Knights of the Isles

Over on the Dagorhir boards, Primarch Ser Hivemind Saligia of The Cairnhold Legion wrote "knighthood should be about virtue and service, not about how many people you can beat with a foam bat." It is an attitude with which I heartily concur. Even the term itself leads to such an interpretation, knight stemming from a Middle English word meaning servant.

With this in mind, knighthood in the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles eschews the lifetime achievement award approach that is common among LARP groups Instead, knighthoods are awarded primarily for service to our realm.

Squires
Our Kingdom's Council will invite members to serve as squires. These candidates must have some experience (at least a year), have their own garb and weapons, have a reputation for being honorable, courteous, and helpful, have provided service to the realm, and have some skills that can benefit the realm.

The squire will serve in that role for at least a year, and must perform a series of quests.

The Quests
The Council will determine the exact nature of the quests, and will tailor them to the individual. For example, someone whose primarily ability is in crafting won't be expected to perform a bunch of combat-related quests. Here are some sample quests:

• Quest of Knowledge - pass a test on the rules of the game
• Quest of Service - design and reeve a number of battlegames
• Quest of Prowess - use your primarily skill to serve the realm (e.g. a tailor could make monster garb for a quest, etc.)
• Quest of Dedication - stand before the Council as they scrutinize your performance as squire
• Quest of Courage - undertake an in-persona role-playing adventure

Once the quests are completed, the Council will vote on the candidate. If approved, the squire will be granted the title of Knight Companion of the Order of the Morning Sun. Why the morning sun? Because the morning sun burns off the mist that shrouds the Isles. Similarly, knights of the Order are expected to be beacons of chivalry that cut through the haze of incivility.

A Few Points

• Note that there is both a virtue and role-playing aspect to becoming a knight. In the Quest of Dedication, the Council should examine a squire's chivalrousness and their dedication to the RP aspect of the hobby.
• In my opinion, following the code of chivalry is what distinguishes a knight from a standard fighter. The squire should demonstrate the virtues of chivalry in his/her everyday playing of the game.
• Role-playing is important for a knight of our realm! After all, the game is about more than beating on people; it is really about creating a shared fantasy world. Squires should serve the realm by helping to create that world. They do not have to go into full actor mode, but they must contribute something. For example, they must be wearing garb and it is helpful if they have a backstory.
• We will not have a Circle of Knights making decisions. I feel that a circle can potentially lead to cliquishness. Instead, the realm Council, as representatives of the populace as a whole, shall make the determination on who should be squired and knighted.
• Fear not, visitors and migrants to the realm. If you come bearing a title, you will not be asked to drop it. The Free Kingdom will acknowledge such foreign titles and consider you a knight errant (this also means you could adopt a title for role-playing purposes; we won't raise a stink). If you wish to be part of the Order of the Morning Sun, however, you will need to receive an invitation from the Council and complete the quests.
• Finally, becoming a Knight Companion is not the final destination for our aspiring beacons of chivalry. There are also higher ranks of knighthood - Knight Commanders and Knight Champions - that one can attain through additional quests.