Founded in 2E 557 to safeguard the Dragon Throne of Daggerfall from threats on either side of the court, the Cobalt Cloaks is a name uttered in both fondness and great suspicion amongst the various citizens of High Rock. Although it helps in protecting the kingdom against invaders, and treacherous nobles, the most general distrust comes from its tampering with the court and the lives of commoners alike.

Meddlers in the affairs of kingdom, state, and security, the Cobalt Cloaks is more or less an autonomous group of wizards, scholars, and knights who have pledged their service to the Kingdom of Daggerfall. Before the members of the Inner Council, each member of the order swears their life to the realm's survival - to secure the prosperity of Daggerfall; to act as the magical sword and shield of the kingdom against nefarious groups, and more subtle threats like scheming conspirators.

The order is said to share some of the ideals of the Tamriel-spanning Mages' Guild, and they do indeed keep in line with the core philosophy of securing various eldritch artefacts - preventing them from being used against the kingdom - along with furthering the advancement of the Arcane Arts.

The Knights of the Cloak, serving under the same banner as the wizards, are somewhat regarded as one of the finer disciplinary knightly orders the realm can boast, and can trace their history as a knightly order of Daggerfall back to the Breton Liberation, but went defunct near the end of the First Era. Known for their bravery, valour, and discipline, the Cloak Knights accept human men and women from all layers of society who wish to stand stalwart against the kingdom's enemies. With some difficulty, nords or imperials who follow the Daggerfall Covenant's philosophies and ideals may apply for membership, but are likely to be treated with suspicion and caution first, so that the order might know their true loyalties.

Together, the Cloak Knights and Wizards of the Cobalt Cloaks supplement each other in times of strife and are considered steadfast allies. Both groups claim to serve a major role in maintaining the traditional feudal hierarchy that makes up High Rock, and strive to be exemplars of disciplined, skilled, and loyal defenders of the crown.

Whilst worshipping all of the Eight Divines, and far from a religious order, the Cobalt Cloaks revere three of the Aedra in particular. These, seen as patron deities for the wizards and knights respectively, are Magnus and Stendarr - along with Kynareth, patron goddess of Daggerfall. In addition to this, all Cloak Knights adhere to the so-called Code of the Cloak and its 11 Virtues.




The order itself is led by an Inner Council of three people; an Archmage, as head of the Inner Council, a Master-Wizard in charge of the Council of Wizards, and the Seneschal of the Cloak, leader of the knights and head of the Council of Knights. Hereafter, the order's hierachy branches into stations of junior officers within each department of the order. Whereas the respective councils of the knights and wizards oversee the daily operations and management of those two groups, the Inner Council confers behind closed doors on matters of advancement within the ranks, punishment of members who disregard the codes, and the future of the order.

Below these come the aforementioned junior officers, namely the Senior Wizards, the Keeper of the Cloak, and the Knight-Lieutenants. The Keeper acts as treasurer and quartermaster for the order, keeping stock of the armoury, but also leads the intelligence service, directing a vast network of spies, scouts and informants beneath him. The Senior Wizards and the Knight-Lieutenants are charged with the leading of smaller detachments of wizards and knights, taking the reins on more proactive endeavours, such as leading expeditions, directing research, and so on.

Cloak Wizards make up the backbone of the wizards, with the Cloak Knights acting in a similar manner within their sub-organisation. These ranks enjoy the privilege of training the two ranks below them - ther Squires and Apprentices - in the arts of combat and magic respectively.

People who seek to join the order must undergo a test known only by the Cobalt Cloaks themselves whereupon they must swear an oath of allegiance to the order. Upon joining, Squires and Apprentices are given 500 gold pieces, a free uniform, a pair of boots, a weapon of their choice (axe, sword, staff etc.), and training. Furthermore, initiates are granted a room within the order's headquarters with the following benefits: A small beer each evening, simple meal fares, weapon oil, and bath access.

