The Ellhesari Royal Guard (Ell-he-sarr-ee)

As the name would suggest, The Ellhesari Royal Guard is an organisation of knights dedicated to the protection and direct service of the King. They follow no one else's orders other than the King, who often delegates these orders to leader of the Royal Guard, the Lord Commander. At any given time, there can only be eight members, which represent the eight archfey that inhabit the Feywild. These knights are typically the greatest warriors of their generation, although some are noted for being more loyal to the current King, Rotholian Glyn, than being the best of the best; however, this does little to diminish the reputation of the order of Knights, given the quality of warriors Ellhesari is known to produce.

History

As long as anyone can remember, a monarch of Ellhesari has always had eight swords at his beck and call, loyal to them and only them. It is said that the first monarch of Ellhesari visited each of the eight different archfey, who told them about an individual that would fight alongside them. After gaining a champion from each archfey, the eight sworn swords would aid their new leader in founding the grand city seen in their dreams, defending them while also enforcing their rule. There is little evidence for this theory; however, as Ellhesari was founded several millennia ago, a long time even for the long lived Eladrin.

Composition

Structure

Each of the eight knights that make up the Ellhesari Royal Guard has a very specific role to fill, making them more than just glorified body guards. The eight have a leader, given the title of Lord Commander, which is currently held by the youngest leader in the Royal Guard's history, Ellaria Anari-Fellon. She answers directly the the ruler of Ellhesari, and only to the ruler, meaning that other lords, the rest of the royal family, and even the ruler's spouse, are unable to command her. The Lord Commander can also be challenged by any member of the rest of the Royal Guard, with the blessing of the ruler, and if they are defeated, they lose their position to their challenger. This is how Ellaria was able to become the Lord Commander after defeating her father.
Under the Lord Commander, there is the Vice Commander, who will take over if the Lord Commander is unavailable. They are typically the advisor of the Lord Commander, and if the members of the Royal Guard are ever split for separate assignments, the Vice Commander will often lead one half while the Lord Commander leads the other. The Vice Commander is also selected to be the Lord Commander's successor, taking the mantle of Lord Commander if the prior Commander passes away. Kelderan Yudaari currently holds this position.
A role, often given to the newest member of the Royal Guard, is the personal protector of Ellhesari's heir. Although all members of the Royal Guard answer to the current ruler, having the newest member, who will likely be a member when the heir takes over, get to know the heir is important in order to create the renowned relationship that the ruler has with their eight, appointed knights. The knights are some of the few that are noted as being able to speak as they wish in front of the ruler, which often starts here. This is often touted as the reason why the rulers of Ellhesari are seen as wise, kept in check by their closest knights. This position is currently held by Krenn Leviss, which is more ceremonial currently, as Rotholian Glyn does not have an heir as of yet, meaning that Krenn is simply serving as Rotholian's secondary protector.
As can be expected, the ruler has their own assigned knight to protect them at all times, with them even staying in the room next to the ruler should there be an assassination attempt in the night. The eldest member of the royal guard is given this position, as they have usually already established their family, and can give their entire life to the ruler. The current ruler's assigned knight is Hallas Landin and is, true to form, the eldest knight of the Royal Guard, which says little, given how young this group of knights are compared to their many predecessor.
A role that was once sneered upon, usually given to the weakest of the knights, has become one of vital importance ever since The Treaty of Spring's Blaze, due to the importance of communication between Ellhesari and its now numerous allies. This role is the ambassador, travelling so far as other realms as a direct representative of the ruler, giving aid on their behalf or otherwise enact their will. Given his renown in the Material Realm, this role was given to Echaron Fellon after his adventures with The Gauntlet of Kitzstadt.
Possibly the strangest of the roles, in that it is the least 'knight-like', is that of the Arcane Advisor. Although there are a great deal knowledgeable mages in the employ of the ruler, many are simply members of the court or under others. Only the Arcane Advisor is supremely loyal to the ruler, thus giving them the benefit of anonymity. Although primarily a mage, they need to still be skilled enough with the blade to be knight, making many Arcane Advisors Bladesingers. The current Arcane Advisor is no exception, being called Nyserra Jaqen.
Another one of the strange roles is that of the ruler's Druid Knight. It is said that this member of the royal guard is knighted by an archfey and presented to the ruler of Ellhesari in order to keep them in check, and respect the nature of the Feywild. Knights can knight others in many places in the Feywild, so it is rumoured that the Druid Knight is knighted by Coremin to represent the archfey to the ruler of the city state. The archfey care not for politics, which is why the Druid Knight is a member of the Royal Guard and not the court. The position is currently held by Tyliss Uvanna. 
The position that has had a history of being held by those that are not of noble birth is that of the ruler's personal hunter. Although many nobles do hunt, they have the assistance of additional aid, such as hunting animals or simply hunting in larger groups. This is unlike commoner hunters, who rely on little more than skill and basic weaponry. In fact, when the ruler is looking for someone in this role, they often open up a hunting competition, where anyone can enter, as a form of scouting. Those that are of common birth are often more thankful for the opportunity to be a knight, as it sets up them and their family for life, making them eternally loyal to the current ruler. Annor Dekoss currently holds this role.

Type

Special Forces

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Decorated/Honored

Used by

• Ellhesari