Category:The Knights of the Circle

This section contains canon info from officially published sources

Operating in the Great Kingdom of Avonleigh, the Knights of the Circle were the first incarnation of the Circle (Society) and a group after which Alexi Shadowborn named his incarnation in the Demiplane of Dread. (This later incarnation became the Knights of the Shadows.)^[1]

This category should be used for members of the Knights of the Circle in the Great Kingdom.

History

Founded in 526 BC to coincide with the birth of the Great Kingdom, the Knights of the Circle were a group of thirteen paladins, one from each province of the Great Kingdom, sworn to defend justice and the interests of the Great Kingdom. As with the Great Kingdom, the Knights of the Circle were closely tied to their matron church, the Church of Belenus. The High Mother presided over each Rite of Ascension, the religious ceremony that inducted one into the Circle. Over their first hundred years of existence, the Ascension ceremony was only held twenty one times.^[2]

Lady Kateri Shadowborn was one of the Circle's most well known and respected members, known to have defeated the Sea Raiders of the north and fought in the Heretical Wars with the Southern Empire. She is known to have died a martyr in those wars in 611 BC, and she later became canonized as a saint. Although her killer was unknown to most of the people of the Great Kingdom, her soul lived on as a ghost to bind her murderer, a fiend named Ebonbane, within Shadowborn Manor in the Demiplane of Dread. She lasted for 15 years. In 626 BC, Sir Kendall perished, leaving room on the Knights for Alexi Shadowborn to receive his seat. However, the Darkening occurred, showing Belenus' disfavor at Alexi joining the group. Instead, Dasmaria Eveningstar took his place.^[2]

Though Alexi became disgraced in the public eye, it turned out that Belenus had an even greater duty for the young knight. Quest called Alexi, along with his squire, Ferran Shadowborn, Dasmaria, and the mysterious Lysander Greylocks to Shadowborn Manor to face Ebonbane and his minions. Dasmaria and Lysander lost their lives, and Ebonbane broke free of his confinements. Yet Alexi learned of his true duty as a Lodestone Paladin and absorbed Ebonbane within his body. Alexi sent Ferran home to Shadowfast with their mounts to tell their family he was not coming back. Alexi remained behind to start a new incarnation of the Circle.^[2] Despite seemingly being bound to Shadowborn Manor, Alexi is credited as the founder of the Knights of the Shadows.^[1]

In the next few decades, Ferran Shadowborn went on to become not only one of the Knights but also their leader by 640 BC. In that year, Morgoroth, a necromancer from another world, fled to the Province of Avonleigh through a portal, seeking a chance at atonement for his previous life of evil. Lord Ferran listened to Morgoroth's accounts and granted him refuge plus some land in return for an oath of loyalty. The other Knights objected, Ferran's support and Morgoroth's reliable counsel in times of need assuaged their concerns, even in the face of mysterious spirits haunting the woods surrounding Morgoroth's Tergeron Manor. For his own part, Morgoroth remained loyal to Ferran and Avonleigh for the next 6 years, though his unresolved romantic yearning for Aurora Shadowborn, Ferran's sister, made his heart grow bleak inside. In 646 BC, the paladin Lambert arrived from Morgoroth's homeworld and confronted the necromancer before the Circle could decide upon a proper course of action. Following Ferran's disappearance upon Morgoroth's doorstep and Morgoroth's kidnapping of Aurora, the Knights of the Circle mobilized and attacked Tergeron Manor all together. However, they were all slain or disappeared down to the last man. For this act of evil, Morgoroth became a darklord, and Tergeron Manor plus the immediate surrounding forest was taken from the Prime Material Plane to form the domain of Avonleigh (distinct from the rest of the Province of Avonleigh, which remained behind.)^[3]

As the deaths of the Circle's knights at Morgoroth's hands left its membership unoccupied, it is unknown who filled their seats. By the 758 BC timeline of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook, a total of 112 years have past since the massacre.

References