Knightly Orders

Knightly Orders were groups of knights, elite soldiers with special skills who usually wore armour. Many held to the feudal system and served in various kingdoms or empires.

## Known Orders

### Knights of the Burning Rose

The Order of the Burning Rose was comprised of paladins who followed Saint Rubinia. They had around fifty or so knights, each with three retainers, and fought while dismounted. Each paladin was said to be blessed by Saint Rubinia, with other saints also alleged to lend their blessings to them. Around fifty paladins served in the Burning Rose, each accompanied by three to five retainers, meaning they had up to 250 people.

One knight of renown who served this Order was Sir Adrian, who perished during the Battle of Evergreen. He rallied the defenders for several days against forays led by the creatures, and was not fond of daemons.

It is believed that this order was on good terms with L'Imperium de l'Union Celeste. They were enemies of the Knights of the Eventide, because the Burning Rose heeded to a code of honour and often found themselves defending folk from the Eventide.

### Knights of the Clarion Call

The Knights of the Clarion Call were armoured rangers and horse archers. They had seventy or so knights, each with five to seven retainers. They were strongly opposed to non-civilised Elves and often hunted them down. They lingered along L'Imperium's territory in the West.

### Knights of the Lion

The Knights of the Lion were knights who used the traditional sword and lance weapons and styles of combat, with one hundred or so members that each had six to ten retainers. They were located in the central regions of L'Imperium's territory. They had a friendly rivalry with the Knights of the Dragon.

### Knights of the Eventide

The Knights of the Eventide were an order of less-than-honourable knights who used blunt weapons such as maces. Their order contained one hundred or so knights, with four to six retainers each. It is possible that they took up mercenary work in the pursuit of wealth and power. Due to the Burning Rose's rigid adherence to a code of chivalric honour, the two orders developed a deadly rivalry. They also violently opposed the Knights of the Dawn.

### Knights of the Dawn

The Knights of the Dawn were an order of zealous paladins who dedicated themselves to the Goddess of Dawn. There were precisely one hundred and twenty knights under their banner at one point, each with ten to fourteen retainers. They were based out of L'Imperium's southern territories. The Knights of the Dawn despised the Knights of the Eventide, who committed sacrilege with their actions.

### Knights of the Griffon

The Knights of the Griffon served as the personal knights for the emperor and empress of L'Imperium, wielding swords and lances in the traditional manner, but their swords were made of blackened steel. The Order contained five hundred knights and no retainers. Griffon knights were pulled from each of the knightly orders, hence the Griffon Order's massive size.

### Knights of the Dragon

The Knights of the Dragon were situated in the northernmost imperial territories and were northern-style knights known for wielding two-handed weapons. Around one hundred knights served, each with seven to nine retainers. They had a friendly rivalry with the Knights of the Lion.

### Knights of the Crypt

Clawing and pouncing, less than two-score knights are heavily deceived by the Lurker on the Threshold and believe that they are fighting for justice and that their cause is noble. Little do they understand that their bodies have been horribly twisted, spikes jutting from their armoured backs. They ride with his undead and await his beck and call.