New to Giralda, I see. Well, it takes all sorts around here. Take that shifty-eyed weasel by the fire.
Oh, he acts looks like a simple merchant, peddling meager wares, but watch what you say around him. The Empire’s got ears everywhere...
See those two there? They seem all chummy now, but that’s only because Var is trying to convince Jarek to desert the navy in Thisbē and join
those lawless bastards who sail from the Spice Isles. I’m sure that one will kill the other before the week is out, once they’ve got what they want from each other.
Then there’s always the usual mercs; bastards who’d happily kill their own mothers for a coin. Oh, they say those twins from Brelan aren’t so bad,
but a merc is a merc, and money is all they see.
At least there're no damned elves here tonight. One got uppity last month when I insisted the
bastard slept in the stables. A damn generous offer for a half-breed, if you ask me!
Mind yourself if you head into the Wilds. It’s full of things that
would happily eat you and shit you out without a second thought. Even the people who hunt those things are more beast than civil.
Anyway stranger,
what'll it be: a room, or a drink?
SKYE
Admin
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FIZZ
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ZIGGY
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SILK
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CURRENT MONTH: AUREL, 762
This month marks the transition from the scorching sun of summer to the cooling of autumn. The night skies become more magnificent as shooting stars are more frequent, and auroras dance across the horizon. Aurel is a time of harvest when the farmers gather the crops that cannot withstand the upcoming heavy rains of Nandir.
December 2023 Soft hiatus - have a safe, warm, and minimally dysfunctional holiday season!
October 2023 Site month change! New threads (unless set in the past, future, or an AU) should be dated "Aurel 762". See the Information tab for a description of the month. Characters in the Temple Crew should be mindful of the continuity of possible injuries, connections made, relationship changes, increase in wealth, etc. as much as possible as this is set after the campaign.
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January 2022 Happy New Year! We hope everyone had wonderful holidays and a good start to 2022. ♡ The current site month has been moved to Sondu of 762. There are some updates for Noria's post-earthquake progress and info on a major in-game holiday at the end of Sondu - this can be celebrated anywhere on the map but the 'main' event will be held in Thisbē.
December 2021 Soft hiatus - have a safe, warm, and minimally dysfunctional holiday season!
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light.
[attr="class","likedosub"]ABOUT
The closest thing to federal law enforcement that Giralda has, the Judicars unify the continent's disparate efforts at law enforcement and peacekeeping. Specializing in matters best resolved in a surgical method rather than by brute force the Judicars attend to all manner of crime in theory. From fugitive retrieval to prisoner transport across territorial lines, conspiracy breaking to foiling assassinations, the Judicars tend to share their duties with local enforcement groups while also operating incognito right under the noses of those very same groups. Infiltration is a common method amongst the lowest ranks, owing its success to the fact that very few people outside the organization know they are even members, while grand entrances are a psychological weapon wielded by those closer to the top in order to flush out their prey. Either way, Judicars are rarely seen for what they are until it's too late to escape their reach.
Secrecy is a primary weapon of the Judicars. On the rare occasion that they find themselves operating openly the vast majority of its membership wear masks as part of their actions with only the Primarch, Executioner, and some of the Palavens being an exception to this rule. The membership from top to bottom is extremely well trained, educated, and rigorously tested to ensure a level of quality and loyalty that is almost unheard of outside its own ranks. Taken from all walks of life, selected for ability and talent, there is no way to simply spot a member of the Judicars without being informed of an individual's membership ahead of time and that information can be dangerous to have for non-Judicars as it represents an obvious threat to the execution of their duties. The membership is given wide latitude to deal with any situation that they find themselves engaged in, so long as their actions serve the goals of the organization. Despite this, any Judicar that is determined to have fallen from the path of justice will be mercilessly hunted down by his own former comrades in short order.
[attr="class","likedosub"]ORGANIZATION
Primarch: The most deadly, though not personally so, position in the entire organization. The Primarch is the leader of the Judicars and must deal with the most powerful people in all of Giralda near constantly in order to ensure the Judicars beneath them are able to do their jobs effectively. Sometimes this task means intimidating a monarch back into line while other times it means pretending like a local governor is far more important than they will ever truly be. It takes a unique and quick-witted person to prevent the halls of power from hamstringing the very representation of that power for the sake of expediency. Making the mighty mind their own rules is a thankless task at the best of times and requires an unbreakable resolve always. This position usually deals with political matters and while expected to be capable it is rare for a Primarch to be selected for their martial capability, thus it is not unusual for the Primarch to be accompanied by two or more Palavens.
