The Circle of Twelve
Defenders of the weak, champions of justice, and crusaders against evil are only some of the names given to the Circle of Twelve. Devout and courageous warriors fighting for good and the common weal of humanity in times of war; peacekeepers, judges, charitable knights, and guardians of the realm in times of peace the members of the Circle and their devout vassals live lives of example, chivalry and honor and are known for their goodly codes of conduct as well as their strength and might throughout all of Valenica. Beholden only to truth, good, and honor these valiant warriors comb the lands of Valencia bending the knee to no man or king and holding peasant to emperor as equals.
In the year 1330 VF the budding kingdom of Valalfar (the Elfin Valley) was engaged in a violent border dispute with the nascent empire of Valencia. While the conflict is rooted in one people’s desire for autonomous independence and another’s desire to expand their territory; both sides committed both acts of great heroism as well as atrocities against each other. While the skirmish lasted only a few years and ended with a peaceful resolution, this border war was the impetus behind the rise of an honorable and goodly order known as the Circle of Twelve.
While the politics of the time are of extreme import, and each interested party, be they kingdoms, territories, or powerful nobles exercised their influence, the cessation of the conflict was due to a small group of heroic warriors that were leaders or generals of various groups of soldiers involved in the war. While most scholars attribute a Valencian noble by the name of Hessius the Honorable, also known as Fair Beard, to forming the order, it was actually the main leaders of Valencia (including Hessius), Valafar, Greenwood, and the mercenary captain, Zinta (also known as the Brute) from the twelve-isles, and the famed warrior of legend, Ardonial the Harrier that agreed to meet regularly, that created the original order.
In the huge delta that is now Stronghold there was a large stone fortress referred to as Strongheld Keep. During the border wars, the common soldiers on both sides of the conflict were known to have put entire villages to the torch, destroyed crops, stolen the common folks foods, and to have committed acts of violence and brigandry against innocents. During the conflicts, under flags of truce, the leaders met in Strongheld Keep to agree upon a code of conduct to spare the lives, honor, and livelihoods of non-combatants. It was said that the original meeting was comprised of nearly three-score leaders and generals. For nearly a week they discussed and debated and all eventually agreed upon a set of rules for how the war would be fought and how all soldiers would conduct themselves. While finding themselves on opposing sides of the conflict, the original five founders of the circle of twelve developed a deep respect for one another due to their dedication to fairness, protecting the weak, and their personal codes of honor.
The original five founding members were actually responsible for creating a peaceful resolution to the conflict and are directly responsible for the founding of the free and independent regions known as Stronghold. Ardonial was charged with the leadership of Stronghold but refused to take any throne. He, instead, adopted the title of Ward, saying that no single man should hold dominion over another’s, but that they should ward and guard that other’s life and honor. As all of the founders of the Circle were from different kingdoms, they decided to meet seasonally in Stronghold to celebrate noble deeds, discuss and rectify any ills in the land, and to remind each other of the virtues of living a good and just life.
Over the next 300 or so years, the order grew from the original five into twelve main members of the council, each member of the circle representing his home nation or kingdom. As one member becomes too venerable to remain active, or falls with glory and honor, his (or her) successor is chosen by the committee based solely on their personal dedication to righteousness, goodness, and honor. Over the centuries the Circle of Twelve has seen Nobles, Kings, Knights, many a Paladin, and commoners among its ranks. Within the circle one’s title or wealth are not to be a consideration; only the mettle of the man is of import.
The circle of twelve values good, chivalry, and justice above all and adhere to high ideals through their codes of conduct. Their conduct off chivalry and honor is one that champions good, the support and defense of those that cannot do so for themselves or need protecting and they swear their oaths constantly citing that to betray their oaths is to betray their honor and impose death upon themselves. The circle of twelve embodies the highest ideals of truth, justice, and honor for all, posing themselves as champions to those causes.
Each council member of The circle of twelve has any number of vassals at their disposal. Some retain only a few soldiers while some others have had numbers close to a thousand. Their vassals tend to carry out the business of the order while the main council members decide what the order is going to do, or not do, and delegate the tasks to their vassals. However it is still quite common for the main council members to take to the field and to lead by example. To become a vassal to a member of the circle of twelve is considered to be an extremely high honor. Only those that live by the very virtues the members hold dear are even considered, and of those only the ones that are the most exemplary and then taken in and mentored. Any acts of deception, dishonor, or cowardice are immediate dismissal from vassalhood and trial by combat versus the wronged council member (or one of his other vassals) often decides if the punishment is stripping of honor and exile, or death.
The council members always wear a tabard of white, edged in red with the crest of the Circle of Twelve, a simple circle with twelve equidistance straight lines along its perimeter. The white shows their purity of body, life, and soul; the red to symbolize the blood of their life that they swear upon, and the crest to show that they live simply and that none is above the other. Their vassals are adorned in similar vestaments, but their tabards are usually colored instead of white. Green represents vassals of Valalfar, blue to represent the seas surrounding the twelve isles, gray for GrayCliff, etcetera.
In times of peace, members of the Circle of Twelve and their vassals roam their homelands righting wrongs, championing the weak, and defending those that cannot stand up for themselves. At each seasonal equinox they meet in Stronghold, in a specially built, but simple, dedicated keep—named Hessanhale (after Hessius)—to determine what places and events need their aid. In times of war they decide which side is on the side of right and lend their military might and leadership to those they deem to be worthy.
While extremely rare, one more than one occasion, members of the council have found themselves to dissent from the council’s decision. In those instances, they may choose their own paths, or recuse themselves from taking any action at all, so long as any action they take never opposes of impedes, in any manner, the actions of another council member or the council itself. Unlike the chaotic and nefarious Dark Cloaks, this includes any indirect action of anything that the council would frown upon. Despite the desires and prodding of certain kings others, council members have honorably refused orders or divorced themselves from aiding lords when they were manipulated into confronting others of the council. There is even a famous bardic song, the Chaffing of the Wheat, that depicts two council members, one from the Northern Coast and another from Harkeep that were misled by two powerful and wealthy merchants who each attempted to pit the other against them. When they and their vassals met in battle, they discovered that both had been dishonorably lied to and manipulated and they dealt justice by executing the merchants, defeating their troops, confiscating their wealth and properties and then dividing that between the poorer merchants and common folk that had suffered.
Lie to your mother and you might do well But never cross the circle of twelve They’ll take your head and they’ll take your land And give it to those a’suffered by your hand All will tell you and all merchants know When the wheat be chaffed the twelve lay you low
Most of the common folk revere the Circle of Twelve and its vassals as heroes of all and fonts of all that is good and just in the world of men. Hosting a member is considered to be an honor and it is well-known that a true champion of right will gladly take shelter in lowliest of huts just as soon as he would a Prince’s castle. However, some have attempted to pass themselves as members of the order in order to gain the favor and hospitality that council members are received with. While not a crime, those imposters are either dealt with by the hand of Valencian mob justice, or turned over to true vassals of the order to be dealt with.
My mouth speaks only truth
My heart knows only mercy
My mind knows only honor
My sword knows only right
My courage is unbreakable
I shall defend the weak and champion the good
I shall uphold justice and punish the deserving
I shall hold no man before me and none beneath me
I shall take no titles and gather no wealth
I shall only take what is given and give all I possess
I shall never do dishonor to another
I swear this by my sword, the body that wields it, and my heart’s blood that courses through it.
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