Order of the Chalice
| Order of the Chalice | |
|---|---|
| Alignment: | Lawful good |
| Type: | Fighting company |
| Founded: | -626 CY |
| Leader: | Nine Masters of the Chalice |
| Members: | Mostly fighters, paladins, priests, rangers, and Knights of the Chalice |
| Symbol: | Ruby chalice with crossed ivory lightning bolts on the cup |
| Headquarters: | Eyrie of Heironeous |
| Allies: | Heironeous |
| Enemies: | Dispater, fiends, demons, devils, yugoloths, Hextor |
The Order of the Chalice, sometimes also simply called the Chalice, is an order dedicated to fighting fiends, including demons, devils, and yugoloths, and driving them from the Material Plane. This knightly order holds itself to the highest standards of law and good.[1][2]
Most people believe that the Chalice takes its name from an ornate silver cup said to be guarded by the highest-ranking members of the order. This cup is said to have caught the blood of a solar as it battled a demon. This is the information given in Defenders of the Faith and Complete Warrior.[1][2] In third edition, the Player's Handbook II turns this on its head, revealing that the cup is not the true Chalice, and the true Chalice is not even in the order's possession, though no one knows this but the most trusted and highest ranked members of the Order of the Chalice.[3]
History
1,223 years before 596 CY (given the Player's Handbook II's publication date), on the eve of St. Vorgan's Day,[3] the solar Tomal revealed to the paladin Arbinget Ivenay that a young goddess-angel called the Chalice of Heironeous was Heironeous's own daughter, kidnapped by Hextor and imprisoned in the realm of the archdevil Dispater. Ivenay founded the Order of the Chalice with one overriding goal: to liberate the Chalice of Heironeous from this fiendish prison. Only the group who rule the Chalice, known as the Lightning Council, and the gods and devils concerned, know if this goal has been accomplished. However, the goals of the order have broadened over the centuries to include driving fiends of all sorts from the mortal world.
Only the Lightning Councilors, the elite members of the order, know the truth of the Chalice's nature and current location. Every day they dream of rescuing her, but after 1,223 years they are no closer to their goal.[3]
Members
While the members of the Order of the Chalice pray to Heironeous, those who hold other lawful good deities as patrons are welcome to join as long as they pray to Heironeous as well.[1][2]
The Chalice is led by nine Masters of the Chalice, who have the duty of guarding the Chalice of Heironeous (which presumably means a silver or ruby cup in their possession, but also ultimately means they have the responsibility to attempt to rescue the goddess-angel). Each Master of the Chalice has command over nine Chalice Marshals, who each command nine Chalice Commanders, who each command nine Chalice Sergeants.[1][2]
The Player's Handbook II describes the following ranks of the order, by "affiliation score": Initiate, Defender, Thunderer, Scion of Heironeous, Paragon of Heironeous, and Lightning Councilor.
Most Knights of the Chalice (as the third edition prestige class) prepare to join the order from youth, beginning as squires for a minimum of five years before attaining the rank of "quester." Most questers seek to earn the rank of knight, which requires the ability to cast divine spells as well as a sufficient background in theology and the planes.[4]{{ [5] Because mortality is high among knights and questers of the Chalice, the order is always looking for new members of sufficient piety, who need not begin as squires if they qualify for higher rank.
Members of the Chalice are free to leave at will without the order seeking vengeance. However, if a member of the order should fall from paladinhood, become possessed by a fiend, or change alignment, the order will dispatch an exorcism squad (typically including a cleric and a paladin) likely to smite first and bother asking a soul for repentance only after they are dead.
The code of the Knights of the Chalice is even stricter than the typical paladin's code, with members sworn to celibacy, forbidden to touch a corpse, and sworn to hold the destruction of fiends above all other priorities.[1]{{ [2]
Notable members
- Estrella Montenegro (f elf Rng5/Clr4/KotC 6)[6]
- Collette Daumier[7]—ally to Good people, recruiter for the Order, and a "vigorous enemy of evil [people]".
Headquarters
The headquarters of the Chalice is known as the Eyrie of Heironeous, a structure with lightning rods incorporated into it. Its location is not revealed in officially published material. It is at the Eyrie of Heironeous that those who have recently attained the rank of Lightning Councilor are told the true story of the Chalice of Heironeous and her fate.
As an affiliation
Affiliations are a type of faction in the third edition ruleset[8] which player characters can join and earn an "affiliation score" which measures their fame or notability within an organization.[9]
In Player's Handbook II (2006), the Order of the Chalice is given as an example which is "representative of the standard D&D world", which was Greyhawk during that edition.[note 1] The Affiliation score and benefits are summarized below:[3]
- Symbol
- A ruby chalice with crossed lightning bolts on the cup.
