Whitewatch
Vanreths culture of warfare would never end if the victor was not replenished before the vultures could sink their talons into the ragged flesh. This was proven time and time again, from the One Week Ruler to the eventual Dawnpeak conflict. Constantly, a House of renown would break itself upon its enemies alliances and capture command of the kingdom only to be dethroned by the ensuing rivals who would take advantage of a weakened house. It was not always the case, but was prominent enough to become a known issue in Vanreths bloody culture of might and titles.
The Whitewatch as an organisation is built to enforce the will of the Paramount, to keep the structures of Vanreth in place, and stop the throne from changing hands too frequently. They are few, and yet dedicated and powerful. A total force never exceeding 1000 trained soldiers, the Whitewatch is less of a force for war and more of a multiplier of power. They are bodyguard, envoy, executor, and marshal. When war comes, they work in small part to defend the ruler sat upon the throne though rarely participate in open combat outside of the first year of service to a paramount. Instead, they defend the city of Anchorpoint, the royal house, and the places of power for which the kingdom needs no matter who sits at World End Keep. Their loyalty is first and foremost to the kingdom, then their tenets, and then the house who sits on the throne.
When a house takes the throne and has sufficient control over key parts of the city, the Whitewatch surrenders itself to whoever the house claims as its ruler. In such a way, the capturing of Anchorpoint is a game to be played. Winning the throne requires not just defeating the army, but capture of the docks, main gate, and keep in order to force the Whitewatch to change hands. This changing of the guard is nearly instant, horns of conquest are blown and the soldiers turn on once comrades and bid them surrender and leave or perish. For the next year of service to the Paramount, the Whitewatch may act as soldiers of the field to keep the lands from an ongoing conflict and allow the leader to muster allies and arms and protect the lands. When that year is up the Whitewatch begins its new duties. It maintains a protection of the capital, places guards within the ranks of nobles the Paramount deems important enough to protect. They are not spies, they relay no information or make outside alliances. They guard. Other elements are used to enact the will of Vanreths ruler - laws deemed to be within the tenants of Vanreths culture are enforced by the Whitewatch who bring news of the legislature to the royal houses, with threat that not enforcing the new rules will be met with force. Those who step from Vanreths ways may also be met by the Whitewatch, who hunt down the power hungry who would seek extermination and forever rule rather than the ebb and flow of struggle.
None within the Whitewatch owe loyalty to anything beyond Vanreth and the Watch. They have no house nor family beyond those they work alongside. The few times they've rallied as a true force have been when the kingdom itself was at peril - such as the War of the Dragon. Notably, they did fail in part during the Autumn War, where many of their forces were stuck in small combats throughout the city and beyond and could not rally as a collective.
To join the Whitewatch is a great honour, though now it is beset in secrecy. In order to remove foundational loyalties from its members, those within the Whitewatch are taken in at young ages. Most of the time, no one older than 14 may be inducted as a trainee of the order. Orphans are often purchased by the Whitewatch when their numbers are low, but this is rare - as sending a child to join the Whitewatch comes with benefits. For Lower Caste individuals lacking a high name, if a child succeeds in becoming a full member of the watch than the lower Caste family who sent them to the order are granted a small monetary boon and allowed to take the name Weith, or White, which grants them the ability to petition their lords for lands. For those in higher society it grants the same, often meaning less to those of noble or full names if not for the status associated. Those within the Watch do take a last name. A name of old Vanrethian, the title of an animal for which the trainees steward assigns to them on completion of their training.
The Whitewatches separation from much of Vanreths institutions extends to religion and the witch burners of the church. Vanrethian culture has always been wary of magic - the Pale Elves mages were brutal enforcers of the empires will, especially amongst the staunchly independent houses of what would be Vanreth and the Radiant Citadels betrayer goddess of magic pushed this as well. And after the Order of Ethereals nearly sundered the planes above Anchorpoint, Witch Burning and magical registration has become the norm. The Whitewatch is beyond that. The armour worn by them is strangely crafted, full of alchemical and magical traces. And those within, should they survive and pass the training trials, are not shunned for magical abilities. An influx of sorcerer children has, in recent years with the crack down on mages, hit the ranks of the order.
Composition
Equipment
Each member of the Watch that is a full member has access to a number of weapons, forged to their liking within the halls of Fort Dawnpeak. Most notably is the armour each wears. The choice is theirs, from hand crafted leathers to full suits of plate. The materials are the finest in the land, leathers from slain dragons and white, dull, matte metal whose source is only rumour. Each is forged into brilliant pieces of magic resistant armour, inscribed with flowing imagery of an animal chosen by the inductees steward and trainer.
Structure
The watch prides itself on the majority of its members being of equal status to one another, role is the only defining thing that separates one from another. This isn't entirely true - Inductees, trained for often an entire decade, are much lower than the stewards and watch members overseeing their training. They sleep in different quarters, receive little to no pay, and spend their waking hours training. And within the Watch there are certain positions akin to ranks. Senior members are allowed some command over groups, granted by the Lord of the Watch. They don cloaks of midnight blue to denote their station as mission commanders when the time comes, setting them apart from the white cloaked members. Those in command of important relics or stations within Anchorpoint that are required for the watch to change hands are Watch Masters, cloaked in black. These positions offer no true ranks, but are highly sought and considered positions of grand honour. Those in charge of training are those the most aged, in cloaks of deep red they act as the most senior of staff. They are often the executors of the Lord of the Watches will.
Finally the Lord of the Watch is the elected commander who structures the Watch, assigns positions and acts as a liaison to the houses and paramount. Elected by all currently serving and those 'retired' members, the title is often respected but one looked at without much desire as it requires the most talking and politics.
History
House Dawnpeak would rally themselves a powerful alliance and an incredible core of men at arms, trained by martial members of their own "Whitewatch", a House loyal to them and them alone which had no true Lord - only warriors dedicated to the craft. Lower born men and women would draw blood for years to become titled with the house, knowing it came with little honours or lands. Instead it came with respect, and the fear of the lessers who recognised that becoming a ser or lady of the Whitewatch required one to impress and best some of the very best duelists within Vanreth, if not the world. However, this core of soldiers would not save them from near ruin when they waged their war and took command of Anchorpoint. And so, Vanreths foundations were finally ratified. The title of paramount decided, and House Dawnpeak promised their swords in defence of any who held claim over the city and throne - not as they were but as something new. Whitewatch.
