Valorian Knights
The Valorian Knights are employed by the kingdom of Valor to protect against monsters and keep the peace. It’s a good paycheck, a good chance at glory, and a chance to do Good; the player characters’ reasons for joining are their own.
Structure
The Valorian Knights and the temple at large have a mostly pyramidal structure: the commander of each Squadron is part of the Wing Command; the captain of the Wing is part of the Flight Command; the commander of each Flight sits on the Temple Council.
Those in charge of the logistical and organizational divisions of the Temple are similarly advanced to progressively higher duties. The head or chairman of any council is determined largely by seniority, though exceptions can be made by popular vote, mostly in recognition of great deeds--advancing someone based on personality or likeability is considered frivolous and vain.
The Temple Council includes the four Flight Commanders, the Head of Archives, the Head of Provisions, and the High Priest. The High Priest is the de-facto head of the Temple Council, though if another member has seniority, things are often complicated until that is righted.
Public Agenda
Defense of the common people, the common good, and the common peace.
The Valorian Knights are employed by the kingdom to protect against monsters and as an honor guard. Though there is also a standard army that is nominally responsible for defending the borders and fighting any potential engagement with other countries, the Valorian Knights often assist with border patrols. It is widely expected that, in the case of open hostilities or war, the Valorian Knights would be heavily involved.
Assets
The knights are very well-funded, with some new money coming in through taxes and the rewards of adventuring, but mostly through the good management of their past wealth. They invest judiciously in the guilds , and lend even to the monarchy (though only when those in power are responsible with such funds).
Over their many years in service, they have amassed quite the collections of arms and armament, both magic and mundane, and any artisan hoping to make a name in those fields donates examples of their best work to the knights.
But their most noticeable asset is the Valorian Gryphon--a domesticated and bred to serve as the knights' mounts and allies.
History
Early in its history, the Temple Knights (or Templars) were a small part of the Valorian Temple's workforce and purpose. However, as their reputation grew and they become more responsible for day-to-day defense and enforcement, the knights largely eclipsed the other functions of the temple.
With time, the knights became less religious in their tenets and operations, and are now essentially a secular organization merely overseen by a religious institution. The term "Templar" is now rarely used, cropping up mostly in rural areas, among those who deal with the knights less frequently.
Demography and Population
The Valorian Knights only accept natives of Valor--generally, meaning those born in Valor, to Valorian parents. Sometimes however, a particularly talented applicant may be accepted into training even if their parents or even the applicant were born elsewhere, if the applicant has been in Valor since they were very young.
Most of the knights are humans, but other races are accepted. Fauns are even actively recruited--the gryphons bond as well with them as with humans, their acute senses and tendency for scholarly aptitude are useful in the field, and greater visibility of Valorian fauns is considered sound diplomatic strategy. Dogfolk are neither encouraged nor (explictly) discouraged; once settled into a Wing, they tend to do well and advance in accordance with their seniority, but many have trouble adjusting early on, especially as there are so few other dogfolk around.
Goblins are not outright barred from joining, but may meet more active discouragement. As a practical reason, gryphons seem not to inprint on goblins, even viewing them as potential food. There are also more cultural issues at play--many do not see goblins as being sophisticated, strong, or even just tall enough to be knights.
For Peace and For Valor
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