The Swords of Kalkari
Holy warriors and scholars dedicated to the service of the god of justice Kalkari, who have wandered the Underdark for centuries administering justice as they see fit within the teachings of their patron. So enshrined are they to the idea that justice is blind, that their warriors blind themselves so that their eyes cannot deceive them, drawing on ancient martial techniques, faith and discoveries made in the Underdark to make them even more effective warriors than they would be with their sight intact.
Structure
The Swords of Kalkari are deemed to be one of the Renegade Houses, i.e. a knightly house that did not submit to the rule of the Empire of Turelion or the oversight of the Imperial Order of Knights. However, whereas for other knightly houses, this decision was a highly political one, for the Swords of Kalkari it was far more logistical. As they predominantly carry out their activities within the Underdark, far removed from the auspices or influence of the Empire of Turelion, they did not see the point in accepting the oversight of the Imperial Order of Knights. For them, it would have, meant taking on restrictions and additional administration that they felt they could do without, so they declined even to respond to the demand made by the Imperial Order of Knights all those years ago, and have operated almost in complete isolation from the other knightly houses, Imperial or Renegade ever since.
Unlike other knightly houses, which are usually led by a Head of House, the Swords of Kalkari have no temporal figure head, but instead take instruction and inspiration directly from their divine patron Kalkari, the god of justice.
However, the Swords of Kalkari are divided into two distinct groups, the Warriors and the Clerics. The Warriors wander itinerantly across Kelbonnar’s Material Plane, though principally through the Underdark, taking instruction via the divine inspiration of Kalkari, or from orders relayed to them from the Clerics. The Clerics meanwhile, tend the Sword’s monastery headquarters of Lapal Gap, maintaining its integrated temple and its library and armoury.
The Warriors come and go from Lapal Gap as they please, but the Clerics will rarely leave, unless charged with some specific business by Kalkari. Occasionally, when serious portents are revealed, or cataclysmic events seem to be looming on the horizon, all of the Swords of Kalkari will gather together at Lapal Gap to participate in a collective act of worship and divination, to best divine Kalkari’s will.
Culture
Like the other knightly houses, the Swords of Kalkari are bound to a strict code of honour, that they strive to uphold at all times. However, whilst this is rooted more firmly in chivalric principals, with guidance from theology for most of the other Knightly Houses, for the Swords, their code is enshrined in the teachings of Kalkari.
On the whole, this drives them to act in a manner that one would expect of members of a knightly house, protecting the innocent, fighting against injustice, but their adherence to the cardinal laws of Kalkari mean that they can be worryingly literal, punishing an orphan for stealing food to survive, because stealing is wrong, rather than seeing the bigger picture of why they stole. This literalism does often lead them to be viewed with suspicion, which is rarely shaken even if they help a community.
The Blind Warriors
A strong part of the culture of the Swords of Kalkari, amongst the Warriors, is that when they join the order, they agree to blind themselves. This not only shows their dedication and commitment to Kalkari, who is also known as the Blind God, but also honours one of the deity’s founding principles that justice should be blind. In order to compensate for their loss of sight, the Warriors, who are naturally imbued with extra ordinary power and awareness as a divine gift from Kalkari, train in martial techniques and hone their other senses so that they can function just as well without their eyes. In addition, they use Kinitiki Stone found only in the Underdark, to give themselves limited psionic powers and extra sensory awareness to increase their abilities and prowess.Public Agenda
The Swords of Kalkari openly act to maintain the holy laws produced for creation by the god of justice Kalkari and to enforce them on Kelbonnar’s Material Plane. These laws are:
- Protect the innocent;
- Punish those who take life without a just cause;
- Protect the sanctity of sacred spaces;
- Punish those who steal;
- Punish those who oppress;
- Ensuring justice is applied equally to all.
Headquarters
The Swords of Kalkari have their headquarters, a fortified monastery, at a place called Lapal Gap, which is located on the surface of Kelbonnar’s Material Plane in the foothills of the Spiny Mountains, within the area of Greltor Province. However, the monastery is located directly over and controls access to one of the passages that allows access to the Underdark, specifically the Upper Underdark, several days journey north west of the Eye of Orivious. Lapal Gap has accommodation for all members of the Swords, regardless of how regularly they spend time there, along with an extensive library, a large temple dedicated to Kalkari and an armoury which the members can freely avail themselves of.
Founding Date
1400BIF
Type
Religious, Monastic Order
Alternative Names
The blind warriors / Knights of Justice
Demonym
Swords / Kalkarians
Leader
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members
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