Lands of Tyranny
Day 4 of The Haggler, Year 416
Swords of Dawn
As old as the Empire and the Church of the Son itself, the Swords of Dawn were formed by the original worshippers of the Three, and exclusively consisted of such.
Considered among the list of the most prestigious religious orders, the Swords of Dawn were said to be the right hand of the First Born, Valthos, serving him directly in his quest to bring the kingdoms together. Before that, their origin was far more mundane. They began as farmers, some as soldiers - they embraced the Three’s tenets with a fervor and later served as priests. Over the course of their earliest years, they would expand in both size and purpose, ultimately finding themselves as a direct vanguard to the First Born Son himself. The Swords of Dawn were at Valthos’ command when the conflict arose between humanity, the Elves and the Dwarves, and the infamous treachery that followed.
Differently from the Knight of the Rose, the members of this order do not focus their activities on charity and on helping the weak, but more on following and spreading the example of Valthos, and where the Knights offer their help to Humans first, non-Humans later, it is the position of the order that for their betrayal of Valthos, all non-humans are perpetually stained by the sin of their ancestors. They can never truly hope to redeem themselves, for they are treacherous by their nature. The only hope any non-human may have to even stand before the throne of Elysium for judgment, let alone be granted true redemption, is by complete and total obedience to the Valthos’s successors.
Almost every member of the order is trained in both combat, religion, and the laws of the Empire, and is expected to uphold the values of the Empire itself to the heart. These ‘Priest-Knights’ are often found acting alongside the armies of Annoria in their conquest, serving alongside the Imperial Army, and newly formed branches of the Church of the Son as soldiers and priests, even if lone, traveling members of the order are not an uncommon sight.
Depending on the task and the title a member is given, they might be acting as traveling missionaries delivering the word and worship of Valthos to corners of the land, fighting alongside the Imperial Army, offering their spiritual guidance and wisdom to its members, or as defenders of religious pilgrims and of humanity and its values.
It is in this that the order has a mixed reception between humans and non-humans. There are those that consider the Swords of Dawn to be protectors of Imperial values, maintaining order, defending against beasts and other threats, and spreading the word of Valthos to the heathens who have not yet heard it -even if the latter has become obsolete. Non-humans, on the other hand, are wary of the strife that a Sword of Dawn may bring with them, and question how truly ‘fair’ these priest-knights might be. For although they are without a doubt protectors of humans, they are often extremely zealous in targeting non-humans, especially Elves and Dwarves.
Indeed, many members of the order take their vows—and the betrayal of their god—very seriously. Wherever they go, the more zealous among them may strive to enforce strict segregation between humans and non-humans, constantly reminding those around them of the supposed treachery of the ‘lesser races’ or highlighting any perceived misconduct on their part. It is not uncommon for these zealous Knights to exclusively target non-humans, actively persecuting them in extreme cases or even inciting racial violence and pogroms. While such actions are rarely sanctioned officially, the order upholds that the only ‘acceptable’ non-human is one who lives in complete servitude to the Empire. Even those who have adopted Imperial beliefs, customs, and adherence to the Law—or, in rare cases, have earned the title of ‘Redeemed’—are still treated with suspicion. For if humans may fall from grace, the lesser races are deemed treacherous by nature.
In line with one of the Valthossian traditions or domains, though perhaps indirectly, some Swords serve as occasional guards for wealthy merchants, using these opportunities to spread the faith. Most chapters tend to accumulate significant wealth, both from taxes paid to the church and from offerings granted in exchange for some protection. With this wealth, the Swords of Dawn act as patrons of the art and skilled craftsmen, often making loans and offerings to those whose skill makes them worth the investment.
History
It has been said that the original members of the Swords of Dawn were known by a different title, the ‘First Dawn’, and acted as missionaries and guards during the time in which Valthos himself traveled the lands. They aided the First Born in spreading the wisdom and faith of the Three, speaking of the tenets of the Father, the Mother and Valthos himself. When Valthos brought the armies of Annoria to the gates of the Elves and Dwarves, the order of First Dawn was there amongst the ranks of his armies, acting as His personal guard.
Once the Elves and Dwarves had no option but to beseech peace, and when they invited him to the summit, Valthos brought the elite of First Dawn with him. Alas, there, before Valthos fell prisoner to the treachery of blasphemers, his guard laid their lives to protect their leader. Now reduced to a fraction of their numbers, the remainder of the First Dawn witnessed as the Father descended from the heavens to retrieve his Son. It was from this legendary act, that the successors of the First Dawn became sworn to protect the faithful of the Three and demonstrated dedication to Valthos in protecting pilgrims and travelers, as well as to guard humanity from the treachery of the non-humans (especially Elves and Dwarves). Filled with an undeniable fervor and a purpose reborn, those remaining swore to this new purpose, spreading the word of the Three, and guarding them against any future harm by the Betrayers.
Structure
The order uses a mostly horizontal ranking structure, where given titles often hold similar importance, and are both dynamic and change with the task a member is given. A “promotion” usually means moving on from a task to another. As ranks and/or titles depend on the member’s current tasks, there’s little hierarchy between them.
