Wars & Holy Orders

>>>>A History of Wars and Holy Orders
>>The Brother’s Emancipation, The Brother’s Landing, Cain’s Crusade
The history of Canton’s founding occurred so long ago that much is legend rather than academically recorded history. There are sound arguments in scholarly circles to suggest that formation of the nation of Cantôn would only arise many years after the event illustrated in the Book of Brothers which mark the formation of the Cantônian Faith.
>>The War of Names
In the years following the death of Adam and Cain’s disappearance generations of Cantonians would continue to wage war against the Old Magic. The expansion of Man was so gradual, though sporadic in pace, that the many wars and skirmishes to tame the land cannot be named over the next hundred years. The only exception would be the War of Names, a deliberate and targeted decade-long campaign to break the Foe hold on Canton once and for all. It is called the War of Names for it is during this time where many famous hero stories emerged as the duty of errantry and the chivalric code truly became an ideology of the young nobility. Beastfolk tribes were crushed, Fae enclaves were toppled and monsters of all ilks were hunted to the ends of the realm. The Beastfolk, Fey and other fell creatures retreated to the Deepwoods to the east of Romaine across the Ardenne. Though many still remain in the forests and hidden places of Cantôn, the places of civilisation, agriculture and open healthy arable land remained firmly in the hands of Man for many years. It was the last time the Five Duchies marched as one army. Even our great King of today has not been able to reconcile the differences of all five duchies, though only three votes are needed for the crown to remain theirs.

>>The Crusades Adamant
With the Foe subjugated and realm of Man ascendant throughout the continent of Cantôn, one would have assumed that realm would have entered into a time of peace, prosperity and enlightenment. This was not so, for the violent exodus and birth of this fledgling nation had heralded the collapse of the unrivalled Cathagi Empire, rapid at first but then gradual and inevitable in the years to come. This Domain of the Dragon, which had once stretched from the icy shores of Norsikaa to the strange lands of the Everwarm Waters, had given way to independent kingdoms and territories, some violently established and others slipping the yoke of foreign governors with ease over the centuries. Many such newly formed nations gazed at the fertile Cantôn realms with hungry eyes, seeing it as a disparate collection of Duchies ripe for division and conquest. The Crusades Adamant would demonstrate to the known world that Cantôn would stand united in one thing at least, the defence of their faith.
There have in fact been a dozen Crusades Adamant over the course of Cantôn history but the most well-known are the series of bloody conflicts the followed the razing of the House of Salve Reginae in Nova Cathagi and the targeted massacres of all followers of the Faith, from domestic to foreign pilgrims. The persecution was sparked by the Vizier Ütkul-Tumay-Üfulk’s dreams of reuniting the Cathagi Empire of antiquity, starting with making an example of the empire’s first historic traitorous defectors. Ütkul had the full-backing of the Merchant Caste, Soldier Caste and many pro-expansionist elements of other castes, even including some of the revered Medusae Caste amongst his supporters. Nonethless he could never have anticipated the strength and swiftness of the Cantônian response given that it was currently engaged in a another minor border war between the Dukes, this time Montbrun and Romaine. Added to that King Janicus was widely considered an ineffectual ruler content to remain in the relative security and comfort of Aubrey and give the Duchies free reign. Ütuk’s spies reported no moves to declare war in the Aubrey Court, and his allies suppressed petitions in other courts with consummate skill. Some of his agents reported an unusual number of inductees into Holy Orders and some peculiar troop movements, but these instances were rare and eventually such messages of peculiar troop movements ceased altogether.
When a fleet funded by the Order of the Trident blockaded the port city of Nova Cathagi without warning, burning every ship that came near regardless of its origin, the city was shocked. But these were not the first violent barbarians to knock at the city’s great gates and they had anticipated a response from Cantôn eventually. When the Knight’s Comitas cast the chests of gold intended to pay them off into the sea in full view of the diplomats there was confusion. When the Order of the Broken blade seized the Isle of Myra within sight of the city and put every man, woman and child there to the sword, there was fear. When the head of the Vizier and his closest allies were delivered to members of the Order Reginae and Order of Names personally by members of the Medusae Sect, with promises of safe passage for pilgrims, there was awe.


