Argentum Order: Difference between revisions

Argentum Order
Order
Pronunciation	Ar-gen-tum
Origins	Decentralized
Grandmaster	Lady Sirramevh

Knight Repository
	The repository of all played Knights can be found here. When you make a new Knight character, please file a ticket in the Discord Ticket Bot to have them recorded. You only need to provide their name and Order.

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Latest revision as of 23:00, 20 September 2024

The Argentum Order is an Anti-Knightly Order, meaning that it has the appearance and trappings of a Knightly Order like one might see the Viridian Order in the Regalian Empire, but it is not legally sanctioned or backed by the same state. The Argentum Order is a decentralized collection of anti-Regalian dissidents, saboteurs, and separatists who have some problems with the Regalian Empire and want to see it diminished/weakened/destroyed. In essence, the Argentum Order is a Knightly Order of "Dark Knights", who fight against the other Knights and the state apparatus to see their own goals and plans met. The Argentum Order is not a recommended Character Design for new Players. Argentum Knights will frequently be attacked on sight by law-abiding citizens, who are in the majority. It will be hard to find allies or safe spaces for social Roleplay, but it can still be rewarding if the intention is to play an antagonist or experience this type of lore of the world.

Design

Argentum Knights don't have a clear design ethos like many other Knights, because they are such a varied group of individuals with slightly different motivations for hating Regalia. Argentum can range anywhere from using heavy or light armor, ranged or melee weapons, or magic or none. The Argentum Order does not have a Knightly Code to abide by officially, but it has an internal Glory Code that is optional.

Argentum Knights can be of any people or culture, so long as they have beef with the Regalian Empire.
Argentum Knights are by definition criminals for being Argentum, and thus will be hunted down.
Argentum Knights have no usage limitation on Magic, Afflictions, Sinistral Magic, or Alignments, except that only Mystech who were Argentum Knights in life may continue to be part of the Order in death. Mystech who were not part of the Order while they were alive, or indeed Mystech who were never alive to begin with, cannot be part of the Argentum Order.

Chapters

All Argentum Knights are members of a single Chapter, which grants them a free non-combat-related Mechanic. Changing Chapters (unlike in other Orders) is not permitted due to their backstory niches.

Silverwatch Chapter

The Silverwatch Chapter is a Chapter of Dread Empire fanatics and supporters. These Knights have thrown their lot in with the Kathar Dread Empire, and do the work that is commanded of them by their warlords and empress to destroy the Regalian Empire from within. Their motivation to be part of the Argentum Order is purely Empire versus Empire conflict, and their tendency to inflict heavy violence and show no mercy, usually sets them apart as the more radical of the Chapters that would not stop short of the utter implosion of the Empire and the decimation of the royal family. The Silverwatch Chapter is mostly dominated by Kathar loyalists, but accepts anyone willing to support the claim of the Kathar Empire to be the greatest and most powerful political entity in the world, and to seek the approval and benevolence of the Kathar Empress to their name and glory before the Evolist Gods. The Silverwatch Knights show little regard for life.

Silverwatch Mechanic: Silverwatch Knights can have Wings (Demonic/Bat only), allowing (Elytra) flight (+use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.

Rustbound

The Rustbound Chapter is a Chapter of Death-God Machinist fanatics and supporters and their unfortunate victims. The Rustbound Chapter has a minority of members who are called Machinepriests, adept at technological grafting of machine and flesh to create cyborg-like beings. The majority of the chapter is filled with these cyborgs called Machinebound, who were often forcibly conscripted by the immoral Machinepriests to do their bidding and that of their master. The Rustbound Chapter works to undermine the Regalian Empire due to its held belief that Regalia monopolized technological progress, and hid inventions from the wider world (and more importantly, their Death-God patron). The Rustbound Chapter is primarily motivated by stealing Regalia's blueprints and inventions, so their goal isn't the penultimate destruction of the Empire, but certainly its weakening so it can no longer hold a monopoly on all technological progress.

Rustbound Mechanic: Rustbound Knights gain the 2nd & 3rd Skyborn Mechanics, and Bound Mechanic III from the Bound Automata Mechanics.

Ascended

The Ascended Chapter is a Chapter of Evolism fanatics who are equal part Evolist priests and holy warriors. Evolism isn't strictly banned as a Religion in Regalia, but proselytizing it is, and Ascended Knights seek to spread the faith of Evolism among the common population either by their compelling word or by force of sword and Magic. The Ascended Chapter is primarily motivated by religious repression but also wants to live out a more radical version of Evolism that devalues the lives of the individual as a weak stepping stone to the truly strong and deserving, desiring for a society that is strength-based instead of rule of law based. It is debatable if they actually want to supplant the ruling family of the Empire with an Evolist one, instead of destroying the Regalian Empire, so they tend to be fairly ambiguous about their eventual plan. Out of all the Chapters, they also happen to engage more in Demonic subterfuge.

Ascended Mechanic: Ascended Knights can choose one Mechanic from any other Religion and apply it to their own list of Mechanics for perpetual use.

Truth Hound

The Truth Hound Chapter is a Chapter of general anti-Regalian separatists who believe the Empire by its very nature is tyrannical and should be decentralized, or disintegrated in favor of forming many autonomous states. This usually includes Velheim separatists, Gallovian nationalists, Girobaldan rebels, Sarnan revanchists, etc. This Chapter is a large coalition of conquered and minority cultures that want regional independence for their own people and are willing to make Dark Magic pacts for power with Dark Gods to achieve it, essentially having crossed the threshold of anti-colonial resistance, into outright indiscriminate terrorism. Truth Hound Knights often use the guide of deniability to hide their membership of the Argentum Order which is considerably easier for them due to their otherwise legal presence in the Regalian Empire. Truth Hound Knights are singularly obsessed with national freedom whatever the costs.

Truth Hound Mechanic: Truth Hound Knights are not limited to Knighthood only, they can be a member of a Guild while hiding their Argentum Status. They also cannot be discovered from the Knight Registry.

