Knights
Qualifications
Requirements
To become a knight, a male between the ages of thirteen and sixteen can become a squire to a knight. This is an unpaid position, which they hold until they have served for five years and/or shown skill and valor. The knight they serve is responsible for their training and providing for them. Once knighted, they are placed in the service of a noble and take a pledge of loyalty to them, and the noble then provides residence, pay, and equipment to the knight. Knights gain status through recognition for brave deeds or displays of talent. This is awarded through bestowed medals and titles. A Knight of the Castle is the lowest-ranking knight whose job is basically to hang around the noble's court, attend social functions and competitions in times of peace, and help train the lower-ranking soldiers. If they distinguish themselves, they can be awarded a regional rank based on their region, such as a Knight of Caldon, etc. These knights can have squires and increased pay.
Appointment
The appointment of a knight is rather simple. The squire goes before the noble, kneels, and presents their sword. The noble takes it and asks if they are ready to follow the royal code of honor and defend the land. They accept and are knighted. Their name and coat of arms are inscribed in a document at the noble's castle and another copy is sent to the monarch.
Duties
Most knights spend time simply living at court, sometimes settling violent disputes between the commoners, or accompanying diplomats on their travels. During times of war, they are assigned a force of men at arms who they are responsible for training and leading into battle.
Benefits
Being a knight is a massive step up in social status for sons of well-off businessmen or merchants. It allows them to enter the courts of nobles and kings and to gain renown through battle. In addition to the status benefits, knights make a substantial salary depending on their rank and have the opportunity to travel and see more of the country while on assignment. The highest-ranking knights can afford to maintain a family and a modest household with servants. Some even join the ranks of the aristocracy by marrying noble ladies, which is not considered inappropriate.
Accoutrements & Equipment
A knight's basic equipment includes a horse, armor (a mail shirt, chestplate, pauldrons, helmet, gauntlets, chin plates, and spurs), a shield bearing his coat of arms, a long spear or lance, and his broadsword. These are provided by the nobleman he serves, and should he lose or break them, the noblemen will give him a replacement. A knight may also keep the armor and weapons of a knight he has defeated in battle, so successful knights generally collect more items.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
If a knight has broken the royal code of honor, the noble he is serving can remove him from service. Generally, if the offense is slight, such as a breach of knightly etiquette, the offense is generally forgiven or the punishment is something small like a fine given to the offended party or to the noble for the damage to his reputation. If the offense is greater, such as disobedience, drunkenness, or neglecting his duties, the noble can release him from service and/or find another noble to take him on. If none are willing, the knight is given a substantially smaller pension and asked to leave court quietly. If the offense was grievous and public, such as corruption, senseless violence, or breach of his vows, then the knight can be stripped of his armor and rank before the entire court and banished from the region. However, this can only be done with the agreement of the monarch. In extreme cases of treason, the knight can be sentenced to life in exile or to death.
History
Knights have existed in some form or another for most of history, though they are only known as “knights” in the Laklorin Empire. During the reign of the Dannic Dynasty, the knightly order became legally formalized. Phylip Hanes was made a knight in the court of Deor III, and he became the first member of the Royal Guard. Sir Phylip gained renown for challenging high-ranking cultists to duels. He trained many squires who were knighted, known as the Order of the Hounds. These knights uncovered the truth of Sir Phylip's murder and swore loyalty to his widow and young son as the true heirs to the throne. They played a significant part in the subsequent civil war and establishment of the Hanes Dynasty.
Cultural Significance
Knights have played a large role in Laklorin Empire fiction and art. The Knight's Ode was a genre of romantic poetry which was written from the perspective of a knight to his lover, usually a noblewoman or fair maiden, trying to win her affections through verse and recounting his tales of valor.
