Founded by King Barid 500 years ago, there are four orders of the Baridorian Knights.
Knights of Baridor (12)
Marshal of the Faith (120)
- Grand Marshal
- High Marshal
- Lord Marshal
- Knight Marshal
Errant of the Faith (1,200)
Defender of the Faith (about 12,000)
- Knight Major (Major)
- Knight Adentant (Adentant)
- Knight Prior (Prior)
- Knight Captain (Captain)
- Knight Sergeant Master (Master)
- Knight Sergeant (Sergeant Brother)
- Knight Corporal (Brother)
- Knight-At-Arms (Brother)
- Knight Initiate (Initiate)*
* The Knight Initiate has no rank within the order.
Knights of Baridor
There are never more than a dozen living knights who are inducted into this brotherhood. Each has proven his worth in battle, moral character, and duty beyond question.
These knights may be drawn from any of the other three orders. They are sponsored by an existing member of the brotherhood or the king and must be elected unanimously by the brotherhood and the king, a process that can take years.
The duties of the Knights of Baridor are to protect the realms and the king. They are directed by the king himself, though they are often granted a great deal of freedom in how they will take action.
Marshal of the Faith
The Marshals of the Faith are the military and spiritual leaders of the Baridorian Knighthood. They each command a division of Defenders of the Faith.
Defenders and Errants may become Marshals after achieving the rank of Prior or higher and proving their skills in leadership. They must be sponsored by a current Marshal and must have the recommendation of twelve Defenders of Errants who have served alongside them or, more importantly, under their command. A typical Congress of Attestors includes more of the latter than the prior.
Errant of the Faith
An Errant of the Faith, or Knight Errant, is a knight who has been granted a level autonomy outside the duties common to the Defenders of the Faith. They are sent by a Marshal of the Faith to act alone, in a small group, or alongside those who are not members of the order as an agent of the order.
Errants are selected from the ranks of the Defenders of the Faith and may hold any rank. They must petition for this rank, must have been a member of the order for at least a year and a day, and must be sponsored by any knight of a higher rank of any brotherhood. Their Congress of Attestors must include twelve other knights of any rank who are in good standing.
Once their mission is complete, they may rejoin the ranks of the Defenders, petition membership in the Marshals, or remain an Errant.
Defender of the Faith
The backbone of the order, the Defenders of the Faith make up the vast majority of the Baridorian Knights. They are charged to protect the Faith, its members, and its home, the Realms of Sothis. They are often charged to serve a lord as heavy infantry or cavalry, as a portion of a garrison, or as local constabulary in statistically important towns, though they typically supplement more numerous soldiers, guards, and constables. Defenders of the Faith also protect holy sites and traveling members of other branches of the Faith such as Proclaimers or Healers.
While they are often seen as soldiers, guards, or constables, the Defenders are held to a virtuous standard: cruelty and impropriety are grounds for expulsion from the order.
Defenders may be of common or noble descent. In order to join their ranks, one must have a sponsor who is a Knight-Captain or higher. Their Congress of Attestors must include twelve other knights of any rank who are in good standing. Should hey meet these requirements, they are names a Knight Initiate.
Knight Initiate
In order to become a Knight Initiate, one must present his sword and the names of his Congress of Attestors to a Knight Captain or higher-ranked knight and request sponsorship. Once accepted, the Knight Initiate is presented to a Knight Prior. The Knight Prior must set a quest for the potential knight to complete within a year and a day.
This bequeaths them the title of Knight Initiate. The initiate has not proven themselves a knight and has no rank within the order, but is allowed the rites and burial of a Baridorian Knight should they die undertaking their quest, and gains access to amenities such as rooms and board at properties of the Faith as they attempt to complete their sacred task.
The quest is always dangerous, meant to test the initiate's body and spirit. They are typically sent to retrieve a lost relic of religious or national significance, to defeat a monster endangering people of the Faith, or discover information important to the future or security of Baridor or the Faith. Less than a quarter of Knight Initiates die undertaking their quest, though most do not succeed.
A Knight Initiate is not expected to undergo his quest alone, as he must have witnesses who will attest to his prowess and virtue. Once his quest is complete, he returns to the Knight Prior who summons the Congress of Attestors to hear the deeds of the initiate both from his own mouth and from witnesses and assess the success of the quest. If the initiate is seen to be worthy, he is knighted by the highest-ranking knight present and is named "Knight-At-Arms". He takes four vows: the Vow of Protection, the Vow of Justice, the Vow of Adherence, and the Vow of Abstinence.
- The Vow of Protection: The first is to devote his life and death to the protection of the Realms and the King, and to defend the innocent wherever he may find them.
- The Vow of Justice: The second is to seek righteousness in his actions and enforce order and adherence to the laws of the Realm in others.
- The Vow of Adherence: The third is to advance the Faith and live according to the Standard. This includes honor, valor, reverence, piety, faith, and knowledge of the sacred Word.
- The Vow of Abstinence: The fourth is to abstain from any influence which might sway him from his duties, including romance, alcohol, or other duties.
The first three are final vows, meaning they are permanent. The fourth vow is temporary, in a sense. For a year and a day, the knight must practice celibacy, chastity, sobriety, and poverty. For a noble knight, this means that he has no claim to his family land and no noble title. After the period the knight may choose to renew the vow or any portion of it, and can make it a final vow only if he is thirty years or older.
Once initiated, the Knight-At-Arms is assigned to a duty.