Old Ones Chapter

The Old Ones Chapter is a Chapter of Draconism and Triton radicals who have a distinctly heretical view of Dragons towards the Regalian Empire. Despite the Denial of Immortality, the Old Ones Chapter believes that this event was a mistake and that the Regalian Empire has usurped the Mantle of Creation from the Dragons and is a false pretender to world domination. They believe that Dragons should take a more authoritative stance towards their creation and that Regalia is an obstacle to this goal because it requires Dragons like Regulus to maintain a presentable affability for the sake of stability. They desire to cause as much chaos and calamity as possible with the ultimate goal of confronting Dragons on their indolence, and forcing them into a more harsh and forceful attitude to deciding things for the world. The Old Ones Chapter is rejected by the wider Draconism community as heretical, though it includes dissidents from all versions of Draconism.

Old Ones Mechanic: Old Ones Knights gain the Deathless Invocation Pack for free, but their mortality is anchored to the Leynetwork meaning any Draconic Mage could threaten their immortality.

Darkstar

The Darkstar Chapter is a Chapter of Vampiric radicals who don't want to destroy the Regalian Empire, but supplant the ruling family and administration with Vampires, and use Dark Magic to create an eternal night in the Empire to create a true Sanguine Empire. Darkstar Knights use Vampirism to its fullest and are equal parts dissident towards Regalia as Dorkarth, which they hate also as a weak and feeble nation. The Darkstar Chapter is seen as the least committed to the Argentum Order as a whole, and likely the first to betray the Order when it becomes convenient to them, but the Argentum Order as a whole has collectively decided to keep them around because they would be worse enemies than half-committed allies, given the habit of Vampires to spread their influence with mind control and manipulation. Darkstar Knight hold particular regard for Inth, who they consider the Prince of the Dark Star, who will herald an Age of Darkness to his own Enlightenment.

Darkstar Mechanic: Darkstar Knights must be Vampires, and can choose one Mechanic granted by either the Huntess or Glacial to Mortisphages for themselves, which become Void Aligned/Vampiric.

Vilecrest

The Vilecrest Chapter is a relatively new addition to the Argentum Order almost entirely comprised of Death Isldar fanatics who have a grudge to settle with Regalia for supporting and ultimately saving the Life Isldar in their civil war, which they believe they would have won without that intervention. Vilecrest Knights have a secondary objective to kill especially Life Isldar or Death Isldar who have betrayed the cause, but are primarily motivated with destroying Regalia's military apparatus so that when the time comes, the Death Isldar can march on the Life Isldar and destroy them once and for all. As such, the Vilecrest Chapter primarily focuses on the military means of the Empire, whether that is to blow up military installations, attack military personnel, or fight Regalian Knights in the streets, who would most likely be leading the assault on the Death Isldar if the two nations would come to blows over the Isldar Civil War again.

Vilecrest Mechanic: Vilecrest Knights gain Mechanic 2 as listed on the Deathveil Undead Mechanics, however Vilecrest Knights cannot ever be Undead themselves.

Oathbreaker

The Oathbreaker Chapter is the quintessential Regalian traitor, exclusively a Chapter made up of Knights from the legal Regalian Knight orders who have betrayed their Order and sided with the Argentum Order for no other reason than spite, or because they felt forced to, to save themselves from execution. Oathbreakers were usually expelled from their chapter for high treason against the Empire, or for inflicting evil in the eyes of their former allies to such a degree that it would warrant their death. Most Oathbreakers have joined out of spite to take revenge of their former compatriots, but some Oathbreakers also genuinely have nowhere else to go, because their soul and body has already become corrupted by Dark Magic, and only the Argentum Order will take them. Oathbreakers still wear their old allegiance armor and sigils in a damaged and marred state, as a point of mockery or derision to the polished false perfection that Knights express.

Oathbreaker Mechanic: Oathbreaker Knights generate 1 Auto-Divinium every 2 Months, which does not stack, and refreshes every second first day of the Month, even if unused.

Internal Conflict

The Argentum Order, while ostensibly unified in their desire to destroy or dethrone Regalia as the world's pre-eminent Empire, is not always as cohesive as the strictly disciplined other Orders. For example, some of the Chapters want to outright destroy the Regalian Empire, while some only want to change its policies and culture to fit their own preference. Naturally because of the time-span of the server and the general player population, the goals set for each of these chapters is a dead-end, these things will never happen in Roleplay. That being said, the Characters can still impact the Empire and make it unstable at times, but how they go about this, may differ from Chapter to Chapter. It is not unthinkable that some Chapters may even sabotage efforts of the others, or side with gray-morality pro-law Characters (not other Knights, because they would be committing treason) against a particular Chapter. Fighting among the Chapters is also possible because while they are ostensibly allied for the same goal, there is a great deal of ego and vanity among them that sometimes causes them to duel for honor or brawl for the sake of it. Whatever happens, at the very least, Argentum Order Knights never kill each other. That is the one unspoken rule that if anyone crosses, they become an enemy of the Order at large.

Glory Code

The Argentum Order Glory Code is similar to the Honor Code of the other Regalian Knight Orders, but different in that it is optional. Argentum Knights have a concept of Glory that applies to how venerable or respectable their actions are. Generally, they praise bravery and brazen disregard for self-preservation in the face of pure ideological adherence. While they are certainly capable of subterfuge, they are less keen on skulking and sneaking, being a total unknown non-threat to anyone, or worse, failure. There is no real consequence to not following this Glory Code, aside from the fact that Order Leaders/Gods may positively interact with those who stand by the Code.

All Argentum Knights should ensure that harm comes to the Regalian Knights of all Chapters, and especially the Viridian Knights when an opportunity arises.
All Argentum Knights should ensure their name, or that of their pseudonym, are widely known and feared or respected by their adversaries, and not to be an unknown.
All Argentum Knights should ensure a drive and ambition to achieve, and to have achieved even small things leading to big things, and to not be a nothing-doer.
All Argentum should disavow dirty tactics like stabbing in one's back or pocket-sand because only weak people have to resort to weak gestures to win.
All Argentum should disavow attacking the weak, the ill, the infantile, and the defenseless, for priding to defeat weaklings is in itself weak. Unless they give lip.

