Red Saint Knights

Auspicious Beginnings

Unwilling to send his royal guard into the fray against his rival Philip IV after signing the Gwaskogn Treaty, Edward I initially called on his nobles and began the traditional process of raising an army, and taxes, to pay for his excursions. However, the Knights Templar leaders, chief among them Jacques de Molai, had already lost significant ground against Philip on the continent, and Edward initially worried of his ally's fast collapse and what it could look like politically after only recently endorsing them.   With the Templar’s defenses collapsed back into La Rochelle, he instead pivoted, sending non-military supply by sea to relieve the defenders, grain, leather, water, and more. It is not known who first suggested the idea, but sometime in early 2048 AUC, Edward called on his junior nobles, third and fourth sons, a well as prominent tradesmen’s children. Borrowing an idea from the Pope, he requested the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Winchelsey, grant indulgences for anyone fighting alongside the Templars.  

Fracturing the Church

With relations between the papacy and its various bishops frayed, Winchelsey used the opportunity to elevate his own stature and drive loyalty to his sect within the church. He granted Edward’s request, though at the time, technically only the pope himself could grant indulgences. Ironically, Edward and his archbishop would later become fierce rivals over the very split in the church they both helped foster.  

Uniformity and Cohesion

His request granted, Edward organized his force into a small contingent of able and dedicated fighters. He requested they choose armor and equipment to hide their faces and wear them constantly, both to conceal their direct identities (and relation to the Britannian crown) when not in combat and also increase their aura of mystery and fright when engaging their enemies.   Beyond this, the signature red flair to their equipment is meant to invoke the righteous blood of Christ, that their sacrifice should mimic his in their pursuit of the lords work and their own purity. Subsequently, the men and women who eventually join the ranks of the Red Saints are or quickly become evangelicals and extremists, with fierce loyalty to both the church, but also Brittania’s throne and their right to lead.  

Evolution and Supply

Their initial mission wildly successful, La Rochelle would hold for years in the face of Francian aggression, Edward sought to keep the core units together, and sequestered a stipend, unheard of at the time outside of the royal guard, to keep the leaders on retainer. Their decentralized command structure and hidden identities, enabled Edward to effectively use the Saints as fast reaction troops for immediate dangers as well as a personal police force loyal to only the crown.   Subsequent monarchies in both Britannia and later inclusive of operations in the Outer Isles as well, would evolve the Saints from a strictly military force, into something more akin to a secret society of religious zealots with devout, and some would say deranged, loyalty to the crown. Their secrecy spawned myths, and later generations both deny their existence and also praise their efforts, all while various kings use their deception and effectiveness to their advantage and the order would resemble something closer to a spy ring than a knightly order, though they would never forget their martial roots and training.