Syliran Knights

From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 19:11, 23 April 2010

"We will rebuild." - Syliran Oath

The Sylrian Knights are an order of honor-bound men and women that joined together after the Valterrian to rebuild what they considered to be civilization within the wilderness. Founders of the city of Syliras, the Syliran Knights strive to keep the slain God Sylir and his ideals alive. Although the Order itself only has 5,000 members, Syliran Knight activism is seen throughout the whole of Sylira and remote outposts in other regions.

History

In times of emergency and great strife, there are parts of mankind that excel and parts that fall. It is easy, some feel, for the whole of humanity to turn to grievous acts of brutality and violence to survive when the environment becomes unbearable. Some think such things are completely justifiable. It is far harder for humanity as a whole to remain steadfast in their beliefs, even when the source of that belief perishes - lost beyond all hope. One devoted man can make a difference, though sometimes such struggles turn into a lifetime battle rather than a quick decisive move. History has shown that time and time again while most fall, some indeed do rise and manage to shine forth in the annals of time. Lawrence Dyres and his brother Leon Dyres were two such men. They rose to the challenge of rebuilding and founded an order of dedicated men and women determined to rise from the ashes of the Valterrian and build something stronger and more stable than before.

The Valterrian was a terrible time in the history of the world. When Galifer Odalah, Emperor of Suva, marched his new bride Alahea’s Queen Kova to the very gates of Suva with those damming words ‘whore’ painted in blood across her chest, it changed the course of history and set up the perfect test for mankinds survival. She was publicly executed for not being pure on her wedding night. No one stopped to ask who or why, and when her head fell to the flagstone gates, the name of her lover still on her lips, fire erupted throughout the world. Kova’s lover was the God of Fire, Ivak himself. And the world knew his fury, for his love for the young Queen knew no boundaries.

There was no way mortals could stop what escalated immediately into a divine war, one that would leave the world utterly reshaped. For Ivak’s realm was that of Volcanism and Emotional Upheaval as well, and with Kova’s sudden sacrifice, it was said he lost his mind. Civilization and peace, though he be a gentle soul, died in the immediate days that followed being one of the first to stand up and try to prevent Ivak’s wrath. Sylir was destroyed by Ivak as completely as if he had never existed at all. Sylir’s death was surprising, and consequently dragged the rest of the Divine into the battle… for it was no longer a matter of calming Ivak’s grief and rage, but rather preserving the world. The Valterrian, as those events came later to be called, lasted a short time. Some say it was simply a day, others say it lasted only a week. Still other chronicles said it took a full year. Regardless, it left the world reshaped and in some ways empty of that which had been familiar before. There was no civilization, no peace, no room for scholarly pursuits. Life became a simple matter of life and death. Find food. Find shelter. Stay away from others that were stronger, faster, more aggressive that simply wanted what you wanted: food and shelter.

It was against that backdrop that the Syliran Knighthood was born. It didn’t come about spontaneously. Rather, the entire Syliran Knighthood exists today because of a fateful meeting between two brothers and a lone Konti woman named Nila. She told the two Dyres brothers, Lawrence and Leon, that she dreamed of a city by the Suvan Sea that grew to power because of their dedication and the guidance of a fragment monster born of Sylir's death that also guided them. She foresaw that the two of them had founded a knightly order, and with that order went on to establish a city. The three of them teamed up, began recruiting, and before long the Sylrian Knighthood was born. Leon eventually married Nila, effectively ending his bloodline, while Lawrence and his offspring went on to become the ruling knight-nobility of Syliras, the city they eventually founded at the direction of Nila's visions. Syliras has continued to be a gathering point for people tired of the lack of order in a world gone chaotic, where justice dominates and the laws are fair.

The brothers gathered to themselves strong-hearted men and women, willful yet willing to swear an oath to uphold order. And though the God of Civilization and Peace was forever gone from the world, Lawrence and Leon named their newly formed organization after the slain deity Sylir. Thus, the Syliran Knights were born. They began small, carving out a piece of coastline on the western shores of the Suvan Sea and building a fortress on the very coastline itself called to and put out the world that the fertile valley they settled in would open its proverbial doors to any peaceful settlers who wanted to come to the new Syliras. Their choice of location was simple. Nila lead them straight and true to the Windoak there, where their fortress

The Organization

The Syliran Knights are ran with a proficiency seldom seem throughout Mizahar. They live to tame the uncivilized world around them and bring a semblance of the peace and civilization to the Sylira Region and elsewhere. They fund themselves through fair taxation of those who live in their controlled lands, and are resourceful enough that they take tithes of food and tradegoods in lue of coin for the enforcement work they do.