History

The Argentum Order is about as old as the Kathar Empire itself, though its very nature has changed over the centuries. What once started as a collective to gather all the highly praised Kathar military orders, eventually broached beyond by the inclusion of many disparate groups that wanted to ensure the Kathar Empire's supremacy. Eventually, these groups became so numerous, that their unifying gesture had less to do with the Dread Empire, and more to do with breaking the Regalian Empire down, which at the time continued to be the biggest competitor to the Dread Empire. The Rustbound were the first to join, disgruntled by the Regalian Empire's claim over several lost Skyborn treasures. The Truth Hounds followed during the Skagger Wars as Velheim separatists became more prominent, and the Darkstar Chapter somehow wormed their way into the Order without anyone even noticing. The Old Ones and Oathbreakers joined together around the same time and continue to be the two most reluctant members who shy away from their more murderous counterparts. The last to join was the Vilecrest Chapter in recent years, which formally separated the Order from Dread interests due to the overwhelming diversity. The Order is still led by a Dread Empire Silver Tear Paladin, but no actual Silver Tear Paladin is a member of the Order, and this Paladin is more like a diplomatic figurehead who tries to keep the peace for the sake of the common mission, rather than hand down orders from the Dread Empress herself, which is only obeyed widely speaking by the Silverwatch Chapter.

Mechanical Activities

Mechanical Activities are loose descriptions of plots that Players can engage in, where they will most likely end up on the losing side, but receive some kind of reward for it in the long run and hopefully good roleplay from the people who they do it with. As expected of antagonist characters, the majority of the law-abiding characters will likely outnumber and defeat them anytime they do something, so Mechanical Activities allow a kind of pseudo-railroaded activity with a clear and assumed outcome that will feel like a strategic defeat, but a tactical victory. If Players have ideas on how to expand this list with additional activities, they are welcome to make a Ticket and discuss it with Lore Staff.

Noble Abduction: A group of Argentum Knights commits to abducting a Noble Character for a number of days, while law-abiding Knights will try to negotiate for their release instead of sacrifice/murder. It is not necessary, but recommended to take in a noble who OOC consents to being abducted for a period of time, and inform Knights who to try and interact with for negotiations. The expectation is that negotiations fail, and that the position where the Argentum are imprisoning the noble, will be assaulted by Knights or other Nobles and their House Guard. To use a safehouse, Argentum Knights are encouraged to squat/occupy Noble Estates in the Regalian countryside. The Argentum Knights are obligated to provide roleplay to the abducted Noble. When the Argentum have been defeated, the present group will be given a Wealth Token to be used at whatever soonest convenient server Progression/Event that includes them, at the discretion of the DM, to emulate that the Knights used this distraction to break into a bank and rob them blind while the Regalian forces were distracted. If no Nobles are willing, Ticket Lore Staff for potential Staff actor throw-away Nobles.
Priest Abduction: A group of Argentum Knights commits to abducting a Priest/Godchosen Character for a number of days, while Faithful of that Religion and law-abiding Knights will try to negotiate for their release instead of sacrifice/murder. It is not necessary, but recommended, to take in a Priest/Godchosen consents to being abducted for a period of time, and inform Religious Characters who try and interact for negotiations. The expectation is that negotiations fail, and the position where the Argentum are imprisoning the Priest/Godchosen, will be assaulted by Militant Faithful. The Argentum Knights are obligated to provide roleplay to the abducted faithful. When the Argentum have been defeated, the present group will be given Static Divinium to be used by one of the members. If no Priests/Godchosen are willing, Ticket Lore Staff for potential Staff actor throw-away faithful.
Krakenburg Assault: A group of Argentum Knights commits to attacking Krakenburg in an attempt to break out a Seer or Oracle of some kind of Dark God. Before doing this, the group must Ticket Staff to agree on some kind of information they would ask this Seer or Oracle about their Dark God (which can be any Pagan, or Evolist God). If an agreement is made, an event time must be agreed upon, and then any Regalian Knights or law-abiding mercenaries can come to the defense at that given time. The expectation is to have one large group CRP, followed by the Argentum likely being repulsed from breaking into Krakenburg proper. Then after they retreat, Lore Staff will communicate what they have learned from the Seer or Oracle they failed to break out, to emulate the idea that the assault was a failure, but that they managed to get a familiar inside who manages to at least get the information from the prisoner they failed to release.
Palace Infiltration: A group of Argentum Knights commits to disguising and worming their way into the Regalian Palace during an event. Before this can take place, some kind of Event at the Palace must be agreed upon, and it is encouraged that the Argentum Knights contact Noble Players for this to organize any kind of Event at the Palace. The Event should continue for about an hour, after which the Argentum are meant to un-mask, or be revealed by the guests (whatever they decide they want to happen), and fight their way out of the guards/protectors at the end. The likely outcome is that the Argentum will retreat to the Palace Garden, and then jump/fly off the side of the Palace and all of them escape. Then, Lore Staff will grant the group a one-time use Prized Mechanic that they must decide to give to one person in the group, to emulate that they used the chaos at the Palace to steal something from the Vault.

Trivia

The Irony of the Argentum Order, is that the more threatening it actually becomes due to the acquisition of new Chapters, the less threatening Regalia pretends it is. As a result, the Order often gets falsely mocked.
Argentum Knights go largely unnoticed by Dragons. Why the Dragons are blind to them is unclear, though the expectation is that Triton is protecting them somehow from the Dragons who literally cannot see them.
Argentum Knights are in many ways the anti-Knight, but they do consider themselves a social caste in and of themselves. Few Argentum Knights for example marry outside the Order, as outsiders are weak.

Accreditation

Writers	MonMarty
Artists	MonMarty

Last Editor	Firefan96 on 09/20/2024.

