Knights of Verdelith

History and General Information

The Knights of Verdelith are a Hybrid military force who have sworn their lives to guard justice. Their founder, Rowan Vaelthorne, was alive during a dark time. Hybrids were practically enslaved by their king of the time, Alric Veymont. King Veymont was a child when his father died at war and he was told to rule the kingdom. Veymont was spoiled by his mother, and he kept this state of thinking when he became king. He did horrible things to the women of the court, and to his own mother.
After thirty years of torturing the entire kingdom with his bad decisions and grotesque public shows, Rowan found himself as his kings most trusted knight. In truth, Rowan Vaelthorne was disgusted by his rulers behavior, and had planned to kill him for a long time. Using his standing as a trusted knight of the royal guard, Rowan brought his standard issue sword into the throne room during a large meeting, where nobles from all over the world stood before the tyrant. Rowan calmly walked up to his king, as if to tell him some important news, as he had done a thousand times before. But Rowan betrayed his king in front of almost three hundred people, spilling blood on the kings own throne. Nobody stopped Rowan, and nobody stopped him when he took the crown from his kings body and announced that he was the new king.
Rowan swore to never let the kingdom fall under such a horrible ruler again, and put many laws in place to stop it from happening. The Knights of Verdelith were one of the things he implemented. The sword he used to slay the king is still kept in their main hall where the Knight Captains meet. The story of Rowan and King Veymont is highly important to the Knights of Verdelith.

Vows and Moral Code

The Knights of Verdelith promise to spend their last moments defending justice and their city if they must. They have all sworn their lives to a vow and live by a code. Their vow was originally written by Rowan's eldest daughter, Vivienne Vaelthorne.
The vow goes as follows:
I stand before the blade and the banner,
Before the ghosts of those who fell,
Before the blood that paid the price,
And I swear this sacred vow.

No crown shall command me, no coin shall sway me.
No fear shall break me, no power shall tame me.
Where chains are forged, I shall break them.
Where the wicked rise, I shall cast them down.
I stand unbowed, sworn to justice, bound by honor.
By the weight of law and the edge of steel,
We carve a path where tyrants kneel.


The code the Knights live by was mostly outlined by the legacy Rowan left behind, and by what he wrote during his time as king. A few of the simple ideas are as follows:

No Knight shall take the life of an innocent citizen.

No Knight shall assist a corrupt leader, king, queen, or government official.

If a Knight refuses their duty to take care of a corrupt or tyrannical ruler, they must step down.

No Knight shall steal from citizens unless they have a reasonable explanation, such as an opportunistic search.

Knights will not lay their hands on a citizen for any reason other than arresting or escorting them.

Knights will not abuse their position of power to intimidate or abuse those below them, including other Knights.

If a Knight is seen assisting a criminal, they will be punished. Assisting acts include: tampering with evidence per the request of a suspect or someone who has been arrested and is presumed to be guilty, accepting a bribe, harboring a fugitive, or knowingly leading another Knight in the wrong direction in order to let a suspect go into hiding.

The Knights Code is a document that all Knights are required to sign when they pass all of their tests and qualifications, and this document can be brought up in court in various trials, as the code is explained as they're signing so there's no way they aren't aware of any rules. The code says nothing about them being unable to date or marry others. Knights, male or female, are entirely allowed to have a family later in life, as this does not hinder their performance.

Laws

The current laws were written by Rowan himself, and the original copy is stored in the main hall, along with other relics pertaining to Rowan and his legacy.
While Hybrid's still have an elected leader, their laws have changed a lot to stop leaders from abusing their power. The most commonly known laws regarding tyranny are as follows:

No ruler's decree is final. Major decisions must be approved by the Knight Captains, each of which has an area of expertise allowing them to vote accordingly.

The ruler must walk among the people at least twice every quarter year. They must hear the complaints of their kingdom face-to-face.

No ruler may enforce servitude upon an individual, whether by chains of metal, debt, or law. A leader who seeks to own their people shall be ruined by their people.

If a ruler is tried and found guilty of tyranny, they will be killed with the Sword of Rowan. Their legacy will be burned and their bloodline will be unable to rule for six generations.

During times of drought or starvation, rulers are required to share a reasonable amount of the kingdoms stash of water or food. A ruler is nothing if they do not care about their own people.

If the ruler orders the death of a person, criminal or not, they must wield the blade themselves. No life shall be taken by command alone, lest they forget the weight of bloodshed.

If a ruler attempts to silence their people, they may be asked to step down. If they do not, the Knights will fix the issue. Every voice has a right to be heard.

As for other laws, most of them are the simple and obvious ones, such as murder and rape being punishable by death.

By the weight of law and the edge of steel, we carve a path where tyrants kneel.

Capital

Verdelith

Alternative Names

K.O.V., The Knights, The Guard

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Demonym

Knights

Founders

• Rowan Vaelthorne

Legislative Body

Knight Captains, the highest form of authority in Verdelith are the ones who write the laws.

Judicial Body

A group of three Knight Captains, who must have attended a specialized school, are the ones who review and interpret the laws made by the other Knight Captains. These same Knights are responsible for holding trials.

Location

Verdelith

Neighboring Nations

• Terraguard Alliance

Related Species

• Hybrid