Grand Sahar & The First Blade

The ascension of the Grand Sahar and the First Blade is one of the most solemn and exacting processes within the Order of Arelian. Leadership of the Order is not granted by lineage, politics, or divine command. It is earned through mastery, unity, and the unwavering strength of the Bond between a Sahar and their Guardian. Only when a pair demonstrates exceptional harmony and proven merit does the Order recognize them as worthy of its highest mantle.  

Emergence of an Exceptional Bond

The path begins long before any formal evaluation. Among the thousands of Bonded pairs within the Order, a rare few display a level of synchronicity that sets them apart. Their Bond is stable, luminous, and instinctively cooperative — the Sahar’s discipline complements the Guardian’s strength, and the Guardian’s resolve refines the Sahar’s focus. These pairs are quietly observed by senior clergy, instructors, and regional chaptermasters over many years.  

A Lifetime of Demonstrated Mastery

Both individuals must embody the pinnacle of their disciplines. For the Sahar, this means unmatched control over their magic, emotional equilibrium, clarity of mind, and the ability to guide and teach others. For the Guardian, it requires impeccable martial skill, tactical awareness, discipline, and a proven record of protection and leadership in the field.   Their reputations must be spotless.
They must have served the Order with distinction.
And they must have already earned the trust of those who follow them.
 

Selection by the High Council

When a Bonded pair has repeatedly demonstrated excellence, the High Council of Arelian initiates the formal consideration process. This involves:  

• reviewing decades of service records
• interviewing the pair individually and together
• observing their Bond in structured trials
• gathering testimony from chapterhouses, mentors, and regional leaders
• receiving counsel from the current Grand Sahar and First Blade if able

  This step is not a vote — it is a rigorous confirmation of suitability, character, and capability.  

Trial in the Chamber of Threads

Once approved, the pair is brought to the Chamber of Threads inside the Temple of Unity. Here, the stability of their Bond is tested under ritual strain designed to reveal any weakness: spiritual imbalance, emotional volatility, or lingering corruption. The Chamber does not choose leaders, but it cannot be deceived — it exposes the truth of a Bond without mercy.   Only pairs who remain united under this pressure can proceed.  

The Ritual of Ascension

Those who succeed undergo the Rite of Ascent, a private ceremony overseen by Threadmasters and the High Council. During this ritual:  

• the Sahar is formally acknowledged as the Grand Sahar
• their Guardian is named the First Blade
• the responsibilities of leadership are symbolically and spiritually transferred to them

  The ritual is grounded in tradition, symbolism, and the will of the Order — not the will of any deity.  

Public Recognition

After ascension, the new leaders step into the Great Hall to be presented before the Order. There are no oaths to swear, no kings to kneel to, and no divine proclamations to await. Their Bond itself stands as their vow, their history as the proof of their worthiness.   From that moment onward, they act as the Order’s united heart:
the Grand Sahar, voice and vision;
the First Blade, shield and steel.

Unlike secular rulers, their authority does not expire on a schedule, nor is it tied to political cycles. Their tenure lasts as long as they remain the most harmonious, capable, and complete Bond within the Order.   There is no set duration. Some pairs have led for only a few years before one faltered, fell in battle, or suffered a fracture in the Bond. Others have ruled for decades, guiding generation after generation of Sahar and Guardians. The Order’s records show vast variation, reflecting fate rather than rigid tradition.   If either leader becomes unfit; through injury, imbalance, corruption, spiritual instability, or a weakening of the Bond, the pair must relinquish their titles together. The Order does not allow a Grand Sahar to continue without their First Blade, nor a First Blade to lead without their Sahar. Unity is the foundation; the moment unity dissolves, leadership ends.   In extraordinarily rare cases, a Grand Sahar and First Blade may voluntarily step down if they believe another bonded pair is better aligned with the God's will. Such abdications are always conducted privately within the Temple of Unity and witnessed only by senior clergy.   Ultimately, the term of the Grand Sahar and First Blade is determined not by law or custom, but by fate, strength, and the endurance of their Bond.

From the very beginning of the Order, the Sahar and the Guardians were never meant to function separately. Aurelian and Leohara taught mortals that magic (Sahar) and might (Guardians) must always work in balance. The earliest bonded pairs, guided directly by the gods, instinctively embodied this dual leadership.   As the Order formalized, the roles that later became the Grand Sahar and First Blade emerged naturally out of necessity. The most powerful Sahar and the most exceptional Guardian would rise together during moments of crisis, leading the Order as a bonded source of wisdom and steel. Their leadership was never a hierarchy; it was a partnership mirroring the bond the entire Order is built on.   When the Ritual Bond was created by Velmorra’s priests and the Order expanded into a global force, the structure solidified:   The Grand Sahar became the spiritual, magical, and ideological heart of the Order.   The First Blade became the martial, tactical, and protective pillar.   Crucially: they were always equals, just representing different halves of the same ideal. The Order’s founders designed it so the world would always see balance embodied: magic + might, wisdom + discipline, vision + action.   Throughout every era recorded in the file—from the Early Years through the War Years and into the Modern Era—the Order’s greatest triumphs always stem from a pair at the top. The file even emphasizes multiple legendary duos who shaped history, reinforcing that the Order’s entire identity revolves around paired leadership.