Knighthood

Knighthood is a rank and honour given to warriors who perform honourable and chivalrous behaviour in service of a Lord or the realm of the Kingdom of The North. Its members are known as knights and use the title "**Sir**", though this may be surpassed by other titles such as "lord", "prince" or "king".

Knights are religiously influenced by a code of chivalry and honour. This code states that knights must defend the weak and the innocent, must protect women and children, must fight fairly and honourably, and obey their lieges. Individual knights vary in how closely they obey the code as it is difficult to obey one law while trying to uphold the other.

## History and religious ties

Knighthood originated from the culture of the ancient southern civilisation who invaded the Alba controlled lands and brought with them a feudal system.

As a result of this, knighthood is intimately tied to the Faith of the Four Divines, and the ideal of knighthood is to be not only an honourable warrior but a devout follower of the Four, specifically the Father and The Son. And with any knight, honourable conduct and level of piety varies from person to person. As the Faith is dominant in all but one region of the Kingdom, Knighthood is not practiced in the Borderlands (most of whom worship the Old Gods of Alba), so therefore few people from these regions ever become Knights or choose to, despite their great skills as warriors. Sometimes, however, a soldier who does not follow the Faith of the Seven may nonetheless be rewarded for exemplary service with the title of knighthood by a lord who does worship the Seven. Examples are Lord Randar Slait and Sir Ragnar Cherman, both of the Borderlands.

Despite the First King Barden Boyce, being a follower of his Prophecy of The Bear, Barden adopted Knighthood into his new Kingdom due to the vast sway of the Faith. Over time, the Faith and the Prophecy of The Bear (Followed in the Domainlands) became somewhat intertwined, with many followers of the prophecy becoming Knights themselves. The Faith does not view the Prophecy as a religion but a belief and prophecy so some followers of the Prophecy of the Bear can worship the Four as well.

Because it is tied to the Faith of the Seven, knighthood does not exist in other cultures outside of the Kingdom of The North, either among The Alba, nor across the Eastern Expanse in the continent of Eirus. Due to limited travel between the two continents, it is very rare to see an Aqorisi Knight in Eirus.

## Becoming a Knight

Many aspiring young men must undergo extensive training, taking many years, in order to become a knight. They typically serve as squires to other Knights or Lords.

Another ,slightly more common, way of becoming a knight is to prove yourself on the battlefield and this is also a way for commonfolk to be knighted as well due to them not having the money to serve as squires. With the nature of life in the Kingdom being almost in a state of battle against The Alba, it is very easy for men to distinguish themselves through battle and this is how many noblemen do become knights. Sir Orwen Kell, a leading officer of the Boyce Household Guards was knighted by King Warren I himself after a battle against The Alba.

Even common mercenaries can become knights as a reward for valour and courage in battle, though this is slightly less common as mercenary is outlawed in the Kingdom of The North.

## Types of Knights

In theory, all knights hold an equal rank, but in practice knights who own their own lands or who serve major lords are much more highly respected than a landless commoner who happened to be knighted after fighting valiantly in a battle. It is also seen as more prestigious to be knighted by a king, a major lord, a Bronze Cloak, or another highly respected knight. Any knight can theoretically make another man a knight if he is willing to say the vows, though respectable knights would not hand out the title lightly. A sellsword might get knighted for fighting well in a battle, and he might dishonourably knight all of his drinking companions who did nothing to earn it. They would *technically* hold the title of "knight", but no one would take their title seriously due to the low prestige of how they became knighted.

Most often, young men who have finished their training and just recently been knighted are landless and not in the service of any lord. There are three stages of service that knights hope to work their way up through:

* **Sworn Sword** are knights sworn to a particular lord. Sometimes this is permanent, but mainly it is temporary, with hedge knights joining a lord for a particular purpose and then being released from his service afterwards.
* **Landed knights** are knights who have been rewarded for their service by a lord with land, typically a smallholding, large farm or small manor with servants. They form the minor nobility of the Kingdom of The North. Successful landed knights who expand their holdings or continue to perform exemplary service for their liege may be raised to the rank of "Lord" in time, gaining the right to dispense justice on his lands (including executions) without consulting a higher lord.

## Practices

In times of war, knights form an elite section of the army being typically mounted. The skill of each individual knight does vary but they are skilled fighters nonetheless and can also be used as unmounted foot-soldiers. They have the most combat experience and the best equipment in an army so they are used primarily as officers within an army, leading men-at-arms into battle. In peacetime, a Knight is responsible for training men-at-arms and serving a Lord. This is in order to prove their value in combat and martial skills.

Men who have been knighted, even those not originally from noble Houses, gain the legal right to display their own personal heraldry.

Knights have to formally swear fealty to a Lord and this is sworn on The Faith, their honour and the realm.

King Barden Boyce founded the Bronze Cloaks, a sworn brotherhood of nine of the best Knights in the realm and this is considered to be the best of the best and Knights should aspire to one day be good enough to join their ranks. In some periods such as under King Dannis I, the Bronze Cloaks were used as highly trained killers instead of honourable knights. Therefore in theory, the Bronze Cloaks are the elite of the elite but this can always be tarnished by a terrible King.