The Sacred Order of Saint Kalmantane the Redeemer
The Inquisition of Dwarden: The Sacred Order of St. Kalmantane the Redeemer, a subordinate order to the Order of the Beleaguered Shield, is a small but elite order, its members chosen from among the most virtuous and tested clerics in Dwarden. Selected by their Master-General, the Inquisitor-General himself, they are responsible for the inner conduct of the Order, especially the clericy, and are mandated to find and extirpate heresies and especially secret temptations into the black arts, which have brought near doom to Dwarden.
Requirements: Would-be inquisitors of the Sacred Order of St. Kalmantane must be lawful good, must have attained 7th level, must possess enough experience points to and must possess at least a 13 intelligence, a 15 wisdom and a 13 charisma. Among their experiences, they must have had an encounter with the black arts, through which they emerged victorious over temptation, and after which they are forever immune to temptation.
Powers: The Sacred Inquisitors, upon completing their training, becoming specialty priest inquisitors of the sacerdotal rank of priest. If unordained before the becoming inquisitors, they quickly receive holy orders, and become in immediate succession sub-deacons and deacons before receiving full priesthood.
Background: Saint Kalmantane was the powerful Abbot Superior of High Gate, Grand Prior of the Marlamarkan, before taking up the hammer and receiving the sacred state of paladinhood later in life to cleanse the hill lands of the so-called Dun Knights, who had become increasingly unsympathetic to the Order, favoring independence and even the totemic gods long dormant in those lands. Kalmantane suspected that the Black Crown was behind this weakening of the Marlamarkan, which after considerable protest was revealed to be the truth. Kalmantane's war against the Dun Knights was nearly complete with the sudden rise of the Black Prior, and made himself known for leading his small army against the waning resistance in the Erlokt.
After the death of two Grand Masters of the Order at that hands of the Black Prior and his army, Kalmantane was elected by what remained of the Council-Perilous and the Iron Knights as the next Grand Master. Kalmantane was almost made the Archbishop of St. Galdren-Ferox, ordered to rebuild the city by the Patriarch of Dwarden.
Kalmantane spent the next several decades extirpating the traitor knights and clerics of Dwarden who had sided with the Black Prior in his rebellion, and even fought a rebellion of the mountain kings of the west. Kalmantane aggressively cultivated new and young paladins, and personally assessed the worthiness of clerics seeking holy orders. As a very old man, Kalmantane resigned the Grand Mastery and returned to the Grand Monastery at High Gate, where he built the Tower of the Diviner, becoming highly interested in magic and the divine in this late stage of his life.
He successfully predicted the Black War at the end of his life, and with young heroes recovered the Sword of Stars, blessed by St. Yathamian himself. Kalmantane personally wielded the mighty two-handed sword against the Black Crown, empowered even as an ancient man by the grace of Mandador. His magic was great enough to destroy several lichly lieutenants, before nearly destroying the Black Crown himself, before falling to the Black-Gold hammer, and thus receiving his wish to die in battle. His young apprentice destroyed the Black Crown's person, and the war was won.
Saint Kalmantane is one of Dwarden's greatest knights and heroes, and is buried at High Gate.
