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zavbees · 1 year ago

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The Jury of Nine Headcannons

The Jury of Nine was formed to be the judgment of Lady Irene when she walked this plane. She could not go anywhere without people forcing her hand to give them time. In order to protect the one he was sworn to guard, Xavier got a group of people with magical abilities to band together. This group passed judgement on those who wished to approach her, allowing only those who were pure of heart and free of corruption.

Irene disappeared from the mortal realm as tensions between her and the other Divine Warriors began growing, but the Jury of Nine stayed in prominence within O'khasis. This began the rise in importance of the Church of the Faith of Lady Irene within the city. The group took only the best guards in the city, and they were regarded with high status, just below the royal family.

As time passed, O'khasis began growing more and more powerful and corrupt. As the city expanded, relatives of current Jurors were allowed to become one of the Nine, replacing their family member once they aged out. This, as well as the royal lineage being just that, a lineage, created a new form of elite within the city.

The Jury and the Modern City

Within O'khasis, the three areas of importance are the Royal Family, the Jury of Nine, and the Church of the Faith of Lady Irene. The faces of each area are treated as almost celebrities within the city: the standing royalty, the current jurors, and the High Priest.

The Jury often are the first to hear about potential hazards to the city, as they take great interest in the state of the guards. They are also usually the first line of defense for the city, sent out to deal with foreign threats, and, at the Kings approval, maintain treaties with outside forces.

The amount each Juror, also called Knight, involves themselves with the people of O'khasis is up to them. Some make frequent patrols around the city in order to boost the moral of the civilians and keep an eye on the ground. Others see patrols as the duty of the guards, choosing instead to stay within the Capital. Regardless, whenever a Juror is seen outside the Capital, it is often viewed as a big deal.

As time has passed, the divine context of the Jury has been lost, instead just being an elite sect of the guard.

Requirements of the Jury

The Jury of Nine has specific criteria for people to be allowed in. Firstly, the youngest a member can be is 18, with the oldest being 35. If a Juror makes it to 35, they are given a farewell celebration throughout the city.

When going through the initial stages of becoming a Juror, the person chosen must cut all ties with the outside world for the first few months, only being around the rest of the Jury or those important in the city. This means, often, they are kept within the Capital until they fully transition. This period is used to train them, both mentally and physically. This is also when they are given the magical abilities often possessed by the Jury of Nine.

That being said, Jurors can still have families outside of this period; once they are fully trained, they are free to make personal relationships as they see fit. Many do not, but there are some who do.

In order to replenish the Jury as members die and/or age out, there are two methods used to find replacements. Either the top performing guards within the age bracket are picked by the First Knight, or Jurors can specifically claim an heir to inherit their title and place within the Jury. The first category is the most common, as the Jury tend to be slightly removed from the rest of the City. However, the second way is still used.

If a Juror is to claim an heir, the person chosen must be within the age range, be trained as if they were to be a guard, and be a family member of the Juror claiming them. Heirs tend to be the children of Jurors, being raised to take their parents place. This can apply to siblings or cousins as well. This method makes it so bloodlines can keep the title the Juror had, essentially giving importance to that bloodline as a whole and making them minor celebrities within the city (ex: Golden Heart being passed down from generation to generation). That was not the intended purpose of the claiming of heirs, but that is how the city progressed. Inherited titles often don't change, but each Juror has the choice to change it if they wish.

If a Juror proves to be difficult, untrustworthy, or a traitor, the First Knight can choose to force them out of the Jury. Depending on the situation, the Juror could be treated as if they aged out with no further consequences, or exiled, or sentenced to death.

If a Juror is forced out or ages out, the magical abilities they were granted during their training period get essentially taken from them by the First Knight. If aged out, this is seen as a bittersweet event, usually with a citywide celebration. If forced out, it is a private affair, with public only find out about the Juror being removed once someone new replaces them.

Titles in the Jury of Nine

There are, as the name suggests, nine Jurors at a time. If one leaves, another one is sworn in. Each member is given a title: (number) Knight, (first name), the (title of choice). Often the title of choice is tied to either their weapon or their character, such as the Venom Blade or the Silver Death.

If an heir is sworn into the Jury, it is looked down upon to change the title, as it is seen as disrespectful against the previous Juror and their legacy.

Roles in the Jury

The First Knight is the one in charge of the Jury; they become first either by appointment of the King, or the Second moves up once the current First is removed for whatever reason.

The Second Knight is the second in command. Often, this means that while the First is holding an audience with the King, the Second is keeping tabs on the rest of the Jury.

