Knights of Dawn

**The Knights of Dawn** are a military organization within the Church of the Dawnfather. They are the primary military arm of the church, and are dedicated to smiting evil wherever it lurks and without hesitation. The Knights understand that evil wears many guises, playing games and tricking others in order to spread. Because the seeds of evil are nourished in the shadows, the Knights of Dawn strive to shine the light of Pelor across the land until evil has nowhere left to hide.

## Overview

The Knights of Dawn are a dedicated, tightly-knit group of holy-minded crusaders driven by a finely honed sense of duty and honor. They seek to uphold justice as best they can, and continually test their mettle against the forces of evil. The Order knows that the shadow of evil lies within the hearts of everyone, waiting for a moment when it can gain a foothold on their souls. Thus, those within their ranks spend long hours deep in prayer to remain vigilant and focused with their own thoughts and emotions. This way they purify themselves from within before taking up their weapons ot cleanse the world.

Their devout conviction means that the Knights can be depended on as a source of strength to themselves and others, a bright light against the darkness. However, they have a rather strict code against preemptive action. Negotiations may still be possible with an enemy, or a show of force and solidarity might be enough to make them think twice. They strike only when evil deeds are being committed. Thus, the Knights of Dawn are vigilant, using every resource at their disposal--both divine and mundane--to know where and when dark deeds are unfolding.

## Activites

The Knights of Dawn serve the Church. Every major temple across Dharrenal has at least a small detachment of Knights. When not actively on a mission, their role is to protect their temple and serve the population. A common mission is referred to as "patrol"; a half dozen knights set out on horseback to patrol the lands surrounding their home temple for a few days before returning and submitting a report on anything interesting or sinister they may have come across.

The sorts of missions the Knights embark upon are generally military operations against threats to the general good. These can be large-scale campaigns comprised of thousands of soldiers-at-arms and cavalry and archers, or they can be small, surgical operations of a handful of knights into the heart of the enemy's lair. Their scouts often arrive to a situation first, often a few days or more ahead of the rest, to gather information, get the lay of the lay of the land, and secure certain sites and routes for the rest of the company to work efficiently.

As a military organization, they are as disciplined as any knightly order sworn to a sovereign and they are even more zelaous in their loyalty, their devotion, and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

The Knights of Dawn are considered official members of the church and exist as a part of the clergy. This means that the Knights can, in absence of a higher ranking commander, follow the instructions of the local prior or other member of the priesthood.

### Beliefs

The Knights of Dawn believe that faith is the greatest weapon against evil. This includes faith in the gods, faith in one's companions, and faith in one's self. They believe that battling evil is an extraordinary task, and doing so requires extraordinary strength and bravery. Just as important, they believe that punishing an evil act is just--but punishing an evil *thought* is not.

### Tactics

As follows their strict code of honor, the Knights of Dawn never preemptively attack their opponents. While the church does reach out to local nobility and law enforcement, they do this mostly out of a sense of politeness; it's a formaility more than anything. When the chips are down, they will forego the approval of local leadership when innocent lives are on the line.

The Knights strike fast and hard, seeking decisive victories. Their archers fill the sky with arrows, many imbued with holy light as their cavalry thunders across the battlefield. The cavalry of the Knights is well-known and rightly feared. Their infantry are more heavily armored than the standard grunt in the kingdom military, usually bearing chain shirts or breastplates, with heavy shields or bearing longspears.

## Leadership & Structure

The Knights of Dawn are a military organization, and they are structured and operate like one. High ranking members organize and lead groups of knights under them, and each of those knights likewise has those under their command, until you reach the vogt at the foundation.

The Knights of Dawn are divided between four different Divisons: the Builders, the Crusaders, the Inquisitors, and the Stewards. At the head of each of these Divisons, with the exception of the Inquisitors, is a First Knight. Each First Knight leads their division, and has command over all knights and members within it. All members of a division answer the First Knight.

Below the them are the Marshals, who often serve as the top-ranking officer in a given region. Generally, Seneschals are below that, and are in charge of specific forts, temples, and other headquarters for the Knights. Beneath the Seneschals are various titled knights, many of whom have specialized training (such as the Templar or the Knight Archivist). Beneath the titled knights are the Justicar and the Marcheon, who most commonly represent what people think of when they picture a knight. At the bottom of the structure are the vogt, who serve as the grunts of the knights.

