Order of Saint Castor of Karden

The Order of Saint Castor of Karden, also called the Orden vom Kastor von Karden, Orden vom Kastor, or Order of Saint Castor, was a theocratic military order in western Hasperia in the territories of modern day Faendal.

History

The Order of Saint Castor of Karden was created in 658 AIC out of Germanic converts, was set up by Emperor Probus "the Pious" of the Holy Omnican Empire with the blessing of Heliarch Eleutheriuse I. It's purpose was the reconquest and conversion of the Germanic pagans to the west, in the old province of "Faendal". Its members came from Omnicanist Germanics, fleeing prosecution by their pagan brothers. The order also employed a massive number of mercenaries at first, to counteract it's few Germanic members, all financed by the emperor.

By the start of the 700s, most of the pagans were converted and no major military threat existed in the province.

The building of the Ordensburg Kastorburg was completed in 757 and still stands strongly on an island outside of the capital city with the same name. Kastorburg is built on top of the old imperial city Valaina. Construction of a second Ordensburg, the Wartburg, was started in 852.

In the 860s AIC, the order was withdrawn from Faendal and committed to Vlachia, to destroy the remnants of the local pagan Manteism there. Despite a castle being promised to the order by the Domnitor for this purpose, the Vlachian Civil War prevented the Order from fulfilling its purpose.

In the 880s AIC, the order was additionally deployed to Haram, following the orders of the regent Berenike Garantia. This was quite scandalous for normally the order answered only to the Heliarch. Their purpose was to defeat rebellious Haramites and find the regent's brother Nicodemus Belisarius. The contingent was led by Hermann von Eleuburg. Despite some initial successes, the entire expedition was eventually destroyed by the Sayyid.