Rose Knights
Formally known as the Order of the Sacred Rose.
Rose Knights are paragons of chivalry, lords of the garden who walk with grace and dignity to beautify the world and destroy wickedness. A Rose Knight spares the lesser, rescues the innocent, and moves with noblesse at all times. They ride eternal, questing for the glory of themselves and their nation. This is what their order aspires to.
The Order of the Sacred Rose is dedicated to expanding both one's personal glory and the greater influence of the Kingdom of Hain. The knights of the order train in combat, art, and politics, to fight as poet-warrior-diplomats abroad. A Rose Knight understands that the ballroom is as much a battlefield as the wasteland, and that they should be prepared for both - but merciful and courteous in both as well. In combat, Rose Knights typically train for duels and joint cavalry combat; in open battle against armies or monsters, Rose Knights usually expect to be mounted. Rose Knights do not strictly limit their styles of combat, though, and may be sorcerer-knights, strictly mundane knights, paladins, or even warrior-bards.
Rose Knights operate out of three main coastal bases in Hainish territory: Marhein in the Hainish Heartlands, Telgen in the Graefsher, and Keilbar in Andrig. From these main port-bases, the Rose Knights spread out their diplomatic agents across the North Stildanian coast, penetrating even the rival nation of the Empire of Kizen.
Most knights of the Rose Order join in an auxiliary capacity at a young age, and slowly work their way into the order's ranks. Others join at a later age; knights of skill and chivalry may receive an invitation to the Order or a commendation to them from the Hainish crown. The Rose Order expects extreme transparency from their members to prevent embarassment - they are quick to interrogate their members over any rumor of improper behavior, and have an elaborate system of interviews and audits for anyone to join as a full member.
Rose Knights are known to frequently host great parties and galas. As frequent hosts, they have a way of getting their members invited to most any large event (even Kivish elite banquets).
While Rose Knights may not have the legendary questing reputation of some orders, they do expect their members to regularly bring honor, glory, and riches to their group by undertaking good-hearted quests in foreign lands.
Orchid of Blue, Jade Atharzen, and Hiku Matsune all have influence in this order.
Composition
Equipment
The Order of the Sacred Rose gives each of their members a set of custom armor themed around a rose of a particular color - while pink is the most common tint, there are knights of just about any color. A Rose Knight is expected to always carry a rose of their color to give as a gift on their journeys; the Order is good at preserving roses, and knights on long journeys may pick up crates of preserved roses when they come back to restock at a chapter house.
A Knight is expected to demonstrate their rank with pride, though typically not in excess - carrying a silk scarf of one's color is considered correct, even when out of armor. Knights are also expected to wash regularly (even on journeys, if possible) and often carry perfume to counter the rancid smells of a hard adventure. At all times, a knight is expected to wear a ring of the order.
Vehicles
The Order of the Sacred Rose provides all of their warriors with mounts, and assists their knights in securing particularly good ones. The Order has a small number of Unicorns for their leaders to ride - symbols of the Order's purity, as well as durable creatures capable of healing their riders.
Structure
There are two Grandmasters of the Rose Knights, who rule the order from the Southmost base in Marhein. The other two bases each of their own set of two Knight Commanders.
The rest of the order is divided into: Knight Paragons, the top knights who are able to hold officer positions, Knight Companions, who are full members, Knight Initiates, who are new members, and Rose Squires/Associate Knights who are not full members but who do a great deal of the work. There are also Rose Guards, non-knights who serve as servants, warriors, or even spies for the Order.
One of the quirks of the Rose Order is that most of them move in pairs of two; the Order encourages (though does not require) that knights always have a partner or companions when they go on a Quest or mission. Having a partner is intended to keep knights safe, keep their behavior accountable, and to provide a dance partner and poetry editor in case of emergency. Generally, though, Rose Knights are encouraged to take turns sharing the spotlight; if one gives a rose to a fair maiden they rescued from a dread beast, the other plays support.
Tactics
A Rose Knights is brave but pragmatic. They do not flee, but they do assess, attempt diplomacy, and seek practical options. A Rose Knight does not (usually) lie, but they may stall or speak half-truths. Rose Knight tactics tend to be cautiously aggressive; they teach that a good offense is key, but only after gaining all information. This is true in their diplomatic approach, but translates to battlefield tactics as well.
History
The first Rose Knights emerged from the end of the Fourth Scouring War, from a group of knightly veterans dedicated to reconstructing the land and culture after the intense violence of that era. These knights were led by the legendary Ser Gospar the Gentle, a writer-knight who wrote his own chivalric code over the course of the Fourth Scouring even as he won great honors on the field of battle. The Companions of the Rose, as they were known earned their laurels for the first fifty years, but after 1490 ME began to decline in relevance and membership. They became split between Lunar Cults after that, but continued on in name and concept through the 1600s. Even after the centralized leadership fell apart, Hainish monarchs would still name the most chivalrous of knights as Rose Knights, and the Lunar temples of Hiku the Muse, Jade the Lawful and Orchid the Thinker all hosted galas and writing circles for knights to pursue their chivalric ideals.
During the disastrous Fifth Scouring in the 1700s, Eledra Geinmenn the Warrior-Poet summoned those who had been called Rose Knights to rebuild the order - not just to win the war, but to imagine a brighter future afterwards. The reformed Knights of the Rose would not only be beacons of chivalry during the dark times, but they would work to plant seeds of the new order even as the old world fell to pieces. They also drew together what combat arts they could, to best perfect both their swordsmanship and strength as a cavalry unit. They proved themselves during the war, and emerged as a permanent knightly order of Hain.
Since the end of the Scouring in 1750, the Rose Order has flourished in the Northern reaches of Hainish territory. They spent many honors building up a forward base in the fledgling city of Telgen, from where the Order could move out across Andrig and Onaribek to spread their influence and plant seeds of Hainish Culture. Ever since the Fall of Ustavet and the pushback against Hainish influence in the late 1800s, Rose Knights have proven to be one of the crown's most useful tools in keeping ground.
The name of the Order of the Sacred Rose is related to a legend, in which Ser Gospar the Gentle, covered in battle-gore and filled with deep angst, was guided by a gentle deer spirit to ancient ruins. There, he found a single beautiful rose, sheltered in an ancient garden and infused with magic. The rose blessed him as he took it, and he gained great healing abilities afterwards. While the blessing is ambiguously historical, the eternal rose is very real and is kept by the Order to this day in their stronghold in Marhein.
Type
Cavalry
Founding
1700
Overall training Level
Semi-professional
Assumed Veterancy
Veteran
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