Order of the Raven

I swear by the sword in my hand that I will strive for righteousness. I swear to defend the defenceless and protect the innocent. I swear to uphold the tenets of my Order and bring peace to those who are worthy. I swear to visit my holy wrath upon those who are not. I swear this oath on Hruntir’s name and the names of the exalted Sword-Saints. _{-Creed of the Swordsman}

The Order of the Raven is a knightly order solely comprised of Men, dedicated to the worship of mankind’s patron god Hruntir. The Order is famed for the incredible swordsmanship of its members, who practice a philosophy and technique called Gaerscyth. Gaerscyth, which combines magic and bladecraft, is believed to be based on the mythic swordsmanship traditions of the long-abandoned human homeland, Theodr. Hruntir is often personified as a pitch black raven with a single white feather on its wing. This is what gives the order it’s name. A notable (former) member of the Order is Leofwine One-Eye, the current king of Kingdom of Fyfeldor.

Assets

Although not a physical asset, the Order's prized possession is its school of swordsmanship called Gaerscyth. Purportedly, this school involves a combination of magic and swordsmanship, making its practitioners incredibly adept in combat. Gaerscyth also encompasses a philosophical approach to bladecraft- Knights are encouraged to meditate and only use force as a last resort. The practice of Gaerscyth is said to lead to enlightenment- where the enlightened becomes a transcendent warrior able to project his vital essence into a sword made from pure willpower. The ultimate goal of Gaerscyth is to use study of swordsmanship to win the Universal Argument, and thereby defeat the universe itself. Because of its distinct philosophical bent, the knights of the Order are almost as much monks as they are knights.

History

The Order of the Raven is perhaps the oldest knightly order in Verrin, able to trace its origins back to the original homeland of Mankind, known as Theodr. The Order has its roots in a group of Hruntir-worshipping warrior-monks, known as the Hruntir cult. In the fifth age of the Giant calendar, humans migrated en-masse to Verrin and eventually contact was lost with Theodr. It is unknown whether the Order existed in its current form in Theodr, or whether it was a development of the Hruntir cult that happened after the migration to Verrin. It is also unknown whether the Knights migrated to Verrin as a group, or whether some individuals started a new chapter on this new continent. Either way, they continued to fanatically revere Hruntir and practice their philosophy and techniques of magical swordsmanship.