The Order of the Banal
"The Order may be peer to the law in one land and hunted by it in another, but in no land are they to be trifled with."
Structure
The order is an international organization and is organized into various chapters for ease of operation. The various chapters experience various levels of support in their host territories with some chapters, such as the Bukoosan branch, enjoying state-sanctioned rights and privileges to pursue their objectives while others, such as the Kolu branch, being labeled as a criminal organization forced to operate underground for their own safety. The international nature and myriad of legal statuses the chapters experience has left the chapters with de facto autonomy without a single leader, though the Ekoyan branch is often seen as the "parent" branch due to Ekoya being the country the order was first founded, though the branch has little influence over the others due to its own dubious legal status within the kingdom.
The human origins of the order, combined with the elven history of magic, has lead to a deep mistrust of elves within most chapters of the order as well as the order remaining overwhelmingly human. However, the order's ideals of reining in magic, particularly magic used to alter flesh, have lead the Lakuye to openly embrace the order as they are perhaps the only modern elven society that openly shuns magic. This has given the Lakuye chapter of the order a unique position as perhaps the only noteworthy elven chapter, as well as one of the three chapters with official government sanctioning, giving it a complicated relationship with most of its sister chapters, who generally wrap their anti-magic sentiment with anti-elven sentiment.
Typically, a chapter will have a single head, known as a Grand Master, who has authority over the chapter and its operations. The role of the Grand Master will vary slightly from chapter to chapter, with some sharing power or duties with other senior members, but they are universally seen as the de jure head of the chapter.
Public Agenda
The Order was founded on the ideals of preserving the 'natural state of the world.' In practice, this means shunning the use of magic and seeking out and destroying the products of it. The order is known for producing a number of highly competent Hybrid hunters as well as mage hunters. The various chapters have varying degrees of how zealously they pursue this goal, from tolerating the use of magic so long as it does not alter any living thing beyond its user to judiciously hunting down and slaying healers who use magic for their craft. As a general rule, the chapters that are more publicly accepted are those that have become more moderate while the more zealous chapters are more underground.
Assets
Current Legal Status by Nation
State Sanctioned
- Lakura
- Grand Principality of Bukoosa
- Grand Duchy of Kondezle
No Legal Status
- Konelsva Alliance
- Kingdom of Ekoya
- Crown lands of Demia
- Amun Dynasty
Illegal
- Kolu Republic
- Dakuran Theocracy
- Kazalot
- Bokhaufn
- Fardn
- Boin Company
Heaven over Hell. Order over Chaos. Duty over Trepidation.
Founding Date
381 LE
Type
Secret, Brotherhood
Alternative Names
The Banes
Demonym
Banal
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