Though its modern form is young, the Lothar Order has a colorful, troubled, and storied history. Beginning as the Darkwald Order, its Knights signed an unbreakable bond in blood against the steady encroachment of the Occult across the Regalian Empire, exposing Mages, defeating their supporters, and slaying the Afflicted. Though the Darkwalds were long in demand for their skill at cleansing Vampires, caped squads with tricorne hats thundering across the countryside, their brutal methods eventually fell out of favor. In recent times, the Darkwald Order has joined forces with the Krsnik Union of Kriv Mage-hunters, the Grauwald Brothers of the Waldmark, the exiled-south heretic-hunters of the Herebrand Order and the group of Velheim purists known as the Helbane Group, to found the Lothar Order. Each interest group brings its own method to their work, but their shared resolve, their belief in what must be done, is stronger than steel. 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.
The Lothar Order brings the aesthetic of the cloaked Vampire-hunter with some variance per chapter, normal men and women who throw themselves into combat against superhuman threats every day. They represent the reactionary forces of the Empire who refuse to change their beliefs or moderate with the times, for what they feel is the ultimate good of the nation. The Lothar are staunch Mage-haters: no matter the dimension, no matter the degree, they believe it an evil, corrupting force that can do no good for the Empire. Interpretations of this vary between the Chapters, with some even being accused of being centrists or moderates internally, even if these moderates are considered Occult-haters by outsiders. Only the Hunter Archon of the Dragon Caius are an accepted Occult ally.
The Lothar Order generally accepts any people or culture into their ranks, but refuses any kind of people who have innate Magic in their Innate Abilities (such as mostly Elves).
Lothar should generally gravitate towards the van Helsing aesthetic, though some of the Chapters do use more conventional Knight themes and equipment (see Chapters).
Lothar cannot be Afflicted, have Affinities, or have any Proficiency invested in Magic or other Magic-like Point Buys, except for God Magic from Unionism or Fornoss (Helbane).
God Magic should however not be their main method of fighting the Occult, and those who have a lot of divine mutations and aesthetics are just as Occult as Vampires.
Chapters
All Lothar Knights are members of one single Chapter, which grants them a free non-Combat related Mechanic. Changing Chapters is permitted but only infrequently and only through a Staff Ticket where the request is reviewed.
Darkwald Chapter
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The Darkwald Chapter is one of the founding Chapters of the Lothar Order and arguably its fundamental beginnings. The Darkwalds are the quintessential van Helsing Knights, preferring leather armor and light materials and ranged weapons over shield and sword on horseback. The Darkwalds in particular popularized the use of crossbows to hunt Vampires, and have built most of their fame on the eradication of Vampires across the Regalian Empire. The Darkwald Knights are considered the most violent and sadistic of the Lothar Order, believing fervently in their mission to purge the Empire and the whole world of the Occult rot, and caring less for the collateral damage they inflict along the way. Darkwald Knights are sometimes called lunatics, but this does not fully appreciate the nuance of their pretense to insanity so as to take their enemies off guard, with the extreme precision and calculated nature of their behavior in their self-convinced martyrdom.
Darkwald Mechanic: Darkwald Knights are immune to Vampirism, though this fact is not known outside of the Lothar Order. They can also perfectly imitate being infected, including feeding.
Sudzhennya Chapter
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The Sudzhennya Chapter is one of the three founding Chapters of the Lothar Order. The Sudzhennya once were mostly Krainivaya Unionists but since expanded to Qadir and Maraya purists who believe in the cause. The Sudzhennya are primarily the technicians and craftsmen of the Lothar Order, prioritizing the production of the varied trinkets and gadgets that the Lothar use against the Occult, but also to repair their armor and equipment, and making some of the best crossbows in the Empire. The Sudzhennya are also formidable fighters, having a long history spanning back to the flight of the Krai people from their homeland where they were oppressed by tyrannical Mage cabals, having learned how to detect Magic early from birth, and shuffling Mage children into orphanages where they can be better controlled, or raised to become Grauwald Chained Penitents. The Sudzhennya are always hailed in battle by the whirring of cogs and the puffs of gunpowder.
