Grasshopper Knights

The most iconic form of Caracar's rule was the Grasshopper Knights, an elite force that rode giant grasshoppers capable of tremendous leaps that enabled them to speed around the empire. There were networks of waystations (similar to the pony express or stagecoach inns) designed to support these knights in their movements, as well as garrison stations all across the empire. The Grasshopper knights were in many places seen as noble saviours, in others as oppressors – and all these things may or may not be true in different times and places. after Caracar's fall, the art of grasshopper riding is lost for millenia before being reintroduced by Borathon.
Questions:

• how did recruitment/training work? ended up with pan-regional composition.

Structure

The structure of the Knights was intentionally flat, with a few Lords who held considerable political power who mostly remained on Caracar itself presiding over a larger force of independent, empowered knights who outrank any local military or civilian leaders.
not formally part of the knights' order were the many custodians and messengers who maintained the network of waystations and spare grasshoppers, as well as servants, trainers, and administrators on Caracar itself. finally, larger waystations acted as garrisons, and kept professional military forces who were independent of the local politics (at least in principle).
A network of waystations supported the Knights, with the law stating that:

• Waystations must maintain spare grasshoppers and supplies, and stable any knights passing through, and
• Only knights may ride grasshoppers. This law, ostensibly about safety but really about power, proved to be somewhat flexible as occasionally hoppers needed to be moved between stations, however this was only ever done along known and calculated routes and was never officially prescribed.
• These waystations also, in some areas, act as the only constant Caracar presence, able to settle legal disputes, hold militias etc. This is far from universal however, being most common in frontier territories.

Public Agenda

The Grasshopper Knights' charge was to ensure the peace, stability, prosperity and expansion of the Caracaran Supplicancy, travelling to wherever trouble presented itself and quelling it.

History

The Grasshopper Knights, as an institution, rose with the Caracaran Supplicancy and fell with its demise. they were instrumental in all its early military victories, as well as consistently acting as a threat to keep down rebellions and direct the direction and attention of the great beast.

Disbandment

When Caracar fell, it was the Knights that finally put the great beast down. as such - and at the prodding of their rivals, The Whispers, they were blamed for the empires' fall and formally disbanded within days. loyal citizens turned against them, while those who had chafed under the Caracaran yoke still resented the knights for the many atrocities they committed to secure imperial supremacy. With few allies, no shelter, and a concerted effort by the Whispers to destroy them, the Grasshopper knights died off over the ensuing centuries - though they did not go quickly or quietly - and knowledge of grasshopper-riding died with them. the last knights - barring Borathon - were dead by 2050.

Demography and Population

Knights were recruited at a young age from all parts of the empire, and as such, a great diversity of infusions are known among the knights, including Fivefold, Obothic, Verdigris, Variflame, Mirror, Delunustri, and many others.
There were never more that 2,000 total knights, and they were generally extremely dispersed, with no more than 200 ever being present at a single battle or event.

Education

new Knights are thoroughly trained and indoctrinated in personal combat, tactics, politics, geography, languages, and diplomacy, as well as the riding of Grasshoppers.
While fixed-jump journeys (e.g. between waystations) can be learnt by rote or noted on paper, the true art of riding involves expert animal handling and totally internalised complex trigonometry/mechanics.
Grasshopper Knight weapon training is based on very specific moves and stances with certain weapons, making them inflexible but deadly.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

3137 - 2205 Less Foreseen

Type

Military, Knightly Order

Capital

Caracar

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Decorated/Honored

Location

Caracar

Notable Members

• Borathon, tarnished knight