Orders of Knighthood in Nemmerle
Those of pure and burning purpose, whether they be evil or good, will find themselves in the company of equals who will help champion their cause. Such are the ways of knights, noble fighters who have earned fame by feats of arms. In Nemmerle there are a host of orders where knights band together for a common purpose. Whether to champion for the defenseless, defend a place of worship, or hold a seat of power - orders are mighty companies an adventurer would be wise to be informed about...
The Queen's List: is a ranking of knights seeking glory, challenging one another to combat to prove their worth and increase their standing. Some kingdoms observe their own Queen's List, and it is the path to fame, fortune, and conquest.
The Knights Luminos
Sphere of Influence: Treviland
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Treviland, Heironeous
Device: Yellow Burst of Lightning on an Orange Field
The Knights Luminos serve the throne of Treviland in upholding peace and justice for all peoples within the borders of Treviland. Unlike regular knights, who are tied to individual lords and their lands, the Order Luminos has holdings throughout the kingdom and enforces the king's will without considering jurisdiction. Their word in Treviland is the king's word and they act upon it without hesitation. Some lords resent their high-handed tactics, but know better than to argue with them.
Knights of the Holy Shielding
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Heironeous
Device: Downward-pointing sword over a green circle and fashioned with outstretched wings
Armée de les Pur Sain, or Army of the Pure Well
Sphere of Influence: Plenios
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Plenios, Heironeous
Device: A grapevine encircling a well
The Army of the Well serves the king of Plenios first, then the church of Heironeous. Their order spans the entire countryside of Plenios and they guard the borders vigorously against intruders.
The Order of the Sangrando Corazón or Bleeding Heart
Sphere of Influence: Tirudor
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Heironeous, Tirudor
Device: A broken heart of red on a burgundy field
This is an acutely religious order serving the Church of Heironeous above all other interests. For this reason, it has earned some enmity with the crown of Tirudor, but no one will dare admit it. Many clerics occupy the ranks of the Corazon as fighting holy men. Knights of Corazon will ride far from Tirudor on missions they feel are of import to Heironeous.
Ordnung Eisenstamm, or Order of the Iron Boot
Sphere of Influence: Erigoth
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Erigoth, Pelor
Device: A red boot crushing a serpent on a green field
This order traces its lineage to the earliest barbaric days of the Erigoth Kingdom when it overthrew the rule of the Celedon occupiers. The first of the Eisenstamm were said to fashion the chains of their captors into iron for their boots, which they used to crush those who dared to inflict hurt on the Erigoths. The Eisenstamm counts justice as its highest virtue but is keen to serve in the protection of the kingdom as a military force.
The Huvudorn, or Eagle's Head
Sphere of Influence: Norgarde
Loyalty (in order of allegiance): Norgarde, Moradin
Device: A gold eagle's head on a black field
This is not an order of prestige as it is in some kingdoms, but more of a fellowship of common warriors. A position among the ranks of the Huvudorn is won by challenging one of its members and defeating them in combat. In this way, even a peasant may rise to an honored position and the group is known more for its strength than its finery. The Huvudorn answers directly to the king of Norgarde but keeps mostly to itself, communicating little with the throne and roaming the countryside looking for evil to crush.
Nemmerle Rules for Knighthood
- The term 'knight' is used to describe elite warriors who have sworn allegiance to some lord or chieftain and therefore obligated military service in exchange for title, lands, and preferential status. All knights follow a code but the code varies from region to region and the alignment of their master. Knights tend to be of lawful alignment but this is not a requirement.
- Knights tend to come from wealthy families but this is not always so - feats of arms can earn a warrior a knighthood from a patron lord.
- Knighthoods can only be bestowed by the lords of a particular land: kings & queens, dukes & duchesses, barons & baronesses, etc. A lord bestowing knighthood brings that warrior into that lord's power base, from which lands and wealth are both shared and collectively defended. The bond of a knight to a lord is for life, but can be transferred to a higher noble of that land or to any peer noble as part of a trade. This is done from time to time as knights come into favor or fall afoul of their masters. Some lords take care to build their houses with the finest knights, others prefer only those from their regions or relations.
- Knights can be of any alignment, but mostly lawful alignments are attracted to a title of knighthood for it bears with it an obligation of service to a lord. Chaotic knights tend to be less popular for following their own whims, but they can be attractive recruits if their talents are high enough.
- Lords retain a host of knights to defend their lands. But some knights also join orders of knighthood.
- Orders of knighthood can be either religious, secular, or even outside the power structure of the surrounding lands altogether. A religious order serves one religion, church, or code above all else. A secular order serves the authority of the land. An outsider order serves a code all its own.
- The number of knights retained by a lord's household depends on the power level of the lord.
- Barons: 4-8 knights, each holding land somewhere around the Baron's town
- Dukes: 10-20 knights, each holding land somewhere around the Duke's city, plus all the knights of their subordinate barons
- Kings: 20-40 knights, each holding land somewhere around the King's capital city, plus all the knights of their subordinate dukes and barons
