was all rather rushed and the servants are still setting things up." Servants still dashed about readying tables and benches. There would be no time for proper clothes before the assembly of the Blue Quill magi commenced. "I was not informed," Yrnid snapped. At his rank, he should have been.
"Whatever the reason, it must be impor--" His jaw went slack and his eyes flew wide open. Wyan spun around to see what had so startled Yrnid and sucked in a breath. His heart pounded as he, too, stared at who had just entered the meeting hall. He tried to swallow then struggled to suppress a cough as he nearly choked on it. A knight wearing a polished blue steel breastplate over a set of chain and leather armor stood in the doorway. A long sword sheathed at his waist, and a helmet held neatly in the crock of his arm presented a polite air that not one mage in the room believed. All eyes stared at the down-pointing silver sword embroidered on a surcoat of blue silk as though it were a flame and they were moths.
"Oh, gods!" "Hush, Wyan. Don't draw his attention to us." Wyan nodded but went weak in the knees as the knight turned their way. Cold hard eyes narrowed at them for a moment before turning to another group of magi. "NO! You will never take me!" One fo those magi shouted and rushed to the servant's door. Another knight stepped in that doorway, his long sword already drawn. It sliced through the shimmering ward spell the magi hurriedly cast, gutting him in one slice of the blade. He fell screaming to the floor with a squishy thud that echoed about the silent and utterly still room as not one other magi dared move.
— the end of a rogue magi

Who Are The Argozi

Griffon by V_M

The Order of Argozi Knights are warriors feared by all but the giantkin and other such foolhardy people. They are sword masters capable of attacking through magic as though it was not there. Only the most powerful spells can affect them. With their griffons, that are companions as well as steeds, an Argozi can cut down a giant or a powerful magi in moments.

The Path To Knighthood

Training by ArtCoreStudios

An Argozi knight can be of any civilized people, though most are human. Even retired, they continue to serve their order by running training arenas where they train youths in swordsmanship and look for students that have a talent for the sword. It is these talented students that are recommended for training at Skyloften, the main keep of their order. These youths, called Pages, arrive at Skyloften under the patronage of their arena instructor. That is where the patronage ends. Every page is expected to be a servant within the keep no matter how high their rank within their respective societies.

They are issued a wooden sword and shield to care for and train with everyday. After grueling training, a Page will have their replaced with a blunted metal sword, earning the title of Prospect. Their servitude is no longer within the keep but within the aeries and stables for the griffons, where they learn the complex care these great creatures require. Horsemanship is also trained along with jousting and even more sword training. A Prospect who has proved themselves a swordmaster, earns an edged metal sword called an arming sword. They are now called a Squire. As a Squire, they are also given a suit of chain-and-leather armor and, if they are truly lucky, a young griffon will bond to them. Those who do not bond with a griffon continue training with horses. For the next two years a squire will grow their bond with their griffon as they train together. Once they can fly together, the Squire will be knighted as an Argozi. Those on horses will serve as Knight-Errants of the Argent and do not attain greater rank within the order. Knighting is a grand ceremony where the Argozi and Argent knights declares their oath to the the order. The Knight-Commander taps the flat of a sword hard enough to bruise the shoulder of the

Squire and dubs them a knight. This sword tap is called the Last Unanswered Blow and it represents the new Knight's rise to the nobility by their own merit no matter their family origins. After the ceremony, the new Argozi Knight is fitted with a blue steel breastplate and given a long sword of Veriduun. This sword is ever sharp and lighter than a typical long sword that they can weild as a smaller blade. How much of a smaller blade depends on the mastery of that particular Argozi. At midnight, the new Argozi is taken to a chamber deep within Skyloften and ordered to strip to the waist. A healer then cuts an incision over the heart, inserts a piece of polished amber encasing a scarab, then stitches the wound closed. All of this the new Argozi is expected to endure in silence before being sent to bed. During the night, while the new Argozi tosses and turns ina fevered sleep, the amber melts away and the scarab crawls between the ribs to attach itself to the heart. From that time onward, the new Knight is immune to all but the greatest of magics.

Argozi Rank

Knight-Errant: the lowest rank of fully trained Knights who ride horses instead of griffons. The title of Sir for male and Dame for female is placed before their given names. Knight- Lieutenant: an Argozi knight in command of a quad of knight-errants. Knight-Captain: an Argozi who is no longer a Knight-Lieutenant but a full knight in charge of a chapter hall. Knight-Commander: the highest ranking Argozi who commands from Skyloften