Knightly Orders in Trokair

A little detail on the knightly orders of Aelonia. 

The Righteous Order

Not a knightly order but a society of do-gooder adventurers dedicated to Ro who protect and serve the common folk of Aelonia and venture across the settled lands to fight evil, aid the poor, and restore hope to those who despair. They are technically an auxiliary meant to support the Righteous Knights but they have vastly outgrown their original role; most Aelonians think the Righteous Knights are a subset of the Righteous Order.

The character of the RO differs based on location. In north and east Aelonia, the RO is mostly a charitable and social organization. Untouched by the demon invasion, there are few monsters to fight and wrongs to right, so members focus on improving their communities. In south and west Aelonia, the RO grew into its most well-known form: a collection of eager adventurers looking to team up and venture forth to vanquish great evils and save the world from impending doom. With the arrival of refugees from The Free City Region (nee Ispan), they have turned to providing food and shelter, tamping down crime, lightening spirits by regaling them with tales of their exploits, and trying to sniff out imaginary plots. The social club aspect of the RO is rather strong in this area as well, but it has more of an us (valiant heroes seeking to do good) and them (execrable villains and helpless peasants) character. The notion that the RO is full of itself is born here and on full display. Finally, more senior members of the RO venture beyond Aelonia to bring hope and help to all in the settled lands. These often bring a maturity and self-awareness to their work gained from years of experience, turning the focus from "what can I do" (I'm special and valiant) to "what can I do" (people are suffering and I might help relieve it).

While often seen as pompous, ideological, idealistic, overeager, and even somewhat deranged (some members are so eager to do something good they are delighted to see people in pain), the RO is seen by the common people as a force for good throughout the settled lands.

[I created a prestige class long ago for the Righteous Order. It was, I believe, three levels with very easy entry requirements and each level granted "+1 level of previous class", so its benefits fully stacked with whichever class you wanted. Unfortunately, it was stored on a message board that no longer exists and I have been unable to find any backup copy on my old laptop. The benefits were pretty simple and straightforward: access to food and shelter, a network of contacts for researching questions or recruiting aid or purchasing equipment, a bonus to the aid another action, and an ability to improve the mood of people who were in despair.]

The Righteous Knights

The Righteous Knights are paladins focused on defeating evil. They are the largest knightly order in Aelonia and, for most people, are the face of Ro's Church (though often conflated with the Righteous Order). Children born with the blessing of Ro (a natural affinity for becoming a paladin) are identified by the Church and inducted into formal training. Those who choose the pursue the defeat of evil (the vast majority), are inducted into the Righteous Knights and choose to serve on the Knights Militant (the standing army of the Church) or the Knights Errant (the majority of whom serve alongside the Righteous Order). Knights Errant often serve as leaders of adventuring parties composed of members from the RO; the most famous of these is Heaven's Light, led by Parler Edwards, who may be the most well-known living paladin in the settled lands.

[Righteous Knights are simply bog-standard paladins. Some prestige classes that feed directly from paladin, like the Hospitaler, are sects within the RK rather than separate orders.]

Knights of the Order

The Knights of the Order are paladins focused on defeating Chaos. They are many fewer in number than the Righteous Knights and not much involved with the Righteous Order. Children who go through the Church's training to become paladins are given the choice to pursue the fight against evil or Chaos. Those who choose Chaos become Knights of the Order. Note that the defeat of evil is lowercase because the RK pursue mundane evil as vigorously as supernatural Evil. The KO, on the other hand, are much more focused on supernatural Chaos, particularly since the death of Horde demonstrated how tremendously powerful the gods of Chaos and their servants can be in affecting the world. Putting down a rebellion pales in comparison. In this, they are guided not just by the Church of Ro but the churches of Deidra and Horde and the other gods of Law. Their quests are devised and sanctioned by the Divine and they complete them without necessarily understanding the reasoning or implications.

The KO is known to have never lost a battle in the thousand years since their founding. More than one war has been averted with the simple threat of the Order bringing its knights to bear. However, in the present times the Order is much diminished in number and fewer knights are choosing to take up the war with Chaos. The Knight Commander and the Church both fear what will come should the Order peter out.

[The KO were paladins with Chaos swapped for Evil. Not particularly exciting. However, they had access to mounted combat prestige classes like the Cavalier, explaining why a charge by the KO was so feared and devastating. I think in retrospect they should have benefits to resist mental affects like charm in addition to fear.]

