Order of the Mantis
Extinguish the Spark
History
After several days in closed meetings, the King formally announced the creation of the Order of the Mantis under authority of Kayled Wine who was awarded Knightship for the task. The newly annointed Lord Inquisitor was to create a task force responsible for identifying, capturing, and executing mages. While the Lord Inquisitor worked, King Cassander issued an edict that all mages were no longer to be considered Rynmere citizens and were hereby expelled from the kingdom. Mages were given the option to leave by choice for three cycles before the Lord Inquisitor began Order of the Mantis operations.
In the opening days of the Order, Kayled traveled from Rynmere to the trade city of Hiladrith. Long had HIladrith held a reputation of an intolerance toward magic and the successful eradication of its influence from their territory. When Kayled returned, he did so with a new advisor in tow, Roland DuKette, a Hiladrithi consultant who would help outline the proper methodology for hunting, understanding, capturing, and slaying mages.
Their first grand operation involved a thorough investigation of the Rynmere University, leading to the arrest and conviction of one Thomas Theodore Terrance and the identification of his compatriots, other professors and students of the University.
Unfortunately, disaster followed. During the execution of the infamous mage, Thomas’ compatriots brought the full terror of their magical prowess against the public of Rynmere. With only one casualty, the mages escaped with Thomas and fled Andaris, leaving more than thirty dead and many more wounded. Incensed, King Cassander declared all mages enemies of the Kingdom and increased treasury funding for the Order. Although Kayled Wine had failed in his first execution, the results clearly indicated to both the public and the Crown that further force must be pursued if the mage problem was to be solved.
Following the disaster, Kayled Wine appointed Caius Gawyne as Lord Arbiter of the Order, along with Elizabet Moru as Lord Guardian. Granted an old Iron Hands Barracks to serve as headquarters and granted the Rite of Investigation, and the Rite of Conscription, the Order of the Mantis began to swell as eager citizens stepped forward to seek glory in the eyes of the Seven.
The Order has thoroughly entrenched itself in Andaris and continues to spread its influence through the lands of the other families.
Purpose
Methodology
I. Magic Detection
II. Trial
After sentencing but before execution, it is possible for an accused mage to appeal to the Lord Arbiter or Lord Inquisitor in an effort to try and have the decision reversed. In this instance, it falls upon the Lord Arbiter or the Lord Inquisitor to either affirm or overturn the rendered decision.
Additionally, though the trials are often private affairs from the public, witnesses can and will be called to testify for or against the accused. While the mage is allowed to defend themselves against the accusations, they are offered no public defense like happens in some normal judiciary trials. The Detectives of the Order are expected to remain impartial in their presentation of the evidence, and the Arbiters are expected to play both advocate and opponent when trying the accused.
III. Execution
Prior to the execution, the Lord Arbiter or the Lord Guardian will read the amassed public the charges levied against the mage, and give verbal account of the evidence collected against them. They will read the sentence, then announce the punishment. The execution is carried out immediately afterwards.
Though there were always Purifiers and Second Swords at the executions to discourage rioting or mass hysteria, their presence and the presence of Moseke Knights during these events has been increased since the Seeker escape of Vhalar 717. Almost doubled, the executions of mages are now often some of the most secure events in the Kingdom.
IV. Property Handling
Any mage that has been found guilty (executed or not) has their property turned over to The Crown. Currently, the Order acts as stewards of such property, allowing family members to lodge requests to inherit what is left behind or utilizing said property for their own organization.
V. Additional Notes
- All Order of the Mantis members train in magic identification, theory, and defense, though each Division of the Order has a particular focus and role.
- All Order of the Mantis members possess the unique Rite of Investigation that allows them to investigate any suspicion of magic, although all members require an Arbiter on hand when investigating Nobility or Knighted.
- All members are authorized to use lethal force on a suspected Mage resisting arrest.
- The Order of the Mantis is forbidden from investigating members of the Rynlist clergy.
Headquarters | Andaris City
The Courthouse in the Crown is where mages are given a private trial and the courtyard of the Courthouse is where executions take place. The limited holding cells of the Courthouse (as opposed to the multi-leveled Jail of Low-Town) have been converted for Order use, as they have yet to need to worry about containing a large number of magic-using prisoners at a time.
Plans currently exist for Order outposts to be constructed at the blessing of the Noble Families on their lands. This will allow the Order to have a farther reaching hand in ascertaining the presence of mages, securing judgements, and executing the guilty.
Allies & Enemies
- Employed directly by the King and Queen, the Order is given their authority and their means through the King and Queen of Rynmere. Lord Inquisitor Wine answers directly to King Cassander.
- Working alongside the Rynlist Church, the Order often asks them to be present during the trial and sentencing of Nobility and Knighted. Because the Church has divine immunity, the rumours of magic within are never investigated, and the Order denies any validity to the rumours.
