Human Knight of Nortender

Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Nortender, from around the time of the Religion Wars of Camilo VIII the Apostate.

The Knights of Nortender where renown for their heavy armors –supplied by their dwarven allies and blacksmiths- and heavy cavalry –not only of horses, but as well of several monsters, wargs, kazaak mount dragons and more-.

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The Sovereign Military Order of the Holy Sword of Nortender was a christian sovereign military order of northern Aels.

Founded after the First War of the Power (2203-2223 a.a.H), the goal of this military order was to Christianize and settle the former lands of the Dark Legion of Demons, in Polforia.

Knowing that while defeated, there still existed the remnants of the dark legions, and as well, of other dangers that may exist, it was decided that in order to defend themselves –and the human settlers- was going to be instituted a Military order: Men of the Sword and the Cross, to bring the light to the shadows of the Dark Legion.

At first, many veterans of the First War of the Power joined the order, and many people, who had lost everything in the war, signed up to become settlers of Polforia.

Aside of these territories that where of the demons granted to the church, as well many free settlers and minor lords wanted to try they lucks in Polforia, and at the beginning of the Middle Human Age –between the first and the second war of the Power- there was a significant effort made by northwestern aelian humans –and high elves of Whide Axis, who didn’t returned to Ushaenor- to settle in western Polforia.

However, only after some 60 years, most of these settlements had failed. After the initial enthusiasm, the Military Order of Nortender lost much of the support it once had. Polforia itself was seen as a damned land, even without the great demon lords, with many of the former servants of the demons still roaming in the swamps and woods.

As well, while the northwestern aelian settlers expected to be received as liberators from the human and kanovs of Polforia, who had lived under the demonic rule, instead they only meet resistence:

And so, much of the advances where lost: and while the remnants of the Dark Legion organized themselves as new demonic states –often warring each other, as they did with the Christian humans-, gathering the storm clouds darker and darker, The Order of Nortender and the human settlements where slowly pushed once more time westward, and the human population in this new frontier declined.

This wouldn’t be the end however for the Military Order of Nortender, as they adapted to face the challenges. They retreated to the lands of the shores of Hieyokscream, concentrating their Christianization efforts in the amazon tribes.

The amazon warrior women became then warrior nuns, of the Order of Saint Creole, a sister order for Nortender.

As well, as the demonic states grow stronger, and the distances with the Christian aelian world longer –as the Olga’s Wall mountain range routes where cut again, with goblins, orcs, trolls and other monsters cutting the ways-, slowly the interpretation of Nortender of christianism changed.

The Order of Nortender accepted into their ranks as well dwarves, kanovs, elves and more, and many of the cloister precepts of the original order changed.

The Knights of Nortender, permanent fighters against the demons, became fanatics. But as well it was seen, that the only way to fight fire was with fire, and many monster, creatures and demons where adopted into their service, to fight the demons.

For the Second War of the Power, the Military Order of Nortender and Saint Creole where a dangerous, poisonous spine in the flank of the Second Dark Legion: A spine that despise the efforts of the demonic generals, they weren’t able to get rid off.

The Knights of Nortender and the Warriors Nuns of Saint Creole where some of the better fighters humanity had against the demons, having fought them for more than two hundred years. However, as due the Second War of the Power made stronger once more the contacts between the regular church authorities and the leaders of the Order, the differences had become more apparent.

While an uneasy alliance, the Church couldn’t get rid of such useful warriors, and such relations where maintained during the whole second war of the Power.

But after the civil war of the Dark Legion -the War of the Four Black Kings- ended, and with it, the Second War of the Power, the relations between the Sovereign Military Order of Nortender and the Church entered a breaking point.

The Order was disbanded by the Church, and it’s followers, declared heretical, being excommunicated from Christianity.

While this ban meant the prosecution of Nortender and Saint Creole orders within the Northwestern Aelian kingdoms, within the fortress of Nortender in the Bay of Hieyokscream, the Knights continued to hold their power.

As a gesture of defiance, they adopted as their own banner, the yellow cross of the heretics.

Because of this, when the Emperor of the Holy Sargonic Empire, Camilo VIII –the Apostate- entered in conflict with the church due his reforms to the religion, he looked for support within the Order of Nortender, and will be theologians of the Order of Nortender, the ones who will defend the views of Camilo VIII in the conclave of Nisseau. –in which Camilo VIII will be excommunicated, proclaimed heretic, enter in open conflict with the Church, and become Camilo VIII The Apostate or simply The Apostate.-

Along with the Knights of Nortender, The Apostate will march with his armies in the religion wars that teared apart the Holy Sargonic Empire, and with their help, he will try to force his religious views on the Imperial territories to his opponents.

While the alliance of the Apostate Emperor with the demons caused a break in the relations between the Order and The Apostate, they will still play an important role for the rest of his reign.

However, they where unable to retain the north for the Apostate against the human Sukkeses barbarians of the North, and they where militarily defeated.

However, despise their military defeat, they where ultimately victorious against the Sukkeses, as they where converted to Christianity in the Nortender Heressy.

After these military defeats and the losses suffered in the religious wars of the Apostate, the Order never completely recovered:

And so while in the Third War of the Power they will play an important role in the initial campaigns of the North, they where eventually defeated in the north, and only some errant monks perpetuated the Order after the fall of their castles and fortresses, and keeping live the word of the Nortender Heressy.