The Black Guard is an order of fighting drafters at the command of the Chromeria. They are directly under the White and their open mission is to protect her, the Prism and the Colors, in that order. They are said to be the best fighters in the Seven Satrapies. Secretly they exist to guard the black seed crystal. Hence the name "Black Guard".
During the events of the books, the Black Guard is commanded by Harrdun Ironfist.
While most of the Blackguard are monochromatic or bichromatic drafters, it is highly uncommon for a polychromes to join their ranks. It is not forbidden, just highly discouraged. Kip Guile being allowed to train is the first exception in a very long time. This is due to how valuable polychromes are viewed, especially by the patrons who hold their contracts, who invest significantly in their Chromeria education. Making it through training and taking the Blackguard oath not only deprives the Satraps and nobles of a valuable drafter for their service, but the inherent danger of serving means that joining is tantamount to agreeing to live a shorter life, a tragedy for anyone, but especially for one who can draft 3 or more colours. These factors mean that not only do the sponsors and the Chromeria discourage it, but most drafters are also not eager to do so.
While Blackguard may have sexual relationships, marry, and father children, female Blackguards must acquire permission to become pregnant, due to pregnancy necessitating them being taken out of the field, and romantic and/or sexual relationships between two Blackguards are strictly forbidden. Violation of this rule results in both Blackguards being expelled from the service, ostracized, and a fine being levied onto both equal to the cost of training replacements for them. If a pair of Blackguards wish to marry, one of them must first retire from the service.
Known members
Full Members
Watch Captains:
Rank-And-File Blackguards:
- Teia (archer, subchromat, Paryl drafter)
- Fisk
- Gil Greyling, older brother of Gavin and the more intelligent of the two. In combat, favours stabbing spears
- Cordelia (archer)
- Essel (archer)
- Stump of Paria - short and broad, resulting in his name. Fought in the Battle Of Garriston. A veteran of the War Of The Prisms, where he fought for Gavin and was comrades with Hezik.
- Little Piper - an orange/yellow bichrome
- Nerra - designed the Hull-Wrecker explosives used by the Chromeria forces in the defense of Ru
- Kalif - fought in the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince
- Presser - fought in the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince
- Pots - fought in the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince, where he was wounded by a musket ball to the shoulder
- Wil - green drafter. Fought in the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince
- Tlatig - archer, fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces
- Fell - archer, smallest member of her squad. Blue drafter. Fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces
- Lem - real name Will. A small, twitchy man. Blue drafter, notable for his unbelievable power of will. Anything that is asked of him that can be accomplished using Blue luxin, he can accomplish. Fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces.
- Vanzer - green drafter
- Baya Niel - green drafter. Fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces
- Asif
- Kalif
- Rig - a Legacy and red-orange Bichrome
- Little Daelos
- Kerea - archer
- Gloriana - archer, promote to full Blackguard as part of the next cohort after The Mighty's. Zymun caused an incident when he got too handsy with Gloriana, causing Promachos Andross Guile to issue an edict that no female Blackguards would attend Zymun alone.
- Samite (archer) (wounded in a mission to destroy the Yellow Bane, which succeeded with Samite as the only casualty. Due to her wounds, she said she would either have to retire from the Blackguard or take a position as one of the Trainers. When Commander Ironfist disappears and Trainer Fisk is elevated to Acting Commander, Samite steps in to fill his place as the trainer of the Blackguard prospects and nunks.)
Previous Members
Known Blackguard casualties of the Battle Of Garriston:
- Amestan
- Treg
Known Blackguard casualties of the Battle Of Ru:
- Zero
- Tisa
- Milk
Blackguards that were killed in action fighting the Colour Prince's forces at some point after the Battle Of Ru, during the events of The Broken Eye:
- Tugertent - Archer, fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces. Killed in action sometime during the months following. Before her death, she was considered the best archer in the entire Blackguard.
- Elessia - Archer. Small in stature, crooked teeth, crooked grin. Considered light-skinned for a Blackguard, where dark skin is prized for its drafting-concealing abilities and the general rule is the dark the better.
- Laya - Archer, Red drafter. Fought in the Battle Of Garriston, where she was forced to kill her Blackguard partner after her partner broke the halo.
- Djur - partners with Ahhanen.
- Ahhanen - partners with Djur.
- Norl Jumber - small and eager, not too bright, but always infectiously happy.
- Pan Harl, slave Blackguard.
Other deceased Blackguards:
- Dagnar Zelan - one of the original Blackguards who protected Lucidonius. Deceased.
- Gavin Greyling, younger brother of Gill and the more handsome of the two (deceased. Broke the Halo during the Blackguards' search for Gavin Guile, and was given a mercy killing.)
- Lytos of Ilyta - deceased. Killed by Winsen with an arrow to the chest, after he and Buskin betrayed the Blackguard by attempting to assassinate Kip Guile. A lanky Ilytian eunuch with a crooked smile. Secretly in a relationship with Fisk.
- Buskin - deceased. Red drafter, male archer, short in stature and wears heeled shoes to make himself taller. Considered old for a Blackguard, ebony-skinned, Parian, almost painfully thin, with blue eyes. Fought under Ironfist at the Battle Of Ru against the Colour Prince's forces. Killed by Winsen, after he and Lytos betrayed the Blackguard by attempting to assassinate Kip Guile.
- Holdfast - second-generation Blackguard, father of Cruxer. Deceased.
- Hezik - deceased. Experienced with the use of cannons. Has shoulders like a buffalo, one ear, and a thick scar down the left half of his face testimony to a sword stroke. A veteran of the War Of The Prisms, where he fought for Gavin and was comrades with Stump. Killed in action during the mission to rescue Gavin from the Parian Hippodrome.
- Tremblefist - deceased. Sacrificed himself to save The Mighty when they had to escape the Chromeria, and Zymun ordered them killed.
- Blademan, fought under Ironfist in the Battle Of Ru. Died during the beginning of the events of The Blood Mirror, under mysterious circumstances.
- Finer (green drafter) - became a wight after breaking the halo, and had to be hunted down and killed by his former Blackguard comrades.
Blackguards that have retired or been dismissed:
- Karris White Oak (retired when she married Prism Gavin Guile, later chosen to assume the position of The White)
- Inana - second-generation Blackguard, mother of Cruxer. Retired in order to marry Holdfast, who was a fellow Blackguard.
- Spear - commander of the Blackguards when Gavin Guile became Prism. Attempted to motivate the Blackguards to not allow Gavin to slip away from them/travel without them by having them publicly whipped. Removed from his position by the White.
- Anamar - Commander immediately following the end of the War Of The Prisms, prior to Spear. Gavin crushed his knees and crippled him after Anamar acted insubordinately towards Gavin (Gavin later reminisces on this and admits that it was extremely rash and the only reason he got away with it was through pure brute charisma.)
- Ironfist (commander until his disappearance. Blue drafter)
Inductees*
* Members of The Mighty. Inducted, but left the Chromeria to combat the Colour Prince's army before standing the final vigil and taking the Blackguard vows in order to become a full member. Thus, still considered to be a Nunk.