Oaths

KNIGHTLY OATHS

The Knight Orders of the Throne are powerful organizations with extensive resources, and they try to provide their knights with those resources as they feel best suits the task and the risks.  These resources are not unlimited, however, and so the confidence that the Masters of these Orders have in their individual knights matters greatly in determining where these resources are granted.

Knightly Oaths are sworn solemnly and gravely, and require spiritual rigor before being undertaken.  To a Knight, Oaths are not merely words, but the true and sincere acceptance of a new way of life, a new identity.  Such an undertaking is spiritually taxing, each Oath requiring 2 Experience Points.   

Swearing each Oath binds the knight to a certain code of conduct or behavior.  If the knight should break the terms of their oath to their Sovereign, the Oath which was broken is removed from the character, they are guilty of Mortal Sloth, and they no longer have the trust of their Sovereign to swear new Oaths.  The Knight must atone for their breach of trust to their Sovereign with some task asked of them, and only then may they re-purchase the broken Oath or swear any new ones.  If there is a question to whether an Oath was broken or not in grey cases, the Sovereign decides.  

Oaths usually come with a specific statement that forms the basis of a Belief, an Always of Never statement that enforces the personal behavior of the Knight.  Violating the Belief confers the normal penalties of a Personal Failure.

(Read more about Faith and Devotion

Oaths of Duty are Oaths which are sworn to their Sovereign in regards to their Organization, and rely on specific Organizational resources (usually a specific Agent) to be present in the Organization.  These Oaths increase the trust that their Knight Order and Sovereign has in them, and consequently the resources they are willing to commit to their cause.  If the Organization loses access to that resource, such as losing their Forgemaster, the advantage is lost as well, though the Oath is not considered broken.  Oaths of Valor are personal in nature, and are to hone the spiritual power of the Knight toward their service, and do not have this restriction.  Some Oaths, called Sacred Oaths, can only be sworn using the Declaration of Triumph, explained below.

THE SOVEREIGN

The life of a knight is one of service and dedication, and that dedication is focused on their Sovereign, the focus point of their duty.  The Sovereign is the earthly embodiment of their devotion, and the focus of their Valor.  In the case of Holy Knights, this is the Church, and their Sovereign can be embodied by any senior member of the Clergy (Bishop or higher).  In the case of House Guard, this is any member of the Highborn bloodline to which they serve.  In the case of the Imperial Knight orders, their Sovereign is the Emperor, and the Grand Masters of the Order.

Oaths must be sworn verbally before one’s Sovereign.  If the Sovereign is in a distant place, it is permissible to swear the Oath verbally and have the words transcribed by another to be sent to the Sovereign in question, in the presence of a witness.  This witness, in the case of Imperial and House knights, can be any Highborn noble, through their shared fealty to the Emperor.  For Holy Knights, this can be any clergyman or the head of any local cult.

The Sovereign may also discipline or dismiss a Knight from their service, or give such a power explicitly to a superior within the Knight Order of a Knight in question.  Should a Knight ever be banished from service, or renounce their service, they immediately lose the effects of any Oaths of Duty, which rely upon the support of the Order, such as Oath of Armory or Oath of Questing.  They keep the effects of any Oaths of Valor until they break them.

The Order

Most Knight Orders are part of a Military Organization and act as the militant champions for their group.  Each Knight Order has its own internal hierarchy, and confers greater authority and capabilities upon its members as they progress through the Order and become a finer example of their knightly ideals. Each Order is different, emphasizing different principles, aims, and methods, but each Order maintains a strong tradition of ideals that influence each of its members. This code of ideals, called Valor, permeates all of a Knight’s actions, and fills them with a sense of purpose and discipline, as idealized through a specific Skill. One Order may emphasize the power of changing the world nonviolently unless in drastic need, and uphold the virtues of Persuasion. Another Order may value above all else the art of swordsmanship, taking the blade itself as a personal symbol of power and control while upholding the balanced ideals of Arming Weapons. Another may believe that terror is the only way to enforce order, and believes that terror of the heart is control of the heart, both in others, and in one’s self, taking Intimidation as their source of Valor.

