Canonfire!

Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:37 pm Knightly Orders

Here's a list of the Knightly Orders I'm aware of. Did I miss any?

Glaives of Azharadin

Holy Knights of Rao

Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom

Knights of the Book

Knights of the Chase

Knights of Doom

Knights of the Order of the Hart
Knights of the Hart
- Knights of Furyondy
- Knights of Veluna
- Knights of the High Forest

Knights of Holy Shielding (aka "Shield Knights," "Knights of the Shield")

Knights of the Iron Nation

Knights of Luna

Knights of the Mace

Knights of the Malachite Throne

Knights of the March

Knights Militant

Knights of Ringland

knights of the Sultanate (aka "Spahis")

Knights Valorous

Knights of the Watch / Knights of Dispatch

Templars of the Theocracy ("Knights Templar")

Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:01 pm

Well, it depends on what you mean by "knightly Orders". There's really three kinds of Orders.

There's big military Orders like the Knights of Holy Shielding or the Knights of the Watch. They have a heirarchy, with holdings and a full fledged army and so on much like the Templars and Hospitallers in the real world.

Then there are honorary Orders, things equivalent to the English Order of the Bath or Order of the Garter. They don't have independent structures and soldiery, but convey special priviledges and responsibilities. I'm not an expert on Aerdy things, but I gather that the K-Ps and perhaps the Glaives are like that.

Then there are military orders that aren't really "knightly" per se. They serve a function primarily other than battlefield military. The Valorious Order of Blindness, for example.

If you include all three sorts of groups in a single list (as you seem to be doing), I believe there are more than you list. If you are looking only for one of those types of groups, then there is less.

Btw, the 'Knights of Ringland' were discussed in another thread recently and the general concensus was that the term really meant "Knights of Holy Shielding *from* the Ringland area." Not a separate military Order.

Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:24 am

I doubt the Knights of the Order of the Hart and the Knights of the Hart are separate orders as it appears your list identifies them. But then again, I may have missed something.

Or the fact that they're not double spaced may just mean alternate names and I'm an idiot who can't understand your formatting. Wouldn't be the first time. Embarassed

Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:54 am

I agree with what has already been said.

The Knights of Luna in particular is not a true knightly order, as they have no sanction from the queen(i.e. a royal charter). The Knights of Luna is simply a political faction within Celene that disagrees with the isolationist views of Queen Yolande, and goes behind her back to further their own political goals. Imagine a political party calling themselves knights. It's the same thing except that some members of the Knights of Luna are armed and dangerous, and do more than just politic.

The Knights of the March are little more than a historical footnote at this point, though some families might still mention past involvement with them as a way of making themselves seem more important than they really are.

Are you just listing all mention of knights, or are you more interested in knowing which ones are currently active(in the 590's CY or thereabouts)?

Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:50 pm

Intersting Confused

Andy; I believe the hart shows the branches not to imply two orders.
KPGK is not honorary they simply were "banned' when Naelax took power, the still exist as a loose order of individual knights who seek to redeem the GK and Aerdi people to return GK to honor so it can return to its former greatness.

Some on your list can be questioned as orders; 1) Knights of the Malachite Throne; The Fiend-Knights of Doom are an elite squad of warriors created from normal men by spellcraft.
2) Iron Nation Knights are simply the elite armed unit of the forces of Drax of Rel Astra, who have no code, independent action or goals beyond Drax's orders.

Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:14 pm

Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:18 pm

Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:51 am

Ah, ok. Could you edit your first post to show soucres for some of the more obscure "knights"? The Glaives of Azharadin don't ring a bell.

Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:50 am

Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:29 am

They're from a Living Greyhawk Journal published in Dragon IIRC. Don't ask for an issue number, I have no idea. It might be in the LGJ index someone posted here though. Looks like they might be in Dragon 298, but I think that index is incomplete.

Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:43 pm

Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:42 am

The Glaives are an Onnwal-based chivalric order that arose out of LG and then made it into the Living Greyhawk Journal (which means that their canon status is arguable - and I say that as a co-creator of the order*).

The potted spiel is that they are a small chivalric order of knights among the Onnwalon nobility based partly on the faith of Heironeous but mostly on a cult of personality of the great Aerdi general Azharadian (who was first mentioned in Ivid the Undying and whom we LG Onnwalons claimed as the conqueror of Onnwal). They're very much be a minor, local order of knighthood - in no way comparable in terms of size, scale and influence with the Hart, the Watchers or the Holy Shielding.

P.

* The other being Mr Stuart Kerrigan.