The Order of the Golden Billet

The Order of the Golden Billet are secular Military Order, founded in Urgon, to help provide defence and security to local landowners. Most members are followers of Abadar, St Cuthbert or Yarma, but a few follow Iomedae, or other Lawful deities, as well. The deities’ motives may be different, and the members aren’t always the most religious, but they can all get behind the organization’s main philosophy - a secure life, with laws applied consistently.

Their philosophies are based around protection of a site, rather than looking for conflict, so they do not provide soldiers, caravan guards or marine guards – just static guards who will defend a town or settlement, from behind its walls. They will, however, provide basic military training to local residents, so long as the trainee will sign up to their basic principles.

They are prepared to offer their services, just about anywhere, for a small fee. The normal arrangement is that a landowner, gifts the order with a small tower for their guards, and a residential property, that the order can rent out to provide an income to support their operation. They will then provide guards for the settlement. In established towns they will supplement the local guards, although they will also take on the complete guard responsibilities for a burgeoning settlement. This is always a contractually permanent arrangement, with options for The Golden Billet, or the landowner, to buy the other side out. A Local House, normally consists of a small tower that can accommodate five guards, overseen by a sergeant, supported by a small tenement building or a row of cottages.

Players may come across a Chapter in a town or city, that acts as a regional headquarters for the order. This consists of a number of Local Houses (ie towers supported by income generating accommodation, and a Knight Lieutenant (who lives in a normal house) to take command. Think of the order as a cross between a secular Military Order and a modern security agency - with a variety of membership levels.

• Associate - generally means a character who has agreed help defend their settlement, if required. They are expected to arm themselves with padded and spear, and form a local defensive militia. Once trained, they are generally mustered once every few months, as a precaution.
• Guard - Warrior-1, who provides basic policing and security functions. They are identified by Studded Leather Armour, Bracer, Light Mace and Light Crossbow. They live in their local tower and provide a basic policing function in towns and cities.
• Scout - Expert-1, trained for the outdoors, who provide 'eyes around the frontier' and village policing. While they can fight, their main role is intelligence gathering. They are identified by Leather Armour, Sickle and Light Crossbow.
• Sergeant - warrior-3, identified by Studded Leather Armour, Bracer and Short Sword, they live in a tower with their unit.
• Skirmisher Expert1/Warrior2, who act as sergeant in frontier locations.
• Knight Lieutenant - generally referred to as Sir, who is L4 (or higher) in a PC combat class. They generally live in a house, somewhere in the town.

There are other, more senior officers, but PCs aren't liable to come across them.

Example Towers

While a Golden Billet Tower is intended for a unit of five guards and a sergeant, it can accommodate ten people at a push. It costs 1500gp to build and equip.