2.0 KiB
[RT] National Spirit: The Order of the Tower and Flame
-
Author: u/None *
-
Score: 7
-
Created: 2016-07-27T18:13:45
Post:
Comments:
u/blazinghand [+5] Chaos Undivided (4 hours later)
While we're on the topic of holy orders, let's learn some fun facts! Although many orders still technically exist today, most are purely honorary or ceremonial. Heads of state give out knighthoods or membership in the order as rewards for service, etc, but other than that they are not active. No lands providing income, no stabbing infidels, etc. You don't see holy orders recruiting the descendants of nobles in England to man their castles and fight Saracens any more.
There is one exception, however. There's still a catholic holy order still active today: the Knights Hospitaller. Whereas the orders we see in National Spirit focus only on warfare, the Knights Hospitaller were originally founded as a healthcare organization. They ran a hospital in Jerusalem and provided protection to the Christian pilgrims there. Over the course of the centuries, they grew more militant, especially during the high middle ages and the crusades.
As many other orders passed out of history or were subsumed entirely by states, the Knights Hospitaller shifted their focus back to charitable works. Today, the order only has 13,500 knights, but it also employs 25,000 doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, and has a large number of volunteers. The order not take independent military actions these days but instead seems to support the Italian armed forces. They are recognized as a sovereign entity by a variety of groups. It's worth noting that the knights fight using guns and stuff like modern soldiers do, so they're not walking around wearing plate armor or something weird like that.