A letter stamped with the sigil of the Viridian Order is hung from the notice boards in the city. Addressed to the Knightly Populace, it reads as follows.
There comes a time when I must sit down and reflect upon my services to the Empire, my Oath, and what it entails. In the past, I have always stood as an unwavering pillar of the Empire. I have acted with absolute honor and integrity, serving the greater good of the entire nation. I have done so to the best of my abilities. However, that is no longer the case. The Knights are no longer united as one, but are instead divided. The most pressing of all these matters are that there are members of our ranks who use the mantle of their position to coerce and manipulate their peers. Others seek to turn their backs upon their oaths of service. We are a proud grouping, each of us pledging ourselves to various causes, from walks of life all across the vast lands of our grand Empire. Yet, even so, it seems that a few among our ranks do not wish to do their duties. They instead seek to be masters in their own fields. We must therefore question ourselves: What would be the greater good? And how do we define this "good"? The Knightly Orders were established for the benefit of the entire Empire. Our goal is to provide the security and protection that this great nation requires, for the people living here and for future generations. In the past, we have used our powers and skills to defend the realm. Now, though, our true duty lies not in defending the Empire from external threats, but in protecting the people from one another.
The Knights of old served as a watchdog against tyranny, corruption and abuse of power, which can afflict any individual. Not to mention the well and true afflictions that pose an eternal threat to any good servant of His Imperial Holiness. Cahal, Vampires, and Geists; three words that send the shiver down the hearts of most. Most, not all. The few who eagerly stood up, who asked to be sent to those lands most ravaged by these horrid curses, who volunteered, are known as the Lothar Order. An Order who braves the most heinous of things so that the rest of us can lay in bed at night and read stories of how vile they are, and the accursed magics they bring. Magics, used for awful things, such as controlling and transforming the minds of men, creating false memories and replacing real ones, creating illusions and even warping the very fabrics of reality. Yes, most would think that these arts would be better left alone. That they should be cast off and never brought back again. And to a point, they're right. This is the job of the Aelriggan Order, the oldest Knight Order in Aloria, charged with ensuring that those mages who would use such heinous magics are punished, and finding ways to benefit the state otherwise. To walk the line of morals and education, to punish and teach at the same time. A difficult task, one that's never done, and one that largely goes overlooked by those in the Empire. The Knights have always had an understanding. They know that such things can never be completely wiped out. That's why they focus on being a deterrent. The Knights have been tasked with policing and suppressing the magical arts. And do they do that effectively? Yes. We fail to recognize that they have to not only focus on what happens here within the city, but that they attend to all magical threats across Aloria, sometimes unknowingly working hand in hand with other Orders to get the job done. Orders such as the Bloodcast, who are pressed to be the champions of the commoners, or the Reliquary, who's very existence is the reason that the many have the right to worship who they wish to worship, guarded by the unbiased Knights of the esteemed Reliquary Order.
By my glowing praises and not-so-subtle wordings of the attributes of each order, some may begin to piece together the purpose of this publication. I am writing it because I wish to ensure that the good name of the Empire and all the hard work done by the people of this nation is not sullied by the actions of a few, which brings me to my main purpose. The Knights do good. The Knights are necessary. All of them, everywhere, each of them are required to pick up the slack where another order needs it. The point is that each and every one of us are in this together, we all swore to the same code, to do the same jobs, to make the same mistakes. Now, that time has passed. For so long, we've had our own little war of words with our own petty squabbles, with our own minor disagreements. Too long have we focused on minor details, trying to get the one-up on eachother, trying to make ourselves look better than the rest while disregarding how it makes us as a whole look in the eyes of the people, the very same people we swore to protect. In my mind, this is a noble cause, for the Knights to not only represent a certain code, but to represent the image of what we should be, what we should stand for, what we should do. This is why I have started writing this letter. Because it is clear to me that there is a divide within the Knights, and it must be addressed. Some, however, have questioned the validity of this, stating that it would not be possible for there to be such a divide in a group that is made up of thousands. It is the case that there are thousands of Knights. And every one of them is different. But they have one thing in common. They are all Knights. They all follow the same code. They all swear to serve the Empire and uphold the Law, and they all know how important it is to maintain that code.
Thus, I'm putting out a blanket statement to -Every. Knight. In Regalia.- It's time to convene. Under the banners of every order, on neutral ground, with the intent to address the issues we have, and move forward not as Reliquary, not as Viridian, or Bloodcast, not as individuals, but as Knights.
Write to me at my Manor.
It's time we stepped up to be what we are.
Honor us all in our moments of failure, so that we may be honored in glorious triumph.
-- Reik-Knight Llorvaie Oribiekan, Viridian Order
Tl; DRViridian is tired of the Knights butting heads in public over trivial manners. Viridian is calling to all Knights to write to her if they're interested in repairing this problem as well. (Please include availability times.) Viridian is going to host a meeting for all Knights to get over these issues so that they can move forward with better feelings.
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