The Eagle Knights of Andoran are viewed by some as a shining example of the best of humanity in the face of a dark and cruel world populated by tyrants and filled with injustice. Others view them as benevolent but misguided ideological imperialists. Based within the nation of Andoran, the Eagle Knights find inspiration in its creed of common rule by the people, free mercantilism, and the respect of individual liberty. In many ways, they are best characterized as a military order devoted to the preservation and spread of Andoran’s philosophical tenets.
The common impression of an Eagle Knight is of a soldier or paladin dressed in the blue-and-white regalia of the order and clad with the hallmark golden epaulets. Even the least foot soldier within the Eagle Knights’ ranks stands among the best of the Andoren military, from which most of their number are initially recruited. Not all Eagle Knights are so open in their self-identification, however, nor are they all recruited from the upper tiers of the Andoren military, or even from the Andoren people.
The Eagle Knights are a tripartite faction devoted to freedom, liberty, and justice. They are shining examples of weal, wielding both sword and word as weapons to undermine and overthrow slavers, pirates, and tyrants of every sort. Within the Eagle Knights, the elite warriors of the Golden Legion serve alongside Andoran’s armies, while the Steel Falcons travel across Golarion as philosophical ambassadors, spreading their creed even as they work covertly to support partisans fighting for freedom. The secretive Twilight Talons, whose mere existence is denied by the order, are spies, saboteurs, and even assassins who investigate, infiltrate, and eliminate threats to freedom.
The common impression of an Eagle Knight is of a soldier or paladin dressed in the blue-and-white regalia of the order and clad with the hallmark golden epaulets. Even the least foot soldier within the Eagle Knights’ ranks stands among the best of the Andoren military, from which most of their number are initially recruited. Not all Eagle Knights are so open in their self-identification, however, nor are they all recruited from the upper tiers of the Andoren military, or even from the Andoren people.
The Eagle Knights are a tripartite faction devoted to freedom, liberty, and justice. They are shining examples of weal, wielding both sword and word as weapons to undermine and overthrow slavers, pirates, and tyrants of every sort. Within the Eagle Knights, the elite warriors of the Golden Legion serve alongside Andoran’s armies, while the Steel Falcons travel across Golarion as philosophical ambassadors, spreading their creed even as they work covertly to support partisans fighting for freedom. The secretive Twilight Talons, whose mere existence is denied by the order, are spies, saboteurs, and even assassins who investigate, infiltrate, and eliminate threats to freedom.
An Order of the Steel Falcon Eagle Knight
Goal: Liberty, Equality, Unity
Frequently operating beyond the borders of Andoran, the Eagle Knights recruit nontraditional soldiers, many of them from the diverse ranks of adventurers and others equally at ease battling enemy troops, performing diplomatic missions, or delving into crypts beneath ruined cities. Bards, rangers, and rogues find equal opportunity alongside fighters and paladins so long as they hold to the same philosophical and nationalistic beliefs. Barbarian and druid Eagle Knights are exceedingly rare. Clerics and arcane spellcasters are actively recruited into the organization’s fold, bypassing the typical military origins of their fellows. Clerics of allied churches often straddle a line of loyalty, though within Andoran this is generally not problematic, as both institutions are wont to cooperate to achieve their shared goals. Wizards and sorcerers are prized for their diverse and powerful abilities. Diviners are especially valued for their abilities to plumb the future and provide detailed information that oftentimes eludes agents on the ground, even deep-cover sleepers.
Within Andoran, the Eagle Knights of the Golden Legion operate alongside the nation’s military as elite adjunct units, doubling as field commanders and trainers depending on the needs of a particular area. The Golden Legion guards Andoran’s borders and its interior trade routes and keeps a watchful eye on the nation’s wilder regions. In the infamous Darkmoon Vale, for example, the Diamond Regiment operates under Commander Ingrid Odeber, the woman many say General Traxxus is training to take his place.