Sudzhennya Mechanic: Sudzhennya Knights can Point Buy 1 Pack from Magic Point Buy with a Wisdom Proficiency, classified as strictly Tech, doesn't count as Magic (Still costs Point Buy, not given for Free!)
Grauwald Chapter
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The Grauwald Chapter of the Lothar Order is one of the three founding member Chapters, which specializes in the utilization of the Occult against other Occult. They are competent fighters in their own right, but they truly shine in their ability to both keep (willing) Void and Exist Mages as their Chained Penitents(read below) so as to reduce casualties among the Lothar, and have Mages kill each other. They additionally also put to work efforts to seed discontent and malice in Occult populations indirectly through manipulation of the facts and false-flag operations, leading to the Occult essentially solving the problem for the Lothar Order itself. The Grauwald are not always violent like many other Lothar however, with many of them having taken to more docile means of controlling the Occult through forced cleansing as Archon, or by seeking pragmatism over insanity by preferring to imprison and restrict rights rather than engage in random and sadistic murder.
Grauwald Mechanic: Grauwald Knights have a support network of Aristocrats in Calemberg backing up their work. They count as Red Blood in Wealth, despite not being Registered.
Herebrand Chapter
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The Herebrand Chapter is the most recent acquisition of the Lothar Order, as the Herebrand Templars were left orphaned when Emperor Alexander revoked their charter following the complete eradication of the Diviner Heretics in Girobalda. The Herebrand Order was once an Order of Inquisitors whose sole purpose was to purge heretics who had fallen to dark worship under the influence of the Void Gods who corrupted their faith, but with their mission done, the Inquisition was disbanded. Many of the Herebrand Order felt that their mission was not yet done, and petitioned the Lothar Order to join. The Herebrand Order brings the heavily armored and melee-weapon wielding Knights to the Lothar who are otherwise somewhat lightly armored, with their large winged helmets and black and white colors that strike an imposing figure wherever they go. Herebrand Knights tend to be more quiet and reserved than the other Lothar, waiting to be aimed at a new target to unleash on.
Herebrand Mechanic: Herebrand Knights can burn a captured Greater Vampire at the Pyre, which does not kill them (ported back to a safe base), but turns them into a Fledgeling Vampire.
Helbane Chapter
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The Helbane Chapter joined the Lothar order with quite some considerable opposition from the Grauwald, but an inevitable necessity to contract better skills and means to fight the Arken and their Demonspawn: The Arkenborn. Helbane is a mostly Fornoss Faithful or Velheim Cultured Chapter of pure Eili worshipers, though non believers and non Velheim have also joined for pure disgust and hatred of Arken and their spawn. While their initial mission internally was to be Eili worshiping fanatics who hated the Vola Fornoss Gods, over time their mission became more complex due to the associations of the Vola Gods who doubled as Arken and had children that caused considerable trouble across the world. The Helbane became the specialist in fighting the Arkenborn, the Arken themselves, and even the Spirits that were made by the Arken to torment them in return. The Helbane Chapter is the smallest, but has some of the most fierce fighters.
Helbane Mechanic: Helbane Knights are immune to mind control of any type, particularly Sinistral Mind Vex and all of its Mechanics to do with Thralling and Persuasion Dices, if used to convince them.
Émérites Chapter
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The Émérites Chapter joined the Order quickly after its inception, mostly on the invitation of the Grauwald preachers. The Émérites Chapter is comprised of "battle-nuns" who wear the robe and habit, armor, and an iron mask into battle. The Chapter is made up of mostly women (but also men) and dominated by Ithanian Baronesses and Countesses, as well as Silent Sisters (Unionist equivalent of Nuns) who were appalled at the normalization of Magic appearances and the showcasing of Magic Mutations at the Imperial Palace and Courts. The Chapter is not nearly as violent as the others, resorting to diplomacy, charming, social etiquette, and respectable behavior to appeal to the mantle of appearing sane and coherent to outsiders. Part of this charming involves protecting Temples, and making "friends" while doing so (even if they don't care for the Religions and Temples). While the majority of their work lies in charisma, the purger-sisters as some of their most battle-hardened are called, are still more than a match for a Vampire, they might even convince to yield.
