Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey

”An indicative quote”

Heraldry

About

Original emblazon
http://amtwiki.net/amtwiki/index.php/File:Birds_of_Prey.jpg
The Birds of Prey formed on April 28, 1995 as a Mercenary Guild, and Fighting Company out of the VSR. The original members numbered 3 Dukes, Duke Sir Falcon, Grand Duke Sir Raven, and Grand Duke Sir Hawk. Later they recruited more members to thier ranks and were a very fierce and vicious company which specialized in hit and run tactics and scrimishing. Known for thier curved scimitar short swords and high skill as florentine fighters. A common tactic seen was that they would circle thier prey, diving in for quick strikes and eventually collapsing in on thier weakened foe. It is said that more than a few kings of VSR hired this company to protect them, or defeat powerful foes. In 2007 Duke Falcon died of surgical complications. For a time the company was largely inactive, but has seen a revival in the Wetlands.

A NOTE ON THE WETLANDS B.O.P.: By Tellerian Hawke, Sep. 20, 2013: The Wetlands B.O.P. was not a revival of the VSR B.O.P.; my character in Amtgard (Tellerian Hawke) is based on my very first D&D character, by the same name. The hawk head silhouette encircled by runes is his personal symbol. When I first thought of forming a fighting company in Amtgard, I thought: "Ok, if I'm going to lead a fighting company, it will have to be named after me in some way. It should be associated with hawks, or with eagles, or falcons..." and then it came to me: Call it the "Birds of Prey Company" and have all the ranks named after various birds of prey. At the time that I created B.O.P., I had no idea that the VSR company had ever existed, nor did I know of anyone who had ever been a member. The names of these two companies are simply a coincidence. Later on, I found out about the VSR B.O.P., and if I remember correctly, the leader and I (via email) decided to form an alliance, and the two companies were considered "sister companies" from that point onward. Keep in mind that this was about 15 years ago now (circa 1998 or thereabouts) so my memory of the details might be a little fuzzy.

I still have all of the original B.O.P. webpage files on my computer at home; in the coming weeks, I will gather all of those files, and make a permanent Google Page for it, so that people who are still continuing the B.O.P. can refer to those files. By the way, I just want to say a few things: 1) I am amazed, and honored, that my company still exists in Amtgard; 2) It's S-H-R-I-K-E, not S-H-I-R-K-E, ha ha. (I have noticed some people using that term.)

Here is an excerpt of the original webpage text that I found on www.archive.org, which should give a little more info on the formation of the Wetlands B.O.P.: (This information is circa 2005, right before I quit playing Amtgard.)

  The Birds Of Prey was formed on April 28, 1997. The founding members were Tellerian Hawke, Aloysius Von Hildebrandt, and Jerrin DeMorg. Below is an excerpt from our original charter, which will bring memories rushing back to a lot of us who were there. For those of you who found this page by surfing, and are not quite sure what The Birds Of Prey is, I suggest you visit the Amtgard website first. Once you know what Amtgard is, what I am about to say will make perfect sense. The Birds Of Prey is an Amtgard fighting company, mercenary guild, and household, all in one. Our purpose is to protect and serve our homeland, which is known as The Kingdom Of The Wetlands. We are a group of dedicated souls, whose ranks include warriors, mages, healers, monks, and more. We stand for honor and excellence in all endeavors. So without further adieu, I present to you a brief history and structural outline of The Birds Of Prey:

Henceforth, from this 28th day of April, Nineteen Hundred And Ninety-Seven, and on, let it be known that the Amtgard mercenary guild, household, and fighting company known as The Birds Of Prey has officially and formally recognized its members of origin; all those deemed to be members of origin have the honor of being among the first to ever wear our colors and to bear our standard onto the field of honor. Be it known that these members shall always hold with us a position of honor, respect, and good will. The members of origin consist of three groups: The first of these being known as The Founding Fathers, the second of these being known as Origin Craftsmen, and the third being known as The First Brood.

