The Knights of Saint George is a conspiracy of hunters that first appear in the book Witch Finders. They are a division of the Church of England dedicated to stopping the creatures of darkness and protecting humanity. Although they will hunt any creature of darkness given a reason, the Knights are particularly dedicated to eradicating witches, thanks to the influence of their founder. Although they are tied to the Church of England, their beliefs come from a much earlier time, linking them to much more primitive and powerful gods.
History
The Knights have their origins in the reign of Richard the Lionheart. When Aquitane, the land of Richard's mother was invaded, a witch served as Henry the Young King's adviser and placed a curse on Richard. A group of men loyal to Richard found out about the curse and broke it; Richard was forever grateful and rewarded the cell of hunters with their own order, the Knights of Saint George. Their status as advisors to the British royalty was cemented when Richard later ascended to the throne, though many of the later kings ignored them and the nightmares of darkness they could have prevented.
The Knights later became affiliated with the Anglican Church, thanks to their royal connection, and moved on to the New World, although they had their fair share of enemies and difficulties there.
Organization
Any member of the Knights of Saint George must be inducted. Base members are Squires, and run the day-to-day operations and fronts for the conspiracy. To become a knight, the potential must undergo the first of what are Three Revelations. A member may undergo the Revelations at any point in their life, only undergo the first or second, or never undergo them at all.
The Three Revelations are:
- That wizards, witches, and creatures of darkness exist.
- That the Knights do not follow Christian beliefs, but instead work to appease faceless creatures so the world will not end.
- That there are powerful secrets the Knights know, but learning them brings the attention of the darkness.
Any leader of the Knights of Saint George, by tradition, must be a descendant of Richard the Lionheart, most probably through illegitimate children. Often, the Knights will go to the trouble of hunting down Richard's lost children and forcing them to join.
The Knights divide their conspiracy by the way they operate within the group. The Congregation of Vasago keep up the basic operations by maintaining supplies and buildings, as well as maintaining the group's Christian front; a few members of Vasago also work as the Brotherhood's archivists. The Congregation of Foras tracks and find anything related to magic to better understand it. The Congregation of Malthus, the largest group, serve as the active witch hunters and warriors for the Brotherhood.
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