Righteous Order

• 05 April 2025

The Righteous Order was a monastic warrior order of individuals who pledged their lives to protect Legere from the threat of the supernatural--this included the profane, the malicious influences of The Void, and to a certain extent, things tied to the The Nether Fountain. The Righteous Order was also known as the Order of Holy Knights, the Knights of Mount Moses, and the Paladins of the Righteous Fort. The Righteous Order was often colloquialized to just "the Paladins", synonymizing their name with the term used for their warriors.

History #

Originating from Arbam's Army, the end of the Ancient Wars brought many to the realization that they had destroyed their best line of defense the evil forces of beyond. In 158 DHT, Angels intervened, striking a deal with the men who had gathered at the final “battlefield” against the Ancients--as the mortal races had sought to take their protection into their own hands, the Angels would grant those who were worthy divine power--only a minute sliver of the heavenly power wielded by the Seraphim, but enough to transform a normal man into a powerful warrior. The Angels granted them a book, known as The Holy Tome (or The Book of Life). When a paladin came of age, they sign their name in the book, effectively “selling their soul” in the service of good. From that point on, the paladin was knighted and granted superhuman powers. But the Angels knew the mortals were faulty. So any paladins who dared to use their powers in service of evil would be consumed by righteous, heavenly fire on the spot. This event only occurred a few times, but it was enough to remind the other paladins what they were getting into.

The Holy Tome was kept within a sacred library deep within Mount Moses--alongside several other relics from the old world inherited from the Cornerstone Foundation, including Ancient limbs & engines, Demonic & Angelic weapons, and even the still living but chained General Xadu.

Structure #

Leadership of The Four #

The Paladins' involvement in activities on Legere was dictated by a council of elder knights. Known as The Four, this council was made up of only the wisest of knights descending from four individuals chosen by the Angels at the end of the Ancient Wars. Each member of The Four chose a knight they believed was worthy to succeed them when they felt it is time to step down. The potential successor couldn't refuse becoming a member of The Four--being chosen to fulfill this position was considered both a great honor and duty for a Holy Knight. In the case of death, the remaining members of The Four had to agree to a new fourth member.

There was no age requirement to be eligible to be inducted into The Four, however most of the time older paladins (such as paladin venerables, templars, and captains) were chosen due to their greater wisdom, even after their retirement from the field (chaplains).

The Four rarely accompanied the paladins into missions or the battlefield, but in the rare cases that they did (as well as formal events like parades or major ceremonies) they could be seen wearing highly decorated armour alongside beautiful violet silk robes.

Knight Captains #

![[Paladins#^cpnsum]]

Knight Paladins #

Paladins made up the majority of the Holy Order's knights. Captains leading squads could take on as many paladins as they felt comfortable with leading. This could range drastically from five to thirty. Elder paladins, known as paladin venerables, could also be directed to train squires, especially so if a paladin expressed a desire to climb the ranks to captain.

Knight Templars #

![[Paladins#^tplrsum1]]![[Paladins#^44095b]]

Other Servants of the Order #

There were a few other members of the Righteous Order who are distinctly less combative, namely nurses, librarians, blacksmiths and forge priests, groundskeepers, and siege engineers. Retired paladins (known as chaplains) were not required to help in the Righteous Fort, but many choose to anyway. While they didn't have a place to live in the Fort anymore, many chaplains could be found living nearby at both Southwest Walwhite and Northeast Walwhite.

Public Agenda #

As mandated by the Angels during its inception, the Righteous Order was tasked with the protection of Legere against extradimensional threats. The order also remains politically neutral, actively avoiding involvement with any conflicts that arose. This has often sparked some ill-will from the Phovezilan government, as technically the Righteous Fort is located on Phovezilan soil.

The Righteous Order also acts as a repository for artifacts from the Demon Wars previously owned by the Cornerstone Foundation, as well as wardens for Demon prisoners.

Headquarters #

The Righteous Order operated out of the Righteous Fort atop Mount Moses.

Elements of Faith #

The Righteous Order was mandated to fight evil and protect the innocent in the same way that the Archangel's Heroes would later be commanded to do.

Code of Conduct #

The Knights of the Righteous Order were also expected to perform self-sacrifice in order to protect the innocent, especially those who did not live by the sword, like children and common folk. Selflessness was considered one of the ultimate aspects of a paladin both on and off the battlefield.

Paladins took oaths, promises, and the spread of the truth incredibly seriously. Lying or breaking a promise, which could be seen as trivial activities for others, were tantamount to treason for a member of the Righteous Order.

Communal Wine #

![[Righteous Fort#^1debef]]

The Prophecy of the Aureate Rider #

A major belief of the Righteous Order was the Prophecy of the Aureate Rider. When first established, the Righteous Order was given a prophecy that told of an eventual Angelic warrior who would descend upon Legere and free it from the influence of Evil.

The Righteous Order wasn't expected to defend Legere for eternity; just until the Aureate Rider arrived. This hope that the Righteous Order clung to gave them the motivation necessary to defend Legere against evil no matter how dire the situation got.

The Aureate Rider was said to be a divine prince, someone who outranked all but The Creator. With Him was a massive shield that He would use to hedge out the Demons, the caustic Void, and the corrupting influence of Evil itself. Legere would be insulated from threats beyond its firmaments. Then, the Aureate Rider would scour the world of Evil, destroying all but the righteous and transforming Legere into the utopia the Creator had intended it to be.

Political Influence & Intrigue #

Taxation #

As the Righteous Fort was built upon Mount Moses in Phovezilan territory, the kingdom often questioned whether or not the Righteous Order would pay taxes to the king. The Righteous Order has declined every time, replying that their purpose was divinely ordained and they were exempt from paying taxes to a mortal crown. This has put a degree of strain on the relationship between Phovezila and the Holy Knights despite a relatively peaceful past.

Fire Iron Consumption #

To exacerbate the tension between them, the flow of fire iron material harvested from Mount Ferrum has been redirected away from the Elementum Order and towards the Righteous Order in majority. Phovezila often attempted to bargain with the Righteous Order to reduce their consumption of fire iron and allow more to go to the Phovezilan military, especially since the fire iron weaponsmiths and armoursmiths are Phovezilan civilians living in Phovezilan cities (Northeast Walwhite and Southwest Walwhite primarily). However the Paladins' response to this is the same as their stance on taxation. This has significantly decreased the military power of Phovezila, as now they can only make majority of their weapons and armour from steel as opposed to fire iron as they did in the past.

Phovezila has not risked open war with the Righteous Order as many people see the knights as exemplary--a siege on the Righteous Fort would result in not just combat with the Paladins, but also uprisings in the streets across the kingdom. In any case, the military power of the Righteous Order has not been seen in action frequently, but it's quite clear that if war ignited, Phovezila would stand little to no chance.