The Founding Fathers:

Tellerian Hawke Aloysius Von Hildebrandt Jerrin DeMorg

The Origin Craftsmen:

Jade Barritus: Creator of our first tunics and belt favors Phalan Von Hildebrandt: Creator of the Shield of Honor

The First Brood:

Taris Tressalon A'Liss Dracon Razual Sativa Hanzu The Assassin Kearden McNeil Kwi'Chang

All members of The First Brood shall hold the rank: Initiate of the Raven.

THE MODERN DAY BIRDS OF PREY:

Well, first of all, we've gotten a lot bigger since those early days. Despite the fact that some of our "Origin Members" have gone on to pursue other interests, we have never failed to march onwards. Always in our mind, is our commitment to honor and excellence in all endeavors. And with each passing day, that commitment has grown stronger. And our commitment is not the only thing that has grown, either. Our membership has grown as well, and continues to do so. As a result of our rapid growth, the rank system within our guild has become more divirsified. The old rank system of nine ranks has been replaced with a new system consisting of 18 ranks in all, including two honorary ranks.

Our Modern Day Charter:

Preamble:

   From the ashes of what once was, it is sometimes necessary to begin anew, to build something stronger that that which came before it, something new that will stand the test of time, and prevail where the old did not. This then, is the phoenix rising; this is the beginning of that new thing. This is the reformation of The Birds Of Prey; and this time, our claws are bathed in flames, the flames of strength and longevity, the flames of a bird who will not die so easily the second time around. A bird who has forged an alliance with the fire, and fears it no more. 
   

Article One: Powers Of The Charter

   This charter shall be effective on Friday, September 11, 1998 @ 11:59 PM. This charter is binding to all Birds Of Prey members, and is the supreme law of The Birds Of Prey, even over the authority and judgement of The Grand Order Of The Osprey. (Hereafter referred to as “The Osprey” for the sake of brevity.) The first three articles of this charter can never be changed in any way. This is to ensure that the principles upon which The Birds Of Prey was founded are never tainted or swayed. 
   

Article Two: Leadership

   The Birds Of Prey shall be led by The Osprey, whose word on any matter is final, with the exception of the first three articles of this charter, which shall take precedence. The Osprey does not have the power to change or challenge the first three articles of this charter in any way whatsoever. However, articles four and higher are subject to modification, creation, or deletion by The Osprey. The first Osprey of the newly reformed Birds Of Prey shall be Tellerian Hawke. His commission shall begin Saturday, September 12, 1998 @ 1:00 PM. All holders of the title of Osprey hold this position for life, which includes actual “real world” death, as well as persona death as recognized by the officially sanctioned rules of Amtgard. Upon the death (either real or persona) of The Osprey, then the person pre-designated by him to be his replacement shall be promoted to the rank of Osprey. By pre-designation, it is meant that The Osprey must document his replacement selection on paper, in front of at least two witnesses who are Birds Of Prey members in good standing, and all three persons (The Osprey and the two witnesses) must sign that document. If no such person was ever pre-designated, or if written proof of this designation cannot be produced within 3 days of The Osprey’s death, then the Birds Of Prey member who holds the highest rank at that time shall assume the mantle of Osprey. If there exists more than one person of this highest rank, then the choice between them shall be left up to a guild-wide general vote. This vote requires the presence of 66% (2/3) of the total membership of The Birds Of Prey in order to be considered official. The winner must have a 2/3 (66%) majority vote from all members that show up to vote. The vote must be conducted openly, by a show of hands either for or against each given candidate, and the result must then be documented on paper and signed by all those members who voted.