Not simply bound to serve as defenders of Andoran proper, the Eagle Knights of the Steel Falcons act beyond their patron state’s borders, spreading Andoren philosophy like armed missionaries. Although the Steel Falcons do not openly acknowledge it, their foreign activities include guerilla, shadow, and proxy warfare directed against groups threatening Andoren security and those holding hostile ideologies, particularly the slave trade. In fact, the Gray Corsairs—a fleet of unmarked ships infamous for sinking a trio of Katapeshi slave-galleons and dozens of allied pirate vessels—are crewed, supplied, and directed by the Steel Falcons. In recent years, the Steel Falcons have launched operations against inland interests of Katapesh’s faceless overlords, pirates of the Shackles, and suspected mercenary proxies of the Cheliaxbased Aspis Consortium. Hoping to spread their ideology to other nations, the Steel Falcons even provided a small number of military advisors to the fragile government of Nirmathas, helping to mold that nascent land in Andoran’s image while keeping it free of Molthune’s control. Warfare aside, the Steel Falcons have made numerous exploratory forays to exotic locations. The results of one recent attempt to reach and map the ruins of legendary Kho are still unknown.
Operating without acknowledgment of their existence, the Twilight Talons are the Eagle Knights’ spies, saboteurs, deep cover agents, and—at times— assassins. Eschewing the uniforms, symbols, epaulets, and other overt regalia of their kindred Knights, the Twilight Talons utilize a covert system of hand signals and passwords to recognize one another and prevent their discovery by the same groups they seek to infiltrate. As a final identifying mark, each Twilight Talon operative is marked with a magical tattoo, invisible under ordinary circumstances but revealed by speaking a command word unique to the individual tattoo.
Known only to General Cormoth and Marshal Helena Trellis but widely speculated upon with great paranoia by their affected targets, the Twilight Talons have agents among the governments and militaries of Andoran’s rivals—Cheliax, Taldor, Katapesh, the Shackles, and Nidal. These spies only provide information, rather than risk breaking their cover to act in more immediately disruptive ways. More open action is provided by Twilight Talons who infiltrate groups without state support, such as independent slave traders and pirates, mercenary hirelings of the Aspis Consortium, and foreign, puppet extensions of the diabolist churches of Cheliax. The Twilight Talons report their findings to and pinpoint targets of opportunity for the larger forces of the Steel Falcons.
The Eagle Knights are ambassadors of everything Andoran wishes the world to be. They would see tyrants thrown down, slavery abolished, and piracy and pillage eradicated. They hope for a world without fear, hatred, and oppression, in which the common people leave mysticism and diabolism behind and rise to the challenge of liberty. When granted victory on the battlefield or in tournaments, Eagle Knights attribute their triumphs and laurels to the strength of heart, mind, body, and soul that can only come from those who live in freedom and welcome and encourage others to do the same.
Within Andoran, the Eagle Knights of the Golden Legion operate alongside the nation’s military as elite adjunct units, doubling as field commanders and trainers depending on the needs of a particular area. The Golden Legion guards Andoran’s borders and its interior trade routes and keeps a watchful eye on the nation’s wilder regions. In the infamous Darkmoon Vale, for example, the Diamond Regiment operates under Commander Ingrid Odeber, the woman many say General Traxxus is training to take his place.
A Diamond Regiment Eagle Knight
Not simply bound to serve as defenders of Andoran proper, the Eagle Knights of the Steel Falcons act beyond their patron state’s borders, spreading Andoren philosophy like armed missionaries. Although the Steel Falcons do not openly acknowledge it, their foreign activities include guerilla, shadow, and proxy warfare directed against groups threatening Andoren security and those holding hostile ideologies, particularly the slave trade. In fact, the Gray Corsairs—a fleet of unmarked ships infamous for sinking a trio of Katapeshi slave-galleons and dozens of allied pirate vessels—are crewed, supplied, and directed by the Steel Falcons. In recent years, the Steel Falcons have launched operations against inland interests of Katapesh’s faceless overlords, pirates of the Shackles, and suspected mercenary proxies of the Cheliaxbased Aspis Consortium. Hoping to spread their ideology to other nations, the Steel Falcons even provided a small number of military advisors to the fragile government of Nirmathas, helping to mold that nascent land in Andoran’s image while keeping it free of Molthune’s control. Warfare aside, the Steel Falcons have made numerous exploratory forays to exotic locations. The results of one recent attempt to reach and map the ruins of legendary Kho are still unknown.
