Blood Guard

Created by Soravyn Zahir to protect Crown's Refuge from external threats and internal strife in equal measure, and thus directly protect the Archmage Tshepsi as a result, the Blood Guard is organized to ensure civilian control of the defense forces of the freehold in which they serve.

The result has been a unique military system when compared to the depth and detail of Fastheld's Imperial Watch, and the Emperor's Blades that came before it..

All Blood Guard personnel are technically civilians: those in the half-plate uniform of the Guard are classified as special civil servants and are subordinate to the Archon and the Archmage, as well as remaining accountable to the Wildlanders and Syladris of Crown's Refuge.

There are no military secrets, military laws, or offenses committed by military personnel; whether on-base or off-base, on-duty or off-duty, of a military or non-military nature, are all adjudicated under normal procedures by the appropriate jurisdictions of the freehold of Crown's Refuge.

To that end, while some Wildlanders of Crown's Refuge may opt to take up the "career" of being part of the Blood Guard full time, others may only choose to wear the uniform on occasion via arrangement, while others may never don the violet half-plate uniform at all.

It is also important to establish that the Blood Guard are a defensive organization; though those who serve with the Blood Guard are often trained in some art of combat, there are no established divisions or equipment rules beyond that of the uniform, and the Blood Guard rarely - if ever - see operation or deployment beyond the area atop and around Drakesreach Bluff.