» Read more

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 {{Info knights
-|image = Darkknights.png
+|image = Argentumorder.png
 |pronunciation = Ar-gen-tum
-|origins = Dread Empire
+|origins = Decentralized
 |grandmaster = Lady Sirramevh
-|symbols = Symbols of the Void Gods
-|colors = black, dark gray, red, burgundy
 |}}
-The Argentum Order is a [[Knightly Order]], though one that departs from the general model of Knighthood within the [[Regalian Empire]]. While all Knight Orders are rooted in Regalian law enforcement (even the Elven Chapters from outside Regalia), the Argentum Order was created by the [[Kathar]], and exists in its entirety outside of Regalian authority. The Argentum Order, which is sometimes also called the Silver-Tear Order by those with military experience in the [[Long Elven War]], is viewed by Regalia as a truly "evil" Order that represents the corrupting influences of the [[Evolism]] gods on the world. It is a Knight Order that is strictly illegal in Regalia, but still has members there to flex the power of Evolism, but also to try and seize the majesty and power of Regalia for itself through intrigue, combat, and seduction to the vices. Simplified, the Argentum Order plays into the aesthetic of the "Dark Knight", where morality and ethics are a lot more nuanced than is initially let on. It is important to recognize that the Argentum Order is not recommended for new players, as Argentum Knights have few allies, and will frequently be hunted by the other Knight Orders and pro-Regalia forces in Regalia, who tend to be in the majority.
+The Argentum Order is an Anti-Knightly Order, meaning that it has the appearance and trappings of a Knightly Order like one might see the Viridian Order in the Regalian Empire, but it is not legally sanctioned or backed by the same state. The Argentum Order is a decentralized collection of anti-Regalian dissidents, saboteurs, and separatists who have some problems with the Regalian Empire and want to see it diminished/weakened/destroyed. In essence, the Argentum Order is a Knightly Order of "Dark Knights", who fight against the other Knights and the state apparatus to see their own goals and plans met. The Argentum Order is not a recommended Character Design for new Players. Argentum Knights will frequently be attacked on sight by law-abiding citizens, who are in the majority. It will be hard to find allies or safe spaces for social Roleplay, but it can still be rewarding if the intention is to play an antagonist or experience this type of lore of the world.
 ==Design==
-The Argentum Order is a Knightly Order that specializes in the corruption of the good souls of other Knights, and the propaganda spreading of the power and allure of Evolism. The Argentum Order acts obstinate to all other Knight Orders, but also unofficially as protectors of Regalia's "Underworld", and any of the people left behind and ignored by the system as undeserving of the love of the Emperor. Argentum Knights can often be seen protecting the Occult and those accepting the gifts of the Void from for example the Lothar who would hunt them and the Aelrrigan who would chain them. Argentum Knights play perfectly into the "Dark Knight" category, with dark gothic aesthetics, a spiritual and ritualist appeal, with free reign over Magic and Spirits. They bear the respect of the Kathar Empire, however despite it being a Kathar Knight Order, literally anyone can join so long as they participate in the rituals of the Void Gods. This means it does in theory permit Dragon-Aligned, Exist Occult, Ordial Occult, and other such non-Void aligned persons to join. Training for the Argentum Order is also not required, the whole process is skipped with a bargain for the Soul from the dark gods that commits them to eternal service for the Argentum Order in exchange for long-life. Note, while Magic and Spirits/Theurgy are free game for Argentum Knights, they are still visually meant to wear heavy armor and fight with melee weapons (and possibly shield) supplemented by Magic (if they have any), to keep appealing to the Knight aesthetic.
+Argentum Knights don't have a clear design ethos like many other Knights, because they are such a varied group of individuals with slightly different motivations for hating Regalia. Argentum can range anywhere from using heavy or light armor, ranged or melee weapons, or magic or none. The Argentum Order does not have a Knightly Code to abide by officially, but it has an internal Glory Code that is optional.
+* Argentum Knights can be of any people or culture, so long as they have beef with the Regalian Empire.
+* Argentum Knights are by definition criminals for being Argentum, and thus will be hunted down.
+* Argentum Knights have no usage limitation on Magic, Afflictions, Sinistral Magic, or Alignments, except that only Mystech who were Argentum Knights in life may continue to be part of the Order in death. Mystech who were not part of the Order while they were alive, or indeed Mystech who were never alive to begin with, cannot be part of the Argentum Order.
-===Why Play a Knight===
+==Chapters==
-Knighthood is a good way to get involved in pre-existing groups and activities. Since it guarantees roleplay, a group, and a reason to log on, it is appealing for everyone from new players to veterans. Knight groups organize their own internal social roleplay and are usually well-received by the player base as pleasant spaces. Knighthood also grants a unique ranking system for Characters to progress up the ladder of their Order and gain privileges for honesty and effectiveness in their Code. Knight roleplay requires reading, however, as Knight characters must follow their Codes or risk expulsion. Argentum Knighthood is recommended for experienced players who want to play a Dark Knight or a morally chaotic/evil Knight focused on the darker elements of society and corruption.
+All Argentum Knights are members of a single Chapter, which grants them a free non-combat-related Mechanic. Changing Chapters (unlike in other Orders) is not permitted due to their backstory niches.
+===Silverwatch Chapter===
+[[File:Evilelfchapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Silverwatch Chapter is a Chapter of Dread Empire fanatics and supporters. These Knights have thrown their lot in with the Kathar Dread Empire, and do the work that is commanded of them by their warlords and empress to destroy the Regalian Empire from within. Their motivation to be part of the Argentum Order is purely Empire versus Empire conflict, and their tendency to inflict heavy violence and show no mercy, usually sets them apart as the more radical of the Chapters that would not stop short of the utter implosion of the Empire and the decimation of the royal family. The Silverwatch Chapter is mostly dominated by Kathar loyalists, but accepts anyone willing to support the claim of the Kathar Empire to be the greatest and most powerful political entity in the world, and to seek the approval and benevolence of the Kathar Empress to their name and glory before the Evolist Gods. The Silverwatch Knights show little regard for life.
+* '''Silverwatch Mechanic:''' Silverwatch Knights can have Wings (Demonic/Bat only), allowing (Elytra) flight (+use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.
+===Rustbound===
