The order serves the Custodian of the Swan, currently Auriliac of Benat. The Custodian himself rules over a council of four other knights who are known as the Knights of the Sacred Stone and comprise the governing council of the order. They all report directly to Emperor Voemydas.
There is a threefold order of servants of the Holy Flame and the Golden Swan: these are the lay brothers, the Knights, and the canons regular. Lay brothers comprise the sergeants and men-at-arms that serve with the knights. The Knights proper are paladins. Canons regular are priests sworn to the service of the Custodian of the Swan.
Aspirants are knighted upon reaching level 3 and swearing the Oath of Empire (below). They will progress through the ranks of bailiff, knight of the gate, knight of the ankh, knight of the flame, and knight of the swan. Ranks beyond these are Knight-Captain (who command squadrons of the Order) and Knight-Commander (who command one of the Order's three fortresses).
Oath of the Empire
Paladins swearing the Oath of Empire pledge their support to the empire itself, its integrity, the faith of Deyas, and the laws of the civilized world. All paladins entering the Order of the Golden Swan must swear this oath upon achieving 3rd level. They also swear to protect the empire from the nobility, explicitly excluding them from the oath of protection.
Tenets
Law. Paladins of the Order of the Golden Swan must obey the laws promulgated by the Emperor. They may not transgress against them, as it is only through these laws that the empire exists at all.
Faith. The Autocephalon and the Emperor represent two poles of faith that the Golden Knight must obey and respect. Deyas is the chief above all things, however, and the paladin must not blaspheme, or through his actions or inactions allow a temple of Deyas or its clerics to be harmed or fall into ruin if he could prevent it. The tenet of faith also requires Golden Knights to root out the secretly unfaithful and undevout—worshippers of the Old Nightmares or nobility working against the empire must be punished.
Loyalty. Golden Knights must be absolutely loyal to the Autocephalon, the Emperor, and the imperial successor.
Decisiveness. When the time comes to act, Golden Knights act. They do not allow corruption to fester and grow strong.
OATH SPELLS
3rd zone of truth, command
5th Hold Person, Protection from Poison
9th Crusader's Mantle, Dispel Magic
13th Staggering Smite
17th Geas
CHANNEL DIVINITY
Doom of Judgment. The Golden Knight may pronounce someone guilty of a crime against the emperor merely by saying it is so. This doom expends the channel divinity and gives all allies advantage when attacking the target for purposes of restraining them until the target is restrained, dropped to 0 hp, or the target breaks line of sight with its attackers.
Tactician's Command. The Golden Knight may use his channel divinity to allow any ally within 120 feet to take an action immediately.
COMMAND OF THE LAW
At 7th level, the Golden Knight may issue a command of up to 5 words when casting command.
NO POISON SHALL HINDER ME
At 15th level, the Golden Knight gains resistance to poisons.
BEACON OF DEYAS
At 20th level, the Golden Knight may use the Holy Nimbus power of the Oath of Devotion.
"The Order of the Golden Swan was founded by joint order under the Autocephalon's bull Against the Unbelieving and the Imeprial edict For the Safety of the Faith during the reign of Emperor Telmidon and Autocephalon Burastis. In that same year, the Endarch of Deyas, then the infamous Auregon II, issued his own bull Against the Swan and denounced the creation of the order, establishing the infamous Knights of Ruyael."
ReplyDeleteWhat?
I'm not positive of the question; the Order was authorized in its founding based on a jointly-issued Autocephalic bull (Against the unbelieving...) and an imperial edict (For the safety of the faith...). These are named after their incipt lines, so, for example, Autocephalon Burastis wrote up Against the unbelieving, we have arrayed the forces of imperial might, and for this purpose, we hereby... etc.
ReplyDeleteIn response, the Endarch of Deyas promulgated a bull called Against the Swan..., denouncing the Autocephalon's creation of the order (primarily because he did not have the authority to do so) and, in that same bull, created an order of knights in service to the city of Ruyael and the Endarchy itself.