DEGREES OF KNIGHTHOOD

After they have sworn the Oath of Fealty and become a Knight, a Knight is eligible for promotion to the next Degree of attainment when they have sworn one more than their new Degree in new Oaths.  For example, a Knight wishing to earn the third Degree would need to swear four new Oaths, in addition to the three Oaths they swore for their promotion to the second Degree.  These Oaths can be from any Degree the Knight has attained, but he cannot swear Oaths higher than his attainment.  Oaths cannot be taught to another Knight through any form of Instruction.

There are 5 Degrees of Knighthood: ErrantProtectorCommanderMaster, and Grand Master

 

FIRST DEGREE – KNIGHT ERRANT

A Knight Errant, or the Questing Knight, is a landless Knight in training. As initiates to the Order, they are still learning the Order’s tenets and codes, and expected to prove themselves by traveling and performing acts of courage and honor in service to the ideals of their Order.

Oath of Fealty

The Knight swears their steadfast loyalty and devotion to their Sovereign, that they shall be their servant and agent for the rest of their lives, never to betray them or their causes, and to bend all of their will and efforts to the completion of their missions and duties.

Belief:  “I shall always obey my Sovereign.”

The Oath of Fealty formally swears the Knight as a member of their Order.  Upon swearing this Oath, the new Knight becomes a Knight of the First Degree, and is granted the Masterwork Arming sword with which the Knighting ceremony was performed.  If the Oath of Fealty is being performed in play by the Sovereign, the Sovereign must provide the Masterwork sword that the Oath is sworn with.  Regardless of Knight Order, the knight is granted access to a Riding Horse and a signet ring to verify his identity.  For the swearing of the Oath of Fealty to be performed in game, the riding horse, the signet ring, and the masterwork sword must be provided in play for the swearing of the Oath.  If needed, this may be supplied by the Knight Master for 1 Influence.

Upon taking their Oath of Fealty, the Knight gains several other advantages.  All Imperial Knights and House Guard gain Noble Bearing to mark their elevated status in society, while Holy Knights gain Holy Orders.  The other advantages are held by all Knights.

Noble Bearing

Imperial Knights and House Guard

Swearing the Oath of Fealty for House Guard and Imperial Orders costs or grants Influence for the Military Organization, depending on the social status of the new member.  This costs 1 Influence for Gentry, 2 for Merchant and 5 for Peasant or Scum characters.  Highborn Characters grant the Organization 3 Influence.

Once sworn, the new Knight gains Nobility status if they did not already have it, and becomes the Leader of their own first tier Military Organization with a Formal Tie to their Sovereign’s Organization – their own fledgling Noble House.

Holy Orders

Holy Knights
Swearing the Oath of Fealty for Holy Knights costs the Organization 1 Influence uniformly.

Members of the Templar Order and the Sacred Order of the White Lion do not gain Noble Bearing.  Instead, they are given honorary Holy Ordination status, similar to a priest.  In issues of ecclesiastical trials and official Censure, they are considered by the Church to be above reproach in most cases, and incontrovertible proof must be offered to convict them of sinful deeds.  Further, they may call and officiate Censure in ecclesiastical trial as if they were a priest.  Members of the Holy Orders may also perform rites from the Testimonium as if they were a Rank 1 Priest, though they must still purchase those rituals and have no access to the gospels of the Covenants unless they join those Covenants separately

Declaration of Allegiance 

Once per scene, the knight may formally announce their allegiance to their sovereign, such as “I am Sir Peter Stylt, Knight of the Whisper!  Glory to the Count of Gildwater; Glory to Count Telford!”  Doing so grants them Hope.

Declaration of Triumph

Whenever the Knight is given credit for a major accomplishment, they may publicly dedicate their victory to their Sovereign in order to increase the glory of their Order and increase their trust and confidence in them.

