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History of the Order

Founded many centuries ago by the mighty Orric, the legendary Hero of the Battle of Namreth, the Order of the Grey Bulls is still as prestigious and prominent in the modern day as it ever was. In the reign of Laddius Sparstag I the Thinker, High King of Fiore and harbinger of a golden age in his people's history, Laddius saw a need for elite orders of dedicated servants to the crown. He signed charters for the founding of five noble knighthoods to defend his demesnes and called upon the most trusted of his advisors to each found such an Order in their own image. Called the Crown-sworn Orders, these organizations have been instrumental to the success of the royal family of Fiore ever since.

The King's loyal brother Prince Mathieu, often called Mathieu the Charming for his natural charisma or Mathieu the Golden for his ability to make the difficult look easy, first founded the Honorable Order of the Golden Lions.

Scoffing at their focus on the halls of diplomacy and their preoccupation with politics the fearsome Lord Gregan, childhood friend and Knight-protector of the King formed the Black Harts who mirrored his own preoccupation with protecting the King's persons and estates, by whatever means necessary.

The brave Lord General Orric looked upon these Orders and privately shook his head in disapproval. A common man who rose to high station through military service by dint of his unparalleled bravery in the face of the enemy and a record untarnished by defeat, Orric was a simple man dedicated to upholding Honor, Bravery, Loyalty, and Martial Prowess above all things. In his opinion the Golden Lions were duplicitous and therefore dishonorable; privately Orric had always questioned Prince Mathieu's true loyalty as he had much to gain should the King meet ill ends. Further, though the Black Harts soon proved to be undeniably brave, unshakably loyal, and extremely skilled at arms, their methods were anything but honorable. Undettered, Orric gathered many noble officers he had served with in times of war along with their finest men, and formed the core of his new Order. After a time to establish doctrine and precepts and to convert Orric's estates to an Order House, Orric and his inner circle held open tourneys around the nation to attract would be members, who had to pass trials of not only the flesh but also the spirit. Those found worthy were inducted and the Order of the Grey Bull became a reality.

The doctrine of the Order was and is strict and unyielding. It is not enough for a Grey Bull to show themselves true in one area of the Order's defined Precepts of Meritos (Honor), Magnos (Bravery), and Mactos (Prowess); they must excel in all three. Orric made his Order in his own image, instituting constant physical training, studious attention to both modern tactics and records of ancient battles, and the development of techniques for harnessing inner strength and focusing it for short periods of time to achieve nearly-impossible feats of physical accomplishment.

Orric formed his men into an elite cadre that was both deadly on the battle field and off it, upholding inflexible standards of personal conduct, and never giving into fear. He trained them to employ superior tactics to maneuver an enemy into a vulnerable position and only then engage, bringing the entirety of available forces to bear to trample the foe man to man. He taught that it is a disservice to kill a man without giving him the opportunity to defend himself, and inveighed his men to look their foes in the eye when combating them. Further he believed that it was dishonorable to harm non-combatants; thus members of the Order may never intentionally harm non-combatants save to prevent loss of other lives, nor to allow those under their command to do so. For these reasons, Grey Bulls will not personally use ranged weapons against intelligent opponent (but may use thrown weapons against a foe that is aware of them), will not attack opponents incapable of defending themselves, and never allow their forces to abuse captured opponents.

King Laddius looked upon the Order of the Grey Bulls with favor and charged the Order with the Expansion of the National Interest, which entails overt military operations abroad. In short the King granted to his most trusted General Orric, and his new elite cadre composed primarily of men bearing wartime commissions, the responsibility of forming operational plans to expand the influence of the nation through military force when necessary and then conduct such operations as the King decrees. Thus as the Grey Bulls are responsible for commanding all military operations beyond the borders of the nation; the head of the Order is effectively the Warlord of Fiore. The Generals and Marshals of the military forces of sovereign demesnes must defer to the Grey Bulls for all military concerns exterior to the national borders or pertaining to the defense of the national borders. The Ordermaster of the Bulls answers only to the King or his duly appointed Regent, or the Ordo Cavil, Council of Crown-approved Ordermasters.

