Order of the Sentinels of the Grove

My sword shall be the Thorn of the Rose to ward of the beasts that come to the Garden. My shield shall bar the fire from the holy ground. The rose shall drink deep of the blood of my enemies.

— from the original Oath of the Order of the Sentinels of the Garden

The Garden has burned and gone. I take now the mantle of defeat, and shall ever bear it until my death. My sword, my shield, and my blood shall bend to protect all that remains. The ash shall be my shame until the Rose blooms again.

— from the new Oath of the Order of the Sentinels of the Garden

Structure

The lowest ranking members of the brotherhood of the Sentinels of the Grove are called men-at-arms. The men-at-arms are organized into chapters dispersed throughout the city of Ghorratāndolirr, and each is led by a Chapter-Sergeant. Each of the Chapters within the city's wards is led by a Knight-Sentinel, who leads a specific Chapter within their ward. The order as a whole is led by the Captain-Sentinel, whose successor is chosen by the the Knights-Sentinel from among their own.

Public Agenda

The protection of the public within the Dominion of Ngavar, the enforcement of law, the security the dominion, and the lawful collection of taxes.

Assets

The Order consists of approximately two thousand men, mostly men-at-arms, serving in several dozen chapters around the seven wards of Ghorratāndolirr. Each of these soldiers is provided a sword, a shield, and armor, and each chapter-house provides its members with a bed to sleep in. Each chapter-house is equiped for food preparation, and has a budget for food purchases provided by the Order, though individual members may use their chapter-house's facilities to prepare food they purchased themselves if they so choose.
The Order receives an operating budget from the government they serve, which would theoretically prevent the accumulation of wealth. However, wealthy patrons, often relatives of high-ranking members, will often provide gifts of wealth and resources, which has allowed them to accrue a considerable stockpile of both.

History

In the days of the Kingdom of the Garden, the Order of the Sentinels of the Grove were a sworn military brotherhood which protected temples and holy places around the kingdom's dominions. Following the War of Shadow, they evolved out of a strictly defensive order into the military wing of the Priesthood of the Verdant Green during the Age of the Broken Land. They retained this function after the founding of the Second Kingdom of the Garden, contributing to the disunity which plagued it.
When the Second Kingdom bowed before the Summerland Empire of Nimea, they were initially permitted to remain n existence, so long as they resumed their original, wholly defensive purpose. However, after their involvement in a rebellion against Nimean rule, they were forced to dissolve, but in truth were only pushed underground. They would form the backbone of the armed resistance against Nimean rule until the Sundering of Ngavar.
Following the Sundering, the surviving members of the Order dedicated themselves to protecting the other survivors from the new threat of the Ash Wraiths. From this, they would evolve into the primary security and law enforcement body within the burgeoning Dominion of Ngavar.

Type

Military Order

Alternative Names

Grovemen, Sentinels

Training Level

Semi-professional

Veterancy Level

Trained

Parent Organization

Dominion of Ngavar

Related Ethnicities

• The Ashfolk
• The Ngavari People