The Nine Towers.
Nobody can tell when or where the Nine Towers originated from, or what purpose its members once carried out. It is a relic; a crumbled ruin of what it once was, if it was really anything at all. The only reason that it still remains to this day is because, over hundreds of arcs, many famous warriors, commanders and even heroes of legend have carried the Rook on their blades. The symbol of the Nine Towers has become something to fear and respect in equal amounts; a mark that stands outside of all mortal and divine connection, for whatever alliances the Nine Towers might have once held with any nation or Immortal have dissipated over time until even the Immortals themselves refuse to mention them.
All current members are Grandmasters in their weapons. Nearly all of them are Grandmasters in more than one skill, and are masters in several other fields besides. Many are military commanders from various nations all over the world. Some hold marks of various ranks from various Immortals, their allegiances pointing in all directions. There is no discrimination. The only thing that matters is skill, because in the end, it doesn't matter if you're a Qi'ora or an Aukari; you'll all die when a sword pushes through your chest.
There are no ranks. There are only members. The commanders that once led the faction either perished or abandoned the cause at some point, and the commanding role was never filled again. Because there is no leader, there is no purpose - though many members treat one-another with respect, they hold no obligation to do so. Members openly serve on either sides of great wars, some of them have even been known to be responsible for wars, but it makes no difference to any other members, or the Nine Towers as a whole.
There are only two ways to join the Nine Towers.
1. Have your skills judged by a panel of five members. They must agree, unanimously, that your skill is sufficient to become a member. Any member can become a part of the panel, and any member can contest the decision made by the five, if they believe their judgement too strict or too lenient, in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the Nine Towers and its symbol.
2. Challenge and kill a member in honourable single combat. A member does not have to accept a challenge if they believe deceit or foul play will occur. Any deceit or foul play renders the match null. An existing member found to have committed foul play against another member is summarily hunted down and executed by all other members, in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the Nine Towers and its symbol.
The symbol of the Nine Towers is that of a black rook, often embedded into the weapon of choice on the hilt or the handle, or the base of the blade itself if a blade is available, and again on any covering of the blade, be it sheath or scabbard. In the case of brawlers, martial artists or other fighters that choose their own fists, an insignia can be placed on the back of the hand of a gauntlet, or even tattooed into the skin. How the member displays the symbol is up to them, or even if they display it at all.
The strict nature of the Nine Towers, the extremely high entry requirements and the brutal system all members must uphold means that the group remains small enough that all members are aware of one-another. Anyone attempting to impersonate a member, or claim that they are a member when they have not yet passed the requirements of entry, earns swift, immediate and merciless punishment.
Albert Kystmere, Sword and Shield of the Nine Towers.
When he joined the Nine Towers, he was a Lord of the Moseke Knights of Rynmere with his sights set on becoming the Knight Lord Commander and bringing the kingdom into a new golden age of peace, potentially even expanding through the Eastern Settlements. However, time after time, he was refused rank and forced to serve under others, and he grew bitter, believing it due to his common heritage and his lack of a rich family name and estate like his competitors, the Venorans, Andorans, Kromes and others. His status as both a Sword and a Shield even started to make his superiors afraid of him as he snapped and lashed out at them, only growing more and more angry as they avoided and ignored him, until he ultimately was sent into early retirement with a few meagre honours and thanks for his service.
Since then, he has become a lone wanderer, refusing to sit out his final years on a small but comfortable estate while inferior soldiers laugh behind his back. He spends much of his time moving between the various estates of Rynmere, an old dog with all the time in the world on his hands. Potentially looking for a successor to pass down his techniques and take under his wing, as all efforts to produce an heir were ultimately futile and his wife has passed from natural causes several arcs ago.
Though he refuses to reveal his age, even his short-cut grey wispy hair has fallen out in patches, which he claims is a testament to how many blows to the skull he's taken, and his tight face still shows many creases and wrinkles. He often appears unkempt, grizzle covering his chin and more often than not wearing simple clothes suitable for the region, though in the fashion that might have once been prime several arcs ago. There is always at least two pieces of armour on him, and his full plate is dented and marred by battle-scars, but is clearly of a higher quality than most fresh-forged worn by the knights of today. Rooks mark the bottom of the blade of his longsword and in the middle of his shield, boasting the fact that he has reached status in not one, but two weapons - a rarity even amongst Rooks.
