“We are the Knights of the Empire of Zarbania and protectors of the Father-Empire's people and inhabitants. We will do our duty, no matter the cost, no matter the struggle.”
- - Knight Grandmaster Kort Szchwartzhan.
The Zarbanian Imperial Knights are an elite order of Essence-based warriors loyal to the Empire of Zarbania, similar to the Koatria used by Unified Alliance of Enlightenment races, and formed shortly after the fall of the Drakodominatus Tyranny in secret, on the world of Macht, and are the legacy of the Dark Arts program to develop Essence users for battle. The Imperial Knights are more organized and deadly, and fight for Zarbania as a whole, and Mirus, alongside the Koatria and others.
The Knights of Zarbania are noted for their disdain for the Darkling Brotherhood and their raving-mad cultists, rejecting any Darkling corruption or influence on their persons. If individuals become cultists, they are brought to justice. If the Emperor himself begins to become swayed by his father, they will act to return him to right order, or kill him.
Though they exist outside of military hierarchy, the Imperial Knights serve as field commanders, and, in higher ranks, as admirals and generals when the situation requires it.
History[]
Formation[]
Formed in secret on the world of Macht, the Imperial Knights were taken from the most successful and powerful of the Dark Arts Program, and trained further in hand-to-hand combat, sword work, and expanding their views beyond the indoctrination of the Dark Arts project. Personally overseen by the Emperor himself, he chose Korsik Krieg, a Scimat'akar, to lead the Order, as the Imperial Knights came to be organized, coming to be shortly after the Fall of the Drakodominatus. They, however, did not deploy until officially until after the betrayal of the Imperium of War, when the Imperial Knights deployed to take the fight them directly.
Since the days of peace, the Imperial Knights have worked alongside the Koatria, at first, their relationship uneasy, but quickly growing to trust and align themselves together. What helped was the Imperial Knights' rejection of Brotherhood influence, declaring Darkness and it's corruption to be a stain upon their honor and integrity, and would root it out where ever it showed within Zarbanian worlds.
The Imperial Knights have maintained themselves as the Guardians of the Zarbanian Empire, and their loyalty is to it and Mirus alone, despite taking orders from the Emperor, only serving him to protect the people, and have been ordered by him to strike him down if he ever begins to fall into the sway of his father.
The Order currently, along with the rest of Zarbania, works with Mirus against machinations of the Galactic Empire, the Empire in Mirus, however, currently unwilling to make the first move until Cyrannus is fully secure, and the Koatria and Imperial Knights work together against any signs of Phaedric agents or Imperial Inquisitors.
For some unknown reason, the Imperial Knights declared Crothal, a member of the Rathanii and Phaedric Orders, their personal enemy, and desired to hunt him down. When she entered Cyrannus to finish off the Empire, Ridanax sent four Imperial Knights to guard her, as a token of respect.
Later, upon the Empire of Zarbania's formation and it's joining with the Federation of Free States, the Imperial Knights would join the Galactic Federation's many Orders, and swore to protect it's citizens alongside the likes of the Koatria, Knights of Eire and others.
Organization[]
Leadership[]
The Imperial Knights answer to a Grandmaster of the Order, the strongest and most powerful of the Knights and a figure of great respect and admiration among the citizenry of Zarbania and other worlds alike. Currently, that figure is Korvik Krieg, who directs the Order against the Dark Elements of Essence use and the foes of Mirus itself. With him, are the Council of Masters, the higher ranking members of the Order who oversee military efforts, peacekeeping operations, and investigations of Darkling and political corruption.
The members of the Council include, Head of the Archives, who handle the intelligence, libraries and books and tomes of lore and knowledge, and ensuring that only the most trusted can read and study the darker lore, to maintain purity in the organization. The Order Battlemaster sees to battle operations and is the strongest swordsman in the order.
Hierarchy[]
- Grand Master - The head of the Order, the Founder, and most powerful of the Order. Seen as the paragon of all it means to be an Imperial Knight, Grand Masters are the greatest warriors, keenest philosophers and most astute and erudite of the many Knights that make up the Order. Their abilities seem to defy all logic, and few can match them in combat.
- Masters - The oldest members, the Masters sit upon the Council, and direct the Order and make all decisions for it. They are the strongest and most powerful of the Order, and ensure that any Knights that fall from the Order are brought to justice, and oversee the study and application of new knowledge regarding essence use and abilities. Every Master, in case the Emperor falls to Darkness, will work together to bring him to justice and stop his rampage.
- Perfects - Older and more experienced members who have taken to training their students as a teacher in a classroom. The Perfects see to the Squires, and ensure they are ready for the trails ahead, and educate them in a general manner of the Zarbanian style.
- Knights - The fully trained members, Knights are the most common members of the Order on the front lines, and are the first to be sent to deal with and intercept threats to the Powers and it's people. Disciplined and rigid in the face of threats, the Knights are experts with their blades, and rely on their mixture of agility and armor, supplemented by their essence abilities for combat, support or healing.
