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The Order of the Willowsguard History The order of the Willowsguard can trace their origins to the barony of Nessvelt (Formerly Krawyn) during the lordship of Rodric Crast shortly after John Horens ascension to the throne. When the Crasts were soon usurped by house Roke the Order soon fell into dormancy with very little numbers that remained to protect the remnants of house Crast. Over the remaining years upon the isles of Vailor the Crasts were eventually able to recover from the loss of their homeland and fell into the vassals of the Duchy of Savoie where Wilmot Crast (Second born son to Rodric) quickly grew favor due to his charismatic and passionate nature. As house Crast embarked towards the isle of Axios house Crast was eventually granted lands and the Barony of Mor’ton amongst the Blackwald of Savoy Duty The order of the Willowsguard dedicate themselves to the Lord Marshal of the order who ultimately owes allegiance to the Duchy of Savoy and their vassals, more often than not the Lord Marshal is a full blooded member of house Crast Conclusively, it is the order of the Willowsguards duty to defend the swamplands of Savoy and rid it of all forms of evil be it creature or man with all might and fervour while still holding true to the principles of justice and honour so that its people and its holdings may prosper in peace and tranquility. Ranks Untrained: Recruit - A basic soldier, unspecialized and often young they make up a small section of the levy and often do not fight upon the field until adequately trained, Recruits are not bound by oath to the order and do not require permission to leave until they are properly enlisted. Enlisted: Pikeman - The first of the two types of soldier, these fully oathed soldiers make up the bulk of the fighting force and are trained with long weapons as the name suggests, they may also carry a smaller sidearm for close combat situations. (See weapons) Crossbowman - The second of the two soldiers, these soldiers specialise in use of long-ranged archery weapons such as Crossbows and less commonly longbows, like Pikemen they can carry a small sidearm, they do not hold any authority over the Pikemen and vice versa. (Enlisted soldiers can also choose between which rank they would like to specialise in though in some situations this may be chosen by a higher authority) Command: Sergeant - Once a Pikeman has strived through trials and tribulations they will become a Sergeant, this allows them to lead small campaigns among the swamplands and the Barony of Mor’ton with permission, they may also run training exercises. More often than not Sergeants are equipped and trained with a more prestigious sidearm. Sharpshooter - Identical in concept to the Sergeant Pikeman though trained with the prior weapons mentioned the Sergeant Crossbowman again is equipped and trained with a more prestigious sidearm. Knight Sergeant - The Knight Sergeant is the combatant figurehead of the Willowsguard, they are highly respected veterans that hold all of the perks of Sergeants and Sharpshooters alike. Men go through extensive training in order to achieve such prestige and consequently are trained with both ranged and melee weaponry. The melee weaponry that Knight Sergeants may choose to train with is much more prestigious than that of the regular Pikemen (see weaponry) and they are permitted to use both types of ranged weaponry mentioned. Lord Marshal - Held always by a Lord or Knight the Lord Marshal is responsible for maintaining the Order of the Willowsguard. They do not lead as such despite their responsibility though they do have authority over the lower ranks, they owe utter allegiance to the current Duke of Savoy and have the power to disband the Order at any time with appropriate permission from said Duke. Weaponry & Armour Primary Weapons: Pike - Simplicity is the best weapon. The Pike is the most common weapon seen of the field and consists of a long shaft ranging from six to eight feet long and a steel point used for thrusting and taking down opponents, such a weapon is given to Pikemen as it is incredibly effective and requires little to no training to use. Halberd - A less common poled weapon reminiscent of a Battleaxe though typically longer with a shorter head, the weapon is ideal for light infantry units for taking down horses and men in a brutal yet elegant fashion. Crossbow - An impressive ranged weapon that can be used to penetrate most armour with relative ease, the Crossbow is effective and effortless to use and makes for a very effective ranged weapon and is used by Crossbowmen and Sergeants alike. Longbow - A huge bow crafted from the wood of a yew tree, it is simple yet devastatingly effective. The Longbow is a less common alternative to the Crossbow and is often turned down in place of the Crossbow as it requires a lot of strength to use properly and significantly more training though it is arguably the superior ranged weapon. Greatsword - A greatsword is a magnificent work of art that is of very high prestige and only the most notable of Knight Sergeants are trained to use it, It is a two handed sword that can span to around 5ft long and when used by a properly trained individual it is arguably the best melee weapon to date due to its efficiency in warfare. Sidearms: Flanged Mace - A one handed weapon that is made entirely of steel and consists of a heavy flanged head, it requires little training to use and is an effective weapon against plate and chain armour in close quarters combat. Arming Sword - A smaller variant of the Greatsword the Arming Sword is a one handed Sword that can be used by Sergeants to make quick work of opponents within close combat situations. Rondel Dagger - A sharp pointed dagger that can be used as a sidearm for all soldiers, it is often used in a time of desperation when all else has failed though it can be a vital tool to saving ones life. Gear: Tower Shield - The Tower Shield is a tall rectangular shield that protects the entire body, though heavy it can be used very effectively to form shield walls and it can be used in conjunction with weapons such as the Pike to make up for the lack of heavy plate armour. It is often decorated in the colours of house Crast. Crossbowman/Sharpshooter uniform - The crossbowman uniform is very similar to that of the Pikemen with the either a bascinet or a kettle helm, the armour itself is made up entirely of a thick linen based gambeson and coif which forms an effective light-archer armour set perfect for the agility required for Willowsguard Crossbowmen. Pikeman uniform - The pikeman uniform consists of either a Bascinet or a Kettle helm with a gambeson and a chain hauberk that covers the upper arms and chest to form an effective light-infantry armour set. Sergeant & Knight Sergeant uniform - The Sergeant uniform consists of the helmets previously mentioned with two full faced variants. The armour is slightly more armoured with a surcoat covering a coat of plates and a set of plate gauntlets and plate boots. Recruitment Application OOC: MC name - Timezone - Skype (Optional) - Do you have teamspeak? - IC: Name - Race - Age - Motives for joining -