Dd Burning Barn Art Dd Pathfinder Hell Knight Art

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Hellknights
(Organization)
Type	Military social club
Leader	Varies by club
Alignment	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Headquarters	Varies by order
Goals	Varies past order but primarily maintaining order
Scope	Regional (predominately Cheliax)
Structure	Military hierarchy
Images of Hellknights
Source: The Inner Sea World Guide, pg(s). 266–267

For other meanings of "Hellknight", please come across Hellknight (disambiguation).

The Hellknights are a collection of chivalry orders with a unique focus on the promulgation of police. They are interested less in the social goodness and clemency typical of paladins, but rather in the foundation and stringent maintenance of order at all costs. In their iron-handed exaction of law—specifically, the laws of their diverse orders and their home country of Cheliax—Hellknights emulate the organized and effective armies of Hell. They are not concerned with morality or methods, only results. If people cannot be trusted to obey the law out of their own senses of civility and social righteousness, Hellknights provide the need to obey out of fear of a master's stern manus.^[1]

History

Daidian Ruel and the White Plague

The family of Daidian Ruel, a Wiscrani worshiper of Aroden, was killed past members of the demonic Path of Grace cult in 4575 AR every bit part of the years-long White Plague of murder and suicide. Ruel was refused justice past cult collaborators amid Westcrown's upper classes, and he abased his faith and formed a vigilante posse to capture, shell, and kill the cultists. The Westcrown Dottari did not approve of his vigilante methods and arrested him in Sarenith of 4576 AR, only his followers bankrupt him out of prison—confronting his own orders—hours later and absconded to Fort Rivad, then a Taldan ruin.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Ruel afterward returned to the urban center and gave an impassioned speech indicting Cheliax'due south inaction against corruption and chaos earlier Male monarch Gaspodar, who was so moved that he pardoned Ruel and commissioned him to class a new knightly order. The speech, now known as "Merciless", remains one of the Hellknights' virtually of import philosophical texts.^{[2] [3] [four]}

Founding of the Hellknights

By Sarenith of 4577 AR, Ruel's lodge defeated the Path of Grace, and a grateful King Gaspodar gave Fort Rivad to be the knights' permanent dwelling and authorized its restoration into Citadel Rivad,^{[2] [4]} which was completed in Neth of 4580 AR.^[two] Ruel's public and repeated rejection of Aroden led the god's followers to dub the group "Hellknights", a denigration that Ruel defiantly adopted and which effectively made Ruel the first Hellknight.^{[2] [4]} Ruel recruited his ally Sheel Leroung to his cause; Leroung would go along to grade the Social club of the Gate at Citadel Enferac in 4599 AR and is known as the starting time Hellknight signifer.^[5]

Infernal influence

Ruel became obsessed with the thought that the soul of his son, who died by cult-encouraged suicide, was damned to Hell'southward topmost layer of Avernus, and sought Leroung's aid in summoning devils and interrogating them for information. Ruel incidentally learned much about how Hell organized its legions, and in respect of those methods incorporated them into the Hellknights'.^{[2] [4]}

However, Ruel came under the influence of Voulgarghas, a gelugon, who convinced him to search for means to save his son's lost soul. In Calistril of 4589 AR, Ruel disappeared on the aforementioned night as a burn at Citadel Rivad's library and the death of one of Leroung's apprentices. He was never seen again, and while Hellknights believe Voulgarghas knows of Ruel's fate, the gelugon has kept that cognition hugger-mugger.^{[half-dozen] [7]}

Philosophy

Regardless of their severity, Hellknights are not an inherently evil group; they are wholly unconcerned with morality. Although in that location are numerous evil members—particularly among their upper echelons—the majority of the orders are impartial arbiters and enforcers of social club and justice. They see the study of Hell's tenets and even the summoning of devils every bit tools meant to intimidate and strengthen the individual resolve of the orders' members.^[8] Hellknights are taught to replace emotion with steely discipline,^[9] and are not interested in methods: but the terminate results matter.^[ane]

While Hellknights are widely feared and respected, the common Hellknight joins out of a sense of duty and a wish to exist a part of something greater, seeing a world ruled by laws and costless of rampaging beasts and cheating thieves equally a futurity well-worth striving toward, even at the sacrifice of freedom. Countries and rulers sometimes invite Hellknights into their lands, leaving the muddied business of harsh police force enforcement to an already loathed 3rd political party, although disarming Hellknights to get out one time they have been welcomed sometimes proves problematic for more than freedom-loving societies.^[8]

Training

They railroad train with summoned devils, the signifers of their orders coaxing the ingenuity of diabolical tactics from infernal tongues, while the rank and file members spar against the very denizens of Hell—making well-nigh whatever future disharmonize a far less daunting prospect. They larn that sacrifices must often exist made for the greater good, obey draconian regimens of military behave, commit to encyclopaedic memorization of the laws of their orders and local governing bodies, and undergo constant drills to train their bodies and minds.^[8]

