Palatine Knights

The **Redeemed Reclaimers of the Holy Palatinate** or more commonly the **Order of the Palatine Knights** is a Stephedist religious military order of knights. Historically, the Palatine Knights were an order of zealous reclaimers, but their modern incarnation is a conglomerate of displaced knights and wayfarers from [Spain], Lugaria, Salavia, and other territories conquered and or threatened by the Ushanra Empire. The organization of today is much more secular in its operation and goals, preferring a less proselytizing approach in advancing its agenda and drawing support.

The Palatine Knights have a lot of private and public supporters in Cremalia. Donors from all over keep the Order well-funded and well-armed.

## History

### Fall of Lugaria and aftermath

After the fall of Lugaria, the many Stephedist knights coalesced into a resistance force of various squadrons in Canvary and other conquered territories to wrest the invaders from power.

In Canvary, the Palatines removed the Ushanrans and restored the Soliflor Dynasty to the crown and established a permanent headquarters in the capital to oversee defenses, serving as guardians to the royal family.

## Recently

Along the Canvary-Valpriot border, the Palatines have historically orchestrated several skirmishes and deniable strikes to test the defenses of their neighbors, gauging the opportunity to invade the necromancy-tolerant country.

In New Column, envoys from the Palatine Order have been lobbying the Senate about its official standing on necromancy, as well as networking with Cremalian leaders to broaden their theaters of operation.

Globally, the Palatines have begun to re-assert their presence in their native Cremalia, provided a stepping stone by the bankrupt Lavmoran aristocracy, who petitioned the Knights' aid in restoring the peace to the kingdom. The Palatines have stationed a chapter of knights in the capital of Concordia and have begun raiding magic lodges suspected of studying necromancy and other Forbidden Arts.

## Involvement

The Naeoleis Incident in Modeon piques the interests of the Palatine ambassador in Lavmoor, who makes a trip to New Column to learn more from Sloan about the revenant and the necromancer involved.

When Duck Hunt is traveling through Valprus, they come across an isolated commune with a recently burnt pyre in the center of town. All around, bodies of the slaughtered. As the group investigates, they identify the dead as Awakeners, a religion of necromancy, and suspect Canaveran Palatines across the border being responsible. Following the leads, the legates find a squadron of Knights killing survivors from the village, and they confront them.

//Thewell gives Gongalves the mana bomb that Conroy stole from Jeseride.

//Gongalves detonates the mana bomb in New Column.

## Notes

### Grand Master Lukander

Palatine Grand Master Lukander (born Romer Asantisos) was an Ushanran hostage from Lugaria made a slave to the court of the Rumsa Nuriya who rose to power as a danyr of the subjugated Lugarians (Lukander meaning "Lord of Lugars") escaped to Lugaria and the displaced knightly orders, marching on Tarasin and liberating Canvary. After slaying King Piereto in his bedchambers, Lukander installed his Yelenine ally Ouronnos onto the throne, legitimate as a member of Lugarian nobility. Lukander hates the Ushanrans with a passion, and committed his life to escaping his life as a captive, rejecting his Diabran upbringing to "choose his own fate" and embrace his native Stephedism.

Lukander rallied with the Coalition forces against the Ushanrans, blocking the incursion of Nuriya and Sharizah's expansionary visions. Lukander's re-conversion to Stephedism was taken in extremity in response to his Diabran indoctrination throughout adolescence, and the severe Reclaimer committed himself to the firebrand Martanist branch of the religion that had been disputed in the past. His new vision in mind, the battered and zealous Lukander has pressed Canvary's opposition towards necromancy as an international platform, foretelling the Doom of mankind if unholy magic is allowed free reign.