Turin Consolidation

[Uxi]

Did anyone ever use it or play on the Solomani end?

Being very close to Old Expanses, I detailed it quite a bit more in prep for my TNE campaigns. I hadn't decided if I was going to keep the TNE-RCES Collapse work or not. I liked the bulk of it, but I kind of wanted Turin itself to survive, instead of being annihilated, but I was also inclined to not do what I wanted and go with that work, though hadn't quite decided yet.

 

[Uxi]

Background:



Religious emigrees who want nothing from the modern democracies and the decadence that comes with it. Most of the States in the Turin Consolidation are governed by Representative Democracies along with a few Constitutional Monarchists. Religious tolerance is legal and most have a codified form of separation of Church and State, while at the same time not entertaining any notions of seperation of Church FROM State. Their governments are founded on the principle that their faith is the core tenet from which their conception of liberty and self-determination springs.

History:

Ecumenical movement leads to the Council of Nicea 2054. Latin Rite, bulk of Anglicans, and the national autocephalus Orthodox Churches restore Communion to each other. Roman primacy continued to be debated but without acrimony. US Episcopal Church, amongst others, is split with the official body remaining indepdent while the rest take up the Universal-Orthodox faith (aka "Orthodox-Catholic")

Debate over nuances embraced and encouraged with the Nicene Creed but the differences are debated without acrimony.

Claim to Patriarchate of Antioch settled with a universally recognized Patriarch in communion with Rome and Constantinople. Formula involved convening a synod of Universal-Orthodox Christians bishopsand the election of a Patriarch. All present swear to recognize the lawfully elected Patriarch. Rival claimants are true to their word. Lawfully elected Patriarch is recognized by Rome and Constatinople on receipt of a systatic letter.

- Rome and Constantinople fully restore Communion to the other and their faithful

- Anglicans restored to Communion under the Roman Patriarchate of the West Discussions for the recognized Anglican Rite proceed amidst no small amount of theological debate

- Claims to Patriarchate of Jerusaslem resolved. Latin Patriarchate supressed by Rome. Lawfully elected Patriarch is recognized by Rome and Constatinople on receipt of systatic letter.

- Claims to Patriarchate of Alexandria resolved with a lawfully, universally recognized Patriarch elected by synod of Universal-Orthodox.

- Separate Anglicate Rite recognized by Rome in North America. Latin Rite remains more popular, particularly in Hispanic communities, but the Anglicate Rite sees increases in numbers from evangelization to former Protestants and non-denominational evangelicals.

- Despite reversals in the increasing secularization in the 21st century, the general populist trends in politics were anti-religious. The Church counters this by mobilizing an Order dedicated to the defense of the Church in the popular media. The breakdown of the European Union along with the economic crises in Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal along with the socialist systems crumbling under severe austerity measures and an agitated Muslim immigratns led to a resurgence in religion in Europe in reaction to several large scale riots and the resulting internal chaos amidst reprisals and government crackdowns. It was in this environment that the encounter with the Vilani made news and the resulting military clashes caused renewed apocalyptic fervor.

- The first studies of interplanetary generation ships received some funding from the Holy See. Coupled with the political issues with atheist and socialist politicians, Pope John Paul III publishes his encyclical, "Caelis Torino" (Heavenly Turin), on the idea of the model Christian society in the stars.

 

[Uxi]

Caelis Torino

Initial model of the Turin society is a representative democracy with an explicit recognition of the Christian basis of the society, but at the same time prohibiting mistreatment of religious miniorities, including atheists and agnostics.

In addition, there are reinforced checks and balances against populist ideas of pure democracy. A bicameral legislature is the fundamental basis, based in part on a lower Chamber modeled after the Western European parliamentary system in Spain and Germany and called the People's Representative Parliament. Following elections, the parties can form coalitions and The Parliament elects a Prime Minister to act as it's speaker and leader. Members are elected from each District (subdivisions of a province based on population density, though never splitting a proper city/town).

Legislation is required to orginiate from the Parliament House. A popular referendum can call for the Recall of any District Representative, if in between the 3 year elections. A sitting Prime Minister can be removed by a Vote of No Confidence.

An upper chamber, the Senate of the Res Publica, is established with a membership elected by the government body of the local Province (3/province). Membership is lifetime, though individuals can resign or be recalled by their provincial government. Additionally, each Province is also created to be coterminus with a diocese. Bishops are to be elected by a synod of their local parishes and confirmed by the Patriarch and are also granted membership to the Senate, which makes for 4 Senators per Province. The Senate receives Legislation from the House and must pass or deny any individual piece of legislation. Senators may be Impeached and/or Recalled, as subject to the laws of their Province.

An executive branch is elected by Electors, numbering 1 per District Representatitve + each Senator. The Executive is deliberately abstracted from both the legislature and the public vote to ensure long term views. Electors vote for two people. The candidate with a plurality of votes is elected as President. The second place candidate becomes Vice President and leads the Senate, having a permanent vote in the upper chamber. Deeply unpopular executive action is intended to be met with a vote for Impeachment by the People's House to a Trial of Removal in the Senate of the Republic.

 

[Uxi]

History - continued:

Initial contact with the Vilani and the intermittent hostilities by the United Nations led to the launch of The Missions by the Church: the first with the intent of evangelization to the Vilani (The Vlani Mission) and another to Mwan-Gwi (the Vegan Mission).

