The Blackguard

## The Emperor's fist..

### Laridian Imperialism..

The Ideas let loose and the actions committed by the General Aeron McCormic is widely considered to be the catalyst for most of Laridia's history. The end of the Golden Era, the Extinction of the unfettered direct line of the House of Weblyshire, and the first Laridian Civil war are among those to which he may claim direct responsibility, however a great list of horrid deeds does indeed exist for the Black son of Larida by many academics in the Collegium Magistorum. The Second and Third Laridian civil wars are often linked to the Traitor-General, in addition to being the catalyst for possibly even the Dragon Prince Franco's loss of faith in the Laridian-Viserlund Union. However the most heinous among the things that all agree with was the creation of the Blackguard. An organization steeped in the ideals and veneration of Aeron, and his radical idea that an Imperial Laridian State must abolishing all previous establishments and bring into being an "Victorian Empire of Perpetual Greatness." The Blackguard originally was the King's Guard of the late Naemon III Webyshire. Who had during the height of his regency and under the supervision of his Regent who had happened to be the General, given him oversight of all "Appointments, Duties, and attentions to which the Sovereign must give cadence to." The King's Guard was stacked filled with Loyal retainers of the General and thus it was an easy transition when the young king "Disappeared" and was replaced by his most obvious successor, the General who at the time had assumed not only the Regency, but the titles Protector of the Realm, and Castellion of Laridia. Though the Guard was formally created by the "Emperor" and his mysterious companion, now lost to history. Some claim that the Blackguard was founded by a far older, far more devious organization that could trace it's roots as far back as the Companions.

### From Protectors to Enforcers..

The Blackguard orignally only handled at most the security of the Imperial Palace. But under the name of it's second Lord-Commander the organization had quickly usurped most the roles within the Palace itself. Before the year was out, the force had grown from Twenty men to over a Thousand, and now the force had even the authority to assume command of Imperial Forces whilst in the fields. This would become most notorious when the Goblin tribes were nearly driven from Beodamarr into the mountains by brutal raids perpetrated by the Guard. Whenever the Imperial Throne wished to execute it's will within a portion of the realm, the Blackguard were found to be at it's center. Rebels were prosecuted by Blackguard agents who acted with near absolute authority wherever they appeared, burning whole villages that may have been suspected of harboring Weblyshire claimants, non-humans, or declared Rebels. In cities, the Guard had found it's element as an organization of espionage, laying the ground work for a conspiracy that would last for centuries after the death of the False Emperor.

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### The Modern Blackguard or the Remnant

Throughout history and especially after the fall of the False Emperor, the Guard has been something of a hidden monster that successive governments have used with great success to their various advantages. Though the Order has seen minor resurgences it's dangerous past would seem to be behind it. The Guard has never seen fit to make itself public in modern days, electing to carry out it's dark duties from the shadows. Deceit and misinformation have always been their calling cards, but corruption and murder have never seemed to be out of their playbooks.

At times the Knights of Laridia have seen themselves as this order's natural opposite leading and gaining even more hatred from the Holy Knights of Victoria who contest their claim as the rightful fist of the God-Empress. Though the struggle between the various Orders and the Guard have been kept a closely guarded secret, what may very well be an active secret war, at times signs of some greater struggle spills out into the common. A battle or two. Skirmish in a city or dead bodies found drifting in the Bay of Gold are dark reminders that ancient struggles may not always end.