Divine Knight

Warriors of the Gods

Concept and text by Crimz. Header art by Terry-Lynn L.

About

Knights are mortals that have made deals with the Gods. These mortals attain a small miracle from the God, in addition to enhanced abilities, and in exchange agree to serve as a warrior for the God for the remainder of their lives. Knights wield incredible magical abilities, with access to the Divine Magic that shapes the entire world. Some Knights live amongst the Gods in the floating islands known as the Divine Realms. Others live in the Mortal Realms, specifically in the Maslian or Raslian Empires, large conglomerations of smaller countries that serve either the God of Creation or the God of Destruction respectively.

Knights in the Mortal Realms are the main forces in the eternal War of the Seasons, a conflict that seeks to control the small country of Isos. As Isos changes hands among the Gods of Rebirth, Creation, Death and Destruction, it creates the seasons known to mortals as Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter respectively. Mortals that wish to visit this site of Divine manifestation are limited to visiting during the height of each season; any other time of the year and the land is a battle ground.

Knights in the Divine Realms mostly exist as standing armies, ready to defend their God's lands from the encroaching forces of the Dark God.

When not fighting, Knights do their best to live and work, carrying out tasks for their Gods, training, or pursuing hobbies of their own. Given their long lifespan, Knights all tend to have some sort of hobby to keep them occupied.

Knight Classes

Knights can be broken down into eight main classes in terms of combat. A Knight's class is not a matter of training or choice; each mortal is born with their knight class already determined. Each class is instinctively gifted in combat with specific types of weaponry, though they can learn proficiency in other weapons as well.

Knight Classes can be broken down as follows:

Attackers

• Berserkers
• Beast Tamers
• Slayers
• Reapers

Support

• Mages
• Archers
• Healers
• Squires

For detailed information regarding Knight Classes, their specialities and weaknesses, please visit the Knight Classes article.

Appointment

To become a Knight, a mortal must make a deal or pact with a God or Goddess. This deal constitutes an ostensibly fair trade. The mortal is granted a small miracle, be it something as simple as beauty or riches, or something as complex as bringing a loved one back from the dead. The mortal is given a set amount of time to continue to live with the benefits of their deal before the God comes to collect.

In exchange, the God will take the mortal's soul, marking them with their symbol in the process. A portion of the mortal's soul will still exist within the mortal, allowing them to continue to live even missing a large portion of their soul. An invisible "thread" of soul connects the God to the new knight via their marking.

Duties

Knights have differing duties depending on where they are stationed. Knights may stay with the Gods in the Divine Realms, or they may live and wage war in the Mortal Realms.

Divine Realm Knights:

• Attend to their God or Goddess
• Train with older Knights or Gods in Knight Warfare
• Guard against the armies of the Dark God
• Offer advice or guidance to the Gods with reference to the Mortal Realms as requested
• Assist Lesser Gods with disputes or requests on behalf of their God

Mortal Realm Knights:

• Attend to the Vessel of the Gods
• Participate in the endless War of the Seasons
• Assist mortal Hunters with hunting down Revenants
• Train Hunters to hunt down Revenants and in Knight Warfare
• Assist local mortals with disputes or tasks on behalf of their God

Benefits

• Semi-Immortal Life: As long as the God holds the Knight's soul and their thread is intact, the Knight can be revived from death.
• Enhanced Senses
• Enhanced Strength
• Suspended Aging
• Access to Divine Magic
• Influence

Accoutrements & Equipment

Knights generally wear either uniforms emblazoned with their God's symbol, or generic clothing in colors associated with their God. Knights that serve the Goddess of Truth, her descendants (Creation, Life, and Rebirth), and the Dark God will only dress in warm colors, while Knights that serve the Goddess of Deceit, her descendants (Destruction and Death), and the Goddess of Order only dress in cool colors.

Knights also are given an attuned weapon grip. The grip is attuned to the Knight's soul, and can only be used by that Knight. By holding the grip, the Knight is able to make any sort of weapon they need using divine magic. Typically, Knights will only make a weapon that they are proficient in using, but the grip can be used to make anything necessary in the moment.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

The only way to leave the service of a God is to become a Revenant. The Knight must destroy their marking and in doing so, destroy their connection to their God. The process is excruciating, and comes with the unfortunate side effect of becoming a Revenant...

Cultural Significance

Knights are extremely well respected within the Mortal Realms. Regardless of creed or culture, mortals will treat knights with respect and awe; they've seen the Divine Realms after all. Mortals tend to not ask questions when Knights give directions simply due to their power and influence with the Divine. They are not worshiped as Gods or Vessels are.

Depending on a culture's main God of worship, however, different Knights may be given different levels of preferential treatment. Mortals will never go so far as to outright scorn a Knight, but they may treat some with more respect than others.

Type

Religious, Military

Alternative Naming

Knight, Knight of _______, God-touched

Source of Authority

Knights gain their authority from the God that they serve.

Length of Term

Lifetime. Knights serve their Gods for an undisclosed amount of time as they are consistently revived from death until the thread of their soul connecting them to their God breaks.