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Principles of the Order

Unlike the Black Harts who will use any means necessary to accomplish their goals, the Golden Lions who will seemingly go out of their way to avoid honorable forthrightness on general principle, the Black Mastiffs who care only for enforcing the law regardless of ephemerals such as honor or dishonor, or the Silver Eagles who are only concerned with the protection of the national preserves and heartland, the Bulls always fight by the rules of honorable accord as a matter of pride. Members of the Order takes their personal and organizational honor very seriously and practically all of them are willing to die rather than bring shame to their Order; they strongly believe that they represent their nation. In many ways they believe how and why something is done is far more important than the deed itself.

While the other Orders generally view them as being unimaginative and inflexible in their hidebound conduct the people love and respect the Grey Bulls, celebrating them as heroes and national symbols. Throughout the ensuing centuries they have proved a long succession of King's faith in them many times, and the nations enemies have learned to fear but also to respect them. In past wars enemy units have even been known to surrender to the Grey Bulls without hostilities because they know they will not be mistreated by their captors. It was the intercession of the Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls of the era that saved the bannersworn of Arkenvald from being put to the sword. Many famed heroes of Fiore were Grey Bulls, perhaps most notably the beloved Baron General Ors Sargod who defeated Emperor Tallisindar by luring him too close to the Maw. None question their honor, and their integrity is believed to be impeccable.

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Joining the Order

The Grey Bulls maintain one Orderhausen in Marsta, which is primarily given over to the Orric vor Staal Memorial Academy of Military Arts and College of Strategic Command, generally known as "the Academy", or more vulgarly as "the Academy of the Horns". Considered the premiere facility for training and understanding of tactics, strategy, and logistics, it is the crucible in which would-be applicants are forged into commanders of men that live up to the strict requirements put forth by the founder of the Order so long ago.

The Academy is not merely a training ground for military concerns, it is a well established and respected institute of higher learning with a reputation for pragmatic, hard-nosed, and realistic curriculum; while it's focus is on warfare and history and physical disciplines, it also includes the basic precepts of a well-rounded education. Grey Bulls that are already graduates of another recognized institute of higher learning are allowed to test out of general education courses if they so choose, shortening their time at the Academy by as much as a year. It is possible to pass all of the academic courses of the Academy but fail in other areas and not be accepted as a Knight; in such unusual cases a Certificate of Course Completion is issued instead of a Blazon of Graduation.

Cadets of the Academy

Until quitting, being failed out, or graduating, an applicant is called an Academy Cadet and must wear minified versions of the uniforms of the Grey Bulls. Upon graduation additional flourishes and hashing are sewn onto these basic outfits to render them into official uniforms.

It typically takes four to five years of study, depending upon the student and some electives, and of course recovery from training injuries. The drop out rate hovers around 55%, thus for every 100 would-be Bulls, 55 don't make it. And unlike some other Fiorean institutions where one's birth rank might influence this, the Academy seems to be equally willing to fail out a Prince as the son of craftsfolk whose parents managed to scrape together enough funds to buy a coat of arms. Aside from the minimum requirement that an applicant be a member of the gentry, personal merit and capability is the only measurement of material worth among the Bulls.

Hashed Cadets

Occasionally, particularly capable common soldiers that evince their quality are sponsored by a wealthy Knight of the Order who pays for the soldier's coat of arms as a boon and sends them to the Academy. Such applicants often excel and become class leaders due to their real world experience prior to being elevated. They are also allowed to wear any personal awards or medals they have earned in their active service on their cadet uniform, and any hash-marks denoting years of service; due to this such Cadets are often called "Hashed Cadets", or "Hashes" for short.

Command College

Later, when a Knight is deemed ready for promotion to Knight-Captain or Knight-General, they return to the College of Strategic Command and take advanced study courses, and are also responsible for taking part in the training of the current crop of Cadets from which they will likely select some or all of their command cadre upon promotion.

