Dutha Knights
In the chaos of the early days of the Fever Plagues, entire villages were wiped out or abandoned. Travel spread the plagues even faster, quickly laying waste to entire regions. In some cases isolation, if it could be strictly enforced, proved to be a means of protection against the ravages of the spreading disease. Along the Dutha River in what was then part of the Roma Empire, a small camp sealed its gates and changed their destiny.
Romari Roots
Literally located on the banks of the Dutha, the camp did not even have a name. Initially built by the Roma during their expansion north, the camp was designed to house an entire legion. When the frontier pushed beyond the camp, it was initially garrisoned by a small detachment of cavalry. Ultimately the land surrounding the camp was given to Legatus Legionis Castor Romulus Thrax, who’s 3rd Legion had built the camp initially. Although the granting of an entire military camp as well as the parcel of land was unusual, Thrax was an unusual soldier with a long line of military and political victories to his credit. He did not long survive in his new home, but his former legionnaires, whom he considered his family, turned the camp into a self-sufficient garden.
The legionnaires planted olives trees, fig trees and grape vines to supplement the trees that already grew in the region. Grains were brought north from the Romari heartland if they could grow in the cooler climate along with tough “barbarian wheat.” Gardens within the wall and outside were expanded as the families of the legionnaires came to the growing camp. As years passed the camp continued to expand. The soldiers did what they did best, building and improving the camp they had initially created. They drilled deep wells that fed from the Dutha. They reinforced the walls and used the proceeds from the sales of their produce and Thrax’s personal fortune to buy what they could not make. They stockpiled weapons and food, even installing several artillery pieces to overlook the river. Skilled workers were hired to live and work at the camp. Ultimately, a small cabal of Romari ritualists was enticed to relocate to the great farm.
The soldiers were used to hard work and a difficult lifestyle. Although life in the camp was easier than life during campaign, it was very austere. Generations passed. The camp became more productive and the remains of Thrax’s fortune were finally bolstered as the camp was able to turn a profit. The small, but thriving, community was content to let the rest of the world pass by, trading with river barges as they traveled up and down the great Dutha. They continued to prosper and grow, but the buildings of the camp were still less than half full when the first of the plagues struck.
Isolated on the large farm, news of the spreading plagues followed in the wake of fearful travelers, but there was no official word of events beyond the reach of the camp. Initially unconcerned, news of the plagues seemed distant and remote. As time went by, however, travelers began to ask to stay at the camp. Scattered requests became a flood of refugees. Finally, the camp was forced to close its gates to more refugees.
The Fever Plagues
Although isolated, the camp was not spared the ravages of the plagues that swept the land. Initial travelers were simply turned away as simple survival became the only consideration. The camp experienced an explosion of growth following the influx of refugees after years of slow, measured expansion. Unfortunately not all of the new workers at the camp agreed with the lifestyle, rules, and orders of the still militaristic leaders. While the plagues ravaged the world outside, internal dissent threatened to tear the camp apart inside.
The dissent finally came to blows when a group of river bandits, who had been given haven that the camp by posing as bargemen and stevedores, attempted to force the armory and seize the camp. Although the attack was quickly and mercilessly put down, the leaders realized that even their austere lifestyle was too lax. If the camp was to survive they would need stricter rules and harsher penalties. The camp was transformed almost instantly. Long-term workers and their families, as well as the new refugees, were given a simple choice – agree to the new rules or leave the camp and never return. The vast majority chose a harsh life at camp instead of near-certain death outside.
Monks of the Shield and Vine
For over fifty years the camp had no interaction with the outside world except at the point of a pilum or over the site of a mangonel. Refugees appearing at the gate were given a small sack of food, thrown over the wall, and told to leave the camp lands or be executed. The artillery on the camp walls made good the threats. The few boats that traveled past the camp were told to continue moving or be sunk. In time, what the camp could not cultivate was retaken by the wild. Generations grew up and died, free from the plague, but not knowing the world beyond the sight of the camp walls.
Ultimately, the Plagues died out. When the survivors of the camp decided that it was time to reestablish contact with the rest of the world, few would recognize them or their Romari roots. In succeeding generations the workers had changed. Although initially soldiers and labors, they emerged as something more, combining their ascetic views with a warrior’s skill and a worker’s need to build. Their vision was clear and their purpose honed by years of simple survival. Now they emerged upon a new world and considered their course.
While some gathered information about the surrounding area, others began to expand the fields around the camp. The docks were repaired and ultimately greatly extended. Fields long fallow were replanted. When the first scouts returned with news of the outside world, all were shocked by what they discovered. While they knew nothing of the world inside the camp, the camp was well known to the nearby villages. Tall tales of the camp and its inhabitants had grown to mythic proportions among the villagers.
The inhabitants were thought to be mighty warriors who could slay their foes with a glance. They threw stones as others threw marbles and they controlled the Dutha from their fortress home. Their food was the feast of the gods and their weapons tamed the wilderness. Their symbols were the shield, for they protected the region from harmful spirits and malevolent gods, and the vine, for they grew food where others cultivated only dust. They were holy men, who sought not to be revered, only respected.
The Thrax [1] was shocked. Although the camp had sought to shut itself from the world, the world did not return the favor. As news of the camp’s opening spread to the nearby villages, locals flocked to the camp to see the fabled warriors. Those in the camp soon received another shock when they saw the pitiful state of the villagers. While they had enjoyed a life of relative abundance brought about by careful planning and hard work, the villagers, who had worked just as hard, were malnourished and weak. They had little means to defend themselves from the dire wolves and giant bears that roamed the fringes of their fields, let alone the terrible Thunder Lizards that occasionally rampaged through town. Isolated from the greater world, the three villages that had sprung up near the camp [2] fought a losing battle against nature.
Seizing the leadership eagerly offered by the villagers, the Thrax expanded the domain of the camp to include the three villages. Soon grain and seed stores long held in the camp were divided among the villagers. Fields were planted, the beasts driven back, and the homes repaired.
One of the initial goals of the Thrax was to reestablish contact with the rest of the world, preferably first with the local leaders, then with the Romari government in Romulus, which lay on the other side of the river. Armed warriors followed the remains of the old roadway inland from the river. The first village they encountered was abandoned, as was the second. The small group ultimately arrived at what was once a small town; however, the occupants had retreated to the buildings around the center square, leaving the rest of the town unoccupied. Wild animals lived in the outlying buildings. Fields that were not completely overgrown were poorly tended as the forest moved closer to the edges of town. Streets were choked with debris, some of it intentionally set up as barricades, some simply cast off. Although the warriors and their camp were unknown, their bearing marked them as predators. When the townsfolk learned their goods would not be stolen, they were amazed. They could not believe that these men and women were actually there to help them.
During that first summer the camp established contact with two more villages and another town. Although their entire world had only grown to an area of about 100 square miles, the reputation of the camp and its warriors seemed too good to be true to the villagers. By the end of the first year something more than mere survival seemed possible. The warriors continually moved long the roadways, improving them as the farming chores permitted and defending them when needed. Soon villagers began to seek trades with nearby villages and a small trading network was established with the warriors acting as guards. In time young men and women asked to learn the secrets of the camp and the Monks of the Shield & Vine was born.
Knighthood
In the 200 years since the first Thrax threw open the doors of the camp and re-embraced the outside world the Monks of the Shield & Vine have continued to grow. In slow, measure steps they have expanded their network of villages and towns. Their camp has continued to grow and evolve as has the group itself. While initially nothing more than survivors, they have become monks and, ultimately, a military order gaining notice throughout the land.
As their exploration continued the warriors encountered more people and more predators. Never backing down from a fight, the warriors were ready to defend the commoners who had little chance to defend themselves. The warriors fought monsters, animals, and bandits. They traveled from town to town helping shattered villages rebuild when able or relocate when needed. Their membership grew as did the need for their services. While there were setbacks along the way, these warriors grew into the Dutha Knights – a term coined by the people they sought to protect.
The Dutha Knights have one stated goal [3] – to reestablish communication between all the peoples of Uropa, no matter how long it takes or how difficult. This is their driving mission and at the heart of all they do. Like any organization of man, however, such pure motive must be balanced by the practical. Performing such a mission takes time, talent, leadership, and money.
As an organization the Dutha Knights are currently broken down into three areas. The most famous are the armed warriors. These are the Dutha Knights of the bard’s tales. Skilled warriors, they travel in small groups, or entourages, along the roads and paths of Uropa. They rarely stay inside city or town walls, preferring the open wilderness or the simple accommodations of villages and farms. The knightly order accepts male and female applicants, but the benchmarks for advancement and the subsequent responsibilities remain the same, regardless of gender.
A knight begins his or her career as a page. While a trained page is the match for most bandits and brawlers, they’re just starting their learning. Pages are promoted to sergeant. Sergeants are attended by two pages. Sergeants are promoted to squires, attended by two sergeants. Finally, squires are promoted to knights. In general pages and sergeants travel with the squire who is their leader. Knights may have any number of squires in their entourage or the squires may travel separately in other missions closely associated with the knight’s given goals. The number of squires in a knight’s service is a general indication of their deeds or their prestige within the order. A knight of the 1st rank will have one squire, 2nd rank will have two, and so on. The only variation on this theme is the title of constable, which is conferred upon the leader of the fortress or chapter house, and the role of standard bearer, which is only used when a significant portion of the order marches to war.
