The Lands of Warlderia

Knights of the Rose (Roseguard)

History

The Order of the Knights of the Rose was founded by the Earl of Aelfshaw during the Higher Wars, as the strong right hand of the Elven Earl. It is not to be mistaken with the new Knights of the Rose in modern Aelfshaw and its members try to ignore that the newer Order even exists. The Order fought to defend what are now Aelfshaw and Everwatch until just before the end of the Higher Wars when their commander came up with a plan of liberate Roseguard from Orcish occupation.

Most of the order knights, halfbrothers and men at arms landed in the port during the day and freed the slaves. When night fell the fighting in the city was fierce until the half-orc soldiers of the garrison changed sides turning the tideand the remaining   Orcs fled. The Library still held out until a priestess of Mayaheine led a force of freed slaves inside and finally slew the necromancer Ulan Vast, who died promising that he would return from the dead and avenge himself on the city.

The city freed from orc dominion fought off several attacks before word of Kaegor’s revolt came, the half-elven knights and their half-orc allies led several attacks against the nearby orc holds freeing more slaves until the Kaegorian Army swept past the city destroying the Orcs hold on the area and sending them fleeing north. The grateful city converted the library to a temple to Mayaheine and asked that the knights who were almost all by now worshippers to stay and rule the city. The priest of Mayaheine gratefully accepted the gift of the library but refused to rule the city, she said that without the help of the half-orc soldiers the city would still be held by the Orcs and that they should have a part in ruling the city.

The remaining Knights of the Rose built a castle near the port as their headquarters, which they now use for their fleet of warships which patrols the sea in the area. These knights have traditionally bought their horses from Malchin but these days are more famous for their naval commanders than their cavalry. The only real blot on an idyllic life of the city is the Isle of Hate to the cities south, 30 years ago when the fighting on the island stopped remnants of the armies fled bringing many wounded and desperate men to the shore near the city. Tales of legions of undead spread though out the city and the Knight of the Rose sent a mission to investigate, the few survivors confirmed the tales and the fleet has maintained a loose blockade of the island ever since.

Worship 

Since they moved to Roseguard the main religion of the Order has been that of Mayaheine a Demigod who espouses Protection, Justice and Valour. The order is based around the precepts of her worship; just as Mayaheine travelled a long way to help this world her faithful often make great journeys to uphold her word, which in practice means that for a minor religion the order has more centres than most in troubled areas. The order knights help train others in self-defencein these troubled areas, building town walls and other protective constructions. The newer knights often travel for a year and a day to prove their bravery, right wrongs, and to destroy the strongholds of evil.

The Order 

The order is led by the Great Council which is formed from the Grand Master, Magnus Commedator (Treasurer), Magnus Hospitalarius (Cleric), Trapier (Quartermaster) and the Marshall of the Sword (Knight). The Grand Master can be a knight, cleric or Paladin and is elected by a full convention of the brothers.

Below the Great Council are the regional Preceptories which are led by a Komtur (Lord of the Preceptory) and the Lord Master of Swords (usually the senior knight). The individual members of a Preceptory can be any of the following: -

Brother Knight – a full time member of the order who is a knight.

Brother Priests – a full time cleric of the order

Halfbrother – a person who has joined the order for a limited term but intends to return to their former life. The reasons for this are many but many join to seek to redress past wrongs or due to genuine devotion to Mayaheine which their life will not allow to be permanent.  

Men at Arms – any lay member of the order who is employed to carry out a specific job, usually a fighting man or administrator.

At present there are four centres of the Order, the Commanderie in Roseguard, a Preceptory in Kaldar, a small Preceptory on the southern continent and Desert Watch on the northern continent.

The Order still has many half-elven members but over the centuries has become more egalitarian even taking half-orcs into the order.

Urien Talastar (Half-elven cleric) is the present Grand Master.

Originally a land based order they have adapted in the last 100 years to become a major naval power in the region. Their fleet of warships patrol the coats and sea lanes around Roseguard as far a Zargosa in the west and Belluzcha in the east, attacking pirates on site and protecting the merchant ships of the Successor States. Order trained captains are sort by most the city states. They are still an effective force on land but are truly formidable ate se

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