Armiger

The Armigers are the elite military backbone of the kingdoms of Oseros, providing the power they need that simple levy armies cannot. Evolving from the early warrior clans that pledged their services to budding warlords during the chaos after the fall of the Othrumnok Empire, the armiger orders are now a common part of Oseran society. Thousands of armiger orders exist, however many are small and unnotable. The largest of the armiger orders, such as the Red Dragon Order, are so extensive they have pledged to numerous high-ranking lords. The greatest of these orders are often highly desired by nobles, who wish their greatest loyalty, especially amongst orders who have pledged to other lords. The importance of the armigers has caused them to become a warrior caste of nobles in their own right.

Organization Structure
The armigers are split up into orders. Typically you can only join an armiger order through invitation, although sometimes they will hold application in towns, usually in the form of a tournament. Armiger tournaments, especially of the richer and larger orders, are big events in the villages and cities they are hosted in and bring in a considerable amount of attention. It is also one of the easiest ways for a small order to become greater known.

The hierarchy and ranking of the armiger order varies by order, some even having multiple Grandmasters that rule in a council. Typically new members will start as squires, unless there are special circumstances, such as the recruitment of a warrior already proven his experience and deserving of a higher rank.

Armigers pledge themselves to any lord who is able to earn their loyalty, through land, money, debts, actions, and a plethora of other circumstances. Once an armiger pledges itself to a lord, however, it is considered a great stain to betray said pledge. Only if the lord betrays the oath are the armigers permitted to abandon their dishonorable lord, and it is even customary duty to cease at nothing until that lord is slain. The actual practice of this custom varies, with many armiger orders being much more liberal. The most fanatical and traditional orders still follow this, and are disciplined warriors to be feared.

Betraying ones order is too considered just as great a sacrilege, and the Brethren Law, the code of the armigers, is highly important. Loyalty is one of the key values of the code.

Typically armiger orders serve only one lord and hold an Order Manor as the center of their wealth and land. Usually some sort of treasurer is appointed to manage the finances of the whole order and to ensure every member is provided for. The Grandmaster of the order is seen as the owner of the Order Manor. However, larger armiger orders may have multiple manors owned by various high-ranking officials, with the whole operation answering to the Grandmaster.

Armaments
The iconic weapons of the armiger are the halberd and crossbow, or longbow as one moves further northward. They typically wear armors ranging from chainmail to full suits of plate, depending on the wealth of the armiger and his order.