Mio 3773 Share Posted August 1, 2023 THE BROTHERHOOD OF SAINT KARL KRUSAE ZWY KONGZEM “From bitter Elba to glorious Rothswald, to vanquished Vaeyl and slaughtered Scyflings, our history is drenched in ash and crimson! Every other army is lost to time and war, but so for Lady Haense -- for she has no army, but a Brotherhood!” I OVERVIEW ‘The Rothswald Host’ by Luzirov of Alban, c. 194 E.S. “I have an idea of where Morsgrad can stick their weregild … and I daresay you have an idea of where you can stick your sword, Tiberius.” - King Andrik the Unyielding, the Rubern War _____________________ The Kongzem of Haense stands as the oldest surviving realm of man. Lady Haense owes her longevity to the strength and endurance of her valiant armies. In the Kongzem’s infancy, when King Petyr the Founder first took the mantle of King, the Haeseni snowfields of Axios were guarded by the Gold Crow Corps and the levies of the Great Houses Kovachev, Ruthern, and Vanir. When the Great Northern War ravaged the realm in 155 E.S., it was King Marius the Good who reforged the decentralised levies into the first Haeseni Royal Army. For decades this centralised Royal Army bled and shed blood across the battles of the Tapestry of Man, from the glorious Greyspine Rebellion in 164 E.S. to the crushing defeats on the Czena Riverfens in 206 E.S. It was in the Red City of Markev in Atlas - mired in the endless conflicts of the Renatian Conquests and the Vaeyl Wars - that King Sigmar the Short and his marshal Duke Rhys var Ruthern rechristened the army as the Brotherhood of Saint Karl for the first time as they sought to cement patriotic militarism in the soul of their war-scarred country. Over one-hundred years later, after no small amount of change and turmoil, the Brotherhood of Saint Karl stands in Lady Haense’s defence once more after its rebirth by the decree of King Henrik the Stubborn and Duke Ailred Steelheart on the highland slopes of Almaris. As King Aleksandr II assumes his throne after his forefathers led the Brotherhood in successive campaigns on Almaris, he now sees fit to once again enshrine the Brotherhood as the armed forces of his realm, and refine its structure, tenets, and purpose for a new reign, and a new land. II RANKS & STRUCTURE ‘The Deep Cold Court’ by Floris van Loden, c. 150 E.S. “Lord Ailred - this silver city of the High Elves … how fast can you turn it red?” - King Henrik the Stern, outbreak of the Silver War _______________________ Since its inception, the Brotherhood has valued merit irrespective of blood. In contrast to the other staples of Haeseni society dominated by the noble caste, the ranks of the Brotherhood have been a stage and springboard for the common folk -- ironically, some fledgling Houses came to being as a result of their founders’ military service. Therefore, heritage is of no prejudice when it comes to the hierarchy of the Brotherhood, who awards medals and promotions in accordance with leal service and valour on the field of battle. COMMAND RANKS I GRAND HETMAN The Brotherhood serves the Kongzem, and it is the King who leads the Kongzem. The legitimacy of the Brotherhood as a national army derives solely from the King, and so there can exist no other authority than he who sits the throne of Haense -- therefore, the King is the ultimate authority as Grand Hetman, or commander-in-chief. For time immemorial, the King has delegated direct command of their armed forces - whether that be the Haeseni Royal Army or the Brotherhood of Saint Karl - to a chosen Marshal, but it is nonetheless not at all uncommon for Kings to have led their forces in battle, as King Karl III exemplified. II LORD MARSHAL The highest appointed military rank in the Kongzem is the Marshal. Charged with leading the Brotherhood of Saint Karl in defence of the Kongzem and its honour, the Marshal oversees all military operations, whether from the walls of Valdev or the field of battle. It is they who select the officers, who dictate strategy, who ensures the Brotherhood functions like oiled clockwork, who scours clean brigands and marauders from Haeseni roads, and who carries the Iron Bulava as the foremost soldier of the Kongzem. The Marshal occupies a seat on the Aulic Council, and is named only by the writ of the King. III CAPTAIN Second to the Marshal in appointed rank is the Captain. Serving at the pleasure of the Marshal, the Captain is second-in-command of the Brotherhood and trusted assistant of the Marshal in organising the army’s myriad of duties. It falls to the Captain to act as the Marshal’s representative and undertakes that their superior cannot attend to