The Blademasters

From BelegarthWiki

The Blademasters

Symbol of the Blademasters

Blademasters

Blademasters are the pinnacle of red sword mastery and technique. Each has a defined style of fighting and has desire and drive to grow red sword skill and safety throughout the community. Each blademaster is adorned with a red half cape with the blademaster symbol on it.
The Blademasters were established in March 2016 with the original six masters, Dozer, Evias, Exo, Aradin, Ragefire, and Dac. Later in December 2018, these masters decided to grandfather Feyne and Malkin as blademasters. Each founded their own houses and distinct fighting styles.
The first set of Apprentices to ascend to Blademasterhood were Luster, Bolvar, Datsun in November of 2022, followed shortly after by Fox in March of 2023. The most recent ascension was Syr Talon in November 2025.
Once an Apprentice ascends to masterhood, they may choose to pass on the knowledge of the house they trained under or create their own house that embodies their fighting style and mind.
As of December 2025, there are 12 Blademaster Houses that specialize in a specific style of fighting and mindset. Blademasters have apprentices whom they teach, guide and grow on their path to blademastership.

Updated November 2025

Apprentices

These are individuals who have a drive for fighting with great sword(Red sword) and want to walk the path to become a Blademaster. Every apprentice’s journey to red sword prowess is different. Each master may have other requirements, but they all expect apprentices to exhibit the will of a red fighter and have red be their main fighting style.
All apprentices are given a shackle, or physical object with the house symbol, to show their apprenticeship.
Each apprentice will be required to take the standard four blademaster trials in order regardless of house or master. Each master may take it upon themselves to require additional house trials or tasks of the apprentice. These trials may be of combat, crafting, or teaching.
If you are interested in apprenticeship, it is recommended to reach out to current blademasters and apprentices; fight with them, ask questions, start creating relationships, and express that you want to be an apprentice. It is very important to find a blademaster who you can learn from and create that relationship; they all have different fighting styles and different personalities. There is no distance requirement for apprentices and masters, some of the current mentorships are 500-1000 miles away.
Feel free to reach out to any of the Blademasters or Apprentices if you have any questions!

Blademaster Houses

The Iron Grin

Symbol of The Iron Grin~Artist Raphael Mervailles

Lineage:

Only through hard work and dedication can one seek to find solace in the path of the Iron Grin. The techniques of this house involve impeccable defense mixed with tight blade work, subtle dodges, and fluid footwork to maximize efficiency in dispatching opponents. The defensive orientation of this style allows it to prey on openings caused by the enemy’s frustration and mental fatigue.

All practitioners are expected to be flawless in the execution of basic and high level defense. Through this hard work and diligence one can expect to be able to grin at any encounter, while reacting with iron prowess.

House of the Smoking Mirror

Symbol of House of the Smoking Mirror

Lineage:

  • Blademaster Evias (March 2016)
    • Blademaster Bolvar (November 2022)
      • Apprentice Drexis
      • Apprentice Torben
      • Apprentice Rouke
    • Apprentice DC
    • Apprentice Sir Zuloo
    • Apprentice Sir Bran

Through fluidity of thought, those of the Smoking Mirror are able to harness the power of the impossible.

Practitioners of the Smoking Mirror embrace deception, mental domination, and physical disruption as their primary offensive tools. They are keen tricksters, for whom the battlefield is a playground. These blademasters view each encounter as a blank canvas - an opportunity for delightful creativity. Harnessing unimaginable angles, users of this style aim to end opponents with their first strike. Those who walk along the mirror's edge have distilled feints into their purest forms, garnishing their venomous subtlety with dramatic spins and powerful one-handed swings. Masters of the Smoking Mirror rarely fail in leaving their foes astonished and their onlookers beguiled.

The House of the Smoking Mirror is closely linked to the Path of the Impossible Dawn. They share roots that go back to before the Bloodsong Dynasty, the original Master having been swordbrother to the Golden Lion.

The Path of the Impossible Dawn

Lineage:

  • Blademaster Exo Bladesong (March 2016)

It has been said,

"To walk the Impossible Dawn is to carry the sun upon your shoulders."

