Origin of the Brotherhood
The true origins of the Brotherhood are shrouded in mystery. This ancient order predates written history, and most claim written language as well, though some say even spoken language. The legends say that Nature, or Utura as she is also called, put in place a balance over the world. When that balance started to fall apart, the gods could see plainly that she needed an army. The Brotherhood was this army.
The name, "the Brotherhood", was given to the order to express rather simply what they were; a brotherhood of elite warriors who govern and protect the balance of the world.
Only two species, the Great Lions and wolves(or wolflords), can be members of the brotherhood, but before the 5th Age is was any of the great cats as well as wolves. The fact that Spotted Cats were no longer allowed to join sparked a bitter and brutal rivalry that never ended between them and Great Lions.
The name, "the Brotherhood", was given to the order to express rather simply what they were; a brotherhood of elite warriors who govern and protect the balance of the world.
Only two species, the Great Lions and wolves(or wolflords), can be members of the brotherhood, but before the 5th Age is was any of the great cats as well as wolves. The fact that Spotted Cats were no longer allowed to join sparked a bitter and brutal rivalry that never ended between them and Great Lions.
Joining the Brotherhood
The process for joining the Brotherhood can be broken down into steps.
1. Individual Shows Promise
An individual who is either a Great Lion, a wolf, or a wolflord who shows great promise as a warrior, or has been trained as an elite warrior, will be given the chance to join. Healers are also allowed to join, but don't necessarily need to show fighting potential.
2. Individual Shows Interest
The individual is either asked and they say yes, they want to join, or approaches a member and states they want to join.
3. Pre-Initiation Training
The individual, along with others who wish to join, go under training to see if they can truly make it. There is no passing or failing this training, it is up to the individual if they want to go on or not.
4. Initiation and Taking the Oath
Once the pre-initiation training is completed, those who still want to join are gathered for the initiation ceremony. Each individual is called up one by one before the leaders, who each ask them to say yes to a part of the oath.
1. Individual Shows Promise
An individual who is either a Great Lion, a wolf, or a wolflord who shows great promise as a warrior, or has been trained as an elite warrior, will be given the chance to join. Healers are also allowed to join, but don't necessarily need to show fighting potential.
2. Individual Shows Interest
The individual is either asked and they say yes, they want to join, or approaches a member and states they want to join.
3. Pre-Initiation Training
The individual, along with others who wish to join, go under training to see if they can truly make it. There is no passing or failing this training, it is up to the individual if they want to go on or not.
4. Initiation and Taking the Oath
Once the pre-initiation training is completed, those who still want to join are gathered for the initiation ceremony. Each individual is called up one by one before the leaders, who each ask them to say yes to a part of the oath.
“Will you fully accept the duties of the Brotherhood, no questions asked, even if it means dying for it?” Mortieo asked the young lioness.
“Yes,” Blackriver responded with conviction.
“Will you protect the balance of Nature and obey her true will?” the she-wolf questioned her.
“Yes.”
“Will you accept your gift, no matter what it is, and use it only for the good of this order?” the wolflord asked her next.
“Yes!” Blackriver knew this would be her answer to each and every question they asked. She needed no time to think about it.
“Will you defend every member of the Brotherhood as if they are your own flesh and blood, no matter where your loyalties lie in the outside world? Are you willing to give your life for each and everyone of them and to call them your brothers and sisters? Will you accept them as your brothers and sisters in bond, if not in blood?” Dez questioned her, as if the lioness felt her niece may falter on the answer.
Blackriver resisted answering through gritted teeth, “Yes!”
5. Post-Initiation Training
Although now a fully fledged member, there is still training to undergo. A series of intense training and mediation sessions begin for the new members. This training is to help their "gift" to be revealed, and once it has, they move on to the next step. If an individual doesn't possess one of these gifts, the training helps strengthen them anyway.
6. Mentors Are Assigned
Individuals are set up with mentors who best compliment or match their potential abilities. For example, Dez, a powerful Day Dreamer, was set up with Mortieo, who before Dez was believed to be the most powerful on in the Brotherhood at the time, as to help her reach her full potential. He famously returned to his fellow leaders of the order about a week after training her, and told them that they "didn't want her to reach her full potential".
At this point the new member is considered a full member, but will continue learning from their mentor and the rest of the order for the rest of their lives.
Although now a fully fledged member, there is still training to undergo. A series of intense training and mediation sessions begin for the new members. This training is to help their "gift" to be revealed, and once it has, they move on to the next step. If an individual doesn't possess one of these gifts, the training helps strengthen them anyway.