The Third Knight, Fourth Knight, and Fifth Knight often are lumped together as veterans within the Jury, as the only way to get into those positions is to be there long enough to move from Ninth to where they are, meaning they worked their way through the ranks. It is rare for four members of the Jury to be removed at once, so it tends to be difficult for newer Jurors to find their way within these slots. They are often called the Upper Four.

The Sixth Knight, Seventh Knight, and Eight Knight are often seen as the newbies. They don't usually have as much say, yet tend to be more personable with the public. They are usually the ones who are seen patrolling in order to gain the favor of the civilians of O'khasis. They, including the Ninth, are referred to as the Lower Four.

The Ninth Knight is seen as the hardest rank to endure, as it is the one with the most to prove. Often, even if they are out of their training period, the Ninth Knight is secluded from personal relationships, since they tend to be treated as the errand boy of the Jury. They are the ones who initiate the official meetings of the Jury, they are the ones who keep the logs, they are the ones sent to deliver messages.

Current Jurors

The First Knight, Zane Ro'Meave, The White Chalice

The standing prince has managed to surpass many within the citys history, being the youngest to take the role of First Knight as well as High Priest. As of the start of the story, Zane has been the First Knight for a year. The High Priest being the First Knight is not unheard of, but Zane changed what people thought were possible once the heir to the throne gained control of the church and Jury. He is a studious and serious man, and often keeps to the Capital and out of the public eye. At least, the First Knight keeps out of the public eye. The Prince is a different story.

The Second Knight, Ivan Maddock, The Venom Blade

The Second Knight has been in the Jury for a few years, watching people come and go. The warlock is not seen often, but when he is, he makes an entrance. He is probably the most whispered about Juror around the city for being mysterious and devilish, which he often plays into. Not much is known about the man, only that he is not from O'khasis and is usually seen at the right hand of Zane, regardless of who the young Ro'Meave is appearing as.

The Third Knight, Jeffory Laurent, The Golden Heart

Jeffory is by far the most personable in the Upper Four. He is constantly seen throughout the city helping in local events or just shopping. He always takes the time needed to help those he can. A smile is always present on his face.

The Fourth Knight, Janus Othniel, The Silver Death

The Fourth, Janus, is the oldest current Knight on the Jury. He also has been there the longest. Despite this, he refuses to move above the position of Fourth, purely because of his title being the Silver Death. He is seen as the most physically intimidating of the nine, often being the muscle. Within the city, he is said to be the loose cannon, the one most likely to get into a bar fight. Despite that, he is honored throughout O'khasis.

The Fifth Knight, Katelyn Ralston, The Fire Fist

The Fifth Knight is often viewed as the level headed one in the Upper Four. She is the straight laced logical one within the band of heart, mystery, and ego. She is sometimes seen outside the Capital as either a bodyguard or with the Third Knight. Whenever she is seen, she is blunt but relatively pleasant.

The Sixth Knight, Zero Rivera, The Bronze Dagger

Zero was chosen to be the Sixth Knight despite him being relatively unremarkable within the Guard. It is rumored he was chosen by the First and Second because of his knack for following orders. He is a monotonous man, emotions never seeming to phase him. He is, by far, the most disliked Juror, purely for the fact that he tends to weird people out with his lack of emotions. He is the only one in the Lower Four to almost never be seen out of the Capital, only ever out with another Juror.

The Seventh Knight, Ruby Hightower, The Crimson Hammer

Ruby, the Seventh, is often viewed as the Fire Fist of the Lower Four. She brings the fire of Janus but the logicality of Katelyn, allowing her to be seen as the glue of the relatively reserved batch of the current Lower Four. She makes patrols around the city, usually being seen helping the poorer side of the city.

The Eighth Knight, Lilian Sterling, The Silver Scythe

The second newest Knight is thought to be the visual of the Lower Four. The people see her as spunky, usually with an attitude but with the looks for people to excuse it. She is the second favored within the Lower Four by the public. She is often seen at events to participate and host.

The Ninth Knight, Clas Lynn, The Iron Shield

The current Ninth Knight is by far the most popular Juror in the Lower Four. He is almost always seen around the city, making sure he gains the peoples trust with his charming smile and friendly disposition. Clas was a hot topic when he first was sworn in, as he was the son of Ivy the Venom Scythe yet chose to change the title he inherited. However, the people have mostly forgotten this.

Thanks for reading!

That's basically it for now! I may do more regarding them, but for rn this is the majority of how the Jury works in my head. If anyone has questions or anything, I will happily answer!