A Steel Falcon Gray Corsair
Operating without acknowledgment of their existence, the Twilight Talons are the Eagle Knights’ spies, saboteurs, deep cover agents, and—at times— assassins. Eschewing the uniforms, symbols, epaulets, and other overt regalia of their kindred Knights, the Twilight Talons utilize a covert system of hand signals and passwords to recognize one another and prevent their discovery by the same groups they seek to infiltrate. As a final identifying mark, each Twilight Talon operative is marked with a magical tattoo, invisible under ordinary circumstances but revealed by speaking a command word unique to the individual tattoo.
A Twilight Talon Eagle Knight Operative
Known only to General Cormoth and Marshal Helena Trellis but widely speculated upon with great paranoia by their affected targets, the Twilight Talons have agents among the governments and militaries of Andoran’s rivals—Cheliax, Taldor, Katapesh, the Shackles, and Nidal. These spies only provide information, rather than risk breaking their cover to act in more immediately disruptive ways. More open action is provided by Twilight Talons who infiltrate groups without state support, such as independent slave traders and pirates, mercenary hirelings of the Aspis Consortium, and foreign, puppet extensions of the diabolist churches of Cheliax. The Twilight Talons report their findings to and pinpoint targets of opportunity for the larger forces of the Steel Falcons.
The Eagle Knights are ambassadors of everything Andoran wishes the world to be. They would see tyrants thrown down, slavery abolished, and piracy and pillage eradicated. They hope for a world without fear, hatred, and oppression, in which the common people leave mysticism and diabolism behind and rise to the challenge of liberty. When granted victory on the battlefield or in tournaments, Eagle Knights attribute their triumphs and laurels to the strength of heart, mind, body, and soul that can only come from those who live in freedom and welcome and encourage others to do the same.
Alignment: NG
Public Perception
Despite their noble intentions and the prestigious light in which the citizens of Andoran hold them, the Eagle Knights are not always held in high regard outside their patron nation’s borders. Realms such as Cheliax and Nidal are noted for being beholden to infernal powers and seeking to expand the mortal dominion of their distant masters—the collective lords of Hell and the god Zon- Kuthon, respectively. In these nations, reactions to an Eagle Knight range from cold tolerance at best to anger and eventual violence at worst. To the east, paranoid bureaucrats serving the crumbling empire of Taldor see Eagle Knights as rabble-rousers or even wouldbe anarchists.
The support of the Eagle Knights often comes to those who need it along with a push to adopt Andoran’s social and governmental model. Even enlightened nobles who share the Eagle Knights’ hatred of slavery feel a creeping worry that their own success and entrenched social power might be threatened by Andoran’s waxing ideological tide. This perception is more likely than the open hostility of diabolists and slave traders to stunt and inhibit the Eagle Knights’ goals in the world at large. Some suspect that the Eagle Knights are compromised by loyalties divided between Andoren nationalism and their founding philosophy as inspired by the legendary Talmandor. Perhaps such concerns are correct, and perhaps they are overinflated by the Eagle Knights’ rivals, but they exist nonetheless. While the knights’ crusade against slavery and the promotion of open trade between nations is supported by the merchant lords of Druma, some within the mercantile oligarchy worry about undue foreign inf luence from Andoran’s more radical political elite arriving by way of their smiling, always well-armed missionaries.
Eagle Knights are devoted not only to protecting the freedoms won in the People’s Revolution but also to spreading them throughout the world through their deeds and words. Every man must come to freedom, every woman to liberation, but only through empowerment of themselves as individuals and their realization that all are one in community. This cannot happen through forced conversion, but Eagle Knights will always seek to remove obstacles and shackles that prevent the oppressed from realizing their possibilities and potential. Every Eagle Knight seeks to be the torch that sustains hope in dark places and lights the way for every person to reach for greatness and the uplift of all.
