The Blades of Zafra
“The way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. I welcome it.”
- Zafra, Son of Ethelynda
- Zafra, Son of Ethelynda
Introduction
Zafra, the Mortalborn son of Ethelynda, was a warrior whose bravery and valor was recognized by the city near its creation. Due to his zeal and fervor, many were drawn to his cause. The group, called Zafra’s Blade colloquially, then grew into something more. It was commissioned by the city of Ne’haer to be a standing military, to defend and protect for arcs to come. Zafra, who died in battle, said as his final words, “The way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. I welcome it.”
Code of The Blades of Zafra
The Zafra Knights adhere to a strict code of conduct. Each Blade swears an oath to uphold the code, as listed below.
1. Be honorable in all actions.
2. Loyalty above family.
3. Bravery above fear.
4. Resolute acceptance of death.
5. Duty above all else.
2. Loyalty above family.
3. Bravery above fear.
4. Resolute acceptance of death.
5. Duty above all else.
Ranks and Descriptions
1st Valiant
- The Valiants lead the Company, and are tasked with maintaining close contact with each of their Legionnaires. They deal with much of the political side of the Blades, tending to hold meetings and consorting with the other Valiants to encourage the three companies to work together like a machine.
- Each platoon in a company is led by a legionnaire. The legionnaire’s job is to ensure that his platoon is being properly trained, equipped and battle-readied. He travels amongst the barracks and checks quality of life, and is personally responsible for appointing the Quartermaster of the company.
- The Quartermaster is the trainer of the company. Each quartermaster is hand-selected to by the three Legionnaires of the company, and is expected to temper the Initiates into hardened warriors. Though the training never quite stops, as an individual advances through the ranks, the quartermaster works most closely with Initiates and The Branded.
- The Crusaders are the elite warriors in a platoon, typically chosen by Legionnaires as their personal choice for succession. The crusader is groomed in tactics and interrogation to ensure that they are prepared both to lead and do what is necessary when the time comes. The number of crusaders varies, but there are never more than 10 among each company.
- The knights make up the main bulk of the Blades of Zafra. These warriors are the front lines, and they give their lives in service of the Blades and defense of their code.
- The sentinels are the next step of succession, Blades who are seriously considering remaining in the Blades for life. At this level, they begin to seriously hone their skills, coming to know their warcraft and position in the faction better.
- The guardsmen and guardswomen are initiates who have proven themselves to be reliable and productive members of the Blades. They have absconded the menial duties and are given somewhat more serious roles. The Blades at this level are typically assigned to city guard duties, and uphold peace and law in Ne’haer.
- The initiate is a beginner blade, and is typically given the menial duties of the group. The initiates prepare the meals, clean the barracks, wash the laundry. This is not seen as menial work, however, and is considering putting in one’s time in order to show one’s squadmates, platoon-mates and company that the individual is reliable and humble.
