King's Citadel

The King's Citadel
Basic Information
Base ofoperations	The Citadel (Wroat, Breland)
Leader(s)	Lord Kor ir'Wynarn
Founded	During the Last War

The King's Citadel is the highest law enforcement and paramilitary organization in Breland. In Sharn, they are called upon when a case is too big for the Watch to handle, especially if the case concerns espionage or national security. The Citadel directly serves Boranel ir'Wynarn through Boranel's younger brother Kor, who commands five captains for each of the five branches. The Citadel is explicitly a separate chain of command from the army, giving Boranel a much greater degree of control and discretion.

The ECS and ECG say that the King's Citadel was founded during the Last War, but Keith has said "that the King's Citadel isn't just the intelligence service of Breland. Back in the day, the Citadel was the intelligence service of GALIFAR," and that it represents Breland's role as the "Rogue" of the five nations. The Citadel is a national strength of Breland, similar to the Arcane Congress for Aundair, Rekkenmark Academy for Karrnath, and Flamekeep for Thrane.

Branches

The King's Swords

The King's Swords are a paramilitary group that executes on public missions within and outside of Breland. They are led by Captain Ellanar (LG female half-elf paladin).

Real World Comparison (User Content)

As a paramilitary organization, the Swords can be best described in terms of the United States' Navy Seals and FBI. Inside Breland they are a national-level law enforcement agency like the FBI, but outside they are closer to the Navy Seals or other special forces.

The King's Shields

The King's Shields are charged with ensuring the personal security of members of the government. They are led by Captain Sortan (LG male human paladin)

The King's Wands

The King's Wands provide magical support for the other branches of the Citadel. They are led by Captain Nebik (NG male gnome wizard).

The King's Dark Lanterns

The Dark Lanterns serve the crown of Breland as the intelligence branch. They are led by Captain Vron (LN male changeling rogue). As the secret servants of the crown, members of the organization are granted the authority to conduct intelligence operations on foreign soil, execute covert missions across the globe, and prevent national secrets from falling into the hands of rival intelligence agencies. The Dark Lanterns also have the unwritten authority to eliminate any creature that threatens their nation, its sovereign, or its citizens. Once inducted into the Dark Lanterns, an agent is expected to serve until their death - While an agent may retire, the crown can recall them at any time.

Secretive Status (Conflicting Canon)

The ECS simply states that the King's Dark Lanterns is the intelligence branch of the King's Citadel. Five Nations, the first book to detail the Citadel, calls them "one of two secret divisions operating under the auspices of the Citadel", but then later says that "the common citizens of Breland respect and fear the King's Dark Lanterns" and that "Brelish youth searching for adventure... dream of becoming Dark Lanterns when they grow up". The ECG labels knowing about the citadel a DC 20 Streetwise check, and later states that "few outside the Citadel know they exist". Keith, in comments has said that "[he] see[s] the Dark Lanterns as a known agency: the details of their operations aren't made public, their identities of covert agents are preserved, but it's a known branch of the Citadel."

The King's Shadows

The King's Shadows are an extra secretive division of the King's Citadel, only used for missions that must be kept as far from the government as possible. They are led by Captain Terra (CG female human ranger). Only the most seasoned, trusted, and elite agents are given the chance to join the Shadows.

Existence (Conflicting Canon)

The King's Shadows were not mentioned in the description of the King's Citadel when the ECS lists out the branches. Keith has suggested that "One option is to make it a subdivision of the Dark Lanterns -- the most elite agents. however, I'd probably be inclined to focus on the idea that they are truly disavowable, more along the lines of Mission: Impossible than CIA...While I could see the Shadows as being urban legend, used for jobs they can't afford to have traced back. I'd say that House Tarkanan began under the auspices of the King's Shadows."

Sources

• Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
• James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
• Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan, and Christopher Perkins (2005). Five Nations. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3690-8.
• Baker, Keith. "Dragonmarks: Spies, Heraldry, and a Lightning Round" http://keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-spies-heraldry-and-a-lightning-round/. 2014