Baptizing a Dragon

If ya survive ye lot will be one o' us then. At that point ye'll be an welcomed properly, and we'll baptize ye dragons!

Lord Protectorate Gnolundi Gorminiade Barazbarak to the latest batch of Iron Dragon hopefuls before they are put through 'earning their Scales'.

Many military cultures have traditions of 'coming of age' or 'being welcomed to the fold'. Most of these are steeped in tradition, with a ritual like behavior, and are a serious, very important, highly officiated affair. At least this is the truth for the more....aged and established groups of fame within militaries across Valerick, especially the Exemplaris. However as we move forward, and an industrial revolution begins making knights and the idea of nobility and a feudal caste system slowly obsolete, one of the places it makes the least sense to survive is well, the military. Military actions now require men and women whom understand war intimately, whom have lived it, breathed it, felt it in their blood and soul. It requires minds whom speak the language of the common soldier, whom understand them and can understand what motivates them and keeps them on task. Most importantly, whom was once like them, to win their respect. That is paramount and nowhere is this more important that with your elite troops, your special forces. The creme a la creme.

In Suranth this new-age group, some two thousand strong at current, but with their eyes on the prize when it comes to promising potential recruits all the time, are the famed Suranthi 14th Brigade, known as the Iron Dragons. A mere two centuries old at this point in time the Iron Dragons have developed a culture and general demeanor of being a very new age, new attitude brigade. As such they welcome new members very differently, including a simple celebration of surviving their 'trial of survival' and joining the fold. It is known as 'Baptizing the Dragon' and it is done at a very special bar in Suaitheantas known as 'The Dragon's Belly' The ritual will be described more fully, but a key piece is a drink known as 'Holy Dragon fire'. It is a simple half pint of strong, raw whiskey, mixed with a three teaspoons of smokepowder, glass then sparked by a match. You must down it as the flame bubbles the booze and the grains of powder burst white in the drink. You must down the entire half pint before the grains of powder stop popping visibly, so pretty much immediately, and can show no pain, no fear, and no discomfort. You'll drink five of these that night, and when you succeed, you will be declared reborn, and tattooed with a black and grey tattoo of a dragon curled around a rifle on your right arm, the bottom side of the wrist (or as close as can be done to that spot if it isn't open). The ink will be mixed with at least two teaspoons of smokepowder, thoroughly so that the grains break and will flow with the ink. This is the Brigade symbol, and in Viit numerai your division number will be written on a banner above the image, your regiment below it. At this point you will be embraced by your brothers and sisters, officially given your Tacturnium Shield, if a dwarf in the Scales, or your Gudbransson Repeating Rifle if you are in the Breath, along with your uniform, brigade, regiment and division pins. At this point you will be welcomed officially as the newest Iron Dragons.

History

Though young as far as established military groups in Suranth, the Iron Dragons are infamous for their wild, very non-traditional approach to war. They don't fight fair, they willingly turn their backs to an enemy regularly, and don't consider the normal dwarven attitude of 'stand and be unmoveable' a virtue. This is even in acknowledging that half of their numbers are simply the best equipped dwarven phalanx forces in Suranth. These are the Scales of the Dragon, the point of contact, engagement and most importantly, where it all goes wrong for their foes. For the other half of the units are men, elf, and anyone not dwarven, armed with the finest guns and blades one can buy. They are known as the Breath of the Dragon. These names come from their mixed tactics. The Scales fight mostly as a typical dwarven shield unit, static, immoveable, an island of total control and professional violence among the madness of a battlefield. This is a planned benefit, for it is this island of strength, this pillar of power, that the Breath does their deadly work. Moving out from being covered by their dwarven companions, bombs and bullets blast and crack against the enemy, over and over, ripping and tearing them as they are held in place by the Scales. They also fight this way most of the time......until its time to open the maw of the Dragon. At that point they will seem to 'break' and 'be fleeing'. In reality this is an organized move, with the breath ready and waiting, bombs and bullets a plenty. As the enemy surges to push through the opening in the dwarven lines, the dwarves will wait until a large number of the foe are within their formation before suddenly wheeling the edges, turning and creating a closing noose, as if the Jaws of the Dragon, closing tight to encircle however many they can. as they do this, those behind the dwarves, those foes, are met with a devastating rush of bombs, bullets and then sabre and cutlass blades, as the men and women of the Breath hit them with a ferocity that would make a Dragon proud.

