Order of the Flaming Rose

Order shield

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The Order of the Flaming Rose, sometimes simply The Order, is a militant religious knightly order, featured in CD Projekt's The Witcher franchise. At first knights were mostly based and organized in kingdoms of Aedirn and Temeria but later, after uprising in Vizima, king Foltest confiscated Orders assets in his realm to finance repairs and they were forced to move further north to Redania and even Kaedwen.

The primary purposes of Order is to defend the downtrodden from evil and spread the belief in the Eternal Fire, but they are also sometime serving as brute force to hunt down heretics and police force.

Heraldry

First Order coat of arms (in The Witcher game) New Order coat of arms (in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings game)

During the rule of Jacques de Aldersberg, coat of arms were red rose in golden flames on a red field. Later, after his death, this was changed and rose was no longer in flames but became surrounded by golden ribbon with inscription written on it in modern alphabet. Another symbol of the Order is the white rose with white being silver in heraldry. See also concept arts and sketches.

Notable members

Grand Masters

• Jacques de Aldersberg - First Grand Master of the Order, by some considered prophet, by others madman.
• Siegfried of Denesle - (optionally) Second Grand Master who moved the Order to Redania under Radovid V.
• Ulrich - Leader of the Fallen Knights, not officially considered as part of the Order, who was later killed by Geralt.
• Siegfried de Löwe - Leader of moderate faction that refused Ulrich's orders and stayed true to ideals.

Knights

• Count Tybalt - Representative of the Order in Kaedweni military camp during Henselt's campaign to Vergen.
• Count Roderick de Wett - Nilfgaardian count, relative of duke, who was close to Adda but made bad enemy.
• Count Arthur Tailles of Dorndal - Representative of the Order on Knightly Tournamment in duchy of Toussaint.
• Adalbert - Brother and specialist on issue of the organization's reputation.
• Antoine Pfeil - Fallen Knight who was responsible for ransacking ruins of Kilkerinn Palace near Novigrad.
• Anselm - Fallen Knight who was responsible for resupplying and selling fisstech in Novigrad.
• Eric Vogel - Knight of the Order and author the book The Flower and the Flame.
• Eric von Kidon - Commander of Clean-Up Unit for Fallen Knights under Grand Master Ulrich.
• Ernst Goltz - Fallen Knight and commander of unit in the ruins of the castle Zuetzer.
• Evariste of Metinna - First Secretary of the Order during 1275.
• Patrick de Weyze - Knight of the Order stationed at the New Narakort in Vizima.
• Peter Nayhaer - Fallen Knight and commander of unit that was sent to Deadwight Forest.
• Polycarp of Rinde - Half-brother to the Order and master at arms with access to stock of the Order's armory.
• Lieutenant von Herst - Fallen Knight responsible for sourcing food to other brethren.
• Fette de'Amin - Fallen Knight responsible for supplying ingredients to produce fisstech.
• Robbe - Armorsmith to Fallen Knights, educated person and de facto second-in-command.
• Thunder - Another Fallen Knight responsible for selling drugs.
• Tuur - Fallen Knight ordered to translate one of ofieri crafting diagrams.
• Lewie - Fallen Knight ordered to translate one of ofieri crafting diagrams.

Affiliates

• White Rayla - A mercenary hired by the Order.
• Adalbert - Member of City Guard who've helped Jacques.
• Hugo Balde - The reverend and author of book describing Order's history.

History

The Order was formed in 1268 with help of Redanian Intelligence Service, Dijkstra and Oribasius in particular, to counter the rising power of sorceresses, who were organizing themselves and growing in might. Furthermore, Redanians intentionally refused to grant a charter to the main commandery of the Order, thus preventing a strong organization from planting roots within the country's borders.

Whole organization was built on foundations of Order of the White Rose, which was operating in Temeria for centuries but instead of staying true to their ideals, knights of White Rose became more and more interested in getting donated lands from local nobles and transient accumulation of asset. Attaining membership required only the donation of one thousand Novigrad crowns to the order's treasury.

After the end of the second war with Nilfgaard and death of Grand Master Rudolf Valaris his cloak pinned up a charismatic leader known as Jacques de Aldersberg who undergone a major reform and directed order to help with upholding the law, maintaining peace, ensuring survival of Northerners, protecting the people from monsters and other evils, without wanting coins,and last but not least to promote belief in the Eternal Fire.

The Order's first headquarters were located in Cloister of Vizima's Temple Quarter, with numerous commanderies spreaded across the whole of Temeria and Aedirn. At its start the Order of the Flaming Rose was underestimated and treated too lightly by both aristocracy and monarchs. The Grand Master was calculating and cunning, but he was above all a fanatic. In that time the Order aimed to gain as much power over people's souls as possible. To achieve this, the Order waged secret wars with other clandestine organizations, such as the Lodge. The persecution of witches and freaks was but a prelude to the real attack, which was later directeded against the mages.