Émérites Mechanic: Émérites Knights gain a +2 Bonus to every Persuasion Dice roll while also raising the Persuasion Cap by +2. Additionally Foreign Diplomats like them more.
Fore more Expanded background Lore of the Lothar Order, refer to the Lothar Principals Page(s).
Internal Lothar Code
The Internal Lothar Code contains additional Honor and Behavior Codes for Lothar Knights that are supplemental to the Common Code described on the Knights Page.
All Lothar Knights must never socialize with the Occult in a friendly and collegial manner, or be thought of as on romantic or friendship terms with them.
All Lothar Knights must pay special attention to rid the world of the Sanguine Plague, and to slay any person who has fallen to this most wretched of sins.
All Lothar Knights must consider Regalian Law to be transient, and for every crime to be temporary until the righteous purpose is revealed and they are proven right.
All Lothar Knights must never directly contradict or act against the wishes of the Emperor, even if he argues for Mage liberation, but slowly change his mind.
All Lothar Knights must never extoll the virtues of, or give credit to the actions of any Occult, and be cognizant of the fact that Magic is not a skill but a stain.
Lothar Jobs
The Lothar Order, just like other Knight Orders, has so called "Jobs" which are cornerstone occupations of the Knights. Any Knight can engage in these, but they are largely optional.
Occult Hunters: Lothar should work towards combatting the Occult and protecting the Mundane in large and small ways. This may involve killing the Occult outright, but can also mean smaller things like sabotaging Aelrrigan Order efforts to teach Magic, burning Magic-teaching books and tomes, campaigning for harsher mage-repression laws, and generally making society more anti-Occult. Being violent to the Occult all the time is not required, but what is required is to make their lives harder, and to roll back many of the liberties and freedoms they have gained.
Arcane Revelations: Lothar should engage in the tracking down of, and public revealing of the Occult who hide their status and their affiliations, and to inform the people of their duplicity and to warn them about their powers and their evil deeds. Lothar should generally act as the warning systems of society that have long since failed to caution the general public towards the Occult and bring back a healthy dose of fear and paranoia towards the underhanded sabotage and infiltration of Mages who have reached far and high in state office with their power.
Temple Desecration: Lothar should engage in the raiding, occupation, and desecration of Temples to faiths which their conclave has deemed to be in favor of Magic-liberation and Magic-proliferation. This includes faiths such as Estelley, Evolism, Draconism, and even shrines dedicated to the Evintarian Cult of Unionism. The Lothar should show the superiority of the righteous faiths that do not abide by the corruption of Magic, and reinforce to the Occult just how weak they really are even on their own home turf with no mercy for those who would seek to expel the Lothar. The Émérites are an exception to this, as they are expected to defend Temples.
Artifact Appropriation: Lothar should when possible, entrap and steal Unionist (all Chapters) and Fornoss (if Helbane specifically) Artifacts from their owners if they believe these owners are Unworthy in the light of Purism. Lothar engaging in this Job are expected to, like Aelrrigans, profile holders of appropriate categories of Artifacts and vote as a Council whether it is possible and-or prudent to divest them of the Artifact and give it to either a worthy bearer or a Lothar instead. Being cleared by Aelrrigans or a legal state of existence under the Law has absolutely no bearing on this Lothar judgment.
Beast Tamers: Lothar should when possible either take in willing Marken, or chain unwilling Marken who cannot control themselves by State definitions in the Law. These Marken are meant to be treated in much the same way as Chained Penitents, in that they are tools rather than members of the Order, and should be used to minimalize casualties on the Lothar Order to fight against the Occult. Chained Marken can be assigned to any Chapter, and their retainers can control their transformations and their actions when they are Transformed to fight for them.
