The Shadow Guard

Herein scribed are the requirements to join the Shadow Guard and the Precepts detailing their protection and enforcement of the fidelity of faith and given word.  

The Purpose of the Shadow Guard

The Shadow Guard shall serve the Keep as enforcers of fidelity.  Their purpose, therefore, will be to actively seek out and lead the destruction of those who are traitorous to the Master or the Keep.  Further, as the brother and sister religions of the Pantheon do not all possess the ability to do this, the Guard will at times lend its assistance to the persecution of traitors and apostates to the other Gods of Darkness, when directed by the Dark Lord.

Requirements for Eligibility

1. You must be a Dark Knight in good standing within the Keep, at the very least.

2. You must have completed your training in your given field of expertise and will not be allowed to change that without the permission of the Captain and Dark Lord/Chancellor.

3. You must be recommended for entry into the guard by a sect leader, the Chancellor, Dark Lord, Captain, Master at Arms, or divine intervention.

4. You must seek a blessing for entry from a Priest of Necrucifer or Drakkara of Deacon rank or higher within the Church.

5. Those holding the ranks of Dark Lord, Chancellor and Sect Leader must surrender those titles to become Guardsmen.

Once all of these conditions have been met, you will be tested by the Captain to prove your worthiness to serve, and then bound to protect the integrity of faith.

Ranks of the Shadow Guard

Shadow Guards will represent the sects from which they were pulled, and will remain part of those sects.  The Guard will have a Captain (a leader) and a Master at Arms (a deputy).  These two will belong to no specific sect.

All Guardsmen when on active duty or active training with the Guard shall fall under the command of the Captain and the Master At Arms, and the Dark Lord, no others.  When not called on for Guard service, they will serve their sect of origin as normal.

The Captain of the Guard will have the power to temporarily commandeer those who are not Guardsmen for critical missions or opportunities when his Guardsmen alone are not sufficient.

Apostates, Traitors and Blasphemers

What follows is a list of those offenses which will brand a person apostate and target of the Shadow Guard.  The Dark Lord may add other qualifications either temporarily or permanently as required by situation and Necrucifer himself.

1. Those who have forsaken their faith in the Master or Mistress for any god of the good or neutral pantheons.  Those who repent and wish to return do so only before the fist of justice arrives.

2. Those who have knowingly disobeyed the direct and sacred commandments of the Master to His Followers.

3. Those who have betrayed the Blood Oath sworn on entry to the Keep. This will by definition include any and all who depart the Keep permanently without granted permission by a Council Member.  Temporary absences to change professions are acceptable.  Those seeking to serve in allied groups are still sought unless receiving pardon from the Dark Lord/Chancellor.

4. Any who knowingly preach word contradictory to that revealed by the Master or Mistress to their servants, including blasphemy against the Code, Precepts, or His Will and Way.  Vigorous discussion and debate of meanings is encouraged, so violations of precept will be publicly pronounced by the Dark Lord, Chancellor, or Lord Templar.

5. In similar spirit, anyone renegaded from Storm Keep, or who left the Keep voluntarily, and joined an enemy clan will be hunted as a target of priority by the Guard and any who assist them.  The Guardsmen will lead efforts to ensure such traitors are hunted by everyone in the Keep.

Thus are the Precepts of The Shadow Guard.  So originally created by the Bishop Seethe, and revised into this form by Jaerlach Kesepton.