The Iconoclast Knights of Maiöna

The Iconoclast Knights of Maiöna (Euluska: Valjaharanoäthin ka Maiöna) were, in their core ideal, a group of ordinary people dedicated to protecting the innocent from errant mages, wild monsters, and supernatural intrusions. Throughout history, they existed in countless forms, reforming and dissolving as the need for them arose. They were vigilantes, existing outside of the law, and often kept their existence hidden. They were notable among Indrateran organisations for encouraging the use of magic to fight magic.
 I previously used the name Harpers for them, which appears elsewhere on this wiki, but it's outdated.
== Core Tenets ==
The Iconoclasts stood by core tenets:
* Combat the unnatural. They strived to stop undead, devils, cults, monsters, and errant mages
* Protect and cherish life. Their main aim was to ensure no common innocent person was harmed
* Fight evil with knowledge. To best defeat their enemies, they should study magic, history, and science
== Occurrence ==
Sometimes, the world would go years without the Iconoclasts. Other times, during strife or hardship, they would pop up in various cities or towns, recruiting members to help protect their local area. There was no centralised Iconoclast leadership - instead, chapters would be formed and reformed whenever there was need for them. Sometimes they would be remade by those seeking to dust off old legends, after someone finding ancient texts or books, or in order to save their hometown from adversity. Their origins were unclear, but from their name it's likely that they were formed some time around the 1000s by Euluskans. 
== Training and Methods ==
=== The Three Ways ===
Many of the Iconoclasts trained in one of the three traditional Ways, which were disciplines of both martial, magical, AND academic study. 
* Skolth - "the way of the shark" - were knights, paladins, warriors and cavaliers. They sought to crush oppression and never let evil gain a foothold. The strongest defence was a swift and decisive offence.
* Luvi - "the way of the coyote" - were hunters, trackers and rangers. They studied the landscape and the knowledge of their prey. They trained in shooting and archery too. They believed that to know thy enemy was to already have won half the battle.
* Inari - "the way of the crow" - were leaders, preachers and academics. They trained in clerical or bardic arts, healing, information, politics, and history. They believed the strongest weapon was words.
Recruitment was often secretive. Sometimes, exemplar applicants to a City Guardia or Watch would be taken aside and offered special training, or a notable bounty hunter would be contacted with a proposition. This was then followed by a study of two or more years, undergoing various Training Courses.
== Notable Iconoclasts ==
Since the mid-1400s, the Grand Masters of the largest worldwide chapter at any given time was often one of the Salmastrien clan, a family of warrior-sages from Maztriäku Isle in the Horn.
* In Bracken during the 1490 Battle of Bracken, the sisters Canzaphyn & Felyndiira Salmastrien tried (and failed) to stop a faction from summoning a great extraterrestrial monster
* Another ill-fated harper in the 1510s was Layla Knifsdottir, who tried to hunt down the young Heinrich in Eðnir, but was killed in the inn.
* Grand Master Luth Salmastrien, Magister Svinne Fors and Captain Vaurok Shortass took an interest in the events following the 1567 murder of Henri Anžir, because his electric machine threatened to open a planar portal that could bring forth monsters. Luth gave his life, killed by the fascist Dr. Iraeus.
* In the Fallo in the 1570s, Zasenna Salmastrien and Elisabeth Arbalist worked to stop Malak and the Moor Riders from gaining mastery over the undead and over blood magic.
== Notable Chapters ==
* In Datria in the 1100s, they helped to liberate the city during Dead Man's Siege.
* In Bracken in the late 1480s, they masqueraded as the King's Guard in 1490 when Kellen Brownwater became King Altor Mazander.
* In Felonil at the turn of the 1500s, they helped maintain order in the unrest before the 1502-1504 Riots.
* In Rakkimar in the 1500s, they helped protect towns from monsters
* In Bracken and Kol Darim later on, in the first decade or two of the 1500s they helped intercept dangerous beings on the mountains.
* In Felonil in the 1550s, they secretly controlled the gang known as The Moonstars. Their Grand Master here was Luth Salmastrien. They then emerged into the light by being appointed upon the Convocation Government. 
* After the Concovation was dissolved under the Lakayan Federation in 1560 and Felonil became Halcyon, the Iconoclasts worked in tandem with the Davison Detective Agency and the Internal Department of Extraordinary Affairs
* In the late 16th century, they collaborated heavily with the D.E.A.D..
* Both during the 15th and 16th centuries and in the Collapse Era, they had a training chapter at the Sedia Consortium of Military & Aeomance Academies
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