Bloodcast Order

Bloodcast Order
Order
Pronunciation	Blood-cast
Origins	City of Regalia
Grandmaster	Council of Elders
Symbols	Colors Black and Crimson Red, Five Golden Swords, Black Owl
Colors	Black and Crimson Red

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The Bloodcast Order is the youngest Knight Order within the Regalian Empire. It is a direct successor of the Viridian Order (that nonetheless still exists) as a protest and counter movement to everything the Viridian Order stood for. The Bloodcast Order is often described as an order of hedge Knights by outsiders, and taken less seriously than the other Orders due to its very distinct lack of societal obligations. While the Reliquary protect the clergy and holy sites, the Viridians protect the government and the nobility, and the Aelrrigans protect Mages and Artifacts, Bloodcasts don’t really protect anything but their own reputation and ego. While this invariably gives them more flexibility than all the other Knight Orders, it also means that their Knighthood is taken less seriously across the Empire, or indeed at the Palace. Still, the Bloodcast Order is the largest of the Knightly Orders, and they have faithfully supported the Empire’s growth since their inception in 122 AC, and continue to do so up to this day, when the other Knight Orders receive increased public scrutiny for their above-the-law attitudes, while the Bloodcast are endeared more for being closer to the people.

Design

The Bloodcast Order is a Knightly Order that stands for the platonic ideal of Knights, strong warriors who defend the weak and the poor from unlawful abuse and mistreatment, no matter where it comes from. They exercise this more strictly than the other Knight Orders, which sometimes puts them at odds with the Viridians, as they are more likely to side with the poor and huddled masses than the State. The Bloodcasts are a counter-movement to the rigidity of other Knight Orders, considering them mostly just extensions of the reinforcement of the status quo and structures that permit abuse without recourse such as the power of the clergy and the nobility. They are still part of the Imperial system, but desire a world in which these elements can be confronted and called out. With regards to Occult Status, the Bloodcast Order is primarily Mundane, but does allow Non-Occult and Occult of all (legal) sorts.

Why Play a Knight

Knighthood is a good way to get involved in pre-existing groups and activities. Since it guarantees roleplay, a group, and a reason to log on, it is appealing for everyone from new players to veterans. Knight groups organize their own internal social roleplay and are usually well-received by the player base as pleasant spaces. Knighthood also grants a unique ranking system for Characters to progress up the ladder of their Order and gain privileges for honesty and effectiveness in their Code. Knight roleplay requires reading, however, as Knight characters must follow their Codes or risk expulsion. Bloodcast Knighthood is recommended for players who are invested in the dynamic of the vagabond warrior who only answers to themselves and fights for what they believe is true justice. Their aesthetics pair well with the hedge-knight aesthetic of the half-brigand Knight who goes where they please.

Knights Code

Common Knights Code

The Common Knights Code applies to all Regalian Knight Organizations, but is also mentioned specifically on each Order page for reference. This Common Code is additional to the Bloodcast Knight Functions. It is however important to note that the Bloodcast Order applies extreme nuance to these Common Knights Codes, and has internal logic for when they no longer apply, unlike the other Orders. For each rule and how far its application stretches, there is a second line underneath explaining.

Knights are expected to be loyal to the Emperor and the Empire without complaint. Unionism is not required, but obedience to the Crown is.
For the above rule, it is important to note that the Nobles and Clergy are not the Empire. They are just a subservient part of it, and don’t need to be obeyed.
Knights are expected never to attack the unarmed and defenseless, and to not resort to dirty fighting tricks or attack others from behind.
For the above rule, it is important to note that winning an Oath-duel is paramount to even fighting dirty, these rules go out the window during an Oath-duel.
Knights are expected not to complain, moan, or self-deprecate, Knights should never degrade themselves or be an annoying bore.
For the above rule, this rule is more strict. It does not only extend to themselves, but also to others around them, who they should punish for self deprecation.
Knights are expected to follow the laws of the land and not become a Criminal. They should assist Guards in apprehending criminals.
For the above rule, Bloodcast Knights should actually determine if a criminal is hunted for tyrannical reasons, and provide assistance to the criminal if they are.
Knights are expected to enforce the Law, but must hand Prisoners over to Constables immediately, and cannot be involved in Prison processes.
For the above rule, Bloodcast Knights are expected to try and encourage would-be Criminals to repent first before considering arresting them as a last-resort.
Knights are expected not to lie, but never express every truth that needn’t be known. Knights should not deceive unless for the greater good.
For the above rule, Bloodcast Knights can even lie for the smaller good, but only to assist someone who is being oppressed, never for themselves.
Knights are expected to give alms to the poor and care for the needy, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and punish dishonor.
For the above rule, Bloodcast Knights are expected to even protect those who can protect themselves, but are fighting impossible odds against a cruel foe.

Specific Order Code

The following Knights Code applies only to the Bloodcast Order.

Bloodcast Knights, when defeated either in single or multigroup combat by any one person other than their own, are expected to publicly declare a Vengeance Writ against such a person to signal all other Bloodcast Knights that they should seek out this person and Oath Duel them to wash away the dishonor of defeat of another sibling in arms.
Bloodcast Knights are expected to keep a watchful eye over the corruption of the Nobility, and make public their misdeeds and foul intentions when some are found. This often puts them in direct conflict with Viridians who defend the nobility. Public accusations should be filled with fact, and to the point of seeking redress not shame.
Bloodcast Knights are expected to try and seek ways to out-do or upstage other Knight activities to show that Bloodcast Knights are always better. Whether this involves capturing a Demon that Viridians cannot, or showing their superior combat skills over an Aelrrigan so that the Bloodcast Order may always be seen as the most skilled.
Bloodcast Knights are expected to make the people understand the practical benefits to being loyal to the Emperor, but also teach them a cynical and critical view of the Emperor’s administration, believing that the Emperor is always surrounded by selfish and greedy politicians who abuse the Emperor’s good nature for personal gain.
Bloodcast Knights are expected to hold Oath Trials in which they perform a mock trial against an absent (or present?) politician to discuss their failures in office and judge them worthy or unworthy of their station. These should always be public to the people, full of fact, and more about giving second chances with advice than just ridicule.
Bloodcast Knights are expected to generally not be exceedingly wealthy, show opulence, or be part of the same ruling classes that the Order routinely criticizes. This doesn't mean they aren't allowed to be aristocrats, but rather that they should decline higher titles and behave inscrutably as members of the peerage held to a higher standard.
Where possible or necessary, State Law trumps Knightly Codes, Functions. If a Knight would be committing a State Crime by following their Code or their Functions, they should refrain and follow State Law instead. There are some exceptions to this expectation, as Lothar Knights play fast and loose with the Law, and Viridians are sometimes compelled to commit Low Law Crimes to protect higher interests like the Princeroyals or the Crown. Where possible, Knights should follow the Law, unless their moral compass dictates that in good faith and good conscience, the Crown will clear them of any blame after the fact. If they cannot be certain the Crown will forgive them, caution is recommended.

Vengeance Writ

To the Bloodcast Order it is important that Bloodcast Knights do not become seen as average joes and janes, or people who can just get stepped on without any sort of consequences. If a Bloodcast Knight is defeated in any type of combat, the victor (the person landing the last blow) is declared a Vengeance Writ against. While a person is under Vengeance Writ, any and all Bloodcast Knights must track down this person, and challenge them to an Oath Duel, and if they systematically refuse, attack them on sight, until they are defeated. If someone already has a Vengeance Writ to their name, they cannot be extra written for defeating any Knights sent after them. If they are defeated by a Knight one way or another, the Vengeance Writ is nullified. Oath Duels are always one on one and the Bloodcast Knight should respect this, but if the Oath Duel is denied, Bloodcast Knights are permitted to goon-squad the Vengeance Writ person, even with outsiders who are not Bloodcast Knights.

Oath Trial

Oath Trials are unofficial acts of public discourse on the performance of a state Minister or politician (it can never target a royal family member). During an Oath Trial, the Bloodcast Knights organize a public gathering somewhere unofficial, like the festival grounds or a patch of grass in the park, or the All-Faith Arena and sit among the audience in a circle to debate the skill and efficacy of the politician in question. The politician is always given an invitation to show up, but doesn’t have to, because Oath Trials have no legal bearing, and are usually just kangaroo courts of people who don’t like said politician. During an Oath Trial, the Bloodcast Knights hear the complaints of the common people, and reinforce them with supplemental information of their own. At the end of the trial, they declare a political person unfit for office, or fit for office. The whole trial is still meant to be fair and not just a public complaining session, unproven facts or information should be rejected, and the goal should always be restitution and challenging the politician to do better, not to have them killed or removed. One of the Knights should record the Oath Trial and publish the information in an open letter to the people of the Empire on notice boards.

Structure

The Bloodcast Order has a hierarchical structure that defines ranks within the Order:

The Undefeated (NPC) is the highest leader of the Bloodcast Order.
The Red Council (NPC) are the elders and mentors and teachers of the Order.
The Ever-Victorious (Player) are the highest attainable rank of Knight of high prestige and esteem.
The Conquestsworn (Player) are well respected Knights with great sway in the Order.
The Victorysworn (Player) are the esteemed warriors sent on difficult tasks for the Order.
The Glorysworn (Player) are the formal rank of Knights who get sent on missions.
The Swordsworn (Player) are the lowest rank of just-graduated Knight in the Order.
The Squires (Player) are pre-graduation. Recommended for trying out, with less obligations.