personally, namely leading units of soldiers, drilling new recruits, and overseeing the city’s garrison. The Captain’s duties are largely ad hoc, and the role and its capacity is subject to the priorities of the Marshal. IV SERGEANT The junior officers who comprise the majority of the command corps are the Sergeants. Alongside variously assisting the Marshal and Captain, the chief value of the Sergeants lie in their more intimate command of smaller squadrons of soldiers, whether in training, patrols, or minor operations. Soldiers who endeavour to commit themselves to advancing in the ranks of the Brotherhood and proving their worth as a competent commander begin their ascension in earnest at the rank of Sergeant, where they find themselves responsible for the lives of their subordinates. FOOT RANKS V ARMIGER Armigers are senior and seasoned veterans who serve as the penultimate rank of foot. Tempered through years of service, Armigers form the backbone of the Brotherhood’s rank-and-file thanks to their battle-experience accumulated through combating common bandits to all-out battles between nations. The seniority of an Armiger derives from their choice not to advance in the Command Corps, and consequently the rank is often held by established members of Haeseni society - both noble and commoner alike - who may hold other positions outside of the Brotherhood. VI ARMSMAN The standard rank of the Brotherhood is that of Armsman. This role is awarded to young soldiers who have proven themselves committed warriors of the Kongzem and exhibit great potential. Senior to the novice Footmen and junior to the veteran Armigers, Armsmen occupy a middling ground between green and experienced. Each warrior who attains this rank will be drilled in the basics of combat and warfare and tasked with duties such as peacekeeping in the Royal Capital, but may yet have experienced proper battle or developed a sense for strategy and tactics. VII FOOTMAN The rank of Footman is a junior one for soldiers fresh out of training. After completing their Oath Hunt as their final trial as Initiates, soldiers who kneel before the icon of Saint Karl to swear their Oath of Service rise as Footmen of the Brotherhood. Largely untested as they are and with no small amount of training required to forge them into true warriors, Footmen serve as supplemental forces on all sorts of operations, from escorting members of the King’s government abroad, or patrolling the roads to ward off and hunt bandits and other ne’er-do-wells. VIII INITIATES When one first enlists in the Brotherhood, they become an Initiate. Untrained and untested, Initiates act as a junior cadet role who are assessed for their general aptitude for combat and warfare over the course of a boot-camp period. Once an officer is satisfied with their potential, the Initiate - alongside their fellow recruits - is dispatched on the historic Oath Hunt, where they must prove their worth in truth by taking the head of a grown bear back to their commanding officer. Upon doing so, they were permitted to swear the Oath of Service and advance to the rank of Footman as a proper soldier. SPECIAL RANKS - STANDARD-BEARER They who carry the Brotherhood’s Banner into battle is the Standard-Bearer. The Standard-Bearer can be of any rank within the Brotherhood - from Footman to Captain - but the honorific is often bestowed on young soldiers who display particular zeal and patriotism, and so they make a fitting choice to carry the Brotherhood’s flag into battle to stoke the morale of their comrades. That the standard never touches the ground or falls into enemy hands is a sacrosanct tenet for Standard-Bearers -- they must give their lives before ever allowing such dishonour. - QUARTERMASTER Without the Quartermaster, the Brotherhood would have no swords to swing. Although the songs and tales view the role of logisticians as less glamorous, a proficient Quartermaster is one of the most essential positions within the entire Brotherhood, and therefore usually assigned to a proven and trustworthy officer. The Quartermaster ensures that the Brotherhood’s armoury is well-stocked at all times, be it in the height of peace or the depths of war. - BROTHERHOOD CHAPLAIN The Brotherhood is a pious army of a Canonist realm, and therefore blessed by God. The Chaplain is an ordained member of the Clergy who is also an enlisted soldier of the Brotherhood, and therefore stokes the faith of Haense’s soldiery. From leading prayers on the eve of battle, to conducting funerals for those fallen, the Chaplain is a unique and spiritualistic role that steadies the soul and steel alike of