- The Vilani Mission discovers the pure distance to Vland, but proceeds. The Legate, Monsignor Albert Rollins, dispatches a message to Rome, but proceeds on his mission, leaving the influence of the Terran Confederation and proselytizing amidst the Vilani.

- After military reversals, The Crucis Mission is launched to Alpha Crucis. The original evangelization goal is augmented with numerous colonists. The Holy See decides to implement Caelis Torino and the Mission is renamed the Turin Mission. The Brotherhood of St Wenclus is founded and the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Saint George was founded and tasked with defending the expedition since government forces were fully occupied.

Turin Mission colonizes Alpha Crucis 0630 (I0630) and the world is Christened "Torino Nova" and dedicated to the Church.

- After the Vilani inflict a significant defeat on the Terran Confederation, a huge second and third wave of colonists are sent to Turin, which begins to strain resources, but are patiently managed and expanded as quickly as possible.

- Archbishopric of Turino Nova established by Rome, Earth for the 120,000 colonists.

- Within the next decade, ten more colonies neighboring to Turino Nova are established, all following the Turin model, though many are populated by specific geographic and sectarian populations.

- Turino Colonial Association established by the governments of the Turin Colonies to coordinate resources and trade.

- Sectarian dispute causes some controversy, supported by agnostic & atheist groups, which leads to the creation of the another Colony populatic by "heretics" and excommunicates, but also more than a few criminal expatriates and fugitives.

- The Church spoke to defend the many species before the Terran Confederation's provincial governors and advocated an egalitarian approach to the societies that had been subject to the Vilani Imperium.

- When Hiroshi Estigarribia declared the "Rule of Man" in AD 2314, he was supported by the Church, who was opposed to the excesses of Terran Confederation cynical disregard for the natives in its goal of eliminating Vilani hegemony as well as the secularism many religious claimed that the Confederation government was attempting to impose in place of the native beliefs encountered by many, especially amongst the subject populations.

- As the Rule of Man progressed, the government of the colony at Phoenix modified its pretence of representative Democracy, which its' natives never quite appreciated or understood, to a constitutional Monarchy with a personal oath of allegience to the Emperor at Hub/Ershur. That system would spread to 2 other colonies within the next decade, though always remain less popular than the republic model.

- During the Long Night, Turin remained a stronghold vigorously protected by the Knights of St George, who also worked hard to maintain the "pilgrim" jump routes to Earth.

 

[Uxi]

Religious Organization

Archbishop/Bishop Metropolitan for each major city. Archbiship Estrella for each Sector under a Archbishop Galactica for each domain. Most worlds have an Archbishop Mundus elected to represent that world, but not all and there is no hierarchy on the Subsector level, though many subsectors convene in synods that elect a "Mundus Primatus."

Archbishop Galactica/Galaxias = Arkgalop in Galanglic
Archbishop Estrella/Asterios = Arkstrellop
Archbishop Mundus/Kosmos = Arkmundus

The Solomani Sphere was divided into three Domains for the purposes of the Church hierarchy, with the Archibishop Galactica seated in Turin for the trailing Turin Domain. The Archbishop Galactica of Sol Domain was the Pope, out of the Vatican Arcology on Terra.

In Imperial Space, the Domains adjusted to be nearly coterminus with the secular borders, though there was some variation, mostly based on the historical borders that developed during the Rule of Man. The system was much more complicated towards Terra, which had a Domain based around the Rim Province, but which had continually chafed at the attempted restrictions of the Old Earth Union.

 

[BwapTED]

I like this stuff.

What is the U-C Church's position on conversion of aliens?

 

[Dragoner]

Interesting stuff, being raised Roman Catholic (with some Unitarian relatives, pretty typical for SE Europe), I have imtu the Zen-Catholic Church, a fusion of east west incorporating the baroque nature of Catholicism over eastern philosophy. It is the main reason the Imperium does not have a lot of cyborgs or genetically modified humans as it would affect the Tao of Humanity.

 

[Uxi]

I like this stuff.

What is the U-C Church's position on conversion of aliens?

Early history above explicit Missions launched to evangelize to the Vilani and Vegans during hte Interstellar Wars. I imagine smaller Missions would have been sent to other Minor Races (and/or a single Mission encompassing several if they were in close astrographic vicinity. I hypothesized a Mission launched to the Zhodani sometime after the 1st Frontier War, but never took it beyond that.

I also had a note that there was never an official Mission to the K'kree, but there was no small concern over a K'kree attack on uncoordinated missionaries (because they were omnivores and there were... misconceptions over the nature of the Eucharist).

Interesting stuff, being raised Roman Catholic (with some Unitarian relatives, pretty typical for SE Europe), I have imtu the Zen-Catholic Church, a fusion of east west incorporating the baroque nature of Catholicism over eastern philosophy. It is the main reason the Imperium does not have a lot of cyborgs or genetically modified humans as it would affect the Tao of Humanity.

Right, I imagine the same, though I do have a note on a sponsorship of non-embryonic gengineering for the purpose of cloning an individuals own cells (to avoid transplant rejection), but "full body" clones or the mind was prohibited (though the exact verbiage didn't outright prohibit it, it was heavily discouraged and effectively banned in the Consolidation- the intent being to leave an opening for people with brain cancers/tumors but also wanting to avoid existential issues).