Privileges

Privileges are a set of unlockable rewards that can be attained each time a Knight ranks up. The rank up process is evaluated by Lore Staff based on a combination of: adherence to the lore, adherence to the knight's code, activity, consistent character portrayal, good engagement and in some of the higher ranks, leadership. When a rank up is granted, players may choose one of these privileges (each only once) to apply to that rank up, ensuring that the appropriate reward is granted for each milestone. Being expelled from the Order causes the loss of all Privileges, and in some cases, Privileges may also be revoked if a Character is punished by the order for misdeeds, or disciplined by staff for Server Rule breaking.

Privilege 1 The Knight in question gains Persuasion Dice Rolls at /dice Constitution+Wisdom (see Abilities Page for more information).
Privilege 2 The Knight in question is granted a rent-free Knight's Estate in the Knight Quarter with Staff decoration.
Privilege 3 The Knight in question may multi-class as Tyrian Knight, donning Imperial colors and becoming a Pseudo-Imperial Guard.
Privilege 4 The Knight in question may consult the Tyrian Archive and Imperial Family archive of Noble/State Knowledge.
Privilege 5 The Knight in question receives an Artifact designed for their Character that cannot be taken from them.

Note: Due to the sensitivity of playing a Tyrian Knight, this option is only recommended for players who feel comfortable in deeply understanding both the lore of the Imperial House, and have impeccable obedience to the lore, as well as good rapport with the person(s) playing Imperial Family Characters, since a lot of it will involve guarding for their characters or being assigned to duties by these characters. Please consult in a ticket where you request this Privilege for viability.

Order Chapterhouses

Bloodcast Chapterhouses are specific castles where the Order is permitted to take in and train new recruits. Bloodcast recruits, unlike other Knight Orders, can be taken in at any age and trained, though they consider 50 too old, and anything younger than 13 too young. The most common age to be taken in and trained is 13, and training takes 8 years. The Bloodcast Order very commonly takes in orphans or young pages who were recruited by Bloodcast Knights in the field because they saw something in their fighting spirit, or their talent for becoming a warrior.

Name	Description
Great Oak Chapterhouse	The Greak Oak Chapterhouse is in Drixagh, of all places, in a small town called Voldaberg nestled between two mountains that are nearly permanently cast in snow. The Great Oak Chapterhouse is dominated by Old Gods Bloodcast Knights, but curiously enough, also Velheim recruits who have opted for a more regalian centralized Knighthood lifestyle, over the more traditional Skagger learning. The Greak Oak Chapterhouse is not very popular among the locals, but it trains some of the most skilled Great Oak Bloodcast who use axes, maxes, and occasionally sword and shield (though really, they can train with any weapon). The notable thing about this castle, is that it is built on top of a massive cow-barn made of stone, where they house the huge herd of cattle that they use to feed the locals, and the fact that the castle itself is built around a Great Oak, a venerable tree that stands towers above all other trees in the area and holds a spiritual meaning to the Old Gods faithful. Great Oak Bloodcast Knights are known as more glory-seeking than the other Knights, who frequently go on hunts with their fellow Knights to slay great beasts or monsters in the provinces.
Oxfurd Chapterhouse	The Oxfurd Chapterhouse in Rosendale was the first and foremost important of the Bloodcast chapterhouses near the city of Oxfurd. The castle itself is sometimes also called the red citadel, notably because it was the site of one of the bloodiest battles during the Baron's rebellions in then Dragenthal. The Barons which revolted against the noble rulers of the land laid siege to the castle, where the Knights sallied forth and defeated the Baron's Army which was five times larger in a desperate battle. This time in history is still complicated, because the Barons had a just reason for their revolt in the eyes of the Bloodcast, but they also couldn't accept the slight of the Baron's Army's intention to loot the Oxfurd chapterhouse and demolish it as they demanded there be no castles in Rosendale with which to oppress the freedoms and rights of the Barons. The Oxfurd Chapter Bloodcast Knights are known to be the more experimental of the Order, as this castle in particular has started flirting with the idea of giving training lessons in firearms, breaking the mold of the traditional knight with sword and shield, though that is also still plentifully trained here.
Wit Uilenburg Chapterhouse	Wit Uilenburg (translated to White Owlcastle in Common) is the chapterhouse of the White Owl Bloodcast Knights situated on the coastline near Uilenburg in the south of Anglia, in a region called Lokinge. Wit Uilenburg is known far and white for the porcelain white cliffs in the area, and the mountain which it is built on, contrasting with the golden wheat fields nearby and the sandstone exterior of the castle. Wit Uilenburg's Knights are known to be the most gregarious and sociable of all the Bloodcasts, this castle being a feasting hall for the locals where constant social exposure and extrovert behavior are encouraged. There is a saying in Anglian that "Never did Uilenburg create one with deed or mouth so foul it feeds the virtue of crop and lamb", in reference to the warm generosity between the people and the Knights of the Castle. Uilenburg is also an oddity in that it is placed in very xenophobic Anglia, but accepts students and trainees more widely than the local population normally would, thus being a small beacon of multicultural acceptance in an otherwise Anglian dominated area. Uilenburg Bloodcast Knights are frequently trained in the use of bows and crossbows, in particular the Anglian Longbow, though regular melee weapons are also still common.
Fenn Mohér Chapterhouse	The Fenn Mohér Chapterhouse is situated on top of a lost Aelrrigan Magivault near the town of Fenn Cannys on the southern coast of Anglia. This castle has quite a complicated history, because one would not expect the Bloodcast to exist in an Aelrrigan dominated province, let alone on top of one of their Magivaults. The story goes that Fenn Mohér was once an Aelrrigan Castle, but the Lord of the castle offended the Bloodcast Knights so that they laid siege to it, defeated the Knights and laid claim to it, all the while not killing a single Aelrrigan, instead using restraining weapons, and letting them go after the fight was over. The Magivault was claimed by the Bloodcast Order and has been under their protection ever since, an open taunt to the Aelrrigans who still claim the castle as theirs. Fenn Mohér Bloodcast Knights are known as more soft on the Occult, and it is also the only Bloodcast castle that has a few Magic instructors, even though the Order still strongly discourages the use of Magic as an inherent weakness in reliance on one's own skills and body. An acceptable form of Magic that is taught here is Magic that purely affects the weapons wielded by the Knights or fortifies their armor, for example lighting their weapon on fire, or causing their armor to have a chilling effect. It's Knights never use ranged Magic or curses on people.

