Zhulik 3559 Share Posted February 15, 2017 THE KNIGHTS OF VANDER In the blazing furnace of battle we shall forge anew the iron will of a yet stronger Order Established in the 1598th Year of Existence, under the reign of His Majesty Leopold Francis I, King of Vandoria and the Westerlands With the fall of the Imperium Quintus and the beginning of the Imperial Diaspora, former Crownlands men gather west and rally forth behind the Horen-Vander branch of the royal family. As the successor of the Imperial Order of the Red Dragon, former Crown Knights of the Imperium Quintus are encouraged to reaffirm their vows to His Majesty Leopold Francis of House Horen. Knighthood To become a Knight of Vander, one must either be of noble or imperial gentry blood and go through a successful squireship under a Knight of Vander or be awarded knighthood for numerous demonstrations of valor and faith in the name of the Kingdom. All former Crown Knights of the Imperium Quintus are given the honor to request knighthood and may be subject to evaluation to decide whether said knight is worthy of passing their oaths to the King of the Westerlands. All Knights of Vander, regardless of the Lord they serve, must swear an oath to His Majesty for he is the Lord Vandalore and leader of the Vander people. It is his oath that trumps all others made. Before one is knighted by His Majesty, he must forge a blue steel longsword under the guidance of a professional smith. One must provide their own enchantments and name for the blue steel longsword before presenting it to His Majesty. If the sword is approved and the knight to be completes their knightly quest, he is worthy of gaining knighthood. While it is not required for the Knight to use the blade as his primary weapon, he is expected to have it on his person at all times as the sword becomes an extension of himself. A new knight is to return to the smith they were guided by and forge themselves an iron mask. This is symbolic to casting aside their own self interests and becoming faceless, a servant to the Lord Vandalore, His Majesty the King of the Westerlands. Path to Knighthood The path to becoming a Knight of Vander is long and tedious, with most applicants starting their trials and never finishing them. The vast majority of knights start off working through their childhood as a page, and then a squire as a teenager, before ever being considered for the title. The other way one is made a Knight of Vander is in the case of extraordinary heroism and devotion to the Westerlands, which is not something to be taken lightly. PAGE The path to becoming a Knight of Vander starts as the lowly page. Noble boys between the ages of seven and fourteen are inspected and taken in by knights looking for squires. They attend to very menial tasks, such as cleaning, messaging, and and otherwise serving their knight. In return, they receive an education from their knight in the form of basic combat training, practical schooling, and courtly manners. SQUIRE When a page has come past the age of fourteen, he is elevated to the role of the squire after an examination by the Grand Knight. Squires begin to act more like their mentors, retaining the more important jobs of their past and adopting new ones, such as maintaining arms and armour, protecting the knight, and even fighting in formation alongside him. Older squires are given important duties to be carried out, and will eventually embark on a quest to exhibit their knowledge of knightly custom and virtue and eventually join the ranks of the Knights of Vander. Vander Code The Vander Code dates back to the Aegisian Era and was first practiced by the Proto-Hansetian tribe known as Vandor. Since its conception, numerous orders and kingdoms have held the Vander Code as the epitome code of conduct to follow. Other kingdoms have used the Vander Code to forge their own codes of chivalry as well. All Knights of Vander are sworn to uphold and protect this code of conduct. To stray from practicing the code is a grave dishonor to the knight. † To fear the Creator and maintain His Church † It is the duty of a Knight of Vander to familiarize himself with the word of GOD and to revere it. Should heathens attempt to destroy a house of GOD, a Knight of Vander must be willing to sacrifice himself to obstruct such acts. When able to, a Knight of Vander should be charitable and give money to the men of the cloth in order to help maintain His Church. It is not out of the ordinary that a Knight of Vander may help in the founding and construction of a Church dedicated to the almighty Creator. † To serve the liege lord in valour and faith † A Knight of Vander stays true to his oaths and serves his liege lord with the utmost expertise. It is better to die defending one’s liege lord than it is to surrender and betray the liege lord. A Knight of Vander offers his life up to the fate of the Kingdom of the Westerlands and through the destruction of the realm’s enemies do they gain salvation in the hereafter. † To refrain from the wanton giving of offence † A Knight of Vander speaks with respect towards his peers, his superiors and his inferiors. The unprovoked insulting a fellow battle brother, especially in front of others, is a shameful display for the Knight of Vander. It is best