 

[Uxi]

History - Third Imperium through the Rebellion

-The Latin/Catholic Rite was practiced in the Sylean Federation and by Cleon in particuar, so generally enjoyed more success than the Eastern/Orthodox rites in the Third Imperium, though Cleon himself mandated a non-sectarian/denominational stance in his government and ensured that practice was enshrined by his successors.

- Spread through the Solomani sphere and was one of the chief domestic opponents of the Centrists in the Solomani Movement and advocates of the loose Confederation.

- Olav haut-Plankwell was an atheist and deeply offended many Solomani by ejecting Alexander II, Arkgalop of Sylea, from the Imperial Palace after Olav killed the Empress Jaqueline and proclaimed himself Emperor. Olav's himself justified the action as a result of the Alexander's complicity in Jaqueline's reign and accusation as an agent disloyal to his regime, though he never produced any evidence of such and was quickly embroiled in secular conflict.

- Constantus, who defeated Olav's chief of staff Ramon, was noted as a practioner of the Greek Orthodox Rite and was planning to introduce an Orthodox as Archbishop Galaxias to replace the vacant See following the retirement of Alexander to a monastery at Terra (though Alexander was said to have spent much time at the Vatican Arcology advising the Pope on the current political and religious situations in the Imperium). Constantus was killed in battle before he could execute his plans, though, and Nikolai never followed through (nor was noted for his religious beliefs or practices before he himself was killed in 612).

-Arbellatra publically resumed practice of the Latin Rite, but was said by many to be an cynic who valued traditional Vilani practice more, though her chief of staff's unauthorized biography (published posthumously) portrayed Arbellatra as irreverent agnostic.

- Emperor Zhakirov openly proclaimed his break with Solomani religion (which many whispered that Arbellatra had only payed lip service to) by openly declaring his adherence to traditional Vilani practices, though he declared that his Imperium would recognize all religions and endorse no official state religion or give preferential treatment to any . The Arkgalop of Sylea continued to control his See from Sylea, but would never again return to the (new) Imperial Palace [a wing in the old Grand Palace of Martin II had been the traditional seat, but the entire palace was destroyed by the Empress Marava in 620].

- The Consolidation itself was split on the Solomani Movement and generally discouraged emphasis on the claims to Solomani supremacy over the other forms of humaniti, though it did vigorously defend it's own interests against Imperial domination and the hierarchical semi-feudal system advocated by the Third Imperium, as well as what it saw as the apostasy of the Third Imperium turning away from Solomani religion and back towards its traditional Vilani philosophies (often derided as sophistry in the Confederation).

- Fought for the Confederation during the Solomani Rim War and were renown for their tactical skill, determination, and ferocity in the attack as well as being highly trained and disciplined.

- In the post Rim War era, the Turin Consolidation manned the front lines of the defenses against the Third Imperium. Strategic forces had an aim to sever the Imperial "starlane" connecting the Vegan worlds, as well as defending themselves against Imperial incursion of the Confederation.

- As the Solomani Confederation launched it's attack following the assassination of Emperor Strephon and the rise of multiple factions competing for the throne, the Knights of St George led the attack to sever the Imperial Starlane and encircled Terra. The Knights themselves were engaged on the periphery of Vegan space, but were essentially a decoy distracting Imperial forces Core-Spinward while the main Confederation Fleet attacked from Rimward-Trailing.

- On the liberation from Terra, the Consolidation Fleets were employed Trailing of the Vegan polity and led the advance into Old Expanses. Missionaries following on their trail, but often Chaplains in the foremost units,

- As the Hard Times set in and the Solomani offensive stalled at the edges of Margaret's domain, the Turin Consolidation was in favor of securing the captured territory over the Centrist desire to continue the invasion and liberate more Solomani from the Vilani.

- Azhanti High Lightning Frontier Cruiser Bard Enterprise captured by the Knights after the reconquest of Terra and brought back to the Consolidation. Re-christened as the Draconis Extinctor by the Knights as it's being refitted when the Collapse hits.

 

[Uxi]

History - Collapse until the New Era

- The release of the Virus caused trillions of death through Charted Space as technology destroyed itself, or worse, turned against humaniti. The Consolidation had explicitly refused to implement the Imperium's transponder system domestically, but that only delayed the spread of the infection, particularly on the numerous ships that participated in the liberation of Terra from Imperial occupation or were captured by the Knights of St George. It was estimated that within five months of release, the Virus had already fully adapted to Solomani computer architecture and though it didn't have the flawless infection vector common in the Imperium that enabled the simpler strains, the more advanced strains actively sought to spread the Virus by other means

- The Consolidation Government was still digesting the news of the malfunction and destruction of the 3rd Advocatus (Crusader) Fleet flagship Raphaeli Arcangelo with complete loss of cohesion in the rest of the fleet amidst the former stalemate with Daibei's forces breaking down into unexplained chaos as reports of similar issues began to come in from Terra and the rest of the Confederation.

- Turin itself was rendered uninhabitable after a series of Vampire Fleet attacks, but the records of the Knights of St George indicated this was after the eruption of a super volcano, though to have been instigated by the Virus sending portions of the geothermal power grid to a cataclysmic state. Scientific substantiation has been lacking but the Knights themselves suffered grievous losses in securing the relocation of millions of inhabitants saved in the face of the Vampire onslaught and ecological catastrophe.

