Groups Haken Brotherhood: This is a brotherhood of Monks, the only one in Lyju,
that makes its home in the souther Ca'del foothills. Haken is from the old
tongue and basically means "Covered Fist". This is the method that the Monks
use to bow to each other during training. The covered fist is done by making a
fist with their right and, and then covering it with the open palm of their
left hand, then they hold that near their chest as they bow. The fist is said
to represent Power, and the open palm is said to represent Wisdom. With the
wisdom covering power, it symbolizes the brotherhood's desire to temper their
power with wisdom and good judgement. The exact number of Haken Brothers is
unknown because once they obtain proficiency at their temple they set out into
the world to spread peace and wisdom. But membership in the Brotherhood is said
to number well into the hundreds, and it is rumored to be the biggest and most
influencial monk brotherhood south of Elulas.
Johan's Talon: Modeled after Talons of old, Duke Johan's Talon is just
now being formed. For hundreds of years, the Kings of Tirge have had a group of
elite individuals that were available to perform special missions at the king's
request. That group is called his Talon, because they are like the claw of the
beast coming after the prey. The most famous Talon of recent history was King
Dunn's Talon that helped turn the tide of the war when Alimur invaded Tirge 200
years ago. Duke Johan's Talon will be the first Talon formed for a member of
the Duchy of Lyju's royal family.
The Order of White: This is a group of Wizards and Sorcerers that
operate several schools of Magic throughout all of Ne'khol. They are one of the
Four Orders of Arcane Magic in the Lands. Most governments require all arcane
spell casters to be a member of one of the Magical Orders to be allowed to cast
spells in or around cities. Arcane spellcasters who cast spells in or around
town who are not a member of one of the Magical Orders are subject to arrest
and imprisonment in most lands. The Order of White is devoted to law, order,
and peace. They strive to stand up for the rights of the underdog and always
champion justice. Members of the Order of White are often called apon to judge
disagreements, and commonly work as officiants in tournaments. All members of
the Order of White wear a thick silver necklace with a large white pendant on
it. The pendant is magically linked to the wearer, and will turn bright orange
if donned by someone other than the person whom it is linked to. There are two
White Towers in Lyju, one is near Darcyn and the other is north of Bliryn.
The Obsidian Order: This is another of the Four Orders of Arcane Magic.
Highly recognizable by their ornate black robes with gold trim, this order
concentrates on necromancy and many of the darker aspects of arcane magic.
While not necessarily evil, almost all Obsidian Wizards have a natural aversion
to rules and laws. Even common street thugs go out of their way to avoid
Obsidian Wizards when they're looking for loose pockets. No one wants to mess
with a wizard, but wizards who can call dead critters forth to attack, or cause
your skin to wither and die, are particularly feared. There are no Obsidian
Towers in Lyju, the closest one is about 40 miles to the west in Alimur.
The Crimson Order: This is the third of the Magic Orders. This one is
known by the large red ring that all members wear on their left pinky finger.
The ring is shaped like a red dragon, and it's head appears to be biting the
wearer's finger. Crimson Wizards may be good or evil, but they all long for
power. Fame is nice, treasure useful, but power is absolutely vital. "Why put
the enemy to sleep when you can incinerate them with a fireball?" is a favorite
saying of many Crimson Wizards. Commoners often say that someone is "going
crimson" when they're acting power-hungry. There are no Crimson Towers in Lyju,
but there is one about 20 miles east in the foothills of Tirge just south of
Gudryville.
The Order of Grey: The Grey Wizards are devoted to the pursuit of
knowledge. They will spend weeks locked away in a library studying, only coming
out to eat and other necessities, and then heading straight back to their
studies. They all wear a dark grey braclet on their right wrist. Grey Wizards
do not often go out adventuring, unless they're looking for particular
knowledge or some important tome or wisdom. There is one Grey Tower in Lyju,
located on the southern edge of the foothills near the South Goril River.
The Order of Songs:The laws of the lands require that all arcane spellcasters be a member of one of the magical orders. This is a point of contention for most bards who do not care about the politics of the wizards. For many years some of the most notable bards in the southlands have tried to establish their own Order, but the leaders of the existing Orders have gone out of their way to prevent that from happening. The most active group of bards trying to form their own Order is a group that calls its self the Order of Songs in far Southeast Lyju. The Order of Songs was established by a famous Lyjuan bard named Dannia Aconlen, and there are almost 30 bards who claim membership of that Order. But without backing of the Duke, the local cities and towns won�t recognize the Order and so even bards who belong to the Order of Songs still have to belong to one of the �Four True Orders� to legally practice magic in town.
