Tertiary characters Tertiary Characters Characters of importance and/or relevance in Destiny Intertwined, but with temporary or permanently low comic focus. Characters may move in and out of this list as it becomes relevant.

A dragon clan within the universe of Destiny Intertwined. Earthwood is the leading earth clan, one of the leading five clans in Warfang. Earthwood founded the independent Templars, who guard the temples with their lives. They are the eldest leading clan. History ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ When the founder of Earthwood, Tierra, achieved the rank of Chief in 2452, she was eligible to found a clan. Her family were commonly in the patrols dedicated to temple protection, however, she knew this system was flawed. The Guard had too many other duties and regulations making it difficult to defend the temples, so, with her newfound powers, Tierra founded a new order; the Order of Templars. The Templars have only one duty; defend the temples. They are independent from the military, taking no orders from Generals or Chiefs alike, but take their orders from an independent chain of command with Guardians at the very top. Templars choose their recruits from the Army (rarely the Guard), always ensuring their recruits are the best, to protect the irreplaceable Guardians and aid them in the defense of the population's eggs. Since the introduction of Templars, temple safety has drastically increased. This led to Earthwood overtaking the previous leading earth clan in 2606. Earthwood consists of Templars, soldiers, and guards, with some scholars. Clan Trait ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Earthwood is identified by their earthy brown scales and striking nature-colored accents, as well as their branched, antler-like horns. Information Name Allegiance Colors Banner Element Trade Location Leader Heir Founder Founding Year Living Members Earthwood Warfang Dark brown, cold greens Symmetrical tree displaying clan colors Earth Army, Templars Warfang City General Wysta (Matriarch) Templar Senuna Chief Tierra (deceased) Year 2452 355 Appears in Destiny Intertwined (Chapter 1+) Out of Universe DragonOfIceAndFire No/Invitation only Owned by Open for characters? Clan Elements ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Earthwood is almost exclusively Earth. Though they do not forbid taking non-earth partners, the vast majority of the family subscribes to the idea of elemental purity and as such, remain almost pure Earth. Earthwood has primarily green/cold green earths, with some browns, greys, and a few multicolored breaths. Trade ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Earthwood prides themselves as the clan creating the highly respectable Order of Templars. Every Earthwood is expected to meet the standards of the Templars, and to strive to become one. As such, Earthwood dragons will serve in the army well beyond the required service time, until they're eligible to become Templars. Earthwoods that cannot become Templars due to physical, elemental, or psychological reasons may stay in the army or pursue different careers, such as Scholar or Justice. Reproduction and Eggs ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Earthwood has less focus on reproduction contracts than their peers, allowing their members to take mates and have children through them. Rarely, Earthwood will forbid unions if the Earthwood counterpart is undesirable. Notable Members ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ General Wysta (Matriarch) Commander Arborus (unified of Wysta) Templar Senuna (granddaughter of Wysta, Heir) Soldier Feuilla (granddaughter of Wysta) Soldier Sylvie (granddaughter of Wysta) Guardian Avalis (second cousin once removed of Wysta) Master Therris (unified of Avalis) Therris and Avalis' three children And other extended family Page written by DragonOfIceAndFire

Minor characters Minor Characters Characters with presently or permanently low story relevance and/or presence. Characters may move in and out of this list as it becomes relevant.

dragon clans Dragon Clans Dragon Clans Dragon clans are powerful, rich families that lead and influence dragon society. There are five clans in the Warfang Council. The four most powerful clans of each primordial element, and in recent history a fifth was accepted into the Council. Scions Aether is a clan of white-scaled dragons whose blood is so elementally mixed, their eggs can be any primordial or derivative element, regardless of their parents or even grandparents' elements. They represent other mixed dragons, as well as dragons of the Wind and Water elements. There are only a few hundred clans in the realm. Typically, the top four single-element clans represent the lesser clans of their element. Scions Aether represents clans that are mixed. Most dragons do not belong to a clan. Clanless dragons are also represented by the clans, bringing concerns and desires to lesser clans who carry it up to the leading five. See all defined Clans here. What defines a Clan? Clans are blood-ties. Dragons are only ever born into them, or become honorary members through unity (marriage) and having their children be clan members by blood. The family of the dragon that marries into the clan does not become a part of the clan. Adopted family members are never viewed as genuine clan members, and disowned family members lose clan status. Two unrelated dragons/unrelated families can never start a clan together - clans are not an alliance, but a family wherein every dragon is related in some way. Arranged unity and reproduction is used frequently among clans. Due to beliefs of ancestral intervention and destiny, most clans pick eggs that match their clan colors. For example, Stormbringers only pick eggs that are predominantly greys, making up their famously storm-colored scales. The Scions Aether keeps every egg with their blood, but only the fully white scaled hatchlings become full members of the clan. How are Clans created? Clan status is awarded by the Warfang Council (or Tempest Reign/Ocean Delegation for Zephyr Kingdom and Ocean Domain) as a mark on a 'superior' bloodline. This is decided by vote. Clan status cannot be directly applied for, not self-awarded. It takes much to be eligible for clan status . The status and wealth of a single dragon is virtually never enough to give their whole family 'value' - it often takes multiple generations of high achievers to earn clanhood for one's bloodline. Exceptions can be made for elementals, generals/chiefs, and guardians. If a single clanless individual attains these labels, they are eligible to be awarded clan status. It is taboo to assign one's family a clan name and banner without first being awarded the ability to. How many dragons are there in a Clan? Clans with less than ten or even five members are uncommon; given the requirements to attain clanhood, Clans are normally founded with 20 to 40 members. The more powerful clans usually have over one hundred members. The more members in a clan means more wealth, more claws in the Army, the Guard, the Temple, the Justices, etc. Nepotism is rampant in clans. The Stormbringers are said to ‘command half the Warfang Army’ and the Warfang Guard are nicknamed the ‘Frostspear Guard’ for the fact that Frostspears make up much of the high ranks. Numbers alone can help push a clan further towards the top, but if half of a family has achieved very little, that reflects poorly on the clan image. Can Clan status be lost? If a clan has too many members, it will stretch their wealth thin and they risk losing clan status. This can also happen if there are too many members, and most have unimpressive achievements. If a clan falls out of favor, the Council/Reign/Delegation may vote again to remove clan status. What are the public view on Clans? Clans are looked at unfavorably by many, if not most clanless due to their dominance in politics, wealth, and influence. Clan dragons occupy most favorable positions in the army and guard, as well as other high society positions such as the Justices and Guardians. They are also much more likely to get away with crimes with minimum punishment, especially if the crime is against clanless dragons. How are Clans run? Primarily, clans are run by its Matriarch/Patriarch/Atriarch. This is a single individual, most often a direct descendant of their predecessor. Clan Atriarchs decide the clan's priorities, goals, spending, contracts, training, education, etc. This is a lot of work, so bigger clans will have Clan Ambassadors . Ambassadors represent the Atriarch and the clan in social events, in the creation and negotiations of contracts, and when hiring contractors such as tutors, guards, etc. Ambassadors are meant to act, to the best of their ability, as the Atriarch would. Then there are Clan Elders. While a clan's Elders do not actively work in managing the clan like Ambassadors to, they play an important role. Clan Elders are the 5-20 eldest, most accomplished members of a clan. While they may have power over other clan members simply by seniority, they have a special power over the Atriarch; the power to relieve them of their position. If deemed so by 70% of the clan's Elders, the current reigning Atriarch may be permanently or temporarily relieved as clan leader. The clan will then go to the clan heir, if they are of age. If they are not, a temporary Atriarch will be elected by vote until the heir is ready. If no heir was chosen by the Atriarch, the Elders will then vote on who will take over the family. This is a significant event. A clan's Atriarch is not replaced unless extremely unpopular with the Elders, by either being inept or neglecting clan traditions or values. Elders may also vote to reject heirs, contracts, or other decisions of an Atriarch though their eagerness to do so varies from clan to clan. As such, Atriarchs are sometimes at the mercy of their clan's Elders. dragon families Dragon Families Dragon Families All Clans are born through notoriety; through work and dedication, a bloodline becomes recognizable in scale and name. Clanhood is the next step. But the honorable Clan status is hard to achieve, often requiring centuries of that notoriety, to prove one’s bloodline is truly superior, that it is not merely the product of a few strong or even lucky individuals. Before clanhood, families become known, known for their craft or trade standing above the rest. At first, families are known by their elder, and referred to with their name, such as ‘The Voltorn Family’. This naming often persists after that Elder has passed and been replaced as head of the household. This is the case for families regardless of social/economic status. Over time, as a family’s notoriety grows, this name can become something akin to clan names in nature. This name is not self-given by the family itself, but by their community. This was the case of Stormbringer and Frostspear, named for their electric power and ice technique respectfully. These names were