Shields of Mannaret
The Shields of Mannaret are an order of paladins residing in the kingdom of Bhren. As their name suggests, they serve the god Mannaret as protectors of the realm and of the people. The tenets of the order are honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty.
The Shields are the largest order of Mannaretic fighters short of the Clerical Order of Mannaret itself.
Structure
Initiate
Initiates are those who have offered themselves to the order in hopes of joining. They must pass a series of basic trials to prove their strength and devotion to god and country. If they are accepted, they swear their first vow, called the Initiate’s Vow. By taking this vow, they swear to obey the laws of the land, obey their superiors in the order, and act with honor. They spend most of their time in prayer and training. When they are deemed worthy of advancement, usually after six to eight months, they may take Intermediate Vows.
Novice
Novices are still learning the ways of the Order, and they are paired with a mentor, a higher ranking member, for training. This is usually a Knight Agent, but may sometimes be a Knight Quaestor. They have more freedom, being allowed to leave the grounds of the headquarters more often and even go on quests with their mentor. This additional freedom comes as a result of additional duties. Novices spend an allotted amount of time assisting the city guards, and are sometimes sent to other towns in the kingdom to serve the guards there. A Novice cannot take their Final Vows until their mentor and a small council or higher ranking member decide that they have shown suitable valor in battle, faith in prayer, and service to the kingdom in order to be called a paladin. At this point, they will be allowed to take their Final Vows at a public ceremony, typically with a few other Novices. The Novice rank typically lasts anywhere from two to six years.
Knight Agent
A Knight Agent has taken their Final Vows, which are for life. They have sworn an oath of fealty to the king and to the Grandmaster. Most paladins of the order fall into the rank of Knight Agent. They have more duties and responsibilities than Novices, and fill a variety of roles. They might serve as custodians in a Shields’ outpost, leaders of village militias, soldiers in war, and many other things. First and foremost, they are protectors of the people and defenders of justice. They may occasionally go on quests, but not quests of the same status as those taken up by Knight Quaestors. They are bound to remain with Bhren’s borders unless given explicit permission by their commander.
Knight Errant
A Knight Agent who is chosen for advancement will first serve as a Knight Errant. It is an intermediary rank that prepares the paladin for the job of Knight Quaestor or Knight Protector. They are temporarily freed from some of their vows; most notably they are allowed, and even encouraged, to leave Bhren’s borders. Unlike other knights, the Knight Errant rank lasts a limited amount of time. The Knight Errant and his or her commander will decide on the length of the errancy, which usually lasts three to five years. It rare for an errancy to be any shorter or longer than this. This time away from the Order allows the paladin to explore the world and spread the faith of Mannaret, but is also a test of honor. A paladin who acts dishonorably when no one is around is not fit for advancement, and several months are spent before and after the errancy to judge the paladin’s honor. A Knight Errant is still bound by all of their vows that do not keep them in the kingdom, such as defending the innocent and aiding the needy. Knights Errant may go wherever they wish and may even travel with others if they should choose.
Knight Quaestor
Knight Quaestor is the rank of paladins who travel most throughout the kingdom. They often receive permission to leave Bhren’s borders, but not without reason. They spend most of their time out on quests. These quests range from recovering lost relics to slaying dangerous monsters. These are the paladins most likely to be told of in songs and stories for their great deeds. For a quest requiring many paladins, a Knight Quaestor will serve as the leader; otherwise, they are rarely leaders of other knights.
Knight Protector
Knight Protectors are the upper echelon of the Shields of Mannaret. They command outposts and serve as leaders of regiments of Knight Agents. It is possible to advance directly from Knight Agent to Knight Protector, but more often than not they go through the ranks of Knight Errant and Knight Quaestor first. The rank of Knight Protector has four degrees based on how many men they lead, with Fourth degree being the lowest of the Knight Protectors and First Degree being the highest. Some Knight Protectors even serve as the king’s personal guards.
Knight Superior
The eight Knight Superiors serve as regional commanders. They oversee forts and lead armies into battle. They are the highest ranking members of the order except for the Grandmaster. They also serve as a council of advisors to the Grandmaster and elect a new Grandmaster when the current one dies or abdicates.
Grandmaster
The Grandmaster is the highest ranking member of the Shields of Mannaret. He or she typically holds the position for life, but may abdicate if they feel that they are no longer fit to lead the order. The Grandmaster is the final authority on all matters inside the order.
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