“The Divine Order protects you. Even from yourself.„
The Divine Order also known as Divine Order of Lucian is a military order founded by Lucian The Divine One and is an integral part of Rivellonian history and the events take place during the Age of Chaos.
Background[]
Divine Order is a large military order, made up of various divisions, operating on Rivellon since Lucian's ascension in 1218 AD. The main purpose of the Order is to serve Lucian and protect Rivellon from the Black Ring cult with whom they are at constant war. Due to the nature of the Black Ring, the Divine Order combats not only the cult members themselves but also the often summoned forces of Demons, Voidwoken and occasionally Undead. While all divisions, obey Lucian's orders and work underneath the Divine Order banner, they all have their own motives, goals and policy. Due to this, there has been minor disputes, rivalry, or conflicts between these divisions, which are most notable in times of Lucian's absence.
History[]
The first recruits of the Order were warriors from guilds, nobles, and knights from paladin orders who joined the Divine One after his victory over Demon of Lies. These men and women made the first, oldest and arguably the most known division of the Order, known as the Paladins. Due to their leaders and members influence, the Divine Order as a whole gained practically undisputed control over all human territories and kingdoms, such as Ferol. Their symbol is the sigil of the Divine himself. [1]
Due to the Orders growing influence more people across Rivellon even from other races such as Elves, began joining the Order. [2]
The men and women from common folk, who wanted to joing the Order, shortly made up the second and possibly largest division of the Order, known as the Magisters. Due to the social class diferences between Magisters and Paladins, these two division were often at odds as Paladins often disliked being commanded by "peasants", or even share the same position with them. This division was under the leadership of Lucians son Alexandar.
The third faction of the Order, was made up by warriors whose purpose was to not only embody the ideals of the Divine, but also to protect grounds sacred to the Seven Gods and the Council of the Seven. These men and women, whose devotion could last beyond life and death, are known as the Seekers. [3]
In 1233 AD, Damian deserted the Divine Order after Lucian executed Ygerna. This event reignited the conflict between the Order and the Black Ring in full. This war, known as Chaos War, is the first major war between the Divine Order and the Black Ring on Rivellon. The war mostly took place on human and elven territories. During the war, the Black Ring forces heavily outnumbered those of the Order, and were on their march to destroy elven lands, in spite of their looses in the skirmishes between them. The Council, held by Lucian, lord Arhu, Zandalor the Wise, Alexandar and two House of War emmisaries Harad and Falk decided to deploy deathfog into the elven lands, in order to physically prevent the Black Ring army from advancing further, whilst evacuating the elves and their Scions. However after Ifan ben-Mezd delivered the rift scroll, deathfog poured out of it, killing almost all elves as well as Black Ring forces. [4]
After this event, presumably in 1234 AD, both Damian and Lucian were declared dead by the Order. Lucians death catapulted the Order into an inner conflict which nearly ended in a massacre on the streets of Arx where it not for Alexandars intervention. Because of this intervention, it was decided that Lucians body would be burried underneath the Cathedral of Arx, on the condition that the Magisters would built their own headquarters there alongside Paladins who at that time were led by lord Arhu and lord Linder Kemm. [5]
The Divine Ones sacrifice did not bring peace however. After the deathfog was unleashed and Black Ring was obliterated, the Divine Order found a new foe. From the remnants of the dead in the elven lands, dark beings known as the Voidwoken appeared and began to attack everywhere on Rivellon. The Divine Order declared that the main reason behind the attacks of the Voidwoken, was the usage of the Source magic. Thus, Magisters began rounding up nearly all Sourcerers and transferred them into special secluded camps. [6] This was done to prevent Voidwoken, from overwhelming human lands but also to find "a cure", whilst Sourcerers would be temporarily "muted" by Source collars; an old technology, from the days of Braccus Rex which Dallis, who was now Alexandars advisor, reintroduced. While the humanity mostly agreed with the decision to round up the Sourcerers, most of the races did not. Thus the relationship between the Divine Order and Dwarven Kingdom was nearing war as the Order regularly attacked Ancient Empire forces on their borders. [7]
Sometime between 1234 AD and 1242 AD, the Seekers began searching for Godwoken; Sourcerers with the potential to ascend to Divinity. The first known Godwoken to be found was Karon, whom the Seekers trained and nurtured in order to present him at the Cathedral to Alexandar and other leaders of the Divine Order divisions. The presentation however nearly resulted in a massacre as Karon unleashed his powers in a fury. Further damage was prevented by Meistr Siva, Gareth and other Divine Order members who further dubbed Karon as the Mistake. Due to the severity of their actions, Alexandar and Dallis declared that the Seekers would be disbanded. Furthermore it was decided that Alexandar would be the sole candidate for Divinity.