their compatriots. - BATTLE-BARD The greatest trio to a soldier; steel, drink, and song. The Battle-Bard is a soldier who is also a musician or poet who is charged with commemorating the deeds and the fallen of the Brotherhood in song, verse, and art, so that they might never be forgotten. The Battle-Bard is usually the soldier to maintain the Black Banner. III THE THREE BANNERS ‘March on the Czena’ by Pyotr Reiseng, c. 208 E.S. “That castle looks like it’ll be a bit*ch to take. Then again, never met a bit*ch I couldn’t handle.” - Lord Marshal Ailred Steelheart, Siege of Soutbridge _____________________ Today, the Brotherhood is composed of the Three Banners. In past iterations, the Brotherhood operated as a singular force under the writ of the King or his Marshal which largely served as a garrison force of the Royal Capital and, in times of war, was supplemented by armed auxiliaries raised from the commonfolk and noble fiefdoms. While this formation yielded a large and effective force to repel raiders and invaders, commanders and tacticians in the Haeseni court have since recognised that this has left the Brotherhood bereft of specialist forces. Therefore, it is the will of King Aleksandr II that his Brotherhood consist of three companies, each of which serve a distinct purpose. _____________________ THE COMPANY OF THE GOLDEN CROW The Company of the Crow is the primary body of the Brotherhood. This Company fulfils the general duties of the Brotherhood, namely the garrisoning of the Royal Capital and enforcement of the King’s peace and laws. All soldiers who enlist in the Brotherhood serve in the Company of the Crow unless specially elected to serve in the Chapter of the Black Cross or the Marian Retinue, and the Brotherhood’s entire officer corps operate within this primary force. Indeed, the Company of the Crow can be regarded as the main body of the Brotherhood of Saint Karl - responsible for the day-to-day duties of a peacekeeping force within the King’s realm - and the Ebon Banner and Marian Retinue act as elite appendages. Asides from garrisoning and law-keeping, the Company of the Crow assumes responsibilities for logistics, supplies, patrols, recruitment, training, and large security details. In times of war, the Company of the Crow is the foremost combat force in battle. Soldiers in the Company of the Crow are subject to the normal rank structure and are charged with no specialist roles. _____________________ THE CHAPTER OF THE BLACK CROSS The Chapter of the Black Cross is the Kongzem’s deadly force of raiders and skirmishers in times of war. The Chapter of the Black Cross is a dormant force that is raised only by the writ of the King during times of war. When called upon, a Raidmaster is assigned from the upper echelons of the Company of the Crow or the Marian Retinue who selects warriors of particular skill and cunning for the purposes of raiding enemy strongholds, capturing and executing high-value targets, and skirmishing against enemy forces. An important distinction is that the soldiers of the Black Cross are not valued for skill-of-arms alone, but also for cunning and judgement for quick manoeuvres during operations. When the Chapter of the Black Cross has been raised, it operates as an ad hoc specialist unit subject to the whims of the Raidmaster, or any higher authority who deploys them. - FIELD MARSHAL In times of war, when the King raises the Black Cross under the command of the Raidmaster. Appointed by direct writ of the King from any senior soldier of the Brotherhood, the Raidmaster is tasked with commanding a corps of elite raiders and skirmishers who carry out hostile operations during conflict, from countering enemy raids to capturing high-value targets. The Raidmaster is a temporary rank, but the chosen soldier who holds it will be a fearsome warrior and cunning tactician in their own right. During their appointment, the Raidmaster holds command only over the Skirmishers they select to serve in the Black Cross. - SKIRMISHERS The quick-witted and skilled warriors of the Chapter of the Black Cross are the Skirmishers. When the King raises the Black Cross in times of war, the appointed Raidmaster will name hand-selected warriors from any rank of the Brotherhood based on their affinity for frontline combat and high-risk operations, the likes of which often pit them directly against elite enemy forces. While strength-of-arms is a key characteristic of Skirmishers, of even greater value is their quick-wits, judgement, and ability to adapt rapidly to situations in combat. Skirmisher is a temporary rank that serves only to denote soldiers chosen