The Knights of the Helkrieg Vow
The Knights of the Helkrieg Vow are a group of templars, witchfinders, inquisitors, and monster hunters associated with the Church of Holy Blood.
• Though the Helkrieg Knights hunt all manner of supernatural horrors, they hold a special enmity for the undead and view vampires as the ultimate expression of evil.
• The ultimate goal of the Helkrieg Knights is to conquer and reclaim the lands of Sibersk.
• Of the Church’s many factions, the Knights of the Helkrieg Vow are among the most militant, unbending, unforgiving, and secretive.
• One secret that the Helkrieg Knights assiduously hide is the fact that the master of their order, Castor Leonidas, has fallen to darkness and currently serves Countess Alcesta von Karlok as a corrupted revenant knight.
The Knights Labyrinthian
The Knights Labyrinthian are a mystical conclave of gunslingers and rangers who are the heirs of a defunct order of knights sworn to protect pilgrims and penitents journeying to sacred sites.
• Although they are now knights in name only, the Knights Labyrinthian act as guards and guides for caravans traveling through Krevborna’s dangerous wilds.
• The Knights seek and study technology left behind by the Vlaak Empire and are particularly interested in any magical firearms found within Grail Tombs.
• Due to their frequent quests into the Grail Tombs, many of the Knights Labyrinthian inevitably fall into madness.
It’s easy to imagine the Countess Karlok - or perhaps her propaganda mouthpieces - making a point of depicting the Helkrieg Knights as impious children & grandchildren looking to climb a few places in the succession (I.E. finally inherit the family estate from their immortal ancestors) and as criminal runaways flying false colours, rather than as Knight Crusaders, much less exiles of conscience or otherwise possessed of genuine principles.
ReplyDeleteSince the most useful propaganda has some element of truth to it (and since a militant order dedicated to the extirpation of the Siberski vampire aristocracy makes a logical refuge for those seeing to avoid being murdered by same) there might well be certain internal tensions between aristocratic ‘Guest Crusaders’ seeking to get some payback against Vampire Granny or Grandad (Or more genuinely committed Knights whose hatred for the undying is complicated by the self-interest of a military aristocrat paying off old scores) and those members of the Order driven by principle first & foremost.
I do tend to imagine the Helkrieg knights having a more traditional ‘Knight and Serjeant’ structure than many of the military orders in Krevborna in any case - which would seem to make them an interesting foil to the more Witcher-esque Knights Labyrinthian.