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"Our flag has not flown in battle for nearly 1,000 years, but that does not mean we have been idle."

—Grand Master Enzo Moretti of the Knights of Magritta[1a]

The Knights of Magritta are a secret society with members throughout the Old World, but they are strongest in Tilea and the Empire. Originally a knightly order founded to liberate Estalia after the Arabyan invasion of 1448 IC, the crusading knights found they were not wanted in their home country only a hundred years later. They left Estalia and went underground, dedicated to continuing their original mission.[1a]

The Knights of Magritta have become a powerful secret order and they are always on the lookout for promising new members or allies.[1a]

The grand master of the order for many years was the Tilean knight Enzo Moretti; he will likely been replaced by Tercero Gramsci.[1a]

History[]

"Men of Estalia, look around you and tell me what you see. Do you see a people united? Do you see champions of civilisation? Do you see one of the great nations of the Old World? No, you do not. In Bretonnia a king rules with a firm hand, but here we squabble amongst ourselves. In the Empire they are advancing the arts of science and engineering, but here we squander our gold on mercenaries. In Kislev they fight grimly against the Great Enemy, but here we pretend the power of Chaos is a myth. Estalia is the joke of the Old World and it makes me weep, my friends. But it did not have to turn out that way. Almost a thousand years ago we had our chance. The Arabyans invaded our land and conquered fair Magritta. We could have lost everything to the outlanders but we rallied as a people and, with the aid of our northern neighbours, we drove them out. We took back our land, followed their sultan back to Araby, and defeated him. This was our hour. This was our chance to unite and take our rightful place amongst the mighty nations of the Old World. We failed. Instead of becoming one people we fell right back into our squabbling. The famed Knights of Magritta, whose deeds in the struggle against Araby had inspired every Estalian, showed us the way. They urged us to unite and to launch further crusades to keep Estalia safe. Did we listen? Did we follow our heroes into a new age? No, we did not. We criticised them for interfering with trade, taxed them until they bled doubloons, and hounded them until they left Estalia forever. It has been almost 1000 years since the Knights of Magritta sailed away from Estalia, but still the parting words of their Grand Master are remembered. He said, "Estalia will never be united until the Knights of Magritta come home." Some say this was a curse, but I believe that Estalia remains divided because we choose to make it so. I say to you that those words were not a curse but a challenge. The Knights of Magritta may be long dead, but their spirit lives on in every Estalian. Find that spirit within you and let it grow. When we all are as bold and resolute as the Knights of Magritta, then and only then will Estalia unite. The time is now, my friends. Remember the Knights of Magritta and bring them home in your hearts. Up with Estalia! Unite and win!"

—From an anonymous broadsheet distributed in Magritta, Estalia[1h]

The Knights of Magritta were founded in 1448 IC in the wake of the Arabyan invasion of Estalia. Magritta, the greatest of Estalia's cities, had been the first to fall to Sultan Jaffar and his enormous army. The Knights came together to recapture the city that was the symbol of Estalian freedom and in so doing liberate their lands from the invaders. The original Knights of Magritta were all Estalian, but they soon accepted members from the Empire and Bretonnia, as these realms became involved in the war.[1a]

After two years of conflict, the combined armies of Estalia, the Empire, and Bretonnia succeeded in liberating all of Estalia from the Arabyan yoke. Still unsatisfied, the Old Worlders followed the sultan's fleeing armies back to Araby. After sustaining great losses, the crusading armies brought Jaffar to battle at El-Haikk and decisively defeated him. This defeat led to the overthrow of Sultan Jaffar and the break-up of his empire.[1a]

Once Jaffar was beaten, most of the crusaders decided it was time to leave. Rather than stay and try to carve out new kingdoms, they simply looted the towns they had captured and then returned to the Old World. Only the Knights of Magritta and the knightly orders of the Empire wanted to stay in Araby. They continued the fight for nearly a century but the unity of the crusading army was broken. Much glory was won and a measure of vengeance was taken, but Araby was not conquered.[1a]

Back in Magritta, the leadership of the Knights continued to press for fresh crusades to Araby and spent years building a fleet to harass Arabyan shipping. These activities were popular at first but became less so as time passed. Most Estalians wanted to forget the war, and consequently membership began to decline. A hundred years after the Battle at El-Haikk, the Knights of Magritta had shrunken greatly in size and influence. Furthermore, they increasingly angered the merchants of Magritta, who were in the process of building a powerful trading empire in Araby. Every time a ship of the Knights attacked an Arabyan convoy, it hurt the merchants who ran Magritta. Eventually, the most powerful merchant families determined to get rid of the troublesome knights.[1a]

A series of levies and taxes, aimed squarely at the Knights, followed. These tactics were designed to drive the Knights into bankruptcy or at least cause them to disperse their fleet. It quickly became clear to the Knights what was going on. The grand master of the order conferred with his advisors and made a fateful decision. In 1556 IC the fleet of the Knights of Magritta sailed out of the harbour. Onboard was the entire membership of the order. They left all their holdings behind, empty of valuables or any clue of where the Knights might be going. They were never seen or heard from again, sailing completely out of the pages of history.[1a]

Before they left, the grand master had some harsh final words for his countrymen. On the quays of Magritta, he gave a speech to the assembled crowd that ended with the following prophecy: Estalia will never be united until the Knights of Magritta return to their native soil. This gave birth to a legend that has only grown in stature as the centuries have gone by. With Estalia in continuing disunity, many people have begun to ask what has become of the Knights, and when will they ever return?[1a]

Reconstitution in Tilea[]

When the Knights of Magritta left Estalia, they sailed in secret to Luccini in the south of Tilea. An advance party had bought an estate for the organisation and this became its new headquarters. The remaining rank and file Knights formed the core of a new mercenary company, the Luccini Lancers. Tilea then, as now, was thick with mercenaries, so this made a perfect cover story. It also provided the Knights with a steady stream of income and honed their fighting skills. Over the years they would form many other mercenary companies, though the Luccini Lancers are the most storied.[1d]

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.[1d]

Over the ensuing centuries the Knights grew stronger and continued to expand their influence. They turned their martial organisation into a powerful secret society with members in every Human kingdom of the Old World. The Knights' central contradiction, however, is that their attempts to achieve their stated goals have ultimately been failures. It has been nearly 1,000 years since the order left Magritta and Estalia has not been united and Araby has not been conquered. Today the Knights of Magritta are at a crossroads. Will they continue to fight for their founding principles or have they simply changed too much over the past millennium?[1d]

At Present[]

Estalians Unite broadsheet

A broadsheet distribuited in Magritta.[1h]

Even those who remember the Knights of Magritta think they must have died out long ago. They would be surprised to find out that the Knights not only still exist, but also continue to thrive. Granted, their days of glorious battle are largely behind them, but as a secret society in the Old World they have a long reach.[1a]

Like many secret societies, the Knights of Magritta have a public face. They founded and continue to run three military schools, known as the Aquila Academies. These are dedicated to the goddess of strategy Myrmidia and teach the art and science of war. The original school is in Luccini (Tilea), while the others are in Nuln (the Empire) and Carcassonne (Bretonnia). These schools provide a ready source for recruits and ensure that many officers in these nations are sympathetic to the Knights' causes.[1a][1b]

In the last few years, the banner of the Knights of Magritta has been raised again in Estalia. The trouble is that it is not actually the doing of the Knights of Magritta. Students and teachers of the order have been sent to Estalia to discover the identity of these impostors and what their goals are. Some clues indicate that these efforts may be the work of a nobleman who wants to advance his own claim as the new King of Estalia, a rogue master of the order who wants to force it into action, or agents of Shihab Ibn Alim trying to flush the Knights out.[1f]

Whatever the motivation of the plotter, it could be that events take their own course. This could be the right time to unite Estalia. This could change the Knights of Magritta and indeed the Old World forever.[1f]

Secrets of the Knights[]

The greatest secret of the Knights of Magritta is that none of its leaders truly want a new crusade to Araby. They say the words and they swear the oaths, but the Old World and the Knights have changed since the foundation of the order. It's been over a thousand years since Sultan Jaffar invaded Estalia and since then Araby has not posed a real threat.[1d]

