The Sentinel Order

The Sentinel Order, split into 6 coloured disciplines, is one of the last remnants of the Age of Heroes in all of Sammerden. Having pushed ancient empires out of the fertile plains of Weldmere, the early Weldic nobles and kings needed some form of standing army to protect their realms, and replace the tradition of wandering heroes and their companions (which was ill-suited to a more settled state).
It was a petty King called Edfur (now spelled Edvar, and recognised as Edvar I of the Weldic kingdom) who first founded the Sentinels, placing them at the service of "all faithful Welds" (meaning, hired out for a fee to other kings and nobles). Since the Empty, and the success of the Sentinel Order as part of the Allied Armies under Conrad III, this mission has been recast as "for the good of all Sammerden" - there is no longer a Weld-centric focus. However, it is almost unheard of for Wardens to directly contract with foreign nations - working instead for individuals, companies, or cities outside of Weldmere.
As the work of the Sentinels expanded following the defeat of the Empty, they were being called on for a greater variety of tasks, and individual members began to specialised, then whole specialised teams formed. To reflect this, and aid training and recruitment, the Order developed four (now six) 'disciplines' - effectively independent orders only united under the Sentinel Council and the Lord Keeper. These are:

• The White Sentinels - high-status protection available only to royalty, high clergy, or the nobility
• The Black Sentinels - special and covert operations, including assassination (a fixed, exclusive, contract with the Weldic crown)
• The Blue Sentinels - guardianship of the Conradian Forts, and other anti-Empty operations outside Weldmere
• The Red Sentinels - urban law and order, including investigative work and city watches
• The Green Sentinels - convoy and merchant protection, as well as ranging, tracking, and bounty hunting
• The Grey Sentinels - the internal administration of the order, support for the senior commanders, and technological development

Structure

The Sentinel Order, at its top, is led by a triumvirate of the Lord Keeper of the Order, the Warden of the Order, and the Lord Commander of the Order. The Lord Keeper is a Dux, having overall responsibility for the order to the King, and serving as the central representative for those interested in contracting with the Order. The Warden is responsible for the training and provisioning of the White and Black Sentinels - the most elite arm of the Order, based in the far north-east of Weldmere.
The Lord Commander is practically the ruler of the Order, and chairs the Sentinel Council, comprising of the Lord Treasurer, Lord Provisioner, and Lord Marshal as well as the Commander-Knight of each of the six disciplines. Together, these deal with matters affecting the whole Order, principally internal administration, relations with the Crowns, or contracts which might affect the reputation of the whole Order. Beyond this, each discipline is autonomous, having its own Council.

To serve all Sammerden

Founding Date

The Age of Heroes

Type

Military Order

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

Sentinel

Leader Title

Lord Commander of the Sentinel Order

Subsidiary Organizations

• Black Sentinels
• Green Sentinels
• Red Sentinels

Related Ranks & Titles

• Lord Commander of the Sentinel Order
• Lord Provisioner of the Sentinel Order