• Headquarters: Stormhold Citadel (Syliras)
• Members: 5,000
• Hierarchy: Rank By Abilities
• Leader: The Grandmaster - Loren Dyres
• Symbol: The Windoak

Allies and Enemies

The Syliran Knights have several known allies and enemies. They consider the rest of the world neutral parties and treat them with respect. They welcome the Konti into their midst freely, both in the capacity of Seers and as the Opal Order Healers. They have had dealings with the Cerulean and have offered them assistance or taken their assistance in the past, though that organization is typically a wildcard in Mizaharian Society.

Their one known enemy is the Black Sun. Rhysol's followers openly seek to destroy the Syliran Knights and everything they stand for. It is suspected by upper ranking knights that the Black Sun played a key role in Sylir's death, though there is no proof of that to this day.

Ethics And Attitudes

Unlike other groups, the Syliran Knights - because of the Konti presence among the leadership - show no favoritism in their ranks. Due to their high ethics, rich or wealthy families have no ability to climb through the ranks faster than another more poorer connected individual. There is a noted lack of arrogance, corruption, and brutality among the Knighthood. In fact, individuals that display such unfavorable traits rarely rise in the ranks at all. Knights tend to show strong productive traits - generosity, patience, integrity, tolerance, and high levels of honor. If they fail to have these traits, the Gods that aid the Knighthood will turn disapprovingly towards the individuals. Also, the Wind Oak, a fragment monster of the God of Peace - Sylir - always gives a knight their quest for knighthood. If a knight is lacking in integrity and personal honor, they will not be given their quest and not be allowed full membership into the Knighthood.

Hierarchy of the Syliran Knighthood

The Syliran Knights are lead by Loren Dyres, Grandmaster and Lord of Syliras. Second in charge is Petri Alvikal, Lord Knight in charge of the whole of the Syliran forces. Lord Loren and Lord Petri reside in Syliras within Stormhold Castle dividing their duties and working in close knit circumstances with each other. The Grandmaster is in charge of the Knighthood as a whole, while the Lord Knight acts as a coordinator for the Syliran forces. While the Grandmaster spends most of his time running the city of Syliras, The Lord Knight coordinates the Warden Knights to disperse the army throughout Syliras and surrounding regions where they are needed.

Pages become squires at age thirteen. Adults squire for a shorter period of time then get promoted to a full ranked knight. Those knights are assigned to Wings lead by a Sergeant Knight which belongs to a Company lead by a Stewart Knight. Companies belong to Regiments, which are lead by Captain Knights which belong to Quadrons. Warden Knights lead Quadrons which fall under one of the two Lord Knights, either gold or silver. The Grandmaster coordinates the two Lord Knights and their Quadrons.

Admission Into The Knighthood

There are two different pathways into the knighthood. Children raised by knights almost always become knights, regardless of whether they are males or females. At the same time, adults who display an interest in the knighthood have a pathway open to them as well. Regardless of age, everyone MUST spend a period of time as a squire to train in the Tenants of Sylir and speak with The Windoak.

Hereditary Knights

Most Syliran Knights are hereditary knights, meaning they serve because their parents served or their family was somehow involved in the knighthood. These individuals are born into long lines of Knights and start out as pages as young as ten years of age depending upon their race. While primarily human, Syliran knights can be from any race. Boys and girls who make the decision (along with their family) to join the knighthood early on are 'fostered' out to a high ranking knight's household (called a Sponsor) to serve as a page. Pages run errands, do chores, take lessons, and are treated somewhat like the Sponser knights own children. Frequently the sons and daughters of high ranking knights do not grow into adulthood in their own family estates. Rather, they are fostered out at a young age to gain new experiences, sometimes trading households on a seasonal bases to learn all they can by rotating tutors and regions.

