Knights of Sol

Among the most prestigious members of the Holy Hierarchy are the **Holy Order of the Knights of Sol**, also known simply as the **Knights of Sol**. These living legends, considered by many to be the ultimate embodiment of the values of Hard-Glaze, are selected from the ranks of the greatest and most zealous Gatekeepers. Very few of those selected manage to survive the grueling trials required to become a Knight of Sol, but if they succeed, they are granted powers and equipment far beyond any wanderer's imagination. To many outside the Hierarchy, the Knights of Sol are seen as guardian angels, and perhaps even divine messengers, come to deliver the Glaze's message at the edge of a power-sword.

## History

   Unlike the other Holy Orders of the reformed Holy Hierarchy, the Knights of Sol are entirely new, having no history from times before. Of course, there have always been Anointed Knights within the Holy Hierarchy, but such a role was mostly regarded as a status symbol of sorts. The legend of the Knights of Sol began as any Glazic tale of triumph does, when the Light comes to meet darkness in its strongest hour. When Skylight ascended to abandon the Earth, those who remained witnessed an unholy battle between Satan and the Undergod. One by one the Ministers in charge of their sanctuaries of Light found themselves alone. Those preparing themselves for the mass suicides were cut short by the horrifying sight of Skylight falling to the Earth, a blazing inferno. Now it was truly hopeless, the last promise of a future for mankind and a rebirthal of God was surely gone. The Undergod had succeeded in its task to purify the world of Man and its sin. When the foundations of the church quaked and cracked, and the Gatekeepers ran low on munitions for their muskets, suffering was soon upon the last defenders. Then they saw it, a crack emerged from the hellish sky to reveal a golden ray of Light, something that none had ever seen before in their short lives. Seventeen men stood tall in the horizon, wearing glorious white armor, wielding swords glowing bright. Demons fell upon them, but these Seventeen hacked and sliced a path through them. Thousands fell by their blade before the demons retreated into the darkness, and it seemed that humanity would live for at least another day.

It has been many, many years since that dark day and now the Seventeen no longer walk this Earth. They may be gone, but their legacy stands tall. A surviving Minister in the county district sanctuary had created a new Greater Order, the Knights of Sol, in honor of the Glorious Seventeen. These Knights may never be as powerful as them, though they will mold themselves in their image, choosing to lock away petty needs and desires of man for a purely zealous and dutiful lifestyle. The rigorous process of becoming a Knight is one of the reasons that the order is so uncorrupted. One must first become recognized by their Lord, often by surviving the ranks of the Gatekeepers, an achievement only one in a hundred could boast. Then they must complete a task requiring absolute bravery, and enormous luck only a God could provide. Even when they are given the opportunity to drink from the holy waters, they risk being 'purified' through flame, often turning their innards into ash, killing them on the spot. Having great skill and ambitions is not enough for one to become a Knight of Sol, instead they must truly be someone favored by the Light.

While the Knights of Sol may seem like perfect men, it is not often the truth. Many who have finally been accepted into the Knights of Sol will be consumed by prayer, choosing to live out the rest of their lives kneeling before an altar, most even collapsing from starvation before one. Other Knights may turn to sin as they have been consumed by their own ego, seeing themselves as gods for they have completed an impossible task. These Knights will later feel an inferno obliterating their bellies after drinking from the holy waters in their daily ritual. As a Knight of Sol, if you have mere fleeting thoughts of corruption and sin, it may lead to your instant death following the daily purification ritual. As such, the Knights of Sol holds its name as the most pure order within the Holy Hierarchy.

The duties of a Knight are to serve the Holy Hierarchy without question, and to follow the Chivalric Code of the Seventeen. Following the Undergod's unholy conquest, there are many territories belonging to the Hierarchy that have no living Lords to hold them. Knights are encouraged to rally up mobs of Gatekeepers or commoners to reclaim these lost territories, holding them until a capable Minister can step forth to claim them as their own. Knights of Sol are the only order entrusted by the Pope himself to carry out Royal Crusades, glorious smiting against great threats.

Knights are given the absolute best equipment available in the royal armories. Despite this, Knights are never seen with muskets or any other sort of firearm. Guns are not forbidden by the order, but to use one would be seen as stooping to the level of a dirty common man. Knights forge their own swords, tempering the molten blade in holy water and praying every step of the way. They may also wear plate armor, although some Knights prefer to fight in their robes as warrior priests. When the situation calls for the use of firearms, a Knight may assign themselves a Squire from the ranks of the Gatekeepers, giving them a list of duties in return for privileges, such as training.

**The Chivalric Code of the Glorious Seventeen**

* **Nobility**
	+ Obey thy demands of thine Minister.
	+ Thou must never question thy word of thine Royal Pope.
	+ Thou must obey thy Book of Law and the Inquisition that defend it.

* **Valor**
	+ Thou must defend the weak and innocent.
	+ Thou must exhibit great courage in the face of evil.
	+ Thou must fight with honor.
	+ Thou must avenge the fallen.
	+ Thou must never allow a heathen to live.

* **Honor**
	+ Thou must avoid deception.
	+ Thou must never attack an enemy from behind.
	+ Thou must never compromise or hesitate thy holy principles.