Erkernfreinde “Tyr’s Justice”

The Erkenfriende are a secretive order of clerics devoted to the god Tyr, who seek deliver justice to those deemed to be wrong-doers by the priests of Tyr.  The Erkenfriende usually operate alone, although they have been know to come together in groups, or even accept back up from knights of the Hand of Tyr, for particularly difficult situations.   When a notable evil acts goes unpunished, or when a crime affects a great many people, the priests of Tyr will deliver a ruling and set the Erkenfriende on the task of resolving the situation.  Also known as “Tyr’s Trackers”, the Erkenfriende are usually assigned to cases where the perpetrator is known, and known to be guilty, but can not be found or otherwise brought to Justice.  In those cases, these specialty clerics of Tyr see themselves as “judge, jury, and executioner”, and will never give up the trail of the wrongdoer until he is brought to a final justice.  Once this is done, the Erkenfriende go a step further and require member of their order to communicate to the victim that the trespasser has been brought to justice.  Ensuring this message is delivered often involves an ability to communicate with the dead. It is speculated by many that this practice of informing the dead of outcome came about from an effort to prevent the victims from becoming undead in the wake of the wrongdoing they suffered.   The Erkenfriende order is headquartered in the holy city of Tyrlon, and maintain a monastery near the Temple to Tyr. Most members who are still young enough to pursue and subdue evil-doers spend the majority of their lives on the road, enacting the priests proclaimed sentences.  Sometimes the priests demand a trespasser be returned to Tyrlon to face accusation, but more times than not, a sentence of death is proclaimed and the Erkenfriende carry out that sentence wherever they find the trespasser.  There are cases of an Erkenfriende traveling to arid lands of Osiris in the south and deep into the Wilderlands to find their quarry.   Most local governments understand the lawfulness and determination of the Erkenfriende and make a practice out of staying out of their way, as long as the subject of the hunt isn’t a noble or principal figure of that government.  And while the Erkenfriende have no official government position within the kingdom of Miriador, they are effectively seen by most in the Northen Kingdoms as an enforcement arm of the law.   Players characters who wish to be an Erkenfriende must be of lawful neutral alignment and they must already be a cleric of Tyr and then accepted into the order.  Generally, characters of less than 3rd level will not even be considered.