- The Knights of St George relocated their headquarters to Bali and still adhere to the ecclesiastical education, though have let their role as warriors lapse, though not entirely disappear, in place of maintaining relic technology. The knights operate a number of small starships and are attempting to reintegrate the worlds of the Consolidation, though face numerous obstacles in the form of vampires, xenophobic survivors, and the monopolistic Mercantile Guild.

- The Brotherhood of SenWenclus has split in schism into three main factions. The Renewed Covenant is the leading faction and claims primacy from it's Arkmundus and would largely reestablish the old Consolidation as it was known to be. Their main opposition is the largely lay-secular group calling itself the "Sons of the Enoch" which claims the old Consolidation was deeply flawed and that the Collapse was divine retribution for supporting the sins of the Solomani Confederation (though the Sons themselves are divided into two sub-factions - the larger that the Consolidation did not go far enough in it's evangelization and the smaller that the Consolidation went too far in attempting the conversion of aliens and slipped into apostasy). The Knights themselves have attempted to mediate the dispute but have so far only been able to step the rising acrimony.

- The Knights immediate goal is to end the schism in the Brotherhood of SenWenclus so that a synod can reach a quorum to elect a new Arkstrellop (and then Arkgallop) to deal with various heresies that have popped up amongst the fragmented survivors. The long term goal is the reestablishment of the Consolidation Government.

 

[Starviking]

History - Collapse until the New Era

- Turin itself was rendered uninhabitable after a series of Vampire Fleet attacks, but the records of the Knights of St George indicated this was after the eruption of a super volcano, though to have been instigated by the Virus sending portions of the geothermal power grid to a supercritical state. Scientific substantiation has been lacking but the Knights themselves suffered grievous losses in securing the relocation of millions of inhabitants saved in the face of the Vampire onslaught and ecological catastrophe.

I don't think it is possible to get a geothermal power system to go supercritical, I think that's only possible for some fission power systems.

- The Knights of St George relocated their headquarters to Bali and still adhere to the ecclesiastical education, though have let their role as warriors lapse, though not entirely disappear, in place of maintaining relic technology. The knights operate a number of small starships and are attempting to reintegrate the worlds of the Consolidation, though face numerous obstacles in the form of vampires, xenophobic survivors, and the monopolistic Mercantile Guild.

I'd think the Consolidation would be too far from the centres of Guild power for them to be a threat to them, at least in 1201. Solee is about 36 parsecs from Justabit, and in 1201 the Guild can provide just a little support to the TEDs fighting Solee on Marcena and Hindahl. Bali is about 60 parsecs from Justabit, and a direct path would probably stay close to the Vampire Highway too long - so maybe up that to 70 parsecs, very far from Guild power.

Of course, there may be other monopolistic trading groups out there - space is big...

 

[Uxi]

I don't think it is possible to get a geothermal power system to go supercritical, I think that's only possible for some fission power systems.

Hmm, I was intending that to be the interpretation of the surviving Knights, not an informed technical diagnosis. Merely the suspicion that Virus did something that provoked a supervolcanic eruption. I was previously reading a theory about the Yellowstone Caldera at the same time I was pondering ways the Consolidation and Knights would abandon Turin instead of attempting to maintain some sort of presence there, as well as another sort of irrational scare tales of Virus might've provoked in this area of space. I can envision superstitious survivors abandoning their geothermal power even though it could be their best alternative - sparked by the Japan nuclear episode following the eq and tsunami, though.

I'd think the Consolidation would be too far from the centres of Guild power for them to be a threat to them, at least in 1201. Solee is about 36 parsecs from Justabit, and in 1201 the Guild can provide just a little support to the TEDs fighting Solee on Marcena and Hindahl. Bali is about 60 parsecs from Justabit, and a direct path would probably stay close to the Vampire Highway too long - so maybe up that to 70 parsecs, very far from Guild power.

Of course, there may be other monopolistic trading groups out there - space is big...

I always took the Guild as being an amorphous organization that was populous throughout the rimward portion of the Imperium, but in no way coordinated or organized beyond nominal affiliation. IOW, these cats in this area would call themselves "the Guild" in the same way gangsters might have been "Mafia" be they in Vegas, Chicago New York, Miami... or even Sicily.

 

[Uxi]

Turin Consolidation Government

The interstellar government of the Consolidation is also based on the Caelis Torino model.

Flag:

The Turin Consolidation flag uses the Jerusalem Cross and symbolizes the four Gospels spread to the four astrographic directions in Charted Space.


Head of State:
Cancellarius Consolidatio Torino (Chancellor of Turin Consolidation)

Secular member Senator elected by the Consolidation Senate for a single 7-year term. A Chancellor can serve multiple terms, but never consecutively. Can be removed early only by resignation or impeachment and has judicial immunity while in office, though is fully subject to the law after the term ends.

Arkstrellop Alpha Crucis (Archbishop Estrella of Alpha Crucis ) acts as adviser, Deputy and, fills as interim executive in the event of the incapacitation or death of the Chancellor until the Consolidation Senate can elect a new Chancellor.


