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Dol Amroth's Knights
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The Knighthood is granted to those men who are exemplars in every aspect of their service to the Prince, and them only. Similarly, the Investiture of Colour is awarded to only the most worthy of the Order of the Swan, and can only be performed by the Marshall or a member of House Imrazor proper.The investing of an individual Knight with a unique and particular Colour is done to honour that one, to serve as a message to all who live that this Knight is a model of chivalry above and beyond the accepted norm. Often the Colour chosen holds some unique significance or symbolism for the Knight who dons it.
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Rankings
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Becoming a swanknight entails several steps. First of all, you need to become a squire. In order to do this you must first serve a stint in the foot soldiers of Belfalas, or the Men-at-Arms. After a period of time you apply to be accepted and you shall be apprenticed as a squire to an active knight. After another period of time in which you receive training you will then be knighted. It is notable that only when you are judged by the current knights to be ready for knighthood will you be promoted to that level.
The player must know that to become a swanknight, you need to be aware of certain things. First of all the knighthood, ALWAYS requires a noble or valorous IC act of some kind. Often whole TP's are written in order to create an event in which a character proves himself worthy of Knighthood. These are usually an incredible amount of fun for all concerned, and well worth the wait.
Knight-Officers are chosen only from the most committed of the Knights. When there is a vacancy amongst the Officers, it is seldom filled right away. Instead, the current Officers, and the Prince, will make a serious study of possible replacements, testing them in ways both IC and OOC. It is not unlike a microcosm of the Feature Character process, and actually an excellent springboard for that honour.
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Knight-Officers
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Most decorated among the Knights, both peerless champion and matchless general, statesman and warrior, the title of Knight-Marshall is bestowed only upon the one Knight who best embodies all aspects of the Code of Chivalry. He serves as Imrahil's right hand, supreme leader of the Order in all matters. The position of Knight-Marshall is a demanding one, and few Knights will hold it for periods longer than five or ten years. This has long been reasoned as best for the Knighthood--a new Marshall brings fresh vigour to the Order that is necessary when one Prince has ruled for many years, or so the thinking runs.
The Knight-Captain serves a dual purpose: he is both the Marshall's right hand and one of the Lords of Battle himself, in time of war--and it is his duty to oversee the men-at-arms of the City Guard of Dol Amroth proper. The Captain then is a man upon whom much responsibility rests. His job is not one that many men would willingly accept--those who do are strong as steel... with wills to match.
The Knight-Herald is Imrahil's messenger, privy to the councils of the Prince himself at all times, and responsible for acting on his behalf and as his deputy in both the Steward's Court and Edoras, when the Prince himself is otherwise disposed. He is empowered to speak in Imrahil's name (the so-called Voice of the Prince) where necessary to command respect--yet the Herald has no proper rank in the military chain-of-command. This Office has traditionally been held by the eldest son of the first branch of the House Girithlin. It is exceedingly rare that the Prince's Herald be chosen from any other family--for Naringil First-Herald was the founder of the modern House Girithlin.
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Joining
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The Knighthood is not for everyone--but it is for the motivated, the talented RPer, the lover of Tolkien's works, and the ambitious. It takes a few months to climb the ladder from Squire to Knight, but it's always an enjoyable process and one that is designed, of necessity, to flesh out your character and to make you, as well, a higher-quality RPer if possible.
To join the Knighthood, you must first join a noble family (see +DAHELP NOBILITY). Once this is done, it is important to be familiar with all +GHELP and +DAHELP files, especially +DAHELP KNIGHTS. The Lord of your House will usually prove very helpful in assisting you with a Character History and in setting you up as a Squire.
In the event that you do not gain immediate acceptance into a Noble House, you can join the Men-at-Arms of the City Guard. This is not a direct path to Knighthood, but the most valorous of these fellows have been Knighted in the past for great deeds of courage. In the event that you have any questions, the folks under +DAHELP RULERS-OOC should be glad to answer them.
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