Black Order of Arrakesh is a part of The Asrian Principality of Arrakon.
Realms that are a part of Black Order of Arrakesh:Legally-bound to its host-realm, the title of Duke / Duchess is the governing rank of the Black Order of Arrakesh. The governor of a Black Order Chapter is typically a member of the Order by-proxy, though there may be times when it is temporarily held in-trust for the Order.
The Ordos Maleficus (Order of Magi) is the arcane branch of the Black Order: led by the Aruspex-Imperatori. (Prophet-Commander) The Ordos Maleficus is charged with overseeing the rituals, wards, and enchantments required by the Order's campaign against evil. Among its ranks are the alchemists, enchanters, sorcerers, healers, and seers of the Black Order. ((Placeholder position: must make specific titles for each sub-type later, just putting this here so I don't forget the name I gave the magical order and its leader.))
The Quiescent Souls are those who have fallen to Slumberblight, yet remain as honored members of the Black Order. The Order does not forsake its own, protecting them throughout their slumber. When the time comes for mind to reawaken, they shall be welcomed back into the fold.
The Aruspex Imperatori is the Prophet and Speaker of the Black Order. They are charged with holy communion with the many Gods of Man, and oversee the activities of the arcane and spiritual branches of the Order, such as the Ordos Maleficus. The Aruspex holds incredible power and is a man that must be rightfully feared and respected.
The Matriarch is the female ruler of the Black Order - charged with overseeing Order activities on a global scale. Through holy communion with the Gods of Man - overseen by the Aruspex Imperatori - the Matriarch enacts divine will and adheres to the Black Code of the Divine Dictum entrusted unto the First Martyrs of Vanguard who founded the Order of the Black Star prior to the God Wars.
The Vanguard - clad in midnight 'mail adorned with the angular runic enchantments and Spiraling Wyvern amulet of the ancient Auru'in Aarkhonians - are the Black Order's elite fighting force: drawn from the mightiest warriors the world has ever known. Forged in the amalgam of inert Voidblight essence and ancient magicks - from a time when Gods yet walked the earth - the demi-godlike Vanguard have honed skills and senses long thought lost to the archaic ancients and their pagan rituals. Mystery shrouds their creation and purpose, such closely-guarded secrets known only to the highest ranks of the Black Order.
Mortals bow, avert their eyes, and cower in their presence: overcome by fear, admiration, curiosity, and the knowledge that a single gauntleted fist can shatter a grown man's skull. Loathing haunts their every step as death reigns in the wake of the Vanguard Martyrs - their lives forfeit from the very start.
Occasionally, relics of ancient Vanguard are discovered in dungeons, wilderness, caverns, and ruins. A single Vanguard gauntlet is a rumored sign that a Black Order outpost or secret cache lies somewhere nearby. Incredible wealth and power stands to be gained by those who assist the Order in their discovery! Wielding a Vanguard relic imbues its host with the very same magicks that spawned its creator - gradually and irrevocably transforming the wielder into a Vanguard of the Black Order. If they do not hurry to a Black Order Chapterhouse, unchecked evolution shall quickly grow unbearable - as mortal shell and fragile minds collapse beneath the weight of power meant for a God. Only the blessing and orientation of the Black Order ensures newborn Vanguard learn to control the incredible abilities granted by the alien hybridization of Man and Void.
((OOC: Like the Void, the Vanguard are another way to introduce yourself to the Black Order RP. For those who've played Dragon Age, the Vanguard are effectively Wardens. There is a metric ton of lore surrounding the Vanguard, so join us and find out what you're missing!))
The Ebonguard is comprised of loyal souls who have sworn fealty unto the Black Order, yet have elected nor to - or been denied - entry into the Martyrs of Vanguard. They are the Order's warrior caste, charged with ensuring the safety of Chapterhouses, Contributor / Partner nations, and provide the majority of the Order's military might.
| Eldamar | Friend | - | |
| Ascalon | Friend | - |
Established in the Year 7, Week 33, Day 5 of the Common Age, the First Chapter of the Black Order of Arrakesh was founded by Matriach-Vanguard Lysandra Gault-Moore in the heart of Black Rose Manor, formerly of the Air Enclave in the Hall of Wyverns of Arrakesh.
~*~
"The wards and enchantments placed around Black Rose Manor are far older than even you - born of the sacred wisdom handed down to the very first Martyrs of Vanguard - by the very Gods who sought to oppose the Void in all its terrifying glory. A group of Sentinels - loyal mortal souls conscripted in service to the Black Order - will escort you through the depths of the Manor's subterranean stronghold.
Black Rose Manor is quaint, true, but it is simply a front for the far greater complex hidden beneath its soil - carved from a natural cavern that once served as this region's source of vital water. Its unique mosses and fungi are useful in concocting all manner of salve and potion, its water could quench the thirst of every mortal in Arrakesh, and perhaps greatest of all - its thick stone walls provide natural shielding from the Void's damning influence and shelters its inhabitants from the outside world. There, in the darkest depths of Arrakesh's rich subterranean world, is where your new home shall be.
It is not without a certain charm, I must say. Bio-engineered luminescent fungi and lichen provide the light necessary for day-to-day operation, as well as a plentiful source of renewable sustenance.
In the passage of countless ages, certain creatures have adapted to a harsh life in the cavern's relative darkness - creatures we have since domesticated. Though many such beasts have been rendered blind by a life in eternal darkness, their sense of hearing and smell is incomparable. They shall provide the meat, yarn, horn, and bone necessary for construction. Without the need for external walls to shield us from the elements, we may live plentifully with the barest of vital supplies. Weapons, tools, and armor may be forged from these naturally-occurring renewable elements as we see fit. Thus we have food, water, and raw materials all contained within a single subterranean superstructure - a perfect environment in which to house the Black Order's primary Stronghold. I am strangely thankful to the foolish adventurer who fell to his death through a previously undiscovered magma tube - one of countless tendrils snaking forth from the heart of a dormant volcano hidden beneath the vibrant forests of Arrakesh. The cavern serves yet another vital purpose - one which we shall discuss when the time is upon us.
Before you descend into your new home, I ask that you voice any concerns you may have. The cavern's solid structure tends to interfere with our wondrous Stones, lending to some relative difficulty in communicating with the outside world. That is also to our benefit, of course. Unbeknownst to many, certain magicks allow a First One to be traced via the Stone Network, pinpointing their precise location so long as they are in contact with their ilk. Thus, even the Void is incapable of detecting our presence so deep beneath the surface of our world.
Watch your head, now. Descent is quite the adventure. My servants have carved a rudimentary stone staircase from the initially-slight decline - though it both steepens and narrows the further you descend. Eventually, you will climb your way down a seemingly-endless ladder, until the magma tube levels and its angle becomes gentle once more. At that point you could quite literally slide down the remaining length before landing softly in what we call the Womb - a smooth, pocketed sphere of relatively-soft volcanic ejecta called Tuff - comprised primarily of compacted ash. The Womb serves as the true gateway to the Black Order's subterran stronghold.
Admire it while you can, for it may be the first and last time you look upon its sleek circumference. Welcome to your new home."