Trident Knights

## **Founding**

The Trident Knights are far older as an order than any other known elven order of knighthood. They were made during the elven Golden Age when Aqual Sollus was being created and elvendom ruled a peaceful Karandia the Armlet of Strength safe in their possession. Indeed, it is to the ideal of martial strength and skill that the Trident Knights aspire. From this origional and auspicious founding, before elves ever used armies they kept the peace, arrested dangerous individuals and solved disputes. They have become the core of the modern armies of Rimic and are by far the most numerous of the three knighthoods.

They not only provide the core of the armies but in times when not engaged in defending Rimic's border it is the Trident Knights who opperate as peacekeepers and law enforcers around the coutry of [[Rimic]].

## **Recruitment**

To join the Trident Knights a young aspirant must travel to one of their training academies. They have several towers and headquarters in major towns and cities of Rimic and even up in the mountains and along the coast where there might be a need for watchful guardians. The largest of such are full training academies located in Venesti and Aquariguard, but many towns, cities and castles have Trident Knight training facilities. They opperate as elite units and the officer corps of the entire army of Rimic.

A vigourous and unforgiving training routine is followed. Discipline, martial prowess and the ability to go without are all highly reguarded. After completing the training program successfully and being marked highly enough in war games as well as in physical and mental tests a squire is made into a full Trident Knight. Then they must choose to which part of the order they wish to go.

## **Ranks**

Like most organisations within the Aquati culture the Trident Knights have three parts, ranks or chapters.

* Solitar (Soul Seeker)
* Vanarch Warrior)
* Zenic (Healer)

The Solitar chapter are knights who feels they must seek their calling rather than wait for it to find them. They search out opportunities for adventure, service and testing. During war the Solitars return and take up positions as elite infiltrators and scout/skirmishing units. They are expensively used to scout Rimic itself and work as detectives and troubleshooters often sent to supervise Echoes or investigate a legal problem in out of the way villages or towns where there there is no official knightly presence.

The Vanarch is the largest group the warriors. It is from this group that the officer corps is mainly chosen. Vanarchs work as excellent elite units deployed together in bulk. They are extremely experienced fighters and are used to fighting more heavily armed and armoured than is normal for most elves.

The Zenic chapter become the medics and chaplains of the army. The develop spiritual powers and develop their natural magical links to be able to tranfer energies and heal with only a touch. The Zenic are probably the closest to what humans would call a paladin or a battle cleric. They are more interested in the spiritual and physical welfare of those they watch over and protect than they are conbat though they are still considered Trident Knights and as such form part of the elite war units of the the army.

## **Role**

Somewhat obviously the Trident Knights fight with their namesake weapon the three pronged trident. They are the most symbolic of the knighthoods and so will often have the sign of three or of peace, war and soul on their body and clothing. The three chapters roles are distinctly different but overall the role of the Knighthood is to form and organise the Aquati army.

They do use all forms of weaponry including the underwater Tri-bow, but the trident remains their signature weapon.