In 1242 AD the Seekers operated in secrecy, as Magisters, supported by majority of the scared populace, continued their hunt on Sourcerers. After the events on the isle of Reaper's Eye, Alexandar was declared dead and the leadership of the Order was passed to Dallis the Hammer. During this time Paladins, begun to suspect the Magisters of colluding with the Black Ring and with, or without evidence attacked their headquarters in Arx. This event possibly marked the end of the Magister division in the Divine Order. [8]
After the Veil was sealed in 1242 AD and Voidwoken banished, Lucian resurfaced from his Tomb and resumed his position as the leader of the Divine Order. Lucian made amends to the Elves, giving them lands and treasure of the Order, whilst stopping all conflict with the Ancient Empire. For two years there was peace as the Order was rebuilt and Paladins possibly became the largest division again. [9]
In 1244 AD, Damian attacked Rivellon, outnumbering the forcers of the Order, with an army of Demons from Nemesis. The conflict, known as the Great War ravaged Rivellon. The battles between Lucian and Damian terramorphed the planet, destroyed many cities including headquarters of the Order in Aleroth and Rivertown. During this war, the Order forged an alliance with the Dragon Knights. This alliance tipped the scale of war, in favour of the Order, however at one point a Dragon Knight, charmed by Damian, stabbed Lucian and making the Order attack both demons and dragons. During the conflict Zandalor took control of the Order and rounded the forces and managed to drive back the Black Ring but the damage was done. The Alliance between the races and Dragons was broken and the Divine Order fell apart. [10]
Shortly after the Great War, the most prominent knights of the Order, met in the Rivertowns Cathedral and created the Order of Dragon Slayers. This Order took the firsts place in the scale of influence, for the first few decades as humanity craved the death of the Dragon Knights, whom they dubbed as "the Betrayers". The Dragon Slayers remained dominant until 1300 AD when only one Dragon Knight known as Talana was presumed alive. [11]
The knights who did not join Dragon Slayers either retired or became members of the New Order, whose seat was in Rivertown. These men and women, called themselves Seekers and their goal was to "embody the idea that is the Divine". [12]
The last known faction to rise from the remnants of the Divine Order are the Champions of Aleroth, whose headquarters lay in Aleroth. Both New Order and the Champions of Aleroth were often at odds, due to rivalry in money, influence and resources especially as famine ravaged Ferol. [13]
in 1300 AD, after the last Dragon Knight, freed Lucian from his astral prison in Plane of Hypnerotomachia, the Dragon Slayers are presumed disbanded. Whether the Divine Order was again reinstated or not, is yet unknown.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Divinity: Original Sin II Godwoken - page 38
- ↑ Dialogue with Stewart in Divinity: Original Sin II
- ↑ dialogue with the Watcher and Gareth Pryce in Divinity: Original Sin II.
- ↑ Divinity: Original Sin II Godwoken: pages 8 - 37; Modern Chronicles of Reapers' Coast - pages 8, 9
- ↑ Huwbert's Encyclopedia Vol. 11: Lucian's Remains, Modern Chronicles of Reapers' Coast - page 12
- ↑ Divinity: Original Sin II - Classic Edition, quest log chronicles
- ↑ Divine Order Report, Conversation with Queen Justinia and Isbeil in Divinity: Original Sin II
- ↑ Dark Dealings in the Blackpits quest and dialogue with Linder Kemm in Divinity: Original Sin II
- ↑ Divinity: Fallen Heroes background and Seal the Veil ending from Divinity: Original Sin II
- ↑ Divinity: Fallen Heroes and Divinity II: Ego Draconis backstory
- ↑ Divinity II: Ego Draconis backstory, Dialogue with Marius in Divinity II: Ego Draconis
- ↑ Dialogue with Elisabeth in Divinity II: Ego Draconis
- ↑ Feast or Famine quest in Divinity II: Ego Draconis