The Knights of Sevina
The Knights of Sevina was founded very early in Erikadia’s History, it is believed to have its origins in the Cult of Aurelia Sabina from the ancient days of the Second Era and the Empire of Mercadion. The order acts as the Kingdoms national police force. It is the only law enforcement in the capital, and it has outposts all across the kingdom to enforce law, and provide justice. They have been criticized before for being too militant in their approach to law enforcement, but they are highly efficient.
Structure
The Golden Order is organized like both a holy order and a military organization. All cities, and most major towns have representatives from the order, and regular patrols allow the Order to have influence all across the kingdom.
Administrative Chancellor Royal: The attache from the order to monarch of Erikadia. Usually a high ranked knight, and charged with a special cadre that serves the King as his body guard. Chancellor Exchequer: Treasurer of the order. The Chancellor is usually a high ranking cleric. Master Materiel: The Master Materiel is the armorer of the order. The Master ensures that all knights are fully armed.
Knights Gendarme: Commander of a March. Knight Protector: Commander of a Precinct. Knight Arrestor: Commander of Cadre. Knight Deputy: Non commissioned officer of the Order Squire: Lowest ranked knight in the Order.
Chaplains Speakers of Law: Equal Rank to a Gendarme, Supreme Judge of a March Arbiter: Equal Rank to a protector, Judge of a Precinct Novice: Under an Arbiter, usually fills a clerical role Postulant: Student of the Order
March
The largest unit of organization in the order known as a March. Each march is overseen by a senior law enforcement officer called a Gendarme and a high judge called a Speaker of Law. The gendarme is charged with coordinating all law enforcement in the march, while the speaker of law maintains a Holy Court to try high level crimes.
Precinct
A march is divided into four of five smaller regions called precincts with based out of the march monestary, and some based in smaller outposts generally referred to as an Arbiretum. The term arbiretum also refers to the court that is overseen by an Arbiter who is the highest ranking cleric assigned to a precinct. Law enforcement in a precinct is overseen by a Knight Protector. Most judgement is done at this level, with few higher stakes crimes being appealed to a Holy Court under a Speaker of Law.Cadre
Cadres act as the lowest level of organization for the order. A cadre will patrol as a unit, and is able to act independently or in larger operations within its precinct. There are usually three to six cadres in Precinct.A Cadre is lead by a Knight Arrestor, who oversees several Knight Deputies and squires. A cadre has no judges in its organization, and all judgement are done at the precinct or march level, though a cadre’s outpost may have several novices and postulants to work in clerical roles.
Ranks
Executive
Chief Justiciar: The commander of the entire order. Equivalent rank to Grand Master in other knightly orders. The Chief Justiciar acts as the gendarme of the March based in Erikadia City. High Judge: The highest ranked chaplain in the order. Deeply respected lawgiver. The High Judge is the Speaker of Law for the capitol's March. Constable General: Highest ranked knight in the order. Often charged with leading the order when on campaign. He serves as a deputy to the Chief Justiciar, and spends most their time inspecting the order's many monestaries.Administrative Chancellor Royal: The attache from the order to monarch of Erikadia. Usually a high ranked knight, and charged with a special cadre that serves the King as his body guard. Chancellor Exchequer: Treasurer of the order. The Chancellor is usually a high ranking cleric. Master Materiel: The Master Materiel is the armorer of the order. The Master ensures that all knights are fully armed.
Knights Gendarme: Commander of a March. Knight Protector: Commander of a Precinct. Knight Arrestor: Commander of Cadre. Knight Deputy: Non commissioned officer of the Order Squire: Lowest ranked knight in the Order.
Chaplains Speakers of Law: Equal Rank to a Gendarme, Supreme Judge of a March Arbiter: Equal Rank to a protector, Judge of a Precinct Novice: Under an Arbiter, usually fills a clerical role Postulant: Student of the Order
Public Agenda
The Golden Order works to preserve justice, protect Erikadia, and defend the Monarch of Erikadia. They do this by acting as the Erikadian national Police force under the direct control of the reigning King or Queen.
Assets
The Order has posts in every major city, as well as in outlying towns. The order is funded by the national government, and from tithes given to the Temple of Sevina.
The order fully arms their knights depending on there rank. A squire usually wears leather armor, while Protectors wear full platemail. Gendarmes are special in that their gear is usually unique to them, and usually has special blessing on it. All armor and shields bear the mark of the order, Two swords vertical, one pointing down, and the other pointing up.
All the knights carry and use Executioner Swords. These swords do not have points, to symbolized that they are not for war, but for carrying out justice. Most knights also carry truncheons, which they prefer to use as they have a less chance of permanent harm when apprehending criminals. Knights are also trained in the use of most martial weapons, including crossbows, which many prefer to use, as they can be kept loaded for long periods of time.
Most knights of the rank Arrestor and above are issued a horse allowance and are allowed to patrol mounted. Generally the Chaplains do not have to patrol, but in cases where they must be out they ride on donkeys to demonstrate their piety.
History
The order was disbanded and the higher ranks purged by the Lord Regent Richar Burken in 550 E3. The Lord Regent feared that the Order was not loyal to him and feared it was about to declare its support for a claimant to the throne. Lord Burken bribed some of the lower ranking officers to arrest the leaders of the order for treason. After this was done the remaining members of the order were given three choices, join the Lord Regents personal army, renounce their oath to the King and live life in exile, or keep their oath and be executed.
Ethics
The Golden Order has a very strict code of laws that it enforces, with punishments for those who break this code. They also have a very strict code of conduct which they enforce on themselves and the clergy of the Temple of Sevina.
The Code of Laws started as a compilation of Decrees from the Temple and Royal Ordinances. These were compiled into the code, and then it is amended and rewritten and new laws are made, and old laws are changed. Generally it covers most basic crimes.
The Code has established punishment, but judges are allowed some leeway in how they enforce them.
Priesthood
Knights and Chaplains are recruited first from orphanages run by the Temple of Sevina and from young men and women who wish to join the ranks. They also take in the children of those who have been sentenced by their courts, in order to prevent the carrying our of Justice causing more criminals to be created.
Those who are allowed to join the Order enter as either Squires or Postulant. They may switch between these tracks once if their superiors feel they may excel in the other.
By Sevina's Grace
Founding Date
Somewhere during the first century of the Third Era.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
The Golden Order of the Knights of Sevina’s Divine Justice, The Golden Order, Sevina’s Knights, Sevina’s Justice
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