by the Raidmaster to partake in special war-time operations. _____________________ THE MARIAN RETINUE The Marian Retinue are the elite personal force of the King. Once a knightly order, King Aleksandr II has seen fit to reform the unit as a company under the Brotherhood. At the King’s behest, soldiers of rank, skill at arms, and - chiefly - loyalty are named to the rank of Marian Retainer, and are charged with protecting the King and the Royal House from harm. This usually takes the form of guarding the King during audiences both public and private, though they are often variously assigned to other members of the Royal House - such as the Queen - or Aulic Councillors. In battle, the Marian Retinue forms the final encirclement around the King’s position. Although the paramount and sacred duty of Marian Retainers is to guard the life of the King at the expense of their own, soldiers of the Retinue continue to support the operations of the central army when the safety of the King is not at issue, or where the King or Marshal otherwise commands it. By virtue of their loyalty and close relationship to the King, Marian Retainers often find themselves as personal companions of their sovereign. - MARIAN RETAINERS Once a knightly order, the Marian Retinue are the sworn guardians of the King. Unlike the cunning and judgement valued in the special operatives of the Black Cross, the Marian Retainers are charged with a single purpose: protect the King and the Royal House with their lives. As a result, loyalty and strength of arms are paramount traits in Marian Retainers, and the Retinue is composed of talented combatants chosen directly by the King. Given this lofty role, Marian Retainers will typically be at least the rank of Armigers, and hold this rank concurrently with their role as the protector. In the past, the Marian Retinue were once chivalrous knights, but now serve as a specialist unit within the Brotherhood. IV INDUCTION ‘The Companions of Princess Nataliya’ by Alexandria Karina, c. 332 E.S. “Really, I can’t decide which I want more - the island of Haelun’or, or King Frederick’s head on a pike. Don’t make me choose just one.” - King Karl the Lion, the Successors’ War _____________________ Induction into the Brotherhood is steeped in tradition. Enlistment in the Brotherhood and training as an Initiate has long been considered a coming-of-age ritual in Haense for young and inexperienced natives, or an acceptance into Haeseni society for migrants settling in the Kongzem. Not only does Initiate training consist of equipping recruits with a basic sense for soldiering, but it also ensures that an Initiate is proficiently educated in the Brotherhood’s history and Haeseni customs. THE THREE BOOKS Upon enlistment, an Initiate is not only issued with a standard recruit uniform - consisting a gambeson, breeches, cloak, beret, and arming sword - but also three short books that serve as insights into the Brotherhood’s rich history, and guides to performing a soldier’s duties. The Book of Yore divulges, in brief, the history of the Kongzem. It regales Initiates with the tale of Saint Karl at his death at the hands of a Greatwyrm while defending hallowed Siegrad, the rise of Haense as a Kingdom by writ of Emperor John III, and its celebrated independence as an autonomous realm achieved centuries later during the reign of King Josef. The Book of Duty teaches young soldiers the role that they play as a warrior of the Brotherhood. From manning the gate, to arming oneself from the armoury, to fighting off raiders in battle, this Book is a key training instrument that guides green soldiers down the path to becoming veteran fighters and stalwart defenders of their home. The Book of Vows records the tenets of honourable conduct a soldier of the Brotherhood is sworn to uphold. Honour is a cornerstone of Haeseni culture, and, as the very defenders of Haense and what it stands for, the Brotherhood must never eschew these virtues. An initiate must prove their knowledge of the content within these books by seeking out any Officer of the Brotherhood and successfully undergoing a brief test of the information acquired. Only once an initiate has been successfully tested on the three books may they move onto the Oath Hunt. THE OATH HUNT In order for a newly-enlisted Initiate to become a fully-fledged Footmen of the Brotherhood, they must prove themselves worthy to swear the Oath of Service before the icon of Saint Karl, and to do so they embark upon the Oath Hunt. Together with a class of their fellow Initiates, an aspiring soldier is tasked with slaying a formidable beast in the