Knights of the Emerald Order

Masters of sword craft, and honed since childhood to fight off those that would misuse magic, Knights of the Emerald Order spend a lifetime improving themselves in the art of combat. Under the mentality that one must use an enemies’ own power against them, Knights of the Emerald Order train themselves to use select spells with the specific goal of inhibiting rouge spell casters. Knights also train their bodies to resist the influence and power of magic over them, leading them to be the premier force in the fight against such things. The Order is directly beneath the supervision of the crown, and exists as a separate, though largely autonomous, branch of the Valinovan military.
== History ==
=== The Ascendency Triad ===
In 184 R.A., not long after the founding of Valinova, a group of wizards known as The Ascendency Triad sought to gain power and control over the city. Their leader, a woman named Ranai Xherian, was a powerful caster and scholar of the arcane arts. The triad was completed by her daughter, Loria, and her son Jorcet. With the belief that those of magical aptitude deserved to rule over those without it, the triad began to gather forces and plot in secret. On the fated night, the triad conducted various rituals throughout the fledgling city to open up rifts between planes and bring forth abominable creatures under their command. With their small army, The Ascendency Triad marched through the city streets and towards the castle, devastating everything in their path along the way. Ranai and her children were nearly successful, getting as far as the insides of the castle. That was, until a young crownsguard by the name of Artor Domrus successfully ended the life of Jorcet Xherian in combat. This released the creatures from his control, which lashed out at everything around them: including the forces of Ranai and Loria. Chaos ensued, and the remnants of The Ascendency had to flee the battlefield, the day lost. On her way out, Ranai swore to get her vengeance on the city of Valinova and not only promised to bring it to ruin, but also that she would revive her lost son by any means necessary.
=== Founding ===
In the aftermath of the battle, Artor Domrus was lauded as a hero, receiving the highest of accommodations possible. This included a full set of ceremonial armor crafted of pure emerald, the crown jewel of the Novasar royal family. With his newfound status, Artor was given direct command of a division of soldiers to train and mold as he saw fit. Following The Ascendency Triad's defeat, Artor discovered the Xherian's library, which was filled wall to wall with magical text. In a bid to prevent anything like the destruction brought on by Ranai and her lot again, Artor dedicated himself and his troops to studying the arcane; not to gain power from it, but to better understand how to defeat it. After a time, Artor determined that the best method to defeat spellcasters was to learn magic himself. Through self study, he began to unravel the secrets of the spells hidden in the library and then passed that knowledge onto those under his command. Knowing that the dangers of equipping so many soldiers with the means of magic was, in part, counterproductive to the goals he wished to achieve, Artor set strict limits on the types of spells he was willing to impart. Magics that could cause direct harm, summon creatures, or control people against their will were seen as heretical to the cause and strictly prohibited. After a time, Artor and his forces became somewhat formidable anti-mages, and King Alphus Novasar saw fit to create a division in his military directly dedicated to the task. The group decided to call themselves the Emerald Knights, named after the armor their leader wore.
=== The Ascendency Returns ===
In 196 R.A., twelve years after the attack by The Ascendency Triad, word spread that a witch and her daughter were living in the forests just a few days outside of Valinova. Worried by this news, Artor and a few of his knights journeyed beyond the city's walls to investigate. What he didn't know, however, was that this was a trap. Weeks went by, and the group did not return. Afraid of what might be coming, the remaining Knights, led by Knight Commander Jao Larro, gathered all in their rank to ride out and, hopefully, rescue their leader. What they found was that the triad had been rebuilt, now with Artor Domrus in its midst. Corrupted by his quick rise to power, both stately and in the magics he possessed, Artor struck a deal with Ranai to spare his life and gain abilities of greater heights. This new triad held even higher ambitions, looking far past the crown of Valinova and into the heavens themselves. In their avarice the three of them sought to tear open the walls between them and the gods, taking their place amongst them. The ritual they performed was well underway by the time Jao arrived, and the forest had already begun to show signs of stress and corruption from the powers that emanated form the Triad's fierce arcane weavings. However, despite his personal failings, Artor succeeded in creating a force strong in defeating magical practitioners, and Jao and the other Emerald Knights were triumphant in their battle against the Triad. In this conflict, both Artor and Ranai were slain, and Loria Xherian was captured and brought back to Valinova for trial.
=== A New Age ===
With the betrayal and death of Artor Domrus, the status of the Emerald Knights was in question. Still, their value was proven in the fight against the Ascendency Triad, and King Alphus Novasar ultimately decided to not only continue training soldiers in the ways of anti-magic, but to designate them as their own order under his direct command. Jao Larro was given the title of Grand Master, and the knights became known as Knights of the Emerald Order. Jao began to organize the Order and led them towards a time of growth and stability. She elected eight Knight Commanders to lead the troops, and subsequently began recruiting orphans and children from the streets to learn the Order's ways and bolster their forces. So that nobody was able to learn the secrets that corrupted Artor, she burned down the Xherian library and destroyed all of the knowledge housed within. Under her leadership, the Order became more focused and dogmatic, a distaste for all things arcane—including practitioners of magic—forming a core set of tenants that would be passed down into the current day.
== Hierarchy ==
The Grand Master: The highest rank within the confines of the Emerald Order, The Grand Master is second only to the Empress in relation to the Order and its responsibilities. Customarily appointed as a member of the Empresses Royal Guard, The Grand Master holds a large amount of sway within the city.
Knight Commander: In charge of one of the eight chapters within the Emerald Order, only the most devout and honorable members of the brotherhood reach the rank of Knight Commander. While not all that different from each other, each chapter is unique and excels in different aspects of which the Knight Commander is the authority.
Justiciar: Acting as advisors, guards, and even friends of a Knight Commander, there is no limit to the number of Justiciars that a chapter can have. The rank is given to a member of the Order by a Knight Commander personally and can mean different things within different chapters. While some Knight Commanders have entire councils of Justiciars some prefer of give the rank to an individual member of their chapter.
Banneret: Almost entirely identical to a typical Knight of the Emerald Order, the only difference is the Banneret's ability to take on an Apprentice. The relationship between a Banneret and their Apprentice can be seen as paternal. With the amount of time a Banneret spends with their Apprentice, it’s no wonder they often deeply care for those they train. Often times senior members of the Order, Bannerets are usually in charge when no other high ranking member of the Order is present.
Knight: Knights make up the majority of the Emerald Order's forces. Trained their whole lives to hone their martial prowess, Knights of the Emerald Order are some of the most competent warriors within the city. Supplementing their skills with the same arcane abilities of the casters they train to combat, the training process of these Knights are long and arduous.
Apprentice: Not technically a Knight of the Emerald Order just yet, Apprentices are given to a Banneret at the age of thirteen to begin the more advanced courses of their training. While still attending classes held by the Second Chapter to continue honing their spell casting, all other aspects of their training become the responsibility of their Banneret. While the typical age for an Apprentice to enter knighthood is around eighteen, it is up to the Banneret's discretion to grant such an honor.
Aspirant: Less a rank and more a designation, children too young to become an Apprentice are called Aspirants. Many of the Order's members are taken in as babies or very young children, where various Knights, Apprentices, and tangentially affiliated caregivers train and raise them to one day enter the ranks. Only the most promising Aspirants are given the opportunity to become an Apprentice, while the rest typical join as members of the city guard or military. 
== Chapters ==
Coming Soon.