In order to qualify for a Triumph, the Knight must publicly swear his intent to do some specific brave act that is in the public good.  If the act is to be accomplished fairly immediately, such as within the hour, such as “Upon my word, I will not allow those violent marauders to harm anyone in this town! ” they may make the promise of their victory verbally to a sizable crowd.  If it is anything longer term than one Scene or hour, the Knight must publicly post their promise to complete their labor, which must contain a clear end time, such as “Upon my word, I, Sir Royce Derry of the Order of the White Glove, shall find and destroy the beast that has attacked the livestock by the start of winter.”

Once the deed is done, a public announcement must be made of the success, with the Knight given the sole credit.  An assembled crowd such as a Convocation, a rumor spread by streetwise, or a ballad written and sung publicly as a Dedicated Performance will catch on and spread the story of the Order.

In some cases, when a great deed is done without prior declaration, the local Ruler or a Church Bishop may publicly recognize a Knight for their services in a public Function before an assembled crowd, as above, to achieve the same effect.  A Knight also earns a triumphant Knight Achievement when they use the Wage War Downtime action and defeat a foe in Warfare.

The triumphant knight earns a Knight Achievement.  A Knight Achievement may be spent as Experience Points on any Oath, used to purchase Sacred Oaths, or given to their Knight Order’s Organization as Influence.  

(Read More about Organizations)

The Oath of Fealty confers basic Knighthood and does not count toward furthering Knight Degree and promotion.

The Iron Oath
Sacred OATH OF VALOR

The Knight swears to uphold the virtues of Valor and to remember his strength of purpose, even in times most dark.  They swear to bear and protect their knight’s sword as a symbol of their pledge.
Belief: “I shall never allow my sword to be broken or taken from me”

By embracing the concepts of and adhering to the ideals of his Order, the Knight empowers himself through his mastery of of his arts.  Once per Rest, the Knight may spend Discipline.

The sword is the Knight’s solemn and sole responsibility. It is never to be relinquished or used for other than the intended purpose of a sword; defending the Throne.

Oath of Merit
Oath of Valor

The Knight swears to maintain the highest caliber of reliability and excellence, such that he may fulfill any duty that their Sovereign asks of them.

Belief: “I shall never fail at any duty assigned by my Sovereign”
 
After swearing the Oath of Merit, the Knight may swear to their Sovereign that they will succeed without fail at a mission they are being granted.  Once per Event, the Knight may enter the Devoted state in order to accomplish the mission they swore that they would complete.  This does not count against using their Devotion to become Devoted at other times.

The Knight must formally renounce his current task, gaining Despair, or be released from it by his Sovereign in order to swear a new task under his Oath of Merit.

Oath of the Vigil
OATH OF VALOR

The Knight swears to be a watchful protector; that their charges need never fear danger so long as they are maintaining vigil.
Belief: “I shall never allow an intruder to violate a place I am guarding”

The Knight may assume a guardian position, clasping his weapon to attention, and eschewing conversation and distraction.  After at least 1 minute of standing to attention, the Knight becomes Alert.  This bonus goes away if they speak or do other behaviors, but can be resumed in due time by assuming a guardian position again.  Pacing or patrolling a small area does not remove this effect.

The Knight also gains his Valor in Intimidation for the purposes of guarding things with the Muscle Downtime.

Oath of the Champion
OATH OF VALOR
The Knight swears to never hesitate in the persecution of commands for his Sovereign, to put aside personal feelings and carry out orders unflinchingly.
Belief: “I shall never abandon a mission.”

 

The Knight does not suffer from Despair when acting on direct orders from their Sovereign, and should he succeed in his mission, they lose one Despair.

Oath of Chastity
OATH OF VALOR
The Knight swears to a never engage in carnal congress, not even with the recipient of the Oath, to keep their love courtly and pure.
Belief: “I shall never engage in carnal congress”

Unlike most Oaths, this Oath is made not to the Sovereign, but to the object of the Knight’s romantic affection.   Upon swearing this Oath, the knight receives a token from their beloved, called their bond.  Once per day, the Knight may use, speak unto, breath of, or otherwise interact with their bond, and take Hope equal to his Valor rank.  