The Order of the Empty Hand

An elite force that provides security within the Church, the Order of the Empty Hand draws its members from the Righteous Knights and the Righteous Order. They are more commonly known as the White Guard due to their gleaming armor and gold-lined white sashes. Each member is an excellent swordsman or woman who has sworn never to raise a weapon against a foe, relying instead on words (preferably) or physical restraint and subdual (as a last line). They continue to practice and improve their sword skills, for the greater their ability, the greater and more meaningful the sacrifice when laying it aside.

The Order's origin lies in a story so old that its truth is unknown. Before the death of Horde, a force of Fists (Horde's premiere knightly order) threatened a group of innocent peasants. The White Guard interposed itself between them. The standoff lasted for some time, drawing a large crowd. It came to an end when, angry at being challenged before a crowd, the Fists charged. The White Guard dropped their weapons and were cut down in unrighteous fury. The Fists were shamed and dishonored, and even Horde was so furious at their lack of decorum that he struck their shining armor black.

[I never made a prestige class for the White Guard but it would have started from the Devoted Defender. The ability to become the target of an attack meant for another could be used unchanged but the AoO and parry mechanics would need adjustment to be used unarmed.]

The Knights of the Chalice

A secret, elite order of Knights who venture into the Abyss to cull demons and gather intelligence, drawn from the best of both the Righteous Knights and the Knights of the Order. They once numbered about 100, but few can meet the strict requirements and fewer survive their missions for long, so currently only 12 knights sit at the Table. Unfortunately, the secretive nature of the order precludes recruiting some of the most powerful knights, like Parler Edwards, due to their visibility.

The order is named after the chalice used by Eldric IV to bless the Pureblade before the final battle that closed the Abyssal portal and turned the tide of the war. The knights continue to bless their armor and weapons with the chalice before each mission. The order resides at Chalice Keep, high in the northern mountains of Aelonia. Chalice Keep is the foremost defensive structure in the settled lands, but it was built to keep things in rather than out. The basement of the Keep houses a portal to the Abyss through which the Knights sortie. Their missions include killing demons to keep their numbers down, retrieving specimens (sometimes alive) from new demons to determine capabilities and weaknesses, and to gather intelligence on the Demon Princes and their activities. The portal opens into different locations in the Abyss, making it more difficult for their foes to anticipate their arrival. Auxiliary forces at the Keep include priests of Ro specializing in exorcism and blessing, priests and wizards specializing in conjuration and abjuration (to adjust the portal location and prevent demonic egress), elite military forces to prevent wanderers from finding the Keep (and to aid in fighting should demons come through the portal), and at least one Eye of He Who Knows to catch evildoers.

Few within the Church know of the Knights of the Chalice and even fewer outside have even heard rumors of their existence. Given the devastation wrought by the Abyssal invasion one thousand years ago, the very idea that they maintain a portal to the Abyss is sheer madness. However, even more secret and mad is that, a millennium later, the Knights recently rescued the still living Erin Couaille from the Abyss after centuries of torture. Erin was a boy at the time of the invasion and served as the cup-bearer for Eldric IV; it was his hands that filled the chalice with holy water and raised it to the waiting grasp of Eldric IV on that fateful day. What he knows and what he has experienced have yet to be determined, as he collapsed into a deep coma on leaving the Abyss and has yet to awaken.

[Knight of the Chalice was a prestige class specialized in fighting demons and devils. I really liked it.]

The Eyes of He Who Knows the Hearts of Man

A secretive order of paladins within the Righteous Knights who serve as inquisitors within the Order and the Church. They have an ability to detect evil that far surpasses the average paladin, extending far in all directions, penetrating walls and other materials that would normally block the sense, and piercing through magical defenses that would otherwise elude or confound a normal paladin. This sight is granted by Ro himself and, thus, cannot be overcome by mortal means. Throughout the centuries, they have uncovered spies and plots throughout the Order and the Church. At least one is stationed at Chalice Keep at all times to ensure no Knight of the Chalice or other resident is possessed or replaced surreptitiously.

[I made a five level prestige class for these guys for a contest back in the day. Unfortunately, like the Righteous Order one, it seems like my only backup copy was on my message board that is now gone forever. It basically took the Detect Evil ability RAW and step-wise improved it to a longer range, full 360 degree area, increased penetration through wood/dirt/metal/lead, decreased the time needed to gain number/strength/location, and allowed it to overcome spells like Undetectable Alignment and Nondetection.]