Chambers of Astinus

Minor Knighthoods & Orders

Order of the Gold Lance

The Order of the Gold Lance was a small family based knighthood. It was founded before the Cataclysm by a former knight of Solamnia, Drastin. The knight was dissatisfied with the Solamnic knighthood and raised his children with the training he believed they should have. He taught them how to act like knights, and used a slightly revised version of the Oath and the Measure. Drastin trained both the males and females in his family, and soon had a small workable group of cavaliers. In time, the knighthood starting looking outside the family and recruited a few more members. During the War of the Lance, the majority of the knighthood was wiped out at Solanthus. Only two knights are known to have survived the carnage, and the knighthood is considered all but gone from Krynn in the Age of Mortals.

Order of Aesthetics

The Order of Aesthetics has been a revered organisation that has been present upon Ansalon for centuries. The order is centered around the teachings of the great Astinus. Aesthetics are present at almost every major event upon Ansalon, to record and document proceedings. The essence of the order is to 'observe and record' rather than 'make' history.

The true leader of the order always will be Astinus. However there is always a nominal leader, who directs the scholars in their daily tasks, since Astinus prefers to be left alone to record history. Astinus founded the order centuries ago when he realised that he could not record all history all the time. He appeared on Ansalon when the Great Library was built in Palanthas. The Order was founded shortly thereafter. The headquarters of the Order of Aesthetics has always been in Palanthas.

Novices in the order are trained to observe everything carefully, and to record all things with complete impartiality.

Dragonsbane

The Dragonsbane are a secret organisation who were formed during the Third Dragon War. As evil dragons flew across the land, destroying humanoid settlements, a group of elves and half-elves decided to counter the threat. At the height of the war, this small group of warriors and mages studied dragons in more detail than any other humanoid ever had. They learnt all about dragon physiology and psychology, then turning this knowledge against the dragons. The operatives would target key dragons in the war, study them and eventually hunt them down. The Dragonsbane were skilled enough to make every death look like an accident, so that there was never any retribution from other dragons.

The Dragonsbane had roots in some of the most powerful elven houses, notably the Tor family. B'ynn al'Tor was one of the early warriors of the Dragonsbane and also the most famous of their number. This secretive group followed one basic motto 'One Dragon, One Bane'.

Even though their numbers are very small, they are rumored to still operate throughout the land.

Order of the Dolphin

The Order of the Dolphin was first formed in much the same fashion as the Knights of Solamnia. Habbakuk and Kiri-Jolith granted a vision to the presiding Speaker of the Moon at the time, and the order was formed. The order accepts clerics, fighters and paladins into it's ranks. This long-running order is honor-based, and is highly respected within Dargonesti society. They are mainly based within the Watermere region, although some members have been known to go on quests into Ansalonian waters.

The credo of the Order is to:

Protect the Speaker of the Moon
Protect the Speakers of the Blood
Protect the borders of Watermere

All members of the Order are trained in the use of the sword, and many are trained in the use of clerical magic. Dolphin knights will always treat other knighthoods (such as the Legion or Solamnics) with the utmost respect, irregardless of how they are regarded by the rest of society. Dolphin knights respect good character and honorable acts.

Knights of Balif

The Knights of Balif were the first (and last) knighthood to be formed by kender. It was a relatively short-lived knighthood that was formed by the kender of Hylo in 1634 PC. The kender had long admired the Solamnic Knights, and many had offered to join them in the past. All kender had always been rejected and so they setup their own knighthood and had a single order, known as the Order of the Acorn.

This manoever upset the Solamnics, and the current Grandmaster demanded that the Knights of Balif be disbanded. The kender thought this was wonderful and prepared for the 'war'. The Solamnics invaded as the Knights of Balif taunted them and ran around them. Eventually the Solamnic commander explained to the commander how upset the Grandmaster was. The kender were horrified that they'd hurt his feelings and immediately disbanded the Knights of Balif...plus they were already getting bored of being knights after three whole weeks!

