Royal Guard

The Royal Guard is an elite unit of soldiers charged with protecting the King of Levidor, Yley Castle, and serving the wishes of the King. They are highly respected knights throughout the kingdom and many try to join their ranks with no success.

History
The Royal Guard was established in 498 by King Levidor after uniting the kingdoms of Pegias. At the time, nobility was still bickering and could not be fully trusted after the civil war. The Royal Guard was to stand as a beacon of unity, taking the finest knights from the entire kingdom and bringing them together in Erey City not only to protect the King but also to protect and serve the people.

The Royal Guard was so successful in Erey City that soon other Lords started to mimic it. The establishment of city guards became common practice, replacing sheriffs and warden systems that had previously protected the people. The Guard gave a more unified approach to law and order across the kingdom.

Controversy
Over the centuries that the Royal Guard has existed, there have been times when their power has been abused. Every King has direct command over the Royal Guard and at times uses them for questionable reasons, however there are a few instances that stand out.

King Ronan I and his Enforcers
King Ronan was not so much an evil man, just a man with a lot of vices. He turned Erey City and namely the kingdom into a city of brothels and taverns. He used his Royal Guard on a regular basis in order to fetch him women (rumors claim that some were unwilling), collect personal debts, and oversee his gambling and drinking habits. This ended abruptly with his death and King Ronan II took over.

King Ronan II and the Death Guard
Whereas his father loved sex and liquor, Ronan II loved power and fear. One of his first acts as king was secretly having the Guard find all of his father's bastards that could potentially become heir and then having them drowned. This started a trend of murder and violence within the Royal Guard. For many years it persisted but the people eventually rose up with some of the Royal Guard and overthrew the evil king, placing one of Ronan's bastards, Kosta, in the throne. King Kosta returned normalcy to the kingdom and fostered a new sense of respect for the Royal Guard.

The Black Guard
The Black Guard was first established by King Kosta II. It is a highly secretive and elite group of knights within the Royal Guard. This group is rumored to carry out secret operations at the behest of the king. It has been very rare that a member of the Black Guard has been ousted. Rumors are what keep the knowledge of its existence alive.

King Kosta IV and the Secret Police
Many from The Workers have spread the rumors that King Kosta IV and the nobility are using the Black Guard as a sort of secret police in order to silence the people. Truth of this has never been produced.