Antoran Chivalry: Difference between revisions

'''Andoran Chivalry''' is a system of various concepts that encompass the ideals, behaviors, and status of [[Casilló y Réal|Andoran]] knights and gentlefolk. First popularized in 1149 with the writing of ''To Become an Ideal Cavalier'' (''Convertirse en un Perfecto Caballero,)'' the proliferation of chivalric codes of conduct and social conventions across Andora was greatly helped by literature and the teachings of the [[Andoran Deusism|Andoran Deus Church.]] Literary sagas such as ''The Great Deeds (Las Estupenda Hazañas)'' and ''Fifteen Virtues (Quince Virtudes)'' told the stories of knights performing acts of honor and great renown. Modern scholarship has suggested that most of the writings from this period on the matter are apocryphal and {{wp|Anachronism|anachronistic}}, but did have a great impact upon the chivalry of the day.

== Andoran Precepts ==

The Andoran Precepts for Honorable and Chivalric Life were written in 1355 by King Marius Ignatius II of Réal. The king was considered a scholar in his day and was a great student of philosophy. The Precepts were written as part of a larger effort by Marius Ignatius II to set standards for behavior in his court and on the battlefield. The entire text was unique at the time for its total disregard for religious doctrine and lack of theological content. The king argued that for one to act properly, one did not have to believe in any higher power, as he had seen many men who were avowedly atheist or of completely different religions act with more honor than some Deusist knights of his court. Marius Ignatius II would go on to use the Precepts as the measuring stick by which he measured his court; only those worthy of the office would be knighted and any who were found to have violated a Precept were stripped of their knighthood. This, while unpopular with many members of the Réoran nobility, would ensure that the corps of professional ''caballeros'' the king retained were so respected and so skilled they remain immortalized in Andoran culture as 'The Righteous Brotherhood.'

First and most importantly is the actual act and record of being knighted, known as Creation. A person who possesses any chivalric title may dub another person as a Knight, through proper ceremony and paperwork. This involves tapping both shoulders of the dubbee twice with a sword, a sprinkling of olive oil across the forehead, and having them repeat each of the fourteen Precepts before reciting "I am a knight, and a knight I shall die, save if I dishonor they who have granted me this boon." This is considered the spiritual beginning of the new knight, though the dubber must fill out an official document, currently a legal form known as a C-180-k. This document requires an explanation for the knighting and must be cosigned by the dubbee and two witnesses. This document is then sent to the Ministry of Civil Services for archival and is then sent to the Monarch, who reviews and rubber stamps it. However, only the Monarch may grant a person the title higher than the basic Knight.

Second are the Arms of a knight, which involve the traditional military functions they are expected to perform. These are the Mount, the Armor, and the Weapon. Convention dictates that all these must be in good, functional condition and well taken care of. A knight who was found to be missing parts of his armor, or had no lance, or rode an old pony would be dismissed from the troop and if unlucky, stripped of his knighthood. While the specifics on the Arms are not set in stone, it was generally expected that a knight have at least a lance, a side arm of some kind be it sword, axe, or mace, armor that at least covered his chest, head, and hands, and a horse that was in good physical condition and of a certain size. The fashion of the Arms would change with the time period, most often due to advances in armor making. Modern knights can fulfill these Aspects through an armored vehicle of some kind, which they need only ride in and not necessarily drive, a long gun and a sidearm, and body armor. Some more traditional members of the chivalric school of thought will use body armor that is evocative of medieval designs and carry a sword or baton.

=== Chivalric Andoran Orders ===

The Chivalric Andoran Orders are five official Orders of knighthood. Each survives from the middle ages: three were created in Casilló, two in Réal. The Orders are managed by the Crown. The Réoran Orders were absorbed into the Corric crown along with the Arranzic Orders in 1589. The reigning monarch automatically becomes the Grand Master of each Order upon their coronation, and is afforded the title 'Grand Master of the Chivalric Andoran Orders.' While individuals can apply to certain Orders, it is the monarch's prerogative on admission. Membership within the Orders grants a small pension and unique titles. However, none of them at present grant any Privileges of a peer nor land; they were made purely as a show of favor or military authority.

