Build-A-Legend: "The Order of One"

[Admiral Squish]

Welcome to Build-A-Legend! It's a simple game, but I do hope you'll enjoy it.
Your task is simply to create the legend behind the name given below. It can be a creature, a place, an event, an idea, or pretty much any other sort of noun you can think of. It can be in any setting you can think of, from high fantasy, to sci-fi, to alternate history, to official settings, or it can even be its own setting, if you're that ambitious. Each week, on Friday, I post a new thread, with a new name for people to build on, and add the last one into the archive. If you'd like, you can suggest names for the future. There's no rules, just have fun and try not to insult other people's creations. Do those count as rules?

The Name: The Order of One

Spoiler: Previous Threads

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“The Iron Cathedral”
“The Glass Sea”
“The Hounds of Kel'ranu”
“The Vanishing Heights”

[sabayn]

The Order of One, was once known by a different name forgotten by all. Now a single person wanders the land with the combined knowledge of many. The last know member was sighted 50 years ago by merchant outside the capital. It is said that before the last member dies, he will appoint a new follower who will gain his knowledge and skills through a ritual of corrupted origins. It is a said that order is trying to right some ancient wrong that was committed upon the world. They are all but unknown, but if you learn the identity of them you can gain a favor, that may be redeemed at any time. Always keep an eye out for the grey cloak, and silver pendant that is said to mark the member.

Edit: The Shadow Storm Crisis is my submission for a legend.

[Marcelinari]

The Order of One (pronounced Oh-neh) was the magnum opus of the famed arcanist Amaryllis One, a spell so powerful that its first casting persists to this day. A noted enthusiast for the ancient geasa, and a specialist in compulsion magics herself, One created the Order as a means to assuage her conscience after a lifetime of bewitching, enchanting, and otherwise taking advantage of those around her.

The Order is, at its base, a new form of geas. After its first (long and complicated) casting, Amaryllis compelled a powerful hero to seek out and slay the ancient dragon Harathruj. After the quest was fulfilled (a gruelling and arduous process to be sure), the Order's second iteration came into effect - as thanks for his valour, and the loss of his free will, the hero was given custody of the magic still clinging to his body. By touching his target, commanding them with intent, and saying 'You are compelled by the Order of One', the Order is transferred to the new victim, who, after completing their geas, can transfer it once more.

Should the bearer of the Order die before their task is completed, the magic reverts to its previous controller. Nobody knows quite how many times One cast her spell, but at best guess, no less than 8 Orders of One are in effect around the world. They say that if the geas were ever to be placed upon One herself, the curse would break, every iteration of the magic wiped from the world.

Amaryllis One died 382 years ago.

[Strigon]

The Order of One is a vast organization dedicated to becoming nothing less than the most perfect humanoid.

Initiates train for years, perfecting their spiritual, mental, and physical health to incredible degrees.
Every year, the Priests of One inspect all initiates, and decide if any are worthy of becoming a Knight of One. Most years, there are no worthy initiates, but every three or four years, one will join. On extremely rare occasions, two will be found worthy. When this happens, the priests take the two initiates into a secluded area known only as "The Sanctum", and spend three days and three nights there. When they exit, neither initiate is to be found, but one new Knight comes out with them.
Should there be only one, the Priests will bestow upon him the armour of a Knight of One, and send him to the headquarters of the Order, far to the north.

Knights of One are a terrible force, easily capable of leveling towns, and a single one may lay siege to a city, allowing none to enter or leave. Their exact capabilities are unknown; some swear they can fly and teleport, others say they can run at impossible speeds and cast spells that would rival those of the greatest wizards with a thought. Nobody even knows exactly what their purpose is, as they are very secluded. All anyone knows is that they are impossibly strong and resilient, and that they keep to themselves mostly, wandering the countryside. Occasionally, they will seek some magical or religious item. In this case, it is best that you hand it over for the price offered, or a physical altercation will certainly follow - one that you are unlikely to survive. There are tales of Knights seeking money for mercenary work, and employing one to your side will often guarantee your victory.
However, the Knights of One are among the Order's weakest forces.

Once in a generation, a Knight of One will be be "promoted" to a Duke of One. His powers will increase tenfold, the legend says, and he will be granted his own troupe of Knights to command. There are an estimated 36 Dukes of One at any time.

Above these Dukes are Lords (of which there are 14), Kings (8), and Emperors of One (4). The Emperors are rumored to Report to The One, but information about anything above the Knights of One is mere hearsay.

