Grandmaster Keeper

No rank or title in this world could ever hope to embody 'order' the way "Grandmaster Keeper" does. Having achieved the pinnacle of pinnacles, highest authority in the empire's singularly elite law enforcement organization, Grandmaster Keepers are revered within Marcelheim and feared everywhere else. Their power is considered unparalleled, a power that is kept off the fields of battle much to the ire of the Council of Stewards and the relief of their adversaries due to the Keepers' unbreakable vow to strictly maintain the unity of the established empire.
Though woe betide any military foolish enough to ever bring war within the existing borders of the Empire.

Qualifications

Grandmaster Keepers have successfully risen through the other five ranks of the Keepers organization. Along the way proving their strength, their loyalty, their sound judgement, all the critical skills and virtues needed to be entrusted with command authority of an organization with as much resting upon its collective shoulders as the Keepers.

Appointment

When one of the six Grandmasters retires or passes away, the remaining five choose their replacement from the available pool of True Keepers (one rank below them). Should more than one depart at the same time, they draw lots for the order they are replaced in. Should the Grandmasters ever be wiped out entirely, but the world somehow didn't end in the process, the task of choosing replacements would fall to the Emperor's rightful successor or to the Council of Stewards in the absence of a recognized successor.

Duties

Grandmasters shoulder the greatest burden of anyone within the empire. Their vow obligates them to put the Empire above all else including themselves, peace must be maintained within the Empire by any and all means necessary. Few Grandmasters are mourned outside of Marcelheim's walls, a painful price they pay to fulfill their duty in full.

Responsibilities

The Grandmasters are entrusted with shielding the empire against the most perilous threats that no one else can reasonably overcome. They handle cataclysms and apocalypses. The intervention of an active Grandmaster is like the hand of god putting their finger on the scales of fate.

Benefits

Grandmasters are well taken care of with the Empire's capital city. Marcelheim extends to them the warmest hospitality anywhere they go, and the resources of the Keepers allow them to live quite comfortably in addition to what wealth they build for themselves throughout a life of world travels and extensive relationship building within the empire.

Accoutrements & Equipment

The highest form the Keeper's Badge can take denotes an active Grandmaster's rank as such. They'll also often include the symbol of the Keepers into the attire, armor, shields, or general aesthetic as the psychological impact of their presence is considered just as important as the physical impact they bring with them.
There are rumors of special magic items passed down from Grandmaster to Grandmaster that are the source of their extreme power levels, but no one has been able to actually substantiate the claim.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Should a Grandmaster ever betray their vow as a Keeper their fellow Grandmasters would be duty bound to remove them from their position... permanently.

Type

Civic, Military, Commissioned

Form of Address

Grandmaster [name], a few have insisted on "Grandmistress" but the distinction is considered unnecessary but most who attain the rank

Source of Authority

The original Grandmasters, and thus the Keepers as a whole were given their task by the emperor at the end of the Era of Conquest to serve as peacekeepers in perpetuity.

Length of Term

Lifetime (or retirement)

Related Organizations

• The Keepers