"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion" - Alexander the Great
The fate of every soldier upon a battlefield is decided not by his vigor or equipment but rather through the leadership of their men. History has told us of the many great moments when the weak and meager gather around a central force whose power is not built upon it's own men but by whom who led them. It was not the professional soldiers of the Western Raman empire who failed to defend their borders and land but it was the governors, generals, bureaucrats, and emperor who failed to rally men to a common cause; leading to the collapse of the Western Raman Empire. So when it comes to the matter of victory in all manners of life, both in peace and in war, it is fundamentally the role of whomever leads the people and resources which they hold domain over; yet in this rare case it is both the army and its leaders which are both prideful yet powerful lions.
Bridget's Order of Knights. Formed in the later wanning years of the kingdom of Jerusalmon, it has partaken in several important wars and crusades throughout its existence; even contributing so much to the defenses of the Kingdom of Jerusalmon that it singlehandedly made the sole remaining crusader state in the Levant survive the apocalyptic Jihads declared on it. Whilst not being able to save Jerusalem itself it has remained a stalwart force in the defense of the remaining cities.
The effectiveness of this knights order compared to others is in its unique philosophy on Discipline and Tactics. Unlike traditional orders this one isn't tied to a monastery or city; acting more or less as a warband who offers their services to different Christian Cities. This has also made it to where their recruitment is vastly different, instead of wealth or class they are made up of those who have nothing to lose and everything to gain in servitude to this knights order.
The soldiers that make up this Knights order come from all over the Human world, some locally recruited in the Levant Christian lands and hotly contested Anetaliana, and some coming as far as Albion to join this order's ranks. This order is also unique in the manner of how members act, always reserved and not one to give much knowledge about themselves. This goes hand in hand with their tactics as they opt to do sudden devastating ambushes on groups of enemies using horses for mobility whilst their usually superior equipment and armor would sweep up the enemy force; keeping quite both in information and presence they are able to execute their plans effectively. It's not only because of the manner in which their members act which make them effective in combat it is also due to the ever vigilant and stoic leaders which make up the order.
The founder, Lord Rodon Bridget I, hailing from the Western Levant was, in the beginning, from an irrelevant farming family; destined to be lost to history, if not for the Jihads. For it was one of these which led Muslim warriors to raid the young Rodon's family farm, slaughtering his father and maiming his mother; before moving on to wherever they were needed. Despite being no more religious or fanatical as any Sunday church-goer, it was at this moment where the young Rodon was said to have been given a vision by the Archangel Mikael, telling him to gather other lost men and women of faith and give them the resolve to fight. It was likely at this moment which spurred his momentum to form this Knights Order. Despite being of low birth many people rallied to his side and in turn joined the order's ranks. During this era the order entered into a great deal of progression and prestige for both the men that fight under it's arms and the man who lead them in these said fights. Rodon Bridget would be the foundational titan who lead the order into glory; but it would be his successors to cement it as a legendary army in history.
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After a fatal blow at the hands of a spear which impaled him in the abdomen Lord Rodon, in his final moments, declared his successor to be the captain of the lead cavalry group of the order, Captain Johan II. Though being amongst the most competent and driven soldiers of the order his mixed Judeo-Raman Christian beliefs and minor noble background made him estranged in contrast to the Greese-Orthodox commoner background which comprised the vast majority of the order's soldiers. As such most of the men elevated three individuals as the proper successors to the order.
Lord Ifrit. The Oldest surviving soldier of the order, amongst the first recruited by Lord Rodon himself. Despite his age he holds himself to the same mannerisms and respect to that of any common soldier in the order, young or old he didn't care, they were Knights fighting for Christianity and that was their purpose. Often called "Father Ifrit" by the soldiers under his arm he has won the respect of his men through his wisdom and insights in both battle and peace.
Duke Harrod. A soldier of fortunate he came to the order as; a crusader of faith he now is. A man whose birth was higher than that of most soldiers he commanded, coming from a wealthy Albion family, initially he was the main man who managed the economics of the order, with an impressive retinue to boot. When he was given field command of his unit, he turned this ragtag group of peasants into a professional fighting force in less than a month. It turns out he had a knack for management and training; along with substantial money reserves to buy his troops only the best equipment in the field. Not only was he competent he also cared for his soldiers' health, frequenting the markets to buy only the best of provisions in great numbers. Called by his men "Harrod The Charitable" he has won their unending loyalty and respect through his dedication to both their health and combat abilities.
Lady Sofia. A true exemplary of the nature of the order's structure. Found by the order as an orphan in the early days of it's existence, she was raised by Lord Rodon as if she was his own daughter; teaching her the ways of the order and of Christ. In time she grew from the pampered child of the order, the one you would see asking soldiers for sweets and you would see them give them to her, to a respectable young commander. Don't mistake her for any regular girl, she was born to be a fighter and leader; the elite spearhead of of the common foot soldiers of the order. She expects every soldier to do their best at any given moment and in turn she has never led them into total destruction, let alone defeat.
These three figures in the order have always been seen by the common soldiers as the second in the hierarchy to Rodon. Whilst the order has continued under the final words of Rodon to let Johan II to lead the order, the omnipresent danger of the increased strengths of the Jihads, lack of faith in the current leadership, and most importantly the telltale signs of infighting have begun to rear their ugly heads. Whilst not that important compared to other factions they still represent a good number of elite and determined troops willing to defend the remnants of Christendom's holdings in the Levant; the fate of a well established fighting force in defiance of the Jihads may certainly determine the fate of Christianity in the lands which it has sworn to safeguard.