Ordo Mediare soldier sister kit
At the point where the main storytime takes place, Ordo Mediare stands at the height of its power, having already brought peace and stability to the parish.
You might imagine this golden age as a time of armed sisters clad in shining full plate armor. In opposite, however, most armed sisters wear only metal helmets, pauldrons, and padded armor. This was the result of sweeping military reforms carried out after the knight Lady Merle joined the order.
At first, lacking military experience, the sisterhood imitated the Crusaders by adopting full chainmail and heavy metal armor, striving to fight while wearing it. But they soon encountered a major problem: not every armed sister possessed the physical strength to endure such equipment. Only a few could truly manage it. Many sisters became discouraged, believing that God had simply not granted them the strength for battle. It was at this moment that Merle arrived and introduced a complete military reform based on her long battlefield experience.
The most important change was the realistic consideration of the sisters’ average physiques. Merle redesigned their infantry equipment specifically around padded armor and large shields. Expensive full-body metal armor was abandoned, leaving only kettle helmets and pauldrons to guard against overhead strikes. The body itself would instead be protected through disciplined shield formations and coordinated techniques, giving the armed sisters something reminiscent of Roman legionaries.
Merle also deliberately preserved the older traditions of long kirtles and scapulars. Beyond maintaining the disciplined appearance of the convent, these layered garments also offered a degree of practical protection for the legs.
After the reforms lightened their equipment, the armed sisters appeared less heavily armored at first glance. In practice, however, their gear became simpler, cheaper, and capable of mass production—so much so that the sisterhood could manufacture most of it themselves. Their numbers rapidly expanded. Through discipline, teamwork, and relentless training, they repeatedly repelled brigands and armed groups, earning both fear and respect throughout the region.
Following the success of the reforms, Lady Merle was appointed as the Draper of the order.
