Revealing Fire of Life
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A group of warriors and retainers from Echani space, part of a sect of the Ashlan Faith, had left on pilgrimage; being joined by converts, refugees, and pilgrims who joined them along the way. Avoiding the treacheries of the galaxy had tightened the knit of the already tight-knit core group, and had earned them the trust of the force-sensitive among those who had joined them on their journey, many of which began to learn from and train under the vaunted Echani swordswomen. By the time they reached Ashlan space, they had picked up not only the skills but parts of the culture and combat language of the Echani.
Lead by a hobbled-together hierarchy and the will of the force, they finally arrived in the Crusade's space. Having enough people to start a small order and wishing to retain the uniqueness of their tight-knit group, they decided to found the Ashlan Military Order of the Sacred Blades or Order of Blades for short. Named after and built around the special style of combat this sect had developed both from their past and on their journey outwards, this order began to recruit and accept new postulants, swelling to become a small but respectable order of the Knightly Orders of Ashla
The Blades have since grown into a blossoming young force order, several thousand strong. Their brave actions on Ession and Korriban served to distinguish them among the Knightly Orders, and after events conspired to destabilize the planet of Nathema and threaten the corruption of the population, the order has been Entrusted with its administration.
- Intent: Create a Unique Knightly Force Order under the Ashlan Crusade
- Image Credit: N/A
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Knightly Orders of Ashla
- Organization Name: Ashlan Military Order of the Sacred Blades
- Classification: Force Order/Religious Order/Military Order
- Affiliation: Ashlan Crusade, Followers of the Ashla
- Organization Symbol: A pair of burning crossed swords superimposed over a stylized moon of Eshan
- Description: The Ashlan Military Order of the Sacred Blades, "The Order of Blades" or simply "The Blades" for short, is a small force order of the Ashlan Faith which incorporates aspects of the militant Echani Philosophy and the unique philosophies of the order's founding members into the dogmas and doctrines of the Church of Ashla.
- Headquarters: Citadel of the Sacred Blades, Nathema
- Domain: The Blades still primarily remain an order of errant knights, focused on helping the galaxy at large stave off the disease of Bogan. However, given certain events and atrocities which took place on Nathema after the Crusade's conquest of the planet, They have also taken on the administration of the planet as a dominion of the Crusade, and so it has been integrated into their domain proper.
- Notable Assets: Blade's Rest
- Hierarchy:
- Men At Arms: The Men At Arms of the Sacred Blades serve as the non-force-using auxiliary forces of the Order. While they are technically not knighted members of the Force Order itself, they serve as a crucial part of the Order's operations, serving as auxiliary infantry, intelligence operatives, naval crewmen, pilots, medics, and commanding the police forces of planets entrusted to the Order's watchful eye. They have the following ranks:
- Levy Recruit: Those who have just joined the order's auxiliary forces and are undergoing training for their chosen field
- Man at Arms: The base level of Men at Arms, generally made up of infantry forces and naval crewmen
- Corporal: Generally made up of specialist forces (medics, engineers, intelligence operatives, and pilots) and veteran Levies. they serve as the primary
- Sergeants: Form the backbone of the Auxiliary's command structure, these non-commissioned officers command Platoons (or Squadrons, if serving as pilots) and sections of Men at Arms and Corporals and serve the role of Non-Commissioned Officer - receiving special training in mission-type tactics and on-field command.
- First Sergeants: First Sergeants serve as an intermediate command structure, commanding companies of 100 men at arms.
- Sergeant Majors: Serve as the officer corps of the Men at Arms. Each Sergeant Major commands a battalion of 500 Men at Arms, and chooses 5 sergeants
- Postulant: Those who join with only a base understanding of the Force and combat, and those children raised within the order. Postulants are generally restricted to Blade's Rest and the nearby village, the only exception being supervised training courses on Bosph.
- Squire: Once proficient and old enough to serve as a combatant, members are inducted into the order as Free Squires, which they will remain until they are chosen by a Knight or above to become a Squire Apprentice. These ranks are equal in status (both called Squire in conversation) and both are allowed to take part in missions suitable to their skill level. The titles only differentiate their status. Unlike the Jedi Orders of the past, one can go indefinitely without a master, and even advance to Knight without one if their proficiency, discipline, and temperament are exemplary. When serving as combatants alongside the Men at Arms, Squires are treated as the equals of Corporals
- Knight: Once a squire-apprentice has received the endorsement of their master, or a free squire the endorsement of several knights and masters, they undergo a series of trials after which they are knighted a proper Knight, also called a Blade, after the personal force-imbued sword they're expected to forge (with help, of course). Whether or not they elect to take Squire Apprentices, Knights are expected to, except when on specific missions or recalled for training or combat duty, travel about the Galaxy, serving the people and fighting Bogan. Alongside Men at Arms, they are treated as equivalent to First Sergeants or Sergeant Majors, depending on their competence in tactics and warfare.
- Knight Commander: Knights who have proven themselves as extremely competent commanders and strong in the force. They're given command of squads of Knights and Squires to serve as commando forces in extremely dangerous or difficult missions
- Master: Knights that have proven themselves in combat, discipline, and service to Ashla may receive an endorsement from a Council Master to be tested as to their suitability to be raised into the rank of Master. Masters are encouraged to spend at least part of their time traveling the galaxy as knights are, but can choose to remain in Ashlan space to teach and train the Postulants and assist in the day-to-day of the Order. Masters are expected to train each other and those under them in their orb specialties in order to strengthen the disposition of the order. When serving alongside the Men at Arms, each Master commands a Regiment of 1,000 Men at Arms.
- Grand Cross: Similar to Knight Commander, Grand Crosses are masters who have proven themselves greatly competent at leading others and extremely strong in the Force. They serve the Military Council as advisors and command teams of knights and masters (or just masters) in the most dangerous of Missions. Subsets within the order (Shadows, Sages, Seers, Healers, etc. etc.) generall are overseen by a Grand Cross. Most Council Masters can also be considered Grand Crosses.
- Council Master: Elected every 10 years from and by the Masters of the order, the Council Masters make up the members of each of the Order's 4 Councils (listed below by order of precedence, from lowest to highest).
- The Military Council: tasked with developing deployment lists and recalling and commanding Knights, Squires, and Masters when the Crusade requires the order serve within its military ranks
- The Council of First Knowledge: Like the name would suggest in other Orders, tasked with maintaining archives of ancient Jedi wisdom, overseeing and directing the formation of Postulants, it also advises the other councils, especially on matters requiring forbidden knowledge.
- The Council of Shadows: The most mysterious and secretive of the councils, the Council of Shadows manages not only the order's intelligence network and network of contacts, but also directs Knights and Masters on specific missions, especially in regards to specific individuals who prove a threat to the galaxy or to Ashlan Space
- High Council: The High Council, as its name would suggest, oversees the entirety of the order, including the other councils. By convention, only Masters both extremely wise and extremely strong in both bladesmanship and the force are chosen to sit on this council. This council also chooses a Grandmaster to serve as the executive of the order, as well as to represent it in the general society and hierarchy of the Ashlan Crusade and Church of Ashla.
- Men At Arms: The Men At Arms of the Sacred Blades serve as the non-force-using auxiliary forces of the Order. While they are technically not knighted members of the Force Order itself, they serve as a crucial part of the Order's operations, serving as auxiliary infantry, intelligence operatives, naval crewmen, pilots, medics, and commanding the police forces of planets entrusted to the Order's watchful eye. They have the following ranks:
- Membership: Since its founding, the Order of Blades has grown to several thousand Squires, Knights, and Masters, with around half a dozen times as many Men at Arms. Most of the members are volunteers who chose to join as Postulants or recruits who were given the opportunity to join as Squires or Knights; however, any force-sensitive children which are born to members of the order, as well as force-sensitive foundlings or those whose parents request the order to raise them (usually when the child is dangerously powerful in the force and/or has earned the attention of the forces of Bogan). The Order does not, like many Jedi orders of the past, seek out force-sensitive children to be coerced from their parents and raised. (OOC: Be an Ashlan. If you're a force user that's squire or above, have a force-imbued weapon.)
- Climate: Comradery, Companionship, and Compassion are at the center of the Blades' ethos, and shape the climate and atmosphere which the organization holds. Knights see each other as Brothers and Sisters and see themselves as the elder siblings of Squires, Postulants, and the galaxy at large, tasked with helping them to see right from wrong, and protect them from threats, both physical and spiritual that Bogan and its allies provide.
- Reputation: The Order of Blades is known among some outside of Ashlan Space, but the vast majority of average citizens know little about them, mostly as rumors or legends of brave warriors. While they can be found journeying across the Galaxy, they try to maintain a level of anonymity and humility when not fighting on the battlefield. Within Ashlan Space, their reputation tends to be that of a respectable, if somewhat weird, force order that has proven themselves as loyal followers of Ashla and Police
- Curios: Every Squire and above has their own, personally forged, force-imbued weapon (of varying qualities and strengths and weaknesses), and each of these weapons is discretely marked with the crossed burning swords of the order, faintly visible except when the wielder consciously makes it visibly glow. These weapons, imbued with the light side of the force, are treated as holy objects by the order, and a Blade discarding their weapon, losing it, or allowing it to fall into disrepair is considered to be a dishonor upon them, and damaged or broken swords are expected either to be repaired, or their remains melted down in a religious ceremony (almost funeral-like in its solemnity) to be reused in a new one
- Rules: The Order follows the same variant of Jedi Teachings that rule over all followers of the Ashla, in that those positive emotions such as joy and love are encouraged, while destructive emotions like jealousy, pride, and rage are scrutinized, as well as in the fact that Dark-Siders are to be pitied rather than hated, and brought back if possible. On top of this, however, and perhaps paradoxically for a Military Order founded on a warrior's philosophy, the Blades see that every sentient life is sacred from its very beginning and that taking of life is to happen only in the most extreme of circumstances - a Blade is expected to avoid violence and killing wherever possible, and make any killings be quick merciful.
- Goals: Protect the Defenseless, Aid those in need, and cure the galaxy of the disease of Bogan. Stabilize their dominion and create shining examples for the rehabilitation of dark-sided worlds
Here
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A group of warriors and retainers from Echani space, part of a sect of the Ashlan Faith, had left on pilgrimage; being joined by converts, refugees, and pilgrims who joined them along the way. Avoiding the treacheries of the galaxy had tightened the knit of the already tight-knit core group, and had earned them the trust of the force-sensitive among those who had joined them on their journey, many of which began to learn from and train under the vaunted Echani swordswomen. By the time they reached Ashlan space, they had picked up not only the skills but parts of the culture and combat language of the Echani.
Lead by a hobbled-together hierarchy and the will of the force, they finally arrived in the Crusade's space. Having enough people to start a small order and wishing to retain the uniqueness of their tight-knit group, they decided to found the Ashlan Military Order of the Sacred Blades or Order of Blades for short. Named after and built around the special style of combat this sect had developed both from their past and on their journey outwards, this order began to recruit and accept new postulants, swelling to become a small but respectable order of the Knightly Orders of Ashla
The Blades have since grown into a blossoming young force order, several thousand strong. Their brave actions on Ession and Korriban served to distinguish them among the Knightly Orders, and after events conspired to destabilize the planet of Nathema and threaten the corruption of the population, the order has been Entrusted with its administration.
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