Once a page reaches the age of thirteen, they are eligible to become a squire. Squires are formally admitted into the knighthood with ceremony and assigned to a Patron Knight to serve and train under. Squires are considered 'candidates' for knights, and are treated very seriously, forming long lasting bonds with their Patron Knights. Any formally ranked Syliran Knight can have one or more squires, but the more lucrative squire positions come from the higher ranking knights (Stewarts, Wardens, Lords, and The Grandmaster Himself). It is as a squire that the potential Knight truly begins understand what it is to live Tenants of Sylir. Each patron might train a knight slightly differently. A powerful high ranking Patron Knight might not even train a squire themselves, but have one of the knights beneath them do so. That being said, such close contact training means that oftentimes tight-knit bonds are formed between knights that last the entire lifetime of those knights. And while the Syliran Knights have only been established for two hundred years, their bloodlines are interwoven since often children of knights marry children of knights and all of them become knights themselves.

Squires learn the proper care and use of weapons, armor, and horses while in their squirehood. They are taught horsemanship, mounted combat, and the proper wearing of plate mail favored by the knighthood. In addition, they study languages, strategy, chivalry, honor, and mentally prepare to live the tenants Sylir taught. Once a squire reaches the age of eighteen, he is sent before the Windoak to receive his knightly quest. Once he has been given his quest, he or she then departs on the quest and does not return until their quest is fulfilled. Quests vary greatly depending upon the candidate and the needs of the Knighthood. They often involve finding relics, recovering documents, aiding a village or distant land that has a problem; one never knows what the windoak will foresee and request of the knight.

Once the quest has been completed, the squire returns to the Windoak to report to the creature, and is then put through his knighting ceremony where he receives his coveted knightly spurs etched with the Windoak's silhouette.

Joining The Knighthood as an Adult

Sometimes adults from out of the region or from non-Syliran Knight families stumble upon the Knighthood and wish admittance into its prestigious ranks. These adults must still spend time as a squire, training in all things squires train in, especially if they are lacking in knowledge of the more bookish variety. These squirehoods can last as long as a few years or as little as a single day. It simply depends on the candidate and their level of knowledge. They must still find a Patron Knight willing to vouch for them. Once a Patron is found, the candidate goes before the Grandmaster or one of his Lord Knights to be interviewed on his knowledge level. It is that interview that determines the deficiencies in the candidate and how best to counteract them with specific types of training. The training is assigned, and the squire turned over to the Patron. Then, as in a normal squirehood, the candidate will go before the Windoak and receive his knightly quest once the Patron feels the adult squire has been 'caught up'.

Starting Out As a Full Knight

Players are able to start out as a full low level knight as long as they take a few points in the required skills below. Until they have the max required in each skill, however, they cannot advance in rank past a simple full knight. Players are encouraged to flashback quests of the past, do all sorts of social threads, and have adventures doing things that knights in and around Syliras would be expected too do. The Syliran Knights will pay starting knights 390 GM a season plus house, give them food, weapons, armor, etc. They must provide their own horses until they are higher rank - but care of said beasts is taken care of by the knighthood as well. Syliran Knights have special privilages and duties in Syliras. They will work the City Watch Duty while in Syliras (making rounds either on the day shift or night shift five of every ten days). And to be perfectly honest, they are almost always on duty protecting the city even when they are not assigned such and are in their plain clothing either at home or out on the town.

Skills Knights Know

Before being knighted, a candidate must go through a squire training that prepares them for life as a Syliran Knight. They become very familiar with long swords, shields, and two handed swords plus lances. They train in horseback riding, mounted combat, and strategy. They normally don't train in ranged weapons such as bow, though individuals might take up these weapons as hobbies. Knights truly prefer to face their enemies face to face honorably, and some consider weapons like cross-bows less than honorable to their knightly creed. Thus, to qualify as a Syliran Knight, the candidate must have the following or be actively working towards it:

• Weapon (Sword) - 30 pts
• Weapon (Lance) - 30 pts
• Weapon (Shield) - 30 pts
• Riding (Horse) - 30 pts
• Two or more Lores of the Candidates Choice: History (Syliran Knights, Syliras), Religion (Tyeth, Sylir, Yahal, Eyris), Valterrian.

