The Order of the Golden Rose
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| Location | Duchy of Hölzland |
| Races | Attian Humans |
| Primary Religion | Alderism |
| Current Leader | Hochmeister Markvart von Herdorf |
| Established | 1535 AFS |
Intro
Founded during the exile of Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts while being hosted by the House of Tzyrnowski in Lünburg, the Order of the Golden Rose recruits only from among the most promising candidates of the Attian populace. Those initiated into the Order vow to not attempt to further their own ambitions through their position, but toil endlessly to improve the lives of His Imperial Majesty's citizenry. To symbolise the fundamental ideals of loyalty and brotherhood, all members of the Order of the Golden Rose have vowed to stay loyal first, last and always to the rightful Kaiser. Their purpose is to root out all that is considered dishonourable, disloyal and evil, while in service to a worthy Kaiser. To be a Golden Rose Ritter is to become a beacon of hope to the populace, and through their efforts create a better version of Eden.
The Makings of a Golden Rose Ritter
Initiation and the life of a Squire
The Order’s ranks are open to all men of Attian descent in theory, though those of noble heritage are often preferred and have an easier time being accepted to become a novice thanks to their connections. The recruitment process does not take into account the city or state they hail from, as long as they have proof of their Attian heritage. Should an aspiring novice be able to prove his loyalty to the Kaiser, the righteousness of his cause, and his brethren in arms, as well as meet the steep requirements of martial prowess set by the Hochmeister, any warrior can hope to join the brotherhood if they so choose. To be accepted into the Order is a dream to many a young lad, and many youngsters attempt to join their ranks each year in the pursuit of glory, or a place to call home.
Novices are the group term of all current squires within the Order, and have a dedicated Ritter to teach them and assist them through their trials. To become a squire within the Order, one must be at least fourteen years of age at the time of their application. Aspiring squires are required to have a stellar public record, as well as to obtain a letter of recommendation from a well-known Ritter or high-ranking nobleman. Once an aspiring squire has attained their letter of recommendation they must find a Ritter within the Order to take them on as their personal squire. Should the aspiring squire be able to convince the Ritter to take them on, they must put in an application to the Hochmeister of the Order, who will approve or deny the induction of the squire into the Order. If approved, the squire is now part of the Order with the rank of squire and is allowed to begin training and move through their trials. This training, along with the trials, must be completed at a standard pace, and cannot be rushed by the squire's overseeing Ritter. Ritters of the Order can take up to two squires at once, as long as they are both treated equally during their training and have equality of opportunity when it comes to learning from their Ritter.
Three Trials of Thorns
Every squire must pass three trials before they may take their final trial and be inducted into the Order and become a Ritter proper. Depending on the squire, these trials can be taken on as early as six months after the beginning of their training, with the approval of their overseeing Ritter. Their overseeing Ritter is not allowed to influence the outcomes of the trials in any way, lest they be disqualified and considered void. Should a squire fail one or more of their trials, they may retake them after three months of additional squiring.
Trial of Body | A Ritter must be strong and should be able to triumph over all that comes his way, they should possess the tactical mind to overcome any obstacle. This trial is all about proving one's martial prowess, a squire will be required to go out into the wild and slay a large ferocious beast. Animal carcasses that are accepted by the Order as proof of completion include but are not limited to; bears, dire wolves, trolls, giant scorpions and wyverns. The beast must be taken on alone, without any outside help, and must be slain using a melee weapon. A randomly picked Ritter will accompany them during this trial and will make sure all is done according to the requirements and rules of the trial, the Ritter is also allowed to stop the trial should he see no possible avenue of victory for his squire, though the squire holds the last say in if the fight should be stopped or not.
Trial of Mind | A Ritter must be able to think on his feet and possess all knowledge they might need during their service to the realm. After months of rigorous studying together with their mentoring Ritter, they are given a written exam that is overseen by the Hochmeister of the Order, this exam will test their general knowledge along with hypothetical situations to which the squire must describe how they should react and find the best solution to a list of complex problems, as well as the codes of conduct that come with being a Ritter.
Trial of Spirit | A Ritter must be able to know the difference between right and wrong if he is to be able to serve as a moral compass to the people of his country. This trial is centred around testing the mental spirit of an aspiring Ritter, they are to spend a day together with a man of the cloth from the Alderist faith. Here the squire will be tested on many fronts, and judged by the clergyman on traits such as humility and honour. At the end of the trial, the squire will have to remain within an Alderist place of worship throughout an entire night, while under a vow of silence. Should they speak for any reason, they fail their trial and thus their quest. Some say this is the most important trial of all, as it serves as an indicator of a squire's behaviour upon becoming a Ritter.
