Alerean Duelseeker

Warfare's Perfection

  The Duelseekers are the royal guard of the Alerean Kingdom. Not only this, but they are exclusively from high nobility themselves, with the least noble among them still finding their ancestry is in high aristocracy. Duelseekers originated from the need for a completely loyal, elite warrior-class that is independant from the ruling line. It had been seen for centuries that the most competant soldiers and skilled swordsmen had not, however, come from training behind castle walls. The best had all come from a history of adventure as Mythmakers. When they had eventually come back to Aleryn to settle down, however, they still wanted more active roles, and became guards and soldiers for the Alerean military.  

"What is the greatest virtue? Some men say skill, others talent. Others still say devotion, or perhaps honor. These are, however, the greatest virtues only of men. Mortal in scope, they live so long as the men that bare them do. True virtue is immortal, and the greatest of these is improvement. Of the self, of the other, of the world. Your skill and talents die with you, as do your oaths. But build a mill that your children and children's children shall have grain? Defeat tyranny, that your lineage may live without oppressive rule? There lies real progress, and there breaths the greatest of virtues. - Duelmaster Danse I, Acceptance Speech

  Quickly though, it was known that these soldiers were far more competant than their station would suggest. Foot-soldierdom did not suite these individuals, and they swiftly ascended rank, but even the most elite guard of the time did not match their station. A new elite station of guard was needed, and the Duelseekers were formed. Nowadays, existent Duelseekers tutor their elite guard, and pry for prospective Duelseekers in order to further their tradition. Once they have found a suitable soldier, the student is sent out on a quest of the Duelseeker's design. Often this is to slay a great beast, recover an artifact, or to be a solo political liason during a time of war.  

The Guild of Duelseekers

  The Guild of Duelseekers was established about a century after the order really existed, forming officially in 855 A.C.R. The first member was Duelseeker Olizharn Derizitalum, a famed mythmaker in his time.  

Presence and Station

  Duelseekers, as their name would suggest, are often expected to be engaging in duels with some frequency. Not for glory per se, though duelseeker bouts are quite the spectacle, but for a benchmark. Duelseekers hone their skills, and use the duels as a method of making sure their training produced actual progress.   Duelseekers, seeing few worthy alternatives, face each other more than any other in duels. Once a year, Aleryn hosts the Midyear Wartrials, which happens to include a dueling tournament. The Duelseekers had taken such precedence in the tournament that a separate category was created specifically for them. Or rather, a new duel tournament was added that excluded them, as their participation in any tournament became a decidedly Duelseeker-themed event.   Duelseekers are a popular choice as champions for the Derazh of Akathia, lesser lords that use them to settle inner disputes more amicably than actually having Akathian soldiers on battlefields against one another. Dueling culture, as a result, has seen a shift to the lower classes of society, and more elaborate tests of champions have been devised.   Duelseeker's Arenas are specially crafted event centers, designed for only elite soldiers to duel. Each one is different than the last, with specific challenges to address aside from the duel itself. These can be anything from flame-spitting traps, to the duel taking place on a thin bridge over water filled with any manner of pedator.  

Alerean Fashion

  The Duelseekers were mythmakers before they had achieved their rank, and often the magical artifacts were superior to their state-mandated uniforms. When their station allowed for it, they frequently were seen with mish-matched uniforms that worked in the equipment they had found once as treasure. For training, generally, the former mythmakers would use their uniforms, but when real war and actual battle came to be, it would be foolish not to use the superior equipment.   Therefore, it was seen that these soldiers would perform historical feats of combat prowess on the battlefield in asymmetrical, out of line uniforms. This became Iconic to the Duelseekers, with it apparent that they went against uniform while performing incredible acts for Akathia. As such, many lower-ranked soldiers began integrating their own small flares into their uniform. Nothing that violated uniform on a grand scale, or from a distance, but just a small something like a single sash or bolted piece of fabric. Perhaps a bracer with a tiny engraving on the edge. Before it had even been noticed by higher-ranked leadership, it was an irreversable aspect of the entire military's uniform.