The twelve “independent” knightly orders are given their authority directly by pope Nicholas V. While individual knights may be subjects of a noble, the order itself is subject only to the church. The legal details are complex and hotly disputed. The independent knightly orders are powerful international organizations who have shaped the face of Europe. They are the orders of St. Adrian, St. Andrew, St. Bernard (the Knights Templar), the Blessed Virgin (the Teutonic Knights), St. George, St. Hubert, St. James, St. John the Baptist (the Hospitallers), St. Martin, St. Maurice, St. Michael and St. Peter.
St. Adrian, Guardians of the Sick
Symbol: Sword and anvil.
The Knights of St. Adrian are mainly found in northern Europe, and maintain houses in France, Flanders, and the Holy Roman Empire. Adrian is a patron of soldiers. This tends to make soldiers side with the knights, which gives them a military importance beyond their numbers, as well as inspiring them to develop protective holy powers. Adrian is a patron of plague victims, and his knights are known for their compassion towards the sick, and for developing healing holy powers. They run several hospitals. Adrian is a patron of arms dealers, and his knights are often recipients of generous donations of equipment. Adrian is patron of butchers, inspiring his knights to develop holy powers that leave their foes in a butchered state.
The Knights of St. Adrian emphasize obedience, and are accordingly loyal to the Vatican. They are on good terms with the knights of St. George and St. Joan, based on a common concern for ordinary soldiers. Politically, they tend to support the states of northern Europe against those of the south. They tend to resent Burgundy and the Knights of St. Andrew for Burgundian occupation of so much of the low countries, and to resent the Holy Roman Empire and the Knights of St. Maurice for similar reasons.
St. Andrew, Guardians of Burgundy and Scotland
Symbol: St. Andrew’s cross.
The Knights of St. Andrew are guardians of Burgundy and Scotland. As widespread as the veneration of Andrew, they also have chapters in Amalfi (Italy), Athens, and Moscow. Andrew is patron of farm workers and fishermen, leading his knights to be sympathetic towards the lower orders, a tendency that puts them at odds with the nobility. Andrew is also patron of singers, and the choirs of the Knights of St. Andrew are famous. Some knights of the order develop holy powers related to song.
The order has grown powerful enough to chafe under the authority of the papacy, whose power they wish to see curtailed. As guardians of Scotland, they are rivals of the Order of St. George, who guard England. The Viking raids against Scotland in centuries past have made them traditional rivals of the knights of Canute and Olaf. As guardians of Burgundy, they are rivals of the Order of St. Joan, who guard France, and the Order of St. Gideon, a native Burgundian order who would like to guard Burgundy themselves. A shared concern for workers inclines the Knights of St. Andrew towards the knights of St. Anthony and St. Martin, and towards the monks of St. Benedict.
St. Bernard, The Knights Templar
Symbol: Red cross pattée on a white mantle.
The Order the Knights Templar, also known as the Knights of St. Bernard, and officially known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, was founded in 1119 to protect Christian pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. They were given quarters on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which inspired their name.
The knights established banks in order to help finance themselves and consequently grew very rich. Today, they have significant holdings in Aragon, Castile, England, and Portugal, and Templar banks are important for the economies of these countries.
The knights have long-standing feuds with the French monarchy and the papacy. In 1307, King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars, orchestrated charges of heresy and blasphemy against them. Accusations included that the Templars worshipped the demon Baphomet, a charge inspired by the extensive library the Templars had accumulated on the subject of demonology. The order was officially disbanded by Pope Clement V in 1312, but then almost immediately reinstated when foreign dignitaries and Italian banks and merchants objected to the damage the loss of Templar banks would do to the economies of Western Europe.
Hostility towards the pope makes the Templars rivals of the Order of St. Peter (among other loyal knights), while hostility towards the French crown makes them rivals of the Order of St. Joan. Conversely, they are on good terms with the Knights of St. Michael, who protect banks. St. Bernard was a Cistercian monk, and the Templars and Cistercians have long supported each other. A shared history in the crusades puts the Knights Templar on good terms with the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John the Baptist) and Teutonic Knights (Knights of the Blessed Virgin).
The Blessed Virgin, The Teutonic Knights
Symbol: Black cross on a white mantle.