Turin Consolidation Senate:

Senatus Consolidatio Torino (Consolidation Senator per world elected by member world legislature) along with each member's Archmundus (Archbishop Mundus).

The Consolidation Senate itself is subdivided into Ministries (Ministerium), headed by a Senator elected as Minister by the voting Senator members of the Ministry. Membership in the Ministries is decided by vote of the full Senate.

Prominent Ministries (Ministerio) include:

MINISTERIO DEFENSIONIS:
Ministry of Defense governs military matters of the Consolidation, the Turin Consolidation Defense, Expeditionary, and Reserve Forze Triarius.

Notably, the Ministry of Defense does NOT manage the Knights of St George, who reports to the Consolidation Senate directly through it's own Knight Senator, not through the Ministries or to the Chancellor, though the Grand Master is obligated to consider military requests from the Chancellor as Commander-in-Chief of the Turin Consolidation.

Forze Triarius
Forze Defensor Consoldiatio Torino (FDCT)
Forze Expeditiones Consolidatio Torino (FECT)
Stellae Classis Consolidatio Torino (SCCT)
Forze Marina Consolidatio Torino (FMCT)

TCEF includes the main Turin Consolidation Starfleet (SCCT) as well as the Turin Consolidation Marines (FMCT). Jump-capable squadrons and support vessels are generally under the jurisdiction of the SCCT. FDCT has the subjector defense fleets and non-jump system defense boats and monitors, as well as liaision officers to coordinate planetary defense forces as well as a dozen brigades of the TCDF proper. Triarius maintains older 2nd line starships in ordinary and coordinates standards of training and equipment for the reserve militias and planetary defense force reserves with the Confederation Home Guard units.

Prominent ministries:

MINISTERIO INTELLIGENTIA:
Ministry of Intelligence covers signals intelligence, as well espionage and counterespionage activity, primarily through the Bureau of Foreign Intelligence (EXTRARIUS), but also through assets of the FCET and SCCT. There are numerous anecdotes of the agitation of SolSec with the Extrarius, up to and including a clandestine war (though that's usually considered a fringe exaggeration).

MINISTERIO IUSTITIAE:
Ministry of Justice governs the courts and Consolidation wide law enforcement. It's most well known as the governing body for the Turin Consolidation Security Bureau which is the highest Consolidation law enforcement body and primary responsibility for domestic intel and counterintel. The SEQUESTRUM is the more clandestine branch that specializes in humanint. The Sequestrum reports on the orthodoxy of the region and the state of heresies that need to be addressed by the Brotherhood of SenWenclus. The Sequestrum is also rumored to be the subject of numerous clandestine conflicts with SolSec, though usually with more subtlety than that of the Extrarius.

MINISTERIO FIDEI
Ministry of Faith manages religious issues coordinating with the Church on charity, on education with members of the Consolidation, as well as addressing heresies discovered by the Sequestrum and the secular administration of the diocesan provinces. It's exclusively funded through the Dime of the Tithe, as well as private donation.

 

[Uxi]

Sovereign Military Order of the Hospital of Saint George of Heavenly Turin
Hospitalis Domus Sancte Giorgio Caelis Torino

or more commonly known as the:

Knights of St George of Heavenly Turin
Equites San Giorgio Caelis Turino

Claiming a tradition stretching back millennia to the medieval Military Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta (known popularly as the Hospitallers), the Knights of St George of Heavenly Turin were created from volunteers from the original order during the Interstellar Wars to perform their hospitaller mission and protect the pilgrims of the Turin Mission to Alpha Crucis. True to it's roots, it is not strictly martial in nature but has core tenets mandating emergency first aid, and disaster relief for natural disasters and epidemics, as well as armed conflict.
Created from a dozen profess knights, at it's height it claimed almost four hundred thousand members, but has been reduced to under 10,000 at it's nadir in the Collapse, though has recovered to just under 20,000 by AD 5721 at the dawn of the New Era.

Membership:

Membership is by invitation and solicitations are rejected. Most invitations historically were through the Consolidation Ministry of Defense, but this was not required or exclusive. Those invited must have a Knight as Sponsor to apply for admission to a seminary associated with the Order, which must be voluntary.

On initiation into the seminary, the prospective applicant is screened for medical, psychological, and background issues and on completion of the 2 year rigorous course of study which covers both religious, academic, and basic physical fitness is inducted as a Squire to attend the Knights of St George College of Devotion, which takes another two years and is reknown for it's combined military and academic curriculum, which covers small unit tactics, martial arts, small arms training as well as continuing the theological education in canon law and the Knight's chosen academic specialization. On Graduation, the Squire is invested as a Knight of Devotion in the Sovereign Military Order. He still has another year of training, though, and the new Knight would attend The Basic School, to get advanced training on weapons, tactics, leadership, and protocol. After 27 weeks of TBS, the Knight attended MOS training in a combat field ranging from Infantry to Armor to Aerospace to Naval Warfare (wet or outer). MOS training ranged from 13 to 36 weeks. On graduation from MOS training, the Knight then had another 12 weeks back at the Seminary they came from to cap off their theological schooling.

