To Become a Bogatyr

[The Knights Table 906]

To Become a Bogatyr

Penned by the Knight Paramount

 

6th of Vzmzy and Heff, 472 E.S.

The Bogatyrs of the Song of the Black are the knights we all aim to be like. They are our storied predecessors who paved the road for all squires and pages to follow, to transcend. As such, when the time comes for a squire to become a knight, the trials he or she must face should emulate the ordeals the Bogatyr had to face. The trials must challenge the squire, to see if they are worthy of joining our Order. Should a squire fail their pursuit, then they are not fit to wear the armor of a knight. 

 

And so I, the Knight Paramount, declare that the method to training and selecting squires will be changed. First off, heirs and peers will no longer be eligible to become knights. Knights must be knights first, they cannot be peers or set to become peers. The path of a squire to a knight will begin with the squire learning the history of the Kingdom and her brave defenders of yore. A squire who does not know their history will not be allowed to ascend to knighthood, it is shameful for a knight to neglect the history of the Order they have committed themselves to. Once they have committed to learning the history, then they will be allowed to test themselves with the trials.  

 

Ser Vladimir ‘Hothand’

Knight Paramount and Knight of the Order of the Black Sepulchre

Trials of the Bogatyrs:

 

Under this new system, squires will be required to complete five trials to become a knight. Two trials will be of the Knight Paramount’s choosing, one, the Trial of Slavomir, is mandatory for all squires to complete. The last two may be of the squire’s choosing. 

 

TRIAL OF SLAVOMIR ‘TWICEDROWNED’ | TRIAL OF THE WARRIOR

The one Trial that is mandatory for Squires to complete. Slavomir 'Twicedrowned' was famed for his immortality on the battlefield, and earned his moniker when not even Godan could kill him with two shipwrecks. In his Trial, Squires must prove their skill as a warrior, both with blade, horse, and bow, by facing several of the Knight’s Table in duels. 

 

TRIAL OF STANISLAW ‘LONGSUFFERING’ | TRIAL OF FORTUNE

Stanislaw 'Longsuffering' lived to see his brothers and family die around him in his service, and forever called himself cursed. The Squire in this Trial is tasked with hunting a common forest bear or accomplishing some task, but must carry the cursed Scabbard of Stanislaw. According to legend, he who carries the Scabbard will always be struck with the worst luck -- arrows shall miss, blades shall break, and boots shall slip.

 

TRIAL OF VLASTA ‘SECONDSIGHT’ | TRIAL OF BALANCE

Vlasta 'Secondsight' relied too heavily on diplomacy, and died in an enemy prison as a consequence. In her Trial, the Squire must rely on both wits and strength to succeed in their task.

 

TRIAL OF RATIBOR ‘SKYSENT’ | TRIAL OF FAITH

Driven mad in his quest to kill heathens, Ratibor’s Trial teaches Squires to spread Godan’s word without losing one’s soul. In this Trial, Squires must convert a pagan to Canonism, or destroy a site of pagan worship. 

 

TRIAL OF VILORIK ‘TURNHEEL’ | TRIAL OF COURAGE

Only through abandoning what he loved did Vilorik conquer fear. His Trial shall pit the Squire against a haunted place of horrors from which they must escape.

 

TRIAL OF MYLAH ‘KARLSTRONG’ | TRIAL OF WILL

Mylah’s willpower was equal to her infamous stubbornness, but she never balked from a task. In her Trial, Squires are placed in an environment of intense pressure and required to escape.

 

TRIAL OF SZITIBOR ‘SWORDSWORN’ | TRIAL OF WIT

Szitibor was among the great Raev warriors with a blade, but as useful as a squire without. Squires must succeed in his Trial by besting a monster in the Attenlund swamps with no weapons.

 

TRIAL OF JOSZEF ‘SEADWELLER’ | TRIAL OF JUDGEMENT

Second only to Slavomir as a commander was Joszef 'Seadweller'. To pass his Trial, Squires must exercise kindness and caution as they are presented with a series of petitions which they must answer justly.

 

TRIAL OF DRAGAN ‘SKULLSPLITTER’ | TRIAL OF POWER

As progenitor of the Scyflings, Dragan was said to possess the physical might of a Rimetroll, but also the brains of one. In his Trial, Squires must learn that power is the product of brain and brawn by completing a puzzle.