6. Mentors Are Assigned
Individuals are set up with mentors who best compliment or match their potential abilities. For example, Dez, a powerful Day Dreamer, was set up with Mortieo, who before Dez was believed to be the most powerful on in the Brotherhood at the time, as to help her reach her full potential. He famously returned to his fellow leaders of the order about a week after training her, and told them that they "didn't want her to reach her full potential".
At this point the new member is considered a full member, but will continue learning from their mentor and the rest of the order for the rest of their lives.
Ranks of the Brotherhood
The ranks of the Brotherhood are rather simple. Most members are all at the basic, equal rank, but since the order recognizes the importance of having someone responsible higher up, there are two higher ranks.
Generals
Generals are the true leaders of the Brotherhood. In the old days, Generals were basically seen as kings. They oversee the entire order, from training, recruiting, to assignments and missions. There are always four generals, two wolves/wolflords, and two lions.
Commanders
These are members that a General has seen shows great leadership potential, and are chosen by a General. They can sometimes get switched around between Generals, but typically under one at a time, and answer to them alone.
Former Titles/Ranks
Keeper of Secrets: an older, no longer used rank, given always to a Day Dreamer. They would keep the secrets of order, and they alone would know all of them, sharing these secrets with the Generals when need be.
Generals
Generals are the true leaders of the Brotherhood. In the old days, Generals were basically seen as kings. They oversee the entire order, from training, recruiting, to assignments and missions. There are always four generals, two wolves/wolflords, and two lions.
Commanders
These are members that a General has seen shows great leadership potential, and are chosen by a General. They can sometimes get switched around between Generals, but typically under one at a time, and answer to them alone.
Former Titles/Ranks
Keeper of Secrets: an older, no longer used rank, given always to a Day Dreamer. They would keep the secrets of order, and they alone would know all of them, sharing these secrets with the Generals when need be.
Gifts of the Brotherhood
All Members:
Specific "Gifts
Often times these "gifts" are hidden powers and abilities one can have. The Brotherhood trains their members to unlock, use, and master these gifts.
- Are protected by the Promise of the Brotherhood, so long as they keep the oath. The Promise says that they; cannot die a coward's death, cannot die by a coward's hand, and cannot be kill by a coward's weapon(typically seen as long ranged weapons).
- Their intense training allows them to endure most forms of pain and torture(they are trained to keep secrets at all costs, so enduring just about any form of integration or torture is key).
- Can sense changes to the balance. How is pretty much unknown, even to members of the order. It becomes an instinct to them.
- Can sense the presence of magic or magical beings.
- Magics are essentially useless against them. This is actually more believed to be a basic ability for all wolves and Great Lions. Formerly, when Spotted Cats were also members, they were the only members this didn't apply to, as they are known as excellent users of magic.
- Can't use true magics.
Specific "Gifts
Often times these "gifts" are hidden powers and abilities one can have. The Brotherhood trains their members to unlock, use, and master these gifts.
- Kachezdaira/Day Dreamer: Kachezdaira, meaning "one who sees the dead", or as they're also known as, "Day Dreamers"(based off the belief that the dead could only be seen in dreams, but Kachezdaira can see them awake). Day Dreaming is considered an elemental gift. These powerful elementals deal in namely three things; the spirit/soul, the mind, and dreams. They have perfect memories, due to their ability to tap into their own spiritual memories, and they also have the ability to tap into others memories in several different ways. Their exact abilities and power varies greatly between individuals, and at the very base level, all can see spirits of the dead, see "beyond what the eye sees", have access to their spiritual memory, and can tap into, in one form or another, the "Dream Realm", which is the source of their powers. The exact abilities/power is highly dependent on two things; the Day Dreamer's potential power, and how young they became a Day Dreamer. A good example of this is Dez and Mortieo("Ti" for short). They both have very similar potential, if not possibly the same. Ti is roughly 40 years older than Dez, and he was fairly young when he became a Day Dreamer, so one would think he'd be more powerful. This is not the case, however, as Dez was much, much, younger than he was when she became a Day Dreamer(he was a little over 2 years, she was more like 2 months old). Because of this, Dez soon surpassed her mentor in her skills as a Day Dreamer, in fact she was doing things that were on the more complicated side since she was a cub. Likewise, Dez and Shadowheart(or Dara) are also a good comparison. Dara had a lot more potential than most Day Dreamers, even more than Dez and Ti. However, because he became one a little later than Dez, and died rather young, his abilities never came to their full potential, or even near them.
