“Yes,” confirmed Brother Ambrose, “but don’t confuse the Temple Knights with lay brothers and sisters. Like me, they don’t generally bear arms in defense of the order.”

“And are there other orders?”

“There are, but you are unlikely to run across them, they confine their efforts to internal matters.”

“These Cunars, you say they make up the army of the Church. What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means,” said Ambrose, “that should the Church go to war, it is the Temple Knights of Saint Cunar that will fight the battles.”

“Surely all knights would fight?” added Natalia.

“Well, yes,” confessed Ambrose, “but the Cunars are trained in large scale battles. Command of a Holy Army would naturally fall to such men.”

"And these Cunars take slaves?" asked Athgar.

"Saints, no," the Holy Brother responded, "that would be against the most basic tenets of the Church."

"My village was attacked by armed horsemen wearing dark grey cloth over their armour. Their leader had a scar on his left cheek."

"It's true that the Cunars wear black or grey," the brother responded, "but they would never attack a village for no reason. The man you describe doesn't sound like a Temple Knight, are you sure it wasn't someone else simply dressed in grey?"

"They had a sword emblazoned on their tunics," Athgar added.

"That's their symbol," confirmed Ambrose, his eyes growing wider by the moment, "but someone must have been masquerading as them. No Temple Knight would do such a thing!"

"Are you sure?" Athgar pressed.

"As sure as you are standing before me," the Holy Brother swore. "I'm afraid you've been the victim of a ruse of some type. No doubt, they wore that garb to put people off the trail; the Cunars haven't had a presence in Draybourne for more than twenty years. The only ones to pass through here would be those heading from the crusades in the east to their fortress in the south. I suggest you find them and report the situation, they'll want to know."

"Where is their closest chapter?" asked Natalia.

"You'd have to go all the way to Corassus," said Ambrose.

"Where's that?" asked Athgar.

"You'd have to travel downriver to the Great Sea," replied the brother, "and then west, along the Tylerian coast. Corassus is a great city-state and a major stronghold for their order."

"We must go there," declared Athgar, "if only to put my mind at rest. I know it's unlikely, but I have to see them, perhaps they'll know more of this scarred man."

"Perhaps," said Natalia, "but I have to admit it coincides with my plans nicely."

"What plans are those?" Athgar asked.

"I wanted to make for the south coast, I believe I can make a living there as a Water Mage. What do you say we travel together?"

"I would like that," he admitted, "though I must confess I have no coins."