Order of Tridensers

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.