Countless grand masters of the order have tried to organise new crusades, but they all failed. Grand Master Enzo Moretti, who long led the order, felt he must try to carry on in the footsteps of his forebears, but he was aged and could not see what was actually happening to his organisation. The order even has spies in the Tilean Quarter of the Arabyan spice port of Copher, but Moretti was one of the few who even bothered to read their reports anymore.[1d]

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 died, these three factions fought for control of the order and the result affected the whole of the Old World.[1e]

Organisation[]

The Knights of Magritta divide their members into three groups.[1b]

  • Students - This group includes both actual students at the Aquila Academies and other allies and agents who do not know about the existence of the Knights of Magritta. They do much of the grunt work of the organisation without realising for whom they really work.[1b]
  • Teachers - Students who prove their loyalty and pass a series of physical and mental challenges become teachers. They are told the basic history of the Knights of Magritta and sworn in as full members. They swear oaths of loyalty, obedience, and secrecy. Some teachers are instructors at the academies but most are at large throughout the Old World. There are two grades of teachers in the order: junior teachers and learned teachers.[1b]
  • Masters - These are the leaders of the Knights of Magritta. They know the full history of the organisation and each commands a number of teachers and students. The masters elect one of their own to become the Grand Master, the leader of the entire organisation.[1b] There are, in theory, five grades of masters: Junior Master, Learned Master, Senior Master, Master of the Academy (of which there are three), and Grand Master. In reality, there are a number of other honours and titles that can be bestowed on a master. Many of these are purely symbolic, like Knight of the Door and Brother of the Rope, but they contribute to the real pecking order of the Knights of Magritta.[1b]

Goals and Motives[]

The goals of the Knights of Magritta remain the unification of Estalia and the conquest of Araby. They have worked behind the scenes to achieve these aims since 1556 IC. To achieve these things, of course the order itself must prosper. It is thus imperative that the Knights continue to expand their influence and accumulate wealth. When the time for crusade comes, its war chests must be full to overflowing.[1b]

The Knights want to lead a new crusade to Araby and conquer it once and for all. Their argument for many centuries was that the south was the soft underbelly of the Old World and vulnerable to renewed aggression from Araby. Better to strike first than be surprised later.[1a]

Symbols and Signs[]

The original symbol of the order was a crimson, double-headed eagle on a white field, but that is never seen in public anymore. The Aquila Academies use the golden eagle of Myrmidia with a spear clutched in its claws. The Luccini academy uses a red field, the Empire a black one, and Carcassonne a blue one.[1b][1c]

Members use variations of the triangle as a secret sign. It represents the three Aquila Academies on the map. Meaning is imparted by the use of colour. A red triangle means danger, for example, while a white means help is needed.[1b][1c]

Membership[]

Cadet

A cadet of the Knights of Magritta

True to its roots as a military order, the Knights of Magritta recruit most heavily from soldiers, particularly officers. The Aquila Academies only reinforce this, as the cadets schooled there provide the most ready source of new members. That said, the order controls more than just military schools and mercenary companies. Its ranks include the merchants of several trading companies and politicians of various stripes. The military character of the order is strong, but the Knights long ago became a secret society and that means they have members in all parts of Old World society.[1c]

Most members of the Knights of Magritta are worshippers of Myrmidia, the goddess of strategy, but this is not required. They are not a religious organisation per se, but historically the ties between the Knights and the Cult of Myrmidia are strong.[1c]

Recruitment[]

Most members these days come through one of the three Aquila Academies. Individual masters do recruit on their own, though sometimes academy graduates look down on these "orphans." In theory, three masters are supposed to agree on making a student into a teacher, but this isn't always possible. One master is the sponsor, and he is ultimately responsible for the actions of the candidate. Making a student into a teacher is not lightly done.[1c]

A candidate is tested for physical and mental toughness, as well as trustworthiness. If a student is deemed worthy, he is taken from his bed in the middle of the night and brought blindfolded to an old battlefield. There his sponsor asks him to swear an oath of secrecy. If this is refused, the student is taken home and never has another opportunity to join the order. A candidate that swears the oath is put through three ordeals.[1c]

