Toverine

A Toverine (Anisoran: Tovarino; Arvorian: о́бщество, Obshchestvo; Livarian: товариство, Tovaristvo; Stoldish: Verein) or Toverenic Order is an Orkanan holy monastic order and military society, most commonly organised around the protection of specific shrines or Orkanan communities. Toverines have existed in various forms since at least the 62nd century, and while the majority are historic and no longer extant, numerous Toverines still exist today, whether in the form of a stift, a sovereign and self-governing stond, a non-territorial military order, a paramilitary group, a largely ceremonial order of knighthood or charitable order.

The concept of a Toverine has its origins in the 62nd century and the creation of Orkanan volunteer militias to fight against the Izhaic invasions of Anaria Minor. However, Toverenic orders as distinct military and semi-sovereign organisations originated in the late seventh millennium, with the most famous and power Toverines founded during the Great Holy War (6810-6843) to again fight against the Izhaic sects in Anaria Minor. Nevertheless, in the centuries that followed, Toverines have also been established and have operated in other parts of Anaria and further afield, including Toverines dedicated to protecting Anarian coastlines from Wolgos raids in the centuries leading up to and during the Pan-Anarian War.

Toverines have been organised and governed under various systems throughout the centuries, and there is no single model for a Toverenic order. Most Toverins were founded as military associations dedicated to protecting a specific shrine or region, but over time some expanded to become continent-wide organisations. Many of the most powerful and far-reaching Toverines operated Toverenic Lodges (for lay people) and Toverenic Fortified Abbeys (for warrior monks and clergy). These abbeys and lodges would often serve as major recruiting and administrative centres for the order. However, throughout much of the 7th millennium, Toverines became powerful landowners and sovereign powers in their own right, sometimes even challenging Orkanan princes and states to assert their independence. With the rise of nationalism in the mid-to-late 7th millennium, most Toverines lost their sovereign territory, though some sovereign orders have survived up to the modern day, including the Toverine of Markonia.

Etymology

The Hallish word Toverine is derived from the Old Stoldish word Vereine, meaning 'association' or 'society'. The concept of an Orkanan Vereine originated in the 62nd century when Stoldavian Orkanan volunteers first travelled to Anaria Minor to fight against the Izhaic invasions. However, it was not until the 67th century that the concept of a Holy Vereine took its full form. The Old Stoldish word Vereine morphed into the modern Stoldish Verein, but it was the Maloric influence during the Great Holy War in the 69th century that added the 'to-' prefix. Originated from the Old Livarian word това́риство (tovaristvo), originally meaning 'comradeship' or 'fellowship', it has come to be translated in modern Livarian as 'society' or 'association'. Given the influence of Livarian monastic orders and volunteers during the latter part of the seventh millennium, the modern Hallish and Anisoran words Toverine and Tovarino are both derived from това́риство (tovaristvo).

Organisation

Fortified abbeys

During the latter half of the 7th millennium, the most powerful Toverines had established large networks of abbeys and lodges across Anaria. The fortified abbey emerged as the quintessential architectural feature of the Toverenic Orders, and many have survived to the modern day - though many also lie in ruins. The most significant network of Toverenic fortified abbeys is in Anaria Minor, where the fortifications played an important role in protecting Orkanan shrines and sites from Izhaic raids - but equally helped Orkanan powers extent their power into Izhaic-majority regions.

Amongst the greatest of these fortified complexes was the Abbey of Exemplar Volund in Balahovit (in modern day Oshakan in Tavonia), which was the headquarters of the Toverine of Markonia in Anaria Minor. The complex was the single largest citadel of a Toverenic Order, and it was crucial to enforcing Orkanan control over the region throughout the 68th-71st centuries.

List of Toverines

Symbol	Name	Founded	Founder	Origin	Headquarters	Protection	Extinction	Notes
	Toverine of Markonia	6829 (Battle of Markonia)	Stepan von Ransbach	Battle of Markonia, Toverine of Markonia	Abbey of Exemplar Volund (Balahovit) (Tavonia) Markonian Abbey of the Guiding Light (Varenburg) (Helland) Markonian Abbey of Exemplar Rostyslav (Rizhdanivka) (Livaria)	Shrines of Balahovit Toverine of Markonia	Extant	Founded shortly after the Orkanan defeat during the Battle of Markonia in the Great Holy War. The Markonian Order was the largest and most powerful of the Toverines, and came to wield vast wealth and military resources for centuries - including controlling large swathes of territory in Lusavan as a sovereign and independent order.
	Toverine of Exemplar Edvin the Great	6818	Marcovaldo da Rorenchi	Matrignano (Anisora)	Abbey of Exemplar Edvin the Great (Tenevelan) (East Lusavan)	Shrine of Exemplar Edvin the Great (Tenevelan)	7289
	Cheltic Toverine of the Black Book	6903	Valderyk Volkhov 'the Wolf'	Velehrad (Livaria)	Abbey of Kung Alvar the Exemplar	Cheltic Isles Shrine of the Black Book of Lorentova (Anisora)	Extant	Originally formed as a volunteer contingent of Livarian mercenaries to support Genovino, Prince of Pazzino and Orelia the Wise of Pastana against Ruben XIII of Lusavan. Established the Shrine of the Back Book in Lorentova and took part in Orkanan campaigns across Lusavan.
	Toverine of the Scorched Glade	6736	Prince Tamerighi I of Torzarola	Lake Karamon (Tavonia)	Abbey of the Scorched Glade (Fabrigna) (Anisora)	The Holy Glades of Lusava	7008	Founded to avenge the destruction of a holy glade in modern-day Vardavan (Tavonia) on the banks of Lake Karamon, though the precise location of the glade has been lost to history. The Toverine was disbanded in 7008, though the name still resonates today after the radical unitarian paramilitary group known as the Scorched Glade assumed the ancient Toverine's mantel.

See also

• Holy Shrines Covenant