The Brotherhood
We work in the dark to serve the light. We are the Brotherhood.
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The Oath of Brothers
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Sworn together in secrecy, the Brothers and Sisters of the Brotherhood swear their oaths at the peak of Arom's Stand. Blessed below the aurora borealis, their oath is beckoned:Do you swear to honour the Gilded Drake in the fight for righteousness? To defend the Brotherhood, Drustvar, Kul Tiras, and Azeroth against the tyranny of the wicked, sinful and unjust?If their corruption is allowed to run rampant, the otherwise untouchable will destroy everything that stands in their way. Protest and dissent for our right to think for ourselves. Swear to me that you will sacrifice your life and the lives of everyone that serve the Gilded Drake to stop their wicked tyrranny.Swear to me that you will remember: Our lives are nothing. The fight is everything. The Brotherhood will watch over the future. Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember: Nothing is an absolute reality. Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember: All is permittedTake what you can, give nothing back. All for one, and one for all.
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The Five Tenets
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Stay your blade from the flesh of the righteous.
I will not draw attention to us. I will not take the life of the righteous.Hide in plain sight.
I will let the Gilded Drake mask me so that I become one with the crowd.Never compromise the Brotherhood.
Its meaning is obvious. My actions must never bring harm upon us - direct or indirect.Nothing is an absolute reality; all is permitted.
Our Tenets do not command us to be free. They command us to be wise and obedient so others can be free.
To say that nothing is an absolute reality, is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that I must be the shepherd of mine and others freedom. To say that all is permitted, is to understand that I am the architect of my actions, and that I must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.Embrace the three ironies.
I seek to promote peace, but I commit murder. - I seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to rules. - I seek to reveal the danger of blind faith, but I practise it myself.
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The Brotherhood's Ranks
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The Lord
The Gilded Drake himself, the Aurelian, and the Partiarch of the House of Pendrake, the 'Heretic' Lord, he who shepherds forth the coming of the Brotherhood. All decisions go through the Lord, and has the right to veto any vote. The Lord writes all decrees, ethea, directives, and oaths of the Brotherhood and those who serve beneath him. The Lord shall appoint all ranks of those who serve him and swears every Drakesguard their Knightly oath. Serving as the formal and executive head of the military and feudal hierarchy of the House of Pendrake and Gilded Drake. A vassal of the Admiralty and the House of Waycrest of Drustvar, his jurisdiction spreads across all of Drustvar, and into the Mainland through the Admiralty's Alliance. It is his duty to ensure that the Gilded Drake is fair and just everywhere.
He is the guardian of the Brotherhood and the Gilded Drake's rituals and traditions everywhere where their jurisdiction passes. He is the interpreter of the Brotherhood and the Drake's law, including the breaking of oaths, pledges, commandments, tenets, ethea, and the unwrit. It is he who represents the House of Pendrake's elite to the rest of Azeroth. The Lord answers only to himself, the Lady Waycrest, and the Admiralty.The Auric Council.
The ones who assist the Gilded Drake's decrees and shepherd forth the Brotherhood alongside the interests of the Gilded Drake, and the House of Pendrake.The High Inquisitor;
The High Inquisitor, a man appointed by the Lord to serve the Auric Council. He commands all Inquisitors of the Gilded Drake, and answers only to the Gilded Drake. Deemed as the most capable within matters regarding the Brotherhood, he shepherds forth their ideals, their goals, and the Gilded Drake's decree without rancour and hesitation. He is the shadow of the Gilded Drake, martial advisor, and close combat-comrade.The High Inquisitor is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, adorned with a crown atop its head, weeping eyes, and several scars. Denoting them as the High Inquisitor.The Gilded Admiral;
Rear Admiral of the House of Pendrake, the leader of the once-Tide's Vipers, now Gilded Vipers, Kayda Thorne. The Gilded Admiral, whilst not directly an Admiral, serves as the Gilded Drake's naval advisor, be it trade, martial, or patrols. She commands a subsection of the Gilded Drake relating to the Gilded Vipers, and is answerable only to the Gilded Drake.The Gilded Admiral is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, adorned with a crown and holding anchor within its claws. Denoting them as the Gilded Admiral.Drakesguard
Taught or fundamentally polite, the Drakesguard's Knights must serve the Gilded Drake, the Forest, the Light, and the Tidemother equally, to ride and hunt, to understand the role of the Knight and their code of Chivalry through the Drakeguard’s Oath and the Ten Commandments.