+[[File:Machinechapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Rustbound Chapter is a Chapter of Death-God Machinist fanatics and supporters and their unfortunate victims. The Rustbound Chapter has a minority of members who are called Machinepriests, adept at technological grafting of machine and flesh to create cyborg-like beings. The majority of the chapter is filled with these cyborgs called Machinebound, who were often forcibly conscripted by the immoral Machinepriests to do their bidding and that of their master. The Rustbound Chapter works to undermine the Regalian Empire due to its held belief that Regalia monopolized technological progress, and hid inventions from the wider world (and more importantly, their Death-God patron). The Rustbound Chapter is primarily motivated by stealing Regalia's blueprints and inventions, so their goal isn't the penultimate destruction of the Empire, but certainly its weakening so it can no longer hold a monopoly on all technological progress.
+* '''Rustbound Mechanic:'''  Rustbound Knights gain the 2nd & 3rd [[Skyborn#Mechanics|Skyborn Mechanics]], and Bound Mechanic III from the [[Mystech#Bound_Automata|Bound Automata Mechanics.]]
+===Ascended===
+[[File:Evolismchapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Ascended Chapter is a Chapter of Evolism fanatics who are equal part Evolist priests and holy warriors. Evolism isn't strictly banned as a Religion in Regalia, but proselytizing it is, and Ascended Knights seek to spread the faith of Evolism among the common population either by their compelling word or by force of sword and Magic. The Ascended Chapter is primarily motivated by religious repression but also wants to live out a more radical version of Evolism that devalues the lives of the individual as a weak stepping stone to the truly strong and deserving, desiring for a society that is strength-based instead of rule of law based. It is debatable if they actually want to supplant the ruling family of the Empire with an Evolist one, instead of destroying the Regalian Empire, so they tend to be fairly ambiguous about their eventual plan. Out of all the Chapters, they also happen to engage more in Demonic subterfuge.
+* '''Ascended Mechanic:''' Ascended Knights can choose one Mechanic from any other Religion and apply it to their own list of Mechanics for perpetual use.
+===Truth Hound===
+[[File:Breakchainchapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Truth Hound Chapter is a Chapter of general anti-Regalian separatists who believe the Empire by its very nature is tyrannical and should be decentralized, or disintegrated in favor of forming many autonomous states. This usually includes Velheim separatists, Gallovian nationalists, Girobaldan rebels, Sarnan revanchists, etc. This Chapter is a large coalition of conquered and minority cultures that want regional independence for their own people and are willing to make Dark Magic pacts for power with Dark Gods to achieve it, essentially having crossed the threshold of anti-colonial resistance, into outright indiscriminate terrorism. Truth Hound Knights often use the guide of deniability to hide their membership of the Argentum Order which is considerably easier for them due to their otherwise legal presence in the Regalian Empire. Truth Hound Knights are singularly obsessed with national freedom whatever the costs.
+* '''Truth Hound Mechanic:''' Truth Hound Knights are not limited to Knighthood only, they can be a member of a Guild while hiding their Argentum Status. They also cannot be discovered from the Knight Registry.
+===Old Ones Chapter===
+[[File:Dragonchapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Old Ones Chapter is a Chapter of Draconism and Triton radicals who have a distinctly heretical view of Dragons towards the Regalian Empire. Despite the Denial of Immortality, the Old Ones Chapter believes that this event was a mistake and that the Regalian Empire has usurped the Mantle of Creation from the Dragons and is a false pretender to world domination. They believe that Dragons should take a more authoritative stance towards their creation and that Regalia is an obstacle to this goal because it requires Dragons like Regulus to maintain a presentable affability for the sake of stability. They desire to cause as much chaos and calamity as possible with the ultimate goal of confronting Dragons on their indolence, and forcing them into a more harsh and forceful attitude to deciding things for the world. The Old Ones Chapter is rejected by the wider Draconism community as heretical, though it includes dissidents from all versions of Draconism.
+* '''Old Ones Mechanic:''' Old Ones Knights gain the [[Invoke_Point_Buy#Deathless_Invocation|Deathless Invocation Pack]] for free, but their mortality is anchored to the Leynetwork meaning any Draconic Mage could threaten their immortality.
+===Darkstar===
+[[File:Vampirechapter.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Darkstar Chapter is a Chapter of Vampiric radicals who don't want to destroy the Regalian Empire, but supplant the ruling family and administration with Vampires, and use Dark Magic to create an eternal night in the Empire to create a true Sanguine Empire. Darkstar Knights use Vampirism to its fullest and are equal parts dissident towards Regalia as Dorkarth, which they hate also as a weak and feeble nation. The Darkstar Chapter is seen as the least committed to the Argentum Order as a whole, and likely the first to betray the Order when it becomes convenient to them, but the Argentum Order as a whole has collectively decided to keep them around because they would be worse enemies than half-committed allies, given the habit of Vampires to spread their influence with mind control and manipulation. Darkstar Knight hold particular regard for Inth, who they consider the Prince of the Dark Star, who will herald an Age of Darkness to his own Enlightenment.
+* '''Darkstar Mechanic:''' Darkstar Knights must be Vampires, and can choose one Mechanic granted by either the [[Mortisphages#Balance_Wardens_of_the_Huntress|Huntess or Glacial]] to Mortisphages for themselves, which become Void Aligned/Vampiric.
+===Vilecrest===
+[[File:Darkisladar.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Vilecrest Chapter is a relatively new addition to the Argentum Order almost entirely comprised of Death Isldar fanatics who have a grudge to settle with Regalia for supporting and ultimately saving the Life Isldar in their civil war, which they believe they would have won without that intervention. Vilecrest Knights have a secondary objective to kill especially Life Isldar or Death Isldar who have betrayed the cause, but are primarily motivated with destroying Regalia's military apparatus so that when the time comes, the Death Isldar can march on the Life Isldar and destroy them once and for all. As such, the Vilecrest Chapter primarily focuses on the military means of the Empire, whether that is to blow up military installations, attack military personnel, or fight Regalian Knights in the streets, who would most likely be leading the assault on the Death Isldar if the two nations would come to blows over the Isldar Civil War again.
+* '''Vilecrest Mechanic:''' Vilecrest Knights gain Mechanic 2 as listed on the [[Undead#Deathveil_Undead|Deathveil Undead Mechanics]], however Vilecrest Knights cannot ever be Undead themselves.
+===Oathbreaker===
+[[File:Oathbreak.png|150px|caption|right]]
