Knights of Cain

"This order of knights is a grey zone in Haven Empire's domain; they tiptoe the line of honour and perversion of good intentions..." ---Lord Templar Leopold, referring to the Knights of Cain

General Information
Founded at 137AS, the Knights of Cain are an order cursed knights who resides in the lands of Western Terra. Their numbers peaked at 205AS at 4,000 knights but had begun to decline continuously until 430AS where they're were official disbanded by King Terra. At the time of disbanded they only had 3 official knights and their role in the empire was basically non-existent.

Capital: The Province of Ashen

Founder: Sir Dox the Strict

The Knights of Cain were treated as an unofficial order similar to the Paladin's Order or Clerical Union who were orders devoted to the official religion of Haven Empire but did not have any support or recognition from the monarchy. Unlike the Paladins or Clerics however the Knights of Cain's founder was cursed and so were all the knights who eventually followed him. They're were not able to eat the flesh of animals, fruits, vegetables and all other consumable goods; with one exception. They'd become cannibals only able to live by eating the flesh of other humans. However all members of the Knights of Cain follow a strict code of conduct to only fight and devour the flesh of evil.

Story of the Curse of Cain
The story of the Curse of Cain and ultimately the history behind Sir Dox the Strict are blurred in myth and legend. An extract from a Knight of Cain dated to 280AS is currently the most complete of source of their history found after the Omega Day.

"The sun burns my eyes. I leave the holy sanctuary and seemingly white light of the glowing sun sears my eyes. It beats my head like fists smashing a drum, it drives out all thoughts.

''Our Keeper of Knowledge tells us of the curse we must bear, we are the children of Cain. She tells us of times when the sun warmed our skin as gentle as the moon, our forefathers once walked across the lands fighting for honour and glory. Times long ago when our homes were not temples decorated in dark onyx but castles of silver and solid stone. Where our food was bread and wine, not splintered bone and rotten flesh. Before we were driven from the eyes of our kin and the King's eyes.''

''It was said our oldest forefather, a man only known as Dox the Strict was the originator of the curse. A once popular warrior and decorated knight he became mad with hunger one night. The Keeper says he was not able to satisfy it no matter how much drink or food he devoured, after days of starvation and fatigue he was ordered to watch over the prison while his brother, the Warden of Ashen was ill.''

''3 days passed and the warden returned, not a single prisoner was found. Not even a trace of blood as if the walls had been licked clean. He was banished from the Empire and started his own order in what he saw as a permanent cleansing of evil. To devour our enemies and extinguish the soul of evil.''

''Was it the joke of the Light or a curse from a scorned witch? Even the Keeper knows not. But for us living here now the hunger never stops coming. Ours is not the life of ghouls stealing from graveyards. It is the life of Evil that we extinguish to survive - a tithe we gladly pay each night. Each of our knights grow gaunt with hunger and wearier after each battle. But honour and cruel necessity demand nothing less than victory each night. We owe it to our forefathers who sired us into this world. In future to save our children, we must eat the dead."''

---Journal of a Knight of Cain