Information
Faction Tier Ancient Chivalric Knightly Order & Secret Guardian Alliance Affiliation Historical Wardens of the Banewarrens; Devotees of Truth and Cosmic Containment High Commander High Preceptor Kalis Dru Operational Bases Hidden sub-crypts beneath the Temple District and discreet chapterhouses across Ptolus Holy Symbol A radiant golden cross with an unsheathed celestial longsword point-down at its intersection Prime Directives Guard the sealing wards of the Banewarrens; hunt down liberated banes; prevent the unsealing of ancient apocalyptic relics
⚔️ Overview: The Ancient Guardians of the Seal
The Knights of the Golden Cross is the oldest, most secretive, and historically tragic knightly order on Eraedal. Founded thousands of years ago during the mythic antiquity preceding the Western Empire, the order was originally established by Danar the Fair to serve as the holy sentinels guarding the subterranean perimeter of the Banewarrens.
When Danar fell into madness and became the dreaded Dark Lord, it was the Knights of the Golden Cross who refused to follow their creator into damnation. Standing alongside ancient dwarven heroes from Dwarvenhearth and champions of light, the Knights fought against their fallen master, ultimately securing the adamantine gates and hiding the runic keys across the continent so that the horrors Danar collected could never be unleashed.
Centuries later during the Ghul Wars, the Knights rode again, clashing with the necro-mechanical legions of the Half-God Ghul.
In modern Ptolus, the Order survives not as a glittering army, but as a dedicated, clandestine brotherhood. Operating from concealed undercity chapterhouses, the Knights recognize what the secular politicians and greedy delvers do not: that the earth beneath Ptolus is pregnant with ancient nightmares, and that the recent breaches into the Banewarrens represent an existential threat to all mortal life.
🏛️ The Three Tenets of the Golden Cross
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ The Knights of the Golden │
│ Cross │
└───────────────┬────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ The First Tenet │ │ The Second Tenet │ │ The Third Tenet │
│ • The Bane Must Remain Sealed │ │ • No Compromise │ │ • The Shield of the Innocent │
│ • Recover the Stolen Keys │ │ • Destroy the │ │ • Stand Between the City and │
│ • Quench the Chaos Taint │ │ Cults of Chaos │ │ the Abyssal Ruin │
└───────────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────────┘
- The Inviolability of the Vault: The Knights do not seek glory, gold, or political power. Their primary oath is to seal the Banewarrens. They view anyone attempting to retrieve artifacts from Danar’s vaults—whether chaotic zealots like Shigmaa Wuntad or imperial theocrats like Rehobath Ylestos—as existential adversaries.
- The Golden Cross Signet: True members bear an enchanted golden signet ring capable of detecting the presence of chaotic relics and identifying fellow knights through secret warding pulses.
- Alliance with Castle Shard: Recognizing that Lord Zavere and Lady Rael seek containment rather than plunder, the Golden Cross maintains a discreet intelligence pact with Castle Shard.
⚔️ Pathfinder 2e Remaster Mechanics
Knights of the Golden Cross are elite champions and inquisitors specialized in destroying aberrations and turning aside profane curses:
KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN CROSS CREATURE 7
RARE | MEDIUM | HUMANOID | HOLY
Perception +16; darkvision, aura of purity 15 ft.
Languages Common, Celestial, Imperial High Prustan
Skills Athletics +17, Religion +16, Society +14, Diplomacy +13, Warfare Lore +14
Str +4, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +3
Items +1 Resilient Full Plate, +1 Striking Golden Cross Longsword, Heavy Steel Shield (Hardness 7)
AC 26 (28 with shield raised); Fort +17, Ref +13, Will +16
HP 115
Aura of Purity (aura, divine, holy) 15 feet. Allies within the aura gain a +1 status bonus to saving throws against curses, disease, and unholy effects.
Shield Warden (Reaction) Trigger: An ally within reach is targeted with a physical attack; Effect: The Knight uses their reaction to intercept the strike, applying their shield's Hardness.
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] Golden Cross Longsword +18 (magical, versatile P, holy), Damage 2d8+8 slashing plus 1d6 spirit
Divine Prepared Spells (DC 24, attack +16)
3rd—Holy Light, Searing Light
2nd—Cleanse Affliction, Dispel Magic
1st—Sure Strike, Sanctuary, Heal (x2)
Bane-Smiting Strike [two-actions] Frequency: Once per combat; Effect: The Knight channels celestial fury into their blade. They make a melee Strike. If it hits an aberration or undead, the attack deals an extra 4d6 holy vitality damage, and the target is Enfeebled 1 for 1 round.
🧭 Story Directives for the Party
- The Meeting at the Crypt: Lord Zavere provides the party with a token of introduction to meet High Preceptor Kalis Dru in a forgotten crypt beneath the Temple District, where the Knights can inspect the Chaos Spirit Key and provide them with warding amulets against the Banewarren miasma.
- Preventing the Church Incursion: The Knights warn the party that Holy Emperor Rehobath’s elite inquisitors have located a secondary conduit into the outer vaults, urging the adventurers to reach the inner seal before imperial legionnaires trigger a catastrophic curse-flare.
- The Cleansing Rite: The Golden Cross offers to aid the party in performing a sacred purification ritual to prevent Wuntad from tracking the chaotic resonances of their runic birthmarks.