+The Oathbreaker Chapter is the quintessential Regalian traitor, exclusively a Chapter made up of Knights from the legal Regalian Knight orders who have betrayed their Order and sided with the Argentum Order for no other reason than spite, or because they felt forced to, to save themselves from execution. Oathbreakers were usually expelled from their chapter for high treason against the Empire, or for inflicting evil in the eyes of their former allies to such a degree that it would warrant their death. Most Oathbreakers have joined out of spite to take revenge of their former compatriots, but some Oathbreakers also genuinely have nowhere else to go, because their soul and body has already become corrupted by Dark Magic, and only the Argentum Order will take them. Oathbreakers still wear their old allegiance armor and sigils in a damaged and marred state, as a point of mockery or derision to the polished false perfection that Knights express.
+* '''Oathbreaker Mechanic:''' Oathbreaker Knights generate 1 Auto-Divinium every 2 Months, which does not stack, and refreshes every second first day of the Month, even if unused.
-===The Argentum Ritual===
+==Internal Conflict==
-The Ritual that involves turning a Knight or non-Knight into an Argentum, involves a Void Priest(ess) invoking the power of a Void God in a ritual, and blessing the Knight. The Knight in turn, must offer up their soul to the Void God they have chosen as their Patron. Each Argentum Knight can have only one Patron, however Void Worship is not a requirement. Argentum Knights can also take a secular approach to the Void Gods and see them as insanely powerful entities that can be bargained with for power like Arch-Demons. Void Worship however is a strong recommendation because it allows for better community cohesion. When the Ritual is performed, part of the soul of the Knight is offered to the Void God, who will take it, and then bless the Knight with longevity. The Character will live far longer beyond their natural age, and stay young for much longer too. Additional Void Mutations can also be applied, including the granting of Spirits or the aesthetic of Void powers for Point-Bought abilities. Argentum Knights are not Occult by virtue of their Pact, but if they have any Abilities or Powers that are not Void aligned, or mechanics that would change their alignment, then these mechanics are disabled and everything is converted to Void.
+The Argentum Order, while ostensibly unified in their desire to destroy or dethrone Regalia as the world's pre-eminent Empire, is not always as cohesive as the strictly disciplined other Orders. For example, some of the Chapters want to outright destroy the Regalian Empire, while some only want to change its policies and culture to fit their own preference. Naturally because of the time-span of the server and the general player population, the goals set for each of these chapters is a dead-end, these things will never happen in Roleplay. That being said, the Characters can still impact the Empire and make it unstable at times, but how they go about this, may differ from Chapter to Chapter. It is not unthinkable that some Chapters may even sabotage efforts of the others, or side with gray-morality pro-law Characters (not other Knights, because they would be committing treason) against a particular Chapter. Fighting among the Chapters is also possible because while they are ostensibly allied for the same goal, there is a great deal of ego and vanity among them that sometimes causes them to duel for honor or brawl for the sake of it. Whatever happens, at the very least, Argentum Order Knights never kill each other. That is the one unspoken rule that if anyone crosses, they become an enemy of the Order at large.
+==Glory Code==
+The Argentum Order Glory Code is similar to the Honor Code of the other Regalian Knight Orders, but different in that it is optional. Argentum Knights have a concept of Glory that applies to how venerable or respectable their actions are. Generally, they praise bravery and brazen disregard for self-preservation in the face of pure ideological adherence. While they are certainly capable of subterfuge, they are less keen on skulking and sneaking, being a total unknown non-threat to anyone, or worse, failure. There is no real consequence to not following this Glory Code, aside from the fact that Order Leaders/Gods may positively interact with those who stand by the Code.
+* All Argentum Knights should ensure that harm comes to the Regalian Knights of all Chapters, and especially the Viridian Knights when an opportunity arises.
+* All Argentum Knights should ensure their name, or that of their pseudonym, are widely known and feared or respected by their adversaries, and not to be an unknown.
+* All Argentum Knights should ensure a drive and ambition to achieve, and to have achieved even small things leading to big things, and to not be a nothing-doer.
+* All Argentum should disavow dirty tactics like stabbing in one's back or pocket-sand because only weak people have to resort to weak gestures to win.
+* All Argentum should disavow attacking the weak, the ill, the infantile, and the defenseless, for priding to defeat weaklings is in itself weak. Unless they give lip.
-===Argentum Pacts===
-Pacts with specific Void Gods don't affect ideology too much, as they are all roughly in line with each other. That being said, choosing a specific Patron can have an indication on what a Character thinks is an important method of doing their work as an Argentum Knight, so below follows a list of each Void God, and the most closely associated tactic or style that these Knights use in their work. It is possible to swap patronage at a later time, but the ritual cannot be undone except by other Gods.
-* '''Xor:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to seek bodily enhancements, as well as armies of monsters that they tame to fight alongside them.
-* '''Onu:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to seek the use of Magic, becoming more akin to spell-blades who mix melee with magic combat styles.
-* '''Ifrit:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to spend specific effort on the corruption of Archon and Dragon Worshipers to their cause.
-* '''Venna:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to spend specific effort trying to establish domination and control over Vampires in their area.
-* '''Odell:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to spend specific effort bending Nobles to their will and mingling with them in secret.
-* '''Inth:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to use the power of knowledge to their advantage, growing a large ring of spies in their area.
-* '''Eloba:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to use the power of Alchemy and science to their advantage in their dominion and work.
-* '''Dogor:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to put special emphasis on also spreading Katharism through Dread Rebirth and other Kathar magic.
-* '''Armas:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to use seduction and allure to draw over the unwitting and enamored into the clutches of the Void.
-* '''Gahn:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to favor the use of Spirits, establishing dominion and recruiting them to their cause.
-* '''Morrlond:''' Those in a ritual pact with this Void God, tend to spend specific efforts in protecting the Void Temples and Void Shrines across the world.
-==Knights Code==
-===Common Knights Code===