   The Osprey can also choose to voluntarily retire, at which time he must name and document his replacement in the manner described above. When an Osprey retires, he is granted the honorary title of Grand Order Of The Elder Eagle. (Hereafter referred to as “The Elder” for the sake of brevity.) The Elder has no authority or decision-making powers of any kind, except those granted to him by this paragraph of the charter. The Elder remains a Bird Of Prey member for life, or until such time as he sees fit to resign his membership in The Birds Of Prey voluntarily. Death, and voluntary resignation are the only two ways in which The Elder can lose his membership in The Birds Of Prey. The Osprey does not have the power to revoke the membership of an Elder. If the Elder in question is guilty of a crime against any section of this charter, The Osprey may choose to prescribe any punishment that he sees fit, as long as such punishment does not involve the revocation of The Elder’s membership. The Osprey does have the power to suspend an Elder’s membership for a period of up to six months for serious (treasonous) offenses. Note that The Osprey cannot prescribe two or more consecutive six month suspensions for the same offense, although he may suscribe up to one six month period for each separate treasonous offense. Treason is defined as deliberate and malicious acts made by any Birds Of Prey member, which seek to undermine, corrupt, destroy, or otherwise harm our organization.

   The Osprey shall preside over all Birds Of Prey decision-making processes, and his judgement in these matters shall be final, with of course, the exception of contradiction of said decision by the first three articles of this charter. The Osprey has it within his power to allow the guild to vote on a given issue; it is also within his power to veto any such decision that is the result of such a vote, if he so chooses. The Osprey is not required in any way to attain member consent before making a given decision on any given matter. If he does seek member consent, it is his choice to do so, and his choice alone. 
   

Article Three: Organizational Structure

   The official home and place of origin for The Birds Of Prey shall be The Barony Of Ravenswood. (Jasper, TX.) The Birds Of Prey is an Amtgard organization. The purpose of The Birds Of Prey is as follows:  

1 In the capacity of an Amtgard Fighting Company, to defend The Kingdom Of The Wetlands from those without honor. The Birds Of Prey is loyal to The Wetlands and its

       king, come what may. 

2 In the capacity of an Amtgard Household, to promote roleplaying in Amtgard. 3 In the capacity of an Amtgard Mercenary Guild, to help other Wetlands based fighting companies in time of need, in order to ensure the safety of The Wetlands against

       foriegn agressors. (i.e. other Amtgard kingdoms)

   The Birds Of Prey shall therefore be considered to be An Amtgard-Based Household, Mercenary Guild, & Fighting Company, all in one. The code of honor of The Birds Of Prey is as follows: 
 

1 Meet honor with honor; Meet injustice with retribution. 2 Those without honor deserve no mercy, and even less respect. Return injustice upon the enemy threefold, so that he will come to

        fear our wrath. 

3 The honorable opponent is to be shown Honor, Respect, and Chivalry, and when necessary, Mercy; for by having the courage

        to act with Honor, he has earned these things in return from us. 

4 If a Birds Of Prey member feels that a given action he is undertaking is wrong, for whatever reason, he should not do it. To go

        against one’s own morals is to embrace cowardice; It requires courage to do the right thing. 

5 Birds Of Prey members should always stand with The Wetlands in multi-kingdom events, and should put aside petty differences

        until the event has been settled. Our loyalty to The Wetlands takes precedence over all other considerations.

Article Four: The Guild Law Arcanum

   The rank system and guild law edicts from the old Birds Of Prey shall be allowed to stand, except in those cases where they conflict with the provisions of this charter, or conflict with the wishes of The Osprey, who has the power to change and / or modify the rank system and guild law edicts when and how he sees fit. Ranks shall no longer carry voting power, since this charter clearly states in Article Two that The Osprey shall preside over the decision-making process. New guild law edicts effective with the enactment of this charter are as follows: 

1 All former Birds Of Prey members who wish to retain their membership in our organization are welcome to do so. 2 The Birds Of Prey hereby recognizes House Barritus and The Saracens as official allies. 3 The Birds Of Prey chapter in The Vieled Falls shall function as a separate and independent entity, and is responsible for its own actions.

       All present and future Guild Law Edicts shall be listed under Article Four of this charter. This concludes the new charter of the reformed Birds Of Prey. 

Guild Level Entitlement

   In The Birds Of Prey, one of the most prestigious awards that a member can receive is guild level entitlement. There is only one title available in The Birds Of Prey. This is the title of GUILD DEFENDER. It is awarded to those few members who stand apart from the rest, those members who set the standard for other Birds Of Prey to follow. These members exemplify what it truly means to be a Bird Of Prey. They are our ambassadors, for they truly represent our guild and all of its ideals.

