The existence of the Order of Hyvrik considerably complicates the politics of Kanday as a whole, and in particular the issue of religious authority. It is only recently that the Order has begun to have real numbers of priests among its members, but does gain considerable clout through its sponsorship of the Order of the Checkered Shield. With the latter having managed to escape much of the control of both the Order of Hyvrik and the Laranian Church, however, the struggle is now between the two religious groups as to who can gain (or regain) control of the huge political and military power of the fighting Order first.
It is not to be thought, no matter the differences between the Order and the Laranian Church, that the Order is not closely affiliated with the Church. The ties between both are strong; even the growing trend for priests of the Order to be trained by those in Order, rather than by those in the Church (as was formerly the case), has not yet had time to have much effect on the institutions as a whole or their relationship with each other.