Scuta Quoque Maris

While technically considered a globally present order, the Scuta Quoque Maris or Chivalric Order of Oceanic Guardians is really a small time knightly order who have taken vows to protect all that is good and light in the world with a specific focus on the sea floor and the coastline. Traditionally the order is open to accepting members from all walks of life, but generally speaking those who can spend long stretches of time underwater are the only ones of use to the order.

Structure

The Scuta Quoque Maris is an Errant knightly order, meaning they have no permanent bases or headquarters. Thus each member of the order is their own master and commander. When multiple knights are traveling together, they differ to a kind of seniority hierarchy where the longest serving, and thus most experienced member of the order is in command.

Public Agenda

The Scuta Quoqua Maris is an errant collection of knights and warriors who dedicate themselves to preserving and protecting the life of the sea and it's coastlines. They often work in humanitarian efforts, but sometimes grievous crimes can call for a Salt Guard to act as a investigator or even a hunter of larger sea monsters.

Beliefs: A Salt Guard's beliefs can be summarized as follows:

• Life beneath the ocean's surface needs protecting as much as life on the land.

• The Sea Floor, for the most part, is the last frontier untouched and unspoiled by humanity, and it should be preserved.

• The Sea Floor can be one of the darkest places on earth, a Salt Guard should bring a bit of light wherever they go.

Goals: The order's goals are simple, their knights work tirelessly to pprotect and preserve sea life from the dangers above and below the water's surface. They seek to bring joy, light and celebration wherever they go and when needed they put the smack down on thing that need to be put back in their place, both above and below the water's surface. They work on land as much as they do on the sea floor.

Typical Quests: Quests both given and undertaken by members of the order are going to include hunting down violent and aggressive sea monsters. Righting wrongs that have been done to sea life and the denizens of the sea floor such as investigating crimes, arbitrating disagreements, protecting travelers and things of that nature. Operations on land would be much of the same, but they mostly stick to the coastline since their main focus is on the sea. There are many other Knightly Orders for land dwellers, after all.

Assets

Unlike most Knightly Orders (such as the Praetorian Guard of Edane) Salt Guards are not required to give up all of their worldly property in the pursuit of their ideals. Instead, they are filling a niche that the order feels has been neglected long enough. As a result, the assets of the order com as varied as their knightly members. Some have just the clothes on their back and a sword and shield, others have a sailing ship or own a business. While none of those assets are strictly speaking "owned" by the order, more often than not those members are more than willing to use their own assets towards the larger goals of the organization.

When it comes to assets actually owned and governed by the order, their main and probably only asset would be their members themselves. The order currently counts more than two thousand enlisted members throughout the world, with more than half of them located within the Equikoran Land Bridge and the Contested Isles of the Azure Sea.

History

The Order of the Oceanic Guardians was founded by a Triton named Kelnes Duhronath. He was a gladiator in the Triton army, and in the year 1028 AP, he and his company of soldiers were hunting a Kraken, as Triton's are wont to do. They cornered the ancient beast and were able to kill it, but not until after it had decimated an entire community of Locathah and killed thousands. Kelnes wanted to help those who had served as the monster's collateral damage, but his superiors adv him that it was not their place to look out for everyone in the sea, and he was ordered to leave the ruined settlement behind. For the first time in his life, Kelnes asked himself: If it is not my job to care for those beneath the waves...then who's is it? Within a week he has resigned his commission in the Triton army and created an organization dedicated to protecting the ocean and its denizens from the darkness that constantly threatens to destroy it.

Conquest through vigilance.

Founding Date

1028 AP

Type

Military, Knightly Order

Alternative Names

The Chivalric Order of Oceanic Guardians

Demonym

Salt Guards, Coral Knights (derogatory)

Notable Members

• Sarya Ulacaryn