The Summoners

The Summoners were the armed force of the Stars by Day Society. This group came about in the Age of Mortals, like many other small factions, to wrest some power from those who currently ruled. The Stars by Day Society was prominent in the land of Solamnia, and were led by a group of fanatical priests and worshippers of the old gods, who believed that their actions would bring about the return of the gods. The Summoners consisted of a loose band of mercenaries and stout warriors, as well as a few adepts of mysticism. The Summoners were charged with the glorious quest of defeating both the Solamnic Knights, the Knights of Takhisis/Neraka, and the Blue Dragon Overlord Khellendros. Through these goals, the Summoners would basically claim Solamnia as the new kingdom for the Stars by Day Society.

The Summoners succeeding in conquering several towns in Solamnia, and then led their entire force on an assault on Khellendros. In an epic battle in 6 SC, which later was titled the Battle of Midnight, Khellendros destroyed the Summoners to a man. The Stars by Day Society was crippled but not broken. The group swore off violence to reach their goals, but their influence has faded considerably with the destruction of their army. The Summoners is but one example, of the end result of most of the independant armies and factions that have risen up during the Age of Mortals.

Order of Brass

The Order of Brass was created by the brass dragon Thrakdar, as a private force which would protect the brass dragon home of Berann, as well as the entire Dragon Isles. The order was founded shortly after the Second Cataclysm, and many former sailors and warriors from among the islands flocked to it's banner. The order is closely monitored by Thrakdar and his mate Tanalish, who give direction to the Order's leaders, siblings Benthor and Misa Kell. The siblings led the Order through the turbulent times following the Second Cataclysm, and both perished during the fighting against the sea dragon Tempest. It is unknown who the current leaders of the order are, however Thrakdar is keen to retain his personal fighting force. With the return of all the good dragons to Ansalon, it is uncertain if the order will continue to operate or not however.

Members of the order are trained in many forms of weaponry, to a level beyond that of many other military orders. Brass knights are fearsome opponents in combat, well-trained in hand-to-hand fighting. Brass knights wear special suits that allow them to breathe underwater, due to their environment. The order's headquarters are in the town of Thrakton, largest town on the island Berann. Their ranking structure is extremely basic.

1. Knight Aspirant
2. Brass Knight
3. Senior Brass Knight
4. Head of Order (1-2)

The head(s) of the order report directly to Thrakdar and Tanalish, but are trusted to run day to day operations of the knighthood on their own. The Order of Brass are the only organised humanoid surface-based fighting unit in the Dragon Isles, and in the short time they have been around, have gained a reputation for upholding justice in the region.

Windriders and Wildrunners

The Windriders

The Windriders were first developed as a fighting force by the elven princes Kith-Kanan and Sithas. During the Kinslayer War, the elven princes left Sithelbec and journeyed through the land looking for griffins they could train as a fighting force. When the returned to Sithelbec to resume the fighting in the war, they had mobilised a fleet of griffons who bore elven soldiers. Sithas dubbed this force as the Windriders, and appointed Captain Hallus to lead the griffon force in the Battle of Sithelbec. The Windriders proved to be a devastating force, one of the most effective uses of an aerial unit and continue into the Fifth Age as being one of the elves most powerful fighting units. The Windriders were a key element of reclaiming Silvanesti Forest and restoring it to it's former glory after Lorac's Nightmare.

The Wildrunners

The Wildrunners were first developed as a fighting force shortly before the Windriders. Where the Windriders are the aerial units of the Silvanesti army, the Wildrunners are the land units. The army was developed by Kith-Kanan and is a mixture of both Kagonesti and Silvanesti elves. The Wildrunners are led by Silvanesti, however the Kagonesti form a bulk of the army and often maintain key positions of power within the overall army hierarchy. The wild elves are recognised as superior scouts and warriors in many situations, and thus often awarded the role of captain within the army. A Silvanesti elf always hold the title of general though, since this title also means that they run House Protector.

Structure of the Windriders and Wildrunners

Those in the Windriders must be Silvanesti elves from House Protector. No other elf is allowed or accepted as a true member of this fighting force. (There are rare exceptions, like Porthios, however) The structure of the Windrider forces is extremely basic. There is one marshal/general who leads the entire force, the general has several captains, who relay his commands and serve as aides. The rest of the force is comprised of soldiers of various rank.

Those in the Wildrunners answer to a singular general. The general of the Wildrunners is also the head of House Protector, and is therefore a Silvanesti elf. The general has various captains who serve him in the army, and then the normal rank and file from amongst the Silvanesti and Kagonesti serving in the army. The Wildrunners has both regular fighting units and magic units comprised of white-robed sorcerers.

Company of the Dead

The Company of the Dead is the elite fighting force of the Taladas gnomish army. The Company is based in Hitehkel. Anyone who chooses to join the Company, must first cut all ties with their family and friends, and essentially become 'dead to the world'. Usually when a gnome joins the Company, their family holds a funeral to mark their 'passing'.

Company soldiers are easily recognised by their skull white face paint, and skeletal helmets. When in battle they tend to charge into large groups of enemies and go into killing frenzies. A Companion of the Dead will not make alliances or friendships with anyone outside of the Company. They show no allegiance to their families or former friends, only to their own comrades within the Company. There is no real structure to this fighting force. The soldiers take their directives from their Knight-Commandant, who reports directly to the king of the gnomes.

College of the Bard

There are only two known colleges where bards can receive formal training. The smaller college is located on Saifhum, and is believed to have been formed by Ergothian expatriates who travelled to Saifhum in post-Cataclysmic times. The main college is in Ergoth, located in the town of Lancton. The Bard College was formed during the Age of Dreams and has had a rule that it will only accept 10 students at any given time.

The Master Bards whom teach the bard wannabes, run a strict curriculum in which they teach the 10 hopefuls, hundreds of legends, songs and poems. The Master Bards also teach their students how to play a large variety of instruments. The curriculum is reviewed every 12 years by the Master Bards, and altered in some way, to keep up with the current times.

There are of course, many 'rogue bards' who have never attended either of the colleges, and refuse to restrict themselves to a strict curriculum of legends, etc. However the Bard College is still the pre-eminent group of bards upon Ansalonian soil.

The Forerunners

History of the Forerunners

At the end of the Summer of the Chaos, Takhisis stole the world and the gods were believed to have abandoned mortals again, since they appeared to have vanished. To the minotaurs, this time was known as the Flight of the Gods. In anger, the temples of the gods were abandoned and in some areas, new sects and cults arose. In the empire of the minotaurs a bloody sect known as the Forerunners begun in early Age of Mortals. This sect espoused the belief that the spirits of minotaur ancestors were watching over the living, to aid and guide them. The symbol of the Forerunners is a bird ascending over a bloody axe. Throughout the Age of Mortals, the Forerunners became the dominant religious sect of the empire and brought about the end of Emperor Chot, and also aided in placing the general Hotak de-Droka on the throne, who was also husband to the high priestess of the Forerunner faith. The Forerunners have vacated several former temples of Sargonnas on Mithas, and established these as their own temples. The main temple of the Forerunners resides in the city of Nethosak on Mithas.

Forerunners and Protectors

When one enters the Forerunner faith, there are two distinct paths for a minotaur to choose. A supplicant can either join the religious branch of the Forerunners, in which the priests and priestesses aid the High Priestess in guiding the flock and spreading the word about their faith. Or the supplicant can join the military arm of the faith, known as the Protectors. The Protectors answer to the First Master, who leads the military branch. The role of the Protectors is first and foremost, to protect the religious branch and defend their faith against all enemies. The second duty of the Protectors is to protect the Emperor of the Blood Sea Isles.... as long as the emperor is deemed worthy to sit upon the throne by the High Priestess.

Forerunner Hierarchy

The structure of the Forerunners is extremely simple. There are only two real leaders of the faith, and the rest of the faithful reside on a very flat structure. They are either accepted members of the faith, or they are supplicants, or newly accepted. To become accepted into the faith is fairly simple for a Forerunner, they must simply pass several basic tests and they are accepted as a priestess/priest. To become a Protector is much more difficult, and requires the supplicant to pass through tests of strength and endurance, as well as proving one's fighting skill against the First Master. Once accepted into the Protectors, each supplicant is branded by a hot iron with the mark of the Forerunners, a final test of pain resistance for each new initiate.

The roles within the Forerunner faith are as follows:

1. Supplicant
2. Initiate
3. Protector/Forerunner
4. First Master (only 1)
5. High Priestess (only 1)

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