The Teutonic Order was founded by German knights during the Third Crusade around 1190 to aid Christians in the Holy Land. Subsequently, the order shifted its focus to the Baltic region, participating in the Northern Crusades against the pagan Prussians. Growing as powerful as kings, they today possess their own state in Europe on the eastern border of Poland-Lithuania, the State of the Teutonic Knights. They converted the last of the pagan kingdoms on the Baltic around 50 years ago, effectively completing the Christianization of Europe. The papacy consequently holds them in high esteem and the knights are loyal in return. They are rivals of the knights of St. Stanislaus, guardians of Poland-Lithuania. On the other hand, a shared history in the crusades puts them on good terms with the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John the Baptist) and Templar (Knights of St. Bernard). A shared devotion to the Blessed Virgin has also put them on good terms with the Carmelite monks, and the two orders have often helped or defended one another.
Inspired by the legendary hero Siegfried, they are known for developing holy powers related to strength and resistance to harm. Long association with pagan intelligences in the forest has sometimes led them to develop holy powers inspired by their foes.
St. George, Guardians of Aragon and England
Symbol: Simple red cross on a white mantle.
The Knights of St. George are guardians of England and Aragon. The order is as widespread as veneration of the saint, and there are chapter houses in Athens, Greece; Vilnius, Lithuania; Lisbon, Portugal; and Genoa, Italy. St. George was a Greek living in Turkey and his cult came to Western Europe with returning crusaders. His knights have been guardians of Aragon since 1279, replacing the Knights of St. Ferdinand. They have been guardians of England since 1348, replacing the Knights of St. Edmund. George is patron of both soldiers and horsemen, and his knights are known for developing both martial and horse-related holy powers.
The Knights of St. George have grown powerful enough to weary of the Vatican’s authority, and they seek to curtail it. George’s patronage of farm workers and soldiers leads his knights to sympathize with the peasantry. This has understandably led to conflict with the nobility. On the other hand, shared concern for the peasants has put them on good terms with the knights of St. Anthony and St. Martin, and with the monks of St. Benedict. As guardians of England, the Knights of St. George are rivals of the knights of St. Joan, Andrew, Patrick, and David, guardians of France, Scotland, Ireland and Wales respectively. They are also rivals of the Knights of St. Edmund, who until a century ago, used to be guardians of England. King Henry VI of England has been courting the knights of Edmund as possible replacements for the troublesome knights of George. As guardians of Aragon, the Knights of St. George are rival of the Knights of St. Amelian, guardians of Castile.
St. Hubert, Knights of the Forest
Symbol: Stag with a glowing crucifix between the antlers.
St. Hubert is patron of hunters, archers, dogs, forest workers, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. His knights are famous for their skill as hunters and woodsmen, and for the quality of their arms. They are mainly located in Burgundy, France and Germany, but might be found in any forest. Their chapter house is in the city of Liège, though they have many wilderness lodges. They are known for developing holy powers related to nature and to their role as hunters. Some have developed exotic powers related to mathematics or optics.
The Knights of St. Hubert have a complicated relationship with the nobility. On the one hand, as masters of the hunt, knights of Hubert can be a lot of fun. On the other hand, the knights want to see the forests opened up for the peasants to hunt in as well as the aristocracy. The order of St. Hubert has come into conflict with the crowns of England, France and the Holy Roman Empire over the issue of deforestation. They are on good terms with the Knights of St. Edmund, whose woodsmanship they respect.
St. James, The Order of Santiago
Symbol: Scallop shell and sword in the shape of a cross.
The Order of Santiago (Order of St. James) was founded in the 12th century to defend Christendom and drive the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. Today, they dedicate themselves to driving the monsters from Granada, so that it can be a Christian state again. Where the Knights of St. Aemilian, St. George and St. Anthony are concerned specifically with Castile, Aragon and Portugal respectively, the Knights of St. James are defenders of all Iberian Christians. They are highly loyal to the Vatican, and strive to be on good terms with the knights of Aemilian, George, and Anthony.
St. James’ wide patronage has resulted in the order pursuing diverse avenues of research. They are renowned for their horsemanship, veterinary skills, craftsmanship with wood and fur, and herbalism. Holy abilities often involve horses or herbs. The order’s chapter house is in Santiago, close by the shrine of the saint.
St. John the Baptist, The Hospitallers
Symbol: Eight-pointed cross.
The Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, were established at the behest of the Benedictines to provide care and protection to pilgrims to the Holy Land. Originally based in Jerusalem, they are today based on the Island of Rhodes. They also administer hospitals in port-cities in southern Italy, originally because these were departure points for pilgrims. A wealthy order, they maintain a formidable navy. The ability to heal is a common holy power.