- Background, Goals, and Dreams
- The Chalice is an armed company dedicated to stamping out the influence of devils, demons, yugoloths and other slavering Fiends on the Material Plane. The paladin Arbinget Ivenay founded the Chalice a millennia ago with one goal: to recover the Chalice of Heironeous from Dispater's Iron City of Dis, Aside from the members of the group's Lightning Council, no one knows if the chalice was recovered or not, but regardless of the chalice's fate, in the intervening ages the affiliation's purpose has broadened to ending the influence of the Lower Planes in the World
- Members
- Many members of the Chalice are paladins, priests, and fighters; many of these eventually take levels In the knight of the Chalice prestige class (from Complete Warrior). Mortality is high among the membership of this combative affiliation, and as such the Chalice is always looking to induct new members of sufficient piety. The Chalice is not a vengeful organization , and freely allows members to leave its ranks, if a member departs due to falling from paladinhood, fiendish possession, or alignment change—or tries to covertly corrupt the Chalice from within after suffering one of these fates—the Lightning Connell dispatches an EL 14 exorcism squad (typically a 13th-level paladin and a 13th-level cleric of Olidammara ) that Ls more inclined to smite first and ask for repentance by means of speak with dead much later.
- Secrets
- When a character attains the rank of Lightning Councilor, the other councilors lead them somberly to the Eyrie of Heironeous. There, among the lightning rods of the order, under a clouding sky, they inform them of the true nature of the Chalice of Heironeous. It was stolen from Heironeous millennia ago—not by Dis, bur by Hextor, who attempted to shirk responsibility for his deed (and to better secure his prize) by loaning the chalice to the Iron Lord of the Second—was not a powerful magic item, nor even an artifact. As revealed to Arbinget Ivenay by the solar Tonial on the eve of St, Vorgan's Day 1,223 years ago, the Chalice of Heironeous is in fact the daughter of Heironeous, a young goddess-angel now held in durance vile deep in Dispater's Iron Tower. Every day, the Lightning Councilors dream of rescuing her; every day, they come no closer.
- Type
- Fighting company.
- Scale
- 12 (nultiregional/kingdiom).
- Executive powers
- Crusade, inquisition, war.
- Titles, Benefits,and Duties
- As a character advance within the ranks of the Chalice, they learn demon-fighting techniques and how to resist the temptations of fiends.
Affiliation Score
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier |
|---|---|
| Character level | +1/2 level |
| Base attack bonus +10 or higher | +1 |
| Acquired | |
| Can cast divine spells | +1 |
| Knight of the Chalice prestige class | +1 per two levels |
| Activities | |
| Wields a holy avenger | +8 |
| Has slain a fiend with more than 9HD | +1 per fiend |
| Has written a treatise on slaying fiens | +2 |
| Adventure | |
| Succcessful mission on behalf of the Order | +2 per mission |
| Succcessful mission on behalf of the Lightning Council | +4 per mission |
| Penalties | |
| Neutral alignment | -15 |
| Evil alignment | -25 |
| Defeated by a fiend | -4 |
| Friends with a half-fiend, tiefling, or other "tainted" | -10 |
Benefits
| Affiliation Score | Title: Benefits and Duties |
| 3 or less | No affiliation. |
| 4-10 | Initiate: The Chalice recognizes you as a potential ally or enemy in the struggle to eliminate fiends from the Material Plane. |
| 11-15 | Defender: You are inducted into the Order and can requisition a potion of protection from evil 1/week. |
| 16-20 | Thunderer: Chalice priests cast up to third-level cure spells for free {excluding component costs) when you visit their temple. |
| 21-24 | Scion of Heironeous: Chalice priests cast up to fourth-level spells For free (excluding component costs) when you visit their temple. |
| 25-29 | Paragon of Heironeous: By taking 3-5 penalty to your affiliation score, you can gain a raise dead spell from a Chalice priest. Fiends can make a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 30 minus your character level) to recognize you, and if they succeed, their frenzy grants them -2 on damage rolls when attacking you, |
| 30 or higher | Lightning Councilor: Once per year, you can borrow for 1 week any magic weapon or armor with a value of 13,000 gp or less from the Chalice's armory. While you do so, the affiliation takes a -1 penalty to its capital. |
References
Notes
- ↑ D&D Gazeteer (2000), Ch.1: The D&D World", p.2 "This is the core world for D&D game products … The D&D game setting is located on the sphere of Oerth, most specifically on the continent of Oerik, in its easternmost portion called the Flanaess."
Citations
- ↑ a b c d e Defenders of the Faith (2001), p.44-45.
- ↑ a b c d e Complete Warrior (2003), p.141-142.
- ↑ a b c d Player's Handbook II (2006), p.170.
- ↑ Defenders of the Faith (2001), p.63-65.
- ↑ Complete Warrior (2003), p.53-54.
- ↑ Complete Warrior (2003), p.54-55.
- ↑ Complete Warrior (2003), p.142-143.
- ↑ Player's Handbook II (2006), p.163-190.
- ↑ Player's Handbook II (2006), p.165.
Bibliography
- Collins, Andy, David Noonan, Ed Stark. Complete Warrior. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003. Pages 53, 141.
- Noonan, David. Player's Handbook II. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006. Page 170.
- Redman, Rich, and James Wyatt. Defenders of the Faith. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000. Pages 44, 63.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order of the Chalice | People Group | Organization/Society, | Defenders of the Faith, D&D 3.0e | 44 - 45 |