Trial of Judgement | Upon a squire's return from the trials, having completed all of them, they are brought before the Hochmeister of the Order where they will be told their results. The Hochmeister will take the squire into their chambers and go through each trial separately, explaining to them their mistakes if they made any and giving them advice on how to improve their skills going forward. The Hochmeister then tells the squire whether he has passed or failed, should he have passed, a ceremony will be held where they take their vows and become a Ritter of the Order of the Golden Rose before the all-seeing eyes of Alder.
Vows of the Golden Rose
Once the Hochmeister has granted a squire confirmation of their successful completion of the trials, they will be brought before a group of their brethren to take their vows in the eyes of Alder. It is customary that the mentoring Ritter performs the ritual with their squire, if the Ritter is unavailable, it is the duty of the Hochmeister.
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I swear before Alder and his Sentinels, and in the witness of this company here gathered, to serve the noble Order of the Golden Rose truly and faithfully unto death, observing the Laws of the Order;
To serve and protect His Imperial Majesty; the Kaiser, his family, his legitimate successors and his appointed officers with my life;
To render full and unquestioning service to my superiors in the Order and to those they appoint over me;
Never to suffer any person or thing threatening to endanger the Kaiser's lands to live while there is breath in my body.
The Order has my oath, which only death may break. Let all here present bear witness.
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Once their oath is taken, they are from that point forward a full-fledged Ritter of the Order and will receive their first mission from the Hochmeister at the earliest convenience. These first missions often range from delivering important correspondence, guarding the royal family during their travels or standing guard at the royal residences.
Duties and Workings of the Order
Duties
Although not the largest in terms of numbers, the Order of the Golden Rose’s knights are one of the most important parts of the Kaiser’s army, serving as his personal bodyguard and as a symbol of Imperial might to inspire the common soldiery. When seen in battle, the knights of the Order often take up the centre of the lines and charge forward during decisive moments in the battles. The Order is responsible for the security of all palaces and castles belonging to the Imperial family and of course their own chapter house. Being the Kaiser’s personal retinue, having a place within the Order is a thing of great prestige, when a dashing young Golden Rose Ritter returns to his home village while he is on leave, he is often cheered for the amount of honour his deeds have brought to their town.
Another duty of the Order is to accompany the Kaiser and guard him, an honour only a select few within the brotherhood are able to attain. The Order only recruits the best, and to be selected to guard the Kaiser, one must be the very best of the best. Duels are regularly held between the more glory-hungry members of the Order, fighting for the honour of being near the Kaiser.
Organisation
The Order of the Golden Rose is divided into two groups, the main core of the Order would be stationed at their chapter house and the smaller group of elite Ritters that personally guard the Kaiser. The main core of the Order that performs their duties at the chapter house is given many different tasks, from delivering correspondence to treating with unruly nobles for the Kaiser, handling diplomatic issues with neighbouring states or taking care of regional issues within his lands. The elite squadron that guards the Kaiser is always to be found at his side, serving as his personal protectors and servants. These Ritters only answer to the Hochmeister and the Kaiser himself, and those who become part of this squadron often end up succeeding the current Hochmeister upon his death or resignation.
Ritters who are unable to fight any longer after having sustained injury or being invalidated due to old age are allowed to become Sergeants within the Order, their duties mostly include staffing the chapter house and serving as trainers for the novices. Most Ritters that become incapable of fighting choose to become medical practitioners, travelling with their comrades and caring for them should they be injured.
Equipment & Heraldry
The Ritters of the Order of the Golden Rose are equipped with the very finest weapons and suits of armour available within His Majesty's holdings. They ride warhorses into battle and wear black full-plated armour, adorned with gilded decorations and capes emblazoned with the gold rose, their weapons decorated with wings to signal their loyalties to the Kaiser and his family. Some Ritters choose to go even further and adorn their armour and weapons with even more heraldry and symbols attached to the royal family or the Order, though that is mostly down to the discretion of the Ritter himself.
Veteran Ritters of the Order often have armour that is more decorated than their novice counterparts, often adding to their decorations after successful campaigns and missions. The Order’s colours are black, white and gold, and their heraldry includes a golden rose as well as wings to signify their loyalty to the Kaiser. Heraldry attaining to the worship of Alder is sometimes used, yet is not a main part of the Order’s image.