The Rock - History: The Rock was once the original fortress-monastery of the monastic knights known simply as "The Order." This fortress was called Aldurukh, which meant "the Rock of Eternity" in one of the ancient Calibanite dialects. Aldurukh was originally the name of the mountain that The Order's founders had decided as the site upon which to build their fortress-monastery, using the name of the mountain for the fortress.Though The Order had other fortress-monasteries, Aldurukh was their first, and so they gave it a name that mattered, a name that summed up exactly what they were trying to build. This sacred site was The Order's literal rock, their foundation of stone. As long as it endured, then some part of their ideals would always be alive.At the base of the mountain, rising incongruously to either side of a narrow, paved lane that passed between two towering barracks facilities, stood the ancient, weathered menhirs that marked the foot of the old road. The old stones depicted the beginning and ending stages of a knight's journey: the left menhir was carved in the likeness of a proud knight striding forth into the world, pistol and chainsword in hand; the one on the right showed a battered and weary warrior, his armour splintered and his weapons broken, kneeling wearily but with head held high as he contemplated his return home.Brother knights would often brush their fingertips lightly against the right-hand menhir as they passed by, a tradition that reached back to the earliest days of the brotherhood. This simple gesture of feeling the smooth stone beneath their fingertips made a returning knight think of the generations of their forbears who had done the same, stretching back for millennia. Within the many practice halls inside Aldurukh, knights and supplicants spent their days honing the skills they needed to survive on Caliban. These knights had taken of the cause to protect the innocent, and for five thousand years had hunted the vile beasts which terrorised the populations of Caliban.The main monastery was known as the Angelicasta or the "Tower of Angels." It was the primary residence of The Order's Grand Master, resident Masters and subordinate knights. Within the Angelicasta was the place of gathering known as the Circle Chamber. This was where The Order could meet representatives from other visiting orders of Calibanite knights, without rank or station, a place where all were equal. At its arched entrance flickering torches hung, sending a fragrant aroma of scented smoke into the enormous chamber. The hall could hold hundreds of novices, knights and supplicants on the many stone benches that rose in tiers from the raised marble plinth at the chamber's centre.Mighty pillars rose at the cardinal points, curving inwards in great, gothic arches to form the roof of the dome, a green and gold ceiling from which hung a wide, circular candle holder filled with winking points of light. The walls of the chamber were composed almost entirely of tall lengths of stained glass, each one telling of the heroic actions of one of The Order's knights. Many of these glorious panels depicted the actions of Lion El'Jonson and Luther, but many more pre-dated them joining The Order, and several of these depicted the legendary warrior known as Brother Amadis, the Hero of Maponis.The centre was empty, with a single throne-like chair set in the middle of the floor. Banners hung from the chamber's roof, where a brother could read the history of the Order in their pictorial representations of honour, valour, and battle. Gold stitching crossed ceremonial standards of green and blue, and red-edged war banners outnumbered the ceremonial ones by quite some margin. The entire roof was hung with banners -- so many that it seemed as though a great blanket had been spread across it, and then slashed into hanging squares.Within the heart of the monastery was located the Lord Cypher, the individual brother expected to police the customs of the subordinate brothers within The Order. He ensured that The Order's rituals were preserved, and advised on matters of protocol as well as officiating at ceremonies.The path to the Master's chamber led down into the dark catacombs that riddled the rock the fortress was built upon. It passed by darkened cellars, forgotten chambers and ancient cells. The Lord Cypher would be waiting to initiate potential candidates into the inner working of The Order in a vaulted chamber, the walls fashioned from enameled bricks that reflected the light from the many candles spread throughout the chamber.At each stage of a supplicant's training The Order's Masters decided whether or not to continue it and whether any such trainees possessed the mark of greatness that merited special attention. The Lion himself would decide who warranted such special attention.