Attached to a Knight or Lord within the House of Pendrake, the Knight must first become a Drakesworn Equire to the Gilded Drake, and serve at the bottom after having fought to ascend high enough to be granted the honour. There, they must learn humility & to be at the bottom of it all. The Drakesguard must know how to look after their own armour, weapons, and horses. They must be trained and taught in military prowess alongside appropriate social skills and rules appropriate for the Gentry.
The Drakesworn Esquire must be, at least, one-and-twenty years of age before being allowed to ascend the rank of a Drakesguard. The Drakesguard is expected to live his or her life according to the Drakesguard Knightly’s Oath and the Ten Commandments. The Knights of the Drakesguard must be virtuous, noble, loyal to the Tidemother, Forest, or Light, dedicated to helping the weak, as well as being brave and formidable in battle. It is required that the Knights of the Drakesguard are to be Noble and act with Honour and Integrity.
It is their highest duty to serve the Gilded Drake.
The Drakesguard is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, but adorned with armour and a crown atop its head and a shield within its grasp, denoting them as part of the Drakesguard.Inquisitor
The ones either unfit or unable to carry Knighthood, Harbingers of the Brotherhood’s Tenets. They serve as the most Faithful to the Tenets and Oaths, and know them by heart and second nature.
They are the best soldiers the Brotherhood can offer, all specialised in things which none other may match them.
They live a life of secrecy, and answer only to the Gilded Drake directly; they serve no Drakesguard, no Auric Council, except the High Inquisitor, no Crown, nor Monarch; they are ungovernable by all except for the Gilded Drake and High Inquisitor, whose will they are the harbingers of.
The Inquisitor is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, but with weeping eyes and scars, alongside a column within the middle to denote their Inquisitor numeration, denoting them as an Inquisitor.Drakesworn
As Drakesworn they must undergo service to the Brotherhood and the House of Pendrake and earn the upgrade to their Veiled Blade by undertaking a mission at the behest of the Gilded Drake to prove themselves capable of wielding the sacred weapon of the Brotherhood before they may ascend to Inquisitor or Drakesguard.
Drakesworn Disciple;
Discipline. That is the core of the Disciple’s duty. To know and learn when to act, speak, and understand the world around them. They are on the path of becoming part of the Inquisitors, the most zealous and skilled killers of the Brotherhood. Yet, on their way, they must learn to understand the Tenets as if they are second nature to them - They must brand their minds with their writings and learn them so that they can ascend to the rank upon the path that they have been given or chosen.
They must learn to become the reason that the Gilded Drake, the Auric Council, the Drakesguard, the Inquisitor, and everyone else, do not fall to the very thing we are sworn to destroy and tear asunder.
The Drakesworn Disciple is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, but adorned with weeping eyes, denoting their service as a Drakesworn Disciple.
Drakesworn Esquire;
Below all the other ranks in sway, it is granted following the rise to Adherent. On the path to becoming a Knight of the Drakesguard, the Esquire is considered the lowest of all ranks; for they are there to be taught humility and politeness, even if they already possess these traits.
i. Carry their Knight and the Gilded Drake's armour, shield, and sword if necessary.
ii. Maintains their Knight and the Gilded Drake's equipment.
iii. Ensure their Knight, the Gilded Drake, their own armour is clean and scrubbed.
iv. Tend to their, the Knight, and the Gilded Drake's horses.
v. Replacing their Knight and the Gilded Drake's injured or killed horse.
vi. Guarding prisoners.
vii. Accompanying the Knight, and, or; Gilded Drake to tournaments and the battlefield.
viii. Dressing the Knight, and or; Gilded Drake in armour.
ix. Carry the Knight, and, or; Gilded Drake's crest and flag.
x. Protect the Knight and Gilded Drake.
xi. Ensuring an honourable burial of the Knight and Gilded Drake if killed.
xii. Must learn the Drakesguard's Oath, the Tenets, the Tend Commandments, and Pledge by heart.
The Drakesworn Esquire is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, but adorned with a book within its claws, denoting their service as a learning Esquire.
Drakesworn Courtier;
Courtiers of the Gilded Drake. The most loyal of courtiers. Those who have proven their non-combat skills in the world that have benefitted the Gilded Drake to amounts worthy of notice. They may be granted limited knowledge of the Brotherhood, or none at all.
