The Swordsmen's League
"One does not simply join the Swordsman's League. One must first earn their position, and to do that, one must first earn a sword."
The Swordsman's League is a relatively small and little-known society, which is somewhat ironic considering the huge amount of self-importance that all its members carry around. They're not entirely wrong, though, as they practice an art never before seen in the sky, and have access to perhaps the largest supply of metal around in the form of their weapons. Although the skill isn't useful in any jobs, they still meet regularly - and not just with humans. Dragons, too, can slip devices called Edges on their tails that are similar to a sword, making the league open to anyone. Weapons made out of wood are also used by the apprentice swordsmen, expanding the League's influence.
Structure
Strangely enough, the Swordsman's League is not limited to Swordsmen (and Edgedragons, though the two are often grouped together). There are also a number of those trained with staffs and spears. So, in reality, there are three groups - Swordsmen, Staffmen, and Spearmen. They're broken into two sections - the masters, who hold the real, metal weapons, and the apprentices, who are trained by the masters and use wooden weapons until they eventually inherit or win a metal one.
Culture
The greatest pride a Swordsman can have is their weapon. Earned through hours of difficult training, duels, and practice sessions, a real metal weapon is the pride and joy of any League member. But it's also extremely valuable, and there are a strict series of honor codes in the society that ensure whoever owns the weapon is a good and truthful person. These include telling the truth, a couple of illegal moves in duels, and even a solemn ceremony whenever a sword or Edge is passed on. These swords, so valuable, even have names - like the Skycleaver, the sword wielded by former Commander Richard, or Sunpiercer, Edge worn by former Commander Willowdrift.
Assets
"Yes, I'm aware that the League possesses the greatest quantity of the single most valuable asset in the sky. Yes, I'm aware that they use it for recreational use. No, you cannot confiscate their swords for creating other items. They earned that metal through valiant defense of the Cities, and I won't see it taken away from them."Metal, along with stone, is one of the rarest substances in the sky. What metal the Skydwellers currently have is a mix of old artifacts built with resources from Mendoza, small collections from Charters, and the few possessions brought up with Monitors. However, during the Draconic Invasion, sharp metal proved to be the most effective way of fighting the wyrms, so relatively large quantities of it were procured and fashioned into swords, polearms, and Edges. There were only about twenty of each made, and so each weapon is passed through family or master-to-student lines, carefully taken care of, used, and almost revered.- King Cedric
History
The Swordsmen's League was founded about five years after the Draconic Invasion. Skills learned and practiced by the Guards who wielded the metal weapons led to the founding of a society that ensured the skills would continue. Originally started by a small group of Guards getting together and dueling, it eventually turned into a full-blown society, dominated by former Guards wanting to share with youth a new skill. Considering the still-recent downfall of the Powder Lords, they may have also wanted to encourage youth to spend their time doing something other than procuring illegal powder.
The League was also encouraged by royal scholars, who may or may not have been worried about secondary Invasions by other dragon types, and wanted to keep everyone's skills sharp. Eventually, the League even paid for their own building to be designed for a Wonder Day, and they meet regularly every week or two to practice and catch up, and sometimes more often just for fun. Nowadays, anyone can stop in, and anyone can even apply to become an apprentice.
"Honor pure as silver, work hard as iron, truth fine as steel"
Type
Social, Clique
Duels
Duels, both formal and informal, are a big part of the Swordsman's League. Though much of their time is spent in training, they also hold many friendly duels, sometimes between more than two people. There is also the semi-annual dueling competition, where fights between increasingly less and less people show the ranks of skill and improvement from the last competition. More solemn are the formal duels, often between master and student, where a student will challenge their master to a duel in order to win their metal weapon. It's often a bittersweet day, as the two will have developed a close relationship with each other. Most often, a student will neglect to challenge their master without proper urging, but occasionally, sometimes in a political tactic, a student will challenge their master out of the blue. These duels are watched by all, and with the high stakes, are tense, fast-paced, and have fewer rules. Many are gravely injured before finally accepting defeat.
Duels, both formal and informal, are a big part of the Swordsman's League. Though much of their time is spent in training, they also hold many friendly duels, sometimes between more than two people. There is also the semi-annual dueling competition, where fights between increasingly less and less people show the ranks of skill and improvement from the last competition. More solemn are the formal duels, often between master and student, where a student will challenge their master to a duel in order to win their metal weapon. It's often a bittersweet day, as the two will have developed a close relationship with each other. Most often, a student will neglect to challenge their master without proper urging, but occasionally, sometimes in a political tactic, a student will challenge their master out of the blue. These duels are watched by all, and with the high stakes, are tense, fast-paced, and have fewer rules. Many are gravely injured before finally accepting defeat.
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