Editing The Holy Order of the Sword (section)

== History and Theology ==

The Holy Knights of the Sword has a certain appeal in the wake of the Last War and the recent events of the near rise of Cthulhu and the Second Mourning.  It claims that a ''Time of Unparalleled Darkness'' when the human race will be called upon to serve as the army of their god Pyriel will occur.  Pyriel will lead his armies in epic confrontation with a revived Khyber and proceed to slay her before raising Siberys from the dead.


Disturbingly; the Church is actually being supported by certain segments of the Chamber as the faith maintains that the Sovereign Host are nothing more than facets of the three headed face of Siberys with Bahamut, Pyriel, and the Eternal Light composing his religion.  They maintain that the Sovereign Host are merely trumped up Dragon Archangels and that Pyriel is the keeper of Siberys' essence until the restoration of that god.  Furthermore, they frequently mock the Silver Flame worshipers as essentially worshiping a spell that was worked with the glories of Bahamut rather than the grace itself.


The religion is actually a combination of numerous heresies that most people on Khorvaire have some familiarity with.  These include the Draconic heresies of the Sovereign Host, the Cult of the Dragon Above, and Pyriel's own lingering Radiant Idol cults.  The fact that members of the Sovereign Host can keep the Sovereign Host as "Saints" within their new faith has lead to a disturbing number of converts where otherwise it would not be welcome.  The faith is outright illegal in Thrane but has been growing rapidly as Krozen martyrs perfectly innocent people for their faith.


The Holy Knights of the Sword forgo the Flamite vows of celibacy and poverty with instead members encouraged to accumulate large families as well as wealth to better influence matters for the world.  They are also encouraged to convert others to the faith using whatever means are available though Grandmistress Dawn has been attempting to head this off before it becomes too common.


Bizarrely, the Second Mourning and the claims that Pyriel saved the world on both occasions with Cassius D'Shadowfast and Princess Haydith's peculiar roles in the religion have done what no one else has been able to in actually converting large amounts of Volists to the faith.  Their hatred for the Sovereign Host and Silver Flame does not impede conversion even as some members can't tell the difference.  However, the religions own lack of a problem in causally snuffing Volists and destroying the undead has allowed it to grow rather exponentially as the lack of an afterlife means martyrdom holds less of an appeal.


The organization is still relatively small but likely to continue to grow.  The first start of the backlash is in Puritans who despise Pyriel as a Radiant Idol and violence is occurring in Thaliost between the two sects with Krozen's support in Thrane being the largest movement against it.  Likewise, some Sovereign Host sects believe that Pyrielism is irreconcilable with their own sect and call for its shut down despite the average laity seeing little difference.  The Kalashtar are dumbfounded by the religion that seems also to hate them despite worshiping their god.


Many kind, upstanding, and decent citizens are members of the Holy Order of the Sword and they are contrasted by those who are looking for someone to blame in the wake of the Last War.  The Holy Order of the Sword provides an easy answer in Demons and monsters to direct the pent up fury of the people.  Pyriel himself seems to focus on recruiting servants through visions who will be of fine, moral, and upstanding character but has no apparent objections to servants whom are willingly to blindly follow orders.