Hellknights

Structure

The leader of a Hellknight order is known as the lictor, while a leader whose training is more scholarly and less martial is known as a vicarius. Beneath him are an order's master or mistress of blades (field commanders) and paravicar (leader of the order's arcane/religious forces). Beneath them, paralictors (Hellknight officers), signifers (Hellknight spellcasters), rank and file Hellknights, and armigers (Hellknights in training) flesh out the ranks. There are numerous orders of Hellknights. Most have holdings in Archendale, but a few have expanded or moved to operate outside the country, most typically in regions friendly to the nation. Below are the seven major orders in alphabetical order:

• Order of the Chain
• Order of the Gate
• Order of the Godclaw
• Order of the Nail
• Order of the Pyre
• Order of the Rack
• Order of the Scourge

Numerous lesser orders of Hellknights exist, although few are known outside the borders of Archendale. Although less pervasive, these smaller orders are only slightly less feared than their better-known brethren.

• Little is known about the secret Order of the Glyph.
• The Whisperwood's Order of the Pike hunts down monsters.
• The Order of the Scar stalks assassins.
• The Order of the Torrent rescues victims of kidnapping, but have been in severe decline for the past several decades.

Culture

Regardless of their severity, Hellknights are not an inherently evil group; they are wholly unconcerned with morality. Although there are numerous evil members—particularly among their upper echelons—the majority of the orders are impartial arbiters and enforcers of order and justice. They see the study of Hell's tenets and even the summoning of devils as tools meant to intimidate and strengthen the individual resolve of the orders' members. Hellknights are taught to replace emotion with steely discipline, and are not interested in methods: only the end results matter. While Hellknights are widely feared and respected, the common Hellknight joins out of a sense of duty and a wish to be a part of something greater, seeing a world ruled by laws and free of rampaging beasts and cheating thieves as a future well-worth striving toward, even at the sacrifice of freedom. Countries and rulers sometimes invite Hellknights into their lands, leaving the dirty business of harsh law enforcement to an already loathed third party, although convincing Hellknights to leave once they have been welcomed sometimes proves problematic for more freedom-loving societies.

Founding Date

765 AC

Type

Military Order

Demonym

Hellknight