THE BLADESINGERS:

The Head of the Bladesingers is an exiled ss'tiss named Ssriasst. One of the few of her kind to be able to weild magic, she brings a heretofore-unknown element to the Bladesingers; the ss'tiss code of honour and their battle-prowess. Exiled from her people, she will teach elements of the Sunblade form of combat to enhance a bladesinger's own formidable skills, but she will never teach it all, too much a ss'tiss to betray her people even though they have forsaken her.

The Bladesingers follow no particular god or pantheon; they are the battle-guild, the only Magic guild whose purpose is the defense of Telgard when the Scourge comes again. Accepting of any race or creed able to fit within the Guild's standards, the Guild is housed within the Iron Tower, located somewhere on the coast of Korresh. They enjoy semi-legitimacy, unlike other magical guilds, because they train the Imperial Family's oath-sworn elite Guards and army officers--though few know that the trainers of the Guards are actually a magical Guild. Recruitment often occurs from among the brighter members of those headed on the path of the Guards.

The Bladesingers believe in the beauty of war and battle; many are skilled performers, singing about the glories of war. They are not foolish; each Bladesinger fully understands the costs of war. However, they believe that the best way to die is in battle, defending Telgard, and through the Guard, policing Korresh as much as they can while waiting for the final battle.

The Bladesingers are mostly found in Korresh; ss'tiss cannot abide the magic that is required for membership, and the other races with the possible exception of the dwarves appreciate war and battle in quite the same way. They do not enjoy legitimacy in other Kingdoms and since most monarchs make it their business to know of military groups on their soil, Bladesingers in other Kingdoms tend to keep a low--but not non-existant--profile.

Tested Skills:

The Bladesingers test in every single weapon and magical talent. They also test in medicine, riding, survival, herbalism, music, performance, cartography/navigation, and engineering.

Entrance into the Guild:

The Bladesingers recruit through those few who have heard of them and wish to apply directly, or by selecting promising individuals who believe at first that they are training to become a Guard or military officer. Bladesinger recruiters will often work their way into other Kingdoms' armies for this purpose; thus, while most members of the Bladesingers are human, virtually all the races save the delfae and ss'tiss have a significant presence in the Guild.

Promising recruits, who show aptitude and the right attitude during mundane training, will be approached by a Bladesinger, who will serve as the PC's sponser. If the PC is unwilling, the Bladesingers will often erase the PC's memory of the offer. If accepted, the PC will undertake the Guild Trial, which will serve to awaken any magical talents the PC may have and prove the PC's dedication to a worthy cause. Failed candidates are often memory-cleansed and given into the army or Imperial Guard.

Advancement within the Guild:

PCs who are accepted into the Guild are Soldiers; they are brought to the nearest Bladesinger enclave and trained in the arts of war, of tactics, and of using magic on the battlefield. A PC who has achieved proficiency in four tested skills, or Advanced in one and proficiency in two more, may undergo the test for Lieutenant if their superiors think them worthy. All Guild Trials save that which is required for admittance may be failed with no dishonour, and re-tried up to three times. After the third time, the applicant is deemed unable to continue and is not permitted a retrial though they may remain at their current position.

The Guild Trial for Lieutenant is when the PC demonstrates his dedication to the higher cause of defending Telgard (as opposed to defending Korresh or whatever army he's been recruited from.) Success means the PC is capable of being on his own, searching for allies or ways to further the abilities of the Bladesingers to do their duty, or alternatively staying behind and undergoing more training or training others, whatever the case may be.

A PC must be Expert in one skill, or advanced in three, to undergo the Guild Trial for Captain. The PC must have demonstrated willingness to die for the cause if necessary. The Trial is takes one of two forms, depending on the need of the Bladesingers or the area the PC's superiors feel the PC needs testing in; either the PC must find some artifact, item, ally, or something similar that poses a vast contribution towards the Bladesinger's cause (and doing so while using tested skills), or undergoing the Gauntlet; the PC must do battle for a day, one-on-one and singlehandedly against groups. His opponents are carefully selected from among the ranks of the Bladesingers, and he is permitted an hour's rest between each battle, as much water during rest as he wishes, and bread before the first battle, at noon, and halfway between noon and the last battle.