The Shields

A bulwark against threat

Never cross a Shield, boy, for there is no man as dangerous as one who fights for another's life above his own.

— Lord James Varden to his son, Kasen

History

When Serukis was founded and Reth Elenasia became one of the first five High Lords, he appointed his best friend, Drystan Sunderlin, to serve alongside him as his Shield. From that moment on, every High Lord Elenasia has had a Shield. Occasionally, one of the other High Lords would appoint themselves a Shield, but the tradition never caught on amongst the other High Families.

Appointment

When I was about five, candidates were sent to Lord's Rock. Jace – my father’s Shield – he put them through their paces, hand-picked Aric from all those other boys.

— Camber Elenasia to his betrothed

When the heir to the Elenasia Lordship is two to three years old, it is made known that the young boy is looking for his Shield. Interested noble families from all over Serukis send letters to Lord's Rock expressing their desire for their sons to be chosen for this presitigious role. These boys are most often second or third sons under the age of ten. The High Lord and his Shield read through these letters and choose a number of boys to make the journey to Lord's Rock. This process can take up to two years, but all candidates must have arrived in Lord's Rock by the eve of the heir's fifth birthday.
On the heir's fifth birthday, the candidates are presented to the family in a ceremony called The Bestowal. Each boy must approach the throne and state his name and his house, and then present the heir with a gift he brought with him from his family. At this point, any of the boys could be chosen, but the High Lord and his Shield are paying close attention to their interactions with the heir.
Following this, the boys undergo five days of religious ceremonies, one day for each of the Elemental Monarchs. The purpose of this is to purify the boys and to grant them the blessings of the Monarchs for the days to come. These five days are known as The Days of Clarity.
Once the Days of Clarity are complete, the boys are tested by the current Shield, as well as by a scholar handpicked for the purpose. When the tests are over, the Shield discusses each boy with the King and makes his decision. The Shield has the final say. The boys are told the Shield's decision, and the unsuccessful candidates are presented with a ceremonial sword and returned to their families with honour.

The chosen boy then undergoes another five days of religious ceremonies, this time more intense and rigorous. On the sixth day, he is taken - along with the Prince - into the forest by the current Shield and they spend the night there under the stars. This is the only time the Shield will leave the High Lord's side for that length of time. This ritual is meant to symbolise the boy's new loyalties to the heir. This process is known as The Anewal.

Training

A Shield never stops training.
When they are young, the Shield is educated alongside the heir, attending all of the young boy's lessons. He is educated in history, Seruic, geography, religious studies and mathematics, as well as any subject the current tutor deems necessary.
He is also trained daily in the art of combat by the current Shield.

by tony241969

Other Names

The Lord's Shield, The Heir's Shield

Type

Appointed

Length of Service

Life

Country

Serukis

Duties and Responsibilities

The Shield has one duty above all others - he must protect his King with his life.
He is also responsible for picking and training the new Shield for the current heir.

by tony241969

Untimely Deaths

If the Shield dies before his High Lord or the heir, an emergency replacement is arranged. If the heir is still young, a new Shield may be recruited from the sons of the nobility. If the heir or High Lord is older, a tournament is held to find the best fighter to take over the duties of the Shield. The replacement in this case does not hold the title of Shield, and may be replaced on a whim. In both cases, the dead Shield is placed in the crypts in a special chamber known as The Shield's Slumber until such time as his charge passes away. At this time, he will be removed from the Slumber and will finally be given the rites of burial alongside the High Lord or heir.
If the High Lord or heir dies before the Shield, the Shield is ritually killed so that he may be buried alongside his charge and continue serving him after death. This is known as The Following.