National Guard

The National Guard is a group of elite knights who have sworn their loyalty to the King. It was established in 1536 AK after the Battle of Harten, and consisted of the nine heroes of war who helped King Kasimir the Bold not only win the battle but with it the First War of Harten. Stationed in the dungeons beneath Hartenburg, the National Guard is protecting the royal family and serves as guards for the prison in the dungeons, which are reserved for the capital enemies of the King.

While not expecting combat, the National Guard are clothed in black silk. On the left breast, a fine silver symbol is shown, representing the specialization of the individual knight: A vertical long sword, an eye impaled by an arrow, or a flame. Also, a black, hooded cloak is often worn, showing the same symbol on the back.

The National Guard is traditionally clothed in black, and even the battle armor is no exception. It constists of plate armor and a full helmet made from a rare alloy which is both light and hard, and hence allows for high agility while still guarranteeing optimal protection. While most of the plating is left pitch black from the smithing process, fine ornaments are worked into the armor by removing the oxidized layers of the alloy and uncovering its white, metallic color. On the back of the cuirass, one of the three specialization symbols is engraved in the same fashion.

These knights are chosen amongst the most loyal and able soldiers of Harten. Deadly tests of cunning, wit, agility and power allow only the best to pass. Out of five candidates, one lives - and is rewarded with the black silk. It has been suggested that the color black represents the sorrow of the knights who lost their loyal comrades - and often, friends - during the trials. Guarding the honor of these soldiers as well as that of Harten itself is often regarded as the prime duty of any Guard.

This fact is further supported by the various songs which Himter describes in his writings; Many tell of the brotherhood of the living in the family of the dead, of a sacrifice that some have to bring to protect the fatherland, or similar stories. These songs seem to have been sung at gatherings of the Guard and were hence remembered by all knights.

Including himself, Paul Himter counts 97 knights in the National Guard at the beginning of his journey in 2304 AV. Somewhen during that journey, the National Guard is dissolved per decree of the King. Accused and convicted of treachery to the crown, the knights are to be terminated. A force of soldiers is sent into the dungeons to execute the verdict, but the outcome is currently unkown to us; As are the exact dates of these events, since no account for them could be found.

It has been suggested that the King learned of the treachery and hence removed all potential traitors. That theory would, however, conflict with the fact that the King never tried to stop Himter himself, nor took any precautions to avoid his death. This might be a result of the King's clouded judgement though, which the plotters describe. Another possibility is that the King only found out about the plot while Himter was not in Harten, and that in order to not impair the assassination, the other plotters lied to the King about the nature of the plot. In this scenario, the plotters would have made the King believe that Himter was not part of the plot, sacrificing themselves for what they believed was best for the nation. This would be most persistent with Himter's description of the National Guard.

A completely different opinion has been voiced, stating that the King never knew about the assassination; Instead, he considered the National Guard to be a thorn in his side (or the side of his allies). In this case, the elimination would naturally follow. The King would also want to follow through with his plan to scout the Muhadin, hence letting the unsuspecting Himter directly into his chambers, drinking with him and asking him to forward the gathered information - leading to their deaths shortly after.

In any case, with Himter dying by his own doings and the remaining Guard attacked by the King, chances are that none of the knights lived to see the death of the King.