Before the Collapse, estimates were 2/3's of applicants graduating from Seminary, 3/5's from the College of Devotion, and 4/5's from the TBS and MOS training. There were dozens of qualifying seminaries in the Consolidation, with 20 on Turin itself. The Knight's College of Devotion adjoined the ground of the Cathedral of Turino Nova. The Basic School was in a wing of the Grand Priory of the Knights of St George on Turin.

Since the Collapse, the seminaries were the most easily reconstructed as they followed a fairly typical setup for most religious institutions, albeit with a more martial and fitness based program.
The Knight's College of Devotion was much more difficult, though was reconstituted on Bali in AD 5701. The Knight's have not yet restored The Basic School nor formal MOS training, which is the prime cause behind the diminished military capability and focus in the current state of the Order. The current Grand Master has stated restoring TBS as a desired goal, though has not yet set a timetable with recovery efforts on the Bali and Turin Mains being the prime priority of the Knights.

 

[Uxi]

Classes and Ranks of the Knights of St George


class:
Knights of Virtue [Equites Virtus]- vows of poverty, chastity, obedience
Knights of Fidelity [Equites Fidelitas]- promise of obedience
Knights Honour, Grace, & Devotion [Equites Honorium]- noble lineage OR long service
Knights of Grace & Devotion [Equites Gratia]- some noble lineage OR medium service
Knights of Devotion [Equites Devotio]- no noble lineage or short service


ranks:
Baliff Grand Cross [Ballivus Magnam Crucem]
Knight Grand Cross [Equitem Magnam Crucem]
Knight Commander [Equitem Dux]
Knight Officer [Equitem Tribunus]
Knight [Equitem]

title:
[rank+class] ex. Baliff Grand Cross of Grace, Knight Officer of Honour [Ballivus Magnam Crucem Gratia, Equitem Tribunus Honorium]


Promotion is through the ranks and then repeating in each class.

Only Promised Knights or those taking a promise of obedience are elligible to be Knights of Fidelity.

Only Profess Knights or those taking the triple vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are eligible to be Knights of Virtue.

Only Profess Knights Grand Cross of Virtue or higher are eligible to be ordained as a Lord Knight in the leadership of the Order.

Promised Knights Grand Cross of Fidelity or higher are eligible to be ordained as Priors, from which Praceptory and Subsector-Master are available on nomination from the Priors if they've become promised Knights.

Leadership

Leadership:

1) Prince Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of St George of Heavenly Turin
Princeps et Magister Hospitalis Domus Sancte Giorgio Caelis Torino

Supreme head of the Sovereign Order of the Knights and directly answerable only to the Pope on Terra and the Arkgalop of Turin.
Took the title as Prince of Bali after the 'wandering' period of the Order's history. As secular authority distintegrated, The Knights found thesmelves as the only law and order in the former Consolidation. The first order of business was the pacification of rogue machines and lawlessness seizing Bali as famine and pestilence swept through the population. The Knights fought off starving mobs and vicious brigands as well as would-be dictators and petty strongmen and eventually emerged victorious, though casualties were severe and included several sitting Grand Masters.
The current Grand Master is Fra' Raigo Pablo Taboko.

2) Lord Knight Marshal of the Sovereign Military Order of St George

Second in command of the Order and prime deputy of the Grand Master. Directly responsible for the command of space forces

3) Lord Knight Constable of the Sovereign Military Order of St George

Third in command of the Order and dorect command of ground forces.

4) Lord Knight Senechal of the Sovereign Military Order of St George

Fourth in command of the Order. Responsible for the order's finances and direct command of aerospace forces

5) Lord Knight Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of St George

Fifth in command of the Order. Responsible for pilgrim safety and humanitarian missions of the order and directly responsible for the medical corps.

6) Lord Archpriest of the Sovereign Military Order of St George

Head Ordained Chaplain responsible for the spiritual needs of the order and coordination with the Church hierarchy. Oversees the recruitment and assignment of priests as Chaplains who otherwise undergo identical training as brother knights.

The Lord Knights are collectively known as the Knight's Grand Council. The Council serves as a court to the Grand Master as well as military General Staff for the Knights.

---
7) Sector-Master (per subsector-Y)
Magister Primatus YYY Domus Sancte Giorgio Caelis Torino

8) Preceptor (per world X)
Praeceptor XXX Domus Sancte Giorgio Caelis Torino

9) Prior (per Priory)
Prior Claustralis Domus Sancte Giorgio Caelis Torino

 

[Uxi]

Knights of St George roundel (used on all starships) before the Collapse:

 

[Uxi]

History of the Knights of St George - Solomani Rim War

The Knights performed with distinction during the initial phase of the Solomani Rim War. Their forces were at the vanguard of the initial assaults clearing the Solomani Sphere. The Knights were somewhat depleted from attrition yet kept at the vanguard for the invasion of Old Expanses, despite intel reporting on Imperial propaganda. The Imperial propaganda claimed that the Knights were on a fanatical religious crusade to forcibly convert or exterminate the worlds of the 'unfaithful' and impose the sectarian theocracy on mixed-Solomani humaniti and the extermination of aliens (including those without "one drop" of Solomani blood) and pejoratively assigned much of the Solomani supremacy ethos mixed with falsehoods on the nature of the Consolidation in particular and the Confederation in general.