Blades (Longsword, Bastard Sword, Dagger): 100 (Grandmaster)
Shield Combat (Kite Shield): 100 (Grandmaster)
Meditation : 100 (Master)
Strength: 100 (Master)
Tactics: 97 (Master)
Endurance: 92 (Master)
Unarmed Combat: 85 (Master)
Investigation: 77 (Master)
Siege Weaponry (Catapult): 74 (Expert)
Acrobatics: 73 (Expert)
Detection: 69 (Expert)
Mount (Horse): 66 (Expert)
Polearms (Halberd): 63 (Expert)
Running: 56 (Expert)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Knives): 52 (Expert)
Leadership: 45 (Competent)
Interrogation: 31 (Competent)
Stealth: 29 (Competent)
Chemistry: 26 (Competent)
All current members are Grandmasters in their weapons. Nearly all of them are Grandmasters in more than one skill, and are masters in several other fields besides. Many are military commanders from various nations all over the world. Some hold marks of various ranks from various Immortals, their allegiances pointing in all directions. There is no discrimination. The only thing that matters is skill, because in the end, it doesn't matter if you're a Qi'ora or an Aukari; you'll all die when a sword pushes through your chest.
Ranks
Requirements
1. Have your skills judged by a panel of five members. They must agree, unanimously, that your skill is sufficient to become a member. Any member can become a part of the panel, and any member can contest the decision made by the five, if they believe their judgement too strict or too lenient, in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the Nine Towers and its symbol.
2. Challenge and kill a member in honourable single combat. A member does not have to accept a challenge if they believe deceit or foul play will occur. Any deceit or foul play renders the match null. An existing member found to have committed foul play against another member is summarily hunted down and executed by all other members, in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the Nine Towers and its symbol.
The Symbol
The strict nature of the Nine Towers, the extremely high entry requirements and the brutal system all members must uphold means that the group remains small enough that all members are aware of one-another. Anyone attempting to impersonate a member, or claim that they are a member when they have not yet passed the requirements of entry, earns swift, immediate and merciless punishment.
The Members
Albert Kystmere
Albert Kystmere, Sword and Shield of the Nine Towers.
Since then, he has become a lone wanderer, refusing to sit out his final years on a small but comfortable estate while inferior soldiers laugh behind his back. He spends much of his time moving between the various estates of Rynmere, an old dog with all the time in the world on his hands. Potentially looking for a successor to pass down his techniques and take under his wing, as all efforts to produce an heir were ultimately futile and his wife has passed from natural causes several arcs ago.
Though he refuses to reveal his age, even his short-cut grey wispy hair has fallen out in patches, which he claims is a testament to how many blows to the skull he's taken, and his tight face still shows many creases and wrinkles. He often appears unkempt, grizzle covering his chin and more often than not wearing simple clothes suitable for the region, though in the fashion that might have once been prime several arcs ago. There is always at least two pieces of armour on him, and his full plate is dented and marred by battle-scars, but is clearly of a higher quality than most fresh-forged worn by the knights of today. Rooks mark the bottom of the blade of his longsword and in the middle of his shield, boasting the fact that he has reached status in not one, but two weapons - a rarity even amongst Rooks.
Blades (Longsword, Bastard Sword, Dagger): 100 (Grandmaster)
Shield Combat (Kite Shield): 100 (Grandmaster)
Meditation : 100 (Master)
Strength: 100 (Master)
Tactics: 97 (Master)
Endurance: 92 (Master)
Unarmed Combat: 85 (Master)
Investigation: 77 (Master)
Siege Weaponry (Catapult): 74 (Expert)
Acrobatics: 73 (Expert)
Detection: 69 (Expert)
Mount (Horse): 66 (Expert)
Polearms (Halberd): 63 (Expert)
Running: 56 (Expert)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Knives): 52 (Expert)
Leadership: 45 (Competent)
Interrogation: 31 (Competent)
Stealth: 29 (Competent)
Chemistry: 26 (Competent)