Despite their noble intentions and the prestigious light in which the citizens of Andoran hold them, the Eagle Knights are not always held in high regard outside their patron nation’s borders. Realms such as Cheliax and Nidal are noted for being beholden to infernal powers and seeking to expand the mortal dominion of their distant masters—the collective lords of Hell and the god Zon- Kuthon, respectively. In these nations, reactions to an Eagle Knight range from cold tolerance at best to anger and eventual violence at worst. To the east, paranoid bureaucrats serving the crumbling empire of Taldor see Eagle Knights as rabble-rousers or even wouldbe anarchists.
The support of the Eagle Knights often comes to those who need it along with a push to adopt Andoran’s social and governmental model. Even enlightened nobles who share the Eagle Knights’ hatred of slavery feel a creeping worry that their own success and entrenched social power might be threatened by Andoran’s waxing ideological tide. This perception is more likely than the open hostility of diabolists and slave traders to stunt and inhibit the Eagle Knights’ goals in the world at large. Some suspect that the Eagle Knights are compromised by loyalties divided between Andoren nationalism and their founding philosophy as inspired by the legendary Talmandor. Perhaps such concerns are correct, and perhaps they are overinflated by the Eagle Knights’ rivals, but they exist nonetheless. While the knights’ crusade against slavery and the promotion of open trade between nations is supported by the merchant lords of Druma, some within the mercantile oligarchy worry about undue foreign inf luence from Andoran’s more radical political elite arriving by way of their smiling, always well-armed missionaries.
Eagle Knights are devoted not only to protecting the freedoms won in the People’s Revolution but also to spreading them throughout the world through their deeds and words. Every man must come to freedom, every woman to liberation, but only through empowerment of themselves as individuals and their realization that all are one in community. This cannot happen through forced conversion, but Eagle Knights will always seek to remove obstacles and shackles that prevent the oppressed from realizing their possibilities and potential. Every Eagle Knight seeks to be the torch that sustains hope in dark places and lights the way for every person to reach for greatness and the uplift of all.
Structure and Leadership
The order’s current leader is General Reginald Cormoth, paladin of Iomedae and a sitting Executive Consul of the Andoren People’s Council. Cormoth serves as the Eagle Knights’ public face as well as its commander.
The Lord Captain Commander of the Eagle Knights, General Reginald Cormoth (LG male human paladin of Iomedae 12), is a warrior of vast experience who rose from being a line officer in Andoran’s navy catching smugglers to being high commander of the military. He eventually became Executive Consul, his grizzled visage becoming the public face of the Eagle Knights. Under his leadership, the Eagle Knights have broadened membership to include people from other nations and nontraditional classes who are sympathetic to Andoran’s call for freedom.
The order’s current leader is General Reginald Cormoth, paladin of Iomedae and a sitting Executive Consul of the Andoren People’s Council. Cormoth serves as the Eagle Knights’ public face as well as its commander.
The Lord Captain Commander of the Eagle Knights, General Reginald Cormoth (LG male human paladin of Iomedae 12), is a warrior of vast experience who rose from being a line officer in Andoran’s navy catching smugglers to being high commander of the military. He eventually became Executive Consul, his grizzled visage becoming the public face of the Eagle Knights. Under his leadership, the Eagle Knights have broadened membership to include people from other nations and nontraditional classes who are sympathetic to Andoran’s call for freedom.
Cormoth has held his position within the Aerie for a decade. Before that he served as a high-ranking member of the Andoren military and, most importantly, the unacknowledged operational leader of the Eagle Knights’ Twilight Talons. In his present role, Cormoth serves as the hand behind the Eagle Knights’ operations within Andoran and as an elite adjunct to the standard Andoren military and its foreign and covert activities, with each of these areas’ operational management delegated to his three under-marshals.
