The Heaven Order

The Heaven Order is the Empress' private army, the personal branch of guards and agents that deal with executing her will. All the members of the Order feel truly proud of belonging to her, as there is no other military title that provides more honor than this one - except that of Lord of War. Normally, they wear shiny armor and blue robes (usually trench coats or tunics) in which are inscribed the Lion Cross of Abel. Only the knights of high rank are allowed to wear white robes.

There are only two ways of becoming part of the Order. The first is by receiving an invitation from the Empress herself, and the second is by passing a series of tests that are performed once a year in Archangel. Therefore, amongst those who make up its ranks, there is no distinction due to origin, gender, or ancestry - only martial abilities and initiative are important. Those who manage to enter continue on through hard training, cultivating body and mind so as to be able to respond in unison to any event.

The Order was created by Aeolus Hawke, who granted this title to the knights that accompanied him in his brigade when he annexed the different Principalities of Abel. A generation later, all of the young idealists wanted to join. Thus, different tests for access were developed to select only those who were truly deserving. There are very few knights that do not dream of being called to its ranks someday.

ORGANIZATION
The Heaven Order is divided into seven different level, depending on the accomplishments and abilities of its members. Each of these grades is numbered between the First and the Seventh Heaven, which also indicates their attributes.

The Knights of the First Heaven have just joined the Order. They normally watch over and safeguard the central neighborhood of Archangel, known as the Wings of the Angel. The branch of Knights of the Second Heaven is the most numerous of them all, and it functions as the elite army of the Empress, accompanying her on her travels. In today's day and age, they are also the ones who guard the Alkavian cathedral of Archangel until the Church once again takes charge of it. Those who belong to the Third Heaven are in charge of the knights below them, acting as figureheads to their respective commands.

Knights of the Fourth and Fifth Heaven deserve a more detailed explanation. These are the Empress' special agents who she sends out in her name to carry out personal missions of all types. Often, these knights have not gone through the previous grades, rather they have ascended directly to their current positions. Sometimes, they are incognito so as to benefit the interests of the Holy Empire. There is no special rule for handing out missions to one grade or the other, but in general the more complex missions are left for the Fifth Heaven.

Lastly, we have the Knights of the Sixth and Seventh Heaven, whose naming is reserved only for the Empress. They are her personal guards in charge of the security of the castle and of her person. The majority of them are martial masters without equal or knights gifted with special powers. Like the Inquisitors, they justify their supernatural abilities as divine gifts given by God for the protection of the Empress.

Currently there are only four Knights of the Seventh Heaven; they function as supreme praetorians to Adelina. It is said that one of them alone is capable of squashing an entire army without suffering even a single wound - and more than likely this is not a rumor. Its leader is Remus, mentor to the Empress, and his three companions are Griever, Lilith, and Tiamat.