Militant Order: The Draconic Orders

(~25,000 members, all classes)

The Draconic Orders were formed ages ago as a quasi-religious, -arcane, and -militant organization seeking to wrest order from the chaos and evil they saw in the world. Each Order is built around a different metallic dragon and their characteristics, and the members of each Order seek to make the world a safer, more civilized place, each in their own way.

It is important to note that many, if not most, members of the Orders have never seen a dragon (and certainly would not deem themselves worthy to ride one!), and a high percentage of the general population consider dragons to be a myth or legend or exaggeration of a more mundane creature. Despite (most) never having laid eyes on one, however, most members of the Draconic Orders are dedicated to the cause, and champion their namesakes in the knowledge that it serves to make Azgaarnoth a better world overall.

The Draconic Orders are particularly always on the lookout for activities of the Wyrmcults, and will prioritize the elimination of a Cult group at every opportunity.

History

The Orders

The orders are broken down by each metallic dragon type:

It is rumored that the Draconic Orders include other, non-publicized orders, such as the supposed "Order of the Mercury Dragon," after the dragons supposedly made from quicksilver (mercury). It is never clear whether these dragons ever existed, or were part of the Draconic Orders, but the rumors persist nevertheless.

Periodically, a particularly creative robber band or group of bandits will attempt to masquerade as a new Draconic Order, usually named after another metal, such as the "Order of the Electrum Dragon" several hundred years ago that essentially took over Doglen for a few decades until the Draconic Orders heard of the deceit and faced them down. It was rumored that an actual dragon participated in the combat--to demonstrate the authenticity of the Draconic Orders that the pretenders lacked--but no one believes the rumors, particularly since the observers could never agree on which species of dragon appeared. It has become common, however, for Draconic Order initiates to be hazed by their veteran peers by teaching them a completely fictitious history of this seventh Order, quite often leading to bogus quests in search of nonexistent "Electrum Dragons' Eggs" or "Topaz Dragon Scales".

Organization

The organization of each of the Orders is derived ultimately from a military structure, though some of that structure today supports decidedly non-militant activities, depending on the Order. Starting from the base-level units, each Order is roughly made up along the following lines:

  • "Claw": This usually refers to an individual Knight of the Order; it is the lowest rank within the Order, and corresponds roughly to the concept of a knight. Claws may or may not be mounted, depending on their need or role, and receive a monthly stipend in addition to their room and board within a chapterhouse. Claws are typically not dispatched in individual missions, and are usually of 1st or 2nd level. They usually bear no honorific other than "Knight".

  • "Talon": This usually refers to a unit of anywhere from six to twelve Claws, and represent the smallest organized unit of military might within the Orders. Within the more militant Orders, a Talon will usually be made up of martial classes (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, sometimes Barbarians or Monks) with one or two other classes (arcane or divine casters) as support. Talons are led by a "Talon Leader", who is usually around 5th level, and bears the moniker "Talon" before their full name. It is not uncommon, particularly in Liria, for a Talon to be assigned and quartered in cities as a supplemental force to aid the City Guard and/or leadership. Some cities will merit two or even three Talons, depending on the size. Talons are often "mixed arms", meaning they can be made up of memmbers from multiple Orders, with the most common "mixed arms" Talon being a few Copper, Brass, or Steel Knights, a Silver Knight, a Gold Knight, and possibly a Bronze Knight to lead them.

  • "Fist": A Fist of the Dragon is a unit of around a half-dozen Talons (around 50 Knights), and commanded by a Commander (almost always a Platinum), who will usually be around 10th level. Frequently additional supporting roles (Knights or otherwise) will be attached to a Fist, depending on the mission. A Fist is usually raised in response to local "large band" activities, such as larger-sized bandit groups or skirmishing activity from a hostile power.

  • "Drake": A Drake is made up of three or four Fists (~150 to 200 Knights), commanded by a Captain (again, almost always a Platinum), and often a sufficient enough show of force to make most cities concerned.

  • "Wing": A Wing is made up of three to five Drakes (~500 to 1000 Knights), and usually the largest unit fielded. Wings are typically commanded by the leaders of the various Orders.

It is very common for mercenary units, national military units, or even bands of militia to be folded into the ranks of a Draconic Order force, so that the actual numbers of fighting troops fielded are much larger, and the Draconic Knights will often be "stationed" alongside non-Draconic units to stiffen the ranks and provide morale and other support.