The High Clerist or called the Lord High Clerist is one of the three High Knight positions in the Knights of Solamnia. This knight heads up the Order of the Sword, and is always from the Order of Clerists. There can be no High Clerist if there are no Clerists from which to elect him. Those who are of the Order, elect the position of High Clerist with no influence from the other two Orders. They meet with as many Sword Knights as can gather at Whitestone Glade on Sancrist, and they form the Circle of the Sword and elect the new High Clerist from the three highest vote getters.
He is the only person that can use representations of the Gods on his heraldic crest design. Depending who he receives his clerical powers from depends on the design, either Paladine's silver triangle or Kiri-Jolith's bison horns. He also will command roughly 48,000 men when the army is at full strength, and command from the High Clerist's Tower.
In the time after the Chaos War, it was agreed upon to disband the Order of Clerists since the gods had left Krynn. Before it would be announced, news came to them of Goldmoon's Power of the Heart healing. The High Clerist quickly sent knights to learn this new healing, and the Order would stay operational. Following the War of Souls, the High Clerist would order all Clerist Knights to worship Kiri-Jolith, which all did.
Past High Clerists[]
- Sularis (Unknown - 172 PC) was a High Clerist that became the next Kingpriest following the death of Hysolar.
- Yarus Donner (Unknown - 0 PC) opposed some of the policies during the time of Kingpriest Beldinas. He would be killed during the Cataclysm.
No High Clerist due to Cataclysm (1 AC – 358 AC), with the loss of clerics there was no one to take this position other than in name.
- Michael Jeoffrey (Unknown - Uknown) filled in as the High Clerist during the War of the Lance. He had no clerical powers.
- Unknown High Clerist (358 AC - Unknown) was the first knight following the Cataclysm and the War of the Lance that became the High Clerist of the Order of the Sword.
- Meredith Turningdale (392 AC - Unknown) was the High Clerist when Gunthar Uth Wistan died.
- Alexei Whyndam (Unknown - Unknown) along with Grand Master Liam Ehrling, sent Clerists to the Citadel of Light to learn the Power of the Heart under Goldmoon.
Current High Clerist[]
- Gabriel Jhent (Unknown – Current) declared all his fellow clerics of the Knighthood must rededicate themselves to Kiri-Jolith. All of the knights agreed, and did so.
References[]
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Winter Night (Novel), p. 758, 848
- The Black Wing (Novel), p. 147
- Chosen of the Gods (Novel), p. 60
- Divine Hammer (Novel), p. 206
- Dragons of the Highlord Skies (HC), p. 60
- Dragons of the Highlord Skies (PB) p. 80
- The History of Dragonlance (Sourcebook), p. 90
- Knightly Orders of Ansalon (Sourcebook), p. 42, 44-45
- Legends of the Twins (Sourcebook), p. 42-45, 47, 74-76
- Lord Soth (Novel), p. 20
- The Odyssey of Gilthanas, p. 272
- Return of the Exile (Novel), p. 293, 298
- The Rose and the Skull (Novel), p. 29, 52