It is good to know that somewhere, something is looking out for you. Even if you will never see it, it’s still there. Always watching. Protecting. Part twenty-seven of my 2021 Worldbuilding Challenge inspired by this reddit post from a person named Faranesque:
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Emblem
Report of a historic object by an unknown archaeologist. Dated to a couple hundred years ago
A black medallion framed by a wreath of ornate roses. The metal is dark, almost bluish and shimmers slightly when held against the light. The surface itself is rough, unpleasantly scratchy and feels uncomfortable on bare skin. It is very light and can be easily concealed and worn beneath clothing or armor.
Three bands of fine wire decorate the outer edge in the form of concentric circles. The largest is made of brass, the next of silver, and the smallest of ice-steel.
In the middle there is an intricate engraving. It shows a tangled ball of thin threads, helplessly entwined. An open pair of scissors slides around it like the mouth of a crocodile, ready to cut the mass of yarn at any moment.
This piece of jewelry is the emblem of the Cross Guard. In the eyes of society, a virtually unknown group of individuals thrown together wildly. Origin, social status and wealth are not important here. All of them are united by the common urge to fight against the evil in Orf and to stay in the background of the events, as long as it can be avoided.
Many significant events have been engineered or rectified by the Guard. Villains of high degree were defeated, killed or otherwise disposed of. Wherever injustice runs rampant and Orf threatens to collapse, this community is on hand.
There are no admission criteria. New members are always chosen and trained by the elders. Contact with each other is allowed, but should only take place in emergencies. A gathering of the entire Cross Guard has occurred only once in its history. A very dark chapter of contemporary history, of which reports can only be found in the fewest annals.