Blackguard: The Basics

black·guard
noun \ˈbla-gərd, -ˌgärd; ˈblak-ˌgärd\
1 obsolete : the kitchen servants of a household
2 a : a rude or unscrupulous person
b : a person who uses foul or abusive language
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary


Blackguard is a pack of mercenary misfits brought together by coin and contract and bound by the blood they shed. Indifferent to species and hiring anything from war veterans to thieves to witch doctors, members are usually characterised by three things: combat experience, criminal records (or at very least a cheerful disrespect for law and order), and having no place else to go.

Accustomed to rejection and often outright hostility from others, Blackguard wears its dishonour proudly, like a badge of independence. They stand up for their own almost without question – and while violence is rarely their favourite solution, when it does happen they'll fight viciously for a win, not glory or honour. What the company lacks in numbers and formal discipline, they make up in dirty tricks, determination and loyalty to the only people they have to trust: each other.

On the rare occasions when they find actual allies they're likely to treat them well, simply because they're so rare.


OOC details

Blackguard began as a guildless community in 2012, but by various twists and turns has evolved into a guild. Current details will always be available on our Argent Archives page, or our forum:

http://www.argentarchives.org/node/106474?
http://the-blackguard.com


The Work

We're happy to accept jobs from players (anything from social stuff to escorts to warfare to crime) - but since we're old hands and know player jobs are rare, most of the time we expect to be making our own jobs, plots and longterm entertainment.

Work takes our guys all over the IC world, from following the patch's main storyline to storylines of our own. Some jobs will be played out only in chat and are suitable for all levels, some will be in-world and require zone-appropriate level.


The Life

Blackguard is inspired by Glen Cook's Black Company novels, Joss Whedon's Firefly, Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy and Hunter S. Thompson's late 60's book Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. While not quite as military as the Black Company, not quite as nice as Serenity's crew, and not quite as biker as SAMCRO or the Angels, Blackguard's plots will be centered around the same ideas: proud alienation from mainstream society, bad people working for really bad people (and sometimes ending up the heroes by comparison), and brotherhood among outlaws.

Sometimes there will be grimdark. Sometimes there will be camp and undead badgers. Going with the flow and a handiness with witty banter helps.


The Recruits

Be easy, be mature, agree that role-play is about playing with people rather than against them, and most importantly: have a character who genuinely wants to be part of this pack of misfits. We're not fussed about race or class, but a high level will help because we do use PvP and high level areas in RP more than secure cities. Player age 18+ is also a must – and we mostly play late nights, so a late schedule helps.

If that sounds like you, then fill out an application: we'll get back to you for the IC side of things once we've reviewed it. If you don't play a soldiering type, that doesn't have to be a dealbreaker - we've also been known to hire random specialists. A crooked accountant for example could fit in great, as could smugglers or cat burglars.

New recruits will start as Prospects; this is an IC and OOC trial period, to let you see if you like our company, to let us see if we like yours, and to let your character find their niche in the Ratpack. There's no set length on the trial, but generally, the more you RP, the easier settling in will be. Check the Membership Policies for more details.

Once your first char has been confirmed as a Regular, you can also bring alts into the guild. If you decide this char is not a good fit and would like to try another while still in your Prospect period, you'll have to repeat the app process from scratch.