The Knighting Ceremony

The Knighting of a Syliran Knight is a big deal. On the eve of his or her ceremony, the Squire must spend the a night and day with the Windoak in prayer and meditation, reflecting on what they want to accomplish as a knight and what they need to improve within themselves. This vigil takes place in a soft plain silk shirt and breeches, barefoot and weaponless. Once a night and day of fasting and prayer has occurred under the sheltering boughs of the Windoak, the knight is taken into Stormhold Castle and brought before his peers. His training is then accounted for, his quest described and evidence of success accounted for, and the Grandmaster or one of the Lord or Warden Knights in attendance will knight him.

The Knighting ceremony is quite simple. The squire kneels and repeats the vows the Knight in charge of Knighting him recites. The Grandmaster (or attending Lord Knight) then presents Lawrence Dyres' blade and uses it for the ceremony. As his right shoulder is touched by the blade, he repeats the words "May Tyeth guide me in a pathway of Honor and Justice." As his forehead is touched, he repeats after the Grandmaster "May Yahal help me keep my heart pure and my faith strong." As his head is touched he repeats "May Eyris keep my mind filled with knowledge and the wisdom that knowledge can bring." Finally he is allowed to rise, and the knights present gift him with a full set of plate armor, a weapon of his own, and normally a new horse.

Religion

The Syliran Knights follow the tenants of Sylir, but since Sylir was slain in the Valterrian, they do not worship him. They honor the Windoak, a fragment of what Sylir once was, and listen to its advice. However, in terms of religion, most Syliran Knights honor a very select group of Gods and Goddesses in their quest for being the best men and women they can be. First and foremost they honor The Goddess Eyris (Wisdom, Knowledge), The God Tyeth (Honor, Justice, Valor, Chivalry), and The God Yahal (Faithfulness and Purity). Oddly enough, they do not usually revere Myri, the Goddess of War and Victory, though they will leave her an offering at the dawning of battle.

Knightly Quests

Knights seek quests for an odd assortment of reasons. Their first quest is always a quest for knighthood. But after that, Knights seek quests because they feel driven to help, wish to purge their souls of a weakness, or want to specifically help out with a situation and seek a way to do so. And while some quests simply present themselves unaided, the Windoak is primarily the source of all knightly quests. Knights or knight candidates approach the Windoak and meditate beneath its boughs. During this inner reflection, a quest will be shown to them. In this, the Windoak helped form the Knighthood, for one can truthfully say the very first quest given to the very first set of Syliran Knights was to found the order itself and build the Stormhold fortress and later the city of Syliras.

Knights of Importance And Their Posts

(Locations/Stations Forthcoming)

The Grandmaster – Loren Dyres

• The Lord Knight – Petri Alvikal
  • The Warden Knight – Josai Trevant (Gold Quadron)
  • The Warden Knight – Albrek Degan (Silver Quadron)
    • The Captain Knight – Lance Stalinsa (1st Regiment)
    • The Captain Knight – Alexa Nigriso (2nd Regiment)
    • The Captain Knight – Nancy Sulvet (3rd Regiment)
    • The Captain Knight – Trevan Otred (4th Regiment)
    • The Captain Knight – Nathan Brock (5th Regiment)
      • Stewart Knight – Alvis Dysin (Black Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Frivo Ketivu (White Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Kent Vaktru (Green Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Oleva Nygras (Red Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Kali Braklin (Blue Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Sondera Yvalith (Yellow Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Jasvo Trema (Orange Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Zak Navuito (Purple Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Kamvia Druva (Brown Company)
      • Stewart Knight – Gari Normar (Gray Company)

There are a multitude of Sergeant Knights, Knights, and Squires throughout the Region of Sylira, Cyphrus, Taldera and Kalea. Thus far, the Knighthood only ventures into Eyktol and Falyndar for quests.

An unranked singular knight would denote his assigned duty thusly: "I'm Syliran Knight Kalden Bewstang, 1st Wing, Brown Company, 5th Regiment, Silver Quadron.

Out of character note: Any race is eligible to play a Syliran Knight. To join the knighthood they must squire to a PC or NPC Knight, train in the appropriate skills, and go on a quest to gain their full knighthood by visiting the Windoak.