Order of the Onyx Knight
The largest church dedicated to The Onyx Knight has a lot of influence as they are trusted military advisors to many rules. They consider struggle holy — be it a debate, a fencing duel, or the strategies of war. To sully these with unwarranted brutality or recklessness is to waste the teachings of the Knight. To hide from conflict is to never grow as a person.
Conflicts are often harder on the general population than those in power, which hampers the Order's popularity amongst the lower classes, especially those who have suffered from wars or skirmishes. But the Black Knights are also ready to teach people how to defend themselves. They aren't considered with whether others think of them as good or evil — they know that they're needed for the world to thrive, and that's what matters.
Mythology & Lore
Beyond the basic facts known about the gods, the Order believes that the world must always have strife in order to be in balance. They see conflicts as a chance for all sides to grow spiritually if they are prepared to learn. This doesn't mean they condone needless spilling of blood — a conflict can well be handled without anyone dying. And violence for no other reason than anger and brutality is worse than no conflict as it drags what should be a holy experience down to sacrilege.
One day, the Order says, there will be an ultimate conflict that will give every soul that has ever lived a chance to seek enlightenment. It is the mission of those who worship the Onyx Knight to prepare souls so that they can appreciate the lessons learned during this final fight. Doing so makes them worthy of fighting by the Knight's side.
Divine Origins
The Order has been destroyed several times throughout history, only to rise again. Its latest reincarnation was founded about two centuries before the Sunrise as a coalition in central Allowadh had enough of brutal and pointless wars between some minor city-states. Backed by the power of the goddess, they forced a peace kept in check by yearly tournaments and simulated battles. There are plenty of accidents, but fewer innocents die this way and there are still opportunities for participants to grow.
The organisation has grown and is the largest church worshipping the Onyx Knight. Their strongest influence is in central and northern Allowadh, but there are now a couple of chapters in the northern-most parts of Irasis as well.
Worship
Where enough members of the Order are gathered, they build cathedrals in honour of the Onyx Knight. these are always built to include combat training and an armoury. They are often impressive in their elegant simplicity, but they're also built to function as fortifications if need be.
Uniquely amongst the major deities, the worshippers of the Onyx Knight who have been granted power from her, the majority are paladins. Those who swear their loyalty to her within the Order aren't forced to take any specific vows as long as the ones they take aren't in opposition to the goddess or the organisation. This means that the paladins might not share the same goals or even be allies some of the time. This isn't considered an issue as the conflict between them is itself a chance to find inner strength. The clergy of the Order are the ones responsible for keeping the organisation itself intact and seeking out the long-term goals of the goddess.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Order of the Onyx Knight has taken on a role of balance where they are active. They advise every side in a conflict enough to create a challenge for everyone. When counselling regents, they do their best to ensure that any conflict has a purpose. All of this, and the military tactics they employ, requires a bit of secrecy and what might be called a selective presentation of truth. However, the Order strongly rejects any notion that they are manipulating anyone for their own interests. They insist that they're only keeping the balance. Others have wondered what the difference between the two perspectives actually is.
In Struggle, there is Wisdom.
Founding Date
221 BSR
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
Black Order of the Blade
Demonym
Black Knight
Leader
Leader Title
Deities
Related Ranks & Titles
Notable Members
Comments