House Mallion

One of the knightly houses that operates within the framework of the Empire of Turelion, House Mallion is one of the youngest of the knightly houses and has dedicated itself to protecting the roadways and isolated communities of Norgantho Province.

Structure

House Mallion is run by the Knight Superior, who acts as the commander in chief of its forces and who oversees all of their activities. The Knight Superior is appointed for a period of ten years by a majority vote of the knights of the house, with all knights being eligible to stand if they wish.
Within the main body of the House there are no defined ranks other than knight and squires, those that are in training. There are however defined roles within the house, Armorer, Librarian and Quartermaster, but these positions come only with specific duties rather than a boost in status.
To make life easier when companies of knights go out on the business of the house, the Knight Superior will appoint a specific knight in the company to be in command, but this position of authority only lasts for as long as the company is on patrol. Once they return to House Mallion, all knights are deemed to be equal in station again.
Like all knightly houses that were assimilated into the imperial system, House Mallion is answerable to the Imperial Order of Knights and the Knight Superior must attend the bi-annual Gathering of Houses in Ganbrell.

Culture

As with the other knightly houses, House Mallion has a very close-knit culture, with the knights within it being encouraged to view one another as brothers and sisters instead of friends or colleagues. All members of the House are given accommodation in Caar Ridge that they are able to use for as long as they are members of the House and all take responsibility for training the squires that will form the next generation of knights.
In addition, House Mallion’s knights are discouraged from collecting or aspiring to personal wealth, with a focus instead on servitude and humbleness. As a House under the umbrella of the Imperial Order of Knights, protection of the Empire of Turelion and its provinces and loyalty to the Emperor is actively encouraged.

Public Agenda

House Mallion have chosen to focus their efforts on protecting the roads and highways that crisscross across Norgantho Province, as well as the many isolated settlements dotted throughout the Relialo Plains, which are too small or remote to be given a garrison of Provincial troops. Companies from House Mallion will also often help to escort trading caravans across the Province, bolstering the force of mercenaries most trading companies and merchants will hire as caravan guards as standard.
Though their cause means that their companies of knights have to travel great distances, and often spend many months away from their home in Caar Ridge. Despite this, their efforts provide a vital line in keeping the fringe communities safe, who are ever at risk of being attacked by the raiding parties of the Exiled Tribes who frequently descend from the Spiny Mountains.

Assets

Like most other knightly houses, House Mallion maintains a castle complex, Caar Ridge that acts as their headquarters, their garrison and their training ground. They have been given ownership of the surrounding land and the village that sits at the foot of the castle and services the House with food, other supplies as necessary and skilled labour.
Whilst monetarily they are not flush with cash, though they have enough to maintain themselves as an organisation, House Mallion maintains a large armoury and weapon’s store and a large stable where they breed the warhorses used by the knights. In years where more foals are born than are needed, the horses deemed least suitable for a life of combat are sold off for a good price to create some extra revenue for the House’s coffers.

History

Founded in 100BIF, only 80 years before the War of Imperial Formation began, the original aim of the House Mallion was to provide protection to the numerous settlements that had started to pop up on the southern and western coast of the continent of Hunar, in the area that was to later become Norgantho Province. These settlements were originally founded on Hunar’s coasts to facilitate trading with the Tribes that dwelt in the Relialo Plains, but as Machestaro I's ambitions turned to Hunar as well, these settlements became staging posts for the Turelite invasion into the interior.
Though House Mallion, like the vast majority of the knightly houses did not partake in the fighting, they did bow to the authority of the Empire once it was clear that Turelion had control over the area. Despite their reticence to get involved in the politics of the conflict, now that they found themselves within the Imperial system, House Mallion realised that there was much to be gained from it. The house was granted lands in the interior, along with a substantial grant of money, courtesy of the Imperial Bureau to establish themselves as the predominant knightly house in the newly formed Norgantho Province. In exchange for this, they were required to expand their activities from protecting isolated settlements to protecting the roads that sprang up and began to snake their way through the province, a duty they have carried out to the present day.

Military

As one of the largest knightly houses, House Mallion has around 3,000 fully dubbed knights operating throughout Norgantho Province on their behalf. Most of these knights travel in companies of between 5-20 individuals, with these groups performing patrols of the roads of the Province for months on end. Like most knightly houses, each of these knights is a highly trained warrior in their own right, skilled in the use of all manner of weapons, both mêlée and ranged, and with fighting on both foot and horseback. Whilst individual knights can carry whichever weaponry they prefer, a group of knights will normally have a range of different weapons specialists within it, so that they can deal with any situation that presents itself, and work effectively together as a team.
House Mallion also maintains a force of 2,000 Squires, trainee knights, most of whom are based in House’s headquarters at Caar Ridge, where they undergo training and act as a permanent garrison. Squires who are more advanced in their training accompany groups of knights on their patrols around Norgantho Province, or are occasionally sent on missions of their own, generally to relay information or orders to companies of knights travelling on the road.

Religion

Like most Knightly Houses, House Mallion was partly founded as a religious institution as well as a chivalric and military one. House Mallion and its knights are dedicated to the deity Canthart and follow the practices of the Imperial Church of Canthartism.

Founding Date

100BIF

Type

Military, Knightly Order

Parent Organization

The Imperial Order of Knights