More than 1,000 years ago, Lord Ascot Tenthrose gained possession of the lands of Dolan after the signing of the Treaty of Lydia.
Rulers: Supreme Chosen Knight, King Eckert Ascot-Claire Tenthrose (Paladin of Erus/24); Supreme Grand Procurator, Lady Vivian Sinclaire (Paladin of Erus/21); His Holiness, Archbishop Harold Dykstil (High Priest of Erus/20); Supreme Grand Master of Combat, Lord Boris Feldsen (Paladin of Erus/23); Supreme Grand Master of Lore, Lord Radcliffe McTiel (Paladin of Erus/19); Supreme Grand Master of Philosophy, Chancellor of the Academy of Erus, Lady Ryiona Blysart, (Paladin of Erus/20); Grand Steward of Tenthrose, Lord Tervin-tain Ogbis (Cavalier 15) Capital: Ascot (5,000) Major settlements: Port Casillywyn (10,000), Castle Carey (4,000), Keeley Keep (pop. 3,000); Human population: 200,000+; Demihumans: Gnomes (5,000), Dwarves (Hestlegartle) 2,500, Paladian Elves (1,500), others; Humanoids: Few. Resources: Iron, Copper, Wool, Cattle, Fish
The Kingdom of Dolan, the lands of the Knights of Erus, would bear little note if this powerful order did not exist. More than a 1,000 years ago, at the dawn of fifth age, the Kingdom of Paladondia granted Lord Ascot Tenthrose a vast tract of land in the Spur Passes as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Lydia. Lord Tenthrose had proven his worth through numerous campaigns against the humanoid tribes that inhabited the Spur Passes. All who knew of the noble knew of his reputation as a valiant warrior and a zealous follower of his deity, Erus. As word of his fame spread throughout the land, many young men and women sought him out to learn the ways of his deity and the secrets of his incredible prowess in combat. He and his small band of followers, known at the time only as Ascot’s Fist, gladly took in those who could survive their rigorous tests of worthiness. He required those who would serve under him to show worthiness in combat, philosophy and learning. Few passed the tests and many aspiring knights returned home disappointed but filled with respect for those who had completed the tests. Lord Tenthrose’s penchant for quality soon served to enhance the reputation of his band which he renamed the Knights of Erus. The nature of those tests in the early days cannot be confirmed because during the first 200 years of the order’s history the secret challenges of the test were only passed down by word of mouth. However, the test in use today is still known for its difficulty. The order has codified the test for knighthood into three challenges: The Challenge of Combat, The Challenge of Honor, and the Challenge of Lore. The exact nature of these challenges are known only to members of the order, but portions of the challenge are performed in public and are widely known. For example, the publicly known portions of the combat test call for a perspective knight to swim across the Crown Rose River in full armor, defeat a monster of superior or equal strength to the aspiring knight in single combat (as decided by the leaders of the order) and leap upon a mount and get it underway in less than a minute while wearing full armor. The Challenge of Philosophy requires an aspiring knight to learn the ways of Erus. The aspirant must memorize the order's code and law, prove his valor in combat and demonstrate his mastery of poetry. The Challenge of Lore tests the aspiring knight's knowledge of heraldry and the history of the order. Aspiring knights must also demonstrate their understanding of battlefield tactics and show their ability to lead. As the aspirant nears completion of the tests, he must demonstrate his ability to serve the order as teacher by working as an assistant to one of the masters at the order’s academy. Knights of Erus are expected to have a liberal education in the arts and sciences and to spend as much time pursuing knowledge as they do training for battle. The order’s base of operations is at Ten Rose Castle in the city of Ascot (both named in honor of the first lord of the land). Ten Rose Castle is the center of government and houses the Academy of Erus, a school for prospective knights. At the academy, aspiring knights are divided into three groups based on their progress in the order: the Hand of Erus (levels 1-3), the Fist of Erus (levels 4-6) and the Gauntlet of Erus (levels 7-9). None of these groups are actually knights; they are all aspiring to someday bear the title of Knight of Erus. At any given time there are usually no more than 200 aspiring knights in training at the academy. Of these, around half are of the lowest rank, one-third of the second rank and the remainder of the upper rank. Approximately a third of the aspiring knights of all ranks fail and leave training with the order each year. Around 500 warriors have achieved the rank of knight (level 9+). Beyond knighthood, warriors may achieve status by being named one of the Chosen of Erus. The Chosen are selected by their peers and must complete secret tests of worthiness before assuming the title, those who fail usually die trying. The Chosen are all paladins of 15th level or higher. Most of Dolan’s settlements are built around a castle ruled by one of the Knights of Erus. Most are small and located on easily defended terrain. Fewer than 200,000 people, mostly humans of Juad and Arrakian descent live in Dolan. However, there are small groups of gnomes, Hestlegartle dwarves and Paladian elves dwelling within the boundaries of the realm. Almost anyone encountered in Dolan will profess Erus as a patron deity, however, other allied deities are also paid homage. The economy of Dolan centers around the needs of the Knights of Erus. However, the kingdom has developed meaningful trade relations with many of the states along the Great North Coast. Some high yielding iron and copper mines have been discovered in the rock towers of the Spur Passes. Inhabitants also raise cattle and hearty sheep which produce fine wool. Those who live near the coast fish and whale for a living. There is also a small trade in bulette hide in Dolan. Despite its small size and population, Dolan is seldom troubled by bordering states who fear retribution by the highly trained army of the order. In addition to the 500 Knights of Erus and 200 students at the Academy of Erus, the combined forces of the Knights include a legion (6,000 soldiers) of heavy infantry, a legion of mixed archers and light infantry, and three cohorts (1,800) of heavy cavalry. These numbers could be doubled through conscription and the hiring of mercenaries within a month’s time. The Dolanese navy consists of two dozen heavily armed warships, 15 light patrol ships, and 43 galleys suitable for transporting cavalry.