Ordeal of Obedience[]

The candidate is armed with a spear and shield and told to stand at attention until commanded to stop. The masters and teachers then engage in a mock battle. Various friends of the candidate cry out for help amidst the mayhem. No matter what the candidate hears, he must ignore the entreaties for aid and stand at attention.[1c]

Ordeal of Blood[]

The candidate is told the battle is now over and that he must understand the price of victory. He is knocked to the ground and must crawl through a field strewn with pieces of recently slaughtered animals.[1d]

Ordeal of Water[]

The candidate must now be purified. He is held upside down while bucket after bucket is poured onto him. He must not cry out or ask for it to stop. A certain amount of choking is expected.[1d]

If the candidate makes it through the ordeals, he must then swear the oaths of loyalty and obedience. The new teacher is then taken to a secluded location to learn more of the order. Heavy drinking is customary, but not required.[1d]

Member Benefits and Responsibilities[]

Members swear obedience to the Knights of Magritta so they are bound to do whatever is asked of them. Since the organisation is a secret society, teachers and masters must have a public occupation. Knights are expected to excel in their chosen fields, as doing so puts members in a better position to help the order. Oftentimes members have jobs in groups the Knights control, such as the various mercenary companies. Knights are commonly tasked with aiding the order in one or more of the following areas: recruitment, finance, and intelligence.[1d]

In return for upholding their oaths, Knights receive the support of a powerful secret society. They have access to manpower, money, and information, though these are not provided without good reason.[1d]

Allies[]

The Knights of Magritta have maintained their secrecy over the past millennium. They have allies through the Aquila Academies and their other ventures, but none of them know about the existence of the Knights behind the scenes.[1d]

The greatest allies of the Knights are the religious orders of the Cult of Myrmidia: the Knights of the Blazing Sun, the Order of the Eagle, and the Order of the Righteous Spear. In fact, many graduates of the Aquila Academies go on to join these organisations, so the borders between the groups are often fuzzy.[1d]

The Knights of Magritta also have many allies amongst the mercenary companies in the Old World. The ties are particularly strong in Tilea, which its long history of mercenary warfare.[1d]

Enemies[]

The Aquila Academies are not beloved in the north. The Cult of Ulric views the schools with contempt and sometimes, outright hostility. Myrmidia is a foreign goddess and the idea of treating war as an art or a science is repugnant to Ulric's followers. They have prevented the founding of an academy in Middenheim, though they lack the power to do anything about the Nuln school.[1d]

The Knights of Magritta believe that no enemies know they exist. This was true for many centuries but things have changed. Shihab Ibn Alim, an Arabyan sorcerer, discovered the truth of the Knights of Magritta twenty years ago. The sultan of Copher hired him to find out who was sinking so many of his ships.[1d]

Shihab captured a Sartosan pirate named Fredo Tellini, but learned little from him. He tasked one of his bound spirits to follow the pirate and then released him. Tellini, a teacher of the Knights of Magritta, unwittingly exposed the order. Since then Shihab Ibn Alim has been gathering information about the Knights of Magritta and working against their interests. He has the ear of a sultan and powerful djinn servants. The order has a formidable foe working against it and it doesn't yet realise it.[1d]

Notable Locations[]

  • The Golden Eagle Inn - The Golden Eagle Inn is a renowned hostelry in Wurtbad. When visiting dignitaries or nobles from fashionable cities like Altdorf and Nuln come to take advantage of Wurtbad's famous hot springs, they always book a suite at the exclusive Golden Eagle Inn. It exists to serve the wealthy and powerful. It's also a secret base of the Knights of Magritta.[1g]

Notable Members[]

  • Helmut Balck - Former captain of the Company of the Comet and mentor of Egon Rothstein, he's forming a new mercenary band in Tilea.[1g]

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of The Empire (RPG)
    • 1a: pg. 89
    • 1b: pg. 90
    • 1c: pg. 91
    • 1d: pg. 92
    • 1e: pg. 93
    • 1f: pg. 98
    • 1g: pp. 94-95
    • 1h: pg. 88
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