Given these circumstances, the Grand Master begged to be allowed to redeploy but was overruled by the Confederation Admirals as the invasion met fanatical resistence stirred up by the Imperials. True to their discipline, though, the Knights maintained their formations even in the face of kamikaze attacks from freighters and false distress signals from civilian transports employing scorched earth defensive tactics such as the seeding of debris (such as tungsten spheres) in erratic orbits to interfere with interface missions.

The Knights of the period were most renown for their battle dress, then state of the art TL14 Chevalier IX TL14 Heavy Battle Dress (with Grav/Rocket Bike) and produced at great expense for all profess Knights of Virtue and promised Knights of Fidelity, as well as a good portion of the Knights of Honour, and selected elite units, though many units remained equipped with older Chevalier VIII TL13 battle dress. The Knights next most famous asset was their TL14 grav tank, which was often held to be the deciding factor in many of the initial meteoric assaults and ground engagements of the first phase of the war (and were only brought to bear in a single engagement during the invasion of Old Expanses).

The Knight's space forces of the period were mostly equipped with the older TL-13 Cherubim IV aerospace fighter, though the 1st Fleet Crusader was equipped with advanced TL14 Cherubim V. The Knights space forces were most identified with their ubiquitous frigates that patrolled the space lanes of the Consolidation and pilgrim traffic to and from Terra, as well as acting as close escorts during fleet actions. The Knights capital ships of the period were not as distinguished and almost exclusively older TL-13 battle riders. The Knights themselves never procured enough Tenders and relied on Confederation or Consolidation Naval assets for transport to battle areas and were often unreliable in the face of enemy pressing or stretched too thin to remain on station exclusively for the Knights use.

 

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History of the Knights of St George - until the Rebellion

After the Rim War, the Knights primary focus was on TL14 Seraphim battlecruisers, lightly armored vs Imperial ships but high acceleration and high jump (5G, Jump 5) for maximum strategic utility. The Grand Master didn't intend to stand toe to toe with the Imperial battle line but would rely on the Turin Consolidation Starfleet (SCCT) and Confederation Navy to have assets sufficient to the task. His mission was to get his Knights planet-side where their discipline and fighting ability would be put to their best use.

By the time of the Rebellion, though, the philosophy had slowly been changing, and Fra' Daniel Petersen Cole wanted to operate independently of both SCCT and the Confederation Navy, though the larger operational strategy always intended to coordinate with the greater Consolidation and Confederation efforts. His evolution of the Order's mission was to attain tactical superiority over the Imperium in his desginated battle space without compromising his capabilities with non-organic assets from the capital ship line of battle through aerospace and interface superiority through ground and wet naval combat.

Fra' Coles plans centered around the Confederation state of the art 600k displacement ton TL14 Archangel dreadnought-carriers and Ophanim TL14 battle tender/riders and maintaining squadrons of Seraphim as strategic assets instead of the primary mechanism and combined arms complimentary doctrine of all of the separate specializations of his Knights.

Fra' Carlos Javier Castillo de Santos carried forward this plan and cemented the operational integrity and training towards a top to bottom philosophy of arms, synergizing formerly competing elements. By the time of the news of the assassination of the Emperor Strephon, though, Fra' Castillo de Santos felt he would be too old to lead himself and and resigned to a Monastery on Burgos/Denebola to end his days as a monk. His Lord Knight Marshal, Fra' Francois Mueller von Kiep carried forward his vision and was elected by the Knights Grand Council to succeed his mentor as Grand Master.

Fra' Kiep fought and won numerous battles in the Imperial Starlane and Old Expanses and was thrice awarded the Secretary General's Unit Citation from Desmond Trinoch for engagements in the first phase of the war. Fra' Kiep's greatest regret was not being allowed to participate in the liberation of Terra, being employed as a feint, which drew significant Imperial forces anticipating the Knight's assault. Fra' Kiep was unable to convince Grand Admiral Stavros Coronado to maintain unit cohesion from the Trailing Wing of the Solomani invasion of the Imperium, which fanned out through the collapsing Imperial defense in Old Expanses. Fra' Kiep maintained that the Vegan Autonomous District could have been taken with those forces but lacking that support, the Solomani fleets were pulled into protracted fighting up through Margaret's territory and lacked sufficient strength to overwhelm the entrenched Vegan defenses.

With this failure, Fra' Kiep resigned his command of the Knights and turned over the conduct of the war to Fra' Benjamin Sanchez-Tanaka in AD 5639 as stalemate ensured. Fra' Sanchez-Tanaka lacked some of the gravitas of Fra' Kiep but was just as renown for his personal valor in fighting the Imperial forces in Old Expanses. He grudgingly accepted the Secretary General's redeployment of the Knights 3rd Crusader Fleet to the Daibei and the dispersal of the 1st Crusader Fleet in Solomani Rim in protracted sieges of the Vegan Autonomous District.

 

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History of the Knights of St George - Through the Hard Times

As the Cthonian Protectorate was increasingly devastated by the Hard Times, the effects also began to be felt in the Turin Consolidation. The Knights distributed the Saraqae 4th Defensor Fleet throughout the Consolidation to discourage raiding and thinned the 3rd Remiel Fleet's activities Rimward to reinforce this effort. The reduction in commerce was significant but nowhere near as severe as in the former Imperium and brisk trade was maintained both to other member states in the Confederation as well as the reborn Old Earth Union as the pilgrimage traffic that had been reduced due to the occupation of the Imperium and the practical issues of traversing the Confederation-Imperial border (particularly with regard to the armistice and the armed protection of the Knights of St George).

