An
errant knight of
Caraegwyn is a scion of a noble family that has set out from home to roam the realm in search of opportunities to prove himself with chivalrous deeds. Any noble can become an errant knight by swearing the Vow of Errantry as defined by the ancient
Code of Chivalry.
Contents
Overview
Upon reaching adulthood, the junior lords and ladies of noble families are expected to make a name for themselves. Unless they are pressed by obligation into becoming the next governor of the family lands or perhaps into running a family enterprise, a young knight typically leaves home to pursue some career or another. Among the most traditional of these is the life of an errant knight.
Errant knights travel the breadth of the land, moving from town to village to thorp and city, seeking out bounties, adventuring jobs, knightly quests and other such opportunities to prove themselves. They undertake any jobs for minimal pay or no pay at all, for their purpose is to serve the realm and aid those in need. The only rewards they should require for their deeds is the fame they gain and the experience they attain.
Errant knights might travel alone or perhaps with a bard detailing their accomplishments, but tackling dangerous monsters without someone at your side in battle can be dangerous. Indeed, groups of errant knights are a common sight on the roads of Caraegwyn. Some knights might even join forces with groups of adventurers to increase their odds of survival.
The purpose of errantry is to prove oneself a worthy knight -- virtuous, true of heart, strong of arm and a lawful adherent to the code of chivalry. With sufficient reputation, an errant knight can then be offered some more prestigious path in life, such as the service of a mighty lord or perhaps even the king himself.
Perception
Taking the Vow of Errantry is an option available to any young noble for it need not be offered to the knight like many other vows. Thus it is seen by some as the worst or final option -- the last straw -- only to be taken when no other option remains. However, there are also those that hold errant knights in a higher regard, seeing errantry as a pure, traditional and virtuous pursuit. Other paths taken by junior knights include for example careers in the military, clergy or academia -- by accepting an offered Vow of Protection, Piety or Knowledge respectively -- or entering the service of a lord as a landed knight by a Vow of Fealty.
Errant knights are typically young and inexperienced, having only recently reached adulthood. As such, they are not among the most learned nor the most socially talented individuals that Caraegweni aristocracy has to offer, especially considering the fact the best and brightest nobles make their way to places such as military academies and universities and never need to take the Vow of Errantry to prove themselves.
The common folk often thinks of errant knights as a sort of menace: a wet-behind-the-ears noble brat drunk on success can be an extremely irritating individual to have spend a night of raucous revelry in the only tavern of your hometown. Having been raised behind the walls of their parents' keeps and pampered with luxury, errant knights can be rather detached from the larger world, oblivious to the challenges that lower class people face in their day-to-day lives and self-centered in their world views.
The stereotypical errant knight is a proud, boisterous and overbearing loudmouth that unintentionally insults everyone with his every word all the while attempting to appear chivalrous, taking on even the most trivial task with such pomp and ceremony that it might as well be the greatest knightly challenge that ever was only to fail embarassingly and require the aid of others -- the common folk -- to recover.
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