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 Knight-Errants 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 Royal 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 Royal 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 Royal 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, lest they lose their Knighthood.
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, and must be a House Knight of that Noble Order. A Mikin must have the support of the Duchess of House Mikin and be a part of the Noble Order of the Sheltered Flame, 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 Battlemages and Knight-Templars.
Knight-Captains[]
Knight-Captain is an honorific title given to the Duke or Duchess of a House, empowering with the Imperial authority to recruit potential Knights from their own House, and granting them the position of grandmaster of their Noble House Order.
A Knight-Captain who wishes to act with the authority of the Imperial Law must go through the same procedure that a House Knight has to go through in order to become a Knight-Errant of the Royal Order of the Imperial Crown. However, Knight-Captains will usually have a much easier time of it.
As the Grandmaster of the Noble Order of their House, the Knight-Captain is the only one that can sponsor a House 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 power so that their decisions within their House's political territory are final, and must be upheld by all other Nobles (with the exceptions of Sovereigns, who are above the law).
This rank does not carry over to those married to a Duke or Duchess who have earned the social (but not political) title by association.
Knights-Errant[]
Knight-Errant is the title granted to actual Knights of the Royal Order of the Imperial Crown, who have been granted full authority by the Crown and the Tribunal to act as independent agents of the Imperial Law, able to serve both Low and Medium Justice and either arrest or caution those who are in violation of the law and the peace.
They are empowered to act as diplomats, envoys, guards, escorts, couriers, and captains of the Empire (when required), and are generally granted all the roaming powers of any agent of the Imperial Law, permitting them to go where they like as an agent of the Empire, rather than as a member of their Noble House (providing they go there in the capacity of a Knight-Errant).
A Marked Mage who becomes a Knight-Errant may adopt the title of Battlemage to show that they are gifted (or cursed) in the art of the arcane as well as with blade and shield. An Ordinator who becomes a Knight-Errant may adopt the title of Knight-Templar to show that they are a Knight-Errant of the Light.
A Knight-Errant also maintains all the roles granted by their previous position of House Knight, and is expected to serve their House as well as the Empire.
Essentially Nobles with a career, Knight-Errants mainly 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 accomplishing such missions and tasks, 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[]
Knight-Lieutenant is a very rare title granted to a Freelander who has proven themselves worthy enough to be accepted among Nobles within the Royal Order of the Imperial Crown. For a Freelander, this is an exceptionally difficult - if not impossible - accolade to attain.
The Freelander must have a substantial reputation among citizens and Nobles alike for being compassionate, courageous, chivalric, and courteous. They must be, to put it as a metaphor, a true diamond in the rough. A Freelander aiming to walk this path begins at the bottom of a very deep hole - a hole they must climb to the top of, and one that needs only the slightest misplaced step to fall back into.
They must then also go through the same process that other House Knights must go through to become a Knight-Errant. Suffice to say that while the potential for allowance is there, the title of Knight-Lieutenant may never be bestowed.
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.
House Knights[]
House Knight is an honorific title granted to a Noble who is part of a honorary Noble Order of Knights. They must first get approval from their Duke or Duchess before they can begin to call themselves a "Knight of <House Order>", and may act with the title of House Knight (or just Knight, without Sir) for matters on behalf of their Noble House (essentially making them peacekeepers, diplomats, envoys, and guards of that House).
A House Knight may not operate with the authority of the Imperial Law, merely remaining an honored and trusted member of that House, rather than an agent of the Empire. However, being granted such an honorific title is the first requirement for actual Knighthood.
A House Knight is not a Hedge-Knight.
Hedge Knights[]
Hedge-Knight is an unofficial, unrecognized, self-bestowed title adopted by those who either can't or won't cut it as a Knight, but who want to pretend to be one, having declared themselves a "Knight" without any House or Imperial support and justification.
They are basically little more than adventurers with an egotistical title, attracting love and hate in equal measure from those who enjoy the romance and bravado of their nature, and those who can offer them nothing more than contempt for perpetuating a lie.
Freelanders are more likely to accept them as "Knights", though Nobles are more likely to scorn them for pretending to be something they're not.
Actual Knight-Errants, Ordinators, and members of the Imperial Watch, are the most likely to snub them entirely.
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 go about their business 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 House Knight 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