Knights of the Order

Upon graduation from the Academy, a Cadet becomes a full-sworn Knight of the Order and is assigned to a command structure. Most Knights are assigned to a Knight-Captain and depart to join the military forces under that worthy's command and live a life of regimented, military service. The best, brightest, and best-liked graduates are assigned to a Knight-General or very rarely a Knight-Marshal's staff as part of their command cadre. For most this means the same as being assigned to a Knight-Captain; they travel to join their commanding officer's unit. However, some Knights assigned to Generals and Marshals are put to other duties requiring the attention of an officer but not the time or clout of a higher ranked Bull. Envoys, foreign embassy duties, a parade post, command of a forward observation post, or most prized of all a special mission of some sort. Obviously, this is an ideal scenario for a Player Character member of the Order; however such postings don't last forever as eventually the young Knight will be brought in for more traditional service and / or promotion.

Knight Commanders of the Order

Knight-Captains and Knight-Generals are almost entirely engaged in the command of Royal Fiorean Military forces, bases, and operations including the constant and ongoing defensive patrols and the manning of a number of forward garrisons in the Shoals and closer to the Beneath, which see a good deal of combat. While rear-echelon units exist, for the most part the Royal Fiorean Armies have been engaged in an endless war ever since the Maw was opened, and is composed of hardened veterans and survivors, and these forces are commanded in the field by Knight-Captains and Knight-Generals of the Order of the Grey Bulls.

Knight-Marshals on the other hand represent the most senior leadership of the Royal Fiorean Armies, with no more than two or three serving at a time, and one of them also acting as the Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls. The Knight-Marshals spend most of their time in Marsta advising the King and planning long term strategy and deciding on force allocations. They take the field for major engagements and offensives.

Additionally, the Ordermaster is also responsible for the recruitment and training of the Royal Fiorean Armies and maintains a separate staff of dedicated resources primarily comprised of civilians, veteran soldiers, and strategically assigned Knight-Captains and Knights commanded by a Knight-General. The Recruitment and Training Command is considered to be a "reward" service, with those soldiers and Bulls who best represent the ideals of military service, those who have been recently decorated, and those who have a gift for convincing young men to sign a significant chunk of their life away for a minimum period of service, being assigned to it for varying periods. Grey Bulls chafe at prolonged assignment to this relatively easy duty however, seeing it as a welcome vacation of sorts, but something best kept to no more than a year at a stretch lest a battle-hardened Knight lose their edge.

Retirement

There is no official age of retirement in the Grey Bulls; as long as a Bull can serve they are welcomed. Those that make rank continue to advance, and many Knight-Generals and Knight-Marshals serve until death or infirmity sets in. Knights and Knight-Captains that don't make rank eventually opt to retire from active service after a period of twenty years of total military service not counting time spent as a Cadet; similarly those who are permanently injured and can no longer actively served are granted an honorable release. In both cases this is a process known as "cashiering", as both types of retirees are eligible for Order-funded pensions if they have income below a certain level. Knights can opt to leave the service of their own accord before achieving twenty years of service, but this is considered to be a mildly dishonorable act and results in disbarment from the Order; it is very rarely done. Similarly, dishonorable acts, abated or stricken arms, or sufficient disapproval of upper leadership result in a disbarment from the Order as well as a permanent Marke of Dishonor being registered in the Order's rolls.

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Uniform of the Grey Bulls

Grey Bulls wear better, more expensive versions of the Fiorean Army "greys" uniforms, both battle and full dress, with the addition of maroon hashing, trim, and plume. Grey and maroon are the official colors of the Order, and a formidable looking lowered bull's head is their crest. Individual Grey Bulls also wear an official ring that identifies them, and when out of uniform they may wear either a grey and maroon double-aiguillette (shoulder cords) or a lapel pin or a large badge worn on the chest, or any combination thereof as they prefer.

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Weapons of the Grey Bulls

Grey Bulls are by definition officers and gentlemen, and thus they all according to Fiorean tradition carry a sword, most typically a basket-hilted straight sword with a blade between 2.5 and 4 feet. However, Grey Bulls carry their own personal sword preferentially, often family heirlooms, and thus there really is no standard. In addition to their swords, Grey Bulls might bear other weapons but they typically don't bother beyond a dagger or two. All also carry a shield, but not all chose to actually use them so as to employ two-handed weapons. Grey Bulls wear either plate or half plate as they prefer.

