Chronicles of Eternia
The Goldlight Order - Printable Version

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The Goldlight Order - Coroneljones - 08-21-2023

The Goldlight Mercenary Company is no more
News spread by letter and flyer to its contractors and clients
In its place, rises something new

The Goldlight Order

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The successor of the Goldlight Company, once a simple band of mercenary contractors, now a self-knighted order, formed 2074AC, an order not sworn to any one Kingdom of Meranthe, but to those in need.

Many of its founding members are not native to the region, yet that seems to do little to stop them.
The Titular Ideals

"To bring hope to the weak, one must be a tale of inspiration that spreads. A champion of high ideals, so as to inspire others to great heights."

Champions of Honor
Act with honor to those worthy of it. Your word is your bond.

Exemplars of Virtue
Strike with your heart. Let the fury of the righteous guide you against the deserving.

Protectors of The Weak
Where the weak struggle and dwell, the strong must stand and serve.

These three ideals are the (founder-proclaimed) guiding pillars of The Order.
The chivalric virtues of a knight and the standards that separate being such a paragon of chivalry instead of a simple doer of good.
The Monastic Concord

"To be good is to serve a righteous cause, and the most righteous of all is to protect Creation itself. The Gods watch, yet they do not act, it is up to Man to do what must be done."

Under the founding agreements of the order, there was no one true patron Deity for its members to bind themselves to. The main belief above all is in the unbreakable will of the indomitable human spirit.
With the rise of the Faith Wing of the Tribunal, an evolution of this founding doctrine continues on, now with a central Patron for The Order as a moral guide, yet without any requirements of strict adherence, as the choice is still an individual one.

Yet, Primordial or Constant, almost all* are given respect, or even valued, for the aspects that they embody.
Although Pylae was once a common focus, as the Constant of Hope is an easy draw for those that wish to bring hope to those in need, a new icon has come to represent Hope itself within The Order and its domains, within the Tribunal. The Dreamer.
*Obviously Hel worshippers and any Fel cults are outright ostracized.

The Ordered Hierarchy


"Discipline is a measure of one´s control over their own will. To adhere to a chain of command is to know one´s duty and how to serve."

During the founding period, the contractor ranks had to be reorganized into something proper, and thus came the Goldlight Hierarchy.
The crusade wars of 2084, and the hardships that came from it only caused a further requirement to shift the Hierarchy.

Guardsman
An initiate of the order, one who has sworn an oath of duty and service to the order and his brethren in arms, and thus, has sworn their blade to the cause.
Many will find their service to begin and remain here, in the militant hierarchy.


FIELD COMMAND RANKS
Knight-Sergeant
No longer a simple initiate nor guardsman, but a true veteran member of the Goldlight Order granted a measure of command, an exemplar to be followed by their lessers.
For many that are content with simple service, this is honor enough.

Knight-Champion
Where once stood the Aspects and Virtues, now stand the Militant Champions of the Unbridled, intended to be the best of their brothers and sisters in arms.
The highest honor one can achieve, without the burden of high command.


DIVISION COMMAND RANK
Knight-Captain
Division leaders of the Order, the guiding hands to lead those under them, and quite capable of heading their own focused divisions within the Order, with approval. To be a Knight-Captain is to be directly included in the decision making process when required, as an official member of the Council of Captains and thus part of the council that runs the Order.


GENERAL COMMAND RANKS
The Captain-General
The Captain of Captains, and thus the head of the Council, as the direct head of The Order.
A seat set apart from all others for its responsibilities and high trust, for the one to be responsible not only for The Order and its operations, but oversight of its holdings, to be advised by the Archbishop himself as need be, but otherwise allowed to act autonomously.

The Archbishop
The retirement seat for the first head of the order, and the position at the top of the ordered hierarchy, even if it is primarily advisory, with a central focus upon coordinating The Faith through his chosen Hand.

The Golden Wings of The Order


"Just as the human form has its many limbs and organs that it requires to function, so too will we require orders of our own, to ensure victory."

The Order is a militant organization, and just as any other, it has need of many things to ensure long-term function. The many departmental wings of The Order are responsible for these tasks, each a specialization of their own.

The Unbridled - Under the Command of the Knight-Commander [As Knight-Captain of the Militant Wing]
PRIMARY WING
Where each wing hardly touches one another normally, the Unbridled are the core militant arm of The Order, and the one that all members will begin service in, before being able to advance further, or volunteer for double-duty with another Wing.
If you wish for peace, prepare for war.

The Free Wings - Under the Command of the First Ranger [As Captain of Travel]
RETIRED WING
The path least travelled, glory not through battle, but through travel and exploration. The Free Wings are the Rangers of The Order, the many eyes and ears that travel across the land, only to return with new marked maps and intelligence reports.
Adventure is out there, discover it.

