Knights of Ruth
You’ve heard the tales thousands of times.
A damsel in distress, an honorable knight,
a terrible dragon. Have you ever wondered as to
their source? Have you ever questioned where
the idea of chivalry and honor, of protecting the
meek and loyally serving the king came from?
Surely, not from the Dragsa. If you dig deep
enough, if you read tomes of ancient wisdom,
you will eventually uncover one name—Ruth.
The Loyal Servants of the Crown. The Knights of Ruth
are the perfection many attempt to reach in their lifetime, yet
only so few manage. Their armor always shines, their bodies
are machines trained to withstand extreme conditions, their
minds are sharp, and their hearts are kind. There’s no room
for imperfection, no place for hesitation. The Knights of Ruth
are an order of warriors serving the Ruler of Hyste Talma, and
they do not compromise on excellence.
They stand as a stark opposite to the Knights of Tidor, and as
a matter of fact, often oppose their knightly status, claiming
that they disgrace the title. Whereas Tidor’s Clan is a ragtag
group of skilled individuals from many walks of life, the
Knights of Ruth are carefully handpicked from the best that
the dwarven race has to offer.
With carefully trimmed and braided beards, clean faces and
immaculate manners, they present a united front. You would
find it difficult to differentiate between the individual Knights,
as they wear the same style of clothing and use the same style
of armor. Their weapons range from swords to greataxes, but
even the most specialized of warriors do not stray from the
staple of the dwarven armaments.
Ruth the Terrible. The dwarf whose name the annals of history
remember as the founder of the order is Ruth the Terrible. His
fearsome name isn’t, however, an indicator of his ineptitude or
flawed character. On the contrary, ‘the Terrible’ alludes to his
last moments of life. Ruth lived and died as a knight should,
preaching and practicing honor and power. He died protecting
an innocent dwarven child from the terrible fate of being burned
alive in one of the Hyste Talma’s forges. As he burned however, he
did not yell or cry. He bore the pain with dignity, yet the sight of
his silent suffering filled the hearts of his kinsmen with so much
dread, that the name ‘the Terrible’ stuck. Tidor, at least, finds it
hilarious.
Following Ruth the Terrible, every other head of the order took
the name ‘the Terrible’ to emphasize their readiness to follow
in their forefather's footsteps and sacrifice themselves if the
situation is dire enough. Currently, Ruth VII the Terrible stands
as the Head Knight, and though his political views are exactly
the same as all his predecessors, he is perhaps the only leader of
the order who does not merely echo the opinions of the Ruler of
Hyste Talma but instead offers his own perspective.
Honor in Death. The Knights have established a tradition
of passing down the name to their descendants. Except for
‘the Terrible’, all other names, such as ‘the Black,’ ‘the Merciful,’
‘the Brave,’ etc., are worn by the sons of their original bearers.
In the evenings, when there’s a chance to rest and unwind,
the dwarves share stories of their mighty ancestors and add
their own deeds to long, long tales of their name. A new name
might be earned, but it rarely happens that a dwarf without
a proper pedigree is accepted into the ranks of the Knights.
A stone shall withstand any storm. The Knights of Ruth
fight with perfect synchrony. They train until they’ve reached
perfection and most often enter confrontations in a controlled
manner. They do not show much emotion during battle,
instead opting to channel what they feel into the strength of
their blows. No matter the opponent, no matter the atrocities
and horrors in front of them, they do not show fear or anger.
Like well-oiled machines, they move forward in units until
their enemies are ground to dust.
The usual unit counts five Knights, all heavily armored and
carrying shields. As a group, they can gain advantage over
their enemy, and though they prefer to stick together, they’re
not above dispersing and flanking their opponents.
While morality and honor play a significant role in their
choices—and a Knight of Ruth would rather give their mortal
enemy a weapon to defend themself than stab them in the
back—the word of the Ruler is sacred and must be followed
promptly. It had happened, regrettably, that the King or Queen
had misused the enormous power of the Knight of Ruth to
deal with political opponents.
Type
Military Order
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Comments