Order of the Lanyard

The Order of the Lanyard, known fully as the Worshipful Company of The Almighty and the Providence of the South are a Chivalric Order headquartered in Seapoint, a castle in the Bastonian Line, the string of fortifications that Frontier Counties from the heartlands of Bastonia. Founded a century before the expansion of Bastonia into the parts of the Lordless Lands which now make up the Frontier Counties, the order was charged with the creation of the Bastonian Line and with the defense of the realm from the depredations of monstrous beasts from the Lordless Lands - at the time, this arguably included the Orcish Nation. Their authority and prestige now somewhat limited by the expansion to the south, they are thought of in some circles as being obsolite.

The Order of the Lanyard is commanded by its Knight Grand Cross, who is loyal to (and often the inheritor of) the Duke of Bastonia, though sometimes the orders senior members elect instead one of their own, most often with ties to the Duke of Zeemarch. The responsibilities and fealty of the order are owed indirectly to the Bastonian Monarch, through their nominal Colonel in Chief (and sworn leige) the Archbishop of Whiterock. Without exception, the Knight Grand Cross has also been styled as Count of the Line, as the Bastonian Line is itself a county of the Duchy of Bastonia.

The blazon of the Order of the Lanyard is sable, a knot or canted; the knot being a reference to the lanyards that are conferred upon officers in the ranks of the Order's military. High Ranking Officers, especially those who have been knighted, are further entitled to an additional blazon: Sable, on a bend between two knots or, six billets argent. The billets represent the six fortifications that make up the Bastion Line (and which were, at one point, all under the Order's command).

The Worshipful Company organizes itself into Chapters, each with their own captain and one or more units of 150 or fewer men and their Lieutenant - each such unit known as a troop - along with a number of administrative staff. Each chapter is responsible for the fortification in which it is headquartered and usually swells its ranks with unsworn militia and civilian labourers who participate in the upkeep of the fortification and patrol of its situation.

The Order are increasingly socially hostile to other Chivalric Orders as more and more of their authority is sapped away. Their companies formed much of the military force behind the taking of the Frontier Counties, but saw very little of the gains, and instead have lost authority and relevance commensurate with their losses on the battlefield. They have a particular rivalry with the recently-created Right Honourable Companions of the Engineer, who were given authority over the castle at Crucible Rock, which is a central fortification to the Bastion Line and have even been known to skirmish more directly than intended at tournaments organized to help them vent that frustration.