Traditionally Grey Bulls do not use ranged weapons much as their founder had a very strong and well communicated dislike of them, but the power of Boom-dust weapons presents a compelling military advantage. After negotiating an labyrinthine tangle of the particulars of honorable conduct and the traditions of the Grey Bulls, the Order finally relaxed a little bit on this issue a few years ago. It has been deemed not dishonorable to utilize any reasonable weapon on Tleyzu, other spawn of Madragat, and similar monsters as such creatures do not meet the standards of honorable foes. Some Knights, mostly younger ones on the front lines, have started carrying a Boom-dust Pistol or a brace of them, particularly Knights commanding Thunderer Brigades (rifle units). The Old Guard is still prone to griping about this state of affairs. Despite the allowance of them on the front lines, such devices explicitly have no place in court or when in dress uniform; they are for fighting the hordes of the Beneath, not for show.

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Knight of the Grey Bull Package

Fiorean Crown-sworn Order of the Grey Bulls (Base Package) (6e)
NOTE: This Package is appropriate to starting characters incorporating Fiore into their background, or as something an experienced character could acquire over time after play starts.
3	Perk: Coat of Arms: In Fiore, a would-be Grey Bull must be awarded or purchase a personal coat of arms from the Royal Office of Heraldry and Honors for a lordly sum, typically hundreds of golden Bas (1gc each) depending on the current strength of the economy and era. Such a coat of arms can also be awarded by the King or a Sovereign noble (Grand Dukes, a few Counts, a couple of Barons) for demonstrated personal bravery, skill at arms, and acts of heroism; coats of arms awarded by the King may include a special device called the Marke Regius, which is essentially an Iron Cross.
	A person bearing a coat of arms is considered to be a minor noble and warrants the title of "Sir", and is expected to adhere to traditional protocols of behavior. A personal coat of arms may bear any elements of classical heraldry and additional elements with special permission, save certain elements reserved for the various established noble and royal Houses and pendent upon the allowance of the Office of Heraldry and Honors. A personal coat of arms may be abated (marked with a dishonorable sign) or stricken by any King of Fiore, or in the case of one awarded by a Sovereign noble that same personage, for conduct unbecoming a bearer of noble honors.
3	Perk: Knight of the Grey Bulls: Grey Bulls have significant authority in Fiore. A Knight of the Grey Bull has authority at least equal to that of a Lieutenant, and can always assume command of a regular military unit of the Royal Fiorean Armies. In time of war or when outside of the nation's borders or along the borderlands a Knight of the Grey Bull can assume command of contingents of other Fiorean Knighthoods, of any Order, with the exception of forces already commanded by higher ranked Grey Bulls or the Ordermaster of a recognized Order of Knighthood for purposes of defending Fiore or advancing it's military objectives abroad. If martial law has been instituted this privilege extends to within the nation's borders as well.
	All Knights are assigned to the command of a higher ranked Knight of the Order and most are directly attached to a unit of the Fiorean Army, but a fair fraction are used for various tasks requiring vigor and youth such as acting as foreign agents, liaisoning with foreign forces, and doing whatever the upper leadership of the Order currently needs doing (an ideal scenario for a PC Knight).
3	Stout of Arm: +3 STR
3	Hardy: +3 CON
3	Strong-willed: +3 EGO
3	Air of Command: +3 PRE
3	Reputation: Military Leaders of Fiore, and Knights of Unquestioned Honor (Fiore) 14-, +3/+3d6
2	WF: Common Melee Weapons
2	Armor Familiarity: Choose one: Heavy Armor Medium Armor
1	Armor Familiarity: Shields
5	Tactics +1
4	KS: Military History
2	PS: Logistics
3	Give Orders (Interaction Skill)
10	Skill at Arms: +2 HtH
5	Brave: +5 to resist Fear and Intimidation
55	Total Cost
Related Abilities
2	Stouter of Arm: +2 STR
2	Hardier: +2 CON
2	Stronger-willed:: +2 EGO
2	Stronger Air of Command:: +2 PRE
5	Durable: +5 BODY
5	Rough and Tumble: +10 STUN
5	Scholarly: +5 INT
3	High Society: Most Grey Bulls are aristocrats and know how to handle themselves in society circles
