The Order of the Pariah
The Order of the Pariah has an ambivalent reputation in the Horizon. On Coriolis, they are known as Samaritans and run a hospital, a sanatorium for the hyper sick, several soup kitchens, and a renowned medical school. The medical students are heavily influenced by the Order's religious views, but all students are offered generous scholarships. However, outside Coriolis, they are known as the Martyrs. Stories from the Portal Wars speak of them as fanatics who were merciless in combat and careless of their own lives. Their enormous monastery ships were rumored to carry both soldiers and flagellants into battle, a rumor that is still prevalent. They are also whispered to be committing bloody war crimes in their crusades against dissidents in their home system, Zalos.
They have long been isolationist, and closed their portals to all foreigners after the Portal Wars. They did not reopen their borders until Consortium sent the Legion to demand passage. Even then, outsiders were restricted to the City of Foreigners. Now the pattern is repeating itself after the Order closed its portal again in protest of the Emissaries being granted a seat on the Council of Factions. This has cut off on of the most important trade routes in teh Horizon and military conflict seems likely in the near future.
The Order has a strong military. Their ships are intimidating, with hulls depicting cataclysmic scenes of war and dockworkers whispering about on board ossuaries filled with the bones of martyrs. They also possess a unique form of biotechnology that, among other things, enables the creation of animated suits of armor used by their elite warriors. It is also unknown how large their fleet is, but many speculate that it most be significant since the Legion has not yet demanded they open their portals.
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