Order of the White Thorn

The Order of the White Thorn, also known as the Knights of the White Thorn is an order dedicated to protecting pilgrims and scholars on their journey between the University of Lamacas and the "sivilized world"

History
In 1043 the order is founded by the king of Turugia. He have grown tired of bandit-raids on travelleres to the University of Lamacas, and wanted to secure their passage. This was partly to improve lelations with the Grand professor, who have a severe moral influence upon the peoples of Turugia, and thus improve the kingdoms' prestige.

Soon the order realised it needed a base between Novarabli and the University of Lamacas, and started working on a fort by the Lakelands. The supplylines were however constantly harrased by bandits, and halfway through the project was abanded. The half-build fort was then climed by the bandits, and became Barbarium. As the bandits usually kept away from the Kvitfjellar mountains - logically as travellers didn't pass through there - they decided upon building the fort there instead. In 1065 Fort Rosethorn was completed. The mountainroute then became the main-path to the University.

In 1212, Jurgen d' Violet, the Grandmaster of the order, felt extra threatened by the constant bandit-raids. He asked the king of Turugia, whom he was still formally a vassal of, for extra funding to do campaigns. The king refused this, as well as extra funding for construction work. Turugia had always made sure that the fort was strong enought to keep bandits out, but week enough to fall for Turugian troops should the Grandmaster claim independence. Extra funding was therefore out of question. D' Violet then made a secret deal with the Grand professor of the University of Lamacas. The university helped with funding and construction of the new fort, and the order claimed independency from Turugia, as well as making closer ties to the University. This outraged Turgia, but they continued to ha a ally-like relationship - at least against the bandits. The new fort became known as Fort Violetta, and rests upon the old fort.

In 1247 Jurgen d' Violet died. Some debate he wanted to remain loyal to Turugia, but out of frustration decided that he valued the protection of travellers highter - which after all was the orders main objective. What is clear, however, is that his successor, ___,  had seen his precessors successfull struggle against Turugia, and gained boldness from it. He startet claiming protection money from travellers at a hight rate. D' Violet had also seen himself forced to claim some money after he lost funding from Turugia, but at a much lower rate. ___'s new deal also made protectionmoney non-optional, essentially converting the order into a mafia-like business. This new development angered the University, and the order have no fullhearted allies at the time.

Conspiricisies also claim that ___ is working with the bandits. Without the bandits, the order would have no reason to exist. Therefore he supposedly helps the bandits to survive, or at the very least restrain from destroying Barbarium - as the order supposedly know a secret passage into it.