The Black Arrows

The Black Arrows consist of 3 main levels or ranks that they refer to as circles.    The first circle is known as The Fletchers. This is the lowest rank and encompasses the new recruits who have passed their initial tests and gained entry into the organization. They can be identified by their black cloaks with a silver embroidered, upward facing arrow and silver arrow clasps on the front. Their main jobs are to patrol the surrounding lands and police the city, keeping the peace and assisting the citizens when circumstances require it.   The second circle is known as The Bowyers. This is the middle rank and contains those who have shown either great military, magical, or political skill from the lower rank. They can be identified by their black cloaks with a silver embroidered bow, and silver bow clasps on the front. Their main jobs are to recruit, organize, train, and distribute the Fletchers throughout the city and lands.   The third circle is known as The Archers. This is the highest rank that only the most elite members can be a part of. The greatest military, magical, and political leaders make up this ruling council. Entrance into this council can only be found through rigorous testing and then a two-thirds majority vote by the other ranking members. They can be identified by their black cloaks with a silver embroidered bow containing a drawn back arrow, and similar Arcane Silver clasps on the front. Their main jobs are to determine the direction and focus of the Black Arrows, provide liaisons to other cities, and to run the day to day operations of Broken Arrow.   Entry into each circle requires passing tests of archery skills, tests of magic prowess, and a successful foreign mission into other lands.   A fourth circle exists but it is for only a single individual known as The Ace. This person is the official figurehead of the Black Arrows and ruler of Broken Arrow. The Ace is easily identified by the unique Cloak Of Bruten Saeth. This magically dark cloak is embroidered with fine silver runes along the edges and in the center of the back is a large depiction of a silver arrowhead pointing upwards. The cloak is fastened in the front by an arrowhead clasp made out of Arcane Silver. Their main job is to not only safeguard the city, its citizens, and resources, but to also further the agenda of the Black Arrows.

Being comprised entirely of half-elves, they see themselves as both outcasts from human and elven society and also as being more advanced than either of their heritages. Being stronger and more mature earlier in their lives than the elves and as being more skilled, graceful, intelligent, charismatic, and longer lived than the humans. The addition of their spell casting abilities has convinced them of their superiority to other races, including their own.    Due to their capture by the Kotu Pyn dwarves and conscription into the underground wars, they still harbor a strong hatred towards all dwarves and readily pass down the stories and feelings to the next generation. Additionally they feel betrayed by the elves, who never came to rescue them. Their feeling towards the elves range from neutral indifference to extreme dislike, and they have no interest in working with them in any capacity. Their views on other races are made on an individual basis as none of them would have been able to assist or rescue them from the dwarven depths.

The Black Arrows official public agenda is to provide a safe and secure city that protects its citizens and their resources from the dangers of the Broken Lands beyond.

This organization has access to a wide array of numerous magical weapons as well as the more more mundane weapons of the area. While they have not amassed a large fortune or treasury in which to pay mercenaries or hire locals as a major fighting force, they are themselves a powerful militia. When called upon, all of the members are extremely skilled bowmen and powerful sorcerers that usually make quick work of any invaders.

The Black Arrows originated in the depths of the war tunnels of the Kotu Pyn dwarves. It was here, after a costly victory for the dwarves, that the surviving enslaved half-elven sorcerers joined together under a single rebellious leader with a simple plan of escape. Walking among the great dwarven casualties, Bruten Saeth recognized an opportunity for rebellion and escape. After ransacking a mind flayer outpost, they used the newfound magic items and their tremendous spells to finish off their dwarven overseers. They closely followed a newly discovered magic Ley Line that powered their spells allowing them to carve their way through the earth to the surface world above.   Once on the surface, the Black Arrows continued to follow the Ley Line across the land and away from the dwarven realm. Their travels took them to a remote farming village near the Broken Lands. Here they learned of the Lake Hags and other creatures that had killed and laid waste to the farmers previous and much more fertile lands. Their journey took them past the lake where they were forced to kill the Lake Hags and other terrible creatures, cleansing the area of evil.   Shortly past the lake and across the river, the Black Arrows discovered a convergence point where the Ley Line that they were following was intersected by second Ley Line. Bruten Saeth took forth his last silver arrow and broke it in two, declaring that they would make this land their new home, where they could use the Ley Lines magic to protect themselves from all evil, concentrate on their magical studies, and have the opportunity to investigate such a magnificent force. The Black Arrows took this action as a symbol for their new home, naming it Broken Arrow.    Their proximity to the raw magic of the Ley Lines greatly amplified their spells allowing them to pull from the earth great structures of gleaming, black marble, that they shaped into towering buildings that encircled the magical convergence point. This great ring of towers surrounding the intersection became their homes, laboratories, and workshops.   Once it became known that the Black Arrows had cleared the area of monsters, the farmers quickly returned to their ancestral homes and fertile lands near the lake once again. Here they thrived and developed many partnerships with the half-elves across the river. The villagers provided food and raw materials while the Black Arrows provided protection and a central government. Bruten Saeth was voted to become the first Ace of Broken Arrow, overseeing and directing the farming village to become a small town, and then a prosperous city encompassing both sides of the river and their peoples.   After the death of Bruten Saeth, the Black Arrows discussed and voted upon a new Ace or leader of the city. With each successive leader, the Archers rank gained more and more power, until the city leader became nothing more than a figurehead for the organization and had a voice only equal to that of the other members. Eventually an agreement was reached between the Ace and the council, wherein the new Aces would be descendants of the previous leader if they met the requirements of membership into the Black Arrows and progressed through all of the ranks.    As the most stable and closest city to the Broken Lands, many travelers and traders see Broken Arrow as a great opportunity for trade and commerce, while daring explorers and adventurers seek fortune and glory beyond the city walls.