Below Cormoth, General Hedrik Traxxus of the Golden Legion, General Andira Marusek of the Steel Falcons, and the publicly unnamed Marshal Helena Trellis of the Twilight Talons control the three branches of the Eagle Knights’ operations. Collectively, any ranking member of the order is known as an Eagle Knight, with the member’s respective branch added to his title for formal address. For instance, General Traxxus is an Eagle Knight of the Golden Legion.
General Hedrik Traxxus of the Golden Legion
General Andira Marusek of the Steel Falcons
Marshal Helena Trellis of the Twilight Talons
Good Class Choices
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger
Challenging Class Choices
Barbarian, Druid
Headquarters
The Eagle Knights’ headquarters is the Guardian Tower of the Golden Aerie, proudly watching over the Fields of Concord outside Almas. Surmounted by a massive gilded statue of Talmandor, the avoral patron of Andoran, the white pillar that forms the actual tower was brought from an ancient ruin and hollowed out for the order’s use. General Cormoth holds his councils here with the undermarshals of the three orders within the Eagle Knights, and the area around it is alive with couriers, scouts, and messengers, who come and go at all hours.
Officially known as the Guardian Tower of the Golden Aerie, the Eagle Knights’ headquarters is a massive, seven story column of white marble whose interior was quarried and converted into a gigantic watchtower overlooking the Andoren countryside. The column itself is ancient, and prior to its restoration 150 years ago, it was part of a sprawling, cyclopean ruin discovered and explored by Eagle Knights who carried the column back, piecemeal, as a spoil of conquest to the greater glory of Andoran. The exact location of that ruin and the circumstances behind its discovery are not entirely clear outside of the Eagle Knights’ higher echelons, but following the column’s restoration, the Knights erected a golden statue of Talmandor atop it in honor of their—and Andoran’s—celestial patron. Rumors persist that the column and the ruins in which it was found might be connected to an ancient center of agathion influence on Golarion, or that they might have some deeper connection to the legendary avoral himself. (Avoral agathions are detailed in Pathfinder Bestiary 2.)
Officially known as the Guardian Tower of the Golden Aerie, the Eagle Knights’ headquarters is a massive, seven story column of white marble whose interior was quarried and converted into a gigantic watchtower overlooking the Andoren countryside. The column itself is ancient, and prior to its restoration 150 years ago, it was part of a sprawling, cyclopean ruin discovered and explored by Eagle Knights who carried the column back, piecemeal, as a spoil of conquest to the greater glory of Andoran. The exact location of that ruin and the circumstances behind its discovery are not entirely clear outside of the Eagle Knights’ higher echelons, but following the column’s restoration, the Knights erected a golden statue of Talmandor atop it in honor of their—and Andoran’s—celestial patron. Rumors persist that the column and the ruins in which it was found might be connected to an ancient center of agathion influence on Golarion, or that they might have some deeper connection to the legendary avoral himself. (Avoral agathions are detailed in Pathfinder Bestiary 2.)
Joining
Given their activities guarding Andoran, their pursuit of slavers outside of their homeland, and the secret operations of the Twilight Talons, the Eagle Knights are open to any who support the ideals of their organization—including trustworthy folk willing to be secret agents in evil lands such as Cheliax.
Gaining Prestige
The exact nature of suitable missions for each of the three branches of the organization varies according to the branch’s goals. Members of the Golden Legion gain prestige for thwarting military actions against the homeland. Members of the Steel Falcons gain prestige for freeing slaves, sinking slaving ships, and convincing foreign officials to reject slavery. The Twilight Talons gain prestige for eliminating key figures in the slave trade, uncovering information critical to the safety of Andoran, and sabotaging the efforts of enemy forces.
Resources
The Eagle Knights of Andoran are a formidable organization on Golarion as representatives of the nation, people, and ideology of Andoran. Their strength is thus not only military, though that is considerable, but also in their rhetoric. Common folk favor them wherever they roam, but they are not universally welcomed or well established. PA costs increase by 5 in Cheliax, Taldor, and any nation that does not border the Inner Sea or Lake Encarthan. Some of these resources are military ranks within the organization, which also allow the Eagle Knight to purchase certain magic items at a discount; the listed CPA cost for these rewards only applies to acquiring the rank (in other words, the character doesn’t have to spend CPA every time he wants to purchase the item associated with that rank).