adopted into their clanhood, but that is not always the case. Family names are not as versatile as Clan names. They are normally two words combined (no spaces), such as the examples above, and refer to the family in a way that makes them recognizable to other dragons. ‘The dragons with the spear-ice tail technique’ becomes ‘Frostspear’. Families can alter or completely reinvent this name once they attain Clanhood, but not before. Some families may be unhappy with their assigned moniker, but it is never a mocking/negative one (unless the family is infamous, but this is not relevant for pre-clanhood and other respected high-society families). A rising family will harm their reputation by assigning themselves a name, or by rejecting the name their community gives them and assigning themselves a different one. This is considered unmannerly, juvenile; showing that the family is getting ahead of themselves and not growing with grace. When a family is known in communities of several thousands, and recognized by clans, they may feel comfortable to create a family crest . Clans, similarly, have crests which are displayed on their banners. Family crests are much simpler and less unique than clan crests may be, with only a few colors split between the crest and its backdrop. These crests, such as with clans, may adorn homes and craft, and be stamped on official parchments, but not worn on the dragon itself, such as in clothing and armor. This is an unwritten social rule; maintaining that dragons wearing crests are always of Clan blood, and thus worthy of utmost respect. Families do not display their crests on banners, nor in the presence of holy sigils; that is for Clans only. The Stormbringer Crest is an example of a largely unchanged family crest; after attaining clanhood, Stormbringer only enriched its colors, maintaining the simple shape. The Earthwood Crest was unchanged. High Families retain the social hierarchy of traditional families. They do not have founders, or Atriarchs. They look to their elders for leadership. Usually one elder, the most accomplished, is viewed as head of the household. Different families vary in how leadership arises, but generally they try to maintain a leading bloodline of firstborns. The current leader becomes founder if the family is awarded clanhood. As such, unlike Clans, high families have no awarded title, persisting purely by their collective accomplishments and presence within their communities. High families strengthen their name with ties to clans especially, as it is the clans, and ultimately the leading clans, that can bestow upon them clanhood through vote. See all defined non-Clan Dragon Families here.

non-comic characters Non-comic Characters Characters with no comic appearance (yet or none planned), but which may have high relevance in out-of-comic Tales or relation to important characters.

Content List Dragon Politics and Law Pre-History History Present Day Prison & Punishment Laws Murder Theft and Property Destruction Assault Destruction of Eggs Disrespect towards authorities Libel/slander Subjects and laws surrounding them Top dragon politics and law Dragon Politics and Law Click titles to expand sections. pre-history Pre-History In the earliest known days of dragonkind, dragons lived in communities. Dozens to a hundred dragons living in close proximity as a pack, united against the dangerous, untamed wilds. In these communities, it was the eldest dragons who ruled — those few who survived into old age. Often, these dragons were also among the strongest in the community, thus part of a handful that protected the eggs and young. This role would, after the Unification, become known as 'Guardian'. History After the Unification, the title of Guardians were created. The four Elementals who brought peace between the elements became the first Guardians, and were elected rulers of an united Warfang. When Warfang dragons returned to their continents of Titan Fields, Agni Flats, and Concurrent Skies, the distance became a problem. This was before the days of portals, and parents had to brave the seas to bring their eggs to the Temple. As such, new Temples were built and new, local Guardians were elected. These Guardians would govern their continents in place of the original Guardians, who became known as the Elder Guardians, whose sole purpose was to govern the nation of Warfang. After a millennia of this system, economic and influential differences had grown among the populations of Warfang. The strongest dragon families wanted a say in Warfang's politics. To prevent conflict, the Elder Guardians cre ated the Warfang Council , consisting of themselves and the four most influential families of each primordial element. After another half millennia, the Council introduced the Dragon Clan system, a status indicator to be awarded to the most noteworthy of dragon bloodlines. The second major change came around the year 2500, when the pressure on the Council to represent mixed blood dragons became too much. The Council caved, opening for one more clan, whose blood was mixed with all elements. This clan would represent dragons of wind and water as well. Present day Present Day Today, the Council has 9 members; the 4 Elder Guardians; Elder Guardian Arcadier (Electricity) Elder Guardian Amberius (Fire) Elder Guardian Nivalis (Ice) Elder Guardian Terrenus (Earth) and the 5 Clan Leaders; General Tordner of Stormbringe r (Electricity) Chief Isrun of Frostspear (Ice) General Undacus of Scions Aether (Mixed) , General Wysta of Earthwood (Earth) Grand Judge Solari of Golden Flare (Fire) . The Council convenes multiple times a week to address current matters and cast votes on proposed new laws or actions proposed by a Council member on behalf of their subordinate clans. The Council may convene off schedule on short notice. It is the Council who decides on all matters from laws, taxes, service requirements, Guardians, and to war. prison & punishment Prison & Punishment Dragons generally do not resort to use of prisons. It's considered ludicrous to give shelter and food to criminal s, a waste of coin . Most use of incarceration is simply jail time; locking up a suspected criminal until they receive sentencing or have their name cleared. The most usual punishment to small crimes are lashings or beatings. These do not warrant a court, here the Guard is judge and executioner. Usually one can get out of this by paying a fine instead, or the other way around; the criminal is told to pay a fee, and if they refuse or can't pay, they are beaten. More serious crimes are given permanent punishment, such as amputation ( finger, paw, outer wing finger, whole wing, or tongue, usually fitting the nature of their crime. Eyes and tail are not targeted). This can also be at the Guard's discretion, but may also be a sentence from a Judge. Further still, sentences that must come from a Judge or the Council include forced labor or forced military service, or deprivation of water, food and sleep (in tandem with incarceration that doesn't last more than a few moons). The most grievous crimes are punished by execution. This is common. Clan dragons, the rich, and notorious are rarely ever on the chopping block, even for terrible crimes (unless their victims are their equals or superiors). The low and middle class are overrepresented in executions. Executions became more common after exile lost its appeal (originally, exiles were sent to the Dark Lands; a perceived death sentence. At least, that was until it was discovered the Dark Lands were inhabited by Dark Dragons, and that some exiles had actually survived there. Exiles became a security concern, and this punishment ended in favor of executions. Executions are usually not public, unless the Guard wants to make an example, or the public calls for it. Executions are carried out through beheadings. Aside from keeping suspect s in jail until they are seen in court (which can take moons), or the incarceration of those younger than 18 (as Warfang doesn't want to maim future soldiers—criminals between 18 and 24 may be sent to early military service) prison time is used for a small number of specific criminals. These will be powerful dragons (elementally or magically) that refuse, despite torture and deprivation, to engage in forced labor, but who cannot be set free due to the danger they pose. They are dragons that Warfang does not want to execute because they want to put them in military service (often return them to military service), but who need 'rehabilitation'. They may also be individuals that the Guard wants to keep coming back to, such as former leaders of organized crime. Each District in Sector One has a set of cells, a dungeon, for short term incarceration. For longer term incarceration, there are a handful of prisons located away from any city or town. laws Laws Things that are forbidden by law, including but not limited to; Murder Wherein an individual kills another for any reason that isn't self defense or the defense of others, or where the murderer is not acting on behalf of or with permission from the Council, i.e. executioner, soldier, guard, gladiator, etc. Due to Guard corruption, the murder of the poor and 'insignificant' is rarely given enough resources to be fully followed up on. Murder against clan dragons or those from noteworthy families are taken the most serious. Cases where a clanned or rich/high status dragon kills a poor/unknown dragon or a citizen of another race, the Gu ard will bury, as long as the killer's clan or family will compensate them (the Guard itself) for it. More morally aligned clans/families may still do this and then punish their member privately, so as to not damage their clan/family reputation and position. If clan on clan murder happens, the clans are usually allowed to sort it out privately, either with monetary/material compensation, or eye-for-eye. The Guard looks the other way. Usually, the punishment for mu rder is execution, but judges can often be swayed by other dragons in power—for example, a Commander from a more powerful clan wanting their soldier accused of murder to receive a lighter sentence of continued, forced military service. Theft and Property Destruction Wherein someone steals or damages property not belonging to them. This includes trying to free someone's slaves/indentured servants/indebted wards or killing farm animals. Most thieves are caught by bounty hunters, unless they are caught in the act by the Guard. Simple theft such as pickpocketing is just made note of when reported, without a description there is little the Guard can do. When there are physical descriptions to go off of (dragons are generally very visually unique and identifiable) or serial crimes seemingly perpetrated by the same individual, a profile is built and a bounty is put out. The Guard generally doesn't have the resources to pursue petty/small time theft and so will allow bounty hunters to do the work, though they will still make an arrest if a thief is recognized. When