The Siverain Order
The Siverain Order, later known as the Old Siverain Order and referred to as the Holy Order of the Siverain Knights, was an ancient monastic peacekeeping organization unified by its belief and observance of the Unity, specifically the light side. The Siverain were the guardians of peace and justice in Akeroth and became perhaps the most well-known of the various groups that relied on the Unity for their power. Led by a series of Siverain Councils, the Order grew over the millennia despite facing many trials. Most often these threats were engineered by the Hexers, the most prominent group of Unity sensitives who wielded the dark side of the Unity known as The Void but hid this under the guise of experiments.
During several Great Schisms, numerous Siverain broke away from the original Order due to differences in how they believed the Unity should be wielded. The various impasses reached by the orthodox Siverain Knights and the defectors led to several wars, after which the defectors were exiled and some say they founded the Order of Hexers. The Hexers were eventually found by the Order and their discovery led to the Great Unity War and a Hexer invasion of Mesym. The Siverain in Mesym, led by Siverain Guardian Var Tonor and Siverain Master Doya, successfully defended the land and defeated the Hexers. Again and again, however, the Hexers would be reborn from within the ranks of the Siverain Order, and many more wars would be fought. Additionally, the ancient Hexer Empire had not been as completely destroyed as the Siverain believed, and over the next fifty-odd years, it reformed and grew.
A Hundred years later, after the Great Hexer War, the Hexers manipulated the Ruby Rebellion into attacking the indolent Order. The Siverain Council forbade the Order's members from participating in the following war, but two Siverain, Herin, and Exil garnered the support of many of their peers and entered the war on the side of the Order. Prevailing after a long and bloody conflict, Herin and the Siverain who had followed him disappeared after the war's final battle. When they returned, they had turned to the dark side, and during the war that followed most of the Siverain Order was either destroyed or seduced by Herin's teachings. During the aftermath, the Order was left numbering less than one hundred Siverain. In light of this, the remaining members of the Siverain Council officially disbanded the Order. Shortly thereafter, nearly all the remaining Siverain were consumed by Lord Arundel when they convened in Tirafel. However, the exiled Siverain Master Doya defeated the Hexer Triumvirate of Arundel, Naiad & Norwan and reformed the Order with the help of the Lost Siverain.
The Order now allows the Hexers to do as they wish, simply to prevent another war but with the defeat of Lord Qinun, it seems the Hexers may run rampant once more.
Structure
As the Siverain were instructed in the ways of the Order and of the Unity, each member progressed through several different ranks.
Siverain Initiate (or Fledgling or "Siverain Hopeful") – The youngest members of the Order, these Unity-sensitive children were given the rank of Initiate when they began their communal training in clans. Recruited from lands throughout the world where blood testing was required upon birth, Initiates were removed from their families and brought to a Siverain Castle for formal training.
Siverain Neophyte – After being selected for individual tutelage under a single Siverain Knight or Siverain Master, Initiates were given the title of Neophyte. Eligible for this rank following the successful completion of the Initiate Trials, Neophytes were typically taken at adolescence and completed their training away from the academy. A Siverain Knight or Siverain Master could have only one apprentice at a time. The Neophyte had to be promoted to the rank of Siverain Knight before another apprentice could be chosen, a practice that was formalized following the Great Hexer War. While in place, the policy could be revoked should the Order see a decline in number, and necessity forces the apprenticeship of several students to a single master.
Siverain Knight – Following a period of nearly a decade of one-on-one training with a master, a disciplined Neophyte was eligible to attempt the Siverain Trials. Upon successfully completing all tests put forth their life as a Knight began. No longer attached to a master, Knights were free to accept missions from the Council, pursue specialized training on one of the three branches of Knighthood, or take their own Neophyte.
Siverain Master – A Knight who showed great understanding of the Unity and managed to instruct a Neophyte and train them successfully to the level of a Siverain Knight was elevated to the rank of Master by the High Council. Self-declaration of the title was frowned upon and rare practice in the latter days of the Order, but not uncommon during war times or periods of disbandment. Amongst the Order's Masters, only a select few were appointed to one of the Siverain Councils. Made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters, the Councils of the Order had different levels of membership, ensuring fresh perspectives were expressed as new events occurred. The High Council is currently made up of 8 masters, four of them holding life terms, three holding long terms, and one holding short terms. The elected leader of the Council was known as the Master of the Order and was often bestowed upon the acting Grand Master; the recognized leader of the entire Order.
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