Nicolas Barclay
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Blessed Nicolas Barclay was the Equestor-Imperator and Praefectus Castrorum of the Supreme Order of Exalted Owyn upon its founding in 1802. The consummate knight and holy man, Nicolas served as a holy knight under two high pontiffs, James II and Owyn III.
History
Nicolas Barclay was born in 1778 in the city of New Reza on Arcas. An energetic and rebellious child, he spent his youth climbing the trees of the Wickwood and fishing with his grandfather, Osvald Anton. After a prank gone wrong where he almost deafened his younger cousin, Nicolas was tasked by his family to accompany his cousin, Brandt, on a holy quest to recover the bones of Saint Tylos from their final resting place and bring them to the new continent of Almaris. It was that holy quest that set Nicolas on his path with the church. He was trained as a squire under Holy Sir Theophilos for a period of a year, but his bravery and command of the Faith in the defense of the Basilica of Saint Henrikev against the poltergeist known as the Hound led to his quick knighthood. At his swearing, he was invested as an officer of the order and given the responsibility of arming the rest of the Order. As a knight of the Order of All-Saints, Nicolas was notably chosen as one of two knights to stand death watch over the ailing James II, and was the one who pronounced 'mortuus est papum' to the assembled clergy and laity.
Upon the election of Owyn III and the reformation of the Order of All-Saints into the Supreme Order of Exalted Owyn, Nicolas was promoted again to Equester-Imperator and his position of Praefectus Castrorum was made official. The reign of Owyn III was a tumultuous time in the church and Nicolas found himself at odds with many of his former friends and compatriots including his old commander, Johan Vuiller. Prior to their split, Nicolas was to marry Johan's daughter, but the split in the church caused the marriage to be called off. In 1804, Nicolas was appointed as one of the pontifical delegates to the nations of humanity. In 1805, Nicolas was appointed as the Secretariat to His Holiness, Owyn III, and used his position to begin to compile baptismal records that had long been dormant. Nicolas also served a term as Royal Alderman of the Haense Duma.
Death
Nicolas Barclay was killed defending the clergy in the Basilica of Saint Henrikev as the combined might of the Imperial State Army, Haeseni Royal Army, and Knights of the Crow stormed the basilica during the Red Diet of Karosgrad in 1806. He stood alone against the combined forces as they attempted to arrest the members of the clergy who voted in support of Owyn III. In the scuffle, he was slain by an unknown crow knight. For this action, he was recognized as a martyr by the subsequent High Pontiff, Jude II, and was beatified on the 13th of Sigismund’s End, 1814.
Title
His Excellency, the Blessed Holy Sir Nicolas of House Barclay, Equestor-Imperator and Praefectus Castrorum of the Supreme Order of Exalted Owyn, Secretariat to His Holiness, and Pontifical Delegate to Humanity