for one to hold his tongue then to let it loose. † To live by honour and for glory † Honor and glory are the two major foundations for every Knight of Vander. A Knight of Vander must respect others and respect themselves. Desecrating their bodies or desecrating the body of another man is looked down upon. With honor comes glory, and Knights of Vander are encouraged to make a positive name for themselves by doing brave deeds in both the liege lord’s and GOD’s name. † To despise pecuniary reward † A Knight of Vander despises payment for work well done especially when the work is part of their duty. While a Knight of Vander is not forced to reject payment, they are to remain humble should they choose to accept it. There is more honor in rejecting payment however a Knight of Vander may choose to use pecuniary rewards for their own necessities, to donate to GOD’s Church or even to split it among his subordinates. † To obey those placed in authority † A Knight of Vander understands the chain of command and will execute the lawful will of his superiors without hesitance. To have respect for one’s superiors is humbling one’s self and by humbling one’s self we know our place in society. † To guard the honour of fellow Vanders † A Knight of Vander must be willing to protect the honor of a fellow Vander by any means necessary. Should one see a fellow Vander in dire need of aid, a Knight of Vander is obligated to step in and come to their defense. † To keep faith † While times do get dark, it is important for a Knight of Vander’s faith to never falter as he stands as a role model to his inferiors. A Knight of Vander is expected to be a believer in the almighty creator, GOD. He is to attend Church regularly when not taking part in a campaign. † To at all times to speak the truth † A Knight of Vander should never tell lies, especially to their liege lord. The words of a man are just as powerful as the blade. Words can cause wars or damn one’s soul to the nether. † To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun † Unless released from any bonds to a job taken, a Knight of Vander is expected to do everything they can to finish a job started. Beginning an enterprise only to see through it half way and quit reveals poor character, poor work ethic and a possible lack of loyalty. If a Knight of Vander is bound to complete a mission under oath, they are expected to do so or die trying. † To never to refuse a challenge from an equal † To refuse a challenge from your fellow peer is an act of cowardice. In life obstacles are put before us. We choose to either run from these or to try and overcome them. Whether or not we succeed does not matter for it is one’s will that is judged in the hereafter. † To never to turn the back upon a foe † A turned back leaves one open to their foe’s assault. A fleeing soldier is an open target for an enemy archer. While it is sometimes better to tactically retreat, it is never okay to turn one’s back to the enemy. It is an act of cowardice and in more instances than not a guaranteed death sentence. The Rule of Ulric Written by Ser Ulric von Aesterwald, the Pilgrim, on the 16th Day of the Sun’s Smile, 1585. Revised by Ser Rakim Yar, the Good on the 12th Day of Malin’s Welcome, 1594. On the Conduct of Knights of Vander The conduct of the Knight of Vander is to be an educated, unbiased servant of the Westerlands. He is to know how to address his fellows, his clergymen, the local liege lords, and perhaps even foreign emissaries if his job calls for it. He is to be a gentleman, and to refrain from the wanton of intoxicating measures and to similarly guard the honor of fellow women, especially noblewomen. Knights of Vander are expected to be in good fitness and health, less their attributes have waned as the result of service to the Westerlands, especially in battle. He is expected to know how to perform menial tasks, not necessarily so that he is to perform them, but so that he can perform them when no one else can. He is to be a scholar of the works of the past, taking from them the strategies to persuade and command as if he were Emperor Peter himself. On the Dress of Knights of Vander Knights of Vander are expected to set a precedent for the Westerlands in the form of appearing as sophisticated and morally sound individuals. When unarmed, Knights are expected to adopt formal clothing unless performing tasks of labor that would require flexibility. Such formal clothing should be in the style of the colors of the knight’s house or home region. When working labor, they may switch to more flexible articles that consist of pure white linen or wool. Knights of Vander should refrain from wearing pointed shoes or shoes with shoelaces, for traditionally these have been symbols of the impure and filthy pagan. On the armour of knights, such Sers should be equipped with no less than the best protective gear determined by their relative missions. Such equipment should be functional and representative of the beauty that is the West and God. To wear any less is a sign of disgrace to the King. Knights of Vander should adorn jewellry, but not to the degree of exhibiting greed or lust. Knights are expected to keep a wooden rosary on them at all times, especially in the case that last rites were to be