Knights of the White Fox

Rekellian society is marked by the presence of a strong nobility. It has been plagued by war in various forms since its inception; indeed, Rekellia was born from war. With so many noble-born youths with a martial bent, it’s no wonder that the old empire has given rise to so many knightly orders.

One such order is the Knights of the White Fox, a fraternal brotherhood of knights devoted to the protection of travelers and traders and to the service of Irtu. Though they have small outposts in several places in western Rekellia and eastern Redami, their main temple is located in Summerfort.

These sons of nobility are not landholders themselves. For the most part, the Knights of the White Fox are made up of second- and third-born sons with no chance of inheritance. It also has a growing following of non-noble men and women who serve in various capacities, including as members of the martial wing of the order. Once someone is welcomed as a White Fox, they lose all of their previous social distinction and become simply a member of the White Foxes. Nobles fight alongside commoners, men alongside women, humans alongside nonhumans. All are considered equal.

It’s not uncommon to see the black and white tabard of the Foxes while walking around in Summerfort at any given time of day. They are five hundred strong in this city, with another two thousand at other outposts and abroad. About a fifth of that is actually a knight or a sergeant. The remainder are cooks, tailors, maids, accounts-men, and others.

The main temple is in the south central area of the city. It can house up to six hundred people, and has two kitchens, a training yard, a vault, and of course a shrine to Irtu. Devotional services are twice daily at the temple itself and once a week on Friday mornings at the Temple of Irtu in the West Gate Ward of the city.

Despite the noble purpose stated by the order, the reputation of the White Foxes has been tarnished by several incidents of zealous brutality. While all of those who have taken the Oath to join them are dedicated to Irtu’s service, not all of them believe that simply protecting the populace is enough. A growing faction in the ranks of the White Foxes believes that the mission of the order should be to take the fight to the enemy. Increasingly, this has meant not just seeking out the lairs of bandits and monsters, but also intervening in all behavior not in line with the order’s stated beliefs. More than a couple fights have broken out because a White Fox tried to force someone to act “righteously.”

However, while this is a faction in the White Foxes, it is only a small part yet of the order. The majority are still devoted to guardianship only. Hiring a White Fox is generally not as expensive as hiring a mercenary, and some larger merchant companies have White Foxes on retainer for all of their caravans.

The Knights of the White Fox are led by Grand Master Tylus Grimward, a stern and devout paladin of Irtu. He speaks only rarely, but when he does, the entire order listens. Tylus lives in an apartment directly adjacent to the shrine of Irtu in the main temple of the Foxes, and does not receive external guests. Anyone wishing to deal with the White Foxes as a whole must meet first with one of the thirteen Masters of the order, and only they can speak directly with the Grand Master.