Skill Level Requirements
1st Valiant
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 90 | Leadership 90 | Leadership 90 |
| Weapon Skill 90 | Shield Combat 80 | Ranged Weapon Skill 90 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 80 | Weapon Skill 80 | Siege Weaponry 90 |
| Tactics 70 | Tactics 70 | Tactics 80 |
| Strength 70 | Mount 60 | Intelligence 70 |
| Unarmed Combat 60 | Negotiation 60 | Mount 60 |
| Mount 60 | Siege Weaponry 50 | Linguistics 50 |
| Medicine 50 | Medicine 50 | Negotiation 50 |
| Negotiation 50 | Strength 50 | Strength 40 |
2nd Legionnaire
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 80 | Leadership 80 | Leadership 80 |
| Weapon Skill 80 | Shield Combat 70 | Ranged Weapon Skill 80 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 70 | Weapon Skill 70 | Siege Weaponry 80 |
| Tactics 60 | Tactics 60 | Tactics 70 |
| Strength 60 | Mount 50 | Intelligence 60 |
| Unarmed Combat 50 | Negotiation 50 | Mount 50 |
| Mount 50 | Siege Weaponry 40 | Linguistics 40 |
| Medicine 40 | Medicine 40 | Negotiation 40 |
| Negotiation 40 | Strength 40 | Strength 30 |
3rd Quartermaster
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 70 | Leadership 70 | Leadership 70 |
| Weapon Skill 70 | Shield Combat 60 | Ranged Weapon Skill 70 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 60 | Weapon Skill 60 | Siege Weaponry 70 |
| Tactics 50 | Tactics 50 | Tactics 60 |
| Strength 50 | Mount 40 | Intelligence 50 |
| Unarmed Combat 40 | Negotiation 40 | Mount 40 |
| Mount 40 | Siege Weaponry 30 | Linguistics 30 |
| Medicine 30 | Medicine 30 | Negotiation 30 |
| Negotiation 30 | Strength 30 | Strength 20 |
4th Crusader
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 60 | Leadership 60 | Leadership 60 |
| Weapon Skill 60 | Shield Combat 50 | Ranged Weapon Skill 60 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 50 | Weapon Skill 50 | Siege Weaponry 60 |
| Tactics 40 | Tactics 40 | Tactics 50 |
| Strength 40 | Mount 30 | Intelligence 40 |
| Unarmed Combat 30 | Negotiation 30 | Mount 30 |
| Mount 30 | Siege Weaponry 20 | Linguistics 20 |
| Medicine 20 | Medicine 20 | Negotiation 20 |
| Negotiation 20 | Strength 20 | Strength 10 |
5th Knight
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 50 | Leadership 50 | Leadership 50 |
| Weapon Skill 50 | Shield Combat 40 | Ranged Weapon Skill 50 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 40 | Weapon Skill 40 | Siege Weaponry 50 |
| Tactics 30 | Tactics 30 | Tactics 40 |
| Strength 30 | Mount 20 | Intelligence 30 |
| Unarmed Combat 20 | Negotiation 20 | Mount 20 |
| Mount 20 | Siege Weaponry 20 | Linguistics 10 |
| Medicine 10 | Medicine 10 | Negotiation 10 |
| Negotiation 10 | Strength 10 | Strength 10 |
6th Sentinel
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 40 | Leadership 40 | Leadership 40 |
| Weapon Skill 40 | Shield Combat 30 | Ranged Weapon Skill 40 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 30 | Weapon Skill 30 | Siege Weaponry 40 |
| Tactics 20 | Tactics 20 | Tactics 30 |
| Strength 20 | Mount 10 | Intelligence 20 |
| Unarmed Combat 10 | Negotiation 10 | Mount 10 |
| Mount 10 | Siege Weaponry 10 | Linguistics 10 |
7th Guardsman/Guardswoman
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 30 | Leadership 30 | Leadership 30 |
| Weapon Skill 30 | Shield Combat 20 | Ranged Weapon Skill 30 |
| 2nd Weapon Skill 20 | Weapon Skill 20 | Siege Weaponry 30 |
| Tactics 10 | Tactics 10 | Tactics 20 |
| Strength 10 | Mount 10 | Intelligence 10 |
8th Initiate
| Embersteel | Malorite | Steel |
| Leadership 20 | Leadership 20 | Leadership 20 |
| Weapon Skill 20 | Shield Combat 20 | Ranged Weapon Skill 20 |
Companies, Platoons, Squads
The Blades have three companies, which are comprised of three platoons that each have five squads under them. The companies, Embersteel, Malorite and Steel, are all specifically designed to specific tasks that each embodies. Embersteel is dedicated to the warriors, and is the unofficial “strikeforce” of the Blades. The Malorite Company is comprised of the defenders, and is typically where one would find defensive magic users and the devout. The Steel Company house the siege and anti-siege corps, where the Blades who comprise it are allowed to take one any number of jobs, from cryptography to tactics to siege weaponry.
Embersteel Company - Offensive
- Bloodied Sword
- The Dagger
- The Caestus
- The Morningstar
- The Longsword
- The Bastard - The "Strike Force" squad, comprised of bloodthirsty Blades that wish to do the ultimate amount of damage.