- Often the primary grounds for conscription, the military branches of the Kingdom are considered inferior in power to the Order. Though each branch boasts far more members, the Mantis is given the authority to supercede the jurisdiction of all the branches, and may forcefully recruit from within each.
- There is some suspicion among the noble houses as to the necessity of the Order. While the incident of Vhalar 717 has affirmed some of the less dubious, many of the heads of the house secretly debate whether the existence of the Order is truly necessary to maintaining order, especially among the mages. Those in the nobility with their own sparks are often the loudest adversaries of the Order.
- Less affected than the nobility or the commoners of the mainland, the Merchant Houses offer varied opinions of the Order. Some have offered to allot land for the Order to construct barracks and outposts in the Settlements, while others deny the necessity and would instead rather invest in tightening the laws.
- Perhaps the most varied of all those listed, the commoners of Rynmere are torn. They understand the need for safety in the kingdom, and the most recent arcs have had significant examples of how magic is dangerous, but the approach of the Order scares many. Those more educated among the commoners recognize the fear tactics and directives the Order use, but the majority see them as a protective force, especially after the events of Vhalar 717.
- Obviously, the mages of the Kingdom are enemies of the Order. Those aligning with the magical factions have support systems in place to fight back or escape the kingdom, but the mages without that support consider the Order to be oppressors.
- Strangely, the VII view the Order as a threat to their existence, but also an opportunity. While they are neither pro- nor anti-mage, the VII operate on the fear of the populace, and while the Order has the power to investigate them, should they find them, they also sow fear and discord among the people. The VII doesn’t go out of its way to confront the Order, but they also don’t avoid them.
- Another faction of mages, they are just as much the enemy of the Order as any other mage. Renowned for their ruthless tactics and reliance on the “darker” Domains, the Coven are often tried and killed as quickly as possible, especially to avoid intervention by their powerful leader, Ellasin.
- Due to their most recent clash in Vhalar, the Seekers are considered public enemies in the Kingdom of Rynmere. Ousted from their cell, the Seekers no longer exist in an official capacity, and those with connections are investigated, brought in, interrogated and summarily executed. Some claim the trials of Seeker associates are not fair or just, and that the Order is executing those associated on suspicion alone. The Order, of course, denies these slanderous lies.
Ranks and Recruitment
Order of the Mantis members are colloquially known as Ashcloaks, not simply because of the nature of their fiery public executions but also for the grey color of their cloaks. Ranks and Divisions are made visible by the insignia of the Order, the claws and head of a Mantis. These badges are cast in bronze, silver, and obsidian. Purifiers, the lowest order of the Order have no badges, simply the armor and cloaks that mark them as Ashcloaks. Each Second Sword is granted a bronze emblem of the Order with a different gemstone set in the mantis’ eyes. This denotes their organization. Blue Mantis. Red Mantis. Yellow Mantis. The only colors not used are white and black. Instead these colored eyes and the silver insignia is given to Adjudicators and Detectives. Adjudicators sport the snowy white and the Detectives sport the coal black. The First Sword is also given a silver emblem but there are no colors in its eyes. Neither is the badge for the Lord Guardian customized with color. Instead, they are expected to act with authority over ALL the Spellbreaker Brigades.
Finally, Onyx is the color ascribed to the four of the highest order in the ranks. Lord Inquisitor Kayled Wine, Lord Arbiter Caius Gawyne, Lord Guardian Elizabet Moru, and Master Roland DuKette.
Lord Inquisitor
Kayled Wine
A Venoran bastard who resided in Krome, Kayled Wine was a sheriff with a particular knack for seeking out and eliminating zealots and mages. Not much is known about him prior to his post as a sheriff in Krome, but since, he has been raised to the title of Lord Inquisitor by King Cassander of Rynmere and has been styled as the leader of the Order of the Mantis. He presides directly over the entire Order, answering only to King Cassander officially.
Lord Inquisitor Kayled is a thin man, cursed with a figure that most would call scare-crow. Sharp, dark eyes are set deep in an almost skull-like face, framed with heavy, black, curly locks. His hooked nose is like the beak of a falcon, set prominently in a snake-thin face. He wears the same pitch-black breastplate as others of the Order, and his ash-colored is affixed with an onyx Mantis symbol.
Skills: Blades (Long Sword) 82, Detection 90, Discipline 79, Endurance 62, Intelligence 56, Interrogation 70, Intimidation 43, Investigation 89, Leadership 50, Logistics 25, Rhetoric 25, Torture 52
Archons
Detectives
Adjudicators
Swords
The Swords are distinguished from the rest of Rynmere's military by their Dark Armor, as if the metal of the armor has been treated during forging with a particular substance. The armor is imported from Hiladrith and treated to resist elemental and ether blast magic, though this is not common knowledge.
Notable NPCs (TBD)
Anti-Magic Technology and Items
