The Order of the Lion is one of the largest and most renowned orders of Knights in the land, established in the 82nd year after the founding of Pendor by Sir Roderick the Red. The charter of the order is strict in its chivalrous by-laws, and is the oldest knighthood order that still has members in Pendor. After the untimely deaths of the royal family in 198, the order was instrumental, along with the Order of the Griffon, in establishing and maintaining order in the realm and preventing an all out war between rival factions contending for the throne of Pendor.
After the secession of the Northern Lords, and the war with the Greater Baccus Empire, the order backed and supported Duke Alfred of Sarleon in assuming the throne and declaring himself the King of Sarleon.
In the 298th year after the founding of Pendor, the Order was outlawed. In the 346th year after the founding of Pendor, the Order was restored by the order of King Ulric I of Sarleon. All texts and references to the reasons and history surrounding this event and what happened to the order since 298 were destroyed by the order of the the new monarch, himself now a prominent member of the Knighthood Order.
Acting as the bodyguard for King Ulric l, now the monarch of the Sarleon Kingdom, they fight with heavy lances, morningstars and Silver Great Claymores, as well as shield of their order. The royal knights of Sarleon are top tier cavalry one can employ in the realm of Pendor. They fare extremely well in their role as heavy cavalry thanks to their breastplate and can easily trample infantry and archers. On foot, they make excellent heavy infantry and the punch they deliver with their weapons are not to be underestimated, rivaling the skill of the legendary Empire Immortals. They also make excellent siege troops, able to attack and defend a walled center almost effortlessly. Undergoing rigorous training and maintaining a hearty diet of ale and red meat before being initiated into the order, the well-built and experienced Knights of the Lion can easily overpower other knights, even the extremely well-trained Knights of the Dawn, which many Pendorians deem as effective killing machines.
Sons of the Lion Knights are trained and march alongside the Knights themselves in patrols or certain lord's armies as Squires. While they have not been granted the privilege of riding on horses, they have been given solid armor sets and weaponry. They don surcoats, and make do as decent footmen, armed with either Military Cleavers or Morningstars. They are dangerous enemies when working together with the Lion Knights.
Game Info
Joining the Order of the Lion requires 10 honor and 500 renown, as well as neutral or positive relations with the order. A chapter already exists in Sarleon. Additionally, there is a 10% chance that a chapter will exist in Marleons.
They are Sarleon's Factional Order, meaning to create a chapter of the Lion Knights, the player needs to belong to the Sarleon culture or create the chapter in Sarleon, as well as 30,000 denars, 10 Honor and wary (-10) or better relations with the order. Creating a chapter of this order will lower by 20 relations with Heretics and Rogue Knights (rivals, also for the bounty order quest).
Knights of the Lion are trained from Sarleon Knights. The Knights often grant their sons the privilege of joining the Order at an early age as Squires of the Lion, being trained from Sarleon Man-at-Arms.
They start being neutral to the player (0 relation), except if the player chose to be a noble (1a) and then a letter that changed your life forever (4e) in Character Creation, in that case, they'll be hostile to the player (-5 relation).
They are allies of The Kingdom of Sarleon, and they will support each other if they are nearby. They are in odds with The Kingdom of Ravenstern, Barclay, Mettenheim, Veccavia, Order of the Dragon, Empire Immortals, D'Shar Windriders, Lady Valkyries Sisterhood, Order of the Kraken Cultists, Order of the Griffon and Order of the Falcon, as well as the Hateful factions.
Changes from 3.8.4
Order
- Creating their order price raised from 20,000 to 30,000 denars
- They have now a traveling knight, thus a knight may be seen in taverns and asked about their story. Can also be asked if in party
Knight
- Level raised from 40 to 47
- Riding lowered from 10 to 8 (due to an error fix)
- Their prestige cost is now x1.2 times higher
- Steel Gauntlets changed to Golden Mittens
- Great Helmet, Knight Helm, Gold Plated Great Helm, Sarleon Knight Great Helm and Sarleon Knight Great Helm with Plume changed to Sarleon Rounded Bascinet, Lion Bascinet and Hounskull_Bascinet_with_Tail
Sergeant
- Level raised from 35 to 36
- Strength raised from 21 to 24
- Agility raised from 15 to 18
- Melee weapon proficiencies raised from 280 to 300
- Their prestige cost is now x1.3 times higher
- Well-bred Hunter and Cropped Mane Hunter were removed, leaving the troop without horses (now footmen)
- Mail Mittens changed to Gauntlets
- Mail Boots changed to Iron Greaves
- Lance and Sarleon Arming Longsword changed to Military Cleaver and Morningstar
- Three Lions Mail & Surcoat removed. Will now always have Lion Squire Surcoat (before it had both)
- Armet with Plume - Open changed to Steel Sallet and Steel Sallet with Red Feather
Tavern conversation
Player: I'm sure the great and famous Knights of the Lion have a history?