As far as salaries go, both knights and wizards can volunteer to sign up for patrols, earning initiates and standard members 10 gold pieces per shift. Officers recieve 20 gold for spending their time on patrol duty. New uniforms or reparations to old ones must be paid for by one's own salary, however replacement equipment is given out each year.

To make a long story short, there are different uniforms assigned to each position within the order, although the traditional dark-blue cloak which has given the order its name is worn by each and every member, from Archmage to Squire. These full-cut blue weathercloaks are designed to hang to mid-boot on their wearer. They are cut to overlap at the breast and shield their owner's arms, and have high collars with separate pull-over hoods. They're distinguished from fine cloaks of other make by the collar embroidery: the Dragon of Daggerfall on the right side. These cloaks are said to hold enchantments of protection against harsh weather.

Heavy armoured knights are issued a set of steel plate armour, leather boots, steel helms, and breastplates decorated with the arms of the order. Lightly armoured knights are issued sets consisting of chainmail-on-leather, leather boots, helmets, and decorated arms. If heavy fighting is expected, they may borrow heavy armour from the armoury. All knights are issued a horn to call for nearby aid should the need arise.

The wizards are, in constrast, issued satchels, leather boots and a jerkin meant to be worn beneath dark-blue robes for additional protection. The arms of the order are embroidered upon the chest of the robes. All wizards are given a scrying stone used to keep in mind-link with one another; to far-speak and scry for locations if needed. These are attuned to the individual wizard, and should he or she die, the stone ceases to function.

All members of the order found guilty of crimes and misbehaviour are punished by a fully internal code of laws, which only applies in such instances where the local authorities are not present. Dismissal and imprisonment apply to the most egregious offenses.

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If you are interested in heavily oriented mage- and/or knightly-roleplay within the Daggerfall Covenant, then this order is for you. The general idea of the order is to have a group of wizards and fighters fiercely loyal to the Kingdom of Daggerfall work in unison to safeguard the traditions and values of the realm. The guild should be appealing to people who seek to:

Wizards:

* Act as wizards for the Daggerfall Covenant, particularly for the oldest kingdom in High Rock, Daggerfall.
* Engage in the typical, scholary kind of mage-roleplay.
* Be involved in a delicated woven guild structure, with masters and apprentices, and ranks with different roles.

Knights:

* Take on the role as chivalric knights in the service of Daggerfall.
* Portray the law-abiding follower of Stendar's virtues: Righteous Might and Merciful Forbearance.
* Serve as a squire to a more experienced knight ere rising in the ranks of the brotherhood.

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Guild Leader: Archmage (1)
Wizard Senior Officer: Master-Wizard (2)
Knight Senior Officer: Seneschal (2)
Knight Officer: Keeper (3)
Wizard Officer: Senior Wizard (4)
Knight Junior Officer: Knight-Lieutenant (4)
Wizard Standard: Cloak Wizard (5)
Knight Standard: Cloak Knight (5)
Wizard Initate: Apprentice (6)
Knight Initiate: Squire (6)

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In the Cobalt Cloaks we are firm believers that quality is of greater importance than quantity. As such we have quite a few OOC guidelines that would-be applicants need to adhere to, and they are as follows:

* A firm grasp of the English language - knowing how to formulate yourself through emotes and the like. Use of letters (eight, twenty-four, thirty) instead of numbers (8, 24, 30)
* A humble dresscode. Forget all about flashy, over-sized gear from World of Warcraft and so on. We're down-to-earth roleplayers.
* The realisation that magic is a powerful, and dangerous tool to use. You don't just juggle a couple of fireballs with ease.
* Roleplaying competence: Knowing the difference between In Character and Out of Character drama - form a credible character with an enjoyable, believable story - not a special snowflake half-vampire son of Sir YouGetThePoint.
* Knowledge of the lore of the Elder Scrolls universe.
* Activity is a must! A roleplaying-guild is based on the players, not the officers.
* A positive outlook and a pleasant personality!

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