Knights Lithmorran

History
On December 2, 298, King Iain II dissolved the Knights of the Chalice and the Queen's Guard of the Reeves, then reformed them into one uniform force: the Knights Lithmorran. The Knights were to handle all peacekeeping matters in the Kingdom, and unlike the Knights of the Chalice, they were made separate from the Holy Order. Rather than coming under the command of the Order, they report to the Earl Marshall who reports directly to the King.

The Knights Lithmorran still have strong links to their religious roots - yet they mix this spiritual predilection with a deep devotion to the noble practices of chivalry. Their alliance with the Reeves has imbued them with a deep sense of justice and a dedication to maintaining law and order to benefit the common people of the Kingdom. With these influences, members of the Knights are expected to be fair, disciplined, and pious, and so they enjoy a good reputation. The people of the Kingdom know they may turn to them for protection from the evil of mages and criminals alike.

Duties
The Knights Lithmorran handle all official peacekeeping, police, guard, and mage-hunting duties for the Crown. They're responsible for filling those warrants issued from the Holy Order for mages and heretics and those issued by the Reeves for criminals. Moreover, it is not uncommon for the King or Queen to call on them to defend the borders of the Kingdom or squelch political unrest; indeed, many knights are permanently stationed along the border with the Daravi in spite of the uneasy truce with the southern Sultanate, and recently, the nobility of Vavard has been calling for the assistance of the Knights with their troubles on the Charali Plains.

A knight generally begins his or her service to the Knights Lithmorran between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, when he or she is taken as a page to assist the knights in their tasks and with running the keep. After one to two years, the page is promoted to a squire, serving a single knight above all others and studying combat and chivalry with them. Nevertheless, though as a squire - and later an esquire - he or she is dedicated primarily to a single knight, his or her ultimate duties are to the knights as a whole and the Order and Reeves in general.

When the knight he or she serves and the Grand Master both deem the esquire ready, he or she will perform the Ceremony of Knighthood before a priest and several of his or her brothers and sisters. At this point, the esquire is name a Knight Errant of the Realm. These appointed knights are not true nobles, but due to the authority they carry and service and security they provide the Kingdom, they are typically treated with the same respect. They are addressed as Sir or Dame and may carry and use a sword in their duties to the Crown. It is these knights who perform the bulk of the mage hunting and bodyguard duties for the Order; they also&nbsp patrol the streets keeping the general peace in the realm. Many of the romantic stories involving knights on quests revolve around the concept of a Knight Errant performing good deeds to prove himself to the Crown.

Should the good and noble deeds of a Knight Errant attract the attention and blessing of the King, he or she will be made a Knight of the Crown. From that day onward, the knight is regarded as a noble of the land and is awarded a (usually rather humble) demesne for their dutiful service. The wife or husband of a full Knight of the Crown is also entitled to call themselves Dame or Sir, although he or she is not considered a knight. The same applies to widows and widowers. The Knights of the Crown are experienced, educated, and typically of high birth to begin with. As such, it is from their ranks that the Earl Marshall draws his commanders for military operations and positions of authority.

The Knights Lithmorran are not the only order of knights within the Realm, as the nobility also keeps its own traditions regarding their personal champions. Nevertheless, there are no orders that command either the admiration or the power that the Knights Lithmorran do, for the King backs the Knights as the official peacekeeping and military force for the Crown.

The head of the Knights Lithmorran is the Earl Marshall, although it is the Grand Master who deals with most day-to-day affairs.

Ranks
Earl Marshall - The leader of the Knights Lithmorran. Reports only to the King.

Grand Master - The Earl Marshall's second-in-command.

Knight of the Crown - An accomplished knight elevated to the nobility.

Knight Errant - The first level of knighthood. Not noble in rank.