-All Knights of all Orders are beholden to this Knights Code. Argentum Knights, however, have a Kathar Code.
-* Loyalty to the Pact of the Void Gods, or the Void Gods themselves, is required.
-* Argentum Knights are allowed to attack unarmed and defenseless people for they are weak.
-* Argentum Knights are disallowed from degrading themselves or their Order, for it is strength.
-* Argentum Knights are not allowed to enforce Regalian Law, for it is tyrannical and makes the people weak.
-* Argentum Knight may lie, and deceive, for the skill to gaslight others is a sign of strength.
-* Argentum Knights are expected to assist those who are shunned and hunted by the other Knights.
-===Specific Order Code===
-The following Knights Code applies only to the Argentum Order.
-* Argentum Knights should seek to corrupt Knights to join their Order, or otherwise attack and or obstruct their work.
-* Argentum Knights must teach the wider public the benefits of power in the Void and pacts with the Void Gods.
-* Argentum Knights must protect Void Priests and assist in their rituals including acquiring sacrifices if needed.
-* Argentum Knights must make the Sewers a deeply unsafe place for Regalian Law Enforcement forces.
-* Argentum Knights must encourage a society of "might makes right", and expulsion of the unwilling weak under their wing.
-* Argentum Knights must encourage radical self-reliance, to enable the weak to become strong on their own account.
-* Argentum Knights must punish weakness in their own Order, and Void Worship society as a whole, by physical punishment.
-* Argentum Knights must capture/steal Artifacts from Aelrrigans or Regalians to sacrifice to the Void Gods.
-* Argentum Knights must reveal the weakness of Void-Aligned forces who shun and fight against the power of the Void Gods.
-* Argentum Knights must assist in the perpetuation of the true eternal nemesis status between the Argentum and Senleya Orders.
-===Structure===
-The Argentum Order has a hierarchical structure that defines ranks within the Order:
-* '''The Godblade''' (NPC) is the highest leader of the Argentum Order.
-* '''The Shadow Council''' (NPC) are the elders and mentors and teachers of the Order.
-* '''The Silver Bloods''' (NPC) are the Order's strongest Mages, Knights of fabled power.
-* '''The Silver Demiurge''' (Player) are the highest attainable rank of Knight of high prestige and esteem.
-* '''The Silver Paladins''' (Player) are well respected Knights with great sway in the Order.
-* '''The Silver Lords''' (Player) are the esteemed warriors sent on difficult tasks for the Order.
-* '''The Silver Shards''' (Player) are the formal rank of Knights who get sent on missions.
-* '''The Silver Knights''' (Player) are the lowest rank of just-graduated Knight in the Order.
-* '''The Initiates''' (Player) are pre-graduation. Recommended for trying out, with less obligations.
-===Privileges===
-Privileges are a set of unlockable rewards that can be attained each time a Knight ranks up. The rank up process is evaluated by Lore Staff based on a combination of: adherence to the lore, adherence to the knight's code, activity, consistent character portrayal, good engagement and in some of the higher ranks, leadership. When a rank up is granted, players may choose one of these privileges (each only once) to apply to that rank up, ensuring that the appropriate reward is granted for each milestone. Being expelled from the Order causes the loss of all Privileges, and in some cases, Privileges may also be revoked if a Character is punished by the order for misdeeds, or disciplined by staff for Server Rule breaking.
-* '''Privilege 1''' The Knight in question is granted a rent-free Dark lair in the Regalian Sewers. This is equivalent to a Clandestine Base.
-* '''Privilege 2''' The Knight in question may consult the Oracles of the Elvataar to speak on their behalf on matters with the Void Gods.
-* '''Privilege 3''' The Knight in question gains a Soul-Recall stone, transporting them back to a safe Rental/Base after they hit 0 HP.
-* '''Privilege 4''' The Knight gains the Point Buy Pack [[Enchant_Point_Buy#Enchant_Shift_Pack|Element Shift Pack]] and Magical Talent from Sinistral Point Buy for free.
-* '''Privilege 5''' The Knight in question receives an Artifact designed for their Character that cannot be taken from them.
 ==History==
-The Argentum Order is as old as the Kathar themselves, having been established early on, though in its early iterations it was merely an unruly war-band of barely tribal Kathar who sought more direct means to spread the influence of the Void, and believed relying on Magic too much would be an internal weakness in their mind that Spirits could abuse to usurp them. The groups that preceded the established Argentum Order serially collapsed or were wiped out as a consequence of Kathar politics, but something to continue the legacy of the first group always rose back up again. The Argentum Order in its fullest capacity was officially established in 122 AC, with the Godblade Lady Sirramevh being given orders to do so by the Void Gods. She was the Chosen of Eternity, a rare instance of all Void Gods working together (instead of sabotaging each other), and instilling a piece of their immense power into this one person. How or why they chose this specific warrior is unclear, it is said that she was challenged to kill the Empress of the Kathar Empire, and did so, but resisted the urge to steal the throne because of her love for the Void Gods and near nun-like devotion to them. She was in turn supposedly rewarded with immortality, and a conduit of the power of all Void Gods combined. She went on to establish the rules of the Argentum Order, recruiting its first members in the Kathar Empire, and establishing the schools where melee combat was preferred over Magic, even if Magic was not shied away from in the later years of training to act as additional power.
+The Argentum Order is about as old as the Kathar Empire itself, though its very nature has changed over the centuries. What once started as a collective to gather all the highly praised Kathar military orders, eventually broached beyond by the inclusion of many disparate groups that wanted to ensure the Kathar Empire's supremacy. Eventually, these groups became so numerous, that their unifying gesture had less to do with the Dread Empire, and more to do with breaking the Regalian Empire down, which at the time continued to be the biggest competitor to the Dread Empire. The Rustbound were the first to join, disgruntled by the Regalian Empire's claim over several lost Skyborn treasures. The Truth Hounds followed during the Skagger Wars as Velheim separatists became more prominent, and the Darkstar Chapter somehow wormed their way into the Order without anyone even noticing. The Old Ones and Oathbreakers joined together around the same time and continue to be the two most reluctant members who shy away from their more murderous counterparts. The last to join was the Vilecrest Chapter in recent years, which formally separated the Order from Dread interests due to the overwhelming diversity. The Order is still led by a Dread Empire Silver Tear Paladin, but no actual Silver Tear Paladin is a member of the Order, and this Paladin is more like a diplomatic figurehead who tries to keep the peace for the sake of the common mission, rather than hand down orders from the Dread Empress herself, which is only obeyed widely speaking by the Silverwatch Chapter.