Executioner: The martial counterpart to the Primarch, the Executioner of the Judicars is responsible for maintaining the combat readiness of the organization. Starting with the effective training of the Cadets all the way up to ensuring the Palavens are too dangerous to intimidate be even kings and generals, the Executioner is constantly hands-on with his or her subordinates within the ranks. The Executioner is also responsible for reestablishing the reach of the Judicars anywhere that has attempted to push them out by force, such as a thieves guild growing too powerful in a given city and assassinating the local Judicar representatives or a petty ruler deciding he doesn't want to suffer Judicar rulings any longer. This would be done through the sudden appearance of a force of masked Judicars led personally by the Executioner. Fortunately, this has only had to happen once in the history of the organization and to very little fanfare.
Palavens: Some people are too powerful, too influential, and/or too notorious to be fairly tried for their crimes by local authorities. This is where the Palavens come in. Dispatched to handle high-profile cases, these judges are the pinnacle of Judicar training both in matters investigative and martial. Their impartiality is unquestionable. No one can threaten or bribe them for they are iron-willed, well paid, and some of the most dangerous fighters in the known world. They must be, for they are also responsible for hunting down their own organization's traitors. Those who would betray the oath of the Judicar often have a remaining lifetime best measured in days once the Palavens begin their pursuit.
The Ravenor: Only a foolish enforcement endeavor would ignore the reality of magic, either for its threat or its utility. The Judicars are far from foolish in this regard and were quick to adapt, forming a group within their ranks for the study, management, and deployment of magic in those places and ways in which it might affect their overall goals. The Ravenor are that group. The empowering of the Oath of the Judicar into more than mere words was one of its first grand accomplishments. Maintaining the beacon stones that result from the oath is one of the oldest and most highly regarded duties of the Ravenor, as well. When a Judicar dies the Ravenor are usually the first to know about it, scrying for information and ensuring the Executor is properly equipped with the intelligence necessary to quickly affect an appropriate response. The investigation of suspected magical malfeasance is also primarily the domain of the Ravenor, whether that be a criminal caster or some form of magical artifact/location. Ravenor are often accompanied by Vakaria or, on particularly dangerous endeavors, Palavens.
Vakaria: The rank and file of the Judicar and the single largest group within the organization. These men and women handle the day-to-day responsibilities of all aspects of Judicar service to Giralda. Investigations, apprehension, fugitive retrieval, witness/target protection, and serving directly under higher-ranking members of the organization in the pursuit of their duties. There is no such thing as the 'average' Vakaria, these men and women come from all backgrounds of life, possess the full spectrum of demeanors, and are experts in any number of fields as their talents provide. The only universal trait amongst the Vakaria is a high level of intelligence. Whether the need calls for door-breaking swordsmen, number-crunching forensic accountants, or chameleon-like undercover agents the Vakaria have the right person for the job. You just won't know they've been there until the shackles are snapping closed around your wrists.
Cadets: Selected for talent and ability, never convenience, the Cadets of the Judicar are launched into a four year period of isolation and training unlike anything else on the continent. No one outside the Judicars knows where this happens. Even the Cadets themselves don't truly know until they've graduated and the decision to undergo the training is entirely voluntary, though the decision is final once made. In this training, they are taught by Vakaria or, occasionally, former Palavens everything they need to know in order to execute the tasks that will be given to them as full members after graduation. Combat (including a unique martial art; for ooc purposes think Krav Maga), tactics, investigation, law, psychology, and of course the basics necessary for all of the above (reading, writing, languages, arithmetic). In order to graduate at the end of the four years of isolation, the Cadet must take the Oath of the Judicar. The blood spilt in that oath is used to form the beacon stone that will embody his or her service for the rest of their lives as well as binding the Cadet to never be able to give away the secrets of the order (such as where they were trained, the identities of their fellow Judicars, or what happens to failed cadets).