Order of the D'Avenant
| Order of the D'Avenant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
| Founded on | Avenant, the Domains, Dominaria |
| Membership | |
| Members | Élan d'Avenant, Tori D'Avenant |
| Information | |
| Colors |
  |
| Species | Humans |
| Job | Archers |
The Order of the D'Avenant (DAV-nahnt or DAV-nah[1]) is a matriarchal order of warriors from Avenant on Dominaria, ruled by the Suzeraine. The order allied with the town of Hamath on Corondor. Only the most talented archers of D'Avenant were made a part of the organization.
Description
The Archers of Avenant are famous for their bravery, toughness, and astonishing accuracy. They are also notorious for their stubbornness; once an archer has vowed to fell an opponent, she will not desist until death claims either her, her victim, or both. Archers who have been injured in battle have the choice of a long, natural recovery, or being set to ask for three days and three nights in a tub full of healing herbal infusions - usually comfrey, tansy, and lesser burnet, and returning immediately to battle. Often, the infusion contains brine which prevents infection but is extremely painful. Nevertheless, most choose the herb tub.
Only girls are trained in weaponry, and very few of these pass the stringent requirements of the Archers. Candidates are selected at the age of nine, and trained to wield the broadsword and the épee, as well as the bow. Rumors abound of bizarre skills such as the Salmon Leap, the Apple Feat, and the Coursing Feat. It is said the warriors develop calluses on their soles so thick they can dance barefoot on the point of a sword without shedding a drop of blood. Some of these are undoubtedly exaggerated or distorted versions of the truth.
What is known is that every girl who passes the preliminary training is appointed squire to a knight. The knight continues her training in the passage of arms as well as basic courtly behavior. They are made to memorize epic poetry, both contemporary and ancient Argivian, to inspire them to do great deeds. Many squires who are outstanding in combat have found this aspect of their training pure torture.
Once a year, all knights must make a spiritual retreat, spending three days and three nights fasting and meditating to purify their spirits and renew their dedication. At the climax of the squire's service, she must stand vigil to her knight during the three nights and three days, guarding her from all danger while she makes this retreat. Though the squire does not fast, she is forbidden to sleep. The vigil takes place in an ancient burial ground reputed to be haunted. A squire who deserts her vigil, falls asleep, or panics and disturbs her knight without cause cannot become an Archer. Those who stay the course without incident are accepted and are privileged to add the designation "D'Avenant" to their names.
Squires who finish the vigil with exaggerated tales of demons and ghouls or outrageous accounts of their bravery are not punished for lying or cowardice. Rather, they are sent to the Bardic Circle to be trained as poets, where their overactive imaginations can be turned to practical use. There, they must not only memorize the usual 100-line runs of "The Death of Alais, the Golden-Shield", or "Genealogy of Isabeau, the Strong-Sword-Blade", but must create new epics of their own. The Standard of Avenaise poetry is extremely high and famous throughout the Multiverse.
Unfortunately, this division in training has a built-in flaw. Just as poets are not trained in heavy weaponry, so the Swordswomen and Archers are trained only to memorize poetry, not to create. They never learn to use their imaginations. This leaves them vulnerable to opponents using craft and guile, though against brute force alone they are the fiercest of warriors. Archers must prove themselves with some special act of heroism before they can become knights.[2]
Élan d'Avenant was a member of the order, an Archer but not a Knight.
In-game references
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Sources
References
- ↑ Matt Cavotta (March 22, 2007). "Speak the Word, the Word is All of Us". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017.
- ↑ Jeff Gomez (1995) - Wayfarer, volume 3: Patterns in Chaos, Armada.