Blackguard

The Blackguard
Created	4E 201, 5th of Sun's Height
Leader(s)	Vengar Vivarian Lucius Draconus
Headquarters	The Bloodlet throne
Members	80 vampires, by 4E 203
Alignment	Lawful Evil
Allegiance	Salthar Vivarian The Bloodlet throne coven

The Blackguard was formed in 4E 201, on the fifth of Sun's Height. It was initially formed by Vengar Vivarian, though Lucius Draconus had a part in their training and recruitment. They were a relatively small cadre of troops. Despite this, they were some of the best troops throughout Tamriel. They served as bodyguards to high ranking members of the coven, and were capable of turning the tide of most battles.

Their members were made up of a variety of fighters, selected from all over Tamriel. They operated in groups of six, working synchronously to defeat much larger groups of enemies. They were completely loyal to Salthar Vivarian and the Bloodlet throne coven. Through their rigorous training and fighting together, the members of the guard have formed bonds that are as close as family.

History

After the assassination attempt on Salthar Vivarians life, Vengar Vivarian became concerned for the leader of the covens safety. Knowing that he could not be in several places at once, he decided to form a group of elite warriors. They would be charged with defending Salthar, and other leaders of the coven. After a mission to Driftshade refuge, Vengar and Salthar discussed the idea. The Altmer lord was agreeable, and Vengar left to scour Tamriel for suitable recruits.

He spent several months away from the Bloodlet throne, and Skyrim. He spent time in most of the lands of Tamriel, searching for the best mortal warriors he could find. He met and turned over two dozen warriors during the course of his travels. He returned to the Bloodlet throne coven near the end of Last Seed. Despite his dislike for Duros , Vengar and the Redguard vampire worked together to come up with ideas for weapons and armours for the guard.

Eventually, they came up with the swordstaff as the guards primary weapon. It was Kaast who suggested robes under a shirt of chainmail, and ebony armour. This would make it clear the guardsmen were separate, elite units, compared to the rank and file of the coven.

Training

Vengar did not discriminate between races or genders. All were subjected to brutal training regimes, often in broad daylight, out of armour. Their training encompassed bare handed fighting, utilizing swordstaves, in solo and group combat, and how to efficiently fight in robes, chainmail, and heavy armour. Guardsmen were assigned ebony longswords as secondary weapons. They were later trained in the use of cross bows, which were more accurate, if slower firing than the standard short and long bows.

Vengar also encouraged the guard to bond as a unit and forge friendships. This made them closer than most, willing to sacrifice their lives for one another without hesitation. Their final test was to duel Vengar Vivarian, and if they held out against him, were officially assigned to the guard. By the time they were finished, they were able to fight anything from Daedra to Werebeasts.

Notable members

Tor- Nord male, Guardsman

Senehk- Redguard male, Warden

Veyr- Altmer male, Sentinel

Carina-Breton female, Sentinel

Galvar Thorstenson-Nord male, Guardsman

Faeren Ilmere- Altmer female, Sentinel

Mawhur- Argonian male, Sentinel

Ranzhirr Drorask- Khajiit male, Warden

Anarel Willowwrist- Bosmer female, Guardsman

Ranks

The Blackguard had three ranks, with Warden being the highest, Sentinel a middle rank, and Guardsman being the lowest.

Warden- Wardens were leaders and the best fighters among the Blackguard. They achieved such a rank by showing leadership qualities, and performing outstandingly in combat. They wielded the swordstaves that were the primary weapons of all Blackguards, and were allowed whatever secondary weapon they wished. They wore the darksteel chainmail and ebony armour. Instead of the standard black robes, they wore crimson robes, bordered with sable. Usually, the commanded a group of twelve guardsmen, and were assigned to guard important members of the coven.

Sentinels-Sentinels were skilled fighters, and often took leadership positions when a Warden was unavailable. They were ranked up from the common guardsmen, and were more numerous than the Wardens. They, like all Blackguards, utilized swordstaves as their primary weapons. They, like Wardens, were permitted whatever secondary weapon they wished. They wore darksteel chainmail, and ebony armour. Their robes were black, with crimson borders. Assigned to guard important members or locations of the coven, often fought alongside shadow fiends. Commanded groups of guardsmen, or worked in a team of six.

Guardsmen- Made up the bulk of the Blackguard. Guardsmen could be both male or female. They were all elite warriors, trained to fight against large groups, and single opponents. They used swordstaves, and ebony swords, and were also trained in the use of crossbows. They operated in groups of six, guarding locations or important members of the coven. They wore darksteel chainmail, ebony armour, and black robes underneath.

Equipment

All guardsmen wore robes, underneath darksteel chainmail, and heavy ebony armour. They were trained to fight in such raiment. Offensively, they wielded swordstaves, a variety of ebony weaponry, and crossbows.

Swordstaves- Swordstaves were the primary offensive weapon of the Blackguard. It gave the guardsmen wielding them the reach of a spear, and the double edged versatility of a sword. The staff itself was five feet in length (1.52 meters), with a two foor long blade. The staff was made of fire hardened black oak wood, capable of withstanding the assault of bladed weapons. The blade was made of tempered steel, with a small guard where the staff and blade met, stopping weapons from sliding down its' length.

Imgres — Swordstaff used by the Blackguard

Crossbows- The guard utilized crossbows, similar in design to the Dawnguards, for ranged combat. They preferred the longer range, accuracy, and armour piercing capabilities of the crossbow, over the longbow.