The Order of Adavarion

The Order of Adavarion is a military organization. Funded and governed by the Temple, the Order is prominently featured in the Unnamed Story. Its members are called the Knights of the Order, but are referred to colloquially as "Temple Knights," or simply "Knights."
Since its creation fifty years before the current timeline, the Order has been both one of the most powerful and one of the most controversial powers since the foundation of the Corvite Sentinelle, with more arrests, casualties in the line of duty, accusations of corruption, and documented executions performed than any other force in the Kyravellan history.
== History ==
In 1210PC, the magiborn population in Kyravelle was reaching an all-time high, threatening to overtake the mortal population. Crime, disasters and civilian casualties caused by in-fighting between those with the Gift and mortals, combined with the destruction caused by rampant misuse of magics, threatened not only tens of thousands of civilians, but kingdom-wide law and order itself. Though each city was equipped with a royally-funded guard, with patrols monitoring the local smaller settlements, the mortal soldiers were easily outmatched against anything more dangerous than a bandit or market thief. The Bariykatcha--predominately magiborn, being Alderan--was being summoned regularly to deal with magical conflicts across the country, a fact that left the royal family dangerously unprotected for long periods. In time, the newly-crowned king Tarrant tasked the Temple with finding a solution, as the study of magic and its prevalence had always been their arena.
The Temple's response was to issue a call to arms of the faithful, calling on soldiers, warrior priests, and any peasant able to prove his mettle, to join their newly-formed peacekeeping organization, equipped to handle any threat to order, no matter its size. The goal at first was to create a force able to moderate and enforce the laws where the standard guard could not, and if necessary, to suppress those threats that would not yield to the law. In time, this also included addressing the issue of the ever-growing Gifted population, particularly those whose powers were formidable.
Named for Adavarion, god of battle, judgment and protection, the first iteration of the Order was populated by those in the clergy with weapon skill, ranking officers of the guard, and even members of the royal military. The first order of business was to quash the in-fighting between the anarchist organizations. As neither group had ever faced the other, no one involved was prepared for the resulting battle. The result was a massacre that reduced both rebel groups to single numbers, and the unprepared knights from hundreds to five dozen. The fighting stopped, and the Temple took note. Man or mage, the guilty would respond to fear, and the innocent would be wary.
Recognizing the need for guidelines to govern both when their forces would be needed and what qualified as acceptable use of craft, the Temple introduced the Articles of Sorcery Regulation, a set of laws outlining the necessity of mage identification and registration, as well as the authority of the Order and of the Temple itself over these proceedings. Contained therein were what would be required of a mage to earn a license, proof of their right and ability to use their magic properly and with good intention, as well as the classifications and subsequent consequences of those who did not meet these requirements. The King approved the Articles, and they became the standard of magical law, cementing the role of the Order in Kyravellan society in the process.
=== Initial Criticism ===
As with any new group, the Order faced heavy scrutiny at the time of their establishment. Due to the hodgepodge mix of elements involved in its formation, the Temple faced accusations of employing only those with anti-magi sentiments, and of hiring criminals and mercenaries. To quash these rumors, the Temple instituted a strict screening program to verify the character of those who wore their colors, which rippled back into the Temple proper, both the priesthood and those in command. A training program was later instituted for prospective members, requiring those seeking knighthood to meet certain requirements of pedigree or education in order to qualify, to lower the chances of unsavory characters being recruited. Many of these standards still exist today.
The choice to refer to members of the order as "knights" was met with strict opposition by some members of the royal court, specifically those who held proper knighthoods courtesy of the king, who felt the use of the unearned title gave their men an undeserved sense of superiority. The Temple firmly denied any intended slander or implication, stating that the term was in use only to identify those members of the Order as separate entities from the royal military or city guard. Those referring to the men in question were encouraged to use phrases like "soldiers of the Order", but the term knight remained persistent, to the point of the distinction of Temple being enforced. With the rapid decline of royal knighthood, the debate soon became a non-issue.
=== Dissolution of the Bariykatcha ===
Perhaps one of the most long-reaching consequences of the newly-formed Order's creation was the resulting backlash from within the royal court, with the most violent reaction coming from the Bariykatcha, the King's Guard. As magic is not only genetically present in the Alderans, but a sacred part of their culture, the members of Bariykatcha and their leaders in Alderon took the formation of a mage-hunting army as a personal affront. The Temple pushed to have the Alderans included under the Articles of Sorcery Regulation, insisting that their standing diplomatic immunity should not apply due to the threat they represented. With mage registration and testing in the process of being introduced, the militant magiborn group warned that holding them to their guidelines would be considered a violation of the age-old Treaty of the Roses, and therefore an act of war against their ally.