5 TPA, variable CPA: Purchase a magical service from the following list: detect charm* (1 CPA), forbiddance (4 CPA per 60-foot cube), freedom (9 CPA), heroes’ feast (4 CPA), phantom steed (1 CPA), refuge (10 CPA), suppress charms and compulsions* (1 CPA), wind walk (4 CPA).
5 TPA, 1 CPA: Call upon faction members to assist in searching a person, structure, or location, granting a +10 bonus on checks to detect hidden items, disguises, forgeries, traps, secret doors, or compartments. This is normally only usable in a civilized area (not a dungeon) and lasts for up to 1 day.
5 TPA, 1 CPA: Gain the rank of lance corporal and Diplomacy as a class skill. A character of this rank may purchase feather tokens from the faction at a 10% discount.
5 TPA, 5 CPA: Gain diplomatic privilege, which gives the character a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Perform (oratory), and Sense Motive checks with citizens of one country. This bonus increases to +4 on checks made to avoid legal trouble.
10 TPA, 2 CPA: Gain the temporary service of a celestial giant eagle as if using lesser planar ally. The member of the faction must negotiate and pay for the eagle’s service, though he can spend his CPA to have the Eagle Knights pay the price for the service. If the faction member is a poor negotiator, he can spend 1 CPA to hire a charismatic advocate to argue on his behalf.
10 TPA, 3 CPA, Lance Corporal: Gain the rank of captain and Perform (oratory) as a class skill. Captains may purchase golden eagle epaulets* at a 10% discount.
20 TPA, 5 CPA, Captain: Gain the rank of major, Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nobility) as class skills, and a loyal team of 4–6 lance corporals (2ndlevel fighters). Majors may purchase serpentine owl or serpentine eagle* figurines of wondrous power at a 10% discount.
10 TPA, 15 CPA: Become invested as a knight of Andoran. The character may devise a coat of arms and use the honorific Sir if male or Dame or Milady if female. The character may append “knight” to her rank in the organization (for example, knight captain or knight major) and can invest others as knights (though abusing this right can lead to decreased TPA). He gains a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility) checks within Andoran and a pair of golden eagle epaulets*.
20 TPA: Purchase or upgrade magical armor from the following list at a 10% discount: arrow catching, energy resistance (any), glamered, shadow.
20 TPA: Purchase or upgrade magical weapons from the following list at a 10% discount: defending, holy, keen, mighty cleaving, shock.
20 TPA: Purchase magic items from the following list at a 10% discount: boots of speed, bracelet of friends, chime of opening, eyes of the eagle, goggles of night, hat of disguise, ring of friend shield, ring of swimming.
20 TPA, 3 CPA: Gain the temporary service of an avoral* as if using planar ally. The member of the faction must negotiate and pay for the avoral’s service, though he can spend CPA to have the Eagle Knights pay the price for the service. If the faction member is a poor negotiator, he can pay 1 CPA to hire a charismatic advocate argue on his behalf.
30 TPA, 10 CPA, Major: Gain the rank of commander, Knowledge (geography) as a class skill, and a loyal team of 1 captain (5th-level fighter) and 5–8 lance corporals (3rd-level fighters); one of the lance corporals may instead be a 3rd-level cleric, sorcerer, or wizard. Commanders may purchase a talon sword* at a 10% discount. If the commander is assigned to fortification (such as a castle, fort, or other Eagle Knight outpost), he also gains 10–20 guardsmen (1st-level fighters) and a support staff (5–10 noncombatant 1st-level commoners and experts) to handle the needs of his subordinates. If assigned to a Andoren military ship, he instead gains 10–20 marines (1st-level fighters) and a support staff for the ship. Most commanders lead brigades of ground troops or captain military ships; characters who do not want these specific duties are treated as inactive, unassigned officers in the military.
* Found in Pathfinder Companion: Andoran, Spirit of Liberty.