- Blessed Hammer - Paladin-esque Warriors
- The Lightbringers
- The Oathkeepers
- The Unvanquished
- The Untarnished
- The Revered - Comprised of the most devout warriors that focus on healing, medicine, and graft magic.
- Sullied Spear
- The Javelin
- The Trident
- The Pilum If I were your man, you’d listen when men are speaking.
- The Glaive
- The Scythe - A squad of warriors that come in behind the Bloodied Sword to finish off any who were not killed in the first wave of attacks. Essentially the "clean up crew".
Malorite Company - Defensive
- Aegis
- The Oaken
- The Ebony
- The Ironwood
- The Mahogany
- The Snakewood
- Stalwart
- The Shield
- The Gauntlet
- The Greave
- The Breastplate
- The Helm
- Tower - Platoon that focuses on city protection and defense.
- The Stonewall
- The Iron Gate
- The Broken Bridge
- The Spiraled Minaret
- The Abyssal Moat
Steel Company - Siege / Anti Siege
- War Machine - Siege Platoon
- The Catapult
- The Trebuchet
- The Ballista
- The Mangonel
- The Cannon
- The Silver Tongue
- Cryptographers
- Cartographers
- Tactical Hand
- Ethos - Ethical war committee.
- Crafters
- Hurled Arrow
- The Blackened Sky - Largest corporation of ranged fighters.
- The Wings of Zafra - Mounted Bowmen.
- The Taut Bowstring - Readied line of Bowmen, usually at the wall of the city.
- The Dragon’s Maw - Squad that excels in Pyro-tactics.
- The Poisoned Arrowhead - Squad that excels in poison, antidotes, and long ranged poisoned weapons.
The Wings of Zafra Mounts
Purpose Within and Beyond The City
The purpose of the Blades within the city it to provide defense and support to the city in times of war and crisis. At the first sign of trouble, the Blades are mobilized to relocate citizens to designated safe areas, man the defenses, and generally keep peace and order during the conflict. The Blades also offer support to those of the Branded— criminals who seek to redeem themselves of their crimes and/or curses. This faction is home to a number of healers and magic users. Though they do not house as many as The Adunih, they are well equipped to heal their warriors in times of crisis.
Beyond the city, the Zafra Knights are given to those in need of protection for the right price and rewards. To fund their rather large facility within Ne'haer, the Blades Factions sends its members all over the globe to assist others with troubling matters. The Blades are not allowed to assist cities or countries in which Ne'haer has tensions with. They tend to focus on assisting small towns, villages, and rising cities that have not allied themselves with other massive populations.
The Branded
Criminal members who are attempting to reform, the Branded are a division of warriors that are not true Blades in title. Though they are often paired within the platoons of the Blades, they are usually watched closely and kept on a short leash.
Requirements to be Branded: The individual must have committed a crime and/or have a curse in order to be Branded. Each Branded is given an amount of service before he or she is free, and some are offered the ability to stay and transition to a full-fledged member of the Blades of Zafra.
Faction Location In Ne’haer
Is residency possible?
The Blades have a complex inside the walls of Ne’haer, near the North Gate of the city. The complex is massive, each side mirroring the other. They are separated by a road leading into the city, which is surrounded by its own walls to keep it separate from the complex.
On each side, there is a large barracks that house the Blades when they are not training or on patrol. Located directly next to the barracks is a mess halls and behind the two buildings, the armories for each side. The armories are massive structures, maintained night and day by armed guards. Only Blades with the rank of Knight or higher are allowed into the armories without an accompanying Blade of appropriate rank.
In front of the barracks and mess halls are two large training fields, equipped for the multiple styles of combat. The fields are patrolled by the various Quartermasters, who oversee training and keep a vigilant eye on The Branded.
Residency is possible within the faction location. Please request it when enlisting if you wish to live at the location.
How to Join The Blades?
You may join by enlisting. Simply head to the faction location and inquire inside.
Information credit goes to Djinn and Jade.