Orders of Knighthood

Along with mages and clerics and priests, the orders of knighthood play an important role in the events of Kryastal. Though many kinds of knights exist in the world, there are only two that have real power, as far as I know: Knights of Dawn and Knights of Lunar.

    The Knights of Dawn are sworn to serve Tenaria. These knights make it their duty to destroy any evil that they encounter, including their constant foe, the Knights of Lunar. Although very militaristic, this order does not battle for wealth or land, but to defend people from evil and injustice. They follow a strict code of ethics and conduct. Any deviation from this results in sanctions, imprisonment, dismissal from the order, and many times death. Originating from Kavenar, its fortress headquarters on Akudrim, they exist throughout the world. Three sub-orders comprise this knighthood.

Order of the Morning Star
    These are the lowest level of Tenarian knights. These are usually the first to arrive on the field of battle and serve as foot soldiers. They wear armor, which has been blessed by a priest of the Kalame, consisting of basic iron chain mail and a simple silver-steel breastplate bearing the image of a four-pointed star in gold. This symbol is representative of Matin Etoile, the star seen at dawn that proceeds the sun into the sky upon which it disappears from sight. The knight possesses a footman's lance, a shortsword, and a morningstar as his or her weapons along with a shield. They are forbidden to use magic or allow any spells to be used upon them other than healing magic and the initial blessing put on their armor. They may only allow Joizian mages to accompany them in battle. However, in general, they are highly suspicious of mages and feel most of them are of dark intent.

Order of the Sun
    These Tenarian Knights are of a higher caliber than those of the Morning Star and are sometimes found on horseback. They are often battlefield commanders of units of the lower order. Armor worn by them consists of silver-steel field plate mail with gold accents and a breastplate bearing the gold image of the sun disc with curved rays extending from it. This armor has been blessed by the High Priest of Tenaria. Their typical weaponry consists of a horseman's lance and a finely crafted longsword, usually handed down from one generation to the next.
     They too have a high mistrust of mages and their motives, but do use magic themselves. Their spells are simple low level priest/clerical magic which heals wounds and neutralize poisons, but have a limited effect on disease. They are even less likely to have mages accompany them into battle.
     These knights are the highest sub-order commonly encountered and are viewed by those outside the knights as its leaders. This is both true and false. This order is responsible for the day-to-day activities and various ceremonies of the knights by means of the Sun Council. The Sun Council is the knights' ruling body and, despite its name, consists of representatives from both sub-orders. Yet, in reality, there is a higher sub-order that holds ultimate authority over the Knights of Dawn.

Paladins of Dawn
    This is the highest order of the knights dedicated to Tenaria and are extremely well-trained. An intensely secretive group, it pulls individuals of exceptional ability and character from the other two sub-orders or, on rare occasions, from outside the Knights of Dawn. They can cast higher level spells of the same kind of magic used by Order of the Sun. The paladins have a legendary status because of their nature, but more so because of their armor and the weapon they wield.
     The armor of these paladins is quite unique and is called Faith Armor. Blessed by the goddess herself and powered by the very lifeforce of the paladin, the full plate armor done in silver with gold accents appears seamless and fits over the body like a second skin. Its breastplate is emblazoned in brilliant gold with a rising sun with curved rays, the symbol of the order. The silver and gold helm has slits for eyes which is the only thing that reveals a living being exists beneath the metal. However, nothing can be ascertained about the wearer of this armor--not its race nor even its sex.
     The Faith Sword is a mystical weapon that only those personally blessed by Tenaria may wield. If one was to find it lying around, it would be a hilt of a sword without a blade. However, in the hands of a paladin, a blade of glowing metal springs forth. The blade is only be as strong as the faith of its wielder. If this faith were to waver, the blade would get weak and shatter in battle. If the paladin was still able to survive the battle, it was felt he or she should leave the order for a time to deal with what had happened. Very few ever returned.
     There is one other skill in the Paladin of Dawn's arsenal. They have learned to tap slightly into the force of Chi. Learning it from an old Zantherian member of the order, they all possess a slight touch of this force. The style they use is the Zenkhan which allows them to mimic telekinetic abilities.
     The Council of Dawn is the ruling body of the paladins and thus, consequently, though secretly, is the true leadership of the entire order of the Knights of Dawn. Due to their clandestine nature and mystical abilities and weapons, the Paladins of Dawn inspire fear and awe in foe and comrade alike. Most consider them myth, but they are quite real and quite a force to be reckoned with.

