Knights of the Einherjar

The Knights of the Einherjar are a legendary order of Flora Knights who serve the God-King of the Flora - later rebranded the God-King of the High Flora after the exile of the Verdant Flora. Named after the Einherjar - the palace gate of the God-King - the knighthood experienced a great schism within its ranks centuries ago, with a faction of knights betraying the former God-King after his belligerence led him to start a war of genocide against the other races of Grandis. This resulted in a coup to overthrow the God-King, whose death resulted in the onset of the Flora Civil War after the Verdant Flora were blamed for the God-King's murder.

Following the coup, most of the Knights of the Einherjar were killed, leaving only a select few survivors. Over time, many of these survivors disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind only Veronica of the old order, with Adele remaining sealed in the Void for centuries. Eventually, the Knights of the Einherjar were reformed under the new banner of Gerand Darmoor. Though the new knighthood took its name from its predecessor, the new Knights of the Einherjar were an entirely different organization from the knights of old. Under the command of the Apostle Baldrix, who served as the Captain alongside Veronica as his Vice Captain, the current iteration of the knighthood serves not as the God-King's personal guard, but elite soldiers who carried out Darmoor's will exclusively.

History

The Legendary Knights

Though it remains unknown when exactly they were founded, the Knights of the Einherjar were an ancient order of Flora warriors whose mastery over traditional weapons, as well as some in their ranks wielding magical aether blades, gave them a legendary reputation. The knights were named after the Einherjar - the palace gate of the God-King - whom the knights served exclusively. As protectors of the God-King, the knighthood demanded the utmost loyalty and expertise from its members, with traitors being hunted down and executed without mercy. Many who wished to join its ranks trained as squires from a young age in the hopes of passing the stringent entrance examination. As legendary knights, the Knights of the Einherjar were held to a high standard of loyalty, chivalry, and justice, each swearing an oath to protect their liege and defend the weak from harm.

Betrayal of the God-King

Centuries ago, the Knights of the Einherjar served the former God-King of the Flora - the father of Prince Gerand Darmoor. Despite his excellent character and convictions, the God-King soon experienced a dramatic transformation in personality several years into his reign, resulting in him growing convinced of the Flora's superiority over the other races of Grandis, for which he planned to wage a war of conquest to 'fix' the other races. His shocking beliefs created rising tension amongst the knights, who were divided between their loyalty to their liege and their own morality in waging an unjust war. This tension reached a headway when the God-King's most loyal knight, Adelaide, refused to follow him into battle, for which the God-King ordered her immediate imprisonment. Though Adelaide's imprisonment delayed the God-King's plans for the war, many knights who looked to her as a leader began rallying around her refusal, resulting in a schism forming within the order.

Over time, the God-King's mysterious transformation began to manifest physically as well as mentally, with his body turning into a grotesque red and black monster. The knowledge of the God-King's illness was kept secret from all but the inner circle of the knighthood, with a stand-in replacement ruling in his place to keep from suspicions arising. For this reason, two top Knights of the Einherjar - Edvar and Yuel - accompanied Prince Darmoor and the God-King to Sefirot, the sanctum of Grandis' Transcendent of Life, in the hope that only the Transcendent of Life could cure the God-King's illness. There, the knights discovered that the Transcendent of Life had vanished some time ago, and that only Asha, the gardener of Sefirot, tended to it in the hopes that the Transcendent and his Monks of Life would someday return. In Sefirot, the knights began piecing together clues for how to restore the Transcendent, resulting in them learning that "only the beautiful sacrifice of a noble life" would catch the Transcendent's eye, for which Edvar and Yuel began to fight over who would be sacrificed.