- Banneret - Those who have completed their first trial, Bannerets are neophytes and the like who are taken under the direct tutelage and training of a Knight, and act alongside them in certain missions to prove themselves and begin to master the ways of their Order. Here, they are given their saber, and a stripped down version of their armor, and travel with their master to learn how to handle certain situations.
- Squire - The youngest members, Squires are freshly brought into the Training grounds of the Knights to be educated and trained in their ways and fight for the Powers. The Squires often have no weapons and armor like fully fledged members, and must prove themselves in the tests that come within 4 years.
Description[]
Principles[]
The Knights are opposed to Darkness, but unlike the Koatria, or other similar organization like the Aldárae Order of Cyrannus, they hold no reverence for any aspects of Essence and the like on a spiritual level, being rather agnostic towards it, merely treating it as a tool through which to do good for others and fight for the protection of others. They are loyal to Zarbania and it's people as a whole, and Mirus and it's inhabitants, and believe in protecting them from tyranny and Darkness no matter what. So long as they do not fall completely into darkness, the Imperial Knights have no issue using small amounts of Darkness to achieve their goals.
The Imperial Knights do not draw upon any one Essence Energy, mostly using Autogenetic Energy due to it's prevalence in Mirus, but will learn any that come to their member species, often asking and requisitioning Essence users from outside organizations to help train new recruits, and to bring their knowledge to the Order so they can understand and expand their knowledge and wisdom of the rest of the universe.
Though not scholars and monks like the Aldárae and such, the Imperial Knights hold that they must fight, not for Nations or monarchs, but for the People as a whole, and see to the protection of the workers especially as a far greater duty then that of protecting barons or meditating on ancient knowledge. Those need their help the most, after all, have no time for them to debate, meditate or the like.
If the Emperor ever falls to any corruption, the Imperial Knights will ensure he is captured and turned back from his Darkness, or killed to ensure the safety of his people.
Training[]
The Imperial Knights recruit their members from young Zarbanian citizens to instruct them in Essence use early. Those who wish to serve alongside them, no matter what age, are welcomed, though it is preferred they start young, so they can learn and absorb their lessons all the quicker. Overseen by the members of the Perfects, the young Squires are instructed, from early morning to noon, on the applications of their essence use, swordsmanship and weight lifting and exercise.
After, the Order members and their squires will sit down and enjoy a simple diner, and rest, before beginning their activities in whatever catches their fancy, from diplomacy, history, further supplemental training and the like, completed over a four year course. After four years, a Squire will undergo rigorous tests and trails centered around weaknesses in his or her personality and ensure he or she can overcome them and become a better person.
After this, the Squire is promoted to Banneret and placed under a Knight to be further trained in a one-on-one sort of way, and the two work together on missions, as the Banneret learns to apply his lessons to real life experiences. After another four years, a Banneret may be made a Knight himself, if his teacher believes he is ready and gives his seal of approval.
Equipment[]
All Knights wear heavy suits of red armor, forged when they become a Banneret, and upgraded and modified once they reach the rank of Knight. Here, it remains the same, with a Grandmaster having the same quality as a Knight. This armor is resistant to high impact weapons, plasma and even energy sabers and Phaseblades. Likewise, many of them also carry on their person specialized swords similar to the Phasesabers used in Cyrannus by the Phaedric Order, Inquisition, or Aldárae, all of them with Grey blades.
All Imperial Knight armor carries life support masks, long range communicators, tracking devices, and other tools they will need to see to their tasks.
Individuals[]
- Name - Kort Schwartzhan
- Species - Unknown
- Rank - Grandmaster
The Imperial Grandmaster, Kort Schwartzhan, is the first Grandmaster and leader of the Imperial Knights, and acts as the Emperor's Champion and chief protector in war and peace, journeying with him when he meets with other leaders, fighting those that seek to do him harm, and leading his order and the State-Troopers into battle to protect Zarbania and the galaxy from death and worst. Kort is a silent, focused leader, and one of the wisest figures upon the Knights. They look to him for wisdom and leadership, and Kort has become respected across the galaxy for his mastery for the Blade and strength in leadership.
Kort was one of the first Imperial Knights trained, personally in fact by Ridanax himself, though notably is of unknown species and origin, and predates the Imperial Knight Order itself by a decade, if not more. Where he came from is unknown, and many could not hazard a guess, as he rarely removes his armor, except within the Council chambers, and the other Imperial Knights and Masters refuse to speak of their Grandmaster.
Schwartzhan has done many great and wonderous things in his career. He fought countless Darkling Champions, personally slaying many Vakarox War Chiefs and Skallin Jarls, and had earned the hard-won respect of the Mendel, even as their enemies, and especially now as their ally. His hard won victories forged his beliefs in how the Knights ought behave, and his and Ridanax's co-teaching forged the Knights today into what they are.