    The Knights of Lunar are sworn to serve Kuladar. The order is believed to have been modeled on their rivals, the Knights of Dawn, with the only difference being the god they serve. Their code of ethics and conduct is the same and equally as strict, and an unspoken respect exists between the two. However, this knighthood strives to conquer all lands and bring their peoples into the service of Kuladar by as much force as is necessary. Its fortress headquarters is on the land of Jafre and is known as the Saliadoran. Like its counterpart, there are three sub-orders.

Order of the Night Star
    Being the lowest of the Kuladarian knights, the Knights of the Night Star are at the forefront of any battle. Simple iron chain mail makes up a bulk of their armor, but what marks them as Night Stars is the breastplate of midnight steel. The steel, black in color, is made of an unusual alloy of iron and a rare ore found only in the Omen Mountains of Jafre just northeast of the Saliadoran. Blessed by a priest or cleric of the Carpe' Nacht, the breastplate bears a seven-pointed silver star representative of Stella Polare, the North Star. The arsenal of a typical knight of this order consists of a shield, footman's lance, a short sword, and a flail. They are the first wave, clearing the way for the rest of the heavier forces. These warriors attack with a fierceness that strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents. They bear the same ill will towards magic users as their counterparts and will fight alongside mages of dark power only if absolutely necessary. No spells may be cast by them and no magic used upon them, save the initial blessing of their armor and healing spells only in extreme cases of injury.

Order of the Moon
    Knights of this suborder function as overseers to the Knights of the Night Star. They wear field plate armor made of the same midnight steel as their subordinates blessed by the High Priestess of Kuladar and bearing a silver crescent moon. Bearing a shield and armed with a horseman's lance and a finely crafted longsword, usually a family heirloom, they are masters of techniques not known to their subordinates and are skilled commanders, horsemen, and fighters. They have the ability to cast low level spells of dark clerics and priests. While having a council of their own, the Lunar Council, to rule their subordinates and themselves, they, too, are overseen by a higher order of knights.

Dark Paladins of Lunar
    The Dark Paladins are even more secretive than the Paladins of Dawn and just as unknown to the rest of the world. However, both groups leave it no secret that their goal is to wipe out the existence of the other. These dark paladins can also use magic of a higher level than that used by the Moon Knights. Their armor is in the exact same style and construction as their foe though crafted of midnight steel with silver accents as opposed to silver-steel with gold accents. Also in contrast, the emblem on the breastplate is the Tenarian sun done in silver eclipsed by a dark disk representing the moon. With a similar helm, the Dark Paladin armor reveals nothing of its wearer. It has been blessed by the God of Darkness, Kuladar. Paladins of Lunar also use the Zantherian art of Zenkhan, a chi art that mimics telekinesis.
     What differentiates the two orders most clearly is the weapon wielded. Appearing to be only a round midnight steel rod three feet long and an inch and a half in diameter, it is called a Soul Reaver. With but a mere thought, a single foot-lon, double-edged blade seemingly consisting of flaming silver can be made to form on one end. On the other end, a flaming silver blade of a scythe can be made to form. Usually, one or the other is used, but often times a seasoned master is proficient enough to use both at once. Along with the weapon, the magic, and the Zenkhan art, the Dark Paladins of Lunar are ruthless in pursuing whatever objectives they have, especially those involving the Paladins of Dawn.