Sixth Order

Sixth Order of the Faith is one of the seven orders of clergy of the Faith, the religion commonly believed in the Unified Realm. The Sixth Order only accepts men into its rank. The novice brothers of the Order are trained from childhood to be warriors to fight for the Faith and to defend to Faithful. They are some of the mightiest warriors in the world. After graduating novices become Brothers to be sent throughout the kingdom to defend the realm. The leadership of the Order are the Brother Commandeds and the Masters, and ultimately the Aspect.

Entry to the Order[]

The Order accepts about one hundred boys each year of ten years old or so as novice brothers. The boys are given to the Order by their parents, and afterward cease all connection to their families. Orphans can also join, but must be vouched for by someone of good character.

Training[]

The boys are placed in groups of about ten under the overall tutelage of a single Master - Vaelin and his group were under Master Sollis, while Frentis's were under Master Haunlin. They receive training from a number of other Masters specialising in specific skills; bow, staff, the way of the wild etc. Each year of so, the novices must pass a test, or be expelled from the Order; boy also die in the tests. Vaelin's group which graduates half of the ten original novices is considered exeptionally high.

All novices must pass seven tests, and one exchange during their seven years of training:

Test of the Run: The group are taken up the Brinewash River and left along the river bank at different points. They must make their way through the forests to the Order House by the next day.
Test of the Wild: The novices are taken into the Urlish forest with nothing more than a knife, and must survive five days in the wild.
Test of Knowledge: Although the novices are lead to believe that the test is to learn the tales of the history of the Order, in fact it is a test of self knowledge. Three Aspects from other orders, question the boys on how well they know the nature of their soul, since it is their soul that guides their service to the Faith. It is the only test common to all Orders.
Test of the Melee: All the novices of an age are gathered into the practice field with wooden swords. They are split into two groups; one to defend a red pennant, and the other to capture it.
Week Long Exchange: In the traditional week long exchange, novice brothers spend one week working and learning in one of the five other Orders.
Test of the Horse: A mile long course on horseback through woods and rough country, followed by three arrows loosed from the saddle into the centre of three targets.
Test of the Bow: Four arrows sunk into the bullseye at twenty paces in the time it took a dropped scarf to fall to the ground,
Test of the Sword: Each novice must faces three condemned men, sword in hand, and must triumph or die.

Masters[]

There are about thirty Masters altogether, many of which go unnamed. Those involved in the training of Vaelin Al Sorna group are:

Aspect Gainyl Arlyn, the head of the Sixth Order
Master Checkrin, who teaches the bow
Master Grealin, the Master of the Vaults and the keeper of the armoury
Master Haunlin, who teaches the staff
Master Henthal, the Order's healer
Master Hutril, who teaches the ways of the wild
Master Intris, who teaches unarmed combat
Master Jeklin, the keeper of the kennels
Master Jestin, the Order's blacksmith
Master Rensial, the keeper of the stables
Master Smentil, the keeper of the gardens
Master Sollis, the sword-master and Brother Commander

Brother Commanders[]

The Brother Commanders are the leaders of the Brothers in the field. They seems to be an equivalent rank to Masters, with Masters and Brother Commanders interchanging periodically.

Brother Commander Makril, the commander of the Brothers on Vaelin's first campaign to the Martishe.
Brother Commander Sollis, he campaighed in the south and in the Alpiran Empire, after Vaelin's training.