General

The Order of the Brown Dragon are an adventuring party, turned paramilitary organization, based in World#Velinde . They are most known for their instrumental role in the defeat of the lich Porton Thanin, ending the war between Astrium and Medora and the resurrection of Sardior .

Founding

Murmer, Panis, Quiggly, Sar and Varen found themselves travelling together, as a result of their collective kidnapping and imprisonment in the sewers of Isoks. Following an encounter with a T-Rex, identified by Murmer as a Brown Dragon, as ploy to sell its teeth at a higher value, the group adopted the name "The Order of the Brown Dragon". They based their operations out of Colchester, using a house they aquired from an old lady, after Varen and Panis “convinced” her to travel back to her family, which so happened to leave them with the “rightful” deed to the house. They quickly transformed the space to centre the house as the main headquarters of the Order, including transforming the loft as the bedroom which uncovered golden door which lead to Azmodium’s abandoned wizard tower in the astral sea. Over time, members joined and left, with Quiggly and Sar being the only original members remaining.

Members

Core Members

Companions

Adventures

Organization

Since transitioning from an adventuring party to a more expansive organization, the Order has changed the way they operate. Their main goal is the protection of the people of Velinde and ensuring peace in the continent. They serve as a paramilitary organization, taking on dangerous quests, which governments are unable or unwilling to deal with. Jobs are submitted to the Order, where they are assigned a rank based on the perceived danger. This is done to avoid sending people out to missions they are unprepared for. Missions are addressed, as quickly as possible and an award is given to those who complete them. The Order requires no payment from people that cannot afford it, or in cases when someone's life is in danger.

While on a mission, a party will be contacted by headquarters to ensure their safety on regular basis. In the event of something going wrong, or someone attacking the party, a senior member of the Order is sent to investigate, evaluate and retaliate. Often, that would be the Deputy Head Sardielr Koskides, which has earned him the reputation of the Order's "boogeyman". This has become well known, making members of the Order unappealing targets for bandits or other miscreates who know that as much as a swipe in the Order's direction will be answered with complete annihilation.

Rules

The Order expects their employees to abide by the laws of their locale, but there is a list of other internal rules detailed in each contract. When cutting through the tangled legal jargon, three main priorities can be found. Listed in order of priority they are:

1. Protect the people.
2. Protect yourself.
3. Protect the mission.

Breaking any of these rules is grounds for an immediate dismissal, or depending on the severity - death. This severity in punishment of their own, is paired with the Order's policy of absolute protection of its members from outside forces. As long as a member abides by the rules, they and any of their family are protected by the full might of the Order.

Staff

The Order of the Brown Dragon grew in the years since Tharizdun's defeat, opening offices in most of the major cities in Velinde. They also expanded in the Astral Sea, having 2 bases: one operating out of Miskey's Dock, headed by Ja'adock and a smaller office in Spitotoume which oversees ship repairs and construction.

As of 10Y 5E, their members number over 1000 people, which can broadly be broken down into 3 categories.

1. Adventuring Party Members: ~100 people.
2. Guards (including trainees): ~500 people.
3. Civilian Staff: ~600 people.

Joining the Order is seen as a honourable, but danger-ridden job and many are turned away. Those who do join, are provided with housing and protection. Their family is guaranteed to be taken care of by the organization and treated as one of their own. This is part of the reason for the rapid expansion of the Brown District in Colchester, where housing was constructed for members and their families, which has grown into a distinct community.

Adventurers - Claws

Adventurers comprise the elite members of the Brown Dragon. These are the people sent on missions, most commonly to defeat monsters or other specialised threats that the authorities are unable or unwilling to deal with. Adventurers are themselves broken down in ranks, based on their strength, as the Order tries to ensure that its members are not sent on missions that they are unable to handle. Due to this becoming a fully-fledged adventurer member is a difficult process.

If one is successful, they could expect great rewards, but also an unparallel level of danger. This comes not just from outside threats, but also from the punishments given for misconduct. Adventurers represent the Order and are expected to behave as such. These members are aware that all of their actions will be scrutinised heavily and must adhere to the main rules of the Order. Considering the uncountable number of different situations, they could find themselves in, the next general rule is "Do what is believe is right.". What is less commonly mentioned is the second part of this saying, being "If the bosses find your belief incorrect, you will lose your head.".

Guards - Scales

Guards are the core of the Order's forces. They are typically not sent on missions or expeditions, but are rather assigned an area which they patrol and protect. Guards are generally less powerful than adventurers and lack their breadth of abilities. They typically help local authorities by supplementing their local forces, helping out when roads, bridges or important buildings need to be guarded. People who join can expect a higher degree of danger than their government counterparts, as they will often be assigned to areas considered "not worth the risk", by the local rulers. On some rare occasions, members could be assigned to a task far from home (such as when opening a new office, or protecting a new construction project). Those who distinguish themselves, have the opportunity to join the adventurers, where both the danger and rewards are greater. Many graduates of the academy start off in the guards' forces before transitioning to adventuring.

