Order of the Holy Relinnias

The Order of the Holy Relinnias, or in common saying Knightesses of Reliona, is a knightly holy order dedicated to the Goddess Reliona.

Structure

As an order consisting of a strict religious hierarchy, the leader of the organisation is considered Reliona Herself. Below Her, the priestesses are in control of the order but its de facto leader is the Elissia who wields power in the order. She has several military status lieutenants and majors bellow her who acts as the leaders of their respective group of knightesses and offices such as treasurer.

Public Agenda

The order has had the agenda similar to their mother organisation that is the Priestesses of Reliona. They serve their Goddess with fierce strength and will, willing to spread Her words to other women across Nimenra. As a military order, however, they are the strong arm of Her will too, fighting against evil and in the War for Marlun against Nekuram.

Assets

Compared to other religious military orders, the Relinnias have a large asset bank behind them. Several castles in Nilaminra are owned by the order, most notably their headquarters Relinncoron, a fortress not far from the capital of Nilaminra, Astria. In these castles, it is said that several large quantities of silver exist and artefacts related to Reliona and her champions. These are kept for they armaments and times of need for both the order and people how relies on the order for help. Several houses in the capital cities of Humanity stands proudly with the symbol for the order upon them, being used as chapels and order houses. Relinncoron as the headquarters for the order acts also from where the disciples and many orphans are sent to for initiation into the order. With a large cathedral on its eastern wall, it is housing around 1000 of the order's nuns and knightesses from all over the region. It stands on a famed battlefield where Reliona herself fought with her champion. All in all, around 2000 Knightesses of Reliona exists.

History

The Sisters

The knightesses was, to begin with, a sanctioned order of maidens dedicated to Reliona founded 1218 but separate to the Order of Reliona, which later became the Priestesses of Reliona. The order, named Reliona's followers, was considered a split between the doctrine of aid and virginity, and aid and piety, the earlier one being what became the knightesses point of view. During this "era" they were an order of poverty and travel, creating the term "relioasceti" in both Lavi and Harvling meaning "poor religious searcher/beggar" or "an order of begging monks/nuns that preaches the words of a God/Goddess". These decades the order founded monasteries in various places and even a small township known as Relihome in Kingdom of Ravero close to the border of Nilaminra. Making their living on begging and praying, they also adapted to become healers with magic and enhancers of tools. This money did go the monasteries, usually being orphanages and houses for the poor. During the early days, it rose quickly and amassed several thousands of worshipers and nuns, according to records about 8.000-10.000 spread all over Telamirein. It was eventually that the order began to have trouble, particularly in Orfordwhelm where to order was resisted by Order of Reliona and the government. It is disputed if there is truth to this since claims that range from murders and widely organised hunts of the nuns to lesser claims by Orfordhwelm deportations from Orfordwhelm and chastising from the Order of Reliona. Eventually, however, a war was begun between Nilaminra and Orfordhwelm where the latter was trying to invade and take the northern city of Heren. Seeing the Followers as a potential enemy now due to their ties to Nilaminra, the Orfordmen did not hesitate to imprison or kill nuns from the order. What more was that the Cult of Orios started a campaign against the worship of the Goddess herself. Reliona was the main Goddess of Nilaminra after all... It all escalated up until 1286 an army of Orfordhwelm moved to Relihem, now within Nilaminra's borders, and sacked and burned the small cloister-village and killed its inhabitants. The survivors fled into Ravero for protection with their sisters but a change was brought with them.

The Knightesses

After the destruction of Relihem and many of its inhabitants by the hands of Orfordhwelm, their refuge became the city of Meadern. Meadern would become where all of the nuns and sisters of the order would gather when the war reached a stalemate, allowing movement to become much freer in the inner part of Nilaminra. Eventually, about 4.000 of the Followers had gathered and were what remained of the order. About half decided to leave the order for The Order of Reliona, like many already had, leaving 2.100 women and men remaining. According to legend, it was at that moment Herandra of Celvans stood up and took a knightly vow in Relionas name to battle against those who had attacked Her through them. She is supposed to have said:

It will be my duty to defend those who can't defend themselves, who are in need of help, protection and guidance from Reliona's light. I will be a sword in Her Ladys Name, fight to aid and protect, with strength and courage, to defend the virginity of women and the knowledge of man. I will be a Knightess of Reliona, her protector and protectorate.

If it is true or not, it is true for the order that this was what was said. Herandra of Celvans would rally her fellow sisters and the few men that were in the order to train and unite against Orfordhwelm and the persecution within its borders, which had become worse according to the news. The following two years, 1287 and 1288, they all trained day by day to become strong fighters in a village outside of Meadern. While the war raged on in Nilaminra, there was a continuation of the order's effort to help others like war children, orphans and people who lost their homes. The king of Ravero, recognizing that they did this, would offer money for aid to these matters. Much of this money, however, did go to arms, armour and preparations for the order to go into battle. There was aid from others in Ravero and Nilaminra, both arms and monetary. In the year 1289 Orfordhwelm began a great offensive, taking Heren after a year-long siege and seeking to finish the Nini's main forces began to pursue the Nilander forces. While still holding on and able to keep them at bay, the Nini's forces were beginning to dwindle in hope despite a vision from Nilari, the Goddess of Peace and Prosperity, though the Nini that help was on its way. While under siege in the capital of Astria, Reliona's Followers arrived. About 1.400 knights on foot and horseback faced the 14.060 men army of Orfordhwelm. Combined with Nilaminra's army, they had a total of 10.200. While odds were not in their favour, the Gods were as Reliona herself appeared in the sky above, falling down into the battlefield and fighting side by side with her followers, close to Herandra. An astounding victory was assured as the Orforder forces retreated back to the small village of Nimes. It was there where Reliona and Herandra would defeat and rout the Orforder forces out and into the Grand Forest of Telamerein, just like what had happened to Kyrkas about four and a half-century before. After the victory, Reliona would return to the other Gods, one of whom now was not a happy man, and bless all of the remaining 757 knightesses, as they had called themselves now. The Nini asked what she could do for them in return, Herandra, who had been chosen by Reliona as Her champion, asked for what was left of Nimes to become the new grounds and a castle to be built in Relionas name, and the reorganisation of the Followers started. Herandra became the first Elissia, the name that was given to her by Reliona. It was decided soon after that they would not be followers of Reliona, but Knightesses of Reliona, or Relinnias as they became officially known as.

Today

Reliona's blessing over the knightesses has been an asset to the war against the demons of Nekuram. During the thousand years of conflict, the order has proven itself a valuable military order and devote protectors of the city Glarn and have hindered it from falling into Nekuram's hands. The order was almost destroyed in the year 2354 when Nekuram unleashed a magical storm ritual over them, killing 90 % per cent of the order. With only 22 members remaining, they focused on rebuilding the order for the last 200 years. Since then a lot has changed with the order numbering close to 600 women and men and they have gained their first Heroine since the death of the last 500 years ago, the heroine Amy.

Timeline of importent events
History of the Knightesses of Reliona
Founding Date
1218
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
Knightesses of Reliona
Training Level
Elite Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Relinnias
Leader Title
Elissia
Government System
Stratocracy
Deities
Reliona

Type

Religious, Holy Order