>>The Night of Three Sisters War
Every year, for one night, both sister moons shine full and brightly in the sky. It is a time of great significance for many of the Foe, a time for predators to strike when the prey is exposed and the sun does not blind them. Man stands vigilant for this time of activity in the woods, doors are barred and torches lit while swords are sharpened until the dawn sun rises.
But Man did not expect the dawn to never come. On this night instead a third baleful moon appeared where the sun should have been, an impossibility according to the scholars. It was the herald of a horrible Foe of unimaginable corruption and ire emerging from its slumber beneath the prosperous realm of Romaine. It came for the people in their walled cities, their homes and their beds. All who fell victim to the undeath joined it, and some black souls did so willingly. Man or beast, it mattered not.
Scholars estimate that this hellish night lasted only a few natural days, however eyewitness accounts claim that it seemed to stretch for weeks, months or even years depending on who was asked. Finally, after many days of fierce fighting under an unnatural sky that saw fully half of Romaine depopulated, the most dreaded of Foes was cast out. It withdrew to what was once the seat of power in Romaine, the place now known as the Isle of the Damned.
Worse still, there are those that suggest that the phenomena of undeath was not unique to central Ardenne. Norsikaan folklore whispers of madmen who venture past the mountains that mark the end of the world and wander the Frozen Straits only to return… changed. Langlish captains laugh in the face of pirates, storms and sea monsters only to hunch their shoulders and rub luck charms when hush whispers of Black Sails on the sea cross their ears.

>>The War of Borders
Following the strife of Romaine’s fall from grace, Canton was left vulnerable. Foreign powers did not hesitate to take advantage of this over the coming years. Scholars disagree as to whether the invasions were maliciously co-ordinated or pure opportunism, for the first invasion concluded years before the last began. Each Duchy was left to essentially fend for itself, their neighbours too paranoid or pre-occupied with their own defence to lend aid. Montbrun held fast against the largest serpent invasion in history; Fallavon resisted rampant Bluejay rebellions and a resurgence in beastfolk warbands spilling forth from the woods; Aubres grappled with an attempted coup by Cathago and Langland mercenaries hired for its own defence; Romaine struggled against undead holdouts and a Cathago Novan invasion; Pascae waged war on both land and sea against Langland pirate princes and Norsikaan raiders. If that were not enough, opportunistic lords waged their own landgrabs against weakened neighbours.
Against the odds, Canton survived, and the blood let during those days appears to have sated all but the most bitter of feuding lords for the past decade. The realms have enjoyed an uneasy kind of peace, trade ships have replaced navies in the shipping lines and the non-martial arts are once again seen as worthy of manly pursuit.
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>>>>HOLY ORDERS
The Holy Orders of Canton are wide and varied, ranging from a handful of knights based from a single location to the major orders numbering in the hundreds operating from grand Chapter Houses across the realm. Almost all follow some delineation of the Brother's Light, either adhering to the teachings of Adam or Cain, though there are a few minor orders with more specific focuses and duties.

The Order of the Sacred Grove, for example, numbers no more than 3 knights sworn to defend the last Aeltin Tree found in the Palace Gardens. Conversely, the Order of the Broken Blade can call upon over 200 knights, and twice that in well-equipped man-at-arms, more than most lords. They have a major presence in Romaine, guarding against the Isle of the Damned as they bring sword and fire to that blighted land.

Those that join are required to pledge their service to the commands of the Grandmaster, often for a period of a year or more. Vows typically include oaths to abstain from wine, sex and material comforts. Some take more stringent oaths, such as a Vow of Silence, Agitation or Perpetuity. Typically these are men seeking redemption for some transgression or particularly fervent members of the faith.



>>Notable Orders
>>The Order of the Trident – Adam Aligned
An order based exclusively from the harbours of Pascae, they take to the sea naturally. For a modest donation to the Order, they offer their protection to outbound trade ships or navies. Though their required donations are steep most Canton captains, and not a few foreigners, pay happily. It is rare indeed to find a warrior willing to wear full-plate armour on the rough seas and fight to the death against boarding parties. While there is lodging for Order members in far-off Langland, it is not a chapter house per-se and the Order is wary of accepting non-Cantonian nobility into its ranks.
Despite their adherence to the Laws of Adam, one could argue that the Order is largely secular and focused on maintaining safe trade and good relations rather than spreading the faith. Few scholars would dare make such a suggestion though, as the Order is a generous donor of both the coastal and island monasteries. Not a single temple in Pascae has been built without at least some funding from the Order of the Trident.

>>The Order Regina - Secular
Sworn to protect and serve the reigning Queen. Her peculiar position as technical head-of-church means that they answer exclusively to her, even in defiance of the King and Clergy. Demure Queens have used them merely as escorts when travelling, whereas more alert or ambitious Queens have used them as their own personal agents or strike force. Whether these clandestine missions with effective immunity from law were in the interests of the Kingdom or some personal agenda has often depended on the relationship between King and Queen. Thankfully our current King and Queen are by all accounts happily wed and deeply in love.