If a Knight begins play with this Oath, he may start with the bond from a far distant love.

Oath of Integrity
OATH OF VALOR
The Knight swears to be forthright and honest at all times, swearing to offer truth in all things.
Belief: “I shall never be caught in a lie or deception”

So long as they have never been caught in a lie, the Knight may announce in formal Court (either Noble or Ecclesiastical) that they have sworn and live by an Oath of Integrity.  They are given the benefit of the doubt in such courts, and are considered generally beyond reproach unless very convincing hard proof is offered.  In any scene where the Knight announces that he has sworn and lives under the Oath of Integrity, the Knight may call Trust as they give their account or declare their word.

If they are formally accused of lying, with proof offered, or declared to be lying by an authority holding court, the Oath is broken.

Oath of Vengeance
OATH OF VALOR
The Knight swears upon his dead Sovereign to make terrible vengeance upon his surviving foes.
Belief: “I shall always pursue an opportunity to take vengeance for my Sovereign”

This Oath is unusual in that it is only sworn to dead Sovereigns.  So long as he has some piece of memorabilia that was either given by or was owned by his dead Sovereign, the Knight gains an additional Hatred Devotion of the person or group that he believes responsible for the death of his Sovereign.

If the Knight still has living Sovereigns available, such as other living members of the bloodline he has sworn to serve, he may continue to do so, but if the recipient of this posthumous Oath was the last, the Knight may continue to swear Oaths of Valor to the memento of his Sovereign as if they were alive to accept them.

If the Knight begins play with this Oath, he may begin play with such a memento and circumstances.

SECOND DEGREE – KNIGHT PROTECTOR

A Knight Protector is given charge of lands and armies, and are considered to be the primary military officers of their Order’s forces. They are considered the Protector of their land and must keep it safe from bandits, invaders and other dangers.

Oath of the Vanquisher

OATH OF DUTY – Sovereign

The Knight swears to accomplish some specific military objective on behalf of their Sovereign.  
Belief: “I shall never surrender in the objective I have sworn to my Sovereign.”

Of all Oaths, this Oath is the most likely to be declined by the Sovereign, for many goals are too small to risk their armies, or too great to inspire confidence in success, or simply not aligned with the long-term goals of their Sovereign.  If accepted, the Sovereign grants the Knight a number of Requisition points to accomplish their mission.  The quantity granted is based on the several factors, including the total capabilities of the Sovereign’s Organization, and the urgency of the objective, but in general, a third of their Organization’s maximum Requisition is customary for ordinary objectives, two thirds for urgent objectives, and all available for an existential crisis.

The Organization must expend these Requisition Points in order to grant them to the Knight.

 

Oath of Arms

OATH OF DUTY – FORGEMASTER

The Knight swears to respect, maintain and protect the armaments of the Order.  He swears that only he will ever utilize the armaments, and he does so only in the aims and mission of the Order.  
Belief: “I shall never misuse, sell, or give away my armaments”

Swearing the Oath of Duty to the Forgemaster, the Knight is granted access to the vast armories of the Order that they maintain to gird their vested champions.  One Forgemaster of the Order becomes an Ally, and once per Chapter the Knight can call upon them to send them a package containing any battle equipment that the Knight needs, which will arrive the next Chapter.  This equipment is of ordinary quality, but can be anything the Knight requires for the personal undertaking of their mission, including Heavy Armor and weaponry, but not exotic items such as firearms or poisons.

The Steel Oath
SACRED OATH OF VALOR 
The Knight Swears to destroy enemies of his Sovereign wherever he finds them, without remorse or pity.
Belief: “I shall never show my Sovereign’s enemies mercy”

The Knight deepens their devotion to Valor, and may apply their teachings to the art of Warfare in the form of the sacred Combat Doctrine.   These Combat Doctrines grant a fighting style to the Knights forces that embodies the teachings of their Valor.  

