Friday, May 17, 2013

Warlords of Lingusia VII: The Order of Kazdenar



The Order of Kazdenar

   It is said that Kazdenar was an ancient avatar of the war god Hargameth. Chosen by the god of war to wield the Twin Axes of Battle called Caeron and Caelos, Kazdenar was the one who stood strong against the tide of the undead during the Plague Years and united the survivors of the world against Unarak. His followers take their title from the legends of the ancient Emerald Knights of the lost empire of Hyrkania.

   The Emerald Order is spiritually dedicated to the pursuit of justice and the reuinification of the Old Empire. They take their name from the ancient knighthood which once stood as the royal soldiers before the Emerald Dome of the lost city Hyrkan’ien. The order attempts to live up to this ideal, and the ideal of the lost Solarian Knights, who they also resemble.

   The Emerald Order’s knights are founded in Nordaman and Sendral, but they can be found across the Middle Kingdoms. The dictates of Kazdenar are such that they believe they are divinely appointed to act on their god’s behalf in all lands of men, regardless of political demarcation. The order is most at risk when operating in Golmadras, for the sorcerer-king of that realm is especially hateful of their kind (and their god) but outside of that region they are usually at least viewed from a neutral perspective, if not outright welcomed.

   The Emerald Knights are believed to be about a thousand strong, and of that thousand there are several hundred who wander the land as knights errant at any given moment. Most of these knights will at least seek out the permission of local authorities to act against perceived evils or chaos in a given region before doing so (unless such chaos or evil is manifest in the local powers that be!) and they try to respect those whom they seek to serve at all turns. That said, they are more than capable of raising sword and shield in the name of Kazdenar when it is clear they must act.

   Most of the Emerald Knights are warriors of different creeds (be it fighters, paladins, or any other such class). A few members of the order belong to other walks of life, and the core of the order is backed by the Temple of Kazdenar, headquartered in Hyraphon. The Temple of Kazdenar is a much larger organization with more priests on duty than the entire Emerald Order has knights, but those priests show a distinct respect to their martial kin.

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