The most honorable and flattering act a member can receive from the order is having their title become a permanent one, as it suggests that the person upholding that current task is excellent in accomplishing it. Due to its small numbers, decisions are often taken democratically, with everyone’s voice being heard: however, when necessary, the right to take the ultimate decision remains in the hands of -in this order-, a Tablet, an Abbot, or one between a Hand or a Voice
Ranks
Head Priest-Knight of Valthos (‘Grandmaster’)
The head of the order: a title said to be given only to those of direct bloodline to first members of the order, their worship to Valthos is unwavering.
Voice of Valthos (‘Voice’) Senior members of the order
Voices train the order’s members when it comes to matters of religion, law and often other matters of knowledge. They also act as recruiters, often silently observing the life of a candidate to make sure they are befitting.
Blade of Valthos (‘Blade’)
The most common rank in the order, comprising about 70% of the total member. A Hand is a member who’s been tasked with delivering the word of Valthos and preaching his teachings and the laws of the Empire to their appointed corner of the land. They mainly act as missionaries and are occasionally found attached to local Legion regiments of their task zone. Their duties include establishing churches to the Son where there are none, converting the non-believers to the worship of the Three, and assisting the Legion in their tasks to stabilize and keep order. They occasionally serve as advisors to Centurions while conducting their duties as a Hand if they are attached to a regiment, but may also travel the land alone or with a small retinue of fellow Valthos worshippers, to focus on their duties as a missionary. They are capable fighters and talented priests.
Abbot of Valthos (‘Abbot’)
Abbots are more permanent priests of the order. They often arrive and take over the churches of the Son after a Hand has established one and has moved on to training and leadership. They are often chosen among the ones that have shown less aptitude towards martial skills, and may temporarily take on the function of a Tablet when needed.
Initiate
The very first title a member is given upon recruitment is the Initiate, essentially a member in training. When an Initiate completes their initial training, they will usually serve under a Blade until they are ready to take their final vows. If their master should fall in battle, another Blade will take up their charge, just as the First Dawn taught what few initiates remained after the death of Valthos and the first of the order.
Recruitment and Training
The members of Swords of Dawn are picked from every caste of the society, so long the candidate shows their devotion to Valthos and the Three. Age or sex have no bearing when it comes to recruiting suitable members, aside for their influence on physical skills, although recruitment of younger candidates is favored due to the extensive nature of the training, and the time dedicated to it.
Swords of Dawn may have a variety of backgrounds, but they ultimately become devout worshipers. As redeeming oneself is one of the main virtues of Valthos, even ex-criminals can be recruited into the order. However, often a more senior member of the order will conduct some sort of background check, questioning people close to the ‘candidate’, or belonging to their same community, especially making sure that neither them, nor anyone close to them, has any close relation with a non-human, and have very ‘clear ideas’ about them. Their training consists of combat, religion, and laws of the Empire. Alongside their training within the order, Initiates are often tasked with assisting the Legion recruits to familiarize themselves with the hierarchy and strategies of the organized military.
Vows of the Order
The level of ceremony involved in the taking of oaths within the order varies depending on the chapter: smaller chapters may have brief, but deeply-felt vows, and some will perform an entire ceremony upon welcoming a newcomer into their chapter. However, there are three oaths taken at three rites of passage in the order.
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The Oath of Initiation is performed when an initiate first begins their training.
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The Oath of Ordination occurs when an Initiate completes their training and becomes a Blade of Valthos.
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The Oath of Responsibility is taken when a Blade first earns the right to teach an initiate.
This final oath is considered the most important rite of passage, marking a Blade as worthy of passing on the teachings of Valthos as the First Dawn once did after the death of their god.
Dress and Uniform
Though the Swords of Dawn tend not to have a set uniform, especially across different chapters, the colors of the order are easily recognizable: white and silver, with occasional black and gold. Tabards and hoods are particularly common, but quality and type of armor can change depending on the wealth of the knight or on their chapter.
How to Play
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Defend and spread the ways of Valthos with the people
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Defend (human) travelers and merchants.
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Fight the enemies of the Empire alongside the Imperial Army, while offering council to both their leaders and soldiers, making sure that those around you do not lose His ways.
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Make sure the cursed non-humans (Elves and Dwarves in particular) are treated as they deserve for their betrayal, ranging from forced conversions and renouncing of their heretical faiths, to putting them into trouble with others, or even outright abusing or hurting them, forcing them into the subservient position that is their only path to redemption.
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Remember that there are no ‘nice’ Knights with regards to non-humans. The level of animosity towards non-humans can range from coldly neutral, all the way to extremes in which ‘hate crimes’ might be considered a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
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Offer aid and kindness to all humans, living by example the love and virtue that Valthos held towards mankind. By and large Knights are meant to uphold and represent the honor and integrity of the Empire, the Three, and the life that Valthos lived and act accordingly in all their dealings with those of the Empire.
by Rashan, malutukilo, Shereshoy