+==Mechanical Activities==
+Mechanical Activities are loose descriptions of plots that Players can engage in, where they will most likely end up on the losing side, but receive some kind of reward for it in the long run and hopefully good roleplay from the people who they do it with. As expected of antagonist characters, the majority of the law-abiding characters will likely outnumber and defeat them anytime they do something, so Mechanical Activities allow a kind of pseudo-railroaded activity with a clear and assumed outcome that will feel like a strategic defeat, but a tactical victory. If Players have ideas on how to expand this list with additional activities, they are welcome to make a Ticket and discuss it with Lore Staff.
+* '''Noble Abduction:''' A group of Argentum Knights commits to abducting a Noble Character for a number of days, while law-abiding Knights will try to negotiate for their release instead of sacrifice/murder. It is not necessary, but recommended to take in a noble who OOC consents to being abducted for a period of time, and inform Knights who to try and interact with for negotiations. The expectation is that negotiations fail, and that the position where the Argentum are imprisoning the noble, will be assaulted by Knights or other Nobles and their House Guard. To use a safehouse, Argentum Knights are encouraged to squat/occupy Noble Estates in the Regalian countryside. The Argentum Knights are obligated to provide roleplay to the abducted Noble. When the Argentum have been defeated, the present group will be given a Wealth Token to be used at whatever soonest convenient server Progression/Event that includes them, at the discretion of the DM, to emulate that the Knights used this distraction to break into a bank and rob them blind while the Regalian forces were distracted. If no Nobles are willing, Ticket Lore Staff for potential Staff actor throw-away Nobles.
+* '''Priest Abduction:''' A group of Argentum Knights commits to abducting a Priest/Godchosen Character for a number of days, while Faithful of that Religion and law-abiding Knights will try to negotiate for their release instead of sacrifice/murder. It is not necessary, but recommended, to take in a Priest/Godchosen consents to being abducted for a period of time, and inform Religious Characters who try and interact for negotiations. The expectation is that negotiations fail, and the position where the Argentum are imprisoning the Priest/Godchosen, will be assaulted by Militant Faithful. The Argentum Knights are obligated to provide roleplay to the abducted faithful. When the Argentum have been defeated, the present group will be given Static [[Divinium]] to be used by one of the members. If no Priests/Godchosen are willing, Ticket Lore Staff for potential Staff actor throw-away faithful.
+* '''Krakenburg Assault:''' A group of Argentum Knights commits to attacking Krakenburg in an attempt to break out a Seer or Oracle of some kind of Dark God. Before doing this, the group must Ticket Staff to agree on some kind of information they would ask this Seer or Oracle about their Dark God (which can be any Pagan, or Evolist God). If an agreement is made, an event time must be agreed upon, and then any Regalian Knights or law-abiding mercenaries can come to the defense at that given time. The expectation is to have one large group CRP, followed by the Argentum likely being repulsed from breaking into Krakenburg proper. Then after they retreat, Lore Staff will communicate what they have learned from the Seer or Oracle they failed to break out, to emulate the idea that the assault was a failure, but that they managed to get a familiar inside who manages to at least get the information from the prisoner they failed to release.
+* '''Palace Infiltration:''' A group of Argentum Knights commits to disguising and worming their way into the Regalian Palace during an event. Before this can take place, some kind of Event at the Palace must be agreed upon, and it is encouraged that the Argentum Knights contact Noble Players for this to organize any kind of Event at the Palace. The Event should continue for about an hour, after which the Argentum are meant to un-mask, or be revealed by the guests (whatever they decide they want to happen), and fight their way out of the guards/protectors at the end. The likely outcome is that the Argentum will retreat to the Palace Garden, and then jump/fly off the side of the Palace and all of them escape. Then, Lore Staff will grant the group a one-time use Prized Mechanic that they must decide to give to one person in the group, to emulate that they used the chaos at the Palace to steal something from the Vault.
-The Argentum Order went under the radar to other nations for a very long time, until the Kathar Empire started more openly warring with other surrounding nations, and eventually also Regalia when it got involved in the Elven Wars. They were called Silver Tear Paladins by the Regalian soldiers who fought them on the front lines for some time, owing to their dark ebony masks with only holes for eyes and silver engraving of tears running down their cheeks. The Argentum Knights served an important role in those battles, often taking the fight directly to Regalia's strongest Knights and warriors on the frontline, and more than matching them. By this time, the Argentum Order had been secretly establishing chapter houses across the world, seeding on the allure of Void Worship itself to establish a hidden chapterhouse wherever a new community of them popped up, thus exponentially spreading lust for the Void further. The Argentum Order is thought to have established in Regalia around 278 AC, though Argentum Knights were known to have been active in the Regalian Archipelago for well over a hundred years prior to this. They are currently well enough established in Regalia to such a point that the other Knight Orders seem unable to fully eradicate them, making it so that fighting them has become an everyday activity for the other Knight Orders who try very hard to make this fight unseen by the citizens of the Empire to avoid exposing this weakness of national security. The Argentum Order's numbers are growing in Regalia, leading to the fear that they might soon summon a Void Spire to the Regalian Isle to empower them beyond the scope of what the other Knights can handle.
 ==Trivia==
-* Argentum Knights, when powerful enough, gather to summon a Void Spire. Void Spires were used to great effect in the Elven Wars to evaporate large parts of the Regalian Army.
+* The Irony of the Argentum Order, is that the more threatening it actually becomes due to the acquisition of new Chapters, the less threatening Regalia pretends it is. As a result, the Order often gets falsely mocked.
-* Argentum Knights go largely unnoticed by Dragons. Why the Dragons are blind to them is unclear, though the expectation is that Ifrit is protecting them somehow from the Dragons who literally cannot see them.
+* Argentum Knights go largely unnoticed by Dragons. Why the Dragons are blind to them is unclear, though the expectation is that Triton is protecting them somehow from the Dragons who literally cannot see them.
 * Argentum Knights are in many ways the anti-Knight, but they do consider themselves a social caste in and of themselves. Few Argentum Knights for example marry outside the Order, as outsiders are weak.
 {{Organizations}}