The two groups went before the King and his Court, and several weeks were spent debating the points of each side. In the end, it was decided that the Temple could not force the Alderans to be registered, but the Alderans could not be allowed to remain at court as an unchecked magical force. The stalemate held for a solid month as they waited for the official response from the Alderans.
It arrived unexpectedly in the form of Matron Zerida Novera, leader of the Alderan tribes, in a rare appearance outside of her country. Though expected to deliver an ultimatum, she instead provided the tribe's decision: the Bariykatcha, age-old protectors of the Crown since the kingdom's first days, would exile itself from Kyravelle for as long as the Temple held jurisdiction over the magiborn. She calmly accused the clergy of racial and social terrorism, and swore that though the war precepts of the Treaty would hold, her people would not stand by the King with the eyes of the Temple on their backs.
Against the King's objections, the Bariykatcha's five hundred members left the court that day and returned to their country with the matron, leaving the royal family unguarded. The Temple was quick to offer its own men in place of the Royal Guard, but the King elected to select his new retinue from the military, and the remaining royal knights. Though he claimed this was to avoid weakening the Order so soon after its creation, it is widely believed that the matron's remarks had some effect on the decisions.
=== The Arcane Guard ===
It soon became apparent to both the Order and its creators that there were limitations to having a small number of highly-trained soldiers to deal with half the country's population. The time and resources required to dispatch men to address everything from rogue witch attacks to accusations of hexing between poor villagers was excessive. The Temple realized that their soldiers were best suited to larger and more dangerous conflict, but the city guards were on the whole poorly trained and had few resources. The answer was their own form of city guard--the Arcane Guard.
The Temple quickly gave purpose to the Kingdom's hereforeto untapped well of skilled warriors: retired soldiers, knight-hopefuls and highly skilled members of existing guard units rallied to the call, and quickly established themselves as a steadying presence. Combat trained and educated in the various types of magic and their restrictions, the Arcane Guard became the middle-ground between the guards and knights, mediating small disputes, supplying members of the Order along the road, manning outposts and checkpoints, and supporting both city forces and the Order in large-scale operations. Though lacking the authority of their betters, authorized only to detain or cite, the Arcane Guard nevertheless became an integral part of the Temple's machine, with many of its initial members going on to become chartered members of the Order.
Now a far-reaching institution with great influence both at home and abroad, the Order of Adavarion is a well-known military presence, boasting more than ten thousand seasoned warriors and three times as many guardsmen.
== Joining the Service ==
Due to the great power wielded by active members of the Order, the requirements for entry into the service are notoriously strict.
=== Requirements ===
A prospective knight-elect must be between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five years of age, male or female, in good health and physical shape, with an acceptable level of mental acuity, showing no sign of psychological defect. Some form of literacy is necessary, due to the level of study required by the Academy and the necessity of reading maps and orders. Exceptions exist for unique, high-ranking or highly qualified applicants.
In order to qualify for entry to the Academy, candidates must have one of the following:
* The valid commission of a parent as proof of Hereditary Right of Entry, applicable for retired, deceased, or honorably discharged members with exception
* Proof of squirehood to a current or past commissioned member of the Order, and sponsorship by their benefactor
* Proof of commendable service in a branch of the military or the guard, with a minimum of three references from established members of the Order, and a strong record of leadership skill
* Documented noble lineage with a history of Temple service, or royal military service and a sworn statement of devotion to the Temple
Those with Hereditary Right earn automatic admittance to the Academy, barring basic physical and mental examination. All others are required to complete entry tests, an interview with Order personnel, and to submit themselves to examination by both the Order and the Temple, to be certain of ability. All documents used to gain access to these proceedings are verified, and the records of any and all family members who have ever served are also examined to ensure valid Hereditary Right.
=== Exceptions ===
Rarely, members of the Arcane Guard are permitted to enter the Academy for knighthood, provided they are under the age of thirty. Applicants older than this with respectable records may be given access to the training, but are limited to instructive positions in the Order if accepted.
The children of former Order members who suffered involuntary discharge are not immediately barred from service, but have only partial Hereditary Right to admission, and are presented with further requirements.
* Children of parents discharged for mental dysfunction are subjected to more extensive psychological testing before consideration. Those found unfit for duty or under suspicion of mental disturbance are declined access to the Academy. If found with addressable issues, the applicant may be placed on probationary squirehood under a current member, in order to judge their readiness for service.
