Knights of Ilbarych

Knighting

• Knights bridge the span between commoner and noble, recalling that the Crowndom's nobility are all descended from warriors, and are ultimately still a military caste.
  • Though they are not nobility proper, the children of knights are considered socially acceptable potential spouses for nobility (most often non-heirs).
• Only the Crown has the right to elevate someone to a knighthood. This is done at the Vigil every year during the Summer Court.
• Only two kinds of candidates are ever knighted:
  • Those who have passed through a squire's apprenticeship with a properly anointed knight; or
  • Those who are given a knighthood as a result of remarkable deeds, given by the Crown, but often sponsored by a Head of House.
• Knights always swear fealty to the Crown. Like a lord, they are also permitted to bear a second oath of fealty to a House's head, but legally the oath to Crown is foremost of them.
• Knights have an obligation to maintain a set of cavalry armor, a selection of armaments, and at least one horse trained for war, all ready for use in case their service is required by the Crown.
  • Because of the expense of this maintenance, it is common for a House's head to assume responsibility for those things as part of their oath of liegeship to a household knight.
• Knights are given the legal right to a heraldic device, as registered to the Heraldic Canon. Because of the expense of such registration, many knights do not do so, and instead simply bear the heraldry of their sworn liege.