Knights Panther

"Never to suffer any person or thing bearing the Mark of Chaos to live while there is a breath in my body..."

- Heinrich von Torlichhelm, Grandmaster of the Order

The Knights Panther, along with the Knights of the White Wolf, are considered to be the most powerful of all the Knightly Orders within the Empire . Even if this is in question they are certainly amongst the first of the Knightly Orders formed during the Great Crusade against Araby nearly a thousand years ago. Knights from all over the Old World joined this mighty Crusade against the Warlords of Araby  during Jaffars invasion of Estalia, driving their armies from the southern coast of Estalia and carrying the battle to Araby itself. The returning Knights brought back much plunder from the Sultans' Palaces, including gold and silver, precious gems, silks, furs, and many exotic animals the like of which had never been seen before inthe Old World.

Some of the most amazing and beautiful of these creatures were the panthers, liberated from the pleasure gardens of Al-haikk. They created such a lasting impression to the jubilant crowds cheering the return of the crusaders, that some of the Knights paraded them in the streets, eventually making these Knights form into the Order that it is today. In time the creatures died of natural causes but their fur would be used for saddle cloths or trimming for fur cloaks, reinforcing the new Order's unique character and reminding everyone of their victories in Araby. Today the original panthers and even their hides have eroded from history, but the memory of the Arabian wars is maintained by wearing these exotic animal furs in their armour and clothing, symbolising their distinctive appearance to all that see it.

Overview
Knights Panther are distinguished from other knights by their tall helmet crests topped by the image of a Beastman head, a new tradition that replaced the sigil of the Panther. This is a change from the spotted great cat of their past, though they retain the distinctive pattern in their saddle cloths and cloaks where-ever possible. The Knights of this order wear armour of dark blue and silver. Though the crusades against Araby have long been over, the Knights Panther still carry their lances agains tthe despotic Lords of the South, and stand for the preservation of racial purity in The Empire and to dedicated themselves and their Order to the annihilation of all mutants and other Chaos tainted creatures that live in the Drakwald region.

Such fanaticism is not unusual in Knightly Orders, though most choose to battle a foe somewhat closer to home. In the past century, two separate Imperial Decrees commanding the Knights Panther to desist on their regular purges have been issued, but both times, these commands were revoked. The Imperial Court found it preferable to offend a distant foreign nation rather than a powerful martial force within their own homeland.

Although the crusades are distant memory to the Knights Panther today, they have a substantial presence in the staunchly Ulrican cities of Middenheim and Talabheim and can be seen on many public occasions to commemorate their victories. Unlike their brother Knights of the White Wolf, the Order of the Knights Panther is a secular brotherhood dedicated to the overall good of the Empire, rather then just one particular god. These Knights see's themselves as protectors of the people and their lands; they strive to rise about the political machinations of individual provinces or city-states, and to provide for the greater good of the Empire as a whole.

The Knights Panther are headquartered in a stout fortress built in the modern style, just a few miles from the city of Carroburg. From here, the Grand Master Baron Heinrich von Torlichhelm oversees a dozen or more chapter houses scattered mainly across Reikland and Middenland. The second largest chapter house is located in Talabheim. Its knights report to Carroburg as a formality, but they serve under the employ of Countess Elise Krieglitz-Untern. The third largest Knights Panther chapter house represents the Graf’s personal bodyguard in Middenheim, a position that often collides with their brothers of the White Wolf. The banquet halls of the Knights Panther chapter houses are adorned with the helms of its members from generations to generation. Since the Order dates as far back as the Arabyan crusades of the 15th century, many of the panther head coverings on these memorial helms have turned to leather in order to preserve its quailty for all the newer generations. Each chapter house also mounts a splendidly crafted standard behind the head of its banquet table. The Order’s magical battle standard is kept by the Carroburg chapter house, but any chapter may requisition it for conflicts against powerful Chaos sorcerers. ==Source==
 * Warhammer Armies: The Empire (8th Edition) pg 41 - 43
 * Warhammer: Uniforms and Heraldry pg 60

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