THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE GREYGUARD

[Duchy of Valwyck 117]

Written by @Piov and @indiana105 

Formatted by @kaylacita

 

“Ri Beinn, Abhainn, Agus Gual”

Motto of House Baruch

‘By Mountain, River, and Coal’

 

 

THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE GREYGUARD

Published 471 E.S. | 1918 A.H.

 

Or, A RECORD OF THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE GREYGUARD

BY

ARTHUR FRASER GANT

and

HOLLY OF LALLYBROCH

 

MAINTAINED BY:
ARCHIVIST OF HOUSE BARUCH

 

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Under the rule of House Baruch, the County of Ayr hosted a loyal and storied levy by the name of the Order of the Unbowed which lasted throughout its initial period as a vassal and brief independence. It would later be reformed after the Greyspine rebellion to its current iteration, the Greyguard, but became defunct for nearly a century as the House attained ducal status. The reforms later introduced by King Josef I allowed Haeseni peers to hire and retain personal guards for their own protection, and so the guard of House Baruch was reformed with greater structure. Where the old Order had drawn from the peasant levies of the Baruch demesne for its manpower, the Greyguard of today hosts skilled warriors primarily of Ayrikiv stock.

 

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HISTORY

 

FOUNDING OF THE GREYGUARD

The Order of the Unbowed, predecessor to the Greyguard, was founded during the reign of Otto Marius Baruch, Count of Ayr in 1611 at the start of the Greyspine Rebellion. Count Otto marched the Unbowed down from their mountain keep, Jorenstadt, to reclaim their seat of Saint’s Rest from the imposter Kovachev who had sworn fealty to the Kingdom of Courland. The levy fought well, however they failed to fully reclaim the land. This led Count Otto to order the retreat back to his keep, knowing that he would need as many men as possible to join with his Ruthern allies to eventually launch an attack on the Courlandic invaders. Count Otto eventually led his host to join the Rutherns, where they routed the Courlandic forces during the second battle of the Rothswood to restore the Kingdom of Haense. 

 

Ser Aldrik founded the modern Greyguard in Atlas after the construction of his keep, Greyguard Hold. Aldrik and the Greyguard soldiers had multiple small disputes with the monarchy over the legality of having a levy, despite Aldrik reassuring that they would only be used in favour of the King. However, Otto II insisted the Greyguard be reduced to only a few bodyguards instead of an active levy. These bodyguards participated in multiple wars, protecting their Count from Renatian and Nordling alike. 

 

During the reign of Marius Karl Baruch, Count of Ayr, the Greyguard served as it had in his father’s reign. When Greyguard Hold was infiltrated and taken by Arberrang, Count Marius called his levymen and marched upon his old home to reclaim his family’s seat. Count Marius and his men were victorious, and the Greyguard once again were able to defend the lands of the Baruch family and assist in the protection of northern Haense. Count Marius led the Greyguard in the crossing to Arcas, before his abdication in favour of his grandson, Jan Eirik Baruch. 

 

Jan Eirik Baruch, Count of Ayr, saw through the Royal Levy Ban of 1709 and integrated the Greyguard into the Royal Army in return for the position of Commandant. He served in this position, with the Greyguard under his control, until his expulsion from the Kingdom for conspiring against the King and other allies. The Greyguard then returned home to Ayr, not wanting to serve anyone but a member of House Baruch, swearing now to Sigmar Joren Baruch, Count of Ayr. 

 

The Greyguard then saw a period of inactivity spanning nearly the entirety of the next century. It was only in the year 1833 that the great-grandson of Sigmar, Duke Ruslan I of Valwyck, reinstated the order upon the declaration of war on the elves of Haelun'or. They currently serve as a small, well-trained guardforce, tasked solely with the defence of the Ducal family.

 

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TRIALS

 

ORDEALS OF THE BEAR

To be able to take on the oath and fully claim the merits of the Greyguard, one must submit to a series of tasks to demonstrate the fitness of one’s strength and will. These tasks, the Ordeals of the Bear, are enshrined as the benchmark by which all those who enter the Greyguard solidifying their commitment and service for the safety of Valwyck and their faithfulness to the House of Baruch. One must live by and for the land, depending upon its bounties and giving back to its beauty through service, sacrifice, and loyalty.

 

The Ordeals of the Bear reflect the traditional values of all Ayrikiv. Defined by their persistence, will, and straightforwardness, the trials one takes emphasise the practicality of duty, being harmonious with the elements, and forging kinship. They also assess one’s capacity to be resourceful and to value one’s duty in the face of adversity. These values are modelled off of the centuries old virtues that the heads of Baruch have fulfilled as stalwart defenders of Haeseni traditions and their obligations to protect Northern values.

 

The structure of the Ordeal requires that all prospects of the Greyguard fulfill a number of requisite tasks that are typically incumbent upon them as they fulfil their duties. They orient one to live a life of pragmatism, utility, and cultivate determination as individuals and as collectives. One must first venture to the coast and to construct a suitable boat that can adequately traverse across the waters surrounding the land. This trial underscores the ability for each recruit to develop their relationship to the waters that sustain the life and commerce of the Ayrikiv. Prospects of the Greyguard must learn to fish and sustain themselves from the bounties of the catch that have sustained the ancestors for generations, to live from their toils and to embrace the lifeworlds of the open waters.

 

The Ordeals of the Bear are administered by a senior member of the Greyguard, whose experience and mentorship shall be vital to the successful completion of the tasks. Upon satisfying these ordeals, a recruit is submitted for review to determine quality of mind and purity of heart before taking the final oaths.

 

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OATHING

 

OATH OF THE GREYGUARD

Upon being assessed satisfactorily fulfilling the Ordeals of the Bear, recruits are called forth to affirm their intentions to be sworn in before their liege lord and to the Ayrikiv people. The formula for the full initiation must be recited in the presence of the lawful peer of Valwyck or their designated proxy as witness:

 

“By the will of the Ayrikiv, I swear humbly to serve my brethren.

 

I commit myself to my kin, to honour the land and to steward its beauty.

 

Through virtue, I gain discipline to serve.

 

Through humility, I gain clarity to pledge myself to the cause.

 

Through persistence, we might accomplish all that is set for us.

 

With courage, I shall defend the Ayrikiv. 

 

For Valwyck, I raise arms.

 

To do battle and to promote peace, my life is dedicated to the true path.

 

For the waters have cleansed me, the bounties of the seas sustain me.

 

I am named a protector of Valwyck and cooperate to her welfare.

 

If I end here, may my life return to its peaceful sways.

 

In this, I commit myself in perpetuity.”

 

TENETS OF THE GREYGUARD

I. By the Ayrikiv people, my oath is unbroken. Hold fast your values and safeguard your culture in service of the coasts and the land by which your body depends.

 

II. By the Ayrikiv people, resilience through hardship shall temper your resolve and bring forth triumphant grace.

 

III. By the Ayrikiv people, independence guides your spirit. Hard work and diligence shall usher in true prosperity.

 

IV. By the Ayrikiv people, honour your kin and do good works by them. Their memory and their name shall live on through you.

 

V. By the Ayrikiv people, you shall shepherd the abundance of the land, steward the bounties of the seas, and protect the beauty of God’s natural world. It shall endure as an inheritance for generations.

 

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