After Geralt killed Jacques on behest of King Foltest and Radovid V, The order dissociated itself from the politics of its former leader, changing even the setup of its coat of arms, ever since then the rose is no longer burning, but instead is surrounded by a golden ribbon. The order resigned from all their previous possessions and was completely relocated to Redania by Radovid V himself who granted them land near Roggeven and helped them to build new stronghold Castle Barienmurg. They even stopped killing monsters, last of which were werewolves of Tretogor forest. They were invited to the peace talks at Loc Muinne, where they camped outside as they supported the peace of the negotiation and provided protection.

The Order also took part in "witch hunt" that followed after summit. During the Third Nilfgaard War, when the front reached Pontar, they were sent by Radovid V to fight in a massive but indecisive battle that took place there. A large portion of the Order was sacrificed, and they were anxious to grieve their fallen. However, their homes were no longer theirs; Radovid had sold their estates, fortresses, and outposts to the highest bidder, seized its treasury, and disbanded the order. A mixture of negative emotion caused the current Grand Master, Ulrich, to slowly go insane, and officially declared war on Radovid's Redania. Members of the order noticed this, and left the order to join the witch hunters under Radovid or became freelancer mercenaries. An even bigger insult to Ulrich was that a high-ranking officer of the Order, Siegfried de Löwe, had taken a chunk of his soldiers to oppose his radicalism. Ulrich and other radical leaders were later eventually slain by Geralt on request of Adela, member of the Redanian Free Company, and their remaining followers died fighting against sheriff's army.

Even though it looked worse than ever, the new Grand Master managed to reunite Order somehow. They gained respect, fortune and name back to the point that they were able to send a representative, Count Arthur Tailles of Dorndal, and his bodyguards on The International Knights’ Tourney under the patronage of Lady Vivienne de Tabris during 1275 near Beauclair in Toussaint. And that is still not all. There was also a group of santctimonious knights that tried to get Novigrad rid of striga, one that marraudered in years after end of third war with Nilfgaardians, they did not managed however.

The Witcher

Glossary Entry

The Order of the Flaming Rose "The Order of the Flaming Rose was established after the war with Nilfgaard by a charismatic leader, Jacques de Aldersberg, on the foundations of the deteriorating Order of the White Rose. De Aldersberg's aim was to protect the people from monsters and other evils, and to promote belief in the Eternal Fire. The Order's headquarters are located in Vizima, with numerous commanderies spread across the whole of Temeria. The book "People of the Shadows" reveals some secrets regarding the genesis of the Order of the Flaming Rose. According to the author, the Order was established with the help of the Redanian intelligence service to counter the sorceresses, who were organizing themselves and growing in power. Furthermore, the author believes that Redanian intentionally refused to grant a charter to the main commandery of the Order, thus preventing a strong organization from planting roots within the country's borders. According to the author of "The Aftermath of the War", the Order of the Flaming Rose is underestimated and treated too lightly. The Grand Master may be calculating and cunning, but he is above all a fanatic. Furthermore, the author believes that the Order aims to gain as much power over people's souls as possible. To achieve this, the Order wages secret wars with other clandestine organizations, such as the one founded by the sorceresses. The persecution of witches and freaks is but a prelude to the real attack, which will be directed against the sorceresses."

Sources

• Speaking with Siegfried in the sewers
• The Aftermath of the War
• Cults and Religions of the Nordlings
• The Flower and the Flame
• Shadow People, or the story of His Majesty's Secret Service

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Glossary entry

Order of the Flaming Rose "This knightly brotherhood originating in Temeria initially followed sublime ideas. It could not have been otherwise, as it was founded on the basis of fighting corruption and depravity in the Order of the White Rose - a declining association that, in effect of those reforms, was then transformed into the Order of the Flaming Rose. Unfortunately, strong racist tendencies, even strengthened by the leadership of Jacques de Aldersberg, turned the new order into a nest of intolerance. It's role in the Vizima Rebellion still remains morally ambiguous. "

Source

• The Rose and the Flame

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

By the beginning of the third game the Order of the Flaming Rose was officially disbanded by the orders of Radovid 5th for a sizable time already, because of this they do not appear in the main game, however it is mentioned several times, and even Geralt mentions the brotherhood when he talks with Triss in the Lighthouse.

Hearts of Stone Expansion

Having resorted to banditry and drug manufacturing, "fallen" knights from the Order feature across the landscape east of Gustfields.

Trivia

• Order was, before the death of Jacques, killing monsters for free. Now they don't have enough time to do that.
• One of the ongoing battles in the original game is the question of Geralt's loyalties. He can choose to side with the Order, taking a stand against the Scoia'tael.

Gallery