Knights of Dévora

From Almeopedia

This is the realistic version of this page. If you want the standard fanboy version, see Knights of Dévora (Fanboy).

The Knights of Dévora (Šadenî Dévore) are an all-female Eleďe monastic military order, dedicated to combatting injustice.

The illustration shows a Knight arrayed for combat, e.g. to pursue thieves or bandits. For operations requiring stealth, chainmail would be too noisy, and would be replaced by studded leather armor. Being warriors rather than sex objects, the Knights consider only protection and mobility in outfitting themselves.

Origins

The order had its origins during Érenat's century-long struggle to break free of Kebreni rule. It was founded by Luritene Uronis, said to be the daughter of an Érenati noblewoman raped by a Kebreni lord. Luritene originally trained herself— against her mother's wishes— to avenge this crime, but when she met Nëron Mihel of the Elenicoi, she accepted their new message, and dedicated herself to fighting all injustice.

After Mihel's death, Luritene organized the Knights, pointing to Dévora in the Elenico scriptures as an example of righteous armed resistance to tyranny. As the struggle against Kebri heated into outright war, Luritene refused to integrate the Knights into the rebel army; she insisted that the Knights were not soldiers but judges, and must not simply kill Kebrenis, but only those who had commit specific crimes. The Kebreni committed enough of these to keep her and the Knights busy.

Even before Luritene's death, the Knights spread to other countries— indeed, there was soon a Kebreni branch.

Operations

The methods of the order became set: a crime was reported to them; they investigated to find the culprit and assure his or her guilt; then they executed punishment, with a quickness and surgicality that became legendary. "Nikagdá řo ovnelanam soem sančucem", they said: "We never judge the innocent."

The Knights were not the first organization to take on this service; the Clek Enärone (Fist of Enäron) were earlier and larger. Such orders flourished because there was little idea of the pursuit of crime by the state; the police saw their role as preserving order, not administering justice— if the criminal got away, they lost interest. Their chief methods were patrol and harrassment of known criminals.

Nonetheless, the Knights are unusual in being both Eleďe and female. This makes them well suited for pursuing offenders against women, though they help men as well. They maintain that women are better suited for this sort of work anyway, being more patient and less hot-headed, and (they maintain) less corruptible. Though they are not as strong as men, investigation and infiltration require more endurance than strength, and their smaller size is an advantage.

Church and state authorities generally do not object to the mission, but they have tried to exert control over it. The order has no problem making gestures of appeasement; the commander of the order gladly submits to the Patriarch of Avéla, and branches of the order cooperate with the national army. Operationally, however, the Knights govern themselves and do not allow interference in either their judgments or their punishments.

Some, especially some Eleďi, do object to the existence of the order, on several grounds.

• That women should not undertake violence. The Knights consider the scriptural example of Dévora sufficient to answer this.
• That women should not risk death and danger. The Knights respond that death is not to be feared, as it brings union to Eleď, and that they are well trained to avoid death or capture.
• That women should be under male authority, preferably as wives and mothers, and that they're probably a bunch of ponî. The Knights usually respond that they are indeed under the authority of the Patriarch, and that they are no more required to marry than is any monastic order.
• That Iesu and Mihel counselled nonviolence. The Knights respond that the history of the Elenicoi is indistinguishable from the rebellion against Kebri, and that a Knight is forbidden to avenge crimes against herself, to attack innocents, or to fight as a soldier.

Though the Knights remain a strong presence in Érenat and Verduria, their presence there has declined as these countries become more peaceful. However, there are plenty of lawless environments in Eretald; they are very active in Barakhún and the Eärdur valley, Ismahi and Azgami, and the Western Wild. The headquarters of the order are a secret location in the Eren valley.