3	Bureaucracy: You can learn a lot about red tape and gaming the system from an extended career in the military.
3	Riding
2	AK: Fiore (GEN)
2	CuK: Fiore (GEN)
2*	KS: Specific Famous Ruler, Military Personage, War, or Battle: As part of their education, Grey Bulls often are required to research and write treatises focusing on famous rulers, military leaders of note, Wars, or specific battles. Though primarily esoteric, a clever Bull can sometimes bring such detailed knowledge to bear in courtly dialogue, as a demonstration of erudition, to author papers on the subject earning respect amongst academia, or even on the battle field if they are able to apply insights of a given battle or conflict to their current situation.
3	KS: Tacitus Artifice, a Minor Treatise on Waging Warfare: despite its humble name, a famous book on tactics and warfare written by Baron Abaris var Tarsed, Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls Emeritus, three centuries ago. Many Grey Bulls can recite entire passages of it verbatim. In some cases this skill can be used as a complementary skill for Tactics.
var	Perk: Noble Title: Many, but by no means all, Grey Bulls also have a noble title in addition to their Knighthood, from minor estates to a Grand Duchy. As not only a Crown-sworn Order but also the de facto senior military leadership of the nation it is an extremely popular Order for inheriting sons. Those who have titles more prestigious than Knighthood alone use that in addition or in lieu of their Knight title depending upon rank. Thus a Baron would be a Baron-Knight, Baron-Captain, Baron-General, or Baron-Marshal depending on their rank. An Ordermaster who is also a noble would be addressed by their noble title first with Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls tacked onto the end, and if they are a former Ordermaster them Emeritus would be attached as well; for instance Baron Orgrieb, Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls Emeritus. The exception to this is sovereign nobles and Princes of the Royal family who are addressed similarly to an Ordermaster with their title coming first; for instance Grand Duke Varlus, Knight-Marshal of the Grey Bulls.
+1	Perk: Knight-Captain of the Grey Bulls: At this rank a Grey Bull has one to three Knights under their direct command, though not necessarily accompanying them at any given time. With rare exceptions Knight-Captains are the field commanders of the Royal Armies of Fiore and have little time for other pursuits.
+1	Perk: Knight-General of the Grey Bulls: At this rank a Grey Bull has three to five Knight-Captains and five to ten Knights under their direct command, though not necessarily accompanying them at any given time. Knight-Generals command the Royal Armies of Fiore and are quite occupied by their duties even when the nation is not at war, dealing with the day to day responsibilities of training and maintaining a military force in readiness.
+1	Perk: Knight-Marshal of the Grey Bulls: At this rank a Grey Bull generally has two to three Knight-Generals and Knight-Captains and any number of Knights under their direct command, though not necessarily accompanying them at any given time. Knight-Marshals are rare, with no more than two or three at any given time in history, and are responsible for the coordination of very large forces or at times, the entirety of the Royal Armies of Fiore. Knight-Marshals delegate the running of individual forces to Knight-Generals, and spend most of their time in Marsta advising the King and dealing with strategic concerns, taking the field only for major military efforts.
+1	Perk: Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls: One of the Knight-Marshals, generally the most senior but sometimes the most politically capable, will also serve as the current Ordermaster. In addition to the normal duties of a Knight-Marshal, the Ordermaster also sits upon the Ordo Cavil along with the Ordermasters of other royally recognized Knighthoods (and as the head of a Crown-sworn Order, no less). The Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls is for all intents and purposes the Warlord of Fiore, and wields major political power; however the principles of the Order have thus far prevented any Ordermaster of the Grey Bulls from abusing their vast influence.
var	Contacts: Fiorean Nobles and Soldiers
var	Favors: Fiorean Nobles and Soldiers
var	Followers: one or more Aide(s) de Campe.
var	Followers: Retinue of loyal and possibly elite troops
var	More Training: improve an existing special ability

Fiore