(Read more about Combat Doctrines)

Oath of the Sacred Sword

SACRED OATH OF VALOR 

The Holy Knight swears to never use his blade for wicked deeds, to keep it clean and pure, blessed in the eyes of The Lord, and to never use it for personal gain or any immoral reason.
Belief: “
I shall never allow my sacred blade to be involved in sin.”

This Oath may only be sworn by Holy Knights.

For so long as the blade is never involved in sin, the knight’s sword is blessed, and may deliver the Sacred Quality with any Hits it deals, allowing it to strike down wicked but otherwise unkillable creatures such as ghosts.

Oath of The Guardian
SACRED OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears to protect the bloodline of his sovereign with his life, doing anything in his power to ensure the health and longevity of their line.
Belief: “I shall never allow my Sovereign to come to harm.”

This Oath may only be sworn by House Guard.

The Knight may throw himself in the way of harm for members of the bloodline of his sovereign when they are in danger. If they are within a few feet of them, they may call any Physical Defense on their behalf, or take injuries in their stead.  The Knight may also make some out loud comment of negation or encouragement when in range of their Noble Sovereigns and spend their own Discipline on their behalf.

Oath of Arrogation
SACRED OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears to never accept an authority less than the Emperor himself in the pursuit and prosecution of his Order’s mission.
Belief: “I shall never submit to any save the Emperor”

 

This Oath may only be sworn by Imperial Knights.

The Knight gains the full presence and authority of their mission.  In the event that the subject of his Order’s mission for the Emperor becomes clear and present, the Knight may activate the Oath of Arrogation by making a public declaration.  This grants them the ability to fully take command of any Throne resource, up to and including the local nobility and it’s officers, their own knights and any other resources at anyone’s command.  In this, they speak with the voice of the Emperor himself, in all his glory and as the de facto highest authority possible, gaining the ability to issue Obey calls once per Scene per character if necessary. 

While the Oath of Arrogation is activated, the Knight’s purpose drives them onward with the fire of duty, and he is considered to have Great Resolve.

This ability lasts until the aspect of their mission that presented itself has been accomplished, or for a maximum of the duration of the Event, and may not used the Event after.

Oath of the Cavalier 
OATH OF DUTY – Stablemaster

The Knight swears to always fight alongside their forces in the local battlefields 

Belief: “I shall always Wage War with my forces in their local battles”
 
 
The Knight gets the Stablemaster as an Ally and a Warhorse, which improves battle survivability and reduces danger when travelling.

Oath of Overwatch
OATH OF DUTY – Bowyer

The Knight swears to never abandon their men to starvation and isolation.
Belief: “I shall never allow my supply lines to be broken”
 
The Knight gets the Bowyer as an Ally.  The Bowyer will supply the Knight with a shipment of Superior Arrows of their choice when requested, which will arrive the next Chapter.   They Bowyer will also send extra arrows along the and also sends extra arrows along the vouchsafed supply lines, giving Military Bow using units +1 Strength.

Oath of Reprisal
OATH OF DUTY – drill Master

The Knight swears to uphold the highest standard of honor and care within their Order, and punish anyone in the Organization who fails in their Duty. 

Belief: “I shall always ensure failures of my Order are punished.”
 

The Knight gets the Drill Master as an Ally.  Once per Chapter, the Knight may ask to be lent a book detailing a Fighting Style so that the Knight may learn it

THIRD DEGREE – KNIGHT COMMANDER

A Knight Commander is placed in charge of other Knights Protector and acts as a senior officer in military matters. They are trained in the art of tactics and to make critical decisions in emergencies.

Oath of Service
OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears to use his Valor Skill on behalf of anyone who asks it of them, so long as their request does not force them to break any of their duties or oaths to their Sovereign.
Belief: “I shall always use my Valor to help those who request it, unless it violates any of my duties to my Sovereign or other Oaths that I’ve sworn”

Whenever the Knight is formally asked to use their Valor Skill by someone who is not a member of their Organization or a group that has a Formal Tie, they take Hope equal to their Valor.

