Knights

Though it would have been awesome, Chiaroscuro doesn't have the player base to make separate Knightly Orders workable. We'll end up with the Military problem that OtherSpace suffers: One or two players per military group IF we're lucky. So we've scrapped that concept. It's gone, man. Knights now belong to an Order, but those Orders are for faction purposes only. So a Mikin Knight is a part of the Order of the Sheltered Flame, and will represent their House in all that they do, but they aren't required to *only* operate in Mikin territory. They all belong to a universal Order which I'll explain below. The Duke and Duchess of a House is now deemed to be the Knight-Captain of that House. They don't actually have to be a Knight themselves, but they serve that function. Should a Knight-Captain wish to also serve the Empire as a Knight-Errant, they have to go through the same process as anyone else.

The Order of the Imperial Crown
All Knights in the Empire belong to the Imperial Order, namely the Order of the Imperial Crown, and must be sanctioned by the Imperial Tribunal or a Sovereign of the Empire. The Order of the Imperial Crown is best described as a Guild for Knights, one that all the House Orders belong to. One who is a part of the Imperial Order will *always* belong to a House Order as well, and - by deed and honor - will either bring glory or shame upon their 'native' Order and, as a result, their House. Knights of the Imperial Order may operate within the boundaries of the Imperial Law all over Fastheld, providing the territory they operate in is deemed to be a public area. A Knight cannot enter a private residence without permission from the person that owns it, for example, but can walk the streets of a township. However, only a Knight of House Mikin can deal in affairs of House Mikin, and only a Knight of House Seamel can deal in affairs of House Seamel, etc. Knights must therefore be careful where they tread for while upholding the Imperial Law is one thing, they must also be mindful of the political ramifications that their actions may have. A Knight can also only take orders from two people: A Sovereign or the Knight-Captain of the House they belong to. A Knight of House Mikin will not take orders or assignments from the Duke of House Nillu, for example, and the Duke of House Nillu should not assume he can order other Knights around. It should also be noted that a Knight *may not* do anything that breaks the law.

The Path to Knighthood
In order to become a Knight of the Imperial Order, a potential candidate must have the support of the House that they belong to. A Mikin must have the support of the Duchess of House Mikin, for example, while a Nillu must have the support of the Duke of House Nillu, and so on. The Duchess (in this example) is the Knight-Captain of House Mikin, and only she can decide if the candidate in question is honorable and virtuous enough to fully represent House Mikin within the Imperial Order, and bring glory to the House and the Order of the Sheltered Flame as a whole. If the Duchess decides that the candidate is up to the task then the Duchess will write a letter of petition to the Imperial Tribunal, or to a Sovereign of the Empire, stating this support, providing a list of the intended equipment (to show that the House can fund the Knight) and the various reasons why this person would make an ideal Knight-Errant. If the petition is successful, then the Knight candidate will be invited to Fastheld Keep and the Bronze Hall of the Imperial Horsemen to meet with the Grandmaster of the Imperial Order itself. The Grandmaster will accept a pledge of Knighthood and require that the Knight-in-Waiting spend a night in the Glade of Solace to reflect upon what it is they wish to accomplish as a Knight and the reasons behind those desires, before permitting the candidate to take a final chivalric vow. Once this vow has been taken, the Knight-in-Waiting they will be accepted into the ranks of the Imperial Order and may operate as a Knight-Errant within the Empire, bringing glory to themselves and their House by solving disputes and upholding the Imperial Law as an independent agent of the Empire under the watch of the Imperial Tribunal. They receive a special cloak, signet ring, tabard, and letter of marque, to show that they have be accepted into the ranks and can now travel the realm in the name of the Emperor and the Law. Should they fail then they will never again have a chance to become a Knight. The candidate MUST also command some degree of influence within the Empire in order to be considered. The Emperor does not like unknown Nobles in the ranks of his Order. It should also be noted that a Duke or Duchess of a House CAN ONLY sponsor Nobles FROM THAT HOUSE. The Duke of House Lomasa cannot sponsor a Noble from House Kahar, nor can the Duchess of House Seamel sponsor a Noble from House Zahir. In the case of House Zahir and House Kahar, both Sovereigns usually take the matter to the Tribunal or each other. Though they can act alone, it is not in the interests of the Empire to do so. *Note: This path is the same for Mage Knights – aka Battlemages.

Knight-Captains
A Knight-Captain is a Duke or Duchess of a Noble House, and as such the Knight-Captain of the Order of that House. Though they are not empowered as a Knight of the Imperial Order, their status of near-royalty grants them enough leverage to act in this role without question, as sanctioned by the Imperial Tribunal. A Knight-Captain is the only one that can sponsor a Knight, and the one that dictates the rules for becoming a Knight of that House. Though they cannot operate as a free agent of the Imperial Law (and Tribunal), they do wield enough political power so that their decisions within their territory are final, and must be upheld by all other Nobles (with the exceptions of Sovereigns, who are above the law).

