The Order of the Shield

Formed in the earliest days of Dichotomism, the Order of the Shield is a knightly order of war mages that have long served as executors of the Dichotomist vision of justice. The order itself has roots stretching back nearly two thousand years, and though it has remained a constant presence throughout that time, its reach and power has waned over the past several centuries. Now, its dominance is more or less confined to Elasiril and Sarland, though a branch migrated to the Oristhanian free city of Eschen around 600 YC and has maintained a significant presence there ever since.
The Order operates as an extension of the Dichotomist religious hierarchy, and thus as an extension of the Circle of Nine, though it is not the Co9's official military force; the Royal Solisvaran Army fills that role. Nevertheless, the Order has its own leadership and hierarchy, and the leadership of the Dichotomist faith have no real control over the Order outside of the Order's own commitment to enacting the will of the church. The Order's hierarchy is rather simple. At the top is the Grand Duke of the Order (the title was once a political title in Solisvar, but is no longer nationally affiliated at all). The Grand Duke commands several Archknights, who each command up to a hundred Knights of the Order. Sarland and Elasiril, where the Order of the Shield is a dominant political power, each claim at least twenty Archknights of the Order. Every other nation under the Co9 currently has three or fewer, except for Oristhane, which has seven Archknights concentrated heavily in its few Dichotomist free cities.
The Order of the Shield is older than nearly all of Aotra's contemporary nations. Because of its long history, many people see it as something of a fundamental fact of life: the Order has been around longer than the majority of the world's current governments, and it will likely outlast them, too. Its age and the fact that the Order has been involved in so many of Aotra's most fundamental historical events, from peacekeeping in the early days of the Circle of Nine to quelling tyranny and rebellion, make the Order of the Shield a vital player in Aotran world history.

"Righteousness comes from the gods. Justice comes from the people."

Founding Date

1198 YW

Type

Military Order

Alternative Names

The Order; the Knights