* Children of parents discharged dishonorably are still eligible for consideration, but are required to qualify through squirehood, with the sponsorship of an active or retired knight. The knight will then act as a character reference for the applicant, vouching to their competence and lack of disciplinary issues. Sponsors are permanently linked to their charges in the Temple's files in place of their parent.
Candidates with magiborn lineage are not immediately banned from service, but are closely vetted for the presence of Gifts that would qualify them as mage-class. With or without license, mages are not permitted to join the service, due to concerns of neutrality and undue advantage.
=== Induction ===
Upon the completion of all training and educational courses, knight-elects are put through a series of strenuous tests to judge their grasp of all required knowledge and skills. The sections scored are arcane knowledge, memorization of the Articles of Sorcery Regulation, martial skill, hand-to-hand combat, leadership, and mastery of the edicts of field judgment. A passing score in each section earns the knight-elect full knight status. Higher scores in certain areas may determine future stationing or duties.
In the event of failure, a knight-elect may be forced to repeat the courses he or she needs to master. If the trouble is with martial skill, they may instead be inducted into the Arcane Guard for a short period, and placed under the command of a ranking officer, in order to learn where they are lacking. Failing to complete the final tests more than once may result in expulsion. A failed candidate with sufficient martial skill may elect to be fully inducted into the Arcane Guard as an alternative to being expelled from the program.
== Structure and Hierarchy ==
The Order operates on a military scale, with the title of knight awarded at the completion of training. Further ranks denoting position in the chain in command are obtained over the course of a long and successful career. A standard tour of duty is five years, the first of which is instructive, the second tour an additional five years, and the third--if accepted--ten years, in a position of command. Knights are permitted to continue, transfer or resign at the end of each tour, with three tours being the maximum number served actively.
Those involved in witch-hunting squadrons are limited to three years at a time, with a year sabbatical in between, at which point--after stringent tests of mental and physical health--they are given the opportunity to take a commanding role, or else accept an instructive position over a class of knight-elects.
Those who successfully complete three tours retire. Though a goal for many career knights, desertion and death in the line of duty are more common, and those who complete their first few tours often take up instruction, transfer to the Arcane Guard, or take positions elsewhere in the Order's hierarchy. Rarely, a knight will resign due to physical limitation, mental discomfort, or unrelated obligations. Dispensation must be given by the Order before resigning, in order to avoid charges of desertion.
=== Ranking ===
Candidates who gain entry to the Academy become knight-elects. Once accepted, they hold the rank of private for the duration of their training and their first year of service. Candidates become eligible for consideration at the age of eighteen, with graduation expected three to five years later, dependent upon specialty and achievement. Once graduated, the knight is assigned to either a stationary unit, or to the command of a ranking officer. A newly-appointed knight has no authoritative power beyond the ability to take prisoners, and to act on the commands of his betters.
After completing their first year of service, showing appropriate ability and leadership skill, the knight attains the rank of corporal. A knight corporal earns the ability to take command of local forces during times of crisis, and to requisition the assistance of Arcane Guardsmen in missions. They are still subject to the decisions of the Temple and their commanding officers, and can be overruled.
Once their first tour is complete, a successful knight may take a second tour, or else accept a position teaching. Knights accepting this promotion are retitled staff sergeant, and become entry-level trainers of recruits both at the Academy and in the field.
A title-bearing officer (knight lieutenant or higher) may appoint a knight who has completed his first tour of duty as a knight sergeant in a larger company, either out of necessity or as a reward for shows of strong leadership. In the event of misfortune or accident involving commanding officers, the appointed sergeant of a battalion becomes acting knight lieutenant until command is restored.
Other commanding ranks are awarded based on competency, service record, social rank and necessity, with most assigned after a first successful tour. Knights completing two full tours with honors are eligible for captaincy of a full company. Most members do not advance past the corporal rank, as the average completed tour is the first one.
=== Form of Address ===
As the Order is a military organization, ranking members earn a proper form of address beyond the standard use of their name. There are two forms: their first name paired with the neutral honorific Ser, or their ranking title accompanied by their surname.
Knights of standard rank are commonly referred to using Ser [First Name] familiarily, or by their rank and surname. The former is more common, the latter reserved almost exclusively for commanding officers or official papers. The specification 'knight' may be used before rank to differentiate from standard military rank. (Example: Rainer would be referred to socially as Ser Robin, or officially Corporal {Robin} Rainer; Dick is "Ser Richard" or "Corporal Lyon.") Ser is not used with surnames.
