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The Ember Swords are a knightly order dedicated to safeguarding the corporeal form against wicked corruption, and to the eradication thereof. Chief among these impurities are necromancy and vampirism. The body is sacred to one’s spirit and as such, its sanctity must be upheld! Imparting undeath and vampirism upon any form is sacrilege. Necromancers shall be put to death and necrophages shall be liberated from their imprisonment. 

Cremations are paramount and sacrosanct! It is blasphemous to bury one’s body, immersed by unclean soil, to be gnawed and devoured by insects and worms. Only fire can purify the body after passing, only fire can guide the spirit into the heavens. Only fire can protect the body from undeath. 

Evil is rife in these vast lands and those sworn to the Ember Swords have undertaken this noble crusade, reclaiming the day from the night.

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 General Information

The Knights of the Ember Swords, previously known as the Paladins of the Ember Swords, are a Valkian chivalric order headquartered in Mariza. They operate a small network across the continent and have recently opened a new office in the Spire under the leadership of Ser Falliren Rytelus. Given the limited resources and personnel, each chapter acts autonomously; they're on their own and yet expected to follow commands from Mariza.

The Ember Swords are led by the Preceptor of the Heavenly Embers who is elected by their peers in the College of Paladins. These Arch-Paladins run the order from the Mariza office. Meanwhile the Knight-Lieutenants operate each of the chapters on their own and have the authority to induct new members. Sentinels are ordained members that form the rank and file. If a Sentinel has achieved knighthood, they are addressed as Knight-Sentinel. Nonetheless, all inducted members address each other as Swordbrother/Swordsister/Swordfellow. The order frequently calls upon help from non-members. Auxiliaries are those are frequently assist the Swords, usually by providing specific skills or trades. Then there are reservists who are not nearly as involved, but form a reserve of helping hands that can be called upon for action. 

Little is known about this peculiar order of knights. They claim an ancient lineage although it’s hard to verify when all their histories are hidden away in vaults. The Ember Swords have only come about since the Great Disappearance although a small sect had kept the traditions alive. The Ember Knights claim they're "reforming" the original order after it collapsed many generations ago. They were seldom taken seriously by much of the populace until the threat of vampires became all too apparent.

The order is undergoing internal disputes on how their goals should be prosecuted. One group of senior members prefer tradition and a more militant approach the issue, known loosely as the Hardliners. The opposite group prefers limited détente, calculated strikes, and a re-evaluation of policy; referred to as the Reformers. It is far from a civil war and is more akin to an academic disagreement, although that's not to say either parties aren't passionate about their beliefs. But many Swordfellows not particularly interested in the debate and will perform whatever duties are given. So far, the Reformers have won out with the incumbent Preceptor, Arch-Paladin Baroness Arceneaux, being a reformer herself.

The Knight of the Ember Swords were created in the years after the Reach was found abandoned. It should be noted that they do not consider this the founding of their order. They believe the Swords are ancient and so, it was "reformed", re-assembled after centuries of inactivity when the original order was destroyed during some mythical past. The significance of their name is a bit strange and equally mysterious. More dedicated members adhere to a spiritual belief system some describe as a cult. Not many details have been released as to the practises or dogma of said religion, but it has been explained that legendary weapons are scattered across this material reality, containing "heavenly embers" that dispel evil. None of these "Ember Swords" have been found. Leadership claims to possess one although only the Arch-Paladins are allowed to witness it.

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The Spire Regional Office is located in the New District at the town’s southwestern corner. Swordsister Avina is the current secretary and concierge, while Sangiban is the facility’s steward and custodian. Ser Falliren Rytelus commands as the Knight-Lieutenant.

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Ember Swords'  Notice Board

The Ember Swords are always looking for new members! For inquiries about the organization and/or recruitment, feel free to contact either Swordsister Avina or Ser Falliren Rytelus. Membership is not binding nor exclusive, you may pledge yourselves to other lords and ladies! Furthermore, membership does not require full-commitment. We do not expect members to rally for morning muster. If you need to miss missions or meetings because of other commitments, we will not hold it against you. If it’s employment you seek, the benevolent and equally fashionable Ser Rytelus has provided jobs before; the incumbent custodian Sangiban can attest to this. Something can be arranged for the needy!

The Swords are seeking any information regarding vampires and vampirism. One hundred crowns to any of those who provide meaningful breakthroughs in our research. If the information is perhaps a bit redundant, you will still be compensated with forty crowns. 

One hundred and fifty crowns will go to any party that has successful slain a vampire and provided us their corpse. However, we will not honour the bounty if the vampire was a citizen of the Spire. We are knights of virtue, not agents of chaos who promote murder. If the body of a Spireling is provided, we will respond accordingly. If one has captured a vampire alive, we will pay three-hundred crowns to take them as our hostage.

The Ember Swords will reward any adventuring party seventy-crowns for liberating necrophages in groups larger than four. Additionally, we will heap on further rewards if unique necrophages are liberated or discovered! So if you’ve dispatched of some nasty necrophages or you’ve found a new type of undead, seek us out and ye shall be rewarded! (OOC crowns will be provided :)

The Ember Knights offer cremations free-of-charge! It’s custom among many Valkian traditions to incinerate the dead in ceremonious funeral pyres. We extend this ritual to any person, regardless of Valk heritage.

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A letter is attached below.

