Nebgardeist

Nebgardeist is the Scheli-dren name of the darkrunner Kyrolid queen's royal guard. Literally translated, it means "Living Armor," so-called for their distinctive heavy armor and steadfast protection of their charge in the face of danger. They have long served the Reinfell family for generations, many of them born into apprenticehood and eventual knighthood within the guard. Presently, they serve Queen Merkrauer Reinfell, the Queen of Kyrol. Though not all of them are necessarily paladins or similar disciplines, the vast majority of them are, especially in the higher echelons of their ranks. Nebgardeist's members are distinguished by their highly decorated uniforms; in particular, their helmets "augment" their crests with additional rows of prominent feathers.
In recent times, Nebgardeist has come under scrutiny as Merkrauer Reinfell and King Jeraak Zaltorst work to unify Kyrol despite the racial feuds throughout the country. Proponents of the traditional guard balk at the idea of non-darkrunners joining the guard, as it was traditional for members of the guard to have some ancestral connection to the guards of old. Under this definition, a member of any other race is ineligible to be part of the guard. In addition, others have criticized the guard for having to also defend the ligvoel king, calling it "insensitive" to the years of bloodshed and how the queen's guard, in the past, has had to defend against the ligvoel monarchy's own assassins. Queen Reinfell herself has not commented on if Nebgardeist will change at all in the future -- thought to be not only because altering such an iconic part of darkrunner heritage and history will result in violent revolts and public opinion turning against her, but also because openly refusing to change Nebgardeist in some way will draw divides within a country struggling to unify.
==Oath of the Nebgardeist==
: Upon my crest, I dedicate my life to my queen; to her reign; to her land; to her people. Should I fall in defense of these things, I will rejoice, for I am the stone upon which the people trod, promising stability, safety, and guidance. I go where I am told; where I am needed; where I am bound by oath to protect. Alone, I am but one stone, but together, the others of my oath create a bridge over troubled rivers; troubled times; and troubled souls.
: Upon my armor, I consecrate my deeds to the queen; to her reign; to her land; to her people. Should I defile these things in my actions, I will take my own life, for I have disgraced my oath; my kin; my very world. My heart beats with that of Kyrol, and to forsake Kyrol is to damn my soul. Death will not take me if I break my oath; let my spirit roam, lost, as a warning to all, beyond even the queen's forgiveness.
: Upon my soul, I inscribe my duty to the queen; to her reign; to her land; to her people. I am a knight of the Nebgardeist, unwavering, undaunted, unbroken. So long as the queen guides me, I am never lost. So long as her reign commands me, I am never without purpose. So long as her land lives, I have a home. So long as her people need me, I will live and die by my oath. 
: Siseich Reinfell! Long live the queen!
Category:Ealdremen Groups
Category:Kyrol
Category:No Spoilers