Knights of the Cross

### Task

Protecting members of the Minervian Church and securing the holy sites of Essaxonism

## Alliances

### Enemys

Pagans, Heretics

*This page includes role-play FANON information, any Canon material will be marked accordingly.*

**The Knights of the Cross** is a knightly order of the Minervian Church. Their task is to protect members of the church from hostile aggressors and to secure the holy sites of Essaxonism. They take orders from clerics of the Minervian Church and swore to serve the Primate in all belongings.

## History

The Knights of the Cross were established in the year 966 a.f.C by the former Primate of the Minervian Church Augustinos III. in Minerva, after pilgrims complained about bandits and raiding infidels on the paths to the holy sites of Essaxonism. Augustinos III. then hired a group of mercenaries he ensured were also devout followers of Essaxonism and declared them as "protectors of the church and the holy chair," founding the Knights of the Cross. From there on, he orderd the knights to protect members of the church from everything that might cost them harm and grant them shelter if endangered. This order is known to the knights as the "Golden Task" and is strictly adhered by members of the order.

## Task

Knights of the Cross resemble the executive power of the Minervian Church. The order from Augustinos III. to "protect members of the church and grant them shelter if endangered" is seen as the most important task of all within the order and is referred to as the "Golden Task" which is strictly followed. Knights of the Cross also have to serve clerics of the church, no matter which rank, and must follow each of their commands, as long as these orders aren't against the church or the Primate, which is seen as the initial leader of the order. Even tough the Grandmaster may be the one to give direct orders, he is more seen as a representual figure. The commands of the Primate take precedence over everything. Knights of the Cross also have to secure the pilgrim paths to the holy sites of Essaxonism and need to take these over if necesssary. If the Primate calls out for a holy war, the Knights of the Cross are mostly the first ones to arrive.

### Oath

To become a Knight of the Cross, some has to be a full-member of the church fist, meaning he has to be babtized. If that's the case, he then needs to ask a cleirc or the grandmaster if he can join the knightly order. If they think the intrested person is worthy, he then has to meet an instructor (mostly the grandmaster himself) who trains him to become a recruit. This training takes up to about three years. If the training is complete, he then has to defeat a veteran member of the order in a duel as a final test. If the recruit succeeds, he then must swear an oath to the grandmaster or a cleric. It goes like this. The recruit bends his knee and recites the following passage: "I'm here to devote my life for the noble course of serving the church in the name of Dyēus [or Yescho] and become a servant of the Primate. I will not rest until every enemy of the church has fallen and shall not take a wife [or concieve children] before then. Members must be protected under all circumstances. My arm is my sword, my chest is my shield. Amen." After this, the grandmaster or cleric knights the recruit, turning them into a full member of the knightly order. The oath lasts for a lifetime.

If a member breaks the oath, he gets banished from the knightly order forever with no chance of return. While not being persecuted by the Knights of the Cross for being exiled, a fromer member must still fear excommunication by the church if the reason for his exit harmed the church in some way.