During this time, several Verdant Flora arrived in the hopes of rejoining their estranged brethren and regaining their magic. Meanwhile, Darmoor - who had secretly arranged for the Verdant Flora's arrival - unleashed the God-King in order to conduct an experiment on finding a 'noble life' who would satisfy his criteria of an ideal being who would sacrifice their life for a higher purpose. In the resulting altercation, the God-King went on a rampage and killed Yuel and the Verdant Flora before fleeing the sanctum. Meanwhile, Edvar betrayed the knights and chose to save himself, burning down the garden and fleeing the scene as Darmoor appeared before him and revealed that he was the one who had corrupted his father, resulting in the schism between the Flora breaking down the balance of life on Grandis so that he would awaken as the Transcendent of Life. Darmoor then killed Edvar before determining that Asha, who had sacrificed her life for the Transcendent's return, was the noble life that he had sought after.

Soon after, the schism between the Knights of the Einherjar grew worse enough that many knights - including Adelaide's rival, Veronica - chose to betray the God-King and overthrow him as the day of his war grew closer. The knights who had rallied under Adelaide broke her free from prison, hoping that she would lead the coup against the God-King. However, Adelaide - despite disagreeing with the God-King's beliefs - refused to betray her oath and led the faction of knights loyal to the God-King to defend the palace. The subsequent battle between the knights resulted in Veronica breaking down the Einherjar - the palace gate - and defeating those loyal to the God-King. With Adelaide alone and without magic, Veronica ordered the knights to banish her into a prison dimension called the Void, after which the God-King - speculated to be his stand-in in reality - was killed. Though the exact nature of the God-King's death remained unknown, the Verdant Flora - who had arrived at the palace after suspecting Darmoor's treachery - were framed by Darmoor for the murder of his father, resulting in the onset of the Flora Civil War. As a result of the coup, many Knights of the Einherjar were killed, with the order going extinct with the God-King.

The New Knighthood

Following the God-King's death, few survivors of the knighthood remained after the bloody battle at the palace gate. Over time, however, many of the surviving knights began mysteriously disappearing one by one. As their bodies were never recovered, official records stated that those knights had gone missing, rather than confirming their deaths. Eventually, nearly the entirety of the surviving knights disappeared, leaving behind only two survivors: Veronica and Adelaide, who remained sealed in the Void. Around this time, Veronica reportedly undertook a mission that had not been assigned to her. According to rumors amongst the High Priests, Veronica was severely punished after failing to complete this unassigned mission, though all details about her punishment and mission remained unknown. Following this, Veronica disappeared from High Flora society altogether for some time before finally resurfacing.

At the time that Veronica returned, Gerand Darmoor created a new team of elite operatives who served directly under his command. In order to further legitimize his claim to the throne, Darmoor chose to use the name of his father's old knighthood, calling his personal guard the new Knights of the Einherjar. Despite sharing the same name as the old order, however, the new knighthood did not share the same code of chivalry and justice, instead abandoning the old oaths and existing solely to obey Darmoor's authority without question. These knights were selected from amongst the Priests of the High Flora - in particular, the High Priests who were renowned as the most powerful amongst the Priest caste. To lead this new guard, Darmoor appointed Baldrix as an Apostle and the Captain of the Knights of the Einherjar, as Baldrix had originally refused to join the knighthood or take on the position of Captain, as he was loyal only to Prince Darmoor, rather than the old God-King. Serving alongside Baldrix, Veronica - after serving her punishment - became the Vice Captain of the knighthood, having been credited for breaking down the Einherjar - the palace gate - during the coup against the God-King. With all the knights sworn to the old God-King killed or disappeared, the new Knights of the Einherjar became a powerful force that helped carry out the High Flora mission to wipe out all other races.

Mission to Ristonia

Decades after the end of the Flora Civil War, Veronica was tasked with finding a key to awakening the Ancient God slumbering beneath Ristonia. During this time, Adelaide was freed from the Void and came to serve Prince Jerome of Ristonia, to whom she swore an oath of loyalty as she sought after her missing memories after her time in the Void had weakened her. Given the nickname of 'Adele' by Jerome, she and the prince together stopped Count Cedric from handing over the key to Veronica, with Jerome leaving on a mission to hide the key and grow strong enough to lead his people. Meanwhile, Veronica - after learning that her rival had returned - challenged Adele to a duel after she had regained her power, and though she attempted to return Adele back to the Void, Adele was able to best Veronica in combat, forcing her to flee.

