Holy orders

Hiring holy orders outside of a great holy war

Holy orders are bands of troops that can be hired with piety to fight religious enemies. Holy orders can also operate as independent rulers, constructing castles and waging their own wars. Most religions only have one holy order; only Catholics have multiple orders.

The size of holy orders is scaled according to the religion's moral authority. If the holy order is currently hired, its size will be updated only when it is dismissed.

Hiring holy orders

You can hire a holy order if:

• You follow the title's religion
• You have sufficient piety
• You have not expelled the holy order
• They are not a vassal of another ruler
• They have not been hired by another ruler or raised their own troops to fight a war

During great holy wars, as well as when defending against infidels, holy orders have no wealth upkeep. During offensive wars, however, they have a substantial gold upkeep cost, similar to mercenaries.

Forces hired from holy orders will only fight against enemies of the faith:

• Christian holy orders only fight heretics of their religion and infidels. For example, a Catholic holy order will not fight against the Orthodox or Iconoclast Byzantine Empire, but will fight against any Cathar or any Muslim ruler.
• Muslim, Pagan, and Indian holy orders are also hostile against other religions within their group.

SoA mechanics

With Sons of Abraham, holy orders have received a major overhaul.

Building castles

Holy orders often operate on their own, without the contract of a ruler. They may ask rulers of their religion to allow them to build a castle in the ruler's demesne. The holy order only requires the local count's approval; the permission of the count's liege, if any, is not required. Once they get permission, construction will begin.

Holy Orders will continue to request the rights to build castles as long as they have enough wealth (300g), no county titles, and fewer than 10 controlled settlements. This will eventually put them over their demesne limit, and they will grant extra castles with appointment succession. If you have Imperial Administration or Iqta government, retracting these baron vassals will allow the Holy Order to build more castles. This is an inexpensive way to increase the strength of your realm.

Rulers cannot use the "de jure holdings" CB against holy orders of their religion. However, for 1000 piety, they can expel the holy order and seize all castles. Any debts with the Order will also be cancelled. The Order will no longer request to build castles in the ruler's realm.

Relatives of rulers

Occasionally, an unmarried son or brother who does not stand to inherit may ask to join a Holy Order of their religion. They are more likely to request if Zealous , and will be more likely to join a Holy Order with an aligned cause or is more local (for example, a German would be more likely to join the Teutonic Order than the Knights Templar if both are formed).

If allowed, the courtier moves to the holy order and unmarries all spouses. If the allowing ruler shares their religion, the ruler gains 100 piety. Characters cannot marry or inherit as long as they remain in the holy order. Except for CM holy orders (Zun and Ibadi), the character also gains the Celibate trait.

Once in the holy order, it is possible for them to become the grandmaster of the order through Open elective succession, which selects the man with the highest prestige plus age. This can be very useful for your dynasty: Each holy order controlled by your dynasty gives you (and all other count+ rulers of your dynasty) +2 monthly prestige and +1 monthly piety. Holy orders controlled by your dynasty are also much cheaper to hire. High dynasty prestige can help your relatives win, as can the skills to obtain a council position within the holy order.

Loans and Donations

Aside from castle and hiring income, Holy Orders can also gain money from donations. Donating 300 Wealth to a Holy Order will grant you 100 piety and put you in good standing with the Grandmaster of that Order, your religious head, and all temple vassals. Note that you cannot donate to holy orders which you have vassalized.

You can also borrow money from a Holy Order. At any time you can borrow 300 gold from any Holy Order of your religion, so long as they have 300 gold to give. However, while in debt the Grandmaster can make various demands, either demanding a son or brother to join the Order or building a castle in your demesne. If this happens, you may either accept (canceling your debt), refuse (losing 1000 Piety and damaging your relations with your religious head), or pay back the 300 gold debt.

Vassalizing mercenaries and holy orders

Main article: Vassalizing mercenaries and holy orders

List of holy orders

Holy orders are created by events when certain conditions are met. If a heresy becomes mainstream, they always join the new mainstream religion. Similarly they can be formed by a former heresy once it becomes mainstream except that Miaphysite and Nestorian holy orders can only be created by those religions (not their heresies). i.e. You cannot create a Holy Order as Messalian. Messalian Holy Order can be created by an event.