The Hospitallers have a history of conflict with Venice and its guardians, the Knights of St. Michael, over control of Mediterranean islands. On the other hand, a shared history in the crusades puts the Hospitallers on good terms with the Knights Templar (Knights of St. Bernard) and Teutonic Knights (Knights of the Blessed Virgin).
St. Martin, The Poor Knights
Symbol: Torn cloak.
The Poor Knights of St. Martin are centered in Tours and are most common in France, but maintain modest chapter-houses across Europe and are patrons of numerous hospitals. Until a mere 20 years ago, the Knights of St. Martin were guardians of France. The Knights of St. Joan replaced them in this role in 1433, after Joan revitalized the French war-effort against England and Burgundy when all seemed lost.
Knights of the order are sworn to poverty. They are allowed the property they need to maintain themselves, their steeds and their arms, but are not to accumulate wealth or live in luxury. They are known for developing holy powers that allow them to help and protect the poor, such as powers of healing.
The Knights of St. Martin are champions of the poor, making them frequently politically inconvenient. They look on wealth with suspicion, if not hostility. They seek to curtail the power of the Vatican, who they regard as tainted by riches and luxury. They are rivals of the Knights of St. Joan, and would like to be restored as guardians of France. Wars have made them rivals of the Knights of St. George, who guard England, and the Knights of St. Aemilian, who guard Burgundy. They look down on the Knights of the Golden Fleece and the Knights of St. Michael for their wealth. A shared concern for ordinary people puts them on good terms with the knights of St. Andrew and the monks of St. Benedict, and very good terms with the Knights of St. Anthony.
St. Maurice, Guardians of the Holy Roman Empire
Symbol: Eagle standard.
The Knights of St. Maurice are guardians of the Holy Roman Empire. The order is as widespread as veneration of the saint, and there are chapter houses as far west as Angers in France and Piedmont in Italy.
St. Maurice is patron of infantrymen, leading his knights to side with ordinary soldiers, often to the inconvenience of the nobility. In solidarity with infantrymen, his knights are known for developing holy powers related to defense, protection, and immovability. Maurice is also the patron of weavers and dyers. This has inspired the knights to invest in weaving and dying, and to develop holy powers related to color. It has been said that some of the knights have fraternized with supernatural spiders or other strange weavers.
Like the Holy Roman emperors, the Knights of St. Maurice tire of the domination of the Vatican. They are rival of the Knights of St. Stephen, guardians of Hungary. On the other hand, the have often allied with the Knights of St. Stanislaus, guardians of Poland-Lithuania, putting them on good terms.
St. Michael, Guardians of Banks.
Symbol: Scales.
The Knights of St. Michael are guardians of Venice, Florence, Genoa, and Milan, and have done as much as they can to prevent bloodshed between these rival states. Michael is patron of bankers and soldiers. His knights protect and promote banking, especially in northern Italy. Grateful donations have made the order rich. Inevitably, with so much money at stake, there’s some history of corruption. Michael’s patronage of soldiers has put his knights on good terms both with citizen levies and professional mercenaries. Inspired by Michael’s angelic nature, his knights are known for developing holy powers related to light and wind.
The Knights of St. Michael are loyal to the Vatican, largely out of a love of stability and order. They are sometimes rivals, sometimes allies of the Knights Templar, whose banks compete with, but do business with, the banks of northern Italy. The Knights of the Golden Fleece respect the knights of Michael for their wealth, while the Knights of St. Martin look down on them for the same reason.
Saint Peter, Guardians of the Holy Father.
Symbol: Crossed keys.
The Knights of Saint Peter (Milites Sancti Petri) were founded by Pope Leo IX in 1053. The knights are guardians of Rome, and of the papacy. Generous donations from the pious ensure that they are a wealthy order.
Peter is patron of fishermen, net makers and shipbuilders. This has inspired his knights in a number of ways. They are known for developing martial holy abilities that involve snaring and entrapment. They involve themselves in the matrices of politics, all the better to defend the papacy, and try to catch the pope’s enemies. Strangest of all, some have used Peter’s affinity for ships as grounds to toy with the barriers between worlds.
The knights of St. Peter are fanatically loyal to the Vatican, though they also have influence over it, and in 1418, ended the Western Schism in the church by deposing one pope to install another. They are on icy terms with those knightly orders who have grown large enough to prefer their own authority to that of the pope, especially the knights of Andrew, George and Maurice.