Knight Orders (David Eddings)

The Church Knights are a fictional military organization in "The Elenium" and "The Tamuli". The Knights are divided into four orders, created to protect the Elene Church. All the Militant Orders are trained in the Secrets of Styricum, allowing them to perform magic. Each order has its own teacher, representing one of the Thousand Younger Gods of Styricum. Church Knights are the only Elenes permitted to learn magic. The Preceptor of each Order hold equal rank to a Patriarch in the Church Hierarchy.

The Church Knights are considered members of the clergy, to an extent. They are hinted at being forbidden alcohol and are sworn to tell the truth. These rigid practices, however, are not well-suited to the corrupt world they inhabit, and many Church Knights routinely smuggle in a wineskin into their chapterhouses and drink in taverns, though, notably, they never seem to drink enough to get seriously drunk. Even the Preceptors ignore the prohibition against lying, using deception when necessary to accomplish their goals.

Each order has a presence in important cities in its native country and in Chyrellos. They are each based in a motherhouse that also seems to handle most of the training of novices, and each order also maintains several chapterhouses in major cities in their home country, and in Chyrellos. Each chapterhouse is ran by an administrator selected from that order's own ranks, often a person whose manegerial skills outweigh their battle prowess.

The Church Knights also engage in spying, sending members out to unstable areas to search for information. Such assignments are often long-term, requiring a knight to become an accepted member of the populace, sometimes by living for years in one place.

The orders have different methods. The Pandions are renowned as being torturers--although these rumors were started by the Pandions themselves because 1) It's very hard and very messy to torture somebody and 2) It's easier to intimidate someone into talking. The Genidians will readily contact the Troll Gods if necessary, though Church doctrine holds that the very act imperils an Elene soul. The Cyrinics seem to be perfectly willing to wait for years for an enemy to meet them on the Knights' terms and their champion, Bevier, is an expert on siegecraft and often absently corrects others' mistakes in the area. ("Bevier could hold this place for two years at least." "Five - there's a well inside the walls. That adds three years.")Eddings, D. (1992). "Domes of Fire", Del Rey Books, ISBN 0-345-38327-3]

Pandion Knights

The Pandion Order are protectors of the Kingdom of Elenia, and Queen Ehlana. Known for their implacable resolve and martial skill, the Pandions are a feared group. The Preceptor of the Pandion Order at the time of the books is Lord Vanion. Vanion is secretly in love with the Pandion's teacher of the Secrets of Styricum, Lady Sephrenia, and the entire order loves her and calls her their "little mother". The paramount Knight of the Pandions is Sir Sparhawk, main protagonist of both "The Elenium" and "The Tamuli" and lifelong pupil of Vanion. Sparhawk is a bleak and foreboding man, possessed of an unearthly calm, and a steadfast devotion to duty. In an Order of expert swordsmen, Sparhawk stands head and shoulders above the rest. It's been said his only equal was the renegade Pandion, Martel. Like all Pandions, Sparhawk wears black lacquered armor, a visored helmet, and carries a heavy shield. The members of the order also wear black surcoats, trimmed in silver. The Pandion Knights appeal to the Styric goddess, Aphrael for their spells.

The Pandions have an independent streak, only marginally hindered by their oaths to follow the commands of a ranking churchman.

Cyrinic Knights

The Cyrinic Order are protectors of the pious Kingdom of Arcium, and King Dregos. Cyrinics are renowned for their piety, and sometimes, tendency towards melodrama. The Preceptor of their Order is Lord Abriel, an aged but still steadfast Knight. The Champion of the Order is Sir Bevier. Cyrinic Knights are easily identified by their highly burnished armor, open-faced helmets with heavy noseguards, and pristine white surcoats. They are the world's acknowledged experts in sieges, as well as siege engine construction. Their Champion, Sir Bevier, eschews the standard sword in favor of a grim Lochaber axe. The Cyrinic Knights call upon the Styric god, Romalic for their spells.

The Cyrinics are the most likely to completely follow the letter of the law, though they, too, will do what they have to. Once a Cyrinic Knight is certain he's standing on firm theological ground, he can act with startling abruptness. Sir Bevier once commanded a pompous soldier to clear his troops from a city gate. After reminding the soldier of his ecclesiastical rank, and getting the soldier's steadfast refusal to follow orders from a ranking churchman, Bevier proceeded to lop off the offending soldier's head with a single swipe of his gruesome Lochaber axe. He then began loudly praying for the man's soul, imploring God to forgive his offenses. This completely unnerved the remaining soldiers, who immediately cleared out of Bevier's path.

Alcione Knights

The Alcione Order are protectors of the Kingdom of Deira, and of King Obler. Their Preceptor is Lord Darrelon; their Champion is Sir Tynian, a good-humored Knight enamored of jokes and humorous (or bawdy) tales. Deirans are known for their massive armor, the heaviest in the world. It is forged of unpolished steel, and adorned with a sky-blue surcoat. Alciones are known as the world's experts in armor. They derive their spell-casting powers from the Styric god, Setras.

Genidian Knights

The Genidian Order are protectors of far-off and mountainous Thalesia, their King is the boisterous two-fisted drinker, Wargun. Their Preceptor is Lord Komier. Sir Ulath is the paramount Knight of the Genidian Order, and in many ways, the ideal Genidian - strong, silent, massively muscled, and blonde-braided. Like all the members of his Order, Sir Ulath wears chain mail armor due to the number of rivers in Thalesia. A chain mail shirt can easily be shrugged off by its wearer, unlike plate mail. For formal occasions, Genidians wear green surcoats and their helmet is adorned with a pair of curved ogre horns. These incredibly hard horns have saved Ulath's life, deflecting a potentially killing axe blow during the Siege of Chyrellos. Genidians favor a heavy war axe as their preferred armament. The Genidians appeal to the Styric god, Hanka for their spells.

The Genidians seem to be the most independent and unscrupulous of all the orders. The Genidians apparently find themselves in the strangest situations, partially due to living in the natural territory of Trolls and Ogres. Ulath said that a Genidian once sent Komier a report written on human skin because there wasn't anything else to write on at the time (no further details were provided.) Sir Ulath said that many of the Genidians are actually of common birth, but they get King Wargun roaring drunk before filing in new recruits so they can have titles bestowed upon them. The Genidian's independent streak has also extended to having a democratic process to select their preceptors--the other orders send a panel of names to the Hierocracy of the Church so that their new leader can be selected, but, as Ulath put it: "We make it easier for them. We only send one name." The Genidians have an almost Pandion-like abruptness in dealing with problems, particularly when dealing with pompous official sorts. Ulath explained an instance where their former preceptor wanted the order to switch to plate mail, like the Pandions, Cyrinics, and Alciones. When the man wouldn't listen to the reasons for the Genidians wearing chain mail (that it offers reasonable protection against any threats up there, and a knight can pull his chain shirt off should he fall into one of Thalesia's numerous rivers), a demonstration was arranged. A Genidian in chainmail was tossed into the harbor at Emsat, and managed to get out of the shirt and to the surface in under a minute. Then the Preceptor wanting the switch was tossed in, wearing plate mail. He never came back up. Ulath told his friends, "I guess he found something more interesting to do down there."

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