==== The Order of the Golden Eagle ====

The Order of the Golden Eagle (is the oldest Order. It was created in 1298 by Queen Lidia Carmen of Casilló, and bears the heraldic familiar of the House of Naranza as its sigil. This Order was intended to be a show of favor to the Queen's favorite knights and lords, and can only be granted at the discretion of the monarch through special ceremony. Those who were granted the honor of being inducted into the Order were said to be "elevated by wings of gold." Such knights were usually the Queen's champions at tournaments or in disputes. It is thought that many of the first members of the Order were Lidia Carmen's paramours after her husband died. Subsequent Arranzic monarchs treated the Order as simply a great honor for knights of renown, and members were not given special personal treatment besides the monarch's favor of them for their military skill. Today, it is viewed as the most difficult Order to be inducted to, reserved for the highest achieving individuals in Corric society. Consequently, members are shown much deference and often become minor cultural icons for their day.

The ranks of the Order are unique in that they give the bearer military authority over knights of a similar rank. Contemporary members of the Order must be also military servicemembers for this authority to apply. There are three: the Golden Knight (''Caballero Dorado'',) the Golden Captain (''Capitán Dorado'') and the Golden Banneret (''Banderado Dorado.'') The fourth rank, Master of the Golden Order (''Maestro de la Orden de Oro'') serves as the administrative head of the Order, but has not been used since the 17th century as the Order became more ceremonial.

The Order of the Sepulchre was created in 1424 by King Victor of Réal. . A more military Order than the Golden Eagle, it was designed to provide defense for the various Andoran Deus churches across Réoran territories. These churches were often broken into and stolen from by criminal elements or disgruntled members of other religions. Knights of the Sepulchre were charged with living with the clergy of their assigned church, nunnery, abbey, or monastery. This way, they could learn piety while also being available to defend the clergy. Larger religious institutions were assigned more knights; the largest monastery would likely include twelve fully-fledged Knights of the Sepulchre and their associated retinues. Over time this Order would be intrinsically linked with Deusism in Réal, and many members were simultaneously frocked clergy and knights.

==== The Chivalric Order of Santa Claudia ====

The Chivalric Order of Santa Claudia was created in 1565 by King Félipe I of Casilló. In direct response to the Order of Eleçeron, this Order was not as restrictive in its skill criteria, but it did have a major difference - it was only open to women of noble birth. With a large portion of the male population fighting the war on the front lines, there were gaps in the defenses of the Arranzic heartland which began to be exploited by knights of the Order of Eleçeron. To combat this, Félipe I created the Order of Santa Claudia, which used nearly the same badge as its rival: a Cross of Santo Abrosius, except red instead of green. Open to any lady who was able to display leadership qualities and could equip herself as a knight, the Order of Santa Claudia was charged with building fortifications, training militias, and serving as a military authority in territories whose lords and knights were already in the field. The Order was a resounding success, with many members becoming respected community leaders and, in the case of Marta Lilía of Conzelaña, performing so well as a militia commander that her unit was inducted into the Royal Arranzic Armed Legions.

==== The Chivalric Order of Málama ====

The Chivalric Order of Málama was created in 1566, also by King Félipe I. Over the course of the Thirty Year's Bloodshed, the territory between Réal and Casilló became a war-torn frontier. This region was travelled across and battled over thousands of times, changing hands back and forth. Félipe I decided to create another Order of knights to help hold the territory in Casilló's name. The Order of Málama took its badge from the Málama Cross, a popular Deusist symbol shaped like a sword. The membership was, like the other Orders of this time, open to application. All one needed to join was a sword, a set of armor, and a horse, and one was knighted and sent off to take and hold frontier territory. Knights were given the authority to administer whatever territory they took in the king's name, and were generally allowed to do whatever they wished so long as they paid tribute back to Félipe and ensured no Réoran raids were successful. The rather unscrupulous nature of this system lead to many knights of the Order being termed 'Muddy Knights' due to their equipment's dubious origins and need of repair, as well as their general reputation as warlords. However, the Order was highly successful in seizing towns and strategic areas along the frontier, and is credited with holding the line against Réoran counterattacks during the final Arranzic offensive strategy.

Modern use of the Order is to provide a special status to the administrators of towns or provinces. While being a Knight-Mayor does not confer any actual administrative powers, it does carry prestige and influence and often can see members of the Order elected to higher offices such as the Popular Assembly.

=== Military ===

The [[Royal Corric Armed Legions]] organization still uses the system of ''caballeros'' and ''lanzas:'' the most basic unit of troops, which would be called a squad in other nations, is called a lance. A platoon, meanwhile, is called a file, usually containing three to four lances. A collection of files is called a band, rather than a company, which is used to refer to a battalion-sized unit. Above the company is the regiment, and above that is the legion, which are functionally identical to army divisions. This practice can also be seen in non-government organizations like Corric Youth Scouts or security forces such as the [[The Company of the Quill|Company of the Quill]], both of which mirror the ''lanza'' system for their hierarchies.