* **Builders:** The builders are those who are charged with maintaining the structures of the Knights of Dawn, repairing any damages, and also forging and maintaining weapons. Despite what the name would imply, miners, masons, foresters, carpenters, and other laborers are part of the Builders. Often, they only fight in the event of a siege or when they are called upon to do so.
* **Crusaders:** The true warriors of the Knights. While all members of the order are expected to have arms training, the Crusaders are the ones that are sent on dangerous missions in the field and they are the leaders during siege situations and other warfare situations. The Scouts are a part of the Crusaders, who are sent on dangerous scouting expeditions, tracking enemy movements and collecting supplies.
* **Inqusitors:** This division is the smallest, consisting only of a handful of members. They are the spies of the Knights of Dawn, excelling in the arts of a dark operation. The Inquisitors are not widely known of by the public, and they are generally viewed with caution or even suspicion by other Knights. Unlike other divisions, they are not led by a First Knight, and there are not other titles or ranks aside from Inquisitor. They answer directly to the highest ranking members of the church. They are less centralized and have no official, formal stucture.
* **Stewards:** The Stewards serve as the Administrative arm of the Knights. They monitor supplies, deliver messages, serve as more permanent guards to Knight headquarters, tend to horses, and act as record keepers and loremasters. Chaplains and those in the priesthood are in the Steward's division.

### Vogt

Vogt is the rank given to those when they first join the Knights. They are not formally knights and do not possess the title of "Ser", instead bearing the title of "Brother" or "Sister". They tend to do the grunt work in their respective divisions. Each bears a silver pendant depicting a shield emblazoned with the symbol of the sun, to remind them of their duty.

### RitterBrudern

Also known as the "Knight-Brothers". Once a knight has distinguished themselves and proved their mettle, the member is formally knighted and join the RitterBrudern, gaining the nomitive of "Ser". They have shown to possess bravery, boldness, selflessness, discipline, understanding, comradery, faith, and the capability to bear the weight of the responsibility of being a true Knight of Dawn. They are sent on missions for the church, usually in small bands, to drive away bandits and other threats that need to be dealt with but are not so dangerous that it calls for a siege or a crusade.

### Justicar

Justicar are a unique title, in that the title is given to any Knight who sets out to travel and adventure in the traditional sense. They often align their efforts with like-minded mercenaries of adventuring groups. Their purpose is multifold. Traveling solo, they can travel faster and with more discretion than a detachment of cavalry. This allows them to get their ears to the ground, gathering information, learning faces, and bringing justice to more remote locations or situations where it would be impractical to send a larger group to settle.

A Justicar needs to be self-reliant, discrete, and act with integrity.

### Chaplain

Chaplains are functionally clerics; healers, priests, and clergy who choose to serve with the Knights. They often function as doctors and morticians in addition to giving out spiritual advice to Knights. Their most important role, as they see it, is reading the dying their last rites.

### Inquisitor

The Inquisitors are reliable agents entrusted with many secrets and are sent to carry out the more sensitive missions for the church. An Inquisitor is a spy, an intelligence officer, and an assassin rolled into one. Inquisitors are expected to be dauntless in the face of danger, and to carry out whatever orders are given to them. Inquisitors are often solitary; their work is sensitive and often more efficient with only one or two agents in any given area.

### Knight Archivist

The Knight Archivist are those knights who act as the loremasters, record keepers, and head librarians for the order. They are often the most knowledgeable about the Knights' history, about the specifics of the Dawnfather's dogma, the various rules and bylaws of the Knight's Code, and even knowledge of darker things, such as demons, spirits, undead, and dark magic.

### Seneschal

An officer rank. Senseschal serves as the steward or major-domo of a fort, camp, or other headquarters of Knights. Their primary task is to maintain the integrity of the location, keep the supplies and armories stocked, and oversee the day to day operations of the knights. They are often the highest-ranking knight is a specific location, unless it is a major military site.

The title of Seneschal is given only to those knights who have demonstrated great integrity and are shown to possess good judgement and sense of responsibility. They are often highly trained in siege defense tactics.

### Marshal

A Marshal is the most trusted voices within the Knights of Dawn. They are looked up to as champions of the order. Their actions are expected to be in line with the Knights' Code and to bring honor, glory, and respect to the Dawnfather. They are the highest officer rank in most regions, answering only to the First Knights or the Righteous Hand. Roughly equivelent to the rank of Commander.

### First Knight

The First Knight is the leader of each of the divisions; First Builder, First Crusader, and the like. They answer only to the Righteous Hand themselves. They are the highest-ranking members of each division in any given branch of the church (usually within a kingdom). They answer only to the Righteous Hand, the Bishops, and the High Divine.

### Righteous Hand

The Righteous Hands are few and far between. They are deeply ensconced within the church and have the greatest degree of influence beside the highest ranking clergy. Only one Righteous Hand may be active in any given kingdom and directly serve the Bishops and answer only to them.