Knight: Hmph, I suppose I can indulge you. Better than listening to the banter of the lowly peasantry. I belong to one of the oldest Orders in Pendor, if not the oldest itself. The order was founded no less than 90 years, 82 to be exact, after the founding of the old Kingdom of Pendor. The gallant knight, Sir Roderick the Red, Lions Mane himself, was our founder. You may look him up at your own leisure.
Player: Very cool! So what is the history of your order from then to now since it's that old?
Knight: We owe our existence by our continuous use of chivalry and honor in both battle and in presenting ourselves as proper nobles in court. Around 200 years after the old kingdom was reigning, the royal family was struck down by a malady, which lead to immediate chaos. Our sister order, Knights of the Griffon, whom we're the royal household guard of the family, we're thrown into maintaining the peace. The Lions of course were ordered to as well. This immediate power vacuum started pitting lords against one another, which lead to conflict.
Player: That is very insightful, what happened with trying to maintain peace?
Knight: Many northern lords formed a pact and seceded from the Kingdom. Naturally protected by the great lake, they fortified themselves in the northern tundra, creating a new Kingdom in of it's own. Then with the war against the Greater Baccus Empire, the order needed to start gaining influence with a winning side. The grandmaster at the time supported Duke Alfred of Sarleon as de facto King, and using the old capital as his own, created our glorious Kingdom of Sarleon. In the year 298, after the original creation of the Pendor Kingdom, our order was outlawed. Why? Hard to say, since all records were destroyed by our current King, King Ulric I. Our order was reestablished once again in the year 346 in Sarleon and became the household guard of our capital.
Player: Good story, thank you for sharing it.
Trivia
- Despite their self-proclaimed valor, many other Orders deem the Knights of the Lion as arrogant and incapable, being unable to defend the common people of Sarleon from bandits, rogue knights and the feared Heretics.
- They are King Ulric, Duke Brennus and Baron Aelfried household troops, meaning they will hold a big number of Knights of the Lion.
- They are the Kingdom of Sarleon's factional order, meaning that every single lord belonging to this culture will also recruit some additional Knights of the Lions.
- "Hard times becomes for the honest merchants, travelling through Sarleon, hard times indeed. Only three years ago you could see any Knight rushing in aid of anyone attacked on the road but the Knights from these days aren`t the same as before. My apprentice, Urbo from Marleons was attacked on his way to his home town from some Rogue Knights, his caravan was ransacked and his men were killed. Only he and five of his guards managed to run alive to the forest nearby, from where they saw a group from Knights of the Lion riding on the same road armed to the teeth over their fine warhorses and… moving near the Rogue Knights plundering his caravan as if they see nothing! Urbo and his men swore in Damia that they speak the truth, but the nobles can`t be accused from mere commoners in any of the king`s courts. What will happens with the Sarleon kingdom if its best warriors consider helping the commoners something under their dignity?" - V. the Scribe
- "I`ve heard the story of Ordis from Mobray, a Squire of the Lions, who fought against lord Hraven the Bold`s warband near the village of Azgad. While the Knights of the Lion flanked the Fierdsvain horde, Ordis and his fellow infantrymen hold the brutal charge of Hraven`s huscarls. Being clad in heavy plate armors, wearing the tough steel shield of the Order and armed with morningstars, the Squires suffered heavy casualties still, for the Fierdsvain brutes are chosen for their size and strength as much for their unmatched skills with the axe. Yet Ordis and his comrades managed to hold the line until their reinforcements arrived and repelled the wicked attack. The brave Knights have equally brave sons, there is no doubts in that!" - V. the Scribe