Appearance

Every order of Hellknights has a distinctive, intimidating style of full plate armor that distinguishes them from the others^{[8] [10]} that is only allowed to exist worn afterward the individual Hellknight has defeated a devil in gainsay.^[11] All Hellknights article of clothing the armor of their club as a matter of pride and are rarely seen without it. The Society of the Blast's armor, for example, features a horned captain and demon-faced breastplate.^[8]

Organisation and orders

Following Ruel'due south disappearance in 4589 AR, his successor Aligois Thels reorganized the Hellknights' structures to marshal with the ranks of the ancient legions of the Jistka Imperium.^{[12] [4]}

System

The leader of a Hellknight order is known every bit the lictor, while a leader whose preparation is more than scholarly and less martial is known as a vicarius. Below him are an club's main or mistress of blades (field commanders) and paravicar (leader of the club's cabalistic/religious forces). Beneath them, paralictors (Hellknight officers), signifers (Hellknight spellcasters), rank and file Hellknights, and armigers (Hellknights in training) flesh out the ranks.^[8]

Major orders

Lesser orders

Numerous lesser orders of Hellknights exist, although few are known outside the borders of Cheliax. Although less pervasive, these smaller orders are only slightly less feared than their better-known brethren.^[13]

• The Order of the Coil is based in the erstwhile colony of Sargava and seeks to prevent the "pollution" of the colonists by native cultures^[14]
• Little is known nearly the secret Guild of the Glyph.^[fifteen]
• The Whisperwood's Guild of the Pike hunts down monsters^[1]
• Egorian'south Order of the Scar stalks assassins^[1]
• The Order of the Torrent rescues victims of kidnapping, but accept been in severe refuse for the by several decades. It exists almost entirely in Kintargo.

Favored familiars

Signifers choose loyal, disciplined familiars who respect authority. Dogs and hawks contribute to success on the battlefield, and arbiters and imps reinforce the Hellknights' adherence to law.^[20]

References

For boosted resources, see the Meta page.

1. ↑ ^{one.0 1.1 1.2 1.three} James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 266–267. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
2. ↑ ^{ii.0 2.ane 2.2 2.iii 2.4 2.5} F. Wesley Schneider. (2009). Path of the Hellknight. The Infernal Syndrome, p. 65–66. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-198-five
3. ↑ ^{iii.0 3.1} F. Wesley Schneider. (2016). Path of the Hellknight, p. 5. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-843-four
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.ane 4.2 4.three 4.4 iv.5} F. Wesley Schneider. (2016). Path of the Hellknight, p. 6. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-843-4
5. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2016). Path of the Hellknight, p. 19. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-i-60125-843-4
6. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider and Jerome Virnich. (2015). Hell Unleashed, p. three. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-757-4. This source is presented as an in-universe letter written by Vanchient Lor and might be unreliable.
7. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider and Jerome Virnich. (2015). Hell Unleashed, p. 44. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-757-iv
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.one 8.2 8.three 8.4 eight.five} F. Wesley Schneider. (February xv, 2008). Hellknight Club of the Nail, Paizo Messageboards.
9. ↑ Alexander Augunas et al. (2015). Monster Summoner's Handbook, p. ten. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-ane-60125-758-1
10. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2009). Hellknights. What Lies in Dust, p. 68. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-197-8
11. ↑ Alexander Augunas, Robert Brookes, Anthony Li, Luis Loza, and David Schwartz. (2016). Armor Chief's Handbook, p. IFC, 2. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-829-8
12. ↑ Wolfgang Baur, Adam Daigle, Jeff Erwin, and F. Wesley Schneider. (2012). Lost Kingdoms, p. 37. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-415-iii
13. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (July seven, 2008). Raising Hellknights!, Paizo Blog.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 fourteen.i} F. Wesley Schneider. (September 23, 2009). Hellknights Unleashed, Paizo Blog.
15. ↑ Larry Wilhelm. (2016). "Scourge of the Godclaw". Scourge of the Godclaw, p. 47. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-842-7
16. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2016). Path of the Hellknight, p. inside back comprehend. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-ane-60125-843-4
17. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2016). Path of the Hellknight, p. seven. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-843-iv
18. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2009). Path of the Hellknight. The Infernal Syndrome, p. 66–67. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-ane-60125-198-5
19. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2009). Path of the Hellknight. The Infernal Syndrome, p. 71. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-i-60125-198-5
20. ↑ Will McCardell et al. (2015). Familiar Folio, p. 5. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-731-4

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Source: https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Hellknight

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