Bloodcast Order

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Bloodcast Order
Order
Pronunciation	Blood-cast
Origins	City of Regalia
Grandmaster	None
Symbols	Colors Black and Crimson Red, Five Golden Swords, Black Owl
Colors	Black and Crimson Red

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 hierarchical obligations. While the Reliquary protects 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, ego, and sense of justice. While this invariably gives them more flexibility than all the other Knight Orders, it also means that their Knighthood is less favored by the powers that be. 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, nor does it have Racial limitations.

Order Chapters

The Bloodcast Order is not one unified group but consists of Chapters. Each Chapter has its own thematic flair, but they are all equal. Choosing one is mandatory, as it may affect how people respond in Roleplay.

• Great Oak Chapter: The Great Oak Chapter is based in Drixagh among the Velheim, where it favors maces, axes, swords, shields, and prioritizes glorious big-game hunting and beast slaying.
• Oxfurd Chapter: The Oxfurd Chapter based in Rosendale is the oldest of the Bloodcast Chapters, and the default theme for them as hedge Knights, fighting with sword and shield and sometimes on horseback.
• White Owl Chapter: The White Owl Chapter based in Uitlenburg in Anglia, is a chapter mostly known for its drunkards and party-Knights who spend more time wooing and socializing than fighting.
• Penn Craig Chapter: The Penn Craig Chapter based in Penn Cannys in Kintyr was once an Aelrrigan Vault, which the Bloodcast sieged and captured after a dispute. Penn Craig permits Mages to join their Chapter.
• Steelcast Chapter: The Steelcast Chapter based in Montania is a split-off group of disgruntled Blackmarks who refused to join the Reliquary Order, taking their heavy armor and tower shields to the Bloodcast.
• Triaina Chapter: The Triaina Chapter based in Etosil is a Chapter that hungers for arena-glory, appealing to the traditional bare-chested Roman Gladiator aesthetic with sword, spears, tridents and nets.

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

All Knights of all Orders are beholden to this Knights Code. However, because Bloodcast lack a Hierarchy, their code is simplified.

1. Loyalty to the Emperor of Regalia, but the Emperor's men are corruptible.
2. Knights are disallowed from attacking the unarmed, but dirty fighting is permitted.
3. Knights are disallowed from degrading themselves, but self-deprecative humor is welcomed.
4. Knights are allowed to enforce Regalian Law, but laws don't always define moral justice.
5. Knights may not lie, or deceive unless it is done to protect the little people.
6. Knights are expected to give alms to the poor and protect the weak, even the unwanted.

Specific Order Code

The Bloodcast Order has no formal Knight's Code specific to them, as their Order lacks an actual hierarchy with ranks and leadership. There is still however the sense of camaraderie, brotherhood, and sisterhood with the fellow Knights that binds them together into a community. As such, an Order Specific Code is more subject to the opinions of the Bloodcast themselves, they are allowed to set their own additive Code restrictions and functions, and are allowed to try and get others to also comply to their view, or create a consensus among the Knights through a democratic process. In order to avoid Bloodcast Knighthood becoming too open-ended, here are some suggestions that are not necessary to follow, but are recommendations to give Bloodcast Knights something to do.

1. Bloodcast Knights are often bound by each other's reputation, meaning if one of them is defeated, the others could Honor-Duel the person who defeated them to restore honor to the Order.
2. Bloodcast Knights are populist hedge Knights who favor the common people, meaning they have little connections with the Nobility and are perfect to keep an eye out for Noble abuse of power.
3. Bloodcast Knights are not bound by restrictive regulations, meaning they could easily be contacted by other Knight Orders to do the dirty work that their restrictive Codes do not allow.
4. Bloodcast Knights are expected to reject Noble Titles, large wealth, and opulent houses, and live more by the aid provided to others than the content of their own self-satisfaction.
5. Bloodcast Knights can try to convince Knights of other Orders to abandon the rigidity and hypocrisy of these Orders and become Bloodcast instead. Any Knight can become a Bloodcast.

Vengeance Writ

To the Bloodcast Order it is important that Bloodcast Knights do not become seen as average Joe's 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 are condoned to track down 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 in 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. Vengeance Writs are not mandatory, just recommended for Roleplay value.

Structure

The Bloodcast Order does not have a formal structure, it does not have ranks, and no Bloodcast is of a higher rank than another. Due to the inherent lack of ranking systems, this also means that Bloodcast Knights cannot be promoted, and cannot gain Privileges like other Knight Orders can. Inversely however, a Bloodcast can never be demoted, or removed, or reprimanded by the Viridian Order, because there are no superiors to hold them to account. The only responsibility Bloodcast Knights have, is to each other. Just because the Order does not have a hierarchy however, does not mean it does not have Chapter Houses and instructors. Retired Bloodcast Knights usually retreat to Bloodcast Chapter houses, where they act as mentors to Squires, though it is just as well possible that a Bloodcast Knight will take on an apprentice in the field, and journey with them until they are deemed ready to graduate. There is no formal accreditation process required for graduation, though for gameplay reasons Bloodcast Knights still cannot graduate before 21 years of age with at least 6 years in training.

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.

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Accreditation
Writers MonMarty Artists MonMarty Processors HydraLana	Last Editor OkaDoka on 10/12/2023.

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