Chained Penitents
Chained Penitents as a concept begs further explanation, because there are some rules associated with it. Chained Penitents are essentially indentured servant Mages who act as collared weapons for the Lothar Order, and are wielded by the Grauwald Chapter. Only a Grauwald Knight can induce, command, and control Chained Penitents. They have specific Unionist rituals with which to temporarily nullify their Magic, to prevent them from using any Powers or Mage-breaking and attracting Demons. Chained Penitents must always come voluntarily to the Lothar Order (the Lothar Order cannot force this on unwilling Mages), and they can only be Void or Exist Mages. They cannot be Afflicted, have Spirits, a long Criminal Record, or worship Pagan Cults or Evolism. The Chained Penitents must be provided with food and lodgings, but must also follow the Grauwald's every command. It is the Grauwald's job to ensure that the Penitents very rarely use their magic, and only in severe circumstances where it is actually required to complete their duty. Chained Penitents are not further persecuted by the Lothar Order, so long as they remain loyal and obedient. It is not permitted to play a Chained Penitent without a played Knight Character to be attached to, and Chained Penitents should not be treated as Order members, and put in their place as weapons rather than people.
History
The history of the Lothar Order is mostly shrouded in mystery because the Order has traditionally been very secretive to assist in their clandestine tasks and work. The Darkwald Order was founded by Renault Prendegeist, a noble scion of the family Prendegeist in Osteiermark and Tirgunn. This region at the time was suffering from Vampire infestations, as the dark swampy lands could hide many Vampires, motivating the Duke and his followers to start a region-wide Vampire hunting organization. The Order was initially somewhat effective, but the eventual discovery of the cursed blade Coraveau and Renault’s wielding of it, spelled doom for the early order. Renault went insane from wielding the Artifact and many of the Order died or were hunted down by Void fanatics.
With the death of House Prendegeist, leadership fell to House Tyrmont, a cadet branch, which re-created the order with even more fervent fanaticism to their ideals, believing that they were being watched by the enemies of purity who were actively trying to corrupt their ranks. For a time, the Darkwalds were both supported and loved by the people, but failed to attain reach beyond Osteiermark and the surrounding regions because they were considered too fanatical. An alliance with the Krsnik followed as soon as the Krainivaya arrived in the Regalian Archipelago. The Krsnik were already an arm of the Krainivaya’s secret service, and had experience with hunting Vampires in their homeland, so compatibility was assured.
The Order became very popular in 279 with the death of Justinian II’s three sons at the hands of the Undead. The sudden heavy swivel into Bulwark-style ideology in the Empire and extreme repression of all things magical saw the Darkwalds and Krsnik spread far and wide. Eventually however, their success in cleansing much of the unwanted Magic and corruption of the Archipelago, was also their downfall once more. When they were needed less and less, their more fanatical and tyrannical ideology became difficult to swallow for the local peasants who more often than not requested mercy for their afflicted loved ones. Public opinion turned on the Darkwalds largely with the succession of Alexander I who was always more ambivalent to positively inclined to Magic users.
To combat this situation, Grandmaster Lothar Tyrmont managed to unify the Darkwalds, Krsnik, and Grauwald Order (which had until that point not associated with the Darkwalds) into one single Order, benefiting the Krsnik and Darkwalds from the political connections of the Grauwald Gruppe. Additionally, the Herebrand Order of Holy Knights who had recently lost their mandate were merged into the Lothar Order bringing their cannibal-heretic purging in Girobalda to an end, and extending their heavy-armor specialization into the otherwise lightly armored Lothar Order. Finally, the Helbane Group, denied official recognition in the Regalian Empire, was invited into the Lothar Order, creating space for Fornoss Purists in the Lothar Order, and adding their specialization and knowledge of Arken to the extensive armory of Lothar skill. With this Order formalized, it was now also much larger and more politically relevant than it had been in the past, which made it all the more difficult to declare it redundant and revoke the rights of the various members. In the modern day their work is made more difficult due to the public prominence of many Occult members of society, but they still perform their work with a great deal of skill in the provinces, hunting down infestation of Afflicted, taming Marken outbreaks, and generally being a nuisance to pro-Magic forces. Their presence is much stronger in the east and north, even in Drixagh, than it is in the south, as the Lothar Knights find no allies among the Daen and Ithanian peoples of the Empire.
