The Sacred August Order of the Black Lion

The Sacred August Order of the Black Lion is an ancient brotherhood of crusading knights in the Kingdom of Emlyn who have fought an eternal battle for the elimination of all the evils in the world. We are seeking players who enjoy a rich bouquet of strategic conflict and dramatic roleplay who wish to play characters that are valorous, honorable, and steadfast. We are usually active in the evenings and weekends and we offer a group of close-knit, friendly, helpful players who host regular activities and events as well as being willing to help train and guide new players.

House Leader

Aldus Clermont, Grand Knight Commander and Keeper of the Archives, Lord Regent of Emlyn

How to contact us

Aldus Clermont(Discord: gumdrop_thief) or Damian Reis(Discord: jxg915)

Events

Coming Soon

Current Status

Coming Soon

Lore

Coming Soon

God

Brutus, god of justice, judgement, and valor, an ascended ancient king of the Dúnadan who wandered the world as a questing knight-errant.

According to the archived texts of the Order of the Black Lion, they were founded by King Brutus as a brotherhood of knight-errants to assist in his holy quest to eliminate all the evils of the world, and during his lifetime they almost succeeded in their task, until Brutus was slain, betrayed by an unnamed knight from inside the Order. In those times evil was resurgent and the Order has since been biding its time, in theory preparing to launch a new inquisition to finish the work that Brutus started, but in practice the Order finds itself bogged down by the day-to-day burdens of administering a kingdom as well as the complexity of such unyielding goals in a reality that is far more grey than the black and white world of legend.

In all this time the Order of the Black Lion has maintained a dual identity. Outwardly the Order is every bit the stereotype of the questing knight in shining armor: seeking holy relics, saving maidens in distress, and fighting the beasties of the world. In matters of rule they have showed themselves to be strict but fair, even-handed if not overly polite. In combat they are an organized, unyielding force, but rarely cruel or treacherous. In every way they've attempted to emulate the great King Brutus, in deed and in thought.

However, a side to the Order exists that is less well-advertised. The crusade of the Order made them many powerful enemies with impossibly long memories: immortal undead, witches, and evil beasts, all of which have no interest in Brutus gaining the influence of an arcanum crystal. As a result ambushes by evil forces, ancient curses, and dangerous magical phenomenon plague the Order wherever they go. For this reason the Black Lion has been fighting a centuries-long secret war against dark magic, the undead, and evil sorcerers. In this one facet of the Order they have neglected their beliefs of mercy and fairplay, resorting to espionage, assassination, and sabotage in their goal, a necessary evil in the minds of leadership.

What's more, in the secret archives of the Black Lion there are among the histories documents that conflict with the legends of the Order, some that even question the holiness of Brutus. While the outward face of the Order of the Black Lion is resolute, the inner circle knows that there is a carefully held secret that everything they're fighting for could well be wrong. The Order has continued on, generations of Knight Commanders deciding that their belief in goodness and right is more meaningful than the doubts that these texts represent.

However, a recent event has reinvigorated the zeal of the Order and driven them to new feats of questing and heroism. It began when a year ago the sarcophagus carrying the sacred bones of Brutus, a holy relic they've maintained since ancient times, disappeared from the chapel where it was maintained. While at first the Order reacted in panic, it was soon decided that this couldn't possibly be a theft since the massive stone catacomb weighed more than any man could carry and blessings were placed upon the tomb to ward off all evil beings. It was decided that this was a sign from Brutus himself that the Order had lost its way, and only when the knights return to Brutus' light would he return to them. While the Knight Commander and his immediate circle have doubts about this explanation, it's best not to cross well-armed zealots who believe they've seen a sign.

Story

On the young knight's armor the buckles now sagged against their shredded leather belts and the plates, once so shiny, were now dented and scratched. One of his boots had long ago lost a few stitches and his heel hung down like a lolling tongue. Though exhausted as he walked through the barbican he felt weightless, exhilarated. Never had a young knight, only days ago a squire, succeeded like him. As he passed some of his peers they slapped his breastplate with heavy palms, crying "welcome back, brother!" and "you've done fine, friend!" Each of them were boisterous. They were gallant knights, beaming with pride and purpose. Each wore armor that was blindingly polished, long red capes, and upon their tabards the lion crest, standing on two feet with its claws at the ready and its black-maned head defiant, teeth bared and tongue sharp.

As he entered the great hall, the young knight's eyes followed the length of the massive room to the throne that stood imperious opposite him. There the Grand Commander sat flanked by two Knight Commanders. The three leaned close, whispering about something that was evidently very important. The young knight couldn't help but notice how very different these three knights were from the rank and file. Whereas the younger knights were loud and energetic and spoke of contests, jousts, lovely maidens, and adventure, these three men were pensive, stoic, dare he say it, secretive? Their shoulders slouched under the weight of their armor and their badges of office. A shadow seemed permanently cast on these men. Was it the burden of duty, or were the rumors about ancient curses true?

As he approached the Grand Commander's whisper ended as he grabbed the shoulders of the two men at his sides, forcefully turning them to face the young knight and ending the conversation abruptly. Though the Grand Commander smiled at his approach, there was a deadness to his eyes, encircled by heavy lids. The flesh of his skin matched the grey of his beard.

"Well, young brother, I had been informed that you were returning presently having succeeded in your quest and done so in a manner beyond all expectations."

The young knight answered only with a bow.

"Well, let's see it then."

The young knight reached below his cloak to present a sword. Though tarnished it must have been a sight to behold when it was initially forged, beset with a large gem at the hilt that sat inside the maw of golden lion's head. The old man reached out to touch the sword with the tips of his fingers.

"May I?"

"Of course, Your Grace."

The old man took the sword into his own hands, holding it close to his eyes to see all the tremendous details with his old eyes.

"Truly fascinating. It is as I believed. This that you've returned to the order, once belonged to a Knight Commander, some two centuries past. With this blade he bested hundreds of our august order's most powerful foes and had continued to do so until his demise, mere days after this sword had been stolen from him. Remarkable."

The young knight looked on with renewed awe. The old man continued:

"This relic is of immense importance to this order. This relic must be kept and protected. This relic..."

It was only a short pause, but in the young knight's memory it seemed like forever.

"This relic belongs with you."

The Grand Commander forcefully pushed the sword against the young man's chest, giving him no choice but to grab hold of it.

"Take care of this sword, and may it serve you well, son. Now I must bid you farewell. I have some pressing issues to attend to before I yet sleep tonight."

As the young knight left with his treasure, his stride now more bouncy than before, the three older knights returned to their whispering.

"He's a good kid, that one." said the first Knight Commander.

"And resourceful. Handy with a blade." mumbled the second from under his heavy mustache.

"Yes. He's a good kid, but is that enough to prepare him for the crusade to come? Let us focus, brothers, on our vile work that good kids like him may yet live."