Misc.
Note: These are just the human/humanoid outfits. In the ancient days, wolves, lions, and, going even further back, leopards, would have worn similar things, but strictly ceremonial, and obviously less like armor/cloths and more likely just jewelry/accessories. Closer to Dez' time, the wolves and lions simplified things, and got rid of the extra ceremonial wear. Wolflords/shifters/etc. still would wear the traditional robes/armor.
Note about the shoes/boots/sandals with the robe sets: I mostly just did random, simple ones. Really they would be wearing whatever the individual preferred.
General
A General's armor is very pale in color, with gold tinted accents.
Their robes are the simplest, as in the ancient societies, generals would be encouraged to avoid holding political power outside of the Order. Generals would still, however, be highly respected, and even sometimes worshiped as kings, so they often wore crowns or circlets, and other fancier things. Sometimes the robes were fancier, but this depended on the general.
Commander
A commander's armor is mostly blackened, earning them the nicknames of "Black Knights" or even "Black Death". Their armor was a bit more practical than a general's most more decorative set, as commanders were actually expected to fight on the front lines, more or less.
The robes of a Brotherhood commander are very decorative, as they often held high positions of power outside of the Order, not having the need to remain politically neutral like the general.
Keeper of Secrets
A position in the Brotherhood that no longer exist, this was a Day Dreamer who would keep records of everything the Brotherhood knew, solely by memory(Day Dreamers have perfect, and pretty much supernatural, memory and recall). Their robes would be rather lavish, and would wear highly decorative jewelry and accessories. Typically, the Keeper of Secrets was more likely to be a woman/she-wolf/lioness(simply because more powerful Day Dreamer tend to be female rather than male), so these robes would likely be a bit more feminine than the ones shown. (My more or less mannequin/base was pretty much male, and I was too lazy to make a new one for the Keeper of Secrets XD) Colors would likely be shades of green, as these are the colors representing Nature/Utura, whom the Brotherhood serves.
Member Robes
Just ceremonial robes for standard members of the Order, who would wear these during formal meetings or gathers.
Pre-Initiate Robes
Robes worn by those going through pre-initiation training, so pretty much those who haven't taken the Oath yet.
"Servant" Robes
For lack of a better name, these robes were worn by those who served the Order, but were not members themselves. Although some actually were more or less servants(house keeping of sorts, cooks, blacksmiths, things like that), most were actually hunters or warriors of great position, power, and respect.
Note about the shoes/boots/sandals with the robe sets: I mostly just did random, simple ones. Really they would be wearing whatever the individual preferred.
General
A General's armor is very pale in color, with gold tinted accents.
Their robes are the simplest, as in the ancient societies, generals would be encouraged to avoid holding political power outside of the Order. Generals would still, however, be highly respected, and even sometimes worshiped as kings, so they often wore crowns or circlets, and other fancier things. Sometimes the robes were fancier, but this depended on the general.
Commander
A commander's armor is mostly blackened, earning them the nicknames of "Black Knights" or even "Black Death". Their armor was a bit more practical than a general's most more decorative set, as commanders were actually expected to fight on the front lines, more or less.
The robes of a Brotherhood commander are very decorative, as they often held high positions of power outside of the Order, not having the need to remain politically neutral like the general.
Keeper of Secrets
A position in the Brotherhood that no longer exist, this was a Day Dreamer who would keep records of everything the Brotherhood knew, solely by memory(Day Dreamers have perfect, and pretty much supernatural, memory and recall). Their robes would be rather lavish, and would wear highly decorative jewelry and accessories. Typically, the Keeper of Secrets was more likely to be a woman/she-wolf/lioness(simply because more powerful Day Dreamer tend to be female rather than male), so these robes would likely be a bit more feminine than the ones shown. (My more or less mannequin/base was pretty much male, and I was too lazy to make a new one for the Keeper of Secrets XD) Colors would likely be shades of green, as these are the colors representing Nature/Utura, whom the Brotherhood serves.
Member Robes
Just ceremonial robes for standard members of the Order, who would wear these during formal meetings or gathers.
Pre-Initiate Robes
Robes worn by those going through pre-initiation training, so pretty much those who haven't taken the Oath yet.
"Servant" Robes
For lack of a better name, these robes were worn by those who served the Order, but were not members themselves. Although some actually were more or less servants(house keeping of sorts, cooks, blacksmiths, things like that), most were actually hunters or warriors of great position, power, and respect.