The Tribunal of the Everyman  - Under the Command of The Hand [As Knight-Captain of the Faith Wing]
PRIMARY WING
More unique than the other wings, The Tribunal is not solely a Wing of the Order, but also a religious philosophy, once a sect of the Church of the Saints, and now something else entirely, it seeks not only to act as an example of behaviour, but also a guiding hand and confidant to those that need it, both within The Order and outside of it.
Unbent. Unbroken. The Indomitable Spirit of Man stands, fueled by Hope, guided by pure Will.


Contact

Soon after the reforms, flyers informing of this succession began to be spread to the settlements of Meranthe, delivered by small squads of non-magi aides armed with naught but travel supplies and stacks of flyers to pin to public noticeboards along their travel route.
A task that would take days, weeks or even whole months to spread from one side of the land, to the other, and any newly issued posters would need a repeat of this long journey. A arduous undertaking

The Reforms of 2084AC. - Coroneljones - 10-15-2023

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With 2084AC soon coming to a close, and another year of the Indefinitive Crusade on the horizon, it was clear that something had to be done.
To adapt, or to struggle.


The news were spread via missives hand-delivered by the Commander´s aides and couriers to The Order´s members, Magi or not, word had spread.
A vast swathe of militant reforms for the Goldlight Order, with more on the horizon as required.
A new face of The Order, for a new year.


A Goldlight Meeting - Coroneljones - 10-21-2023

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2085AC soon passes by, and with an increased intake of both Magi Guardsmen, and non-magi support staff, a need comes to further organize ranks.

And with news of another siege upon Aphros on the horizon, it was needed now more than ever.
Letters are sent to those sworn to serve The Order, a simple missive regarding an upcoming meeting, with a few noteworthy topics mentioned:

  • Militant Reform: Maniple
  • Wings: Duty Assignment
  • Mobilization Effort: Logistics and Outfitting


A fresh start, to 2086AC
OOC Date: Monday (23/10) 
Expected start time:22:00 (10PM, GMT+1)/ 17:00 (5PM, EST)


A Golden Portend to come. - Coroneljones - 11-21-2023

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And after a period of near-total silence since the desolation of Aphros, and the abduction of most of their non-magi armsmen barely a few years after, once more do The Order´s messengers march across the lands yet again.

The non-magi messenger squads depart just as quickly as they arrive, bearing sealed letters for their scattered cohorts, but with barely an official word spoken beyond a simple phrase:

"Hold out and have Hope"

A sign of life for the Goldlight Order.
A sign of preparations and future plans.
A sign of future things to come.
Stay tuned


The Call of 2092AC


A Golden light upon the horizon - Coroneljones - 12-07-2023

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Three years have passed, since the last batch of orders was sent out.
Three years of minimal amounts of organizing and of silence, without a single clear rallying point, beyond an increased presence at the Gloomlight Grove.
Three years of preparations, as agents and aides of The Order were seen across the lands and settlements of the Meranthian Peninsula, with one common goal: The purchase of building supplies, as wagon convoys entered practically empty, and left full of materials.

And it is now, after those three years, that a new missive is sent out, but with a key difference.
This one is sent not only to those of The Order, but distributed to the public as well, as the men-at-arms venture across the civilized settlements of Meranthe to pin flyers onto local noticeboards.

And thus, The Order sets its sights upon that which was once ruins, to build something anew.
It sets its sights upon the ruins of Old Aphros, for 2095 and the years to come.


The Goldlight Order: The Call of Duty - Coroneljones - 01-28-2024

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The sixth year of the founding of Martyrs´ Vigil marks the start of correcting a problem for The Order that has quickly racked up:
The lack of talented Magi, to supplement the vast numbers of Non-Magi and the lesser trained that make up the bulk of The Goldlight Order´s forces.

And thus, 2103AC shall be the year where The Order sends out its advertising squads across the Peninsula once more, to inform and seek out any willing volunteers to make the journey to the established Stronghold of The Order, to swear the oath of service and dedicate their lives to a selfless cause.
To be the beacon of Hope and Order, amidst the chaos of the world.

Volunteers are advised to reach out to any of the following for induction, in person or by letter:
  • Knight-Commander Garret Richter, for general registration and for those wishing to be assigned to The Tribunal as their secondary Wing-Duty.

  • First Ranger and Knight-Captain Shevaun, for those wishing to be assigned to the Free Wings as their secondary Wing-Duty.

  • War-Captain Caterina Zafana The War-Captain´s chosen successor and Champion, Carnation Avincus, for general induction and assignment to the Unbridled.

  • Quartermaster and Knight-Captain Cecil Zafana, for those wishing to be assigned to the Logistics Wing as their secondary Wing-Duty.

  • The Civil Guard is currently unavailable, due to a lack of volunteers in The Order, for the time being, to organize such a secondary Wing.

