Fletching Program
The Program is where we make Arrows out of the common person.
The Fletching Program is the - appropriately named - induction and training program for the Ebonarrows Syndicate, the biggest acting group of criminals in the city of Daybreak. The training itself happens in one of their facilities - the location of which is a closely guarded secret - in the capital.
The People who Make Fletching Possible
Notches
Notches is the name given to the apprentices under the Program. The title is awarded during the induction ceremony, and is lost after the inductees finish their training and become fully fledged members, known as Arrows. While anyone, in theory, could become a Notch, they are often picked up by an Arrow or even one of the Fletchers from different echelons of society. This ensures the Ebonarrows will have some influence from the shady corners of the docks all the way up to the court.Fletchers
The instructors who oversee the Notches' education to ensure they will grow into well trained criminals are called Fletchers, since their job is to craft and sharpen the new arrivals into assets to the syndicate.Fletcher Swan
The sullen tabaxi boss and head of the Fletching Program, Swan is rarely seen without a cigar in his mouth or his raven familiar by his side. Proudly displaying old battle scars, he runs the program with a rough, but fair, hand. He co-teaches combat with Ash, and is responsible for teaching all he knows about traps and poisons.
Fletcher Swan by ArmoredWolf
Fletcher Aspen
Aspen is a very friendly kenku who watches over the Notches' disguises, forgeries, and infiltration education. She has a flair for the dramatic, enjoys collecting clothes from all over the world, and seems to always have a potion to help with any kind of situation. Freshly inducted Notches are strongly advised to avoid asking her about the means with which she acquires them.
Fletcher Aspen by ArmoredWolf
Fletcher Ash
Ash is a retired swashbuckler, who lost his leg during a particularly nasty battle and decided to stay inland afterwards. Now, the dwarf focuses on teaching Notches how to escape a variety of sticky situations they may encounter during their jobs, and also acts as the program's combat master, co-teaching with Swan.
Fletcher Ash by ArmoredWolf
Fletcher Birch
The most sophisticated of the Fletchers, Birch serves as the archery instructor and has been known to use her pseudodragon familiar to both help with lessons and also to keep her rowdier students under control. She does what she can to pick out the more archery attuned students she gets and to make sure to shapen them into masters of deadly long range combat.
Fletcher Birch by ArmoredWolf
Program Structure
There isn't any official deadline for the completion of the Program, but Notches who take too long to become Arrows may find that their fellow Notches will look down on them. Competitiveness is encouraged, as long as it doesn't call unwanted attention to the Syndicate. Those who do so are dealt with swiftly. Two ceremonies - called The Nock and the Broadhead Exam - mark the beginning and end of a Notch's training.The Nock
Fletcher Swan presides over the induction ceremony, where he welcomes all the new prospects and bestows upon them the title of Notch. He explains that they will receive training from himself and the other Fletchers, who introduce themselves. There is a big emphasis on how deadly double crossing is in the environment they're in. The ceremony ends with a feast, and the promise of a different life for Notches who remain loyal.Broadhead Exam
For the graduation test, Notches are taken to a different facility they aren't familiar with. Each of the Fletchers has an amount of Ebonarows badges - always less than the total amount of Notches - on them that they can carry or hide around. The Arrows-to-be need to find and steal said badges, while the Fletchers will try to keep them from it by any means possible - which includes using lethal force if necessary. The Notches that survive and have a badge have completed their training and graduated into being Arrows.Notable Graduates
Elaris
Elaris
Arrow Elaris by ArmoredWolf
This purple-loving, half consumed by flame elven mercenary isn't at first glance someone that one would think is affiliated with any sort of criminal activity, which is what made him the perfect candidate for the Program. He took especially well to Fletcher Aspen's teachings and, once he became an Arrow, he started using his public image and profession to gather information - usually in the form of gossip - that would benefit the Ebonarrows.
Nilorin
Arrow Nilorin by ArmoredWolf
Originally a hunter who worked mostly around Sunset, Nilorin was picked up by one of the Ebonarrows' contacts in the city and brought to Daybreak for training. Having already had a lot of experience with the bow, he became one of Fletcher Birch's favorite Notches, and once he graduated, the half elf became one of the Icesong family's hunters. With his new position that granted him access to one of the best known noble families in the Crownlands, he hunts game... and also secrets.
Xilnoa
Arrow Xilnoa by ArmoredWolf
A ruthless pirate in her own right, Xilnoa was more than happy to ally herself with the Ebonarrows and gain a bigger support network for her criminal activities. In return, the half elf terrorizes the sea with her crew and cuts down tagets that the syndicate has deemed bothersome. Her Broadhead Exam became notable due to having been the graduation with the biggest body count among the Notches, a feat that can be directly attributed to Xilnoa and her swordplay.
Where there's people, there's always a way to get what you want! It's all about how you approach them and how they see you.
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