Solis Knights

"*Without evil, we would not be able to tell what is good. They are ever connected, bound by an equilibrium that must be maintained. It is in our best interest, not to eradicate the evil from this world, but only tip the balance to allow good to prevail.* "
—Haruko Yuta

 **Type** | Faction

**Solis Knights** (太陽騎士 *Taiyō Kishi*) is a faction of mages dedicated to maintaining balance between the dark and righteous forces of Hylion. They typically meet in secret, so to keep their activities out of the public eye, for some see their actions as questionable. But since their creation of a hundred years ago, their covert actions have kept the world from internal chaos through the aiding and quelling of rebellions, the assistance in wars, and the directive forces of socioeconomic allocation in various districts within Hylion. Consisting of only 12 members, only the strongest of mages are able to join to help fight for the balance of the world.

## History and Purpose

The Solis Knights were created during the time of the Great War, when Cinder's took advantage of the chaos and attempted to upset the balance within Hylion. Not wanting the Cinders to take control of the control of the continent, a band of mages formed together and stepped in to put an end to the dark activities and eradicate the radical leaders of the movement. These mages later called themselves the Solis Knights, claiming that their organization would continue to fight for the balance of the world so that no one power could take rule again. Under the leadership of a certain immortal, the Solis Knights grow in strength exponentially, becoming a force rivaling the strength of Cambium Knights and Beast Saints alike. The Solis Knights continue to fight with the sole purpose in maintaining a sense of equilibrium between the powers of the dark and the righteous forces of the world. They hold true to the belief that life exists in a balance, and you can't have one without the other without sacrificing order. This even held true during the Alvarez Invasion, as both sides held opposing views, the clashing of Hylion and Ishtar was held in a balance of good and evil. The Solis Knights did step in during what would be deemed as "the turning point" of the war, as their covert activities helped lessen the forces from southern and western fronts, giving the mages of Hylion a chance to win the battle should their resolve and power be deemed strong enough to overcome the darkness. They did not intervene further, as the outcomes of their actions could have tipped the theoretical scales towards a victory on one side, and so they merely assisted in making the number of warriors in each side relatively equal.

Mages are hand picked by the existing knights, based on their individual capabilities and skills with magic. Each knight may submit a candidate for review by the group, and a candidate's age, background, gender, or previous awards or penalties bear no significance in this decision. Once approved by the current standing of the Knights, the new member is free to return to their home country and retain autonomy, running about their own internal affairs until the time comes when they are called to handle a task in the name of the Solis Knights. They typically work in pairs, based on the task requirements, and will execute their job under secrecy; leaving only the Solis Knights and the involved parties aware of the events that transpire. The knowledge of their organization and faces is often forgotten due to the work of the Solis Knights associates, the Evangrius Faction, that specializes in Memory Based Magics, that allow them to go back through and erase the thoughts of those who have seen their true identity. The Evangrius Clan also assists the Knights through their teleportation specialty, often sent to retrieve the members and bring them to the designated meeting place. The Evangrius Faction has sworn their allegiance to serving the knights, being their faithful associates for over hundred years, as they believe wholeheartedly in the cause they fight for.

Although semi permanent pairs exist within the ranks, Knights are free to chose their companions to better suit the task at hand. Because of the fact that secrecy of the group must be maintained they tend to go by their planet designations when addressing one another on missions, as to maintain a sense of anonymity to the ease dropping passerby. There is no apparent rank or hierarchy within the Solis Knights; but merit and experience play a great role in those who are held in high respect. This merit plays an important part in the longevity of the person's tenure as a Knight, for the maintenance of the world's balance is of the utmost importance, and one wrong move in a mission could cause disastrous effects. Those who do not succeed in missions can be allowed a chance to redeem themselves, should they have an exceptional track record in the organization, but typically those who do not posses the strength or dedication to the cause are asked to leave the organization.

When a member chooses to leave the Solis Knights, they are subjected to a rather painful curse. This curse comes in the form of a mark etched into the structure of the vocal chords that is unseen to the human eye. This mark prevents the former member of the Solis Knight from ever speaking of the actions that they had done in service of the Knights, as well as releasing any information on the members or purpose of the organization. This curse is linked to the brain of the former member, and will activate if any neural activity regarding the memories of the Solis Knights are fired in relationship to the activation of the vocal chords. When activated the curse will constrict on the vocal chords, effectively crushing them, preventing the former member from ever speaking again. Though the Knights who have left hold the Solis Knights in such high regards, that no amount of prying has worked on revealing information about them, allowing them to continue their work. This curse has only been activated for one member in the past, and such information that was leaked led to the death of five of the Solis Knights members, something that only further encouraged others to maintain the secrecy of their organization.