Order of Oridain

The Order of Oridain is a shadowy knightly order, both feared and respected by the Men of Verrin. Comprised entirely of humans, the Order operates from an ancient Elven fortress called Oridain deep in Eord's forest, which gives the order its name. Rarely seen in groups larger than three, Knights of Oridain worship the god of death, Cwalt. Eschewing the dark, mystical nature most others associate with Cwalt, the Order is committed to the dignity of the dead, and the eradication of undeath in all its forms.
Despite their noble cause, the Knights are often subject to harassment and suspicion because of their reputation for secrecy. As such, their work is mostly thankless. The people of the remote town of Ulvarstead on the border of Eord's forest are among the few who recognise the importance of the Order, and as such it is tradition for offerings of food and drink to be brought to Oridain. Even in the harshest winters, they make sure to put aside some bread and salted meats to give as a donation. In return, the Knights defend the town from bandits and other lowlifes if the need arises.
The sigil of the Knights Oridain is a white or silver oak tree on a black field, and the Knights are easily identifiable by their distinctive black or dark blue tabards and banners. Between brothers of the Order, "Night comes," is a common farewell, to which the proper response is "Dawn breaks." The first phrase reminds the listener of hardships to come, whereas the second insinuates that all hardships will be overcome with time. The 'night' is a euphemism amongst the brothers of Oridain meaning the undead, and the forces of darkness. The 'dawn' is often taken to mean the righteous justice that the Knights will inevitably bring.

Structure

Knights of the Order all consider themselves brothers, but this does not mean that there is no hierarchy in place. The various ranks are as follows:
-Squire
-Knight
-Grand Knight
-Councillor
-Grand Councillor
-Grandmaster
To rise up the ranks, one must prove themselves a worthy asset to the Order. Upon reaching the rank of Councillor, the individual is entitled to a seat on the Oridain Council. As such, there may only be 12 at any one time, and there may be only 3 Grandmasters. The three offices of Grandmaster are also ranked in seniority; the Grandmaster of the Silver Oak is the most senior, followed by the Grandmaster of the Silver Sword and the Grandmaster of the Silver Gate. Traditionally, the Grandmasters are wise, old Knights who are too frail to take on physically demanding tasks. Their decades of experience help them to lead the Order of Oridain in Cwalt's exalted name.

Public Agenda

"Return to Cwalt. Be at peace now and for all time."
^{-Traditional battle benediction spoken by the Knights of Oridain after slaying the foe.}

The Order is secretive and secluded, and its Knights are often tight-lipped about their purpose when talking to outsiders, leading many to assume that they are up to no good. However, the Order of Oridain is perhaps one of the greatest shields against the undead in all of Verrin. Their purpose, through their worship of the death god Cwalt, is to root out and destroy necromancy as it is an affront to him. Those who tear the souls of the dead back from Cwalt's benevolent grasp deserve neither mercy nor clemency. To achieve this end, they carry weapons coated in silver which are anathema to wielders of dark power, as well as their shambling minions. They also avoid carrying anything made from gold, as gold has the opposite effect- it empowers sorcerers and undead in the same way silver harms them.

History

"There is no nobler purpose than to seek the eradication of the dark, twisted things that haunt this world."
^{-Alfred the Pious, third Grandmaster of the Silver Oak.}

The Order of Oridain can trace its earliest roots back to the time of King Aethelwulf, and the first arrival of Men in Verrin. Even as bloody wars were fought for Man's survival, there were always those who sought to tamper with dark magics and forces beyond their comprehension.
The Order claims its founder was a man called Vyrtnir, who was a soldier in Aethelwulf's army during a great battle. Struck by a mighty horde of Giants, he was knocked unconscious for hours, and believed dead. When he finally awoke, he saw that the battle had been over for at least a day and the field was strewn with corpses. However, he saw a man standing amongst the uncountable dead, chanting in an otherworldly tongue. To his horror, the corpses began to shudder and shake, eventually climbing unsteadily to their feet. Vyrtnir fled as fast as his feet could carry him, despite his injuries. The sorcerer spotted him, and raising a bony finger, ordered his shambling minions, both Man and Giant, to chase him down. Although slow, the undead horde would never tire or stop. Realising his injuries were starting to get the best of him Vyrtnir had no choice but to climb a tree to escape his assailants. He chose a sturdy ancient oak, tall enough that even the reanimated Giants could not reach him.
But beneath the tree's ancient boughs, Vyrtnir saw his brother who had fought alongside him during the battle. He called out to no avail. His brother's eyes were dead and empty, and the only sounds he made were pained screams. Maggots writhed in a wide cut across his skull. Once a proud and doughty warrior, he was reduced to one of many walking corpses thronging around the tree's base, clawing and scratching at its ancient bark.
The sorcerer, old and frail, could do nothing but take his decaying minions elsewhere. So shaken was Vyrtnir that he dedicated the remainder of his days to hunting down and destroying necromancy in all its vile forms, and setting his brother to rest once and for all. According to legend, he became the avatar of the god Cwalt through his fervency, and founded a noble order to assist him in his quest, with the old oak that saved his life as its sigil. Through his status as Cwalt's mortal embodiment, Vyrtnir was able to wield one of the Hargead Ýrnen- the blades of creation. This granted him immense power.
Vyrtnir found an abandoned fortress of the Elves in Eord's forest, almost as old as Verrin itself - named Oridain. After being repaired, it became the chapterhouse of his Knights, who took its name for their own. Ever since, Cwalt has watched over his Knights and they have safeguarded the realms of Men from the undead menace. Vyrtnir's blade, too powerful to be wielded by most mortals, remains hidden deep in the crypts of Oridain.

Tenets of Faith

To join the Order, each new squire must take a solemn oath that they believe in The Alwealda, and believe that the Order's founder Vyrtnir was indeed the avatar of Cwalt. Upon promotion to Knight, the squire must repeat this oath with his hand on one of the holy relics of Vyrtnir. With each rank gained, the oath becomes increasingly long and includes ever more fervent language.

"Night comes." "Dawn breaks."
^{-A common farewell between Knights of the Oridain. The first phrase is spoken by one Knight, the second by the other.}

Type

Military, Knightly Order