The Silver Oath
SACRED OATH OF DUTY – KNIGHT MASTER 
The Knight swears to command military forces with care and prudence, to not waste the lives of men on the battlefield through error or hubris.
Belief: “I shall never allow my Forces to be annihilated or allow any of my Agents to be killed.”

Swearing the Oath of Duty to the Knight Master, the Knight is trusted to lead the Order’s special forces – soldiers who are honed and sharpened to the ideals of your Valor in order to facilitate new possibilities of war.  These Special Forces have Levy requirements like ordinary troops, with the additional requirement of the Valor trait that must be granted by the Knight Master.

The Knight gains the Knight Master as an Ally, and may levy the Special Forces of the Order.

(Read more about Special Forces)

Oath of Investiture
OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears to bring the mission of his Order wherever he goes, uplifting the people and being as a beacon of Valor to all humanity.
Belief: “I shall never deny training to anyone sincerely seeking it of me”

The Knight’s fervent heart can reach that of others.  He may conduct training sessions during events to teach skills that he knows which are necessary for defense and duty to the Throne.  Each training session must last one hour and be quite physically rigorous in nature the entire time.  A training that is too short or too easy will not provide any benefit; a Rules Marshal should observe at least part of the session for this reason. For each such training session, the Knight may grant one bonus Experience Point to their students toward the purchase of:

The first level of any Combat Skill

The first level of their Valor Skill

If the Knight’s Valor Skill is a Combat Skill, they may teach up to the 2nd level.  If the Knight’s Valor Skill is locked by an Attribute, they may teach the first level of that Attribute instead of the first Rank of that skill.

There is no limit on the amount of teaching that a single character can benefit from in this way, as long as all of the above conditions are met, including the rigorous nature of the training.  Such training can be conducted back to back as longer sessions.  

The Knight may teach a number of students simultaneously as their Valor Skill ranks.

Oath of Legacy
SACRED OATH OF VALOR 
The Knight swears to protect the legacy of an artifact of the Order being presented to him, and to add to its glory through their own deeds.
Belief: “I shall never lose or misuse the relic entrusted to me.”

The Knight is granted a weapon, armor, banner, necklace, or some other relic that once belonged to a hero of their Order, replete with its own stories.  Whenever they are actively using the heirloom, the Knight is immune to Fear.   

If the Knight achieves a Triumph while utilizing the item, they may spend the Knight Achievement as a Personal Achievement.  

Oath of Dignity
OATH OF DUTY – DIGNITARY
The Knight swears to defend and uphold the honor of their Order, redressing fairly any grievance brought before them.
Belief:  “I shall always listen, judge, and compensate any grievance brought against my Order”

The Knight swears the Oath of Duty to a Dignitary of their Oder and gains them as an Ally.  So long as the Knight is defending the reputation of themselves or their Order, they may always use Discipline to resist Social Conditions, except from their own Sovereign.

Oath of Barbs
Oath of Duty – Courtier
The Knight swears to punish any who insult one of the Order’s members.
Belief: “I shall never allow a slight against my Order to go unanswered”

The Knight swears the Oath of Duty to a Courtier of their Order and gains them as an Ally.  The Knight may expend Posture, to call Fear after making a threat, saying something insulting, or calling Discipline against a Social Condition 

Oath of Renown
OATH OF DUTY – Dilettante

The Knight swears to represent the ideals of the Order to the world, acting as a face of recognition for all of its relationships with the outside world.
Belief: “I shall never bring shame to my Order”

The Knight Swears the Oath of Duty to the Dilettante, gaining them as an Ally.  The Order spreads the deeds of the Knight far and wide, making sure to emphasize the noble character of the great deeds he has accomplished and performed.  The Knight gains the Renown Character Perk when representing the expertise of their Knight Order.