The Path of the Impossible Dawn is rooted in battlefield control, morale manipulation and swift surgical strikes. Dawnstriders move always with purpose, wielding their swagger like a finely-honed blade. They cloak themselves in fear and awe inspiring confidence, trusting in their sure hand-blocks and precise strikes to turn impossible scenarios into glorious victories. In this house the stab is exalted for its elegance and efficiency, the spin for its beauty and speed. Though adept duelists, Masters of the Dawn thrive in the chaos of the battlefield next to their brothers and sisters of war.

Followers of the Path believe that the mind is the greatest weapon and that the only limits in the world are perspective and will-power. They practice swordsmanship as both an art-form and a form of xinjiang, or exploration of one's essential nature. Meditation, mindfulness and self-mastery are key tenets of their creed. Rumors are that the highest masters practice powerful alchemical wizardry.

House of Dancing Thorns

Lineage:

  • Blademaster Aradin (March 2016)
    • Apprentice VornDraug
    • Apprentice Sir Bel
    • Apprentice Sir Daemon
    • Apprentice Nicko

“Accept the agonizing embrace of the Dancing Thorns and you shall wield the very might of the forest itself.” – Blademaster Aradin

Students who walk the path of the Dancing Thorn seek to slay opponents through grand flourishes, graceful feints, and overwhelming strikes. These warriors wield incredible hand speed, and thus are able to take full advantage of their arsenal of trick shots and feints.

At their core, they are a walking performance, and the battlefield is the audience. Each movement is meant to draw not only the eye of the enemy, but also the eyes of onlookers as well. As they begin to captivate the enemy with a showcase of deceptive footwork and feints, they unleash a lavish display of strikes meant to awe anyone who set eyes upon the battle. These warriors are to be masters of showmanship as well as technique, and thus rely heavily on balancing the swift strikes of the great-sword, and impeccable defense of the back-shield in order to stay alive and finish the final act. With beautiful spins, fancy footwork, and fast attacks, practitioners of the Dancing Thorn mesmerize enemies with their grand display, and quickly bow out with a tempest of steel.

Burning Juyo

Symbol of The Iron Grin~Artist Raphael Mervailles

Lineage:

Violent Art Towards a Beautiful Death.

Burning Juyo embodies overwhelming offense coupled with equal parts speed and power. Turning your opponents base instincts against them to aid in their own downfall. Advanced body mechanics and conservation of momentum are key elements of Burning Juyo. A practitioner will have confidence when fighting outnumbered and be an opportunist on the field of battle, turning the tides on the edge of their blade.

House Ataru

Lineage:

House Ataru is an excessively aggressive style in which the user wields their red with fantastic motion and fleeting speed to overwhelm their opponent. Recklessly pushing the foundations of footwork to the next level with an extreme reliance of balance, Ataru masters unconventional movement and body mechanics. The style pushes the limits of energy expenditure, reveling in the consumption of energy to give way to the most intense short bursts possible. In execution it is a colorful display of death, however inefficient it may be. As a result it is a deadly work of art, painting a picture of motions impossible to read or understand when paired with maximum speed. The flurry and acrobatic motions of the style specialize on single target combat and skirmishing with shorter reds.

House Death's Grasp

Symbol of House Death's Grasp

Lineage:

The House of Death's Grasp gives you nothing but an engulfing black curtain of consternation, smiting any adversary that may rise in opposition.

With a calm demeanor and seemingly effortless but direct tactic, members of this house command respect on the battlefield. Never forget that beyond this, at their disposal on a moment’s notice, lies an overwhelming force of strength and address.

With a will of fire, these masters are driven by Victory, Glory, and Honor.

Once this house has a hold on you, Death's Grip does not let go.

House of the Icy River

Lineage:

  • Blademaster Archduke Malkin (December 2018)

A mighty, moving, wall of ice & water; taking out any target in its path. The wise fear it and smartly stand clear, the unwise challenge it and are summarily removed; the Icy River presses on...

This Great Sword practice places a heavy emphasis on solid footwork; keeping the artist steady and ready to strike at all times. A river does not falter; no matter its twist, no matter its turns.

Avoiding an attack is stressed, over blocking. Water flows away from what would strike it and strikes what would stand against it.