 

TRIAL OF BOZIDAR ‘KINDHEART’ | TRIAL OF ENDURANCE

Too warm-blooded to kill, Bozidar instead carried an enormous shield into battle to protect his liege. His Trial tasks Squires with crossing a battlefield, using only a shield and stamina to remain unscathed. 

 

THE FINAL TRIAL

Once a Squire has passed all their Five Trials of the Bogatyr, there remains one last challenge to conquer before they can be dubbed a Knight. There is no set trial or format for the Final Quest, no inspiring fable or tale of old. This task, a culmination of all a Squire has learned and endured, can be any great task assigned by the Crown or Knight Paramount. Though historically the Final Quest has required the hunting of a great monster, it can include other great undertakings, such as charting a foreign land, reclaiming a lost treasure, slaying a knave of infamy, or some such task. The Squire may accept no help in this task, and the chance of death is high. Should they, however, succeed, they are dubbed a Knight of Haense before the Royal Court.

THE MARIAN RETINUE

SKRAIJSK ARANYZ IJJIR

 

The Marian Retinue are the personal and soulsworn protectors of the Crown.

 

Though they compose part of the wider Order of the Crow, the Marian Retinue are distinguished from their knightly brothers through their absolute devotion to the safety of the King, Queen, or their children. A Marian Knight is not just a protector who ensures their charge travels safely -- they are their charge’s shadow, their mentor, and their friend. They are privy to secrets and truths their charge would share with no other, and honour compels them to take their own life should their charge die in their care.

 

THE MARIAN RECKONING

The Marian Reckoning is the special trial an aspiring Marian Knight must undertake when they are given a charge to protect. In the Reckoning, the charge - whether they be a new-born heir or an aged Princess whose previous Knight has died - is placed in a situation of serious and real danger, such as being caged above a pit of snakes or wolves or abandoned in the blizzards of the Rimeveld, and the aspiring Marian Knight must save them as proof of their commitment to the charge, and their capability to protect them no matter the cost. 

DUBBING

KURSAIN KAROS CAEZK I VE KRAWN I VE SANRUV KOSSAR

 

A Squire who completes their Five Trials of the Bogatyr and the Final Quest shall kneel before the Crown and the Royal Court to speak the following vow and be dubbed a Knight:

 

Crown: 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?

Squire: I do.

 

Crown: 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?

Squire: I will.

 

Crown: To bear this burden, a Knight must be strong. Will you be strong of spirit, and resilient to all forms of temptation? 

Squire: I will.

 

Crown: In order to be strong, a Knight must be brave. Will you be courageous against your enemies, and defend the helpless even at the cost of your life?

Squire: I will.

 

Crown: In order to be brave, a Knight must have honour and loyalty, lest he fall to sin. The Knight must be above reproach, their honour and allegiance unquestioned. Will you be honourable and loyal to Godan, to your King, to your Kongzem, and your people?

Squire: I will.

 

Crown: When you take this oath, you shall no longer be a man/woman. You shall be a Knight, invested with holy responsibility by Godan Himself. Do you accept this holy mission?

Squire: I do.

 

Crown: And so you swear to be brave, strong, and true, as all Knights must be?

Squire: I so swear.

 

Crown: Do you swear to be honourable and loyal, and to never forsake your vows nor your allegiance?

Squire: I so swear.

 

Crown: And do you swear to uphold all which is good and holy, and to honour Godan in all your actions?

Squire: I so swear.

 

Crown: Then I shall you to your oath, and if ever you part with it, may you also part with your life. I name you Ser/Dame [Name] of the Order of the Crow/Marian Retinue. May Godan keep you and uphold. Rise now, not as a mere subject, but as a Knight of Haense.

 

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Knight is given their personal weapon, forged by the Royal Smith, as their badge of office.

Spoiler

half this shit from an older knight's post thanks @Xarkly <3

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by The Knights Table

[Ibn Khaldun 7729]

14 hours ago, The Knights Table said:

Crown: 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?

Squire: I do.

 

 

The elder Hochmeister, in ethereal form, mimicked the words in a nondescript room seemingly not dissimilar to the gothic architecture of Konigsberg in Aegis. He looked with clarity down from on high, from the Seven Skies, as he imitated the Crown's motion in the flesh; the former drawing his finger as if tapping shoulders whilst the latter bore a blade to orchestrate the oath-taking. He looked down to watch the Crown and the newly knighted warrior with eyes welling and serenity smoothing away the wrinkles that had folded his face with wear when he once lived.