## Membership

### Oath

When a Vogt is truly knighted, they must undergo a ritual known as the Rite of Rising. The member kneels before a tree or a shrine, and they pray from sundown to sunrise. Once the rays of the sun meet the members, they must recite the following oath, perfectly and from memory. Once completed, they are knighted and rise a full Knight of Dawn.

"I speak now in the light of the rising sun. My words are true and my heart is just. I am the Shield of Dawn, to protect the weak and punish those who threaten them. As long as I draw breath, I will remain the shield. I am the Sword of Dawn, to be a weapon against evil and inspire hope in the darkness. As long as I draw breath, I will fight against the shadow. I am the Warmth of Dawn, to never bear arms against the innocent and grant mercy to those of who deserve it. As long as I draw breath, I will never lose hope in redemption. I pledge my honor and my life to the glory of the Dawnfather. This I vow, today and forevermore."

### Notable Members of the Knights of Dawn (Nordendell Branch)

#### **Brother Mattias Vogel**

* **Race:** Half-Elf
* **Age:** 18
* **Divison:** Crusader (Vogt)
* **Notes:** The second son of a wealthy merchant family from the capitol.

#### **Father Bruno Andress**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 44
* **Division:** Steward (Chaplain)
* **Notes:** Eternally cheerful and a real nice guy. Doesn't like drinking or gambling. Considered the "elder" chaplain among the half dozen who serve at Restwell Haven.

#### **First Builder Maksimilian Ogievich**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 53
* **Division:** Builders (First Knight)
* **Notes:** Taciturn and gruff. Well known reputation as a hardass, and holds a deep dislike for "nonsense". Notoriously dislikes art.

#### **First Crusader Andrin Odermatt**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 55
* **Division:** Crusaders (First Knight)
* **Notes:** Stern and strict, but just and compassionate. Seen as a sort of grandfatherly figure to the knights. Generally accepted as the "leader" of the Knights of Dawn; even among other First Knights he usually given deference and respect. He is a skilled strategist and has many victories under his belt.

#### **Knight Archivist Othello Wyss**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 29
* **Division:** Stewards
* **Notes:** The chief record keeper for the Knights of Dawn. Works closely with the head librarian at Restwell Haven; the two consider each other equal in status and function as a duo. Expert at military history and undead theory. Takes things literally. All work, no play.

#### **Seneschal Flurina Theiler**

* **Race:** Half-Elf
* **Age:** 61
* **Division:** Stewards
* **Notes:** The head of Restwell Haven's day to day operations, at least as far as the knights go. She doesn't like the Prior very much (the two often clash, thanks to their similar duties) but she holds her tongue out of her deep loyalty to the Bishop. Seneschal Theiler is an ornery woman with a dwindling amount of patience.

#### **Ser Agatha Burkhalter**

* **Race:** Halfling
* **Age:** 22
* **Division:** Crusaders
* **Notes:** Burkhalter is a well known face around the monastery. She was born on Midsummer's day, and her eyes are sometimes said to shine in the afternoon sun. Fights with a spear, and dauntless in the face of fear.

#### **Ser Hobart Broadbeard**

* **Race:** Dwarf
* **Age:** 46
* **Division:** Crusaders (Scout)
* **Notes:** Hobart is one of the most skilled and trusted scouts at Restwell Haven. He's got a good sense of humor, and can often be found with a bottle of wine while tinkering with his custom-made crossbow.

#### **Ser Nikolas Arnet**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 26
* **Division:** Crusaders (Justicar)
* **Notes:** One of the monastery's resident Justicars. He is only at the monastery for a week or two out of every month or so, and tends to focus his efforts on actually traveling, listening to rumors, and protecting the people. Has a reputation for courage, but is also considered quite reckless.

#### **Ser Slvendriel "Sylvie" Pelineldir**

* **Race:** Wood Elf
* **Age:** 86
* **Division:** Crusader (Justicar)
* **Notes:** A down to earth and level headed wanderer. She specializes as a scout and a tracker. Has a reputation as a crack shot. She became a Justicar after the Goliath Incursion that occurred 17 years ago. Famed for making an "impossible shot" during the Incursion; it was her arrow that felled the Goliath chief which resulted in the routing of the goliath forces. The shot was the last in her quiver, made from over 600 feet away in a throng of warriors. She's humble about it, though.

#### **Sister Chantel Grumbach**

* **Race:** Human
* **Age:** 19
* **Division:** Stewards
* **Notes:** Chantel wishes to become a chaplain or a justicar, using holy magic to protect and heal others. She is somewhat timid, however.