THE ORDER OF THE CROW

[Zanthuz 1863]

The Knightly Order of the Crow

circa. 1729

 

“For my liege, and his prestige.”

 

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Following the successful establishment of the Marian Retinue by King Marius II and Ser Varon Kovachev. A necessity has been called to officially institute a knightly order which serves to defend the Kingdom of Haense and its citizens with pronounced prestige and chivalry as opposed to directly fulfilling the purpose of the Marian Retinue which acts as the King’s royal guard.

 

King Andrik III and Ser Nikolaus Kortrevich sought to form a new knightly order within Haense, which is modeled after the former Knightly Order of the Golden Gryphon.

 

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Chivalric Tenets

All Knights of the Haeseni realm, be they newly-dubbed squires or grizzled veterans, are expected to comport themselves as paragons of virtue in adherence with the Haeseni Chivalric Tenets:

 

• To serve your King, and God, in both valour and faith.

• To protect, and serve, the weak and defenceless from the evils of this world.

• To hold yourself in the light of God, and live by honour and for glory.

• To guard the honour of your King, God, liege lord, and fellow brothers.

• To never refuse a challenge from an equal, and to not turn back upon a foe.

• To prove one’s self through discipline, loyalty, and respect.

• To respect the laws of the land you ride upon, and those placed in authority.

• To remain true to your blood, and to the land you’ve grown upon.

• To be strong, true, and sworn to King Barbanov, and the Crow.

 

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Knightly Duties

While Crow Knights are bound by the Haeseni Chivalric Tenets that governs the conduct of all Knights, there exists duties and honours bestowed upon Crow Knights outside of their standard military service, which generally include:

 

• To comport oneself with honour and patience, and act as a role model for all Haeseni citizens;

• To undertake quests to ensure the Kingdom’s safety, such as slaying dangerous beasts within the land; 

• To take on squires and to train and educate them as the Kingdom’s future generation of Knights;

• To guard and escort those in need;

• To champion and defend those unable to do so themselves, and ensure the weak are not exploited;

• To participate in tournaments across the land for the prestige of Hanseti-Ruska;

• To be the Kingdom’s finest warriors.

 

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Path to Knighthood

To join the order, one must qualify all prerequisite requirements as it is written, with no special exceptions considered as the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska holds a high standard for their knightly men and women:

 

• Must be sworn to the Kingdom of Haense and his Royal Majesty

• Of human or elven blood

• Pages must be at least the age of eight

• Squires must be at least thirteen years of age

• Arma Patrinae must be at least eighteen years of age

 

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Squireship

The Order of Knights keeps a very strict standard on those desiring to join. For those of common blood, the process of being a squire is off-limits, and they must seek other ways to be Knighted. Such results in commoners daring to do the extreme in precarious situations, proving their bravery and diligence, in attempts to be recognized and knighted. This process can be defined as:

 

• Squiring by Heroism: A soldier of the Haense Royal Army of common blood may be assigned to a Crow Knight as a squire in recognition of a heroic deed that distinguishes them as exceptionally skilled and honourable.

 

Those of Nobility wishing for their sons or daughters to become Knights, must find an able Knight willing to take on a Squire. A squire is taken under the wing of a Knight at the minimum age of thirteen, and through the coming years will be taught, and tested, in various abilities till their twenty-first name-day. If unsuccessful in any part of their training to become knighted, they may be given the opportunity to continue training past the allotted eight years. This process can be defined as:

 

• Squiring by Birth: An existing Crow Knight may take on a squire, or be assigned one by the Knight Paramount - another soldier who is of noble birth and generally between the ages of thirteen and twenty-one. A Crow Knight shall be responsible for mentoring their squire in the ways of chivalry, culture and arms. After a minimum of eight years of reputable service in the Brotherhood of Saint Karl and squirehood, a Crow Knight may petition the incumbent Knight Paramount to have their squire assessed for knighthood.

 

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Trials

A set of trials are in place for when a Knight of the Order or a Marian Knight of the Retinue takes on a squire and commences squireship. It is to be known that once a squireship commences the Knight designated to squire the individual must delegate a minimum of three trials that are listed below. While along with the three trials that are selected; it is mandatory that a squire must undergo the Trial of Skill which is outlined further below.  Following the completion of the trials set before them, if they have successfully completed the trials tasked before them it’ll be determined whether they are pronounced Knight of the Order of the Crow or if they’ve failed the set of trials it’ll be determined whether they’re allotted more time to train.

 

• Trial of Chivalry: A Knight must be a warrior of unquestionable honourable, and thus a squire must undertake the Trial of Chivalry. A squire shall undertake their Trial of Chivalry by travelling across the Descendant lands and visiting five cities, in each of which they must complete an act of chivalry for the populace, and obtain a signature from a leader of the city as testament.

• Trial of the Scholar: A Knight must be wise in the ways of Haeseni culture and history, and thus a squire must undertake the Trial of the Scholar. To complete this trial, the Knight Paramount shall question a squire on customs and history in Haense to assess their knowledge. Knights must also be assessed on how to address nobles and leaders not only within Haense, but across the land, and proper court and national etiquette, alongside language, so as always to represent the respect and honour of Haense.