We practice our strikes with, both, mind & body; flowing, together, as one. Water & Ice are most devastating whilst flowing, together, as one.

It is a vital precept, of this House, to continually press against those who may appear stronger. We stress seeking out possible (even probable) losses, in order to (eventually) overcome *all* opponents. Water endures all obstacles; fells the mightiest oak and wears the hardest stone.

The Archduke & Grand-master of this house has studied great sword combat for over 25 years. He continues to grow his understanding of Martial Arts; traveling far and wide, with his renowned Holy Blade "Waterfall" continuing, still, to teach, learn, and compete.

House of the Silver Eclipse

Symbol of The Silver Eclispe~Artist Kida of Kotos

Lineage:

In the quiet before the storm, in the shadow before the strike, there lies the path of the Silver Eclipse. We are the guardians of balance, mastering the art of defense until the perfect moment to unleash devastation. Like the moon eclipsing the sun, we wait in measured stillness, absorbing the force of our foes, only to respond with an overwhelming tide of power. Ours is a school for those who seek precision over recklessness, patience over fury, and victory through control. We teach our students to become the unbreakable shield and the unstoppable blade, to read the battlefield as a master reads the stars, and to strike with the force of a celestial tempest.

Those who walk the path of the Silver Eclipse do not fight with blind aggression but with the wisdom to know when to hold back and when to let loose. If you seek mastery in both restraint and ferocity, then step into the stars and claim your place among us.

The Raging Storm

Symbol of The Raging Storm~Artist Raphael Mervailles

Lineage:

TBD

Visceral Distortion

TBD

The Path on Twilight's Edge

This technique was created in Dur Demarion and refined in the fires of the Burning Juyo. To travel on this path is to take the power, passion and blazing heat of the Sun and direct it with the wisdom, cunning, and chill calm of the Moon. Our way is to seek ever expanding knowledge. No situation unknown, no strategy unforeseen. With this insight those who walk, dance, and balance on Twilight's Edge will display paradoxical skill adapting at a moment's notice with the tools necessary to overcome adversity. Be it powerful precision, overwhelming swiftness, superior skill, or any number of unorthodox tactics we seek to use our knowledge to evolve so that we are ready to achieve any goal and continue forward. The sky is no limit when one can see the stars. We are night and day at the same time. Both infinity and zero. For even mastery is only a step in The Path on Twilight's Edge.

Blademaster Apprentice Trials

Updated June 2024 - Graphic by Flynnt

These are the standard apprentice trials as of June 2024.

Trial of Blood

Blood on the Field: The apprentice must slay 100 warriors on the field within one day of field fighting. The apprentice must only use a 65 inch red or less and may use a backshield and helmet.
The Sanguine Pit: The apprentice must win 100 duels.

Trial of Determination

The apprentice must claim 25 kills within 10 minutes. Opponents stand in line, cycling in each round. Open to all combatants but skill level will be considered. No armor for apprentice or opponents. Opponents may use any non-ranged weapon combination. Minimum combat pool of 10. The apprentice must only use a 65 inch red or less.

Trial of Prowess

This trial will be done with 2 apprentices of different houses if available. The apprentice will fight in a 2v5 against other members of peerage or renowned fighters. The apprentices have 30 minutes to win twice. Any red weapons and shields are allowed by apprentices but the opponents will be geared accordingly. The apprentice will not be allowed to wear armor.

Trial of Masters

The apprentice must face all present Blademasters in a climactic series of duels. The Trial of Masters must be performed at a designated Blademaster gathering. The apprentice stands circled by Blademasters in a public spectacle. As each Blademaster is killed, another steps in to cross blades with the apprentice. This process repeats until the Blademasters have had their fill. The apprentice's worthiness is judged by the blade. If the hosting Blademaster is satisfied, the apprentice ascends.

  • All Blademasters have the right and responsibility to make any or all trials harder at their own discretion for their apprentice.

Resources

The Edge of Greatness | A Blademaster Panel – Geddon 2025

  • (Need to Link)

Known Recorded Blademaster Trials Playlist – Updated by Blademaster Fox & Vanica Ebon

  • (Need to Link)

Original House Document – Updated by Syr Talon

Brotherhood of the Red

Official Belegarth Discord; #blademasters-and-apprentices

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