The Sanguine Order
The Sanguine Order is a holy order of ordained knights sworn to protect the land of Ravainia against monsters. They are considered the militaristic arm of the Church and are called on by the layfolk to keep them safe from cursed supernatural threats. Trained as monster hunters, they are widely respected as heroes by the majority of civilians and are the most popular faction of clergy as they are also the most widely visible aspect of the Church. Despite this outward face, outsiders know little of the Order's day to day workings, and the power of its knights are shrouded in mystery.
In order to become a Sanguine Knight, a member of the Church must take holy orders and study in seminary for five years to learn the weaknesses of their enemies, the theology of the Church, and rites of purification unique to the Order. They pair this study with rigorous combat training focused on the longsword and shield for melee combat and the hand crossbow for ranged opponents. Despite the need for intelligent and competent warriors, often those chosen to become Sanguine Knights are not the brightest or the strongest, but those most loyal to the Church and those who are unlikely to question authority even in the face of contradictions.
At the completion of this training, prospective knights undergo a secretive ritual whose details are only known by the Order and upper level clergy. The ritual, known as the Blood Ordeal, is physically and spirtually demanding and not everyone who undertakes it survives. Those who do come out changed. They are stronger, faster, and their aging slows drastically--all of this allows them to keep up with the physically superior monsters stalking the world. The Ordeal also grants them a highly specialized form of magic whose workings are known only among the church--a form of blood magic that can be weaponized against monsters that works by the Knights using their own blood as a spellcasting focus. It is rumored that this magic turns their blood toxic to the vampyr, but the Church refuses to either confirm or deny this.
Before the Ordeal, prospective knights are required to fast and pray, with mandatory penance and bodily mortification undertaken before they are allowed to pledge their intent to attempt the Ordeal. The reasoning for this is that the Ordeal is a test, and souls who have not been purified in the light of the Dawn are at risk of corruption--at risk of becoming the very monsters they fight. To be a Sanguine Knight is to stand as a bulwark at of the world from those who would prey upon them. Corruption within their ranks is seen as insidious and carries grave consequences, so it is rumored that those who cannot withstand this corruption during the Ordeal are swiftly and ruthlessly dealt with.
The Church of Eternal Light believes that the Order is the only thing keeping the Vampyr from running Ravainia entirely, and in their mind the sacrifices required by and for the Sanguine Order are all for the greater good.
Structure
The structure follows that of a militaristic monastic order. The entire Order operates under the instruction of the Inquisition arm of the Church of Eternal Light. At the head of the order is the Grand Master, who takes his orders directly from the Inquisitors. Beneath the Grand Master are the Knight Commanders, of which there are five. Beneath the Knight Commanders are the Knight Captains, of which there are ten. Each Knight Captain controls a group of one hundred knights. There are others in the order, such as pages and squires who hope to one day be initiated as knights. Only those with the title of knight have gone through the initiation ritual.
Culture
The culture is secretive and devout. The Order stresses loyalty to its own, sometimes even above loyalty to the Church itself. No outsiders know the rituals used by the Order, though there are speculations that they use black magic in order to gain their otherworldly powers.
The vetting process to become a member of the Order is long and arduous, and many good warriors are turned away for reasons that seem to make little sense. Because of this secrecy, the Order remains a mystery to those outside it.
The Order itself believes it is Ravainia's last hope for salvation from the undead. They take their charge to purge the world of monsters seriously, and act much more like hardened soldiers than holy men. For many, the trappings of faith are necessary for funding, yet they do not truly believe that it is the power of Solaris keeping evil at bay, but the power of the Order itself. Their loyalty lies with the Grand Master, and they respect their chain of command above all else. There are secrets even within the Order, with only the Grand Master truly knowing the entire truth of what they do. The knights do not question their superiors, their faith in them stronger than their faith in their supposed god. However, if they were told the truth, it would not change much for most of the knights. They believe in doing whatever is necessary to stop the undead, even if that means committing monstrous acts in the name of the greater good.
Public Agenda
Publicly, the goal of the Sanguine Order is to protect the common folk from the scourge of undead, especially the Vampyr. They are zealous in this cause, and much of their rhetoric speaks of purging the world from the monstrous entirely. They tend to see themselves as the last defense of humanity in a world overrun by evil.
Assets
The Order is one of the wealthiest arms of the Church of Eternal Light, though they are beholden to the Church for their funding. Their assets are given from tithing and as rewards for saving the common folk from monsters. They are given the best weapons and armor, their fortifications are kept up to date, and their monetary wealth is kept hidden away in vaults. There are rumors that even the Church is not aware of how much wealth the Order has, and that it is the Order controlling the Church and not the other way around. The Order insists their wealth is necessary to keep their knights in the best shape to defend the people, yet some are skeptical of their growing power.
History
In the fall of 1119, the common folk were growing uneasy by the growing threat of undead. The rabid hollow folk had been attacking more and more often, and the intelligent Vampyr had begun taking more and more people to their remote abodes where few return from. People were growing desperate, and several young noblemen decided to fight back. One was a young clergyman formerly trained as a soldier, Zathrian of Aerathis. Zathrian was given a vision from the spirit of an angel, who told him how to make the Sanguine Elixir. With the Elixir, he and the others who rebelled alongside him were able to wage war against the cruellest of Vampyr lords, Count Dragos. Zathrian killed Dragos, but the Vampyr retaliated by capturing and torturing him before flaying him alive.
Yet though he died, Zathrian became a martyr, and he had left the people of Ravainia with one crucial weapon: the Sanguine Elixir. Gathering in his honor, they formed an order of elite knights to fight back against the undead.
At first, the Order survived underground, as the Vampyr carefully crushed any hint of rebellion, yet as leadership within the Vampyr changed and their focus on crushing human religion shifted toward solving the crisis of feral undead, the Order became more visible. Publicly they focus on killing the feral undead, not mentioning their hatred of the Vampyr, though all know that their promises to cleanse the world of evil include the Vampyr as well. As the undead crisis has gotten worse over the past century, the Order has gained more visibility and power and now can be seen openly patrolling the streets of human communities.
Defend, Protect, Purify
Founding Date
1119
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
The Bloody Order, the Knights of Saint Zathrian, the Witch Hunters
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Sanguinites
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Related Species
Comments