Knights of Magritta
"If a Chaos army invaded Estalia, the merchants would try to sell them supplies."
The Aquila Academies are a collective of military schools secretly built to be the public face of the Knights of Magritta. Dedicated to Myrmidia, they teach the art and science of war.[1a]
However, over the past two hundred years different schools of thought have developed at the three Aquila Academies. Opinion at the schools is not uniform, but the masters of each academy have developed their own vision for the future of the Knights of Magritta. When Enzo Moretti dies, these three factions will fight for control of the order and the result could affect the whole of the Old World.[1b][1c]
The Luccini Academy[]
In 1720 IC, the Knights of Magritta founded the first of the Aquila Academies in Luccini. By the end of the century it had become the group’s new headquarters and is still recognized as such. The academy was designed to house far more soldiers than the students and faculty. The idea was that it would one day become the nexus of the next crusade to Araby. There are thus extensive underground galleries, which include additional barracks, armouries, shrines, kitchens, and even a slaughterhouse. If need be, it could house an army.[1c]
That great crusade has never come about. Instead the Aquila Academy of Luccini has become a different kind of power center. The Knights of Magritta have accumulated an impressive array of holdings and assets, and they control, directly or indirectly, ten mercenary companies, three trading companies (of which Greco is by far the largest), dozens of farms and vineyards, and a variety of small businesses. With graduates of the academy all over Tilea, the Knights also have a certain amount of political influence.[1c]
The order’s fighting ships, posing as pirates, continued to attack Arabyan shipping. The merchant ships became part of the newly-formed Greco Trading Company. This mercantile operation provided discrete transportation for the Knights, and again served as a source of income. For a generation the Greco Trading Company confined itself to the seas around Tilea, but once memories in Estalia began to fade they expanded their routes. Eventually their ships began to operate as far north as Marienburg and as far south as Araby. Each returning convoy brought fresh intelligence for the order, with that coming from the south particularly prized.[1c]
Grand Master Moretti has always been loath to use it, but other masters have no such qualms. The Master of the Academy is Tercero Gramsci, who previously commanded the Luccini Lancers. He succeeded Enzo Moretti when the latter became grand master, as is tradition in the order. Gramsci was a hard-nosed field commander and he brings that same style to the politics of the order. In meetings with many Tilean masters, he has said bluntly that the Knights of Magritta have failed as crusaders but succeeded as power brokers. Gramsci and his followers believe that the Knights should focus themselves on the accumulation of wealth and power, because that’s where the order excels. Estalia seems a lost cause and Araby hasn’t been a real concern for centuries.[1c]
Tercero Gramsci is certain he will be the next grand master, and he may be right. The order has seen few grand masters from the Empire and Bretonnia (and Estalia, for that matter). Nonetheless, Gramsci does not underestimate his rivals in Carcassonne and Nuln.[1c]
The Carcassonne Academy[]
The second Aquila Academy was founded in Carcassonne in 1861. The Duchy of Carcassonne borders both Tilea and Estalia, which made it an ideal location for the Knights. As a border region that must protect itself constantly from Greenskin raids, it is home to a martial people well-suited for service.[1c]
The academy is located in the small town attached to Castle Carcassonne. As it is far from court and in a conflict-ridden region, the academy is not fashionable with Bretonnian chivalry. The famously laconic Duke Huebald, a true warleader, values the academy greatly and sends promising squires there for training. Other students are drawn from the younger sons of noble families, the mercenary bands based at the castle, and recruits from Estalia itself.[1c]
Since its establishment this academy has collected intelligence about Estalia and sent periodic reports to Luccini. In fact, the academy has many ties to Estalia, since it’s just across the border. Many caballeros have trained in Carcassonne and the Knights operate several mercenary bands in Estalia to support the academy. Teachers from Carcassonne are required to go on a pilgrimage to Magritta before they swear their oaths.[1c]
For these reasons the masters of Carcassonne are truly dedicated to the idea of unifying Estalia. The current Master of the Academy, Cesar Despain, believes pursuit of a new crusade is a dead end. Before the Knights of Magritta can fulfill their purpose, they must return to Estalia and unite the nation. With the nation behind them, the Knights could achieve so much more.[1c]
Despain believes that Tilea has corrupted the Luccini brethren, making them stray far from the knightly ideals of the original order. He is tired of the secrecy. He wants to ride into Estalia, unfurl the order’s banners, and inspire a people.[1c]
The Nuln Academy[]
The final Aquila Academy was founded in 2112 IC in the city of Nuln. At this time the Empire was divided and without an Emperor. Initially, the Knights hoped to organise new crusading contingents from the Empire. Many Imperial knights had fought in Araby and they hoped to revive the idea, particularly amongst orders like the Knights Panther. The academy developed an excellent reputation and did succeed in recruiting new members, many of whom travelled to Tilea and points beyond. With the Empire wrapped up in its own petty wars, however, anything more than that was out of the question.[1c]
The Knights of Magritta had gone north to inspire new crusaders, but ironically enough it was they who were inspired in 2302 when the Great War Against Chaos began. When Magnus the Pious, a native of Nuln, issued a call to the people of the Empire, the Aquila Academy responded.[1c]
Every student, teacher, and master that could swing a sword followed Magnus north. They fought in Kislev, facing and defeating the forces of Chaos. It was a glorious moment in the academy’s history, but also a costly one. Only a third of those who marched north returned to Nuln. Many other Imperial masters also died in the war.[1c]
In 2304 Magus the Pious was elected Emperor, reuniting the Empire at last. He did not forget the sacrifice of the Aquila Academy, granting it an Imperial charter and gifting it land in Nuln’s Temple Quarter. New buildings sprang up near the Temple of Myrmidia and these have been the academy’s home for the past two hundred years.[1c][1d]
Today the Master of the Academy is Gunther Ostermann, a tough leader who made his name in the Knights of the Blazing Sun. He led the academy to war again during the Storm of Chaos, writing another glorious chapter in the school’s history. This experience solidified the thinking of Ostermann and the Imperial masters. The Knights of Magritta were right in wanting to lead a new crusade; they were simply aiming it in the wrong direction. The clear threat was Chaos to the north, not Arabyans to the south. They believe that the Knights need to reorient themselves and that the Aquila Academy in Nuln should lead the new effort.[1d]
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