The Drakesworn Courtier is given a golden brooch of the House of Pendrake crest with both scales and wings, but adorned with a crown within its claws, denoting their service as a Drakesworn Courtier.Adherent
The one who have just sworn the Oath of Brothers below the aurora borealis of Arom's Stand's edge. They have passed through the trials of being part of the Retinueand have proven themselves worthy by decree of the Gilded Drake to become part of the Brotherhood. Those that have proven themselves capable of being part of the Gilded Drake. They stand upon the crossroad of their continued service to the Brotherhood and House of Pendrake. Here, they must choose either to walk the path of the Inquisitor or the Drakesguard.
The adherent is given a simple golden version of the House of Pendrake's Crest with scales, denoting their rank as Adherent.Retinue
Those deemed incapable or have declined the Brotherhood's call, or on their way to becoming trusted by the Gilded Drake to be let into the ranks of the Brotherhood. They will not be made privy to the inside knowledge of the Brotherhood and will remain in the dark.
The Retinue is given a simple golden brooch with a simplified version of the House of Pendrake's crest; wingless and without scales; denoting their service to the retinue.Courtier
Those who want to assist the Gilded Drake in other means than combat. Be it through trade, knowledge, arcane, mystical means, or simple socialites that yearn for association. They are not taken along to campaigns on behalf of the Gilded Drake.Prospect
Those who yearn to serve the Gilded Drake, but have not yet proven themselves to become part of the House of Pendrake's elite.
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The Veiled Blades
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Through the ranks of the Brotherhood, each Brother/Sister will be granted their Veiled Blade. A hidden weapon with incredible ability to strike unseen and without unsheathing a regular weapon. The ultimate weapon for silent executions.Veiled Blade: --- Granted after gaining the rank of Adherent.
• When attacking from stealth with the Veiled Blade as melee/dex, double your damage (1dx -> 2dx). - If dice lands 10/2 or below on a d100/d20 roll, sever your left ring-finger and deal 1/3rd of your HP (rounded up) the first time this happens. Cloth: -4 HP, Leather: -6 HP, Mail: -7 HP, Plate: -8 HP.---As a rite of passage; as the Brother/Sister has proven themselves capable of handling their Veiled Blade, alongside their loyalty to the Brotherhood, they may pass unto the Brotherhood's leaders their Veiled Blade to be re-forged into one of greater lethality. Once they have received their upgrade, the Brother/Sister must undertake an assassination by themselves as a rite of passage to prove they're worthy of the attachment. They will, then, return to whence they've sworn their oath - Below the Aurora Borealis in Arom's Stand, the Brother/Sister will name their Veiled Blade;Upgrades are granted after obtaining the rank of Drakesworn, Inquisitor, and Knight.
Veiled Blade Upgrade: Poisoned:
Attach a small vial of poison to your Veiled Blade, lacing your blade with poison when used.
• Deal 1d6 damage the next reaction and action round with successful melee.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Poisoned Bolt:
Rework the Veiled Blade into a small crossbow, attaching a small vial of poison to the cross-bolt attached.
• Deal 1d6 damage the next reaction and action round with successful ranged - Initial damage stacks with ambush/sneak attack's auto-crit.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Two-pronged Blade:
Remove the blade from your Veiled Blade, and attach two smaller blades instead, to inflict two wounds instead of one.
• Increase your dice with one with Veiled Blade stealth attack (1dx -> 2dx).Veiled Blade Upgrade: Hook Blade / Grappling Hook:
Attach a hooked blade the length of your forearm to sling forth and use it as a climbing or balancing tool. Used as weapon, too.
Attach a grappling hook on the top of the Veiled Blade's bracer, to assist you in climbing and other movements.
• Gain a +5 to DEX rolls.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Hidden Footblade:
Attach a hidden blade to the bottom of your boot. Is activated by a click of the corresponding heel - Requires a successful kick to land a blow.
• When already in combat, this weapon can be used once per combat to give an auto-crit sneak attack because of its unexpected position. - Requires a DEX roll instead of Melee to succeed.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Pivot Blade:
Replace the hidden blade with a dagger that can unfold instead, allowing you to rotate the blade 90 degrees and wield it like a dagger. Can be wielded in either conventional or reverse grip. Can be used as a parrying dagger tool, too.
