Knights Twelve
- See also: Heavens' Ward
The Knights Twelve were the twelve knights chosen by King Thordan to act as his personal guard. These knights are the strongest in the realm and answer only to the king. These knights would play a significant part in shaping the future of Ishgard and the betrayal of the Dragons, beginning the Dragonsong War, a battle that would rage on for centuries.
When the Elezen people came to Abalathia's Spine, they found the lands were already under the dominion of the Dragons. Fierce battles raged over ownership of the land, resulting in a war that lasted over ten years. The battle only came to an end when Shiva, an Elezen maid, went to live with the Dragons to learn more about them, and fell in love with a dragon named Hraesvelgr. Mourning the fact that they would not be able to spend eternity together, as Elezen lifespans were but a blink to Dragons. Wanting to be a part of each other forever, Shiva bid Hraesvelgr consume her so her Aether would become one with his. Mournfully, he did just so, uniting the two forever. When word of this union reached the front lines, both sides realized they could live together, and their lives had become inextricably entwined. Peace would reign for more than three hundred years.
However, there were those that were still distrustful of the Dragons, namely the king of the Elezen, King Thordan. He and his knights harbored resentment over the Dragons for their longevity and power. Soon, these feelings of resentment turned to desire, and the king and his knights sought to claim the power of the Dragons for their own. Under the influence of the Ascians, King Thordan and his Knights Twelve learned the secret to the Dragons' power: their eyes. Armed with this knowledge, the king and his knights formed a plan to ambush one of the Dragons and kill it for its eyes.
They did just so, sending one of the knights as an envoy to the Dragons, claiming they wished to speak to them in a separate meeting place. The Dragon who went to speak on behalf of her people was Ratatoskr, the sister to Nidhogg. Lured into their trap, Ratatoskr was slain by Thordan and his Knights Twelve. After slaying the Dragon, they took her eyes and consumed them then and there, receiving the power of Dragons, a power far beyond mortal men.
When Nidhogg learned of his sisters' death, he flew into a blind rage, vowing to kill all the Elezen in revenge, starting with the king and his knights. He descended upon them in a furious anger, and a great battle raged. Though Nidhogg was able to kill Thordan and half of the Knights Twelve, they were able to subdue him with their newfound strength, with Haldrath, the king's son, tearing the eyes from Nidhogg. causing him to flee.
After the dread wyrm had been cowed, the remaining Knights Twelve would lead their people to safety, Going on to form the city-state that would become Ishgard. Haldrath, regretting his part in destroying the peace between Elezen and Dragon, rebuked his title to the throne, vowing instead to become a dragonslayer in repentance for what they had started. The remaining knights would go on to found the High Houses of Ishgard and build the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, the new ruling body over Ishgard.
Wanting to control the people with a changed narrative, the remaining Knights Twelve craft the story of King Thordan, defending his people from the attacks of Nidhogg and his brood, carving the path for the people to live their lives. Over the centuries, King Thordan and his Knights Twelve would go on to be worshiped to the point of becoming almost deific figures. When Archbishop Thordan VII sought to take full control of Ishgard and end the Dragon threat, he and his Knights of the Round summoned them as Primals, using their bodies as vessels for the original knights. Though they were powerful, the Warrior of Light was able to bring them low.