Order of White

The most powerful of the religious fighting orders in the temple_of_light, the Order of White is dedicated to the strength and justice of the nobility. Each member of the order must take on the strict vows of Byrne if they wish to hold any position other than staff.

The symbol of the Order of White is a Black Sword (pommel up) surrounded by an arc of red stars on a White field.

• Active:
• Allegiance: Temple of Light and the Throne of Dakar
• Holdings:
• Other Names: The Black Swords
• Patron: Byrne
• Attire: White Mantel with a Black Sword
• Commanders:
• Numbers:

The gods have determined the order of life. The strong and wise are those who chosen to rule. These rulers may leave the path the gods set before them or fail in the tests that they are challenged with, but such is the weakness of man - not a flaw in the plan of the gods. As the gods owe fealty to Bryne, so does the commoner owe fealty to the noble. A knight of the order must always uphold the tenets of nobility and the right of his vassals.

A knight of the order must be hold their sacred vows of fealty above all others. They should never give their word in such a manner as it would hold their fealty in contempt or shame their lords. As they are ever faithful to their lord as their vassals are to remain to them. They shall treat their vassals fairly in all matters and defend them from any who seek them harm. The bond of fealty is the pillar upon which all truths are upheld.

All positions within the order are only open to human men, even the staff positions are limited to men.

A Knight-Brother must be able to trace their family lineage to one of the noble families of Dakar. By law this lineage must be unblemished by any bastardy; although this is rarely upheld in practice. A Knight-Brother must maintain no fewer than three (3) horses, a shieldman, bannerman, two (2) sword-brothers, and a servant. In addition they are required to make a tithe of fifteen percent (15%) of their yearly income to the order.

A Shield-Brother is a commoner that has been selected by a Knight-Brother to serve as either his shieldman or bannerman. They are responsible for protecting their Knight-Brother and his banner during battle as well as caring for his arms and armor. In return the Knight-Brother is expected to see to their needs, training, and equipment. It appear bad when a Knight-Brother cannot see to the well-being of his vassals.

This is the highest rank achievable by a commoner and in fact is comprised almost exclusively of commoners. Occasionally an older Knight-Brother may take on the role of a sergeant, but they would always be referred to as a Knight-Brother. The sergeants are responsible for the infantry arm of the order (Sword-Brothers) executing the commands of the Knight-Brothers to whom they are assigned. A sergeant rides is allowed to ride a mount, which is maintained by the order, but must dismount during combat.

The lowest rank of fighting men in the order, they are medium footmen typically armed with a stabbing spear, short sword, and shield.

The Order maintains its own staff of servants, washermen, tailors, and craftsmen. Each man is required to be a dedicated member of the Temple of Light; although they do not have to take on the stricter vows of an adherent to Byrne.

This title is conferred upon older Knight-Brothers that can no longer sit in the saddle or ranking members of the Temple of Light that have been supportive of the order. While the title is honorific, the benefits it confers are not. They are free to stay at any chapter house and the Order of White is well-connected to most of the prominent nobles in Dakar.

This powerful knighthood is open to noble and common warriors that have successfully taken the tenants of Byrne as their own. Within the order are Knight-Brothers, who are the noble warriors and command the others according to rank. The commoner ranks are Sergeants who lead between ten and twelve Sword-Brothers. The Order of White is dedicated to the protection of all worshipers of Byrne and the punishment of those that by action or word speak against his believers.