• Trial of the Sword: A Knight must be skilled in arms to defend the Kingdom, and thus a squire must undertake the Trial of the Sword. In this Trial, a squire shall be required to duel several Knights to demonstrate their ability in arms. 

• The Knight’s Quest: Once a squire has proven themselves in the Trial of Chivalry, the Scholar and the Sword, they shall progress to their final challenge - the Knight’s Quest. This Quest shall be assigned by the Crown or the Knight Paramount and consist of the squire being sent on a journey on their own to put their abilities to the test. The Knight’s Quest can be anything, but will often include tasks such as slaying a great beast, retrieving a fabled treasure, or travelling to an uncharted land. The squire must return to Haense with a trophy of their exploits as their final test.

 

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Structure

The Order of the Crow is composed by no more than ten individuals who bear the title of ‘Ser’ or ‘Crow Knight’ in recognition of their strength of arms, honour and loyalty throughout their service in the Haense Royal Army. Once knighted, Crow Knights shall remain with their standard military unit and adhere to standard hierarchy, while charged with the duties of a Crow Knight. Once knighted, a Crow Knight shall be so until death, even once retired from active military service. Seated Crow Knights shall wear the below uniform as a badge of their prestigious station:

 

The Page

A page is a young boy who wishes to one day become a knight, usually around the age of eight years old. They are a unique type of ward, in which a knight takes one on and keeps them within their own hold, and from there they are educated by the knight upon various topics, such as; manners, houses, heraldry, history, etc.

 

The Squire

A squire is a boy who has been taken on by a knight to learn more about the ways of knighthood, usually around the age of thirteen years old. During such time, they hold no sort of authority, or rights, that knights of the order may hold. While under the knight they will be taught much more practical, and theoretical, learnings, such as; tactics, swordsmanship, chivalry, duties, horsemanship, armament, etc.

 

The Crow Knight

A knight is a man who has either passed through his squireship, and turned the age of twenty-one. Once knighted, their fealty is sworn to the King of Haense, and expected to uphold all chivalric tenets of the order.

 

 

The Meyster Knight

The Meyster Knight is the leader of the order of the crow, he is in charge of all things chivalric and answers only to the King of Haense. Being the one who can allow, or disallow, squireship or knighthood. 

 

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Attire and Armament

 

Pages depending on the knight in question, may wear simple clothing or the colours depicting the knight they’re working for.

 

Squires are expected to wear a full tabard over their armour, which must depict either the colors or heraldry, of the knight who he is squired to.

 

Knights are expected to wear the armor provided to them by His Royal Majesty and/or current Meyster Knight that possesses the colors of gold and black, upon their person at all times.

 

 

Weaponry

Where pages and squires are expected to be equipped by their knight in question, arma patrina’s and knights are expected to keep a maintenance upon their weaponry and utilize the type which is best depending on the fight, thus are expected to be versed in various weaponry from short-swords, to long-swords, and axes. Including other equipment, such as shields, crossbows, and spears.

 

Horses

Ordermen should regularly groom and train their horses. They should be adept horsemen, and their horses should be fit as well. The horse’s hair should be regularly brushed, their hooves treated and horseshoes replaced as needed, etcetera. It is typically the duty of a knight’s squire or pages to maintain the knight’s horses.

 

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Oath and Ceremony

 

Upon the initiation of the Knighting Ceremony, the Knight-apparent must come wearing a tabard of brown, symbolizing that they are yet a common man, and they may not bring a blade, symbolizing that they are not yet among the brotherhood.

 

When they are knighted, they are given a tabard of their own heraldry made by the Order, and a sanctified blade, symbolizing their rise to knighthood, and their duty to God and Haense.

 

“Do you, [Name] swear now upon the blade of Gaius Marius, the first Hochmeister of our earliest order, that all you say now is true, and that you have come to receive your knighthood?”

 

Response: It is.

 

“The truth is the burden of all knights, one that only the diligent can bear.  Will you be true in all things, even if it may lead to your demise?”

 

Response: I will.

 

“To bear this burden, a knight must be strong.  Will you be strong of spirit, and resilient to all forms of temptation?”

 

Response: I will.

 

“In order to be strong, a knight must be brave.  Will you be courageous against your enemies, and to defend the helpless, even if it may cost your life?”

 

Response: I will.

 

“In order to be brave, a knight must have honor and loyalty, lest he fall to sinful ways.  The knight must be above reproach, his honor and allegiance unquestioned.  Will you be honorable and loyal to your king, your people, and above all else, to God?”

 

Response: I will.

 

“When you take this oath, you will no longer be a man.  You will be a knight, invested with holy responsibility by God himself.  Do you accept this burden that God has placed upon you?”

 

Response: I do.

 

Now for your oath.

 

“Do you swear to be brave, strong, and true, as all knights must be?”

 

Response: I so swear.

 

“Do you swear to be honorable and loyal, to never forsake your vows nor your allegiance?”

 

Response: I so swear.

 

“Finally, do you swear to uphold all which is holy and good, and to honor God in all your actions?”

 

Response: I so swear.

 

“Then I seal you to your oath, if you should part with it, may you part with your life.

I name you Ser <Name> of the <Knight Order>.  May God keep you and uphold you.”

 

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