 

FOURTH DEGREE – MASTER

The Masters of the Order are the inner circle of an Imperial or Church order, and are extremely few in number. In the smaller case of a Noble’s House Guard, they are the single individual of final authority. These masters make the oversight decisions that guide their Order to achieve its largest aims.

Oath of Mastery
OATH OF VALOR 
The Knight swears to be an exemplar of Valor, and to create a new generation of successor knights mightier still than they.
Belief: “I shall always be an example to junior members of my Order”

The Master, through the intense personal code of his Order and the connection of thought and spirit it brings to the members of his Order, may impart his Skills and abilities to members of his Order with great effectiveness. 

The Master may perform an at Event lesson, as per the Instruction ability of Academics with a student in their Order to train a Skill, Fighting Style, Study, Attribute, or other ability he possesses. That ability receives an Experience Point discount of the lower of the Valor skill between the Master and the student. Thus, if the Master had his skill at 5, and the student at 3, anything that the Master taught the student could be purchased for 3 less experience than normal, to a minimum of 0. 

This discount combines with the Instruction or Pedagogue abilities, and follows the same restrictions.

The Golden Oath
Sacred OATH OF Duty – Sovereign

The Knight swears to destroy all enemies of his Order and Sovereign, wherever they should be found, and to fearlessly and tirelessly achieve victory in war.
Belief: “I shall never suffer a battlefield defeat”

 

The Knight is granted command of the Order’s Elite forces.  They gain the ability to levy these mightiest of all the Order’s soldiers, whose roles are dependent upon the Valor and Combat Doctrine of the Order.  

The Knight may levy one Elite unit from the Sovereign’s personal forces.

(Read more about Elite Forces)

Oath of Surfeit
OATH OF VALOR 
The Knight swears to never surrender or falter in the pursuit of his Sovereign’s goals or mission.
Belief: “I will never hesitate or question the orders of my Sovereign”

Through abject devotion, the Knight gains an additional Willpower or Prayer as appropriate to his Faith per day.

Oath of Abasement
Sacred OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears the trust of his very soul to his Sovereign, to be his judge and master, entrusting all value as a human being to his Sovereign and master.
Belief: “I will never seek atonement or absolution from any but my Sovereign”

 

The Knight’s trust in his Sovereign is total and complete.  The Sovereign may grant him atonement for Depravity by fiat, forgiving with a word any sins they has committed in the service of their many duties.  

Any Insanities or Despair gained through their actions remain as normal.  This Oath is considered to be highly controversial and not sworn or accepted lightly.

FIFTH DEGREE – GRAND MASTER

The heart and soul of their Order, these men and women are pinnacles of their age and heroes to the Throne. In any given Order, there is only ever one Grand Master, and this individual has unilateral control over the Order and is ultimately responsible for its goals and for its future. In the case of the House Guard, this position is given to the Master who marshals the entire nobility of his land to battle as the Grand Order of Rogalia, the Grand Order of Cappacionne, or whichever land is appropriate. This position is always granted by the Emperor, the King, or the Pontifex personally.

Oath of Meaning
Sacred OATH OF VALOR 
The Knight swears to never defame himself, understanding that generations after will look to him as authority and hero.
Belief: “I will never be caught in anything shameful”

The Emperor Himself, or the Pontifex, formally recognizes the Knight as a champion of virtue and Valor, set to lead a generation into divine glory.  All recognize him and love them, or at least they love the legend that they represent.  The Knight gains Renown to all the various people of the Throne, and all of their Social Conditions automatically gain Power.

The Grandmaster will never be denied an audience with the Emperor, the Pontifex, or any lesser authority throughout the Throne.

The Diamond Oath
SACRED OATH OF VALOR 

The Knight swears to uphold the chains of Destiny.
Belief: “I shall always uphold the chains of Destiny.”

As a Hero himself, the Grandmaster is able to attract other heroes from across the world to his cause in Warfare. He can perform a special Levy to gain the support of these individuals, who grant a special unique ability to the units they join.