Knights Imperious

Founded in 793 CY, and endorsed by Emperor Anguis Perditus Vispera in 796 CY, the Order Of The Poor Supplicants Of Solaris And The Dispensers Of Imperial Justice, more commonly known as the Knights Imperious, is a military order attached to the Church of Solaris, but only answerable to the Emperor. First established as a fighting order, during the Sepelioserpentis Wars, the Knights Imperious was subsequently transformed into an administrative order by the Emperor.

Barracks for the Knights Imperious can be found wherever a Church of Solaris exists. The responsibilities of the Knights Imperious include protecting travellers, maintaining the peace on trails, highways, and areas outside the confines of free-towns, providing protection to Imperial tax collectors, acting as the personal guards to the Emperor, and rooting out and dealing summary justice to worshippers of Set. In practice, most of these activities are undertaken by local constables, militia, and so on, since the Knights Imperious numbers less than 250 soldiers. However, Knights Imperious always have jurisdiction in those matters, and are empowered to mete out swift justice to those who resist them.

The seal of the Knights Imperious shows the Emperor battling two serpents, one in each hand. That seal is displayed prominently on the shields borne by the Knights Imperious, which are symbols of their authority.

Player Characters may begin as a first-level fighter, cleric or paladin, and be a soldier of the Order of the Knights Imperious.

Those characters begin with a helmet and breastplate, a mace and longsword, and a round shield with the seal of the Knights Imperious. They also start with 1d6 x10 gold.