The Brotherhood of the Blade

The Brotherhood of the Blade is renown throughout the Empire for its dueling academy. It is said that Tarvala himself was a commensurate duelist and established this school after the Fey were defeated. Loyal to The Tarvalan Empire

## Homeland

The Brotherhood of the Blade resides in Arlessa, in the Heart of the Empire. They have a large academy building, which they use to train, hold ceremony as well as tournaments.

## Races in The Brotherhood

The Brotherhood is one of the more selective of factions, preferring to recruit those of Elven decent, followed by Human variants, Stoneskins, and other slender, light footed races.

## Full Overview

Taking only the finest recruits, The Brotherhood sees one-on-one swordsmanship as a means of honouring the Emperor and continuing tradition. Alumni are involved with The Blades; the more militant arm of the Brotherhood, joining in units on the battlefield, seeking worthy opponents on whom to test their mettle. The Brotherhood train regularly in the quadrangle located inside their academy, fighting against both static targets and against fellow students.

Once per semester, they Academy holds a tournament to both test their students, as well as open the academy up to the public on order to display historical techniques, their individual skills as well as build interest in the Brotherhood.

Annually, The Tournament of Roses is held at the Brotherhood's Academy in honour of Tarvala.

## Culture

The Brotherhood's culture is one of tradition and mutual respect/honour. Their code of conduct whilst in a duel is strict, from when you are able to engage a target, down to the rules of dispatch. For example; If you best you opponent in a fair duel - which isn't an honour duel, the defeated may request to have their life spared, but as payment for the concession, the victor must cut the right palm of the defeated.

Apart from this, the Brotherhood, despite it's name, takes in females and males of all races, training them together, and against each other through their time at the academy.

The Brotherhood is steeped in tradition. Requiring all combatants to live within the walls of the Academy until their graduation, after which they may come and go as they choose.

## Leadership

The Brotherhood is currently led by the Head of school training, Martin Honourblade. Below him is 8 other high ranking trainers.

## Internal Groupings

The Brotherhood has two main groupings;

**Recruits/students -** Those who are within the walls of the academy, for the express purpose of training and development. These hopefuls are trained intensely over the five year period at the academy, to prepare for their final duels and strategy trial.

**Alumni -** After completing he final exams, the Students graduate the academy and are offered a position at one of the Guildhouses of the Brotherhood. They are able to enter and leave the Academy as they please, and are often offered accommodation at one of the Brotherhood lodges adjacent to the academy.

## Relationship with other Sub-factions

The Brotherhood maintain a strong political relationship with Tingzun, respecting their training, skill at arms and single-target martial fighting styles.

## Battlefield Behaviour

The Brotherhood typically value themselves as solo fighters, preferring to find worthy targets and pick them off one by one. They skirmish against a target they feel worthy in order to prove their worth. If group-tactical fighting will render a more advantageous outcome, Brotherhood fighters will stick as a tight unit, and will fight to protect each others' blind spots.