Order of the Silver Dragon

The **Order of the Silver Dragon**, also known as the Knights of Argynvostholt, were a group of wealthy knights lead by the silver dragon Argynvost dedicated to carrying out the elder dragon’s wishes. Primarily their goal was to prevent malefactors locating and reaching the Amber Temple — a repository of evil power guarded by the forces of good. To this end Argynvost built Argynvostholt, his fortified mansion and the Order's base of operations, close by. Dr Rudolph van Richten described the Order as a force for good. During the war with Count Strahd von Zarovich the Order provided shelter for his enemies.

The mansion was destroyed by Count Strahd von Zarovich, who personally led his forces in a climactic battle with the Order of the Dragon, and Argynvost himself. Since the dragon’s death, Argynvostholt became a haunted ruin, a former bastion of nobility and light turned into a place of desolation and unrest. Some believed that Argynvost wasn't at rest himself, and may one day return and bring light back into Argynvostholt, and across Barovia.

After Argynvost's skull was returned to his crypt a beacon of protection was lit and now beams across the entire valley.

## History

### War with Strahd von Zarovich

According to the History of Barovia the Order initially proved more than a match for Strahd’s battle-weary soldiers. Most notably in Y347 when the Order lured Strahd's army into a trap around Argynvostholt, which in their haste of conquering the valley Strahd's men fell into. Strahd was severely injured, but managed to escape with the help of the Vistani to the south of Vallaki, who took him in and nursed him back to health.

But the early victories of the Order didn’t win the war. Even with Argynvost on their side the knights were ultimately overwhelmed when Strahd’s reinforcements swept into the valley. In Y350 the Order was drawn into a final battle at Castle Ravenloft at which they were finally defeated.

Strahd's forces slew the last of the knights and battled the dragon inside Argynvostholt, and the mansion was then destroyed. After the dragon was slain, Strahd had his corpse hacked to pieces, stripped to the bone, and transported to Castle Ravenloft as a trophy.

The death of Argynvost enraged the spirit of Vladimir Horngaard, the greatest of the dragon’s knights. Horngaard returned as a revenant and swore to avenge the destruction of the order. His zeal was so great that it also brought back the spirits of several other knights, who rose as revenants under Vladimir’s command.

In the aftermath of their defeat the town of Perimsham was razed by Strahd's forces.

### Recent history

The party of Hallgrimm Mikkenson, Narid Ashplantt, and Eklyre Temere happened across a revenant of one of the Knights of Argynvostholt fighting off a pack of wolves. The revenant stated that it had been "killed" a couple of days prior (probably by Rahadin and Sigismund) and needed to wait for a new available body, which Narid recognised as being one of the Vallaki guards he killed during the Festival of the Blazing Sun. He stated that including Horngaard there are five of them at Argynvostholt, and their purpose is revenge on Strahd.

When the party entered Argynvostholt they saw three of the knights in the chapel, one of the knights in the body of Sigismund, praying at an altar. It was stated that their god was Argynvost an that they would appreciate his remains being brought back to the mansion.

The skull was subsequently returned successfully and once placed within Argynvost's crypt lit a beacon of protection. With that the revenants of the Order ascended from their flesh bodies and their souls were drawn to peace with the beam, the first spirits known to have escaped Barovia in centuries.

## Known members

* Argynvost
* Vladimir Horngaard
* Sir Godfrey Gwilym