Regarding the matter of mutants, 

       Historically, the Ember Swords held a hardline policy against mutations and mutants. These regulations have been reassessed under the leadership of a new Arch-Paladin, whose liberalizing reforms have revived the ancient order. Mutants are welcome to assist and pursue enlistment with the Ember Knights! Likewise, Swordfellows will not prosecute any mutants on the basis of their bodily corruption alone. 

       Warm regards, Ser Falliren Rytelus.

Image Credit 1, Image Credit 2

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Let's GOOOOOO

I've updated the page again and added the notice board.

Another sizable update.

- 150c bounty to vampires. This does not include vampires who are citizens of the Spire

- 300c for giving us a live vampire

- etymology of the name

- Hardliner v Reformer debate 

- brief bit of history 

the first post is written as an encyclopedia essentially. the 2nd post/the noticeboard is written IC by Falliren and is a physical board any character can visit. The two swords in a field of red is the coat-of-arms for Hægebostad, Norway.

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A lengthy scroll is posted inside the headquarters. It has recently arrived from Mariza, penned by senior members of the Ember Swords.       

       The College of Paladins is happy to report that the order has received an influx of new recruits and personnel. But as much as this has buoyed our morale, we cannot ignore the myriad of threats that have compounded in this world. Thus, the Knights of the Ember Swords will undergo structural adjustments to not only accommodate our bolstered ranks, but to facilitate efficient administration as well. 

       Key to these reforms is the consolidation of the College of Paladins. Previously, the Arch-Paladin was the supreme commander who led the order in conjunction with a cabinet of fellow Paladins. This was loosely defined as the College. Going forward however, all senior positions will be granted the title of Arch-Paladin and these offices have coalesced into a single College. The most premier of these Arch-Paladins, who assumes the mantle of supreme leadership, will bestow the title Preceptor of the Heavenly Embers. Arch-Paladin Arceneaux remains in this position, but now carrying the proper honorifics from our ancient lineage. 

       From henceforth, our commander’s full titles are Baroness Arceneaux, Arch-Paladin of the Ember Swords, Preceptor of the Heavenly Embers. It is acceptable to refer to Her Honour as ‘the Preceptor’ for colloquial use. 

       This is not a dissolution of the Paladin rank entirely, only a reshaping of it. Paladin will no longer denote one’s rank and achieving Paladinship will not mean an assumption of leadership responsibilities. It is now a status one earns through merit, chivalry, and dedication. The Paladin’s Crest is a medal bestowed upon Swordbrethren who embody our knightly virtues. It is awarded for extraordinary acts of valour where the hero accomplishes the greater good amid serious peril. 

       The College has also recognized the ambiguity surrounding the titles of the rank and file. They will be known as Sentinels. Those who hold knighthood are granted the rank of ‘Knight-Sentinel’ although this alone does not elevate one’s position in the chain of command. 

       The responsibilities and titles of Knight-Lieutenant remain unchanged. However, Lieutenants may deputise Sentinels as Sword-Sergeants who help maintain cohesion and coordination during field excursions. It is to the discretion of each chapter to define the authority of Sword-Sergeants, although we advise their powers are limited. 

       Despite changes in the hierarchy, it must be stated we are all Swordbrethren. Whether a Lieutenant, a Knight, a Sword-Sergeant or a Sentinel, we are comrades joined together in righteous fellowship. 

       The practice of sourcing personnel from sellswords and other non-members is still encouraged. These collaborators are now classified as ‘Reservists’ and their disbursement is at the discretion of the presiding Knight-Lieutenant. 

       The College will introduce the new role of ‘Auxiliary’. This encompasses the echelon of non-commitents who are more involved in our operations, typically providing specialised skills. These can include medics, researchers, smiths, armourers, etc. Reservists are called upon for combat but remain uninvolved otherwise and thus, they receive no regular pay. Auxiliaries on the other hand have access to our facilities and receive a salary in exchange for their expertise. They are not ordained members and are ineligible for honours and awards. Again the disbursement of auxiliaries is at the discretion of the Knight-Lieutenant.  

       Her Honour Baroness Arceneaux has provided an avenue for Sentinels to attain Knighthood. For commendable service and chivalrous conduct, Sentinels can earn the title through merit alone. It is a prerequisite that one has undergone some form of squirehood, be it under the order or from somewhere previous. Prospective knights should speak with the commanding Knight-Lieutenant for further details. 

Sentinels may earn other medals besides the Paladin’s Crest. Although smaller in scope, these awards are prestigious nonetheless.

Echelon of the Conflagrant is awarded for acts of exceptional bravery in combat or in equally severe circumstances.

Echelon of Sacrifice is awarded for those who suffer tremendous bodily harm while in the line of duty.

The Gauntlet of Perseverance is awarded for outstanding levels of determination.

Sigil of the Guiding Flame is awarded to those who demonstrate remarkable initiative in dire situations.

The Knight’s Echelon is awarded when one has attained Knighthood, typically achieved by earning a few other Echelons first. 

       Let us not forget our mission, Swordbrethren. Across the many realms, Lords and Ladies have ignored the threat of wickedness for too long. And while they squabble amongst themselves or bring war against the Northerners, we mustn’t lose sight of our crusade against the fiends of darkness. 

Her Honour Baroness Arceneaux, Arch-Paladin of the Ember Swords, Preceptor of the Heavenly Embers.