Antoran Chivalry: Difference between revisions
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The idea of chivalry in Andora traces its roots to the cavalrymen of the eastern principalities where the terrain was favorable to mounted combat. The day-to-day lives of these cavalry involved military proficiency, constant training as an individual, service to a higher authority, and battlefield control. As mounted combat become more culturally intrinsic and more ritualized, so too did the lifestyles of the cavalrymen. Concepts emerged that became central to combat of the day, such as it being forbidden for an infantryman to directly fight a horseman or vice versa. This was due to the common disparity in quality of training and equipment between the two, resulting on one hand an unfair match for the infantry, and on the other the potential shame of the cavalier if he lost, as many were landowners and nobles. The service of these self-equipped and trained soldiers became so important to the lords of the east that the formal office of knighthood was eventually created. Knights, as the most powerful individuals on a battlefield, became expected to become ideal people as well as warriors. The ideals of chivalry became codified in 1355 after several centuries of evolution as the '''Andoran Precepts of Honorable and Chivalric Life'''.
Chivalry is ingrained heavily into the culture of
== Terminology & Origins ==
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Further texts, such as the 1297 work ''The Great Deeds'', which chronicled the life of ''caballero'' Frederico de Largo and his efforts to always act with moral goodness, and the 1321 anthology ''Fifteen Virtues'', a collection of fifteen poems about different knights and their triumphs over different obstacles, can be considered part of the courtly romance and romantic chivalry movement of Andoran literature. This saw the idea of ''caballeros'' rescuing, learning from, escorting, or courting women enter into mainstream practice as a way to entertain and add aspects to stories that ladies could relate to. The courtly practices in literature soon became reality in noble life across the region. This combination of honor, virtue, skill, and piety would combine to make ''caballeros'' into the true Andoran embodiment of the knightly concept.
As Tunesism fell out of use in Andora in favor of Deusism, aspects of its ideas could still be found in chivalric traditions such as certain colors being associated with certain aspects of ''caballeros''. The color orange, for example, still is connected to martial strength in
== Andoran Precepts ==
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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.'
The Precepts are still used today as the code for the knights of
# As a knight, you will perform the duty required of you by your lord and your monarch, so long as the duty is Fair, Just, and Good.
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== Modern Chivalry ==
There are two major influences that chivalry has had on
=== Types of Knights ===
There are different 'ranks' of knights in Andoran tradition, as well as several Chivalric Orders which have their own traditions, ranks, and codes.
The most basic type of knight is simple a 'Knight,' or ''Caballero.'' The rank is non-peerage, meaning the holder cannot be elected to the House of the Nobility and cannot be afforded the Privileges of a lord, and non-hereditary. A Knight is formally afforded the title of 'The Honorable' and may attach the suffix 'cb.' to their name. According to Staynish language conventions, Knights may use the alternative titles of 'Sir,' 'Dame,' or 'Cavalier' depending on their preferences. This rank is often used outside the military as an acknowledgement of an individuals service to the
The next step up from a ''Caballero'' is a 'Knight Sergeant,' the ''Sargento Caballero''. This rank is similarly non-peerage and non-hereditary. It does, however, afford the holder a small state pension. A King Sergeant is granted the title 'The Honorable Sergeant' and may use the suffix 'sc.' While having the same Staynish conventions, this level of knighthood is used for non-military award to politicians, humanitarians, and diplomats who have achieved great successes.
The next rank is known as the 'Knight Captain,' the ''Capitán Caballero.'' This rank is non-hereditary, but does grant the bearer the same Privileges as a
Above Knight Captain is 'Knight Commander,' known as the ''Commandanté Caballero''. It is a peerage rank equivalent to a Viscount, and holders can be elected as Bailiffs and recieve a more robust pension than Knight Captains. Knight Commanders are afforded the official title of 'The High Honorable' and use the suffix 'cmc.' As a Staynish title, Knight Commanders may use 'High Honorable Sir,' 'High Honorable Dame,' or 'High Honorable Cavalier.' Recipients of this knighthood are most often accomplished military officers or nobles who have performed an extraordinary service to the state or people.
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=== 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
[[File:Romanian Armed Forces coat of arms.jpg|thumb|150x150px|Badge of the Order of the Golden Eagle|alt=Badge of the Order of the Golden Eagle, depicting an eagle holding blue lightning bolts in its talons and a gold cross in its beak]]
==== 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
[[File:Blason de la ville de Cappel (Moselle).svg|thumb|150x150px|Badge of the Order of the Sepulchre|alt=Badge of the Order of the Sepulchre, depicting a white church on a red field, behind which is a slanted gold lance]]
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.
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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 rank structure of the Order was designed to provide a chain of command for rear-line defensive troops. The first rank was the Maiden Knight (''Caballera'') who organized small patrol units, and reported to a Maiden-Sergeant (''Sergenta Doncella'') who was responsible for overseeing the security of a particular area. These Maiden-Sergeants would in turn be subordinate to a Maiden-Captain (''Capitana Doncella'') who was the highest military authority in the fief if the lord was not present. This structure worked much the same as regular military security, but provided the women the authority to command the peasantry they would lack if they remained unknighted nobles. In the modern era, the Order of Santa Claudia is traditionally awarded to women who have achieved something noteworthy like a scientific breakthrough or foreign policy deal. Members of any branch of the Royal
==== The Chivalric Order of Málama ====
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=== Military ===
[[File:Leopard 2E.jpg|thumb|200x200px|Tank crews such as this one in the
The [[Royal Corric Armed Legions|Royal Andoran 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
=== Social ===
Chivalry has become part of the general
There exists a concept known as 'casual chivalry' in
For ethnically Corric people, honor remains a deeply important part of their culture. One of the less-altered concepts of chivalry, honor can be argued to be a component of chivalry, and chivalry a component of honor. Regardless of specifics, honor is generally viewed as the willingness to act fairly, justly, and equitably and to represent ones self and the position one holds with good standing. Allowing an opponent to pick up a dropped weapon in a fight is seen as honorable, while conversely goading an enemy into a fight and then having another person shoot them is seen as dishonorable. This concept has translated into an economic and social view of honor as well. Companies that lay off domestic workers only to outsource labor are seen as extremely dishonorable, especially when the foreign workers have drastically worse pay and conditions.
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