The Protectors of the Servant

Qualifications

To become a member of the Protectors of the Servant, one must be an ordained priest of the First Church of the Humanar, and preferably already a member of the Keepers of the Village. (There have been priests from outside the Keepers accepted into the Protectors.) Candidates swear an oath whereby they pledge their lives in defense of the life of the Protector, and then undergo rigorous training at arms to be prepared for any physical threats they may need to deal with.

History

The Keepers of the Village were formed shortly after the defeat of those who were proclaiming what the Church of the Humanar called "the Great Heresy". This teaching was essentially the polar opposite of the FIrst Heresy, which had been dealt with by the Church almost 10,000 years before. Both were based on the accepted truth that Saint Ancelin had journeyed among the Elves and Dwarves of the world, and brought back much knowledge which he then imparted to the Humans to kick-start their rise to civilization. The First Heresy declared that since this was the case, the Elves and Dwarves should be considered full-fledged siblings of the Humans and Halflings, despite the fact that other gods had made them.

The Great Heresy took the polar opposite vire. It claimed that that knowledge that Ancelin back was not "Human-centered" at all, but instead was "outsider based". The adherents of this belief demanded that all sorts of customs, traditions, and methods of crafting be changed to eliminate nonhuman influence. And as it gained popularity among some segments of the population, huge disruptions in trade began to threaten the wealth and power of the First Kingdom. The Great Heresy was put down with much violence and bloodshed.

So that such a calamity would never befall the Church again, the Keepers of the Village were formed as guardians of the truth of Saint Ancelin's Tenets. They became advisors to the First Servant of the Church, and secured the rights to be keepers of all sacred relics that traced back to Ancelin's time, including the tablets of Saint Ancelin's Tenets themselves. The Keepers were scholarly priests of the Humanar Gods who spent much time in prayer and contemplation.
Less than two years later, though, with rumors of remnants of the Great Heresy in hiding and seeking vengeance, it was decided that the First Servant themself would need physical protection. To this end, an organization of martially trained priests was created from within the Keepers of the Village. These Protectors were charged not only with providing an armed escort for the First Servant wherever they went, but for ensuring that no insidious threats would reach them either. The Protectors oversaw every aspect of the First Protector's day-to-day life - from vetting of household servants to preparation of meals and drink.

Over the first few years, the Protectors of the Servant organized themselves into the reporting structure that exists to this day, and has formalized the training regimens for any who join the order when a vacancy permits.

The Challenged Oath

There has been one instance in the history of the Protectors - 4201 years ago - when they were required to distguish between loyalty to the First Servant of the Church and loyalty to the behavior, responsibility, and respect that the position of First Servant should elicit. It had become clear to everyone within the Protectors - indeed to everyone in the Order of the Keepers of the Village - that the FIrst Servant was either suffering from some psychological impediment, or was under the effect of some magical curse. The First Servant began attempting to issue edicts that were clearly in violation of the Tenets of Saint Ancelin.

After many attempts to identify and treat the source of the malady, a decision was quietly made to resolve the problem by use of a painless, quick poison placed in the First Servant's wine. On the 20th day in the Time of Goldhorn's Talisman in the year 13797(Human Reckoning), this was done; the Chef Captain responsible for administering the poison also partook of the poisoned wine. Whether this was a self-imposed penance for his sin, or simply his way of preserving his Oath to give his life for the First Servant is not known. But the Protectors remember this day each year with a special prayer vigil; they refer to it as "Oathkeeper's Day".  

Organization of the Protectors

Manpower

The Protectors always maintain their total number at 86. The Protector General is responsible for the entire unit, with three direct reports:
 

The Captain General is responsible for the Protectors that serve as bodyguards for the First Servant wherever they go.

The Armorer General is responsible for providing arms and armor for the unit, as well as instruction in both martial disciplines and prayer.

The Quartermaster General is responsible for ensuring the unit is provisioned. Their charges are also responsible for maintaining the mounts used by the unit and the First Servant; another group is responsible for safely preparing every meal that the First Servant and the rest of the unit eats.

The First Servant is always guarded by a contingent of 12 Protectors: a Protector Captain, a Protector Lieutenant, and 10 Protectors At Arms. Four such units each guard the First Servant for a quarter of each day cycle, thus ensuring that guards are always fresh and alert.

Organizational Structure

   

Credits

Banner images by Vinson Tan ( 楊 祖 武 ) from Pixabay

Page background cathedral Image by 5163451 on Pixabay
Page background manor house image by Josef Pichler on Pixabay
Page background hut image by PamelaAndrey15 on Pixabay
Page background forest image by Waldkunst on Pixabay
Character portraits by RPGDinosaurBob on Hero Forge®