Azhanti High Lightning Frontier Cruiser Bard Enterprise captured by the Knights after the reconquest of Terra and brought back to the Consolidation. Re-christened as the Draconis Extinctor by the Knights as it's being refitted when the Collapse hits. Fra' Kiep was on the 1st Crusader Fleet's flagship conducting the siege of the Vegan Autonomous District when the Collapse hit and all contact was lost. Fragmentary transmissions indicated the loss of the ship with all hands, though the transcripts are incomplete and confused about the exact cause.


Through the Collapse

As the Turin Consolidation was devastated by Virus, a succession of Grand Masters were killed attempting to maintain order. Three separate acting Grand Masters were killed before the Knight's Grand Council could elect a permanent Grand Master, Fra' Guillermo Titus in AD 5649. Turin had already been devastated, though and Fra' Titus refused to evacuate the planet. He ordered the Knights to complete their evacuation and ensure that supplies reached the refugees they had managed to save and successfully rescued. He himself died of exposure as a severe thermonuclear ice age descended in the ruins of Turin. His last words were the fading recitation of the Ave Maria as power failed and his encampment was overcome by a massive blizzard and the exposure of Turin's increasingly tainted atmosphere.

Per Fra' Titus' orders, the Knight's Grand Council elected a new Grand Master, Fra' Christian Sellars-Smith. Lacking the destroyed facilities on Turin, Fra' Sellars-Smith wandered through the fragments of the Consolidation for 4 years, offering the idealism of the Knights to the survivors and succor when that would not suffice. Often practical concerns had the Knights at first more concerned with their own survival, though many willingly gave their lives so that their Order, if their charges, could survive.

Fra' Sellars-Smith finally settled at the most stable and defensible position in the priory on Bali. The inevitable spread of the Virus through their native computer architecture and even systems considered secure led Fra' Sellars-Smith to ground the rest of the Fleet until suitable anti-Virus measures could be tested and implimented. His first concern was the restoration of law and order on Bali and then to the rest of the Consolidation against the lawlessness and rogue robots and machinery. These concerns cost Fra' Sellars-Smith his life, as well as 2 of his next five successors killed in action in the next decade (with the rest succumbing to disease or the hardships of their austere and rigorous lifestyle).

Fra' Claude Szewczyk was elected as Grand Master in AD 5674 and officially proclaimed Bali as secure before the end of AD 5675. Fra' Szewczyk claimed the title Prince of Bali in lieu of a secular authority who could be recognized by any of the competant factions (and the opinions several anarchist, heretical, and secularist factions not being given the merit of consideration). The leading Bishop on Bali confirmed the title on the solemn oath of the Grand Master to seek the restoration of the Consolidation as the Order's primary mission.

With Bali secure, Fra' Szewczyk saw the best means of the restoration of the Consolidation as the recovery of relic technology and infrastructure to what degree that was possible. With their first breakthroughs on a semi-domesticated and lobotomized Virus strain, used to incapacitate the infecting strain until technicians could "exorcise" and isolate the physical location of the infection and physically remove it from the system [very similar to the Snake engineered by the Covenant of Sufren in Diaspora].

 

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Activities and status of the Knights of St George as of AD 5721 (Imperial year 1203):

Denebola/ Subsector I

Assisi - Good relations with Provisional Council of secular and religious authorities (reformed Sons of Enoch). Rose from pop 7000 before the Collapse to 2M population in the New Era with most of the population increase from with the bulk of refugees evacuated by the Knights of St George from Turin.

Ayling - Hostile secularist government/bureaucracy. A couple fortified priories of Knights amidst the 800M pop

Keith - Heretical dictator with poor relations due to severe neoevangelical religious dogma blaming the Church for the Collapse, that promotes confiscation of Church, brotherhood, and Knights property along with persecution of orthodox. 500M pop

Lourdes - Good relations (10M population) with a Provisional Council from a mix of secular and religious authorities and largely orthodox Brotherhood. The Knights maintain a significant presence here and the Preceptory is almost as strong as Bali's. Headquarters of the Brotherhood of SenWenclus. Some refugees from Turin were settled here after the Collapse hit the Consolidation.

Phoenix - 1B. Poor relations with numerous acrimonious heresies. Two separate small priories of Knights attempting to serve as an example.

Turin - Boneyard. 40B/TL14/Port A before Collapse. Capital World of Consolidation with many ruins of the government, Knights, and Brotherhood. Small patrols of Knights

Muhoberac - Boneyard. Long exhausted by Knights recovery efforts. TL12

Tennen - Boneyard. Long exhausted by Knights recovery efforts TL10

Geetus - Boneyard. Mostly exhausted by Knights recovery efforts TL8

Baughba - Boneyard. Long exhausted by Knights recovery efforts TL11

Gersh - Boneyard. 300M/TL14/B-port. Primary target for Knights recovery efforts still underway though most of the easy pickings have been long exhausted. Active Virus strains mostly eradicated.

Piltch - Boneyard. 80 sophont/TL10/D-port. Completely stripped from recovery efforts

Salcedo - Boneyard. 600k/TL14/A-port. Mostly exhausted from recovery efforts