Knight of the Realm

Knights of the Realm make up the bulk of Bretonnian nobility. Once a young knight has proven himself sufficiently during his Errantry Tour he will be granted a position by a duke or other noble, as he takes on "The Knights Vow", pledging his service to Lord and Lady, and his dedication to honor and chivalry.

The Knights Vow must be taken by all Knights Errant as they aspire to the position of a Knight of the Realm. The vow pledges them to serve their lords, the Lady of the Lake and to uphold the ideas of chivalry, honor and to protect the peasents in their service.

The Vow is as follows:

"I pledge my service and my loyalty, body and soul, to my Lord.

When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of liege and Lady.

Whilst I draw breath, the lands bequeathed unto me will remain untainted by evil.

''Honour is all. Chivalry is all. This I swear on my blood and my breath."''

There are two different positions that can be granted to a aspiring Knight of the Realm as he takes on his vow:

Household Knight
As a Household Knight, the knight serves a more important noble as part of his army, residing in the castle of his patron he can be called upon in times of strife either to defend the area against invaders or to go on a campaign. While war between nobles is surprisingly common, and campaigns against enemies outside Bretonnia is not unheard of, the most common tasks for a household knight is defending a territory, and as a result of this the majority is hired by a Marquis, a noble in charge of a border region.

Lord
The lords of Bretonnia includes all male nobles in control of any stretch of land, wich includes everyone from the king to the lowliest and most recently promoted Knight of the Realm. Most lords are granted their land by a Baron or Duke and as such controls a few acres of land with a central castle surrounded by a village, and most serve the local Baron should he be needed, and is expected to gather his peasants for up to 40 days in the case of a threat. Other lords are more lucky, they can be granted the position of Baron by the king or a duke, or as the heir of another baron, however this position is most often granted to the oldest son of the baron.