The Archers of Avenant
| The Archers of Avenant | ||||
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| Publishing Information | ||||
| Author(s) | Sharon Mitchell | |||
| First printing | September 1995 | |||
| First appeared in | Wayfarer #3 | |||
| Publication chronology | ||||
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The Archers of Avenant is an essay written by Sharon Mitchell, providing a rich background for D'Avenant Archer and Élan d'Avenant. The essay was published in Wayfarer #3 (1995).[1]
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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 sook for three days and three nights in a tub-full of healing herbal infusions (usually comfrey, tansy, and lesser burnet) and then returning immediately to battle. Often, the infusion contains brine which prevents infection but is extremely painful. Nevertheless, most choose the herb-tub.
The region of Avenant on Dominaria is a matriarchy, ruled by a Suzeraine Her eldest daughter is in line to wear the Wreath. Should the Suzeraine die leaving no daughters, the nearest female relative is named Suzeraine. On the rare occasions when a male is the only close relative, he is named Regent, and encouraged to marry and produce a daughter as soon as possible. Men are subject to the decisions of their mothers, and eventually, their wives. A man who is widowed enjoys property rights for the first time, but should he remarry, all rights pass into the guardianship of his new wife.
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 box. Rumors abound of bizarre skills such 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 passage of arms as well as basic courtly behavior They are made to memorize much epic poetry, both contemporary and ancient Argivian, to inspire them to great deeds. Many squires, Elan among them, 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 in order 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.
Interestingly, squires who finish the vigil with exaggerated tales of demons and ghouls, or outrageous accounts of their own bravery ("So then, I disengaged over the zombie's weapon and after distracting it with a ballestra, I-) 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. Elan's courage and determination are without question (remember how long she's been tracking Jared?). But during the Keryn-Calthyn battle, it never occurred to her that the true she was climbing could come to life and casually shrug her off. Likewise, facing someone as devious as Ravidel, she would be unable to second-guess his strategy.
Archers must prove themselves with some special act of heroism before they can become knights. Elan d'Avenant had not yet won her spurs at the time of her fateful encounter with Ravidel. There's a good possibility she'll be awarded a posthumous knighthood for her brave, and unquestionably noble sacrifice.
References
- ↑ Mitchell, Sharon. (1996). "The Archers of Avenant". Wayfarer. Issue 3. Acclaim Comics.