Knights of commanding rank, from staff sergeant onward, are referred to in writing and verbally by their rank and surname. Use of Ser is limited to familiar civilians and higher-ranking officers. (Example: Perdel would be referred to as "Knight-Lieutenant Perdel", or simply "Lieutenant Perdel". His commanding officer Milena could refer to him as "Ser Fionnan," but not his subordinates.)
== Leaving the Service ==
Those who complete training and their first tour successfully often become career knights, or otherwise remain in the Order in a valuable supportive role. There are rare cases that do not follow this pattern. Once inducted, there are only a handful of methods to remove one's self from the service.
=== Honorable Discharge ===
Due to the high mortality rate of the service, a knight who successfully completes three tours of duty is retired with high honors, decorated, paid a healthy stipend and provided with land on which to live out his remaining days. The children (and sometimes siblings) of a retired knight are automatically guaranteed a place in the Academy if so desired, and have easier access to officer ranks as a result of their parent's service to the Order.
Those grievously injured in the service who survive but can no longer fulfill their duties in their state, whether due to mental or physical consequence, are involuntarily discharged. Those with outstanding prior records, or whose disabilities are the result of honorable action or otherwise perceived as the responsibility of the Temple, receive full honors and retirement benefits.
=== Voluntary Discharge ===
Due to the strict and often confidential nature of the induction process, a knight once titled is bound to the service for a minimum of his first tour of five years. At the end of the first tour, those who find themselves unfit for field work are encouraged to teach, or otherwise continue to serve the Order while retaining their titles. Those choosing to leave after their first tour are returned to civilian status, forfeiting their commission and rank, and lessening their current or future progeny's chances of induction. After two tours, dependent upon record, the knight maintains his or her rank and commission but is removed from service, permitted to return at a later date.
Under rare circumstances, a knight of high enough noble rank can be permitted to leave the service during their tour, provided they are not needed, or their familial obligations are greater than the need of their company. Those leaving under these circumstances lose their commission but maintain the hereditary right to have their children placed in the Academy.
Those who leave the service without dispensation are considered deserters and earn immediate outlaw status, becoming subject to capture and facing charges before the Arbiter's Council, and potentially the Temple's leaders.
=== Involuntary Discharge ===
Knights found unfit to serve during the course of their tour of duty may be subjected to examination, disciplinary measures, and eventual discharge.
Those suffering prolonged mental harm caused by their time in the service are offered counseling prior to removal, and offered resources to ease their transition back to civilian life, their files marked as unsuited for active duty. Dependent upon record or experience level, they may instead be retired, or encouraged to move to an operational position in the Order not requiring combat, as opposed to being discharged.
Due to the level of power and responsibility invested in those who wear the colors, disciplinary issues are not tolerated in the Order, and those with repeatedly poor reviews from their superiors risk dishonorable discharge. Members discharged for disobedience or shameful action while bearing the Order's colors are removed from duty permanently, stripped of command, their commissions invalidated. Any records prior to the discharge remain on file for reference in the event of further issues after the member has left the service.
Death in the line of duty is considered honorable involuntary discharge, as those involved can no longer serve through no fault of their own. A knight killed in action leaves his or her children hereditary right to join the Order without the necessity of commission, as their death will have been recorded.
== Long-Term Effects of Service ==
As a stabilizing presence, the Order is a vital part of Kyravelle's protection against forces both magic and mundane, and the knights dedicate large parts of their lives to the service, both in preparation for and during their actual tours. During training, the Order takes every precaution to make certain those who bear the colors are as prepared as possible for the challenges they will face, with broad courses on the most common types of magic, the dangers of witchcraft, and what to expect of magical outlaws. Each new recruit is checked and checked again, both for maturity and the mental stability necessary to face these challenges. However, even then, the traumatic nature of the front lines can have lasting effects on those who man it, both physically and mentally. It is uncommon for an active knight to leave the service without some effects sustained, be they great or small.
=== Physical Effects ===
The volatile nature of unchecked magic is a threat that even the Order is not immune to. Those who interact with magiborn in any capacity are at risk for injury caused by sudden or unexpected violence, and this is doubly true for those recruited to the capture squads. While stationed companies are often forced to deal with witches passing through their territories, they often operate within reach of a Temple, with greater numbers and reinforcements close at hand. Even then, the unpredictable nature of outlaws means they face great risk, and many of them sustain some measure of injury during service.
