Order of Tridensers

It is the greatest honor of my life to have been inducted as a Chaplain of the Order of Tridensers. This ancient order has welcomed my kind into their ranks as equals under Anam and my people have vowed to be ever thankful to them.

My ancestors lived in utter terror of the Five-Sword Knights. In the old days, they drove us from these southern lands, they hunted us, and they brought us to the brink of extinction. Now in these modern days? They're brother-in-arms and our partners in the Concordance. It's a funny world we live in.

The Knights of the Order of the Tridenser, also known as Tridenser Knights or just Tridensers, are a military order under the patronage of the Church of Anam. Their roots are firmly intertwined with the history of the nation of Lozar in all its forms.

A Tridenser is one of the personal weapons of Anam himself. They are hand-and-a-half swords forged from a precious metal or gem and wielded by the god himself. Over the millenia, he has gifted these weapons to his most loyal followers and made himself a new Tridenser.

Tridenser Knights lead the Tridenser Host at the Kirinal Pit. Their headquarters, the Citadel of Anam stands on the edge of the Pit. They are one of the founding organizations of the Oath of Anam and the Concordance for Survival.

The organization casts a long shadow through millenia. The first paladins were Tridensers. For many centuries, the only paladins were Knights of the Tridenser. Other divine groups began to ordain holy knights of their own over the millenia, but the Tridenser Knights remain the template that other holy warriors model themselves upon.

Founding the Order and Ruling Lozar

The founder of the order was Amaston the Red, a warior in the service of the God of Justice, Anam. He called on his god during a desperate battle and was blessed with the ability to smite his foes and heal his allies. Eventually, he received the Ruby Tridenser, the first known holy avenger in mortal hands.

The kingdom of Lozar made Amaston their king, beginning a tradition of rulership by paladins for the next 1,500+ years. The Order of Tridensers formed around the new paladin, providing the model for romantic mounted knights on armor.

The Eternal Tridensers

The King of Lozar always bore a Tridenser, one of the weapons of Anam himself. When all five Tridensers were found, the swords granted their bearers near-immortality.

These Eternal Tridenser Paladins were the King and Royal Court of Lozar for more than a thousand years. They were responsible for the Pax Lozaria and ruled the expanding Lozar and the Sixteen Duchies until the Lichwars brought an end to that era.

Their original headquarters were in the original city of Kirinal. At the end of the Lichwars the Eternals, city, the building, and most of their members were killed in the First Kirinal Catastrophe.

Oaths of the Tridensers

When the Order was first formed, all Tridenser Knights pledged themselves directly to Anam. When the Five Eternal Paladins ruled Lozar during the Pax Lozaria, the knighthood ordered itself into five chapters under the command of each of the Tridenser wielders. That tradition continues now, the Eternal Paladins have been made into demi-gods, the Tridenser Saints.

The Golden Tridensers

Oath of Conquest Paladins

The followers of St. F'Tor are the Golden Tridensers. These old-fashioned warrior knights were charged with orderly rule, maintaining the borders, and crushing the enemies of Lozar.

They have the most trouble adapting to this modern world of practical alliances and continental treaties. Their legends and tales of past glory celebrate victories over people and nations that now fight side-by-side with them. For now, they focus on their duty at the Citadel of Anam, turning back intraplanar invasions and extraplanar contamination.

The Ruby Tridensers

Oath of Devotion Paladins

The most popular chapter is the Ruby Tridensers who follow St F'tor, the son of a fisherman and the protector of the weak and the innocent. His devotees follow his example to this day, taking the role of knight errants and guardians of the common man. You can count on them to be the first to enter battle and the last to leave.

The Silver Tridensers

Oath of Redemption Paladins

The Silver Tridensers are devotees to the gentle St. Maryam, the Tridenser Queen, wife of T'kor, and mother of Elenya. The Horse Lords of the Red Plains claim her as one of their own. They try to leaven their warrior culture with Maryam's teachings. Legend says that she taught them animal husbandry, making them the most feared horsemen in the world.

The Sapphire Tridensers

Oath of the Crown Paladins

Landred was a bookish lad, more likely to become a clerk or merchant rather than one of the most famous paladins of the Age of Heroes. As a boy, he entered the service of T'kor and F'tor when they were simple adventuring knights. He was their squire and also a voice of reason.

When T'kor became the King of Lozar, he raised the skinny bespectacled man to become the High Judge of Lozar. His wise ruling and sense of justice made him the most respected man in Old Lozar, eventually earning him the Sapphire Tridenser and his knighthood.

The Emerald Tridensers

Oath of Vengeance Paladins

The fiery daughter of T'kor and Maryam grew up as a princess in a castle. She was supremely unsuited for the role, always sneaking away to hunt and ride with her mother's people on the Red Plains. As an adult, she was recognized as the greatest hunter in Lozar. She earned the last Tridenser, the Emerald as her own. When she claimed the final Tridenser, the Eternal Tridensers gained immortality, bringing about the Pax Lozaria.

Knights and Squires

The Order of Tridensers has always accepted warriors into its ranks based solely on merit. Wealth, nobility, and ancestry have never had any bearing on admittance into the Order. Any Knight of the Order could choose anyone to be a squire, making them a member of the Order.

From that point, the new squires train to become a knight. The squire shadows and serves the knight. They learn to embody the values of "Weal, Justice, and Honor." They usually choose to apply to the same chapter as their master, but not always.

A squire becomes a knight once they've found a sponsor from each of the five orders. This requires that they commit an act of service, battle, or charity for each of the chapters. Each sponsor grants the aspiring squire a token, and once they've gathered all five, the squire can take their oath.

Tridensers of the Sovranty and the Concordance

To this day, the Tridensers serve the cause of justice. They are an important cornerstone of the Concordance for Survival. They and their fellow Anamite organizations vigorously work against the Hell Week Accords and serve as a balance to the more materialistic influence of House Molndal and the Order of Light.

Only a Knight of the Tridenser may serve as an officer in the military of the Tridenser Host. They command the Citadel, defend against interplanar invasions, and are steadfast advocates of the Concordant Mandates.

Weal, Justice, and Honor.



Cover image: Order of Tridensers Header by Chris L - Heroforge

Comments

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Sep 3, 2023 11:31 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I think the Ruby Tridensers are my favourite! :) Really interesting organisation, and I love how much depth they have.

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Sep 3, 2023 18:09 by Chris L

Thanks for reading this, Emy! Again, these guys have been in my brain for a long time and I'm glad to get them "modernized".


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Feb 2, 2024 21:21 by Marjorie Ariel

I like how you tied the different paladin oaths to specific people and histories in your world. I also like the quote from Sgt. Killflayer at the beginning. It speaks a lot of the history of the world.

Feb 3, 2024 14:21 by Chris L

Thank you! They were the target of my hyperfocus for decades of my life and I thought about them TOO much before I started here on WA! This article is actually a major lifegoal of mine! Getting to write this out and get it out of my head was one of the major reasons I got WorldAnvil in the first place!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Feb 14, 2024 06:10 by Marjorie Ariel

I know that feeling! So glad you got it written!

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