The Second Generation introduces us to the Knights of Takhisis, the antithesis of the Knights of Solamnia and successor to the Dragonarmies. Under the vision of Ariakan, son and heir to Ariakas, the Knights of Takhisis nearly conquered Ansalon.
What Ariakan didn’t take into account was that, despite his vision, the Queen of Darkness cannot change her nature. When the opportunity presented itself, she abandoned her knights and stole the world of Krynn.
Ariakan’s mistake was placing his faith in the wrong god. There’s another choice that is more thematically compatible with the Dark Knights. That god is Sargonnas.
Why Sargonnas?
Holy Orders of the Stars lists Sargonnas’ portfolio as “vengeance, war, conquest, and rage.” Takhisis isn’t the only evil deity with their eyes on conquering Ansalon. Sargonnas may have been enraged that his consort, Takhisis, was defeated in the War of the Lance. Seeking vengeance, Sargonnas would then look for a champion. He would find such a champion in Ariakan.
Sargonnas is a god of honor as well. As such, he is a better fit for the honor-bound Dark Knights. The brand of honor practiced by the Dark Knights is similar to the brutal honor practiced by the minotaurs. In fact, Sargonnas could arrange for the Dark Knights and the minotaurs to become allies.
Sargonnas is also the enemy of Kiri-Jolith, one of the gods of the Knights of Solamnia. Sword Knights gain their power from Kiri-Jolith, making Sargonnas the perfect patron of the Thorn and Skull Knights.
What About the Knights of the Thorn?
The Knights of the Thorn originally utilized the power of High Sorcery, obtained through their connection with Takhisis. The Dark Queen sought to circumvent the gods of magic, hoarding power all to herself.
Sargonnas would be more likely to honor the division of power amongst the evil gods, respecting that evil arcane magic is the domain of his son, Nuitari. Nuitari, in turn, would provide members of the Black Robes to join the knighthood.
The gray robes of the Thorn Knights would be more of a charcoal gray, which can also be seen as a lighter shade of black. In this model, Black Robe mages would join the Thorn Knights, functioning as the intelligence division of the knighthood and provide support in the form of war magic.
What About the Other Evil Gods?
Only Takhisis would oppose the formation of the Dark Knights in this scenario. She would covet them and try to take them over. Chemosh may be recruited to summon the dead to attack alongside the Dark Knights. As in mainstream continuity, such an organization may be a sub-faction of the Dark Knights called the Spiritborne.
Hiddukel (god of lies), Zeboim (chaotic goddess of tempests), and Morgion (god of pestilence) don’t fit the Dark Knight model.
Conclusion
Sargonnas and Nuitari make for the perfect pair to be patrons of the Dark Knights. Sargonnas’ honor coupled with his thirst for war and conquest make him a perfect primary deity. Nuitari as patron of specialized Black Robes who join the Thorn Knights is thematically more correct for the arcane gods of Krynn.
This model can breathe fresh air into the Dark Knights in a way that showcases gods other than Takhisis. For those of you who play D&D, this model would surprise players who are well-versed in Dragonlance lore.
I have always thought that Sargonnas was a better fit for this knighthood. The points are well thought out!
Nice analysis. This is great work and could easily be incorporated into a role playing campaign and provides lots of opportunities to have multiple gods scheming and opposing one another. Most of the gods took a back seat to the main two in most of the books, this idea would help bring balance.
I agree with the points made in this article. I think it would have been better for Sargonnas to have been the original founding deity, but I get that Takhisis had the starring role of evil incarnate. I think it would make a lot of sense for Sargonnas and Nuitari to be adopted as patron deities after the War of Souls. I think Sargonnas would certainly push for that role as a god of conquest. Nuitari seams to care about magic for magic’s sake without concern for consequences (so long as magic is preserved), so I can see him jumping on board. The Dark Knights would also likely appreciate the patronage of a god without mercy.