Taoism does not have a holy order.

Most pagan holy orders require reformation of the religion, except the Germanic holy order.

CoA	Name		Religion	Culture	Birth trigger	Composition	ID
	Knights Templar		Catholic	French	Crusades unlocked and either year is at least 1118 or Byzantium Empire owner is not Christian or one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Constantinople, Ancyra, Rome, or (Athens and Corinth). Vassal of Jerusalem from 1119. Can be vassalized by decision by King of Jerusalem for 500 gold (requires Sons of Abraham). Only one holy order can be vassalized by decision.	55% 27% 18%	d_knights_templar
	Knights Hospitaller		Catholic	Occitan	Crusades unlocked and either: year is at least 1113 or Byzantium Empire owner is not Christian or one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Constantinople, Ancyra, Rome, (Athens and Corinth), Provence, Toulouse, Paris, Cologne or Braunschweig. Vassal of Jerusalem from 1099. Can be vassalized by decision by King of Jerusalem for 500 gold (requires Sons of Abraham). Only one holy order can be vassalized by decision.	54% 27% 18% 1%	d_knights_hospitaler
	Livonian Order		Catholic	German	Crusades unlocked and either: year is at least 1192 or one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Provence, Toulouse, Paris, Cologne or Braunschweig. Landed from 1204.	56% 19% 25%	d_livonian_order
	Teutonic Order		Catholic	German	Either: Crusades unlocked and year is at least 1192 Crusades unlocked and one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Provence, Toulouse, Paris, Cologne or Braunschweig. Kingdom of Jerusalem is under Catholic control (allows HRE or another German ruler to form_teutonic_order) Transforms into the kingdom-tier Teutonic State upon winning a Northern Crusade war. The Teutonic State cannot be hired as a holy order unless they lose all land and revert to being the Teutonic Order. Exists as a holy order from 1192. From 1225, they instead exist as a Teutonic State near Lithuania.	68% 9% 23%	d_teutonic_order
	Knights of Calatrava		Catholic	Castillian	Sons of Abraham DLC, Crusades unlocked and either: year is at least 1164 or one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Provence, Toulouse, Paris, Cologne, Braunschweig or Bordeaux. Vassal of Castile from 1164.	29% 43% 14% 36%	d_knights_calatrava
	Knights of Santiago		Catholic	Castillian	Sons of Abraham DLC, Crusades unlocked and either: year is at least 1175 or one of the following counties' owner is not Christian: Provence, Toulouse, Paris, Cologne, Braunschweig or Bordeaux. Vassal of Castile from 1171.	57% 29% 14%	d_knights_santiago
	Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre		Orthodox	Greek	Created by decision taken by an Orthodox ruler. Ruler publicly practices the Orthodox religion Crusades/Jihads/Great Holy Wars unlocked Ruler is independent, not at war Ruler or any of his vassals controls the County of Jerusalem Ruler is not Excommunicated Ruler has 500 piety and 500 wealth	55% 27% 18%	d_holy_sepulchre
	Order of Saint Anthony		Miaphysite	Ethiopian	Sons of Abraham DLC, created by decision taken by a Miaphysite ruler. Ruler publicly practices the Miaphysite religion Crusades/Jihads/Great Holy Wars unlocked Ruler has 1000 piety and 500 wealth Control one of the Miaphysite holy sites Moral authority of Miaphysite religion at least 50%	45% 18% 9% 27%	d_saint_anthony
	Order of Saint Addai		Nestorian	Assyrian	Sons of Abraham DLC, created by decision taken by a Nestorian ruler. Ruler publicly practices the Nestorian religion Crusades/Jihads/Great Holy Wars unlocked Ruler has 1000 piety and 500 wealth Control one of the Nestorian holy sites Moral authority of Nestorian religion at least 50%	45% 18% 9% 27%	d_saint_addai
