Knights of the Silver Sword
The Knights of the Silver Sword are dedicated to the protection of Domina, service to the gods of Good, and above all else the ideals of honor.
Structure
The Knighthood is divided into three orders of increasing rank: the Orders of the Shield, Sword, and Mantle. Entry into the higher orders requires attainment of rank in the lower ones. Every order is based in a different set of concepts that the knight must understand.
The Knighthood is ruled by a Grandmaster and a Conclave, formed by representatives of each order. This Conclave is reunited during certain times of the year to discuss matters concerning promotions, guidelines, information gathering, war councils, talk with allies, etc. The Conclave may have extraordinary sessions if the situation is exceptional.
Squirehood
For several centuries, the Knighthood only accepted squires coming from noble families located in Elvine. As the Elvine empire grew stronger and their fight against evil became an obsession, the number of recruits diminished. This forced the Knighthood to send spies to different organizations, including the Thieves Guild in Aresden, looking for people that, if not from nobility, held solid concepts of honor that may fit in their ranks. In more recent times, squires can enter the order so long as they are honorable. A Knight already in the order must sponsor them. Once they have received sufficient training, the squire must be approved by a Council of Knights. If the Council has no valid reason to believe that the squire had performed a dishonorable action, they are accepted into the Knighthood. If their honor is questioned, the issue is worked out in the Council, until the time the squire is either approved or turned away.Order of the Shield
The Knights of the Shield are the most inexperienced and generally young knights. It is at this time they are taught to be loyal and honorable, taught to serve the gods of good and to further their cause. They are also taught obedience to their superiors. An ideal Knight of the Shield is humble. The head of the Shield is known as the High Warrior. Corvus Duronia is the current High Warrior.Order of the Sword
Knights of the Sword have proven themselves skilled fighters. It is possible for a squire to achieve this rank right from the out-set; however they must demonstrate a considerable degree of skill. Some Shield Knights choose to move up to the Sword but others choose to stay with the Shield. They are gifted minor healing abilities by their patron, and are valuable in a battle as they are both great fighters and can heal in a pinch. At this time in the Knighthood, Sword Knights are taught courage and heroism. Sword Knights constantly fight evil, and through this struggle they further themselves in goodness. The representative of the Order of the Sword in the Conclave is known as the High Clerist, for their devout faith. Kwalu Memshaka is the current High Clerist.Order of the Mantle
The Order of the Mantle is the highest rank in the Knighthood. Knights of the Mantle have proven themselves in peace and battle, and are taught the importance of faith and other virtues. Due to the great prerequisites for becoming a Knight of the Mantle, they are the smallest branch of the Knighthood and are rarely seen in battle except in command roles. In battle, the members of this Order are the most formidable. Due to their extreme faith, they are gifted advanced forms of clerical powers. For a Knight of the Sword to become a Knight of the Mantle, besides finishing the quests the High Justice requests, he must obtain the positive vote of all existing members of the Order. Knights of the Mantle practice the virtues of forgiveness, redemption and wisdom at this time. The representative of the Order of the Mantle on the council is known as the High Justice, as Mantle Knights are taught justice and fair administration of judgement. Saverio Whitemane is the current High Justice.Advancement Ceremonies
Knights that are promoted into higher orders undergo special ceremonies that are held on the last day of each season in Elvine. This is usually an all day event, beginning at dawn with a private service at the temple that lasts for many hours, followed immediately by the official recognition of advancement conducted by the head of each order and the Grandmaster. A great feast is prepared that night at the Elvine headquarters for the promoted and their families and friends to attend. The day ends with a blessing from the Grandmaster. When the time comes to decide a new head of an Order, the remaining Conclave, the Grandmaster, and any other knights who are thought to have a considerable input hold a meeting that can last from a few hours to a few days. Once the candidate is chosen, a private ceremony is conducted at the temple lead by the Grandmaster. They are each sworn upon the ancient relics of Edwin Avidius: the new High Warrior is sworn upon his shield; the new High Clerist is sworn upon his sword; and the High Justice is sworn upon his enchanted mantlepiece. As a knight advances in rank, their tabard's crest is decorated more fully: a Shield Knight has his shield bordered with a silver thread, a Sword Knight's sword becomes silvered, and a Mantle Knight's banner becomes marked with magical runes reciting the Knighthood's oath. When the Grandmaster dies, a new Grandmaster is chosen between the members of the Conclave. Although a Knight of the Mantle is usually chosen due to his experience, there is no rule stating that must be the case, and there have been known situations when the Knight of the Sword has been chosen instead.Crest
Their crest is a long, silver sword vertically positioned behind the center of a tower shield, draped with a blue banner.Public Agenda
In the past, the Knighthood would be the first to stick out their necks in the fight against evil, willingly throwing themselves at the dark forces that look to corrupt this world. This still remains true, but since their decline the knights have been forced to take up mercenary work in order to pay their taxes and upkeep.
History
The Knights of the Silver Sword were first created by Edwin Avidius after the Pulse, a time of great evil in Domina. For centuries they were revered as doing the gods' work and held to the highest honor among the Elvine and all of the Dominas.
Eventually there came a time where even these holy knights could not keep the evil forces completely at bay, and some knights splintered off to form sects of their own where they studied other schools of magic in an attempt to bolster their powers. Some took this as an opportunity to increase their influence over the Elvine empire and its citizens, which the world began to view as the Knighthood becoming corrupt. The Knighthood quickly fell into disgrace, but to this day still functions off of a foundation of knights still loyal to the oath.
Currently, the Knighthood is but a fraction of what it used to be, now only recognizing about one-tenth as many knights as it used to.
Ethics
Knights of the Silver Sword are held to the highest of standards when it comes to chivalry, honor, and justice. They are expected to live their lives and act in the name of the gods, first and foremost.
Granted Divine Powers
Knights that ascend to the Order of the Sword become gifted Clerics and Paladins, blessed by the gods they worship. Knights of the Mantle are gifted even more so.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Because of their close connection to the gods and undying loyalty to those they serve, the Knighthood has permeated many political and some military factions around Domina. The Knighthood is held on-par in importance to some countries' very own military, perhaps even more so. The Grandmaster and the Conclave have been referred to for many important decisions among history's kings and queens.
Sects
There are a few sects that have splintered from the main focus of the Knighthood which has ultimately brought disgrace unto the name of the Silver Sword. Although these roving groups are no longer officially recognized among the Knighthood, the thought of corruption has already made its way into the minds of the general populace.
"Glory to the Gods"
Founding Date
104AP
Type
Military, Knightly Order
Alternative Names
the Silver Swords, the Swords
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Leader
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Legislative Body
The foundation laws were written by Edwin Avidius and his conclave during the beginning days of the Knighthood, recorded in a 300-page tome. Over the years, the new Grandmasters and his conclaves have added to these rules and regulations, spanning seventeen 300-page tomes that have undergone dozens of revisions.
Judicial Body
Knights of the Mantle are responsible for interpreting the laws of the Knighthood, overseen by the High Justice of the order. Anyone of this order has the authority to carry out sentences for internal conflicts of the lower orders, but only the High Justice and Grandmaster can judge the other Knights of the Mantle.
Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments