Order of the Sword

Centered in Garrisbrough, with subsidiaries in every major castle, this order puts an emphasis on sword-to-sword combat. The sword is the key weapon of choice of members in the order. Members of the order are allowed access to blacksmiths and their weapons and have the right to carry swords in public areas in which civilians are restricted. Bastion Castle leads the Order of the Sword. The Bastions have led the order since its inception. The leader is always the highest-ranking Bastion, usually at least a Knight. At the time, Fredrick Bastion is a Bladesman, leader of the Order of the Sword. The Order of the Sword has a test, the Swordsman’s Test, or Iron Test, from which they determine the candidates’ position in the order. A perfect score in the test is highly unlikely, but the rare occurrence is always reported to the Wisest One, who in turn relays the information to the leader of a secretive order. Even with a perfect test, no one has ever entered into the position of Bladesman. To get to the rank of Bladesman and Swordsmaster, separate tests are administered, and must always be in the presence of a Bastion or legal replacement. To become a Bladesman, one must fight a direhawk in single combat and defeat it. To become a Swordsmaster, one must defeat a fellcondor. However, additional requisites must be met: Only swords are allowed, and the fellcondor must be felled while protecting and not harming the fellcondor’s egg. If any of the requisites are unmet, the test is failed.

Squire, the green cloaks

Fighter, the desert cloaks

Warrior, the black cloaks

Knight, the red cloaks

Bladesman, the blue cloaks

Swordsmaster, the gold cloaks

Members of the Order of the Sword include Prince Tadeus Banesworth, Benjamin Hewley, Maximillius and Caspian Stoddard, Melinda and Zachary Briar, Garait Tiralus, Kayton Drost, and Jacob Victoriano. Tadeus Banesworth is a Swordsmaster, the youngest in history. Ben and Max are both Knights, and Jacob is a Bladesman.