The Grand Master's Royal Guard was a society formed by Lord Khyron shortly after an altercation with a rebel Clan known as Ar'Kell. Khyron felt it was necessary to form an elite corps of body guards, in the same vain as Palpatine's Imperial Royal Guards, to protect the Council from devious plots and assassination attempts. The Guard served in this capacity under many different leaders, with many different concepts of protection, until the society was closed in 26 ABY by Grand Master Sarin. In 33 ABY Muz Ashen reinstated the Royal Guard under his new Fist of the Brotherhood Ma`ar-Tyrius Ga-Tir.
History of the Guard
Under the influence of the former Grand Master known as "the Other", Clan Ar'kell staged a massive revolt in an attempt to overthrow the Dark Council. Their first attempt was to strike out at individual Council members. Fortunately, Ar'kell was driven back and fled to the Core to form their own splinter organization. It was their assassination attempts that led Khyron to form the Grand Master's Royal Guard. An elite sect of Dark Jedi soldiers, trained and conditioned to be peerless protectors of the reigning Dark Lord and his Council. Initial training was conducted under the supervision of Master Blazer, a loyal servant of the Brotherhood and a powerful warrior.
As the Grand Masters Royal Guard progressed the warriors leading the Guard became less and less capable and training began to become more and more inefficient. The Royal Guard began to become more of a volunteer corps rather than an elite organization and the loyalty dropped as just wearing the famed armor because the primary motivation. Grand Master Sarin, seeing the loyalty and training dropping, decided to put an end to the organization shortly before the Vong Insurrection on Antei in 26 ABY. Many believe that if the Royal Guard were present the Grand Master wouldn’t of died needlessly in the sands of Antei while fighting Jedi Master Omancor Crask.
Shortly after those events Muz Ashen took on the title of Grand Master. Being a former Guardsman himself, Muz recognized the need for a new Royal Guard. The Dark Lord, along with Headmaster Taigikori Aybara Dupar and the Grand Master’s Fist, reinstated a brutal training ground on Lyspair and the Royal Guard lived once again.
Guard Training
File:Gm royal guard.jpgTwo guardsmen train Training in the Royal Guard was divided into tiered combat levels known as Circles. Each circle was comprised of six members, with the most experienced member called a Preceptor. The Preceptor was tasked with overseeing the training of the other five members, known as Neophytes. Neophytes would cycle through different circles once they had learned all they could from a Preceptor.
Guardsman were taught several disciplines, but their focus was mainly on personal combat. As the last line of defense for the Grand Master, each member was expected to perform beyond excellent and so they trained themselves, physically and mentally, every day. Lightsaber combat featured predominately over the other disciplines, and all training was conducted with live weaponry.
Rank System
As ambition drives the normal ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, it can prove a valuable tool within the structure of the Grand Master's Royal Guard, as well. Through sheer determination, a member may advance within the hierarchy of ranks within the Royal Guard. To do so, they need to earn Clusters of Fire.
Ranks within the Grand Master's Royal Guard are broken into four echelons, aptly numbered based on one's determination: First Echelon, Second Echelon, Third Echelon and Fourth Echelon. Within each echelon, assigned a numerical value, are the ranks of the Grand Master's Royal Guard. As one advances within the Society, progressing upward, special features are unlocked: armor, weapons, robes, and exclusive lightsaber hilts
Rank Elevations (Important to Read)
After a member passes the GMRG History course in the Shadow Academy, the member is automatically enrolled in the Society. After that, to gain rank, the earned Clusters of Fire for the next rank need to have been approved by the Master at Arms in that month. If they don't have the allotment of Clusters of Fire, they won't rank up, and possibly be demoted if they don't even have the same amount they had the previous month. On the First of every month, the Fist of the Brotherhood presses a button that automatically calculates the amount of the Clusters awarded for that member that month, and elevates or demotes them. There are ranks that will won't demote a member, those being level 1, 4, 7, and 10. The system is set up though, that a member can not rank up twice in one month, including the month that they take the GMRG test. It is best to make sure that the member has been awarded his or her Clusters of Fire prior to the last day of the month, so that in case an issue arises in real life for either the Fist or the Master At Arms, the member still progresses or stays at the same rank.
Rank Chart
| First Echelon |
| GMRG Rank | Abbreviation | Required to Earn the Rank | Reward |
| Level 1 | GMRG:I | Pass the GMRG SA Course with an 85% or higher | GMRG Warbanner Tasset |
| Level 2 | GMRG:II | 20 Clusters of Fire | Training Armor |
| Level 3 | GMRG:III | 30 Clusters of Fire | Force Pike |
| Second Echelon |
| GMRG Rank | Abbreviation | Required to Earn the Rank | Reward |
| Level 4 | GMRG:IV | 60 Clusters of Fire | Guardsman Warbanner Pattern |
| Level 5 | GMRG:V | 90 Clusters of Fire | Senate Guard Battle Armor |
| Level 6 | GMRG:VI | 120 Clusters of Fire | Guardsman Saber Hilt |
| Third Echelon |
| GMRG Rank | Abbreviation | Required to Earn the Rank | Reward |
| Level 7 | GMRG:VII | 150 Clusters of Fire and Maven of Combat (DMG) | Guardsman Battle Armor |
| Level 8 | GMRG:VIII | 180 Clusters of Fire | Lightsaber Pike |
| Level 9 | GMRG:IX | 210 Clusters of Fire | Guardsman Battle Armor Mark II |
| Fourth Echelon |
| GMRG Rank | Abbreviation | Required to Earn the Rank | Reward |
| Level 10 | GMRG:X | 250 Clusters of Fire and the Savant of Tactics and Combat (DSTC) | Elite Guardsman Armor |
| Level 11 | GMRG:XI | 300 Clusters of Fire | Imperial Knight Saber Hilt |
| Level 12 | GMRG:XII | 350 Clusters of Fire | Imperial Knight Armor |
Current Roster of the GMRG
Perks of Being in the GMRG
- Second Echelon - Having shown some skill and loyalty,these Guardsmen are trusted with more specialized training and may be used as escorts for a Magistrate.
- Third Echelon - Exceptional abilities separate these Guardsmen from the rest. Their distinction and service is seen with the presence of Praetors or even Dark Councilors.
- Fourth Echelon - Paragons of skill, dedication, and effort is seen in these Guardsmen's every movement. It is these exemplary warriors that are trusted to guard the Dark Lord himself.