This is a militant order of the church. They teach martial prowess, confidence, and strength, to protect and defend others. They also search out evil and chaos and remove it from the world. They make other members of the church uncomfortable.

Sanctorian Knights

The Sanctorian Knights are a fanatically militant religious order and protector of the Church. Their headquarters is Falls Keep in Castlecliff.

Their arms are symbolic of their creed: the black field represents the night and the darkness of the Abyss, in which their prey lurks. The crossed swords are white, for the purity of their unswerving purpose to Matria, and the points are uppermost, indicating that the swords of the Brethren will never rest while evil exists to be fought. The four torteaux represent the blood of the Unholy and any who aid or shield them, to be spilled liberally and without stint or mercy.

Sword Brethren

Sword Brethren are always male and celibate. This rule is quite strict and unyielding. Membership is open to any warrior of free birth and unblemished morals, but a novitiate of at least a year (and often longer) is required before one may become a Professed Brother. Although it is not stated policy, it is apparent that noble birth is highly advantageous to a prospective novice.

Once the oath is taken at the end of one's novitiate, membership of the order is for life; there is no way besides death to leave the order, and recreants are pursued with as much vigor and hatred as the enemies of the church. In theory, once professed one is supposed to give up any family ties; that particular rule is seldom observed with absolute rigor.

The organization of the Order is rigidly hierarchical. The lowliest professed rank is that of Brother Sergeant, while the highest rank is that of Grand Master; the present holder of that office is the Sanctor of Castlecliff, a rigorously pious and ruthless man who rules the Order with an iron fist in an iron glove.

At present the Order numbers about two hundred and fifty professed Brethren, and an indeterminate number (perhaps as many as two thousand) of novices and lay men-at-arms. As a military force they are relatively small, but they make up for lack in numbers by superb equipment and training, unsurpassed discipline and fixity of purpose.

The Sword Brethren are, by and large, remarkably lacking in any sort of sense of humor.

The Sisters of the Heart

The Sisters of the Heart are a long-established militant religious order. The heart of the order is Draica, Capital of Lucidor, though there are Chapter Houses in most cities of any size.

The head of the order is called Mother Superior, and in formal communication the Sisters refer to each other as Elder Sister, Younger Sister or just Sister (depending on relative rank). The Sister at the head of each Chapter House is given the title of Mother.

The Sisters had their beginnings as a nursing order working to heal the wounds inflicted in battle, but they long ago realized (after a series of unsavory and sometimes fatal incidents) that could not rely on others — men, specifically — for protection while doing their work among the battlefields.

They began to train and arm themselves as their own bodyguards, with considerable aid from the famed Swords of Peach, aid the Sisterhood has not forgotten. They have become quite efficient at looking after themselves and their charges, and as well as ministering to the sick and wounded they now often act in a protective role, patrolling city streets and ensuring that the balance of power between the sexes is skewed a little less in favor of the hairier gender.

They admit no males to their ranks in any capacity and do not marry (men or women), but they are not a celibate order and many Sisters enjoy casual or long-lasting liaisons with them (outside the walls of the Chapter Houses, of course). Males are permitted within the walls of the Sisterhood only in very limited circumstances; most commonly as patients in their hospitals, but also occasionally where special skills are required and not available among the Sisters themselves. The Chapter Houses are thus often used as places of refuge by women with a pressing need to be somewhere men can't get at them.

The Sisters of the Heart make no official distinction when it comes to healing the wounded. They will give as much care and attention to the wounds of someone who had been trying to kill them as they will to their allies — though if they sometimes tend to their friends first, we perhaps shouldn't be surprised.

Order of the Lady (Brown Robes)

It is a brotherhood and sisterhood of persons who can originate in any social quarter, religious, spiritual, or secular, to come together in belief in Matria, and want to spread her message throughout Ebonyr.

History
The order was started by Deacon Mathis about 50 years ago. To do the following:

There was to be a community of priests gathered around Our Lady, Matria.