Brightswords

The Brightswords are among the most widespread militant orders throughout all the known world. They exist as the primary ward against the misuse, abuse, and dangers of magic.

History

The Brightswords were born out of the organisation known as the Smouldering Swords, which date back to at least the Age of Contact. During that Age the Smouldering Swords were founded by Twelve Converts. The Twelve Converts discovered the Eternal Flame, founded the Cult of the Radiant Lady and city of Toc’Vastil; to defend their discovery and creations the Converts found the Smouldering Swords, and order of militant warriors of the faith.
During the Age of Contact and Age of Conquest the Smouldering Swords worked to defend and carve out a territory for Toc’Vastil. Despite coming to conflict with the elder races, other humans, and monstrous creatures, both Smouldering Swords and Cult of the Radiant Lady languished in relative obscurity.
It was only the emergence of The Age of Blood and the magical threats it entailed that brought the Smouldering Swords, and indeed Cult of the Radiant Lady, to prominence; as the Smouldering Swords excelled at combating some of the Age's greatest threats, mages and weave aberrations being the most prominent. So effective were the Smouldering Swords that they received a place at the negotiating table as the fate of Runetalras was decided with the Toc’vastil Accords. The Accords brought an end to the Smouldering Swords, as the organisation was co opted into the Arcane Bastille system where The organisation abandoned its official ties to The Radiant Lady, joined with the remnants of the Order of the Dawn and became the Brightswords.
Thus the Brightswords were created in 1:Contempt with the signing of the Toc’vastil Accords. The Toc’vastil Accords established the Brightswords as a police force against the horrors of magic that ran rampant through the Age of Blood. Since then the Arcane Bastille system, and thus the Brightswords, have become a deeply ingrained part of life throughout much of the known world.

Purpose

Many of the Brightsword’s functions were established within the Toc’vastil Accords and they still hold true to this day:
‘Protectors’ of Mages. The Brightswords primary function is to serve as both the jailers and protectors of mages, although this can take a different depending upon the culture of specific groups of Brightswords; some are cruel and abusive jailers while other are benevolent protects who seek to prevent populous attacks on mages.
Hunters of Maleficarum. The Brightswords have groups and individuals within the Order known as the Forbidden Hunters; their duty is to hunt down and capture or kill Maleficarum, mages who practice dark and Forbidden Magic, they have total authority to deal with them in whatever way they believe to be necessary.
Shield Against Arcane. The Brightswords also serve to protect the general population from the abuses and dangers of magic. They achieve this through establishing outposts and garrisons where they do not operate Bastilles. These outposts seek to hunt out apostates and respond to magical emergencies.

Nature

The Brightswords are among the largest non-state organisations in the known world, as a result their members are made up from peoples of every race, creed, and class. This means that the order is composed of cruel and caring individuals, with the disposition heavily influenced by the culture the Blade Master sets.

Where the Faction Operates

The Bastille Mages, just like the Bastille system itself, are widespread and are active across multiple continents and many human kingdoms. The Arcane Bastille exist throughout the Free States, Kasari Dominion, Kingdom of Thaxnoria, and Velgan Empire.

Recruitment

Practically anyone can join the Brightsword order, regardless of gender, race, or social or economic class; indeed the majority of the Brightswords are from lower classes. Many of the smallfolk, or oppressed races view joining the order as an opportunity to escape poverty and racism. Recruits must possess martial prowess of some kind, and an unwavering willingness to commit violent acts against mages for the greater good of the Brightswords. A key tenant of the Brightsword order is reliance on directives of their superiors and the Code of the Brightswords rather than a member’s own moral judgement.
The ruthlessness and commitment to block out their own moral judgement that causes so much fear within the hearts of mages that interact with them. When a mage intentionally harms a Brightsword or when a Brightswords are sent to eliminate maleficarum, they do so with a ruthlessness and lethality rarely seen in battle.
Brightswords go through a rigorous, extensive, and even dangerous process of training. The majority of the Brightsword order are male and human, however both female and nonhuman Brightswords do certainly exist. Templar’s take vows based upon knighthood, which includes loyalty to the order, following the orders of the superior, and not allowing emotions to hamper the carrying out of duty. These vows do not however, include vows of chastity but frequent sexual promiscuity, marrying, and having children are both heavily discouraged and stigmatised. A Brightsword marrying another templar or a mage within the same Bastille would be considered fraternisation within the ranks and would seldom receive permission. After a Brightsword takes their vows they undergo their lighting. The lighting changes the life and capabilities of Brightswords. Within their lighting a Brightsword is given their first dose of dimeritium and beings to be able to nullify magic, while losing all innate and learned capabilities to cast magic.

Abilities

The Brightswords were created explicitly to be a foil to mages. Their fighting techniques have developed to best combat mages, while their equipment is an alloy of dimeritium. The Brightsword’s use of dimeritium extends far beyond their equipment, the Brightswords ingest dimeritium to take on its ability to nullify magic. This however, becomes an addiction which may lead to death if one comes off dimeritium rapidly.

Hierarchy and Nationalism

The Brightsword Order is composed of numerous regional and national branches, each acting and interpreting the Toc’vastil Accords differently. Additionally, the Brightswords of each Arcane Bastille have their own leader and can act with some degree of autonomy and typically inform how protective or oppressive their Bastille is. Each branch of the regional or national branches is lead by Knight-General who oversees the Order within their regions; the regions cover most nations with one Knight-General for the Kasari Dominion, Kingdom of Thaxnoria, Republic of Valantia and the Velgan Empire, while a Knight-General exists for the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Free States. The second highest post within the order, which does not exist within the Free States, is Knight-Regalia who acts as a regional head overseeing directly and reporting back to the Knight-General; twenty exist within the Kasari Dominion, sixteen within the Kingdom of Thaxnoria, two within the Republic of Valantia, and eight within the Velgan Empire. The third highest rank being Blade-Master, who are in charge of specific Arcane Bastille.
The size, strength, and even ideology can greatly differ based on region and even Bastille to Bastille, depending on the size and mandates of the Bastilles. The Bastille of the city of Blackborough has a Bastille which holds fifty mages and about as many Brightswords, while the Velfauna Bastille houses over five hundred mages and six hundred Brightswords, leaving a great disparity between the sizes of various Bastilles. The ideologies also differ greatly, with the Maskeva Bastille allowing mages to come and go as they please once they undergo their Attestment, while the mages of Belgaforth’s Bastille are confined and chained in dimeritium chains, with the Brightswords their embracing some of the greatest and most horrid excessess. The regional orders of Brightswords tend to align their ideology to that of the nation-states or Free State within which they exist within, as the Order draws most of their funding either directly or indirectly from the authorities of the same kingdoms and city-states they align themselves to; there are however exceptions, as the Bastille of Velfauna is known for its liberalism, despite its rule distaste towards the arcane.

The Sword and Sheild Against Magic

Ranks in the Order

Knight-General

Knight-Regalia

Blade Master

Blade-Commander

Bright-Knight

Knight

Knight-Minor 
Knight-Initiate

Founding Date

1:Contempt

Type

Military Order

Alternative Names

The Bright Order,

The Order of the Brightswords

Demonym

Brightsword

Leader

Krisand Cole

Parent Organization

Arcane Bastille