No one is certain whom the traditional 'Holy Dragon Fire' or the 'baptizing a dragon' ideas started with, nor when. Most assume it was Gnolundi with the first among them, the veterans in charge now of training and recruiting, however no one really knows for certain

Execution

The Baptizing of a Dragon as its known is the test by your future brothers and sisters to see if you have the intestinal fortitude and the sheer stubborness to be one of their number. It starts off seeming a celebration of your impressive return, triumphant, from three months out in the Steppes in the middle of winter, just you and your surviving squad mates. You have passed the test, those of you whom made it and survived the journey back, for it is very rare for every single recruit out of a batch or squad to survive the final test. But you have, and now you are celebrating being welcomed by your new 'family'. Stout, fine liquors, good food, a warm fire. A singer, or perhaps a fiddle player, indeed perhaps more than one, performs that night, keeping the tone fast, excited, and happy in The Dragon's Belly. But then once they've got you just drunk enough to know you are feeling emboldened well...

"It is at this point the baptizing begins. A special barrel, with all the recruits names upon it, is brought out. Those whom didn't make it, their names will be crossed off but not removed. At this point, the ranking officer present will call for attention, and in a solemn voice, announce that it is time to baptize our new dragons. The highest ranking soldiers will tap the barrel, pouring out a half pint of strong, heavily aged, whiskey for each new recruit. The officer will explain the details of the ceremony, what its supposed to mean, but the short version? They'll pour two spoons of fucking powder in your drink, stir it a bit, and toss a match in it, ordering you to down it immediately. And you will. Don't ask me why you will, just know you will. I ain't ever seen or heard of anyone not downing it, or trying to. The grains of powder will still be popping off as you do. Ya do it right they'll be flaring up and popping off all the way down! Ye might think, 'well one wasn't so bad'. Maybe your tongue is tickled and your throat a bit sore. Perhaps your stomach is reeling a bit. But ye show nothing, as that is also part of the test. You can't show pain or discomfort, for dragons do not show weakness. Just as you may be thinking, 'I'm fine, its alright, I've done it. That's when you find out you gotta down another four of these to be 'properly baptized' Manage that, and we'll mark ye as one of us, with this here tattoo, the ink mixed with a little something 'extra'. Then you will finally be gifted your uniform, weapons, and most importantly, the fresh start and welcome of your new brothers and sisters in the Brigade whom are in the city at the time, including those whom you will be assigned to join.

Corporal Francine Hollander, 5th Battle Group, 2nd Regiment of the Suranthi Army

Components and tools

Only a few things are needed for this coming of age ritual.

• three hundred year old aged pine barrel whiskey, strong, burning flavor, brutal on the back of the throat

• Enough smokepowder, the amount varied based on how many recruits your initiating.

• Enough tattoo ink to cover however many recruits you are initiating, each new recruits ink mixed carefully with a spoon full of smokepowder.

Participants

The direct participants are also a directly only a select few, though many will attend to encourage their potential new brothers and sisters in arms.

• The new recruits, successful from their test of survival in the Steppes.

• Boris Katachuk, the owner and proprieter of The Dragon's Belly, a old wood elf whom took a human name as an orphan. He is a first generation veteran of the Iron Dragons, served with distinction for a hundred and fifty years. Some theorize this 'ritual' was formulated by him and Gnolundi themselves.

• The resident ranking officer of the company or regiment that the new recruits are going to be serving with, whether that be the commanding officer or someone within that command structure, the highest ranking individual available.

• As many Iron Dragons as are available in the city at that time

• Gregory Oliver, the Brigade's tailor, he is contracted to appear at these ceremonies, in person, not to send any of his eight or nine workers from his successful business. The Iron Dragons are one of his biggest customers, and they wish their uniforms and soft armors to be properly fitted and pristine. So he will bring his entire kit and caboodle, two wagons worth of gear, four assistants, and do proper fittings for each successful recruit outside the bar.

• Gnolundi himself, or his daughter, one Bruma Gnolisdottir Barazbarak, whom represents her father often in critical affairs or in ceremonies such as this, and is well loved by the brigade. He or his daughter provide the new recruits with their signature weapon or shield, depending of course which part of the famed unit they fit into.

• Tunrok Fiosmac Yrvane, a local armorsmith of great reknown is also a key participant over the next week, as he and his staff handle the most important and vital of tasks, measuring and hand crafting and fitting the new recruits with their appropriate armor, all recieve layers of riveted chain, and Tacturnium breastplates, the new recruits of the Scales recieving a finished set of Tacturnium articulated plate armor of the highest quality by months end before they will be offically deployed. Those in the Breath will recieve a riveted mail coat of the highest quality, and chausses should they desire, but these are optional, along with the afore mentioned breastplate and open helm.

Observance

This ritual takes place whenever a batch of new recruits successfully complete their time in the Steppes and return ready to be officially welcomed as Iron Dragons. It follows no real lunar schedule or calendar in its own right.

Primary Related Location

Baraz Duicacht