The men and women actively in the field operate without the safety of nearby aid. As such, they are often faced with more serious consequences when things inevitably go awry. The more dangerous the magic or magic-wielder involved, the higher the chance of permanent injury. Members of capture squads can sustain small bad-fortune hexes and suffer from poisoning. The use of elemental Gifts against an armored man can result in severe burns and crippling wounds, with maiming and disfigurement not unheard of in cases of anti-healing or withering curses. Summoned creatures and raised dead can inflict bite and claw wounds that invariably become infected, and are often fatal.
In spite of the sturdiness of standard-issue armor, weapon wounds are also a threat, wielded by both combat-trained witches and mortal civilians, in the form of highwaymen or barbarians. Though casualties in the latter case are rare, injuries sustained in battle can fester during travel and ruin the affected limbs. It is not unheard of for a mindmage to incite violence in the ranks, and though knights are resistant to such efforts, a powerful sorceress can turn an entire squadron against each other.
=== Mental Impact ===
Knights who survive serious events seldom walk away unscathed, sometimes losing sight, function, and even limbs to the cause, but others still leave with invisible scars. By far, men and women assigned to capture squads are some of the most well-trained and battle-hardened veterans, but the vulnerability of active field-work can have devastating psychological consequences.
As the front line defense in the war on magic, knights are often witness to some of the greatest horrors imaginable, both magical and otherwise. Death in the ranks is sadly common, and survivors can sustain deep and lasting trauma from watching their brothers and sisters cut down. Repeated exposure to such events inevitably worsens the damage. Those in capture squads are sometimes required to execute witches in the field, an act that can be deeply unsettling for both the executioner and those attending. Those in pursuit of rogue witches often witness destruction at their hands, with innocent lives often lost in the process.
Depression is a major long-term threat to those in the field, who see the very worst of magic gone wrong, with more than a third of surviving members turning to some vice or the other for relief. Alcoholism is a steadily-growing issue in the ranks, even among the officers. Some experienced knights develop paranoia, suspecting witches when they are not even present. Veterans of capture squads often report night terrors and flashbacks for months or even years after their tours have ended. While support is available for those who become afflicted on the job, cases of mental defect or failure are often reported by fellow knights more often than the victims themselves. Many of these things cannot be alleviated easily.
Failing to find comfort or stability through the Order's efforts, those deeply scarred often turn to the noose or blade. Though no proper count exists, it is estimated that one out of every five knights will contemplate death, and one of every ten will actively attempt suicide. Pushed to that edge, many of them succeed.
=== Treatment and Support ===
The Order recognizes the sacrifices made by its members, and deeply values their health and well being. Though not all effects can be relieved entirely, measures have been implemented to address or combat many of the long-standing issues active knights might develop.
Knights with severe but treatable injuries are given urgent access to controlled healing magic, as magics become less effective the longer the body has been left damaged. Those crippled and disfigured are removed from duty and allowed to convalesce until recovered enough to be judged for further action. Those irrevocably damaged remain in the care of a healer or cleric until properly discharged. Some Order members who recover from such injuries return to service in diminished capacity, taking roles in administration or planning. Others still join the Temple's educational missions, to teach about the dangers in the field.
The mind being largely a mystery, the mental aspect is notably harder to address. Counseling is readily available to all knights at any time, and Temple alchemists can provide temporary relief in the form of mind-dulling tonics, to help with lost sleep and lingering anxieties. Knights discharged for permanent mental distress are often given an open order for these remedies, to be used at their discretion. These methods have become more popular in recent years, as they help to stabilize the victim's flagging mental state.
Those irrevocably harmed by their duties, particularly victims of forbidden sorcery, often become wards of the Temple, earning protection and compensation for their families, to offset the burden of their care. While the Order is ever grateful for new recruits, especially in the wake of great loss of numbers, children of parents who have been ruined in the line of duty are often counseled when seeking entrance to the Academy, to dissuade those seeking entry for revenge, encouraged instead to join the Temple, in order to heal their own wounds.
== Notable Members of the Order ==
* Sergeant Davien J. Bower
* Lieutenant Aodhan Brandt
* Captain Milena Gatrikova (killed in action)
* Corporal Richard Lyon
* Lieutenant Fiónnan Perdel (retired with honors)
* Staff Sergeant Loch Rainer (discharged; dishonorable)
== References and Concept Art ==
== See Also ==
* The Temple
* List of Mythological Figures in UNS - Adavarion
Category:The Unnamed Story
Category:UNS Lore
Category:Organizations
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