Knights Zantetsuken

The greatest foes refuse to hide.

A small faction of knights in the Holy See of Ishgard were discontent with the Archbishop's rule, turning to the Astral Odin for guidance. Powered by the Zantetsuken Lord's thirst for battle, the newly-crowned Knights Zantetsuken waged unholy war against the Holy See in the Ishgardian Civil War. It wasn't until the Archbishop himself called upon the power of the astrals and ousted the Knights Zantetsuken from Ishgard, banishing them from all of Eorzea. The remaining Knights Zantetsuken were driven far to the west to the continent of Ivalice. Their airship came under attack by the great wyrms of Dravania and the Knights crashed in the demilitarized zone between the warring kingdoms of Figaro and Yevon. Many of the Knights marched down what would become Crusader Road but a single Knight, Lord Varden, put the town of Southwood until martial law, taking the title "lord commander" to signify his command of the Knight garrison and his obligation to protect the town. He dissolved Southwood's town council and began construction of a permanent citadel - Fort Inevitable, named for the inevitability of order's triumph. Lord Varden ruled with a heavy hand, but the town flourished in many ways. He and his Knights Zantetsuken constructed a city wall and a stone keep, making Fort Inevitable the best-defended town on the Crusader Road. The town’s provisioners and armorers made a hefty profit from equipping Knight contingents bound for Dravania. Members of allied Knight orders came to serve at Fort Inevitable, establishing themselves alongside the Knights Zantetsuken. Varden participated in several expeditions to Dravania, but always returned to Fort Inevitable. Five years ago, Varden’s reign ended when an assassin struck him down with a crossbow bolt. His second-in-command at the time was a senior maralictor named Audara Drovust. She had accompanied Varden as a young armiger when he first came to Southwood, and worked her way up through the ranks with cold efficiency over the years. Lady Drovust took command and investigated the assassination. Within a month, she rounded up 11 suspected conspirators who were supposedly plotting to overthrow the Knight Zantetsuken regime. Some of the conspirators went to the gallows still protesting their innocence, but the lady commander informed them they would receive the exact same clemency they had shown to Lord Varden, and hanged them anyway. Lady Commander Drovust has proven herself to be meticulous and efficient. Since her accession in the aftermath of Lord Varden’s assassination, her rule has been relatively untroubled. She works steadily to counter the return of widespread banditry in the area and guide Fort Inevitable’s continued growth.

Creed: "The greatest foes refuse to hide."
Fortress: Tower of Citadel Ordeia
Leaders: Lictor Lesheir "The Spear" Remsaine
Armor: Bestial bone-and-skull designs
Weapon: Knight Sword

Type

Military, Knightly Order