Civilian Staff - Wings

Civilian Staff is the backbone of the Order. These are the masons, blacksmith, fletchers, administrative staff etc. They help keep the Order running and the Guards and Adventurers supplied. The most often way that people join is after being contracted for a particular project. There they can demonstrate their skills and the best amongst them are offered permanent positions. Being hired by the order is very appealing for civilians, as they are provided with accommodation for their family and their children have the opportunity to enroll in the academy. It is, however, not without its downsides, as you could be sent on projects far from home for weeks at a time, the most notable example being the team that first started constructing the first railway, who had to travel the continent for months to oversee the project.

Offices

Colchester - HQ

The Headquarters of the Order and its biggest office by far. The original old office in the city still stands and is used, but most of the activity is now focused in the Order's own district in the north-east of the city.

The district is almost a small town itself, populated by both members of the Order and others. This is where many of the craftsmen, artisans, bookkeepers etc. for the Order reside together with their families.

The main Guild Hall for the Adventurers is located here, as well as a training academy for those who wish to join.

Academy

This establishment is the main educational institution of the Order. Starting off, as a school founded by Delyan, it focused on teaching the art of Bladesinging and became the first place unaffiliated with the Conclave of Arcanists, to do so. Over time, Quiggly, thought that it would be worth expanding the school to teach other subjects. Elite members of the Wings, craftsman and scientists, began giving lectures to their colleagues in order to pass some of their knowledge. Some began bringing their children, in the hope of them picking up a craft and eventually the school was expanded to the point that it needed a full restructuring. At present, the Academy, serves to provide education for the children of the Order's members, taught by members who specialize in different fields. Once a person is in their mid-teens, they choose to focus on studies or combat training, each leading them to a different branch of the Order.

Those who wish to focus in higher education or specific crafts can expect a job in the Wings after graduation, should their skills prove sufficient. The ones who focus on becoming combatants, can graduate into a post in the Scales. After proving their worth there some go on to join the Claws and become adventurers. In rare cases, a person can graduate directly as an Adventurer, if they show great promise.

Delyan is the headmaster of the entire academy, managing the curriculum and all of the other staff. He still takes an active teaching role, both in the civilian and combat classes, where he picks students be believes will be suitable to learn the Bladesong. Many adventurers also deliver lessons here, between missions, or after retiring from active duty. Sar considers this to be the most important part of the Order, as it is preparing the generations for the future after they are gone.

Covanport

Kokkalti

Stormgard

Almanat

Command Structure

Head of the Order - Quiggly Cartwright

Quiggly is the appointed Head of the Order. He only truly entered the role after leaving the Conclave, before which most of his duties were done by Sar. Quiggly spends most of his time in Colchester overseeing all of the operations of the Order. He doesn't take as active of a role in quests as he once did, but instead focuses on the larger picture. He has been instrumental in the creation of the train lines, allowing for faster and safer traversal of the continent, as well as the reform efforts in the Conclave, prior to his departure from the organization.

Deputy Head of the Order - Sardielr Koskides

Sardielr is the Deputy Head of the Order, his authority being second only to Quiggly. Sar laid the foundation for what the Order would become, while Quiggly was still a member of the Conclave. Despite this he didn't feel he deserved to formally lead the Order so he still operated from his Deputy position. Sar's main role is dealing with adventurers - their recruitment, assessment and training. While technically second in command, Sar avoids dealing with paperwork, instead focusing on honing his skills and craft. Due to his multiple bodies, he still takes and active role in adventures. He lives in Colchester with his family and has one of his bodies in the city at most times. For members, it is not an uncommon sight to find one of his bodies sleeping on benches or underneath trees in the Brown District.

Astral Commander - Ja'adock Zaar

Ja'adock is the commander of the Astral Branch of the Order. Having grown up there, his familiarity with the local factions and his sailing skills made him the obvious choice. This was further enhanced by the new ability he gained after entering the Infinite Staircase. Ja'adock's assignment is quite free form, as neither Quiggly, nor Sar, trust him with running day-to-day operations. His main tasks involve travelling the Astral and dealing with any dangers to its denizens.

Head Administrator - Tai Morgana

Tai and her team manage the day to day administrative duties in the Order. She deals with the Civilian Staff, manages the jobs the Order takes, engages in negotiations. It is her branch, that reads and classifies the job requests, schedules and plans infrastructure projects and manages civilian recruitment. Tai herself, still serves as Quiggly's right-hand woman in running the day-to-day affairs of the Order.

Academy Director - Delyan

Delyan opened his own Bladesinging Academy as part of the Order. While still significantly smaller than the ones in Ikoval, it is growing and some of its graduates have gone to join the Order. In contrast with the one in Otusta, the school Delyan runs focuses more on the practical aspect of magic, inspired by his experiences. Enrollment is hard and graduation even harder, but those who leave do so well-equipped for the dangers of the world.

Guard Commander - Mazirt Vewpashnir

Mazert joined the Order and serves as the commander for the Guards' forces. He deals with requests for protection and patrol and works closely together with the local City Watch forces. He often travels between offices, ensuring that they run smoothly.

Special Members - Kalen Hornraven and Caluprax Fiampheacnerruath

As Kalen and Calu hold political positions within their respective countries, they now hold a special rank, outside the Order's Hierarchy. They have no formal authority over the Order's members, but rather possess an honorary role.

Head Engineer - Hector Blanchnetta

Colchester Portmaster - Alfons Xinja