Sons of Larethian

Wizards of exceptional skill, the Sons of Larethian are an order within the Reclaimers dedicated to both the duties of the Order and to the ancient art of Bladesinging. Though their numbers are small, they are an elite fighting force. A single Son of Larethian is capable of being assigned to the most dangerous missions the Order encounters, though they are still usually accompanied by several other Reclaimers and Regulators. As Bladesinging is an ancient elven art and tradition, elves of all types make up the majority of the Sons of Larethian, however exceptions to this rule do exist. As their name implies, the Sons of Larethian only accept male petitioners.
No rank within the Order of the Eight or the Reclaimers is required for acceptance into the Sons of Larethian. However, the standards the Sons demand of their members, as well as the demanding and secretive nature of Bladesinging itself, leads to very few petitioners being accepted, and even fewer completing the training to become full masters of the art.
As a whole, the Sons of Larethian act semi-autonomously from the rest of the Order of the Eight, and when not called upon for aid by the Order, often work closely with the order of female bladesingers, the Sisters of the Moon.

Bladesingers

Bladesingers are wizards who master a school of sword fighting grounded in a tradition of arcane magic. In combat, a bladesinger uses a series of intricate, elegant maneuvers that fend off harm and allow the bladesinger to channel magic into devastating attacks and a cunning defense. Styles of Bladesinging are broadly categorized based on the type of weapon employed, and each is associated with a category of animal. Within that style are specializations named after specific animal types, based on the types of spells employed, the techniques of the master, and the particular weapon used.
Styles that employ a sword belong to the Cat family, including the longsword-wielding Lion style and the scimitar-wielding Red Tiger style. Styles that focus on the use of hafted weapons belong to the Bird family, including the handaxe-throwing Eagle style or warpick-wielding Raven style. Styles that use whips, chains, or flails are included in the Snake style family, such as the whip-wielding Viper style.
Bladesingers who apprentice to a master typically get a tattoo of their chosen style's animal. Some bladesingers learn multiple styles and bear many tattoos, wearing a warning on their skin of their deadly skills.

Bladesong

The bladesong itself is an extremely demanding martial art, the epitome of elven sword mastery. The bladesong is a primarily defensive style of combat, with devastating strikes considered less important than a superior guard position. From this superior defensive posture, magical attacks and spells may be used without fear of successful counter-attack, when performed by one fully proficient in the style. In addition to the violent purpose inherent to all martial arts, the bladesong is uniquely elven in the fact that the aesthetic components of the style are as important as its martial efficacy, with its dance-like movements and the haunting whistling sounds produced by the sword blade cutting through the air being the source of the name bladesong.
These dedicated warriors take their craft seriously enough to have created a uniquely elven fighting style. Unlike the martial arts of other races, the elven fighting style, also known as the bladesong, emphasizes beauty and economy of movement over sheer destructive power. However, the elven bladesong is deceptively dangerous, for all its seeming gentleness and apparent grace.
Bladesong is so named for several reasons. The first and most obvious is because of the whistling of the blade as it slices through the air when this style of fighting is used. The second, according to some, is for the haunting, wordless tune many of its practitioners are said to sing as they fight. Other sources indicate that Bladesingers practice an ancient elven variant of the art of Spellsong which they have adapted to suit their uniquely elven arcane-martial style.
Those who practice the bladesong appear as if they are dancing when they fight. Their movements seem misleadingly slow and elegant, deflecting opponents' blades while lazily drifting back to score hits themselves. The technique requires, above all, misdirection and subtlety. The bladesingers do not believe in smashing blows or strong and crushing offense, but rather in guiding their opponents to anticipate a different attack entirely, thus overbalancing the foe and making him seem clumsy.

Parent Organization

Order of the Eight