The second group within the order is the Monks of the Vine & Shield. These are the administrators and laborers of the order. While these men and women are trained in martial arts, this is not their primary occupation. [4] They oversee areas such as farming, winemaking, weapon smithing, construction, money changing, etc. Beyond purely military pursuits these are the leaders of the order. They form a larger, but less militant, group of soldiers that can be called upon in short order and for short-term campaigns. These warriors typically fight with crossbows or man siege equipment, relying on the knights to handle the hand-to-hand combat.
The final group is the Auxilliae. This Romari term generally applies to anybody working for the order that is not a member of the other two branches. While it includes servants, councilors, associates, and followers who enjoy the protection of the order, it generally applies to those who have not yet entered into the full service of one of the main branches. As in olden times, full membership requires an oath on the part of the applicant as well as by the leadership. This is not entered into lightly, as the penalty for oath breaking is harsh.
Current Goals
The current overriding goal of the Dutha Knights is to reconnect the people of Uropa. The current mission is to reopen the roadways and river ways to allow villages and towns to reconnect with larger communities. This is much more difficult than it sounds. Opening a new road is a difficult mission as maps and knowledge is scarce. The locations and identities of some villages have simply been lost with the devastation of the plagues. Knights must contend with dinosaurs, animals, extreme weather, bandits, and, occasionally, misunderstanding local leaders who see the knights as threat to their power. As an efficient, deadly, armed force within another sovereign area, it is easy to see how misunderstandings might arise.
The Dutha Knights are currently viewed as a good thing (in Dotur and Roma), a necessary evil (in Onogur), dangerous outsiders to be watched (in Russka and Castile), or simply strange warriors (in Wyddia). They have no contact with the Yamato, Zhongguo, or Horse Lord lands. Dutha knights are tolerant of, but do not typically interact with Thulean Dwarves or the different Fey empires. Dutha Knights are typically allowed to pursue their mission as long as it does not interfere with local rule and the overall goals of the nation or Empire. So far this proved to be little problem, especially as the knights are rarely found in cities and avidly avoid local politics.
As communities reconnect commerce follows. This has proved to be the ultimate benefit for the reconnected villages as well as the knights themselves. Villagers have access to more markets for their food and can, at least in part, rely on the protection of a broader government. Towns have access to more food and labor, a higher standard of living, and better defense. The knights however, are still among the very few people in all of Uropa who are actually traveling from town to town on a consistent basis. Although it is unknown when it actually started, the Dutha Knights have become, by default, Uropa’s first bankers.
While the knights do not perform their services for money, they will accept gifts after the fact and they will, on an individual basis, help with a local cause. These extra tasks always require a fee and can occasionally be quite lucrative for the knight and the order. Ultimately the order was able to work as a money exchange between regions within the growing Onogur Empire, then between Onogur and the nearby Roma and Dotur. From money exchange grew money deposits as the growing network of Dutha Knight Strongholds were among the best defended in the region. Finally the Knights began providing writs for merchants who deposited their funds in one location, but wanted access to those funds at another. While the fees are modest, the income is not as a growing merchant class seems willing to risk life and limb on wilderness travel, but not their money. Cabalists within the order ensure counterfeiting is all but impossible, providing the only secure method of moving funds from one location to another, especially across borders and into unknown lands.
This service has allowed the knights to grow more rapidly in recent years. While their initial territory remains their own (despite claims it is now part of the Onogur, not Roma, Empire), they have used that money to build fortresses along the Dutha River as well as inland in Dotur, Onogur, and Roma. They maintain smaller fortified Manor Houses in Castile, Wyddia, and Russka which are well fortified locations very near walled cities.
Conclusion
While the exact size of the Dutha Knights is unknown, even to its own members, it is likely one of the largest organizations in Uropa. It certainly covers the most territory. While altruistic at its core, many outsiders cannot help but view it with suspicion and no small measure of greed. In only 200 years they’ve risen from a small camp of huddled survivors to the only organization that boasts a true multi-national presence. While they are not mercenaries, they are certainly available to fight in battles great and small if they view the cause as just and the goal in agreement with their own. Individually they are among the best fighters in the world, augmented by devotion to duty and unique enchantments in their weapons and armor. While initially foot soldiers, they have quickly embraced the horse and lance as their preferred method of fighting.
With their goal many years away, the Dutha Knights appear to be set as a permanent fixture on the political and military landscape of Uropa. Certainly they will be on the forefront of expansion and growth as Empires reconnect and the population pressure just now beginning to reassert itself makes growth necessary, not simply desirable. As their power and presence grows, however, it remains to be seen how the order interacts with the empires and leaders that surround them.
[1] Or Constable, as the camp’s leader had come to be called.
[2] Likely from the initial inhabitants of the camp who rejected the new rules and elected to leave at the onset of the plagues.
[3] This is their only goal, stated or not – they are an altruistic order
[4] All members of the order can be summoned to fight if needed.