	Fedayeen		Shia	Persian	Year is at least 1089 Playable Shia rulers exist (do Mamluks count??) Landed from 1090 until 1256.	20% 40% 20% 20%	d_hashshashin
	Bektashi Order		Sunni	Persian	Sons of Abraham DLC, Jihads are unlocked and either: year is at least 1228 or one of the following counties owner is not Muslim: Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Jerusalem or Mecca	21% 43% 21% 14%	d_bektashi
	Haruriyyah		Ibadi	Bedouin	Charlemagne DLC, Jihads are unlocked, there is an Ibadi caliph, and one of the following counties' owner is not Muslim: Hajar, Damascus, Cairo, Jerusalem or Mecca	21% 43% 21% 14%	d_haruriyyah
	Zealots		Jewish	Ashkenazi	Sons of Abraham DLC and Jewish high priesthood is restored	36% 45% 18%	d_zealots
	Immortals		Zoroastrian	Persian	Sons of Abraham DLC and Zoroastrian priesthood is restored	21% 50% 29%	d_immortals
	Army of Light		Manichean	Persian	Sons of Abraham DLC, created by decision taken by a Manichean ruler. Ruler is male, not imprisoned, at least 16 years old Ruler publicly practices the Manichean religion (doesn't require Manichean being the Mazdan orthodoxy) Crusades/Jihads/Great Holy Wars unlocked Ruler has 1000 piety and 500 wealth Control one of the Manichean holy sites Moral authority of Manichean religion at least 50% Taking the decision cost the ruler 300 prestige and 300 wealth.	20% 47% 20% 13%	d_army_light
	Jomsvikings		Germanic (or Reformed Germanic)	Norse	The Old Gods DLC The year is at least 920 Either Stettin, Wolgast, Rügen or Werle has one of its original holding slots free The count holding the chosen county is Germanic or Reformed Germanic The holder accepts the creation	18% 64% 18%	d_jomsvikings
	Lords of the Sky		Reformed Tengri	Cuman	Sons of Abraham DLC and Tengri reformation	21% 14% 64%	d_sky_lords
	Spirit Guardians		Reformed West African	Mandé	Sons of Abraham DLC and West African reformation	38% 15% 46%	d_spirit_guardians
	Warriors of Perun		Reformed Slavic	Russian	Sons of Abraham DLC and Slavic reformation	25% 50% 25%	d_warriors_perun
	Chosen of Perkunas		Reformed Romuva	Lettigallian	Sons of Abraham DLC and Romuva reformation	25% 50% 25%	d_chosen_perkunas
	Sons of Kaleva		Reformed Suomenusko	Finnish	Sons of Abraham DLC and Suomenusko reformation	25% 50% 25%	d_sons_kaleva
	Cult of Huitzilopochtli		Reformed Aztec	Nahua	Sons of Abraham DLC and Aztec reformation	20% 67% 13%	d_huitzilopochtli
	Chosen of Ashoka		Buddhist	Marathi	If five of major cities in India (Mahoyadapuram, Cholamandalam, Manyapura, Navasarika, Kataka, Laksmanavati, Magadha, Jaunpur, Manyakheta, Goa, Vijayawada, Mallabhum, Tripuri, Ujjayini, Debul, Ajayameru, Kanyakubja, Lahur, Delhi, Multan) are owned by non-Dharmic rulers, all three holy orders become active. The major cities of India Can also be created individually by decision if a ruler has 1000 piety and control of all five of their religion's holy sites. After the year 1100, simply requires 200 piety.	23% 53% 23% 2%	d_ashokas_chosen
	Followers of Arjuna		Hindu	Hindustani		23% 53% 23% 2%	d_followers_arjuna
	Bulls of Rishabha		Jain	Kannada		23% 53% 23% 2%	d_bulls_rishabha
	Knights of the Sun		Reformed Zunist	Afghan	Charlemagne DLC and Zunist reformation	50% 50%	d_zun_warriors
	Myrmidons		Reformed Hellenic	Greek	Holy Fury DLC and Hellenic reformation	20% 80%	d_myrmidons
	Children of Dralha		Reformed Bön	Bödpa	The Old Gods, Jade Dragon or Holy Fury DLC and Bön reformation	23% 53% 23% 2%	d_dralhas_children

Warfare

Troops

Levies • Retinues • Mercenaries • Holy orders • Event troops • Hordes • Adventurers

Battles

Combat • Combat tactics • Commanders • Raiding

Concepts

Alliances • Casus Belli • Claims • Crusades, jihads and great holy wars • Factions • Attrition