Anskian Knights

Anskian Knights, also known as Knights of Tiamat, is an order of Knight dedicated to Tiamat.
The Anskian Knights are best known for the The Pentarchal Vows and are highly respected as honorable adversaries.
The Order is rumored to be able to bond with Dragons, such as those of the The Silver Chalice, though it is not confirmed yet.

Structure

Order of the Pentarchs

The Order of the Pentarchs consists of the Lord of the Ruby, Lord of the Sapphire, Lord of the Emerald, Lord of the Obsidian, and Lord of the Ivory. These Pentarchs command their respective orders and answer only to the Lord of the Five Heads, the supreme leader of the knighthood.

The Three Orders Ranking

While they are five vows, like the The Silver Chalice, there are three orders, however, do not work in ranked manner like the Silver Chalice:

The Scaled Bulwark

The Scaled Bulwark serves as the backbone of the Anskian Knights, where all initiates begin their journey. It is the military might of the knighthood, instilling discipline and conformity in its members. The order emphasizes that unity and obedience are the ultimate strengths of the knighthood, while individualism and chaos are their greatest weaknesses.
Key tenets of the Scaled Bulwark include:

• “Obedience is Strength, Rebellion is Ruin.”
• Members undergo rigorous physical and mental training to prepare them for service in any capacity.
• They serve as infantry, vanguard, and shock troops in the knighthood’s campaigns.

Every knight must first prove themselves within the Scaled Bulwark before moving on to other specialized branches.

Acolytes of the Fivefold Chrome

The Acolytes of the Fivefold Chrome is the clerical and divine branch of the Anskian Knights, wielding both divine magic and martial prowess. Clerics serve as healers, advisors, and spiritual guides within the knighthood, as well as enforcers of discipline and loyalty. Their main roles are:

• Divine Focus: Members channel divine energy from Tiamat, wielding magic for healing, intelligence gathering, and internal affairs.
• Diplomats and Enforcers: They serve as advisors to the Lord of the Five Heads and Pentarchs and maintain order within the ranks.

Acolytes of the Fivefold Chrome members are especially drawn to Black Dragons, whose cunning and resilience mirror their own. Their motto is: “From patience flows power, and from power flows victory.”

Arcanum Shroud

The Arcanum Shroud is the arcane branch of the Anskian Knights, focusing on the study and use of magic to advance the knighthood’s goals. Members of the Arcanum Shroud are powerful Sorcerers, Wizards or Magi and their main roles are:

• The Arcanum Shroud seeks to divine the future and manipulate events to benefit the Anskian Knights.
• They often act as strategists and counselors, ensuring that the knighthood’s campaigns are guided by wisdom and foresight.

Arcanum Shroud members wear robes of deep green and carry staffs or wands adorned with draconic motifs. Their motto is: “Knowledge is power, and power is destiny.”

Auxiliary

Bloodshot Rangers

The Bloodshot Rangers are elite archers within the Anskian Knights, handpicked for their extraordinary precision and deadly skill in ranged combat. They are most commonly drawn from the Ruby Order but may also include members of the Sapphire and Emerald Orders. A few Dark Elves are welcomed into their ranks despite their outsider status.
The Bloodshot Rangers are deployed in two key roles:

• Siege Warfare: Working as a team to rain down death on their enemies from fortified positions.
• Assassination and Sniping: Operating independently as assassins or long-range snipers, striking down key targets with lethal precision.

Bloodshot Rangers are fiercely loyal to one another and will prioritize the lives of their comrades above other knights. Their signature weapon is a blackened, rune-etched longbow blessed by the Obsidian Order.

Drakeheart Inquisitors

The Drakeheart Inquisitors are an elite order within the Anskian Knights, dedicated to rooting out heresy, treachery, and weakness within the ranks of the Knighthood and beyond. Their mere presence signifies that someone will face judgment. The inquisitors answer to the Draconic Judges of the Wyrmguard Sentinels.
The Drakeheart Inquisitors have a secret branding of their corresponding vow - Fire, Frost, Lightning and Acid.

Scaled Legion

The Scaled Legion represents the philosophy of unity through diversity - meaning races like Goblinkin, meaning Hobgoblins, Ogres, Bugbears and even Goblins. They are trained to function as a seamless, adaptive unit. Like the scales of a dragon that individually protect the body, each member of the Legion is crucial to the whole.
They prioritize strategy, discipline, and coordinated action, striving to perfection in battle. Their methods include infiltration, traps, and control through order and intimidation.

Culture

The Knighthood itself is following 5 aspects, each for one head of Tiamat, which accepts all Yirrithis' faiths and also secure alliances with other organizations that they can help them, as the see themselves as true knights of honor.
While each knight is bound to their chosen vow and aspect, the Anskian Knights are united by the understanding that the Five Aspects are part of a greater whole. Just as Tiamat's heads work together to dominate, so too must the knights collaborate to fulfill their purpose. Each aspect complements the others, ensuring the knighthood's strength, versatility, and unwavering devotion to Tiamat's glory.
The Knights show respect to other Honorable adversaries, such as Knights from the The Silver Chalice or other knights who are deemed honorable in their minds. Meaning that most knights, unless those who are honorable, are able to receive mercy from the Ankian Knights.

History

"We are our own worst enemy," Saravok told the warrior, "Each commander seeks personal gain. Our troops lack discipline because their leaders lack discipline. Such disorder, lack of discipline and loyalty, will always bring us to defeat. But my knights will be different. We will be like Ironwood —strong yet flexible, enduring through adaptation. Order, discipline, and vision: these are the keys. Order brings accomplishment, discipline brings achievement, and vision unites us."

Though the name is somewhat mistaken for being an order of the Old Ansko Empire, it has actually got it name right after the The Fall of the Ansko Empire after many people in all around Rakion, received visions to convene at Lka’jan.
It is told in the archives of the order, that The Yirrithis Brotherhood had come to repay the kindness of Lka’jan and helped them establish the knighthood, following the model of The Silver Chalice, both as a mockery and role model for a set of codes that truly work.
In the year 985 AB, the knighthood established itself in many places, most notably Kingdom of Anska, Lka'jan, and also The Yirrithis Brotherhood, though it is more as a remote ambassy.

Founding Date

983 AB

Type

Military, Knightly Order

Deities

• Tiamat

Related Ethnicities

• Bafigronian
• Neomen
• Noust Drokilit
• Sirilisch