The Order of Minerva

The knights of the Order of Minerva date back many centuries, a holy order sworn to protect those who need it. The worship the Goddess Minerva and strive to be the champions of the downtrodden. They were decimated by the events of the Last War.

Structure

The Grand Chaplain is the leader of the Knights, and sits in council with the leaders of the Church of Minerva. 
The Holy Orders are split into Chambers, each led by a Knight-Elect, who is chosen by the Grand Chaplain. Each Chamber has a number of Chaplains to act as spiritual advisers and lead the Knights in prayer.
Yeah Chamber has 20 Knights, their Squires and a number of Neophytes who are Knights-in-training who will be assigned to a Knight to learn their ways.

Culture

As the followers of a goddess of honourable combat, the knights see the ultimate form of worship to be the fight for a noble cause. They train and hone their abilities to become amongst the best fighting forces of all Allatar who can stand against forces many times their size.

Public Agenda

The main aim of the Knights is to root out evil that threatens those who can not defend themselves.

History

Originally, many Knights would worship the Goddess Minerva, her ways fitting those of the Knights code and those most pious and good found themselves gaining her divine favour. Some would want to emulate the ancient holy warrior Breykka , a hero to the downtrodden who was the first to wield The Shard of Minerva 
The old baron of Eskain formed a band of his most dedicated knights into what would become the Order. and charged them with keeping the peace and working with the Church to protect the innocent.
When the Last War broke out in 1024, the Order at first tried to keep their neutrality, offering aid and defending those who wanted no part in the war, but as time went on and the war bogged down, Knights began to leave to defend their homes, forsaking their vows. The Order became a shadow of its former self and in that shadow steeped Heskus Von, who rose to the position of High Chaplain. 
Von had been born in Eskain, in a village called Muldsted, the site of one of the first real atrocities of the Last War. There, magic wielding soldiers of The Theocracy of Eclain unleashed an experimental arcane weapon when trying to drive out bunked soldiers of the Eskain military in the village. The living flames of the weapon quickly grew out of the control of the Eclainians and the village was reduced to a smouldering rubble. 
Von grew bitter at the Orders inability to act in the Last War, its neutral stance meaning it couldn't maintain its purpose of protecting the weak and so, little by little, he moved the Order to side with the Eskainian military, the Knights becoming the elite troops of the Eskain. By ensuring that his followers were the ones in positions of power in the Order, Von insured that for the rest of the long war, the Order were fighting on the side of Eskain.

"For Minerva!"

Founding Date

804

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Alternative Names

The Knights of the Goddess

Demonym

Knights

Leader

Asteran Gadstide

Leader Title

Grand Chaplain

Deities

• Minerva

Location

Eskain