the victims are high class and the monetary loss is high, the Guard will investigate and pursue by themselves. Usually, the punishment for theft is cutting off the thief's fingers/paw, or wing, depending on severity of the crime. This may be done on the spot by the Guard. The thief may instead or in addition be made to 'pay back' their debt in disproportionate slave labor. If the thief is under 24, they will serve some prison time instead but may also or instead receive lashe s. When the cost of damages/theft is very high, even if in the case of theft the coin/valuables are returned, the thief/thieves may be executed. Assault ([content warning] including sexual assault) Wherein someone severely wounds another for any reason that isn't self defense or the defense of others. This includes sexual assault wherein penetration occurs without consent. Verbal or non-penetrative assault is ignored by the Guard except in cases where the victim is a clan dragon or otherwise of note, and especially in these cases when the perpetrator is neither. Age of consent is 18, any sexual acts towards a dragon under 18 when the perpetrator is above 18 is considered assault. Punishments for assault may be lashes, forced labor, amputation of a limb or body part (including sexual organs), sterilization , or in extreme or repeat offense cases, or cases involving minors , execution. If a victim is poor/low class, the Guard rarely prioritizes the case unless pressured to. It's difficult to prove assault without witnesses, but one might be judged based simply on their merit and history. This does lead to outcasts being unfairly judged, and 'upstanding members of society' to be unjustly pardoned. False accusations also happen, usually by more powerful dragons who feel slighted by 'lesser' individuals. Destruction or disposal of viable dragon eggs Wherein a dragon deliberately smashes a viable dragon egg (even one's own) or discards of one in such a way that it will be destroyed (such as leaving it in an unsafe area where it may be destroyed by accident or eaten by wildlife). While technically illegal to abandon one's egg at the doorsteps of Temple orphanages, the Temples do not report parents who do this. It's not uncommon for clans to engage in this act. Naturally, the Guard looks away. Punishments for destruction of one's own eggs may be lash es, amputation, forced labor, and/or fines. The destruction of other dragons' eggs is considered murder and is punished with that in mind. Disruption and/or disrespect towards the Army, Guard, Templars, or Guardians Wherein an individual taunts, interferes with, or attacks an on-duty Soldier, Guard, Templar, or Guardian. Depending on severity, punishments can range from fines and/or lashes, amputation of limb, forced labor, or execution. Libel/slander Wherein an individual of lower status orally or in written form attacks a dragon of high stature in an attempt to defame or humiliate them with lies. While this law in theory defends powerful dragons and officials against smear campaigns, it is often invoked by high class dragons to retaliate when their egos are bruised. For example, a clan dragon hearing of a non-clan dragon bad mouthing them/their clan for something that is fully true may still call on the Guard to cut out that clanless dragon's tongue for 'slander'. There have been a few cases where dragons 'guilty' of libel/slander were deemed to be planning violence against their targets, and were judged for the offense of planning assault/murder. This being, in large part, due to the 'victim' being a powerful figure in the Guard or Justice or a friend of such dragons. Citizens can be punished for bad mouthing the Army, Guard, Guardians, Templars, Council, etc. in similar fashion. Warfang has no rights or concepts of free speech, and so attacking the integrity of the Warfang empire's official bodies and individuals is deemed an attack of the empire itself, and this is highly frowned upon even socially. While clan dragons and other dragons of significant influence have more freedom of speech, they will either air grievances in private or ensure those they speak badly of are their equal or lesser. While they are unlikely to be punished by the Guard, if they are punching up they may face retaliation from more powerful clans and lose their own position/influence. Punishment for libel/slander generally defaults to lashes, a beating, and/or a fine. More permanent punishments include cutting out the tongue/cutting off a paw (for slander/libel respectively) or even a wing, which is considered far worse. In theory , a corrupt Guard can take these punishments to any degree of severity if they so please or are paid to, to whichever lengths that will not come back to bite the Guard or the Warfang elites in the ass later. But usually, at least for first time offenses, punishments are rather light, if not simply a warning (this especially the case with teenagers and children), so as to not invoke public unrest. Repeated offenses lead to the punishments listed above. Subjects and laws surrounding them; Alcohol There are no age limits on alcohol, but virtually all taverns and other establishments serving alcohol will not allow anyone younger than 20 to drink. Commoners have little other access to alcohol. Clans and the rich have their own cellars for alcohol but generally don't serve these to children. Drugs Drugs that induce highs, calmness, hallucination, drowsiness, or drugs with anesthetic effect are not illegal, even if severely impacting the user's health. While it's not illegal to give such drugs to another against their will/knowledge (except in cases where the victim's health is severely impacted), doing this to facilitate actual crimes is a crime in of itself. Drugs that cause an individual to attack others or encourages theft are illegal to own, use, produce, and sell. Tax dodging Land and trade is taxed. While failure to pay tax on one's land results in eviction and forfeiture of said land and any buildings and belongings on it, dodging trade taxes by deliberately reporting incorrect information will cause many or all of one's assets, including coin, to be taken by the state. If this is insufficient, lashing, amputation, forced labor, or even execution are also on the table. Draft dodging Every Warfang citizen must serve the required time in the military unless excused. Failure to heed the call can result in forced service without pay and benefits, for five times the duration. Failure to comply with this will be punished by lashing, deprivation of food, water, sleep, and if all this fails to elicit compliance, final punishment is often execution. ▲

Content List Temple School and Studies Organization History Tuition Fees Flight Masters Headmasters Curriculum Reading and Writing Arts Element Flight Magic Battle History Society Sciences Health Temple school and Studies Temple School and Studies Click titles to expand sections. organization Organization The year a hatchling turns 6, they are eligible to start schooling at the Warfang Temples. Their families send an application before the new year, and this is processed by the Temple's Masters who split the new children into groups, flights, of 10 to 15 hatchlings which are headed by a Master of Education, a Flight Master. This master will remain with their flight for all 18 years. When grouping children into individual flights, clutch siblings are grouped together, and existing friend groups may be taken into account. There is a conscious effort to make each flight elementally diverse, and a loose effort to have an equal amount of males and females. No more than a third of the flight may be related, and thus cousins and other family may be divided. Over the years, this division has gone from economically mixed to a clear divide between low-middle class flights, upper-class flights, and clan flights, due to involvement from the latter two. Some flights consists solely of clan/rich-born dragons, whose flight masters are also clan dragons. Other flights have no clan dragons, and are taught by a clanless dragon. Due to clan conflicts and other perceived conflicts of interest, a flight master usually cannot be related to any of their students. Exceptions can be made if a student has unique challenges that a familiar Flight Master can help with, but favoritism can lead to a Flight Master losing their title. history History For most of dragon history, formal education has not existed. Dragons were taught their family trade (if any) by relatives growing up, and they themselves would continue that trade and teach it to their children. This is true for dragons that lived in towns and engaged in economic trade, however, many if not most dragons simply built their own homes and hunted and foraged for food, never even touching a coin. Over the millennia as dragon numbers grew and grew, this natural way of living became more difficult as more land had to be purchased and taxed, and prey became scarcer. Dragons were forced into trade to earn coin for their taxed lands if they wanted to have a permanent home, others were pushed into dangerous lands. As towns turned into cities around the 2nd Millennium (Year 1000), economic differences slowly emerged. Some trades were more prestigious than others, and earned more coin. These richer families began to outsource teachings to dragons outside the family. Over the centuries, private tutoring became a trade of its own, and a prestigious one at that. Around the 3rd Millennium, the same time-frame as the introduction of the Clan system, private tutors were teaching children not only the family trade, but other subjects such as history, sciences, and magic. Most dragons remained uneducated, family- or self-taught in their trades, or just taught simple survival. To have an education was a sign of wealth. Educated dragons surrounded themselves with and hired other educated dragons. The class divide grew. With the growing civilization and the rising need for education, the Dragon Temples began an initiative; to make education affordable and widespread. The Temples hired private tutors to teach groups of children instead of only the children of a single family. This allowed the cost per child to lessen significantly, allowing middle-class families to educate their children as well. Many iterations of this system saw the light through the centuries, but eventually settled on a system similar to the present time; groups of ten to fifteen children, a flight , assigned permanently to a tutor, a Dragon Master of Education . Initially this one tutor taught all subjects for about ten years, and the students would continue specific teachings by private tutors at home. For a while, the students taught at the Temples were middle-class, as high-class families still hired private tutors - however, they felt scorned by this new system due to the cultural and spiritual significance of the Temples. It didn't sit right with them to have children lesser than their own be taught in such