Knights-Errant
A Knight-Errant is a Noble who has become a Knight. Knights-Errant are the soul of the Order of the Imperial Crown, and have full State and House sponsorship. Though they are subject to more glory than their Freelander counterparts, their life is a lot more complicated as well. In a nutshell, a Knight is a Noble with a career. This means that while they ARE in the service of the Empire and the Crown, they are also in service to the House that they belong to, and as a result may be called upon to do assignments for their Knight-Captain; namely the Duke or Duchess of the House they belong to. Failure to heed their Knight-Captain is an act of dishonor and may result in that Knight being discharged from the Order of the Imperial Crown. However, if the Knight can prove that the Knight-Captain in question gave them an unreasonable assignment - such as one that breaks the law, or would result in unsavory acts, such as those of a sexual nature - then the Knight can appeal to the Tribunal and - if the Tribunal sides with them - can defect to another House. As Knights are still Nobles under that armor, they can expect that not all of their time will be spent in a Knightly capacity. They may, for example, be called upon to mediate in political disputes, or run errands for one Noble to one of another House, or investigate trade issues on behalf of their House. In all, Knights serve the Empire by accomplishing the tasks that would otherwise waste the time of the Imperial Watch and the Imperial Tribunal, while at the same strengthening House relations by virtue of doing those acts, and granting some measure of independent security to the House that they belong to, empowered as they are to uphold the Imperial Law.

Knight-Lieutenants
A Knight-Lieutenant is a Freelander who has the support of a Noble House and has become a Knight of the Imperial Order via the recommendation of that House. While they can serve in the same capacity as the Knights-Errant, Knight-Lieutenants suffer some restrictions in what they can and cannot do, what equipment they can and cannot have, and are not expected to deal with Nobles of other Houses in assignments of a House-to-House political nature. However, this works in the Knight-Lieutenants favor in that it frees them of a lot of complications, and permits them to do what Freelanders enjoy doing the most: Helping other Freelanders. They are empowered by the Imperial Tribunal to act as an independent officer of the Imperial Watch, answerable only to a Sovereign and a Knight-Captain. Knight-Lieutenants are often required to have a sponsor who is already a Knight-Errant who will keep on eye on them and their activities. They must also be mindful of politics in regards to how they operate within the Empire. For example, a Knight-Lieutenant is fully empowered to remove a drunken Noble from a tavern if that Noble is causing trouble. They are equally permitted to arrest a Noble under the mandates of the Imperial Law if the Noble in question is violating that law. However, a Knight-Lieutenant may NOT remove a Noble from an area if the reason for that removal is one of a political nature. For example, while a Knight-Errant of House Mikin may forcefully evict a noble of House Seamel from Mikin territory, a Knight-Lieutenant may not do so due to the caging of the social classes. Knight-Lieutenants are a rare sight within Fastheld, and a Freelander who wishes to become a Knight-Lieutenant had better have an excellent background of service and virtue - more so than that of a Noble.

Hedge Knights
A Hedge Knight is a Noble (or Freelander) who has declared themselves as a Knight without any House or Imperial support and justification. While a Knight of House Mikin will belong to the Order of the Sheltered Flame, a Hedge Knight of House Mikin would have no such ties. They are generally shunned by Knights and Nobles alike, and usually put under scrutiny by the Imperial Watch and the Tribunal. However, Hedge Knights are popular with Freelanders because of their unconventional nature, and may enter tournaments and events as a Free Knight all the same. There are no laws preventing the operations of Hedge Knights, but a Hedge Knight must be VERY mindful of both politics and law if they are to operate without getting arrested. A Freelander Hedge Knight is also subject to the Weapon and Armor Laws of the Empire.

Solace Glade
Solace Glade is a dell within the Solace Woods that flow across the Forest District north of Lomasa Road. It is an old and generally benevolent forest with many tales to tell, and many secrets to hide. It is also where those who walk the path of Knighthood must quest to find this Solace Glade, for it is there that they must spend a night under the watch of Talus Kahar II and some of the first Captains of the Emperor's Blades as they consider the past and look towards the future. A Knight-in-Waiting may take a friend (because RPing alone would make for a dull log) and should later subject a log of the scene as proof of having accomplished this task.

Chivalric Test
The Chivalric Vow is the final step to being accepted into the ranks of the Imperial Order. It is a MUDquest that rolls your Chivalry skill, with the sole purpose of granting you the special trinkets that you earn as part of being a Knight. It cannot be failed (unless you're really unlucky), but is considered the final IC step.

Requirements Overview

 * You must be a Citizen of Fastheld
 * You must be a member of your House's Order.
 * You must have the support of the Duke of Duchess of your House.
 * The Duke or Duchess must file a petition with the Crown Regent or Sovereign, or with the Tribunal, on your behalf.
 * The petition must state the reasons why you should be permitted into the Imperial Order.
 * The petition must show proof of being able to support your career as a Knight.
 * You must have at least 25 Influence Points.
 * You must have a Chivalry skill of Good.
 * You must spend a night in the Glade of Solace (with RP log to prove it).
 * You must accept the chivalric vow.

Contacts

 * Crown Regent of Fastheld: Zolor Zahir
 * Sovereign Prince of Fastheld: Serath Kahar
 * The Imperial Tribunal: Bahamut