Board Thread:Custom Lore Development/@comment-26535281-20170210012407

"Through out the Empire and far beyond patrol the Equestarii the noble warriors of the Empire bringing righteous justice and repentance upon the foes of the Empire. From anything to a lowly Equesta on a feral world to a mighty Equestus of a Cardinal world. They remain a Equestarii."

- Cardinal Lumus Pharus

The Equestarii (Or more commonly known by the Terran term 'Knights') are one of the Empire's 'Holy Warriors' fighting for church and state. They form a major part of the Ecclestum's military arm that is a actual standing army and not fanatic rabble (Which works too mind you).

They are organized into sections (500 knights), Ala (6 sections) and Order (8 Alae). Knights themselves are divided into two types female and male (Sororitus and Fratritus) generally Ala can be multi-sex but not sections. Each Order is assigned a portion of the Empire to defend and must at all times have at least one crusading Ala on duty or at the most three. The rest are used for defense and humanitarian crisis in their sector.

Each Order has within their sector a castle head quarters, armory, and spread all across their sector monasteries to house knights, serve as duty posts, and are also recruitment posts. Monasteries are also home to Order Monks (Monks dedicated to serving the assigned order and normally failed recruits who could not become knights but still wish to serve) and Adepts (Think Squires).

Equestarii are the finest warriors the church have and have been at times comparable to legionaries and some times above that level. They generally protect the church's interest but after the dire need for troops have been given military assignments (Crusades). Since this the Knights have removed themselves almost wholly from humanitarian duties and have become the Empire's most reliant troops with a almost unending amount of knights ready to fight for Emperor and Church.

Knights can seen across the battlefields of the Empire normally called in when the situation is dire but not dire enough to warrant calling in a legion. In this aspect the Knights have succeeded with flying colors bring death and destruction to the Empire's foes and Relief and salvation to the Faithful of the Empire. 