an important place. As such, most of the wealthy and the clans began to transition to having their children taught in the Temples, but this wasn't enough. The Council families (main four clans, at the time) and their wealthy allies gradually pushed changes into the system. Dragon Masters required more and more education, more experience. The full education cycle became years longer, with flights being taught subjects more and more by experts (other Dragon Masters) as they aged, leading to flight masters spending longer with each flight, and new Masters being on the Temple payroll. The yearly fee for a child's education doubled many times, pushing out the lower-middle class entirely. At present, education at the Temple Academies remains out of reach to those below center middle class, with many middle class children not completing the full education cycle, only some years as far as their family can afford. Yearly fees were slowly driven up and the academies found themselves used as an incentive; dragons serving in the military beyond required years could see their children educated for cheaper. Then, to further incentivize military service, soldiers with over 12 years total service who were killed in battle would have their children's education fees completely waived. tuition fees Tuition Fees Education at the Temples is not free, and certainly not cheap. Less than 10% of children receive any education at the Temples, and more than 5% struggle to pay the fees despite service benefits. The first five years costs a parent 5,000 coin every year for each child. Years 6 to 14 is 7,500 coin annually, and years 15 to 18 are 10,000 coin each year, to a total of 125,000 coin for the full cycle for a single child. The fee is 15% less for children whose parent is an active soldier/guard (beyond required 2 years service) (106,250 coin) . If a child has two parents who fit this requirement, the fee is 25% less (93,750 coin) . The fee is also 25% less for each parent that has died in service before their tenth year of voluntary service (93,750 or 62,500 coin) . If a parent dies in service after a total 12 years in service, all their children have their schooling fees completely waived. It is not uncommon for families to only educate a single child if that's all they can afford. It is also not uncommon for families to try and educate their child themselves for the first 5-10 years and then apply to have their child start their education late. After the second year, this comes with a flat fee of 10,000 coin on top of the yearly fee, and the child also has to be tested to ensure they can keep up with their flightmates. Due to the extreme fees, a full education cycle remains a sign of high society, and the few children of those who survived wars long enough to earn a free education for their children. Other students tend to end their education prematurely, though even half of an academy education can take them far in the middle class. curriculum Curriculum There are 10 studies taught at the temples; Reading & writing, arts, element, flight, magic, battle, history, society, sciences, health. Reading & Writing One of the first things hatchlings learn at the temple is to read and write. This is a skill they must have for their future studies. This subject ends after the first year. Arts Art study is a subject taught from Year One to the end of Year Four, and is more for the enjoyment of young students. They're taught to paint, sculpt, sing, and dance. Element Element study starts immediately as education begins. Flights are split by element and assigned to a Master of Fire/Ice/Electricity/Earth (honorary title not tied to element mastery, but rather the theoretical aspect) or sometimes a Guardian who teaches them about their element and helps them discover and control it. These classes are a mix of grades, often Year Ones to Year Tens, and Year Elevens to Year Eighteens, give or take. The students spend a lot of time helping each other, usually older students assisting younger students. Students are taught the attributes and variants of all (non-dark) elements. Until they discover their own elements, they spend a lot of time watching older students practice theirs. Once discovered, they are trained to control their element. Mastery is often different for each dragon, so dragons may be further grouped based on mastery where the Discovered learn control, the Controlled learn manipulation, and Learners learn advanced manipulation and breath mastery. Most students do not reach Skilled, much less Experienced, so these high-achievers may be grouped together regardless of element. Element training sometimes have sparring between students of the same element mastery, but mostly practice is done with targets and enchanted dummies. Water dragons and wind dragons are grouped together due to their smaller numbers. Flight Flight study starts at Year Three, when children's wings are large enough to at minimum allow gliding. They are taught how to maintain their balance in the air, read and take advantage of wind currents, takeoff and landing, how to optimize their flight and conserve energy. By Year Ten, most students will have mastered flying. At this point, Flight study revolves more around getting even better at flying - flying fast, taking sharp turns, flying through small, magic hoops, etc. Much of this is combined into seasonal cross-flight competitions which many students look forward to. Magic Magic study, unlike Element study, starts by Year Six when most students have discovered their element and are thus capable of other magic. Like Element study, students will be divided and grouped based on their mastery, where those without magic mastery learn to cast their first spell, those with Basic mastery practice perfecting the easiest spells, and Starters learn to cast all easy spells. If any students are Intermediate, they may be taught harder magics. There's no sparring in Magic study, when offensive/defensive magics are taught, targets are used. Magic study is taught by Masters of Magic. Battle Battle study revolves around teaching the student to use their natural weapons (teeth, claws, horns, tails, element, etc.) to defend themselves or others. This study does not begin before Year Five, and even then it's mainly theoretical and observing older students in spars. By Year Seven, students have supervised spars more frequently. These spars may be only between students of a single flight, or between students of two or more parallel flights (flights of the same age). In student-on-student spars, students should never aim to draw blood, but are not punished if this happens, only if they deliberately disregard the rule. Students may yield at any time, and are not obligated to participate in student-on-student spars, but will receive bad marks if they refuse to train using dummies and targets. Battle study is taught by Dragon Masters of Battle, not Flight Masters, but Flight Masters are often the only ones present in spar sessions. History Students learn about history through the whole education cycle. History before Warfang, history of Warfang post-Unification, history of the Zephyr Kingdom and the Ocean Domain, and in the last few years of the education cycle, they learn the history of dark dragons. Much of the history covers the many wars that have taken place over the millennia, including ones still ongoing. Society Students learn early on about the society they live in. They learn about their leaders, laws, their customs, traditions, taboos, trades, they learn about high society and how to behave around dragons of notoriety, they learn about the Ancestors, and so on. Sciences Students learn about sciences early on, in a heavily simplified manner. As they age, they learn more about the complexities of each sub-study to prepare any for possible further study once their time at the school finishes. The study of the sciences is separated into multiple sub-studies; nature (biology), creatures, dragons, earth(geology), stars, numbers (mathematics), and technology. Health Students are taught foraging and hunting, about what's safe and healthy to eat and how to prepare kills and food. They are also taught about medicinal herbs and roots and how to use them, as well as the known types of injuries and illnesses and what can be done to treat them. Magic healing is taught in Magic study. flight masters Flight Masters While Dragon Masters are often teachers at temples, teaching is optional. Many Dragon Masters are dedicated to their studies and only take a few, if any, apprentices. Some do an equal amount of studying/research and teaching. Others mostly teach. Becoming a Master of Education is popular—this specialty is uniquely intended for temple teachers. These Masters learn a little bit of everything, then condense and simplify it for children. Due to Flight Masters being so involved in children's lives, frequently to the point of being more present than their parents, Flight Masters often see their flights as their own children, and children see them as family. It's not uncommon for some students to introduce themselves as the children of their Flight Masters if, for whatever reason, they don't want or can't use their parents' names (such as 'Hayze, son of Master Therris'. The inclusion of 'Master' signifies the lack of a blood relation.) When a Master's flight graduates, they start the process over with a new flight, though some may choose to take a year break or more. Becoming a Dragon Master of Education is competitive, and often only those who have had a complete or near-complete education of their own are chosen as apprentices by the Temples. These apprentices will spend many years aiding Flight Masters with their flights while at the same time studying to pass an assessment to determine if they're ready for their own flight. If they are under 50 they may be deemed too young to receive the responsibility of their own flight, and as such may spend a much longer time as an apprentice/assistant. Once they pass their assessment, the Temple Headmaster will send an application to the Warfang Council to have the apprentice recognized as a Dragon Master of Education, which the Council almost always approves. headmasters Headmasters Each of the three Temples has a Headmaster— this is a senior Master of Education that has been appointed as the lead Master of their school. All the Flight Masters and Masters at their temples answers to their Headmaster. The Headmaster has no flights of their own, instead they are in charge of ensuring the students are protected and receive quality education. The Headmaster employs and manages (and fires, if needed) the Temple's Masters and slots new students into their flights, as well as overlooking finances, special events, and many other things. New Headmasters are chosen when the old retires or dies. By this point the leaving Headmaster will have a suggestion of current Dragon Masters that can succeed them, and it's up to the Council to select the successor.