wilderness, such as a bear, so that they must deploy cooperation and strategy as a military unit - as Brothers - in order to succeed. While an officer normally presides over the Oath Hunt, it is far from a safe affair -- Initiates who are ill-prepared or craven may well never return, but those that do are recognised as true soldiers, and true Haeseni. OATH OF SERVICE Upon prevailing in an Oath Hunt, an Initiate is permitted to take the Oath of Service and become a member of the Brotherhood proper. An Initiate kneels before an icon of Saint Karl, and a senior officer bids them to swear the sacred Oath of Service: “To my left I see my fellow Brothers; to my right I see the same For all in the world, we fight for the peace of this land Through Godan, we are stewards of this realm Through stewardship, we gain diligence and prudence Through diligence, we may conquer all without faith And should I falter in my duty, send me never to the Skies If I should succeed, bestow unto me His blessings forevermore For now I march into a valley through which there is no path And the stones cascade behind me to seal my retreat Though in this valley, I find my Brothers Now I am named Guardian of my Homeland Should I falter, my shield shall turn to ash But I shall not falter.” Once the Oath is complete and the Initiate is bid to rise, they stand not as an Initiate, but an Armsman of the Brotherhood of Saint Karl and a recognised soldier in every right. THE RITE OF NAMING Those who migrate to Haense from abroad and undergo the Oath of Service are further graced with the Rite of Naming -- in recognition that they are a true citizen of Haense and no longer a foreigner, they are given a Haeseni name by the presiding officer at their Oath as a symbolic mark of naturalisation. No longer should any of their peers view them as an outsider, but instead a Brother. V RECORDS & HISTORIES ‘Ser Arthur Gant Hunts’ by Kzechin of Branhaven, c. 478 E.S. “If your Constanz so much as manages to muster a pyrrhic victory, I will destroy whatever rump state he builds within the hour.” - King Georg the Blue, the Petrine Incident _____________________ As an army that predates all others by many centuries, the Brotherhood’s history is a steeped one. From the endless defeats at the hands of the Renatian Imperium along the banks of the River Czena in Atlas, to the glorious triumph over the Holy Orenian Empire in the Sinners’ War on Almaris, there is no end to the historic events the soldiers of the Brotherhood have shaped and bore witness to, and no end to the stories that have come from each and every battle. In recognition of this, various Kings and Marshals have gone through great efforts to preserve this history as a lesson and mark of inspiration for generations to come. These preservations primarily take three forms. THE BLACK BANNER This sacred span of ebon silk is a banner of massive length stored within the Brotherhood’s longhall, on which every battle that the Kongzem of Haense has ever fought in is emblazoned with gold stitching. From its very first war in which Saint Karl carved out the name of Haense for the first time, to the Kongzem’s victory in the Successor’s War that secured its role as the strongest power in the land, every soldier of the Brotherhood can learn of the glories and sacrifices that precedes them dating back centuries. Transcribed copies of the Black Banner can be read here. THE BSK SPECIAL OPERATIONS ARCHIVE While the Brotherhood - and before it, the Haeseni Royal Army - has been an active fighting force for centuries, intelligence has only come to the forefront in its functioning in recent years. With a view to informing the Haeseni population of Brotherhood activities and demonstrating its military prowess, the BSK Operation Reports are published with certain redactions to protect military secrecy and efficiency. The current Operations Archive can be read here. THE SONG OF THE BLACK Long predating the Brotherhood and even the creation of Haense by hundreds of years, the Song of the Black tells the tale of King Barbov the Black - the ancestor of Saint Karl Barbanov - who ruled the realm of Ruska in ancient times. The Song records the tale of King Barbov’s fight against the Nzechovich dynasty to retake his father’s throne, a feat that would have been impossible with the fabled and chivalrous Bogatyrs of King Barbov, who endure as mythological knightly figures. The Song is still being transcribed from ancient Ruskan, but current translations can be read here. KRUSAE ZWY KONGZEM 27 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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