- Name - Caltoris Val Draigo
- Species - Zarbanian
- Rank - Knight
Caltoris Val Draigo is a Zarbanian Knight within the Order, and recruited by Korsik as part of the first generation of many, many Imperial Knights to come. Trained by Master Karthos Niil, Caltoris Val Draigo was originally born to a family of moderate wealth on a far away desert colony, but preferred to stay within the outback and hinterlands to hunt and live off the edge, finding comfortable living annoying and pointless, and preferring the challenge that came with hunting and survival. When offered the chance to join, Caltoris originally was hesitant, but accepted, being loyal to the Emperor and his vision of the future for Zarbania. When Draigo was entered into the Academy, he was trained by Karthos Niil, a Master within the Order, and became one of the first Knights.
Given the rank of Order Warmaster, Caltoris has remained one of the leading combat leaders within the Order, and one of the greatest swordsmen in Zarbania, his fencing skills and physical strength more then a match for other Knights and enemies that challenge him. Caltoris boasts a strong grasp of Essence ability, though only uses it to further his swordsmanship, preferring to challenge and prove himself, rather then take the easy route.
Draigo is one of the most stubborn and willful members of the Order, frequently clashing with Generals and Commanders in the Empire, and preferring the company of common soldiers and others, disdaining upper class society and the like, despite being born into a moderately well to do family. Caltoris is focused and often stubborn, his loyalty to Ridanax and the Empire almost religious in nature, and overcomes anything else. He will often wish to test his blade against the best of other Orders, working to improve himself and seeking to learn from them if they prove better, and trying to train them if he proves better.
Of all the Knights, he is one of the most well-regarded and well-spoken of members, and even others in foreign nations trust in his skill.
- Name - Valran Krieg
- Species - Scimat'akar
- Rank - Knight
Valran Krieg is in many ways Caltoris' partner, as the two often fight alongside each other, and work together in many operations, be it guarding important Zarbanian diplomatic figures, fighting the worst Darkling Champions, and meeting disobedient Elector-Counts and trying to talk them into not starting civil wars over the poor quality of beer at the last birthday party of the Emperor's. While Caltoris is stubborn, willful and disobedient at the best of times, Valran is tough, dutiful and focused on the wider picture and pragmatism. He often must steer his partner from causing more harm then good in fights and diplomatic dealings, while watching his back once their sabers are drawn.
Although not at the level of his friend, the Order Battlemaster, Valran is a masterful swordsmen, often using four Blades of his own to overwhelm targets, though prefers one, as, often, no matter how good he does, Caltoris will always criticize his footwork, speed and handling of his four blades. Valran, as such, only does such a thing in emergencies, as only then is he willing to deal with Caltoris' constant complaints of his lacking skill.
Valran, unlike many in his Order, believes in the ideals of the Light and serving the good of everyone on a deeper, more spiritual level, much to Caltoris' annoyance. Krieg, with this attitude and his desire for more knowledge, often gets along with other Essence-using groups, and makes sure Caltoris doesn't say anything that would sour relations.
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- Name - Eshkar Niil
- Rank - Master
- Species - Kulaung
Eshkar Niil is one of the Masters of the Order, a Kulaung warrior who joined the Order after it's formation and willingly joined after seeing the corruption in his own people. Eshkar would be trained alongside the first generation of new Knights, and would, in the years after the Tyranny War, rise to become one of the Masters within the Council. Eshkar's dedication and loyalty to the Order and Empire are famous, and he is seen as one of the wisest and most sage of the Masters, while combining it with amazing expertise in the arts of Liminal Energy that grants him amazing abilities and powers in battle.
Eshkar Niil famously trained Caltoris Val Draigo, and saw to his trials and expertise to make sure he would be ready for his duty, and has tried everything to keep his apprentice under control and his emotions at least tempered and measured. Though his Apprentice has more often then not, thrown himself into dangerous situations and through extreme injury, Eshkar Niil has at least taught him to not get too carried and potentially get himself killed, or worse.
Eshkar Niil is a keen strategist and fighter, his ability to move around and overcome his foes through skill and the needed forces being applied in the right areas, or forces inserted into places least expected, are some of his most famous skills. His knowledge of the more arcane and esoteric aspects of Liminal energy further makes him a great figure to go to when in need of knowledge on the such things, and providing his help and wisdom is something Eshkar greatly enjoys. He is known for some capability in divination as well.
Relations[]
Allies[]
The Order of Zarbania's Best fight for you!
- Koatria - You are to the UAE's people, what we are to Zarbania. Together, we are the shield of Mirus.
- Knights of Eire - The Mendel do well for themselves. May they fight with honor.
Neutral[]
Be at peace. Zarbanian's blades will not be drawn.
- Aldárae Order - The Stewarts of Cyrannus. Their skills and bravery are an inspiration to all.
Enemies[]
We are done here. Our blades await you.
- Phaedric Order - Stay. Out.
- Crothal - Surrender to us, Shadowspawn, or die!
Quotes from others[]
- Add your own!
“Barbarians replicating the glories of the Phaedra, and the weakness of the Aldárae? How quaint.”
Notes[]
- Based on the Imperial Knights from Star Wars legacy.