Content List Warfang Army Organization Chain of Command Composition Rank Mandatory Service Punishments Bases Deployments Armor and Weapons Unique Roles Warfang Guard Selection Organization Bases Rank Corruption Shifts Armor and Weapons Unique Roles warfang military Warfang Military The Warfang Military is divided into two; its larger part, the Army , fighting Warfang's wars and seizing new lands to serve interest beyond its borders. The second part is the Guard ; Warfang's law enforcement, keeping the peace and enforcing Warfang's will. Click titles to expand sections. the warfang army The Warfang Army The Warfang Army has never been bigger. In the face of impressive resistance from the Ape Coalitions and later the terrifying Dark Dragons of the East, Warfang has not only put countless coin into its Army but built it into its very culture; military service is socially significant, expected and honorable. A lifelong career is a path to status, if not riches (should you stand out enough to be promoted) —at the very least, service offers accessibility to much one might otherwise not afford, such as education for one's children. For some families and Clans, the Army is in their blood; service is life-long and children are prepared for it from the day they are born. Nepotism is as common in the military as it is in other aspects of dragon society, however, if a dragon fails to live up to their promotion, the consequences are dire. Sacrificing Warfang's safety and interests for one's own is suicide. In the Army, rank supersedes all . While fighting and dying for Warfang is a high honor for both clanless and clanned, many among high society find Army service too bitterly humbling. Soldiers are equal regardless of their origins, and preferential treatment is, in theory, ill-advised. A Commander may be clanless and of humble origins, and they will exercise complete authority of any high-born below their rank. A high-born Soldier may not assume command of a low-born Soldier. Certain breeds of high society take issue with this equalizing culture, but it is one stubbornly upkept by Clan Stormbringer —who has maintained the highest ranks of the Army for centuries. Organization The Army is divided into several parts; Divisions, Regiments, and Platoons . There are 20 Divisions , each having 11 to 14 Regiments , and these Regiments have each 15 to 25 Platoons . Platoons may have around 15 to 40 soldiers in it, with Infantry platoons being on the higher end. There are different kinds of Platoons who perform different tasks. Divisions are commanded by Generals , Regiments by Commanders , and Platoons by Lieutenants . Chain of Command A Soldier (lowest rank) answers directly to their Platoon Lieutenant. The Platoon Lieutenant answers both to their Regiment Commander, and Lieutenants of a higher post, namely Regiment Lieutenants (who also answer to the Regiment Commander). Commanders report to their Division General, and all Division Generals are commanded by the General of the Army , a singular dragon who answers directly to the Warfang Council. Regiments are self-contained , and a Commander has a significant level of freedom in how they choose to run their Regiment. They decide training, organization, tactics. They may impose certain rules, so long as these do not stride with the Army's overarching rules or any imposed by the Division General (who in turn may limit some of their Commanders' freedoms). Composition Each Regiment has the following; 9 to 11 Infantry Platoons (20 to 40 soldiers), a Scout Platoon , 3 to 5 Hunter Platoons (around 15 soldiers) , 1 to 3 Healer Platoons (15 to 30 soldiers), 2 to 3 Guard Platoons (15 to 25 soldiers) and a Logistics Platoon . Logistics Platoons have navigators, scribes, and messengers, among others. Platoons are named according to their function, such as 1st Infantry Platoon, 1st Healer Platoon, 30th Logistics Platoon, 50th Scout Platoon , etc. A Soldier's full assignment could go as follows; Third Division, 30th Regiment, 50th Healer Platoon. Usually, they will only give their Regiment if inquired. "Soldier Infyr of the 30th Regiment." For example, the 1st Regiment looks like this; First Division , commanded by General Tormer of Stormbringer 1st Regiment through 12th Regiment First Division, 1st Regiment is commanded by Commander Lynerius of Stormbringer Commander Lynerius' second-in-command is Lieutenant Raii (also his Squire) 4 Regiment Lieutenants 1st Infantry Platoon through 13th Infantry Platoon (13 Lieutenants) 1st Healer Platoon through 3rd Healer Platoon (3 Lieutenants) 1st Hunter Platoon through 5th Hunter Platoon (5 Lieutenants) 1st Scout Platoon (1 Lieutenant) 1st Logistics Platoon (3 Lieutenants) 1st through 4th Guard Platoon (4 Lieutenants) Soldier Lieutenant Commander General Rank Rank is attained through years of service, ability, and command potential. 5% of the Army are Lieutenants. This rank requires a minimum age of 30 years old, and 10 years of service—though averages at 20 years service before promotion. Commander requires at least 25 years total, and a minimum age of 55. The average age of new Commanders is 75. They make up only 0.2% of the Army. The rank of General requires 10 years service as a Commander, but it is uncommon for a new General to be younger than 100, thus the typical command experience is much higher. Attaining rank is a competitive process and not a guarantee of long service. Dragons can live for a very long time and the Army does not encourage retirement... unless they think new blood would do better. Mandatory Service Warfang introduced military conscription (not necessarily for the first time) after the Apes destroyed the Shattered Vale Temple in the year 2705. This affected a set percentage of every family , wherein a family was required to submit a relative number of members to do army service. This percentage was flexible, and changed depending on the Army's needs as conflict rose and fell. Service time was indefinite. In the year 2944, Warfang's fears of war against Farsanct took hold. In addition to the current low percentage conscription, they introduced a mandatory-for-all conscription that would affect every dragon turning 24, lasting two years. This was done with the intent to prepare the full Warfang population for a war that Warfang feared they would not otherwise win, in addition to expediting the invasion of the Shattered Vale for its resources. When the Dark War did break out in 2970, the 2-year mandatory persisted and countless previous conscripts were recalled to the Army, their previous service allowing a more seamless transition. Warfang also introduced a number of financial incentives and benefits (such as childcare during deployment and discounts on Temple Education) to not only increase retention but reduce resentment over forced service. The Army continued recalling conscripts as required, but service benefits, propaganda, and fearmongering did their part in keeping the Army's numbers reasonably high. As conflicts died down due to standstills after the year 3000, the Army released conscripts they no longer needed, but retained the 2-year mandatory. Warfang has not been recalling conscripts to fight across the Vale, but as of mid-3016, has began recruiting willing veterans back into the fold. While the Army aims to have as few conscripts perish during mandatory as they can, their casualty rate has been significant enough to deter. Some families, if passed for Guard selection, will pay their children out of military service altogether, by ‘giving their worth in coin’. This is legal, and helps fund the war effort. Naturally, this price is too much for most families to pay. Some dragons may be exempt from mandatory service. This includes dragons who are completely blind, missing two or more non-wing limbs, and case-by-case exceptions for flightless and deaf dragons. Conditions must be so debilitating the dragon becomes a liability. The percentage conscription made some rare exceptions for very small families where the only physically eligible family member was the only (surviving) child of parents who could have no more children, and the surviving child did not themselves have children yet. There were generally attempts to avoid situations where bloodlines would end if the conscript died. In cases where a dragon had no family, they were not conscripted unless they had no stable trade or were a criminal. Punishments Commanders punish soldiers at their own discretion and may decide the nature of said punishments, but overarching rules state they cannot permanently maim or inflict psychological abuse. Sexual assault as punishment (and in general) is also strictly forbidden. Punishments are most commonly lashings, often paired with docked pay and additional duties, or vice versa. Less common is temporary imprisonment. Refusing food and/or shelter is uncommon, generally not practiced if the soldier is expected to participate in combat soon. For grievous offenses, such as nearly or successfully killing a fellow soldier, exile and execution are on the table. A Commander considering this would need permission from their General. Commanders judge what is considered grievous offense. It is in their power to grant second chances. They may choose to ignore offenses, but their General may overrule them and bring their judgment into question, which is undesirable. Due to the freedom and influence Commanders and Generals have, different Divisions and even the Regiments in them often develop differing cultures. Many Regiments may be more abusive than others, mentally and emotionally if not physically. Bases The Headquarters of the Army is the Army Fort in Warfang City , which also oversees First to Third Division as well as the Twentieth Division (Training, Logistics, and Intelligence). Fourth to Eighth Division have their headquarters near Stormfall (Warfang Mainland), Ninth to Thirteenth Divisions near Cliffwall (Warfang Mainland) , Fourteenth to Seventeenth Divisions near Stormy Beach (Concurrent Skies), and Eighteenth and Nineteenth Divisions near Dragonfly Falls (Titan Fields). Regiments, if not entire Divisions, will make temporary headquarters during deployments. For example, there are several Army bases in the Shattered Vale which are used to coordinate with deployed Regiments. Other Army bases are reserved for training, operations, surveillance, or confidential purposes. Soldiers are not necessarily assigned to the Divisions of their home continent. This was done in the past, but portals have made long distance travel trivial. Deployments Barring personnel required for the operation and preparation of the Army, most soldiers serve on rotation. A typical deployment lasts 3 to 6 Moons, after which the soldier will spend 2 to 4 Moons home. They may have required duties during this time such as training, but they will not be paid. They earn coin throughout their deployments, and as their basic needs are met by the Army itself they do not require this coin to live; it is kept for them until their deployment ends, or picked up by their family at regular intervals. When a new deployment begins, all soldiers of a Division will receive a summons with a timeframe to present at their Division's Headquarters. They will arrive, be registered, and settle in. Soldiers preparing for deployment sleep in communal tents erected outside the Division's Fort. Their health and abilities are checked and made note of. As the deadline to present passes and all soldiers are ideally accounted for, the Division's Commanders brief them, and the Regiments set out one after the other. Typically, temporary portals are set up to expedite travel. Regiments haul resources through to restock forts and existing camps and set up new ones if necessary. As fresh Regiments arrive, the old, worn and tired ones return home. If a soldier does not arrive by the deadline, the Army relays this to the Guard, who is sent to investigate. Soldiers caught draft dodging or dodging deployments are arrested and typically heavily fined; usually assets are seized to pay this. The soldier is then forcibly returned to their Regiment, with a sentence of required years in service and docked pay. Continued insistent refusal to serve can result in indentured servitude, usually mining, which is often the goal of resistance, however this servitude will last several decades, to whichever point it becomes undesirable. Armor and Weapons The Warfang Army does not pay for their soldiers' armor. Armor must be paid for by the soldier or their family, at the blacksmith of their choice. This is expensive, and often a dragon chooses only pieces for their vital areas rather than full armor, if they can even afford that much. Clan dragons are generally recognized by having complete armor—particularly colored armor displaying clan crests. Many soldiers have to make do with their natural defenses. Dragons typically do not use weapons. Due to their quadruped walk, they are ill suited to hand-held weapons; however, blades may be strapped on or incorporated into armor pieces on the wing hand, tail, head, and forepaws. The only exception to this are lances, which are used by Templars, Guards, and stationary Sentinels. These are deterrents first and foremost, otherwise good for killing one target but less maneuverable for multiple. Dragons generally prefer their Elements (or Magic) for combat, then their natural weapons (claws, teeth, horns, spurs, and tail spades) second. Unique roles Not every soldier's primary job is to fight. Below is a list of roles a soldier may take. In formal titles, this role will replace rank, i.e. "Scout Ignies". These roles may have Soldiers and Lieutenants, but not Commanders or Generals. Virtually all new recruits serve two or more years in Infantry, as special roles tend to be filled by career soldiers. Most of these roles are available to both Soldiers and Lieutenants; the latter in these positions typically lead Platoons. Only Lieutenants from heavy Infantry backgrounds, or Regiment Lieutenants and Second-in-Command Lieutenants are eligible for a Commander promotion. Hunter When deployed, Regiments need food. While supplies are brought along, rations are kept as last resorts. Hunters take down prey and forage for edible fruits, vegetables, and roots. This is a full-time job during deployment, and a vital one, so hunters do not participate in combat unless necessary. Army Hunters typically come from hunter backgrounds and do not require ground-up training. Nevertheless, they are supplemented with extensive teaching of what (in their area) is edible and what's toxic, as well as how to take down certain prey and what to watch out for (such as magic-draining leeches, or acid spitters). The Lieutenant of a hunting platoon is the Head Hunter, unless they designate a subordinate to assume this role in their place. Navigator Navigator is another non-combat role. It is a navigator's job to help their commander navigate their Regiment enroute to their destinations, as well as locate optimal camp sites and mapping where they have gone. Navigators need to know how to read and draw maps, plot a course, read the stars and celestial bodies. Every Regiment has at least one senior navigator, and at least two junior navigators. Scout Scouts have a dangerous occupation. While not intended for combat, scouts go in small teams or alone to scout enemy territory—assessing their numbers, strength, positions, resources, and defenses. Scouts must be quick, quiet, and cool-headed. They may be spotted by the enemy, or even captured and/or killed. They must be strong enough to have a chance to fight their way out of this possibility, but their main objective is always to avoid confrontations— if spotted, they must try to escape and report back to their Commander. If this entails abandoning fellow scouts, so be it—a scout must be able to make this sacrifice. They must also keep the enemy from finding their Regiment's camp at all cost, whether that means leading pursuers away (even if this means suicide), or to withhold knowledge under gruesome torture. Healer Army Healers may be non-combatants, but they will frequently find themselves near the midst of a raging battle. Healers specialize in non-elemental magic to heal wounds. While red magic crystals are effective, they're a limited resource and are kept exclusively for emergencies. During deployment, it is a Healer's job to gather and inventory red crystals, assess and maintain the health of their soldiers, tend to the sick or wounded, and save their soldiers from certain death. During battle, most Healers stay behind the front lines, tending to the wounded that are brought away from it. Healers need to know how to make fast and often hard decisions—such as letting a young soldier die to instead save a badly wounded Commander, or preserve their energy if saving someone will take too much. Sometimes they may only have time to stop a soldier's bleeding before moving on to the next. Healers aren't easily distinguished among other soldiers. If the enemy identifies a healer, they WILL target them. If a Regiment loses their healers, the battle may very well be lost. As such, Healers are known by face rather than mark, and have soldiers assigned to them as guards . Healers are promoted by their ability to handle intense stress, make hard decisions, and by having strong Healing abilities. Promising Healers are given frequent tutoring by Masters employed by the Army in exchange for prolonged service. Sentry Sentries are soldiers whose combat prowess is reserved for specific tasks. They may be assigned to a Healer, Commander, or General's side as protection, or they may guard a camp, specific tent (such as a Commander's), supplies, or prisoners. A Commander may send Sentries to the front lines as regular combatants if needed. Scribe Another non-combat role, Scribes are Soldiers in charge of putting ink to paper for their Lieutenant, Commander, or General. This may be mission reports, updates, emergency requests, inquiries, etc. Anything their superior wants written, they write. Scribes are quick with a quill, typically by hand rather than magic, often writing down words as their superior speaks. Lieutenant Scribes are decidedly rare, and usually occupy a dual role as a Regiment or Division's magic caster. These may be able to pen multiple copies of a message at once, and relay them magically with an intermediate spell, which immediately transports the scroll to a location the caster has visited before. If a scribe is not able to cast this spell, a different soldier with Magic prowess may be assigned this task. Magic Caster An unofficial role typically assigned to a non-combatant role, usually Scribe or Squire, a Magic Caster is a soldier of notable Magic abilities who can perform Magic where needed, such as magically sending letters or levitating items not easily carried. Due to the rarity of such abilities, these dragons are typically at Division-level and jump between Regiments as needed. Messenger Messengers have an obvious role—they ferry letters or commands to a destination, wherever a scribe's magic cannot reach. Often, they receive verbal messages that are too urgent to even write down, and relay them to the recipients. Messengers must be capable of long-sustained and fast flight, and as such is popular with Wind and Electric dragons. Messenger is a no-promotion role. Messengers are always only Soldiers. Elite Elite is not a Regiment role, and exists above even Division-level. A part of the mysterious Intelligence Regiment headed by the General of the Army himself, Elites are sent to venture deep into enemy territory and conduct sabotage or assassinations. They are extensively and cruelly trained, and possess high mastery in either Element or Magic. Some are known publicly by face and name, most are not. Squire Squires are Soldiers or Lieutenants in service of a Commander or General. They act as bannerbearers and aides, helping their superiors put on and take off armor (which they are also in charge of maintaining/cleaning), and are otherwise on the ready to do anything their superior asks of them, even menial things such as fetching them food or drink, or cleaning their tents. Commanders and Generals choose their own Squires; typically, Commanders of high family blood are expected to take Squires from allied families. Squires are at their superior's side almost always, and it's their close one-on-one relationship that makes Squires a target of soldier gossip. Squires are said to cater to all of their superior's needs, including those sexual in nature. Bored soldiers love to ogle and guess whether or not a Squire sleeps with their Commander/General. This is not forbidden, but superiors who abuse their rank against any soldier risks severe punishment. Knight Knight isn't a role, but a label of honor. A Dragon Knight is a soldier (or guard) of such high merit they are appointed by the Elder Guardians themselves, and receive the title through ceremony. Knighthood may be awarded to any role, or even posthumously, but it is a rare title to receive. Commander Lynerius is a popularly-known Dragon Knight, though he never introduces himself as such. Generals are always knighted. the warfang guard The Warfang Guard Becoming a Guard is attractive to many; not only is it an alternative to the Army, keeping one away from the battlefields, but it is an avenue to authority and status. Guards patrol city and town streets. Villages are visited every so often, depending on size and typical need. Small villages, lone homes, and farms are typically not visited as part of patrols—in the case of crimes, these citizens must summon the Guard. The smaller and less patrolled an area is, the more susceptible to animal and raider attacks it is (as a tradeoff, owning land here is less taxed). In addition to law enforcement, the Guard is meant to protect citizens on Warfang soil; the first line of defense if a settlement is attacked. In theory. In reality, the Warfang Guard is known to be corrupt. Because of its power and influence, it is the preferred Military arm for Clans and high society to spend their mandatory service—or their careers. Generally, most recruits apply for the Guard, and most of them are passed over. The Guard has limited spots and a typically low casualty rate, so they are extremely picky on who they select, if any. Selection Officially, selection into the Guard is based on performance, ability and suitable personality as a recruit. What’s painfully evident however, is that wealth is the answer. Dragons from rich families and Clans make up the bulk of the Guard’s higher ranks. As such, they select other rich dragons into the Guard—this being a means of gaining and strengthening political relationships. Still, dragons of more humble beginnings can and do join the Guard, but this is often through connections in addition to some or full formal education. If any slots remain after the political selections are through, the Guard chooses the recruits with the highest scores, especially those with magical potential. Outside of conscripts, the Guard sometimes hires applicants; but they exercise higher standards here. They may be bribed to select a certain recruit, but they are greedy. If the bribe is too small, they arrest you for the crime of bribery. Recruits are selected by Commanders and signed off on by the Sector Chief. Organization The Warfang Guard is divided into five Sectors, each commanded by a Chief, who answers to the Chief of the Guard, Isrun of Frostspear—who in turn answers to the Warfang Council. Each Sector is divided into Districts, which are managed by a Guard Commander. Districts are patrolled by Patrols, which are led by Captains, each in charge of at least a dozen Guards. Warfang City is an entire sector to itself, Sector One. Sector Two is the rest of Warfang Mainland, while the other Sectors are divided between the remaining Warfang Continents. Sector One is Warfang City (15 districts) Sector Two is the rest of Warfang Mainland (25 districts) Sector Three is Titan Fields (25 districts) Sector Four is Concurrent Skies (25 districts) Sector Five is Agni Flats (10 districts) Bases Each District has a Guard Post , which has an office for its Commander and a number of offices for their Captains as well as their Intelligence and Investigator teams. They also have a Healer's room, and a number of temporary holding cells for arrested criminals. Other facilities may be included (such as a lounge/break room), and size and quality (such as individual offices or shared offices) vary by location. Districts also have a number of Patrol Checkpoints . These are small buildings with an office for the Captain currently assigned to that area (in addition to the main District office), as well as storage for Dragon Lances, extra armor, and magic gems mainly. Checkpoints aren't always manned. The Guard headquarters is in Warfang City, the Guard Keep in District 4. Guard Captain Commander Chief Rank There are 6 Chiefs , one for each Sector, plus the Head of the Guard. There are 100 Guard Commanders , one for each District, plus a number of additional Commanders who occupy different roles and tasks, not managing Districts but rather Guard Operations and Intelligence. Like the Army, Captains make up about 5% of the Guard. Rank is attained through years of service, ability, and command potential, as with the Army, but nepotism is more prevalent in the Guard. The Captain rank requires a minimum age of 30 years old, and 10 years of service—though averages at 25 years service before promotion. Commander requires at least 25 years total, and a minimum age of 55. The average age of new Guard Commanders is 85. They make up only 0.2% of the Guard. The rank of Chief requires 10 years service as a Guard Commander, but it is uncommon for a new Chief to be younger than 110, thus the typical command experience is much higher. Attaining rank is a competitive process and not a guarantee of long service. The Guard will typically encourage retirement —or at times force it—to allow others to rise in rank. This affects Clan dragons as well. Despite its corruption and nepotism, the Guard still desires good performance, so mediocre (or ones disturbing the status quo) officers are cycled out early to make way for someone better. The longer a dragon has held upper ranks, the better their performance has been. Corruption The Guard functions the way it is supposed to. As Clans rose in power and influence, over time the Guard became theirs. Above all, it serves and protects the interests of Clans and high society. In addition to the benefits of serving one's mandatory service here, the Guard turns a blind eye to the crimes of high society—provided the victims of said crimes is not also among high society, much less Warfang itself. Much of high society dabbles in illegal enjoyments; crime syndicate fighting rings, person trafficking, black markets, illegal slavery, and hiring various services, such as assassinations in extreme cases. High society individuals do not spearhead organized crime or run it; they are benefactors and customers, shaking hands with its leaders behind the curtain. Officially, to the public eye, high society upholds an image of morals and lawfulness—but Warfang's Underworld is frequented by many, if not most, of Warfang's highest offices (of course, there is a standard to their depravity, deeper levels of crime that is not acceptable even behind the curtain—high society does not like their crime to be bloody (beyond fighting rings), there must be room to excuse it. Anything else is kept far more private and unknown to their peers). The Guard, of course, allows this. It may even accommodate it. In conflict, the Guard typically takes the side of those with higher status, especially if the status gap is significant. The Guard is averse to arresting Clan dragons and dragons of high families, but if grievous enough, and the arresting Guard is themselves superior in status to the offending dragon, arrests do happen. It is encouraged to not display grievous favoritism; the Guard does not want the inequal treatment to be too overt, which may cause (and has caused) civil dissent. In cases where a crime is committed in high society, wherein the victim(s) is also a part of high society, the Guard typically has a hands-off approach, allowing high society to settle things behind closed doors (if the victims so choose), whether that is through the compensation of coin, an eye for an eye, or blood payments. This 'courtesy' is not extended to other citizens. The Guard's corruption is maintained in such a way that the average non-high society dragon is not fully aware of the corruption. Many will be aware of favoritism, but will know of public spectacles wherein even Clan dragons have been fairly judged (that is, executed). If high society cannot make a problem disappear, they will make an example of it. If someone of high blood gains infamy, especially in bloody crimes, civil peace will be upheld. As such, there are many, especially in the middle class, who are blind to the true extent of the Guard's corruption. Most may not like the Guard, but will respect them. Shifts Guards do not deploy. They are responsible for arranging their own living and food, but are paid more. They must live in the area they are assigned to (if possible, they are assigned to the area they already live in). They have year-round shifts, with variable amount of days off per week (depending on need, usually two) and with the ability to take unpaid vacations (does not apply to conscripts). Commanders and Chiefs have access to more vacation days and flexible schedules, but typically work more than required (if they want to not be cycled out early). Guard shifts are either morning, day, or night. These are typically 9 hours but often stretch to 11 or 12. Shifts begin at their District Headquarters, where their Patrol is briefed on their shift route or duty by their Captain. Shifts may end