administered in an emergency. On the Elderly, Sick, and Infirm Knights As is Nature’s course, the elderly and infirm knights, as a result of their longitude and conditions of service, must be granted exception to the rule in places where they are now naturally unable to service. Those who have served rightfully and courageously should have no issue in finding suitable retirement and care by their fellows. Knights of Vander who have come up with illness should refrain from gathering around his fellows, for surely they will take his lead in due time. He should remain bed bound, and only after his sickness has passed should he go about working once more. On the Formation of Knightly Orders and Guilds There will be limitations on the association of knights into such clubs, guilds, etcetera. No association of knights shall be used for political purpose or gain of those involved. All Knightly Orders and Guilds must be sworn directly to the King of the Westerlands. No association of knights may be accompanied by their banner forces within the King’s throneroom unless given permission prior to. Though each association of knights may have their own set of rules and regulations, all are subject to the rules and regulations of the Knights of Vander and the Vander Code. All associations of knights, informal or formal, shall be approved by the signature of the King of the Westerlands. “Formal” associations will be defined as associations of knights with lawful jurisdiction in an area greater than their own holding. “Informal” associations will be defined as any other association, such as a gentleman’s club On the Blackmarking of Knights There comes a time where some Knights of Vander will not follow the rules and guidelines set forth to keep them in the grace of God and his kingdom. Such is a bad omen to his fellows, and is certainly a disastrous precedent to be left unchecked. Hence, the need for the old form of Blackmarking. Those who have been blackmarked have committed grievance beyond repair in the eyes of the King. They are stripped of their regalia and forced to complete a task that will restore their position in the grace of the Westerlands. Such actions may only be undertaken once in a lifetime. In the event that one has been blackmarked and completed his task, only to be blackmarked once more, this man is to be stripped of his Knighthood, condemned, and banished from service. His name will be made public, and his presence in vassal states, while a stain on their good reputation, is only barely tolerable. If such committed grievances are horrible enough, the former knight may be banished from the realm entirely, or even hunted down and executed. The highest authority of knights in the land is the King of the Westerlands and only he can issue blackmarks to disgraced Knights of Vander. On the Issuing of Squires to Knights of Vander Due to past confusion in the process of selection and application of young men eligible to squirehood, such conduct has been made necessary to put in this Rule for use of future generations. Squires shall be selected only from the sons of noblemen or imperial gentry, but will have to be approved by the King of the Westerlands if a squire candidate has not undergone a period of pagehood. Squires shall not be tutored by a knight of their family or direct lineage and will be assigned by the King to a Knight of Vander if they cannot find a tutor for themselves. Squires shall be educated by their knights in martial arts, worldly knowledge, humanity’s history, and dedication to the state. They shall memorize the Vander Code and begin to act on its values immediately. As soon as they have been deemed to master their basic education, they shall be brought before the King for an overall examination and for a final quest to seal their place in the Knightly ranks. Knights of the Realm Ser Rakim of House Yar, “The Good” Ser Berengar of House Helvets, “The White” Ser Romane of House Niwarsay, “The Unburned” Ser Lucas of House McScribley, “The Cyclops” Ser James of House Hanson, “The Stalwart” Ser Elrach of House Lachlans, “The Villain” Ser Jacob of House Roche, “The Sheggit” Administrative Paperwork Reaffirmation of Knighthood Name (and house if applicable): Age: Knighted By: Reason for Knighting: Are you willing to reaffirm your vows and fealty to the King of the Westerlands and Country?: Coat of Arms: Petition to Receive Knighthood Name (and house if applicable): Age: Liege Knight: Were you a page?: Were you a Squire?: Reason for Knighting: Are you willing to affirm your vows and fealty to the King of the Westerlands and Country?: Petition to Form a Knightly Association Name of the Master: (If there is no one leader, leave this blank) Name of the Association: Formality of the Association: (Formal or Informal) Names of the Knights associated: (Minimum of Five Required) - - - - - IN NOMINE DEI, His Majesty Leopold Francis I of House Horen, by the grace of Owyn, King of the Westerlands, Vandoria, High Sovereign of the Westerlands, Sixth Lord Vandalore, Warden of the West and First Baron of Sennstisten 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cablam 477 Share Posted June 16, 2017 Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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