The Silver Band

Born of one dragon's compassion for a single dying child, the Silver Band expanded from a village militia into a continental force over 120 years. Early years were spent defending frontier hamlets and negotiating ransom and reparations to prevent the exploitation of children. The Band's reputation spread after the Treaty of Glassford established refugee corridors and forced coastal lords to accept Band oversight at ports of embarkation. For decades the Band played mediator in civil disputes and fought predatory lords and bandit kings. During the Midwinter Schism, a faction of commanders argued the Band should accept sovereign titles to ensure lasting protection. That attempt failed and ended with the Purge of Mirehold, when a gubernatorial conspiracy slaughtered a Band outpost; the Band publicly executed the conspiring governor and tightened rules against political entanglements while secretly learning to wield more political power. In recent decades the Band professionalized: standardized ranks, established the harness system for identification and protection rituals and opened the High Aegis Keep. Their continental reach now stretches across multiple nations, with thousands of Phalanxes stationed in border towns and trade routes.