The Order of the Basilisk

Structure

The Lord Commander has absolute rule over all the Order's members, with the power to approve or deny new members to the Order or to direct everything from the deployment of its armies to the most trivial details of their lives. The current Lord Commander is ser Gilpin Riviere.

The Rock is the seat of the Order, and as a result the Lord Commander also functions as the Chapter Master of the castle.

The Chapter Master is advised by a Spire Advisor.

The Errantry Master is responsible for finding new opportunities for Knights Errant to earn their places in the order, as well as bringing larger problems to the attention of the Chapter Master for potential deployment of tested knights or larger armed forces.

The Wainsmaster is responsible for meeting the economic needs of the Order, from feeding the knights and their mounts and the men and women of the lower ranks, to overseeing the forging of arms and armour, to collecting and distribuing the rewards of the Order's quests.

Ser Reben Campiron is the Master of Neophytes in The Rock. They are responsible for taking the measure of potential new members to recommend to the Lord Commander, as well as overseeing the daily life of those accepted to become Neophytes, and finding suitable neophytes to serve the Order's knights in the field.

Other Chapter-Houses have a similar relationship to the Order's seat to that between a House and its Vassals. How strictly controlled they are by the Lord Commander can vary from one Order to another, and even from one Lord Commander to the next.

The Witwells Chapter of the Order of the Basilisk, being based in The Kingdom of Somercrag, owes fealty to The Fortifications of The Pass, House Skanler of Farcastle and House Cray of Bayglen as well as to The Rock.

ser Tilla Sadlyn is Chapter Master of the Witwells Chapter.

Culture

Like all of the Rothevalian Knightly Orders, the Order of the Basilisk is inspired by a fictional creature from their land's myths, in this case the Basilisk. The mythical Basilisk was said to have the power to turn any creature to stone with a single glance, and so the Knights style themselves after its victims, their armour decorated to look like stone.
They also seek to emulate this look in their character, with training in the Order's ranks emphasising stoicism in the face of adversity, and a fighting style which focusses on staunch defense followed by an overwhelming avalanche assault.

History

As with the other Rothevalian Knightly Orders, the Order of the Basilisk was founded during The Reformation of Rotheval, to prevent the concentration of both economic and martial power in the hands of the Rotheval Nobility.
Being one of the more Easterly Orders, the Order of the Basilisk has been frequently involved alongside the Orders of the Maxmoth, the Hippogryph, and the Winged Steed in disputes with The Kingdom of Irogonie.

In 443KS the Order was one of several invited by King Tyon I Cray to set up Chapter-Houses in The Kingdom of Somercrag to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms created by his marriage to Princett Nym Cray-Cimber, one of King Frederick IV Cimber's children. Chapter Master Riviere chose ser Tilla Sadlyn, his former Neophyte, to lead the party to Somercrag and establish a Chapter-House at Thunderbolt Bluff.

They were one of the few orders not affected by the eruption of The Boxsart Hills.

Leader

ser Gilpin Riviere

Leader Title

Lord Commander

Location

The Rock