The Xankah Order arose from unreset within the Toa Council over a line of the Toa Code stating that no Toa is to kill another being unless it's the only means to save their life - even if they posed a threat. Dedicated to protecting the Matoran my any means necessary, and ensuring that the greater good is more important than all else, the Order is now slowly gaining supporters across the Matoran Universe.
Composition[]
The Xankah Order is a major organization composed of some ten percent of the Toa in the Matoran Universe. While they have training facilities, and attempt to teach as many novice Toa as they can, they lack the reach held by the Toa Council and thus instead try focusing on recruiting those who are part of the Council. Like the Toa Council, the Order has small bases spread out across the universe, and sometimes has Toa who are assigned to the same area (or reside there) to form up into Toa Teams of six or more. Precentus, the groups founder, is believed to be the leader of a special team of twenty or more Toa who operate for an unknown purpose.
Members of the Xankah Order on islands small enough to put them within easy reach of the bases from anywhere often reside in the bases, as many make friends there and enjoy the accomadations provided. However, only in the most dire of circumstances are members recalled to there - the Order has no scheduled meetings. All members meet with the bases highest ranking psionics user at least once so they can learn the markings of their mind and can call them from islands of distance for such purposes.
Symbol[]
The symbol of the Xankah Order is rarely used, save for on the grounds of an Order base, and occasionally as a banner onboard seacraft or a personal coat of arms. It takes the form of a silver claymore over a map of the known Matoran Universe. The background is a light green.
History[]
The Xankah Order formed a couple thousand years ago, almost immediately after the fall of the League, when the Toa Council was still in disarray and after a number of its members had died at Barraki warrior hands, leaving many of their friends desiring vengeance and blood. Toa Precentus, a charismatic Ba-Toa and one of the higher ranking members of the order, stood before the leaders of the Council with a report declaring that Toa should follow their own path. He was rejected at the time, but others who watched his speech were inspired to follow.
The Council tried to silence him, but as he had not himself broken the Code and was following all rules, they had to allow him to act as he wished. Many attempted to see if he was gaining his hold through secret artifacts or mask powers, but they found it to simply be his words, and were shocked.
The Order took off when Precentus had gathered a force a couple hundred strong and retunred to his home on Yheyn, taking from the Council Halll there and from many other places in the Alliance along the way. Many remained behind on Yheyn, Precentus' home, which led to a great percentage of Order Toa being there.
The group continued growing, and spread across the Matoran Universe. There numbers, initially great, thinned over the entire breadth of the universe. For reasons unknown, Precentus eventually faded from all missions himself. Reports vary - some say he found an island leading to another dimension, some say that there was a tunnel into the earth, and others say he travelled through a hidden valley on the Southern Continent. Only one thing is certain, which is that, at some point, he and a group of storng warriors in the organization joined together and then faded away.
The Orders greatest based is located on the Northern Continents coastline. Unlike the greatest Council Chambers, which is isolated from the rest of the universe, the Orders compound is a city unto itself, with nearly one thousand Toa residing there at any one time, though usually for no more than a month at a time each. In the Alliance, the largest of these Orders compounds is on Wulfath, followed by Yheyn.
Presently, the Order acts based on the purpose is was built upon - Protecting the Matoran by whatever means necessary. Sometimes they are called upon by local Matoran governments to help in the killing or capturing of powerful enemies, but most of the time operatives simply act to defend their homes. A great number are also freelancing adventurers, taking advantages of the Orders more lenient rules and regulations and making names for themselves as heroes.
Leadership[]
As has been mentioned numerous times, the founder and honorary leader of the organization is Toa Precentus - no other titles are used. The fact that he uses this title, and insists on all others in the Order to use it and have others adress them as it, was a major strke at the Council during the Orders early days.
Ranks usually come with positions, but some refuse to take them. Yheyn, for one, has a number of higher ranking Toa residing there who hold no special duty. The lowest is, of course, not having a rank. Many Toa in the Order are as such. Above this is Keeper, who usually lead small groups of Toa and are in charge of Toa teams. Next is the Protector, who is typically in charge of smaller Order bases. Then comes Warder, the rank given to those in charge of the larger bases. Amongst those of the Warder rank arise the Guardians, the best-of-the-best, who take over for them at some places.
Precentus himself is known as the Founder and Champion. Those who followed him were all of Guardian or Warder status, and known as the Myrmidons.