   The title of Guild Defender is accompanied by a patch which the member wears on a special belt favor. The patch, which is pictured below, is based on the Army's ROTC patch, because like an ROTC trainee, Guild Defenders are those who demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities. The ROTC patch is also shown, for comparison, to the left of the Guild Defender patch.

   On the Army ROTC patch, the lamp stands for the pursuit of knowledge, and higher learning; The helm is symbolic of the ancient concept of the warrior scholar; and the sword is a symbol of courage, gallantry, and self-sacrifice which is intrinsic to the profession of arms.

   On the Guild Defender patch, the hawk's head stands for the member's loyalty and adherence to our code of honor. The Wetlands standard embodies the guild's undying loyalty to The Kingdom Of The Wetlands and the ideals upon which it was founded. The sword is symbolic of our vigilance, to both protect and to serve, no matter how high the sacrifice. It also represents our unyielding desire for justice and fairness. 
 
 

Current Recipients Of Guild Defender Title

Draxx Styx (On 11-10-98)

Company

In the capacity of an Amtgard Fighting Company the Birds of Prey are to Defend the Kingdom they call home from those without Honour. The Members are loyal to their Kingdom, and it's King, come what may.

Household

In the capacity of an Amtgard Household, we try to promote roleplaying both on and off the battlefields of Amtgard.

Guild

In the capacity of an Amtgard Mercenary Guild, We are to help our home Kingdoms from foreign aggressors in times of great need, even if it places us against our own.

Birds of Prey Code of Honour

1: Meet Honour with Honour; Meet injustice with retribution. 2: Those without honour deserve no mercy, and even less respect. Return injustice upon the enemy threefold, so that he will come to fear our wrath. 3: The Honourable opponent is to be shown Honour, Respect, and Chivalry, and when necessary, Mercy; for by having the courage to act with Honor, he or she has earned these things in return from us. 4: If a Birds Of Prey member feels that a given action they are about to undertaking is wrong, for whatever reason, they should not do it. To go against one's own morals is to embrace cowardice; It requires courage to do the right thing. 5: Birds of Prey should always stand by their home Kingdom in Mult-kingdom events, and should put aside petty differences until the event has been settled. Our loyalty is to the Kingdoms we call home, and it takes precedence over all other considerations.

Please note all members listed above are no longer active with in the Birds of Prey. They are listed as its Founding and starting members only for a Brief History and out of respect for what they created that still fields the field of battle to this day.

Affiliated Groups

The chapter of Ravenswood.

Members

Corpse - Ebon Shirke
Deathwind Grail - CK Osprey - Senior Full Grade Veteran Officer
Estalla Marie Forsaken - Ebon Shirke
Farris - Spirit Hawk
Lord Erin Forsaken - Ebon Hawk
Lyrianna - Ebon Raven
MiQitt - Household - Shirke
Momma Lizard Grail - Household - Crimson Eagle - Middle Grade Full Bird Officer
Pixy - Fire Hawk
Ruby - Crimson Shirke
Swiper - Ebon Eagle - Middle Grade Full Bird Officer
Teegra - Shirke
Tellerian Hawke - WL Osprey - Senior Full Grade Veteran Officer
Thore - Shirke
Watson Foehammer Forsaken - Ebon Raven
Gale Ortega - Household - Shrike

Founding members

The founding members were Tellerian Hawke, Aloysius Von Hildebrandt, and Jerrin Demorg and are known to us as the Founding Fathers.

The Origin Craftsmen are Jade Barritus, for the 1st Tunics and Belt Favors, and Phalan Von Hildebrandt for the Shield of Honor.

The First Brood is Taris Tressalon, A'Liss Dracon, Razual Sativa, Hanzu the Assassin, Kearden McNeil, and Kwi'Chang

Notable Accomplishments

Additional Images

• Link to image 1
• Link to image 2

More Information

• Company Website
• Contact [mailto:"your email" "Your Name"] for more information.

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• ORK