Legion of the Iron Wall

Legionnaire, Warmaster (informal)

Swords at Dawn p. 146
Wyrd	●●●●
Preqs	Persuasion ●●● Any of (Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry) ●●●●
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The Legion of the Iron Wall monitors the status of freeholds across the world, keeping an ear to the ground to find those that have become complacent and those that are in danger of being overrun by the threats that surround them. They pay special attention to rumors of gatherings in the Hedge, newly forming trods, and other warning signs of potential Gentry attacks. And when they find evidence that a freehold is in danger from a threat external or internal, they ride into town to try and sort things out.

Mien

Violence is the nature of the Warmasters, and it shows in their mien. Even at low Wyrd, a Legionnaire seems dangerous. Their smooth edges seem blunt, and their lines seem sharp enough to cut. Faint scars and signs of their many battles dot their skin and clothing, and their weapons never look shiny and new — they look used, but still intact, ready to inflict violence at a moment’s notice.

As Wyrd climbs, the second sign of the Legion is old, dried blood. Tiny flakes of it gather in their fingertips, long-dried patches of it form on their clothes, and dots of it swim behind their eyes. Death surrounds them like a shroud, enough to make some uncomfortable with the proof of the Legion’s life.

Freehold's Defender (Privilege)

The Freehold’s Defender is a pledge to which Warmasters can swear other changelings. The Knight swears it on his Title, without fail — in doing so, he allows others to use him as a fulcrum for their own oaths to the freehold.

For the Knight, the Freehold’s Defender Oath has the following traits, which cannot be altered or expanded upon:

Type: Corporal Oath, upon the Knight’s weapon, a Title Emblem / Nemesis Pledge: While the Warmaster must swear this oath upon his Title, those he swears it with do so by requiring him to punish them for forsaking their duties. The exact Contract penalty depends on the Warmaster.

Tasks: Endeavor, Medial (–2): The Knight and his new soldiers must serve as a soldier in defense of the freehold.

Boon: Adroitness: Persuasion (+1), Vow Focus (+1) / Adroitness: Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry (+1), Blessing, Lesser: Fast Reflexes (+1): In addition to gaining a bonus die on all Persuasion rolls, the character gains the ability to become the second party in any number of Freehold’s Defender oaths. This functions much the same way as a Vassalage Oath does for the local Court Kings, and for similar reasons, although it provides no other bonuses. His soldiers, on the other hand, gain instant familiarity with weapons and ability to react quickly to danger. Note that they gain this dot of Fast Reflexes even if they fail to meet the prerequisites or have the Merit at its maximum usual rating.

Sanction: Banishment (–3): Those who betray the freehold must leave it, never to return.

Duration: Year and a day (+3)

Invocation: One Willpower point each; the Warmaster invests a Willpower dot as per the Vassalage oath, and recovers it at the end of his time as Freehold’s Defender.

Typically, the Legion’s Knight will be careful about who he swears to defend a realm, and impress on them the penalties for failure. At the same time, his ability to swear large groups if needed allows him to gather a highly dedicated force to defend the freehold and fight on its behalf. It is worth noting that in a civil war situation, both sides might believe that they are defending their freehold, and thus would not be guilty of violating this oath.

Joining

The process for becoming a Legionnaire varies depending on which member of the Legion chooses to induct a person, but it includes a few common practices. First, anyone who wishes to join the Legion must taste what it offers. This means spending a full year and a day taking the oath of the Freehold’s Defender, following the orders of a Warmaster, and being both willing to fight to the end for the safety of others, and capable of winning difficult battles. Many Legionnaires watch their soldiers closely, and pay close attention to those who choose to renew their vows when the year ends.

If it becomes clear that a soldier has both the discipline and dedication required to devote their lives to war, and the skill to survive doing so, their commanding officer will suggest the path of the Legion to them when the time comes for their oath to expire. The Legionnaire issues the oath to his new charge, explains exactly what it means to walk the Iron Wall, and gives their charge one last chance to back away. If the charge wishes to go ahead, she recites the oath of allegiance to the Wall.