Post by Jacob C. Vinland on Jan 3, 2013 19:14:50 GMT -6
(WARNING: possible thread spoilers follow!)
What are we? The 13 Knights are the harbingers. We are here to "purify": to cleanse this world of difference and bring order to the chaos that is inherint in all living things. You are not the first. For time beyond your comprehension we have helped worlds become that which is necessary to survive. You will fight us, loathe us, mock us and curse us, but that will not change the inevitable outcome. You will fail. Just like all those before you have. The only thing you can change is how much blood will be spilled through your own arrogance and defiance. The chosen will ascend among us. The meaningless shall burn below us.
-"Janus", The 13th Knight and leader of the organization, in the first and only known message to the world government-
Few names raise a universal ire in marines, pirates and the world government. Fewer names still are so unbelievably hated and attached to forces destructive enough that the name somehow brings unity to pirates and marines alike. The 13 Knights may be one of the few names to have ever acheived such a status.
The 13 knights could be loosely described as an organized mercenary force that recruits through the use of kidnapped civilians, renegade brigand crews of extremely low moral fiber, and slaves. Despite this, they boast an extremely low rate of any issues that might stem from such practices and have one of the most efficient military engines sans the world government itself, causing some to hypothesize they use mass drugging, mind control or some other form of social control to keep their troops in line. Moreover, this horrific group seems to have no qualms or rules of engagement that it follows, regularly employing tactics otherwise unthinkable even by pirates.
From what reports indicate, killing and enslaving civilians is commonplace and some even think its considered standard practice, and prisoners can not expect to be treated well by the 13 knights. In fact, it seems like the organization's only goal in the public eye is complete and total soceital destruction in every way possible. They seem to have no allies, no particular caste or favor of race and are universally loathed.
So, how has such an organization managed to survive? Secrecy and Deception. While much is known about the 13 kights horrific practices, very little is known about its inner workings sans highly classified marine intelligence. They have maintained this by masking their nefarious actions as either marine or various pirate organizations, which not only protects the organizations secrecy, but also creates gigantic political tension between already tense factions. As a result, little is known about their total overall strength and numbers.
The organizations main "governing" body is, rather predictably, a hierarchy of up to 13 powerful individuals known as "knights". Each of these individuals is much like a president or general, but each is subserviant to the "Highest number" in the organization. In other words, the higher your "knight" number is, the more political and military clout you are likely to have. It is unclear how promotions or changes of rank work, but hypothesized that dueling is a factor in overthrowing or advancing in rank, provided that the knight rank the individual is after is occupied. If it is not, some other method would likely determine the right to hold the higher rank. From what intelligence is known, the following is a list of knights and their respective ranks:
Key: Rank: Name, Personal Title
Note: If a position is not listed, it is open.
13th Knight: Janus, "Deus-incarceratio-
imperator"
12th Knight: Atlas, "The Invincible World Shaker"
10th Knight: Lilith, "Crimson Lotus Queen"
8th Knight: Thin-Man Faust, "Ravenous Cthulu"
7th Knight: Battalion, The Infinite Legion
6th Knight: Bahamut, "Black-Depth Scourge"
5th Knight: Adrian Corvus, "Sinister Prophet"
What are we? The 13 Knights are the harbingers. We are here to "purify": to cleanse this world of difference and bring order to the chaos that is inherint in all living things. You are not the first. For time beyond your comprehension we have helped worlds become that which is necessary to survive. You will fight us, loathe us, mock us and curse us, but that will not change the inevitable outcome. You will fail. Just like all those before you have. The only thing you can change is how much blood will be spilled through your own arrogance and defiance. The chosen will ascend among us. The meaningless shall burn below us.
-"Janus", The 13th Knight and leader of the organization, in the first and only known message to the world government-
The 13 Knights
Few names raise a universal ire in marines, pirates and the world government. Fewer names still are so unbelievably hated and attached to forces destructive enough that the name somehow brings unity to pirates and marines alike. The 13 Knights may be one of the few names to have ever acheived such a status.
The 13 knights could be loosely described as an organized mercenary force that recruits through the use of kidnapped civilians, renegade brigand crews of extremely low moral fiber, and slaves. Despite this, they boast an extremely low rate of any issues that might stem from such practices and have one of the most efficient military engines sans the world government itself, causing some to hypothesize they use mass drugging, mind control or some other form of social control to keep their troops in line. Moreover, this horrific group seems to have no qualms or rules of engagement that it follows, regularly employing tactics otherwise unthinkable even by pirates.
From what reports indicate, killing and enslaving civilians is commonplace and some even think its considered standard practice, and prisoners can not expect to be treated well by the 13 knights. In fact, it seems like the organization's only goal in the public eye is complete and total soceital destruction in every way possible. They seem to have no allies, no particular caste or favor of race and are universally loathed.
So, how has such an organization managed to survive? Secrecy and Deception. While much is known about the 13 kights horrific practices, very little is known about its inner workings sans highly classified marine intelligence. They have maintained this by masking their nefarious actions as either marine or various pirate organizations, which not only protects the organizations secrecy, but also creates gigantic political tension between already tense factions. As a result, little is known about their total overall strength and numbers.
The organizations main "governing" body is, rather predictably, a hierarchy of up to 13 powerful individuals known as "knights". Each of these individuals is much like a president or general, but each is subserviant to the "Highest number" in the organization. In other words, the higher your "knight" number is, the more political and military clout you are likely to have. It is unclear how promotions or changes of rank work, but hypothesized that dueling is a factor in overthrowing or advancing in rank, provided that the knight rank the individual is after is occupied. If it is not, some other method would likely determine the right to hold the higher rank. From what intelligence is known, the following is a list of knights and their respective ranks:
---------The Knights:----------
Key: Rank: Name, Personal Title
Note: If a position is not listed, it is open.
13th Knight: Janus, "Deus-incarceratio-
imperator"
12th Knight: Atlas, "The Invincible World Shaker"
10th Knight: Lilith, "Crimson Lotus Queen"
8th Knight: Thin-Man Faust, "Ravenous Cthulu"
7th Knight: Battalion, The Infinite Legion
6th Knight: Bahamut, "Black-Depth Scourge"
5th Knight: Adrian Corvus, "Sinister Prophet"
--------Known Individual Information---------