History

Bloodcast Order history is surprisingly simple, and concise. The order officially started in 122 AC, during the Viridian Coup attempt. Five Viridian Knights defied the other Viridian Knights who intended to imprison Emperor Henri III and usurp the throne, by riding to the Emperor and warning him. On their way to the castle, the five Knights were attacked by their fellow brothers in arms, but were victorious and rode on to the Palace to warn the Emperor, which would eventually lead to the rounding up and execution of the Viridian Knights who plotted treason. The five Knights, after having been attacked and riding to the Emperor, rode with their usual green capes covered in blood, hence becoming red. They then swore an oath to do better than what the Viridians had, and Emperor Henri III gave them the rights to found a new Knighthood Chapter, ostensibly to compete with the Viridians who were already severely reduced in power, but also to cover the blind spots the Viridians could not in society. Those five ex-Viridians thus founded the Bloodcast Order, became its first teachers and Elder Council, and lead the order until the last of them Councilmaster Henry of Benteford died in 167 AC. The Order's history has otherwise been somewhat unremarkable. They have been present in every single war and conflict Regalia has been in, though always less visible than the Viridians who seize the moment and the limelight. They have been involved in many of the greatest arrests in Regalian law enforcement, but always bow out at the end so as to avoid being involved in the regime's repression efforts on those who were guilty by association. Many Bloodcast Knights go about their lives remaining largely unknown to the people, wandering the roads in the countryside to offer help and support to areas and peoples that the Viridians are too good for, the Reliquary are too godly for, and the Aelrrigans too busy for. Bloodcast Knights remain easily recognized in the street due to the fact that they all wear either a crimson red cape or shoulder capelet, identifying them as a member of the order, even without armor or weapons on them.

Trivia

It is not formally possible to be expelled from the Bloodcast Order, though it is possible to lose public privilege in Regalia. That is to say, one always remains a member of the Bloodcast Order, but the right to bear arms and armor or fight alongside the law in Regalia can be revoked, thus losing Knighthood status in all but name.
It is actually possible for Reliquaries, Aelrrigans or Viridians who were specifically disgraced from their respective orders to become Bloodcast, though such a request should always be approved by the Council after a fair trial to judge their crimes to their respective Orders, and see if they would fit in with the Bloodcast.
It is seen as disgraceful among the nobility to send their children to the Bloodcast Order, as the Order is not considered in Imperial respects. However, some poor Noble families or less well-off have no other options, as Viridian training is prohibitively expensive and usually comes with the expectation of life-long donations to the Order.

Accreditation

Writers	MonMarty
Artists	MonMarty

Last Editor	OkaDoka on 08/29/2023.

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