Mission to Tallahart

After the convergence of Maple World and Grandis, Baldrix led the Knights of the Einherjar on several missions to steal the power of the awakening Ancient Gods across Grandis. During one such mission, Baldrix led the knights to Tallahart, known as the Grave of the Gods, where they faced off against the Adversary and the Primacy as the Alliance attempted to take the power of the gods within the World Heart. Though Veronica challenged the Adversary, she was easily bested by them, with Baldrix ordering her to stand by and allow the Adversary to claim the power of the gods. After Baldrix challenged the Adversary and lost, he was impressed by their tenacity and revealed to them that Darmoor was planning to conduct a great culling to purge all unworthy lives from his true paradise. After the Adversary claimed the full power of the gods of Tallahart, Baldrix ordered Veronica to retreat back to Aboris, where he informed Darmoor that the Adversary's condition as a Vessel was better than anticipated, and that Darmoor's purpose would come to fruition once the World Heart was completed. With Darmoor and Baldrix leaving to prepare for the cull, Veronica - who secretly resented Baldrix and his command - prepared to betray him and ascend the ranks not only as Captain, but as something higher, believing that as the one who had broken down the Einherjar, it would suit her much better.

Organization

Location

The old Knights of the Einherjar once served the God-King at the royal palace of the Flora, where they were tasked with defending the Einherjar, the palace gate. After the Flora Civil War, the High Flora established the God-King Temple in Aboris, the former Verdant Flora capital. Though it is unknown whether a new Einherjar has been built at the Aboris Royal Palace, the Knights of the Einherjar are likely based in Aboris, where they carry out Darmoor's will.

Hierarchy and Numbers

Both the old and new Knights of the Einherjar are led by a Captain and Vice Captain. Although it is unknown who served these positions in the old knighthood, the Captain of the reformed knighthood is Baldrix, who is also an Apostle of Darmoor. The current Vice Captain is Veronica, whose position gives her supreme command over all the knights, answering to no one except Baldrix and Darmoor himself. Before the Flora Civil War, there was an inner circle of knights who were privy to the truth about the former God-King's illness, with Edvar and Yuel being amongst them. The knights also faced a schism during this time period, in which knights such as Adelaide held great political sway in the order, despite her apparent lack of position or authority.

Mission

The old Knights of the Einherjar held a legendary reputation as knights who protected the weak, defended the God-King, and honored their oaths. As a result of this, many knights faced a crisis of morality when the God-King inexplicably ordered them to wage war on the other races. Because of this, a schism took place within the old order, resulting in the near-extinction of the Knights of the Einherjar, as well as the death of the God-King. Following the reformation of the knighthood, the new order exists solely to carry out Darmoor's will, with Baldrix - as Darmoor's most loyal servant - spearheading the knights to follow Darmoor's plan to remake all life. According to Veronica, the new knights share none of the weakness of the old order that made them weak, even noting to Adele that the new order is unrecognizable to the knights that Adele once knew.

Known Members (New Knighthood)

Current Members

Baldrix Captain Alive

Veronica Vice Captain Alive

Former Members

Avril Knight (Resigned) Alive

Known Members (Old Knighthood)

Veronica Knight Alive

Adele Knight (Defected) Alive

Yuel Knight Deceased

Edvar Knight (Defected) Deceased

Trivia

• The name "Einherjar" ("Army of one" in Old Norse) is derived from the Norse mythology. The Einherjar is the name of the god Odin's private army, consisted of fallen warriors who were brought to Valhalla by the Valkyries, where they are preparing for the upcoming Ragnarok.
  • The in-game pronunciation is actually wrong. The name is supposed to be pronounced as "Einheryar".