here as well, but it's not uncommon for Captains to dismiss Guards on the spot, at which point they can return home immediately. Captains manage their patrols. Patrols are divided into multiple smaller groups. Guard patrols are always at least two at a time; Guards should never be alone. Patrols circle around their route (unless stationary) and report back to their Captain before restarting their route. Stationary Guards send a messenger if needed, otherwise the Captain checks up on them periodically. In turn, Commanders check in periodically with Captains, and are expected to perform patrols of their own; ensuring Guards do their job, but also to change patrols on the fly where needed. For example, if a market is unexpectedly busy, they may divert more Guards to watch over it. Armor and Weapons The Warfang Guard requires some armor; a headpiece, neck protection, and a collar displaying the Guard insignia and rank. Greaves may be used, but are not paid for by the Guard. Guards do not wear full armor, but may change into more armor if needed (and if they have it). The headpiece is mandatory for Guards on duty, but not for Captains, Commanders, or Chiefs. Guards do not patrol with dragon lances; they may be equipped by stationary Guards, but are otherwise set aside for the Guard to arm themselves with when needed. Unique roles Like the Army, the Guard also has unique roles in their ranks. The standard role of the Guard is to patrol the streets and ward against crimes, investigate and arrest when crimes do occur, and protect settlements and cities. Guards in their mandatory years do not have specialized roles and typically only patrol, while senior Guards handle everything else. Other roles include; Investigator Investigators are called to crime scenes and are tasked with finding out what happened, how it happened, and who is responsible. They may take additional statements from witnesses and victims and will build a profile on the perpetrator. Investigators are usually only called where a deeper look is needed, or pushed for. If someone was pickpocketed in the markets, regular guards will just make note and report it. Investigators are called where there is a crime scene and standard Guards are not sufficient. Most of the time, Investigators will find what clues there are and speak to who they can, but if there were no witnesses or suspects then the case is reported and shelved until another crime occurs and yields new information. When it comes to Clans and higher society, Investigators are often pushed much further. If a crime was significant or especially grievous, Investigators are always dispatched. Intelligence Intelligence Guards rarely take to the streets, keeping to their offices where they hoard information pertaining to their Districts; businesses, citizens, and criminals alike. They sort and compare reports and cases, and keep track of all the inner workings of their District or Sector—including that of organized crime. In short, if there's any information the Guard might need, their intelligence offices either have it, or they have a parchment that confirms they don't have it. When more information is needed on something, senior Intelligence Guards find it. They may even work undercover, pay off criminals, or hire criminals to attain this information—with their Commander's approval. There are different levels of confidentiality to the information the Guard stores, and any given Intelligence Guard cannot access any or them all. Privacy is not a concern, but information leaks are, especially when it comes to information pertaining to Clans or other high-profile individuals. Mid-level confidentiality information can only be accessed by a handful of Captains in Intelligence, higher levels have to be attained by the sector's Commander of Intelligence, and the highest level of confidentiality has to be retrieved by the Chief of the Sector. All information is stored in vaults with Master-level enchantments, with copies at different locations. Warden Sometimes crime does not warrant execution, but also requires more than immediate physical/financial punishment—or criminals need to remain detained during investigation, especially if they are facing execution. In these situations, there are dungeons guarded full-time by special guards, Wardens . Wardens are in charge of guarding prisoners, sentenced or otherwise, transporting them to and from cells, and delivering them food. This is an assignment, and a guard may be in this role for a year or more until they can be considered for a change, but it's also a role someone can stay in their whole career. There is very little opportunity for promotion in this role however. There are dungeons in all major cities, then a few outside the cities for all other settlements in the sector. Most are commanded by a single Captain, who reports to the Commander of their given District. Criminals are not incarcerated long-term. This is an unnecessary financial strain. Reform is not a concept for many. Sanctuary Warden/Guard A special group of Wardens are the Sanctuary Wardens . These have the same duties as regular Wardens, but they guard only one place; Sanctuary , the home of dark dragons on Warfang land. Becoming a Warden for Sanctuary is highly selective and eerily absent of Warfang's nepotism. Firstly, they can only be ice dragons, due to the extremely low temperatures of the deadly, eternal blizzard that surrounds the Sanctuary island (a result of an ancient Elemental's suicide fury). Secondly, their mastery of Ice must be at least Class Four but is often higher. Exceptions are made for those with magical mastery, but this minimum requirement is Class Five. Similarly to Templars, Sanctuary Guards are invited rather than applied for. They go through a recruitment process where they are thoroughly assessed. They cannot have 'misplaced' sympathy for dark dragons, and they must be able to follow orders no matter what. Sanctuary Wardens are often compared to Templars as a result. The Sanctuary Commander has always been a Frostspear, as have many of its Captains and many of the Guards. No one knows exactly what happens in Sanctuary, as its wardens are bound by strict orders of non-disclosure. The promotion rate of Sanctuary Wardens are virtually stagnant, with promotions only happening if a Captain or the Commander resigns from the role or from the Guard or dies. If this happens, another Sanctuary Warden is selected for promotion. Due to the slow rate of promotions, and the 'inherent danger' of working with dark dragons, Sanctuary Wardens have a high bonus to their salary. Not every recruit is sent to Sanctuary itself. Some become Sanctuary Guards, who patrol outside the Undying Blizzard. They chase away overly curious citizens, but most notably, they watch for dark dragons trying to find a way in. Executioner Due to the costs of incarceration, most grievous crimes are punished by execution. For this, the Guard has a special role, executioner . This is not a full time role, but an addition to the standard Guard or Warden role. The role of executioner is applied for, and executioners are chosen with selectiveness that varies depending on demand and competition. It gives a Guard a bonus to their salary, on account of the dangers of being an executioner, as associates and families of the executed may target the executioner. Maintaining anonymity is difficult for dragons, as they have so many varying identifiable qualities. This makes Executioner an undesirable role for many, and the salary bonus of executioners rise and fall with demand. Most executions are not public anymore, unless there is an example to be made. Commanders and Chiefs cannot be Executioners, and promotion into these ranks removes the role of Executioner.

A dragon clan within the universe of Destiny Intertwined. Surgestrom is an electric clan based in Concurrent Skies. The clan consists of primarily career soldiers. History ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Surgestrom was founded in 2819 by General Surgeius, for attaining his rank and for his family of accomplished soldiers. Clan Trait ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Surestrom is known for their purple electricity, and select for this where they can, though half the clan has yellow electricity. There's some impurity leading to white and green electricity very rarely. Elements ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Surgestrom consists solely of electric dragons. Trade ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Surgestrom is a military clan, with most of their members feeding into the army. Here they may have any role, including healers, guards, hunters, etc. Reproduction and Eggs ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Surgestrom has a fair amount of romantic Unity, arranged Unity, and reproduction contracts. In contracts, they take purple electricity eggs where possible. Information Name Allegiance Colors Banner Element Trade Location Leader Heir Founder Founding Year Living Members Surgestrom Warfang Stormbringer Purples and whites A vortex of electricity displaying clan colors Electricity Army Concurrent Skies Commander Levinerus Lieutenant Surgeis General Surgeius Year 2819 41 Appears in Destiny Intertwined (Chapter 2) Out of Universe DragonOfIceAndFire Maybe (must be accepted) Owned by Open for Characters? Notable Members ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺ Commander Levinerus (older brother of Levina) (Patriarch) Lady Levina (younger sister of Levinerus) Styrmer (son of Levina, deceased) And other extended family Page Written by DragonOfIceAndFire

Top To Do List Icons for Character and Dragon subtabs Realm page overhaul Unify all titles Rewrite character pages Overhaul/rewrite dragon pages Overhaul/rewrite Element and Magic pages Redesign Aethercrest for dividers Side pictures? Recreate Comic Cover Subpages for mobile navigation Comic Timeline Separate Realm page, individual pages for the different continents