Volunteers are also reminded of the following notes:
  • Any Captain, or their Chosen Second, is a valid contact method for induction.

  • For inquiries on the individual Wings, refer to the original index flyer, or contact the relevant Captains or members.

  • The Service Oath is unlikely to be sworn on the spot, but instead saved for a later date for a proper ceremony.

  • New Volunteers may be rewarded with a free sample of the local wine, as a welcome gift, and a taste of what lays ahead for their time in service.

  • Uniforms for the Order are still in a state of revisions, and as such, the current options will not be the sole ones to remain.
    New designs and ideas are still being sought out, and the more fashion or metalurgy-minded artists are welcome to contact The Order for commission fees, or to await an upcoming competition with a hefty payout.

  • Non-Combatant or less Militant-inclined Volunteers are advised to look into the support wings for duty assignments, for that alone is not enough to disqualify from contributing.


The Goldlight Order - Sixty One Years under Golden Wings - Coroneljones - 09-09-2024

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=2135 AC=

Sixty one years, of The Order at work since its "official" founding.
And thirty eight, since Martyrs´ Vigil endured its first founding.
The Order marches on, to make it to a hundred.

To weather through the oncoming storm.
To Endure
A Shift in Ranks:
  • All prior Knight-Captains have welcomed retirement, for their valiant service.  An honorable discharge and leave, granted after years of duty.
  • A New Knight-Captain has been assigned to the Logistics and Support Wing, through the promotion of Tandava Meanderdog. Pending the assignment of a War-Captain, she has also taken charge of the Militant Wing and its operations.
  • Additional Knight-Sergeants are in the process of being selected and promoted, to maintain the stalwart and binding link of the Chain-Of-Command.


Adaptive Reforms:
  • The Rank of War-Captain has been replaced with that of the Warden-Castellan, with a shift in duties and focus. In honor of The Order´s oldest allies, the title of Lord-Warden is not utilized as an official honorific for the holder of the position, due to its common ties to Athelios himself, and instead, Lord-Castellan and its alternatives are preferred.
     The title of War-Captain, for the Knight-Captain of the Militant Wing, still remains. 
  • The Order, through its Vigilant Tribunal, has earned a Patron of choice. Worship or induction is not mandatory, as the matter remains strictly personal, yet a preference is visible towards the more popular options from The Tribunal or the Asperan Church, especially for the former.

The Cadet Program:
  • With war-time policy in effect, and higher standards to be maintained even in the face of danger, the Cadet Program has been established, for any volunteers to be inducted. Any volunteer under the age of Sixteen shall remain within the Program till they are of age, while those at the enlistment age, or older, will see a shorter stay within this trial period, till they are elevated to full members of The Guard.
  • With this new initiative, the standard Ward education provided by the Tribunal shall include the Cadet Program as an optional "class" for their curriculum, for those seeking to advance into service post-graduation.
With the oncoming Atrellyan Invasion, and a siege upon the nearest occupied island of the Protectorate of Fortune, the Order summons its enlisted volunteers to convene, so that more orders may be issued, and a defense may be properly organized.


DATE: SEPTEMBER 11TH, 5PM EST/10PM GMT
Attendance is NOT mandatory, but will be welcomed for contributions.


The Goldlight Order - The Rise of the Archbishop - Coroneljones - 02-16-2025

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The Change of Guard concludes, and with it, The Order´s command structure reforms.
The Council of Captains is returned to full active duty as the new body of administration for The Order.
And its first Commander truly finds rest at last.

  • The title of Knight-Commander is now that of the Knight-Captain of the Militant Wing, as opposed to its own rank.

  • The title of Hand of the Tribunal is now detached from the Commanding Officer of The Order, and is now that of the Knight-Captain of the Faith Wing.

  • The seat for Knight-Captain of the Logistics Wing remains vacant, pending appointment by the Head of the Council, as do any rank retitlements for the Auxiliary Wing.

  • The Captain-General assumes direct command of the Order, as the head of the Council of Captains, and the primary active General Command Officer, responsible for day-to-day activities and autonomous operation.

  • With the official retirement of Garret Richter from the rank of Advisor-General, and the abolishment of that rank, the First Knight-Commander retires to recluse himself with The Faith, under the title and rank of The Archbishop, into a primarily advisory role in day-to-day matters, with his main focus, publicly, being upon the Faith and Church and personal estate matters.

  • The Keepers of the House of Hope have been retitled to Bishops, in service to The Hand.

RANK EQUIVALENCES:
General Command
7 - The Archbishop
6 - The Captain-General

Division Command
[Militant Wing / Logistics / Tribunal]
5 - Knight-Captain [Commander / Logistics / Hand]

Field Command
4 - Knight-Champion / - - / Bishop
3 - Knight-Sergeant / - - / Inquisitor

Enlisted
2 - Guardsman / - - / Overseer