• Every first, third, and fifth action round, you can attack another time with a DEX roll. Decreasing defence dice by -1 (ex: 1d4 -> 1d3) if defending against conventional weapons (swords, daggers, axes, ect.)Veiled Blade Upgrade: Phantom Blade:
Attach a form of crossbow into the bracer, allowing you to deliver a swift and silent assassination at range.
• If loaded: You can attack twice with ranged, dealing only one damage - Stacks with ambush/sneak attack's auto-crit.
• If unloaded: Spend an action reloading. Can be used on reaction, provided you are not the target of a defence.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Trident Blade:
Attach a scissor-like blade beside the Veiled Blade itself, unfolding when used to tear flesh asunder.
• When attacking from stealth with the Hidden Blade in Melee, release a scissor blade beside it, forming a trident. Causing a target to bleed for 1d3 HP every action and reaction round 'till they are dead or mended.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Enchanted Blade:
Made with truesilver, this blade carries an enchantment that makes a target susceptible to magical damage.
• If successfully hitting your target with the Veiled Blade, your next magical ability against a target will be doubled.Veiled Blade Upgrade: Gun Blade:
Attach a mechanism carrying a miniature pistol instead of the veiled blade. Unfolding into your grip.
• Thrusts forth a firearm instead of the Veiled Blade - Requires to roll ranged instead of melee. If attacking from stealth, triple your damage. If attacking in combat, double your damage from the hidden advantage. Requires an ACTION turn to reload. Is loud.Veiled Blade Upgrade: The First Blade:
Wielded by the Gilded Drake. This blade is gilded and carries the crest of the House of Pendrake thereupon. Its mechanism is sprung by a ring attached to the little finger.
• Gritty and the marvel to which the rest were born, the First Blade, deals one extra damage on successful first attack.
Has its own unique function in the Rose System that the guild utilises.
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Recruitment into the Brotherhood
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To become part of the The Brotherhood, there are few, but crucial requirements;1. Capability of publicly adhering to the Gilded Drake's Ten Commandments and Auric Pledge.2. Capability of adhering to the Brotherhood's true nature in the form of subtlety, The Oath of Brothers, and The Five Tenets.3. Continuous interaction with the Gilded Drake over a prolonged period of time.
3a. OOC NOTE: We keep ourselves a small, but tightly knit group of few people. Therefore, it is important to us that people who wish to participate in our content, stories, and alike, are people which we are all comfortable around. This is, of course, never perfect, and can never be. However, we think it is important to ensure a certain type of safety within our group. One that is capable of seeing the more fun side of Roleplay, out-of-character banter, and an ability to be coherent in their roleplay. We strive to keep the characters we recruit as people befit of our concept, alongside interesting characters that have their own take on lore. While we adhere to lore to the best of our ability, the fact that it is largely lacklustre, allows for creative interpretation in our opinions, which should be utilised. Furthermore, we aim to keep our group full of "ambitious writers" (for lack of better words), where it is commonplace to encounter words that are otherwise not used in general writing to play around with the English language, alongside building our vocabulary. When it comes to applying for the Guild, there is no such thing. Our recruitment is "closed", in quotations, as we are accepting members, but only members we have interacted with in the aforementioned ways in regards to prolonged interaction in-character as well as out-of-character. We understand if this may not be suited for you, and we also understand that it may not apply to all. Roleplay should be eligible to be laughed at, no matter how serious, edgy, and, or; trivial a character is; and not taken as seriously as it sometimes is: We're playing online barbie dolls, after all. Meaning that if you are easily upset about roleplay, or otherwise too emotionally invested in your character that the difference between in-character and out-of-character are difficult to discern, this is not a place for you. Do not get upset about roleplay, get over it.4. A familiarity with rolling systems, or a want to learn one as we have our own, in-depth, system that allows for character personality.5. Having a character willing to deal with the consequences of breaking the Ten Commandments, The Auric Pledge, The Oath of Brothers, and The Five Tenets.
5a. OOC NOTE: We understand that nobody really wants character death. However, we also wholeheartedly believe in consequences for the actions, such as breaking the Tenet of compromising the Brotherhood, or the Pledge of divulging the true nature of the Gilded Drake's work. This will result in a character being hunted down and put for execution. Naturally, breaking the in-character rules besides those may also result in punishment. Basically, snitches get killed. To ensure that there is full clarity: By joining, you accept that your character will be killed and hunted down if they break the aforementioned.