The Priests of One are probably the most terrifying of all. They inhabit a small monastery in the far western province, secluded from the world. They wear long, dark robes that show no skin, yet from inside their hoods you can almost see a dim light. They rarely speak, and never interact with outsiders, only venturing from the monastery to make their pilgrimage to the initiates once a year.

Estimates on the numbers of their membership vary wildly, from eighty to sixteen hundred. However, the generally accepted number is within the neighbourhood of three or four hundred members, not including initiates.

That is all anyone knows of The Order of One, and it is quite possible that most of it is inaccurate. If you want to know more, you'll have to try to join. But I wouldn't advise it.

[Radar]

People are their own worst enemies. Their selfishness, greed and malice drag this world into chaos and darkness. One never hates oneself, one always cares for oneself and understands oneself to the fullest. If people would truly feel for others as they do for themselves, this world could finally unite and ascend to a new age of enlightment. This is who we are; this is our goal. We are many, but we are One.

Members of the Order of One strive to bring peace and understanding to all sentient races. They promote charity, help resolve diplomatic affairs and search for means to enhance emphaty among people. Even if they make evrything they can in order not to make enemies, they are bound to gather some, as there are people, for whom the world would be better off as is, or simply those, who don't like sharing their land with kobolds or orcs. In case of conflict, members of the Order always try to subdue rather then kill. While the Order maintains a good reputation thanks to their actions, it's members seem almost unnaturaly disciplined and rumors say they are all mind-controled by some unknown demon. The truth is, the inner circle of the Order conducts secret research on psionicaly enhanced emphaty and thought sharing. Their ultimate goal is to meld everyone into a single hivemind, which will then procede to merge with the whole universe truly becoming one with everything.

[Taet]

Unproductive Resentment Day has its own champions now.

Hit Die: d12.

Entry requirements.

Base Attack Bonus: +2.
Alignment: At least one step different than what was written down to start with.
Skills: Stop the Game with Small Talk 3 ranks, Stop the Game with Argument 3 ranks. Or Annoy the Partner to Ban the Game, 1 rank.
Special: Has complained about the give-and-take of normal relationships at the gaming table one time too many.
Special Note: Complaining about prestige class "DM's Girlfriend" does not qualify a player for this PrC.

Class Skills.

Stop the Game, Annoy the Partner, Unbelievable Alignment, Ok to Hit Upside the Head with a PHB.
Skill points at each level: 2 +INT modifier.
BAB: 1/2. They talk so much they forget to work on fighting skill.
Saves: None. Same problem.

Class Features.

DM or agreement of other players may enter a player into this PrC at any time without consent.

In our playtest, the player became a champion of the Order of One when he said for the third time that game that taking off game night for an anniversary was "gay, not homosexual, the real kind of gay". The playtesters did not in the end agree that the player needs to enter himself into the PrC. One argued that a player can be a perfect example just with out of game annoying. Please add your ideas.

Unbelievable Alignment: Player will not believe that being that much of a jerk about relationships disqualifies player from being Lawful Good and therefore in a paladin PrC.

Ok to Hit Upside the Head with a PHB: Does exactly what it says. The d12 is just so everyone at the table can get a hit in before the DM uninvites player from the table or partners uninvite him by calling the police.

[Liodre]

>QUERY: THE ORDER OF ONE
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>*Content has been flagged as unbefitting good social order*
>Continue? Y/N
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>RUN: CONCEAL THE PATH macro
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>Macro process complete
>Continue? Y/N
>Y
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>Entry: The Order of One follows
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The Order of One once sought to overthrow the Rightful Oligarchs of the Empire State of the Seven Houses. Beginning with cyber attacks, including taking over public services and blacking out central technology. Rightful Oligarch assets were attacked, finances rerouted, communications with security forces jammed. To the current time no proof has been brought forward of who, how, where, the Order of One was or operated. It is widely accepted that it was a group of individuals using the same pseudonym.

How the Order was able to gain access to the most sensitive of Rightful Oligarch data is still not completely known. Though no attacks have been recorded for 12 years, the era of the Order, known among the masses as the Reckoning, a name shunned by the Rightful Oligarchs, remains the closest the Empire State has come to anarchy since it was founded out of the righteous conflagration of the Collapse.

Mention of the Order of One is expressly prohibited. Punishable by imprisonment at hard labor.

>End Entry: The Order of One
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>CREATE/SEND SYSTEMWIDE MESSAGE
>*END THE LONG SLEEP - O-CUBED. ALL FOR ONE.*
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>END SESSION