>>The RoiGuard – Secular
A non-religious order dedicated to the protection of the King's royal body. They are often formed from a mixture of noble wards and a rare few commoners elevated to knighthood by the king himself, men who would otherwise be successful men-at-arms but for their birth. At times the RoiGuard have been used specifically to counter the growing influence of the Order Regina. Blessedly, this is far from likely between the current King and Queen as all know the two love each other deeply.
Anyone of noble blood may seek an audience with the King to put forward a candidate for the Roiguard. Although it goes unsaid, even worthy candidates have been said to be rejected as a means of discrediting those who vouched for them without offering direct insult. And some perhaps less-worthy candidates have been accepted because of the ties between the Crown and the sponsors. You give such such base rumours little weight, of course, the King would doubtless lift himself above such petty court politics.

Outside of marriage it is the only way for a well-to-do commoner to ascend to the ranks of nobility, even those commoners knighted in the field by the Crown for their valour must serve a period of time in the Roiguard before their knighthood technically valid.


>>The Order of the Broken Blade – Cain Aligned
The largest of the Holy Orders and the most aggressive. Although their primary mandate is to respond to incursions from the Isle of the Damned in the Romaine heartland, they quite often launch punitive strikes against beastmen and other denizens of the Foe in reaction to raids on human settlements. They alone saved the Five Duchy Kingdom when Romaine fell into darkness many years ago during the War of Three Sisters. Though their crusade of attrition cleansed Romaine of much of the evil that gripped it, the war has never truly been won. Only through the sacrifice and valour of these knights and affiliated Romaine lords is the rapacious Foe from the Isle kept at bay.
The brothers of the Broken Blade are unmistakable when dressed for war, chains binding their weapons and scabbards to their person to represent their unwillingness to ask or offer quarter. It is a quirk rarely adopted by other Orders.

>>The Order of Names - Cain Aligned
One of the most widespread Orders, these unconventional warriors tend to operate as well-armed rangers. Even their knights walk afoot like commoners. The Order of Names does not patrol the bridges, roads or tilled fields. Their war is waged far from the light of civilizations on the game trails, waterways and secret places of the woods where man is neither familiar nor welcome. Despite their rugged appearance, experienced soldiers will notice their gear is universally pristine and of good quality. The Order is well-known to have a longstanding feud with the Bluejay movement, making no distinction between the rebellious woodsmen and the beastfolk tribes as an enemy of the realm. The Bluejays return their draconian punishments in kind, hanging any captives even affiliated with the Order rather than ransoming them.
Their name stems from the tradition to Name a specific enemy that has come to their attention, usually after a particularly blatant or egregious attack on man. From the moment of Naming all Order members are to direct every effort to bringing the Named creature to justice. In all their years, and all the names, they have not once failed to bring the blade of Cain to their quarry. They have even been known to follow their quarry outside the realm of Canton into the Deepwood. Even there the Foe is not safe, and whispered rumour has it that they maintain a remote stronghold there in that overgrown and forbidding land.

>>The Knights Comitas – Adam Aligned
One of the larger orders, second in size only to the Broken Blade, the Knights Comitas escort pilgrims and clerical processions on the roads. They are often recognizable from their simple unadorned garb. They maintain chapter houses along every artery of the Kingsroad and paths to numerous holy sites. While safeguarding chapels and may lead some to view them as a soft lot, their spartan aestheticism ensures that no knight in search of an easy life joins their ranks. Aside from the senior leadership, all brothers of the order take vows of silence. They are one of the few Orders to maintain a chapter house abroad, at the site of the Brother's Emancipation in Cathago Nova. Cantonian’s are in general not welcome in this land of scorching sand and branded slaves, though pilgrims under the protection of the Knights Comitas are granted a special dispensation from the Dragon.



>>The Torwächter – Cain Aligned
Every man of Montbrun knows a Pegasus is no mere horse to be tamed. Though a worthy man may win their respect and even friendship, they will only stoop to having a rider a handful of times in their lives and even then never a different one. The Torwächter are the only force in Canton to field an all-Pegasus unit, these riders pledging to protect Mountains where the Pegasus nests are found for life. Stationed deep in the mountains of Montbrun, they maintain chapter houses at each of the 'Gates' and rarely wander far from them bar patrolling the labyrinthine passes of the mountains. The Gates, castles guarding each of the three major Montbrun passes, are the first and strongest line of defence Canton has from the slithering horrors lurking beyond in the Wastes. Not once have any of the serpent hordes breached a Gate, though skirmishes are a regular occurrence in the mountain passes to protect the Pegasus and their nests from the snake-men of the Wastes. Even so, illicit trade with some of the rare human nomads and even snakemen continues, for the Wastes are also where famed Wasteland Mustang’s may be found. Lords have traded castles for even a handful of these majestic creatures.

There are a multitude of further minor orders, both secular and holy, most relegated to a single chapter house numbering a few dozen knights at most.