Imperial Decree #215: Concerning Knightships

[Kaiseress Semisa I]

The following will now come into being, as it is what I will for the Knights within Shireroth.

The Order of the Dragon shall now have the following hierarchy, from highest to lowest:

1. Paladin
2. Knight-Magistrate
3. Knight-Champion
4. Knight-Commander
5. Knight-Protector
6. Knight-Errant
7. Knight

Knights may be inducted into the order by the Throne of Shireroth as Knights, Knight-Errants, or Knight-Protectors. After such inductment, a Knight's position may only be promoted by the Throne or by the Landsraad, and only by one level per month.

Knight-Magistrates are granted access to speak, but not vote, in the Landsraad, even if they are not members of the voting nobility. Paladins are granted one vote in the Landsraad even if they are not members of the voting nobility, by order of virtue, servitude to the nation, and devotion to the greater good. Paladins who are part of the voting nobility are not granted an extra vote: the vote granted by the Throne only applies if they do not already have voting powers.

As of the time of writing, unless your level of Knightship within the Order of the Dragon has been qualified, you are a simple Knight.

The same hierarchy applies to the Orders of the Griffin and Chimaera, though they are never granted Landsraad access.

For the Order of Kampioens, the following hierarchy applies:

1. Prime Kampioen
2. Kampioen Magistrate
3. Kampioen Commandant
4. Kampioen Guardinal
5. Kampioen Guardian
6. Kampioen Protector
7. Kampioen

The Kampioens are to be an elite group, selected by the Kaiser. Only the Kaiser may induct Kampioens into the Order, and only the Kaiser may promote a Kampioen from one level to the next, and only one level per month.

Kampioen Magistrates (of which there may only be two at any given time) are given leave to speak on the Kaiser's behalf within the Landsraad. In addition, they are granted one vote for use within the Landsraad, unless they are already part of the voting nobility. In the latter case, their place as voting nobility supercedes; they do not receive an additional vote. Similarly, the Prime Kampioen (of which there may only be one at any given time) is given leave to speak on the Kaiser's behalf within the Landsraad. They are granted two votes, unless they are part of the voting nobility, in which case they are granted an additional vote.

Unfortunately, all current Kampioens are removed from their positions. They may be reinstated at a later date, as determined by the Kaisers.

As a note to Kaisers after me, let me say this: the highest tiers of the Knightships should be reserved for only the most dedicated and devoted citizens of the nation, and should only be granted to those who do something great for the nation.

By my hand,

Kaiseress Semisa, the Resurrector: First of the Name

[Erik Mortis]

THe head of the Kampioen was the Prime Kampioen..... Just so you know...

[Bill3000]

Interesting. No objections here. I never was one of those "soandso must not speak in the Landsraad" types anyway.

Glad that there is an actual heirarchy for those awards now, so we can have actual chivalric orders. heh.

[Shyriath]

*Approves muchly*

[Ryan]

We should have medallions to accompany the rankings.

[AngelGuardian93]

Removed?! I object my kaiseress. The Kampiones are there for a reason, and to arbitrarily remove them is no small insult. May I ask that you re-think that order?

[Kaiseress Semisa I]

And on what grounds should I maintain a few people's knightships when fully half of the listed Kampioens on our site no longer participate in the nation?

[AngelGuardian93]

What about the other half who still are?

[Kaiseress Semisa I]

Patience is a virtue.

[AngelGuardian93]

I've heard that before. :P

[Erik Mortis]

This violates the charter.... Why do I even bother anymore...?

This destroys the True Knightship of Shireroth I created year ago.

Kampieons are like Knightships in england...

You can't give Knights access to the Landsraad, nor votes..

Just repeal this. It'll make life so much easier...

[Delphi]

Erik, this may not follow what you did when you were Kaiser, but you're not Kaiser right now. Fax is Kaiser, and Fax wants things this way. If a future Kaiser really wants this to change, the future Kaiser can really make this change. Honestly though, you're not perpetually in charge, so stop ordering the Kaiser around as if you are.

[Bill3000]

Wait, how does this violate the charter? Is there something on knightships in the charter, or are you talking about the clause that only nobles may speak in the Landsraad/grant access, that Kaiser Los III took out and you approved?

[UEC]

My bit on the kampieon was a complaint.. not an order...

[osmose1000]

The new fuedal system destroyed the old one and took prominent subdivisons and demoted them to the lowest fuedal level, but you didn't complain about that. You supported it, even.

Think of this as a backlash for throwing down old institutions and bringing in something new.

[UEC]

I didn't really support it. I just kept my mouth shut about it and let you people do it. I helped a lil, but I really had very little to do with it. I just made sure it was done properly, and pointed out where things needed to be changed to do it.

So don't go saying I did stuff I didn't.

[osmose1000]

I read something quite different in the planning discussions, but whatever floats your boat.

[Kaiseress Semisa I]

This violates the charter.... Why do I even bother anymore...?

This destroys the True Knightship of Shireroth I created year ago.

Kampieons are like Knightships in england...

You can't give Knights access to the Landsraad, nor votes..

Just repeal this. It'll make life so much easier...

The Charter says that the Landsraad will be comprised of the Nobles of Shireroth. Well, then, let us step back to the middle ages and have Born Nobility (those in charge of fiefdoms) and Appointed Nobility (the knightships I have laid down here).

No violation.

Your "True Knightship of Shireroth" was one rank for a bunch of different awards--either that or something I've never even known existed. What I've done here is create levels within an existing hierarchy. I destroyed nothing.

Kampioens may be like Knightships in England in their original intent--and honestly, they still are. No one but the Kaiser can induct a Kampioen into the order, and no one but the Kaiser may elevate them within its ranks.

I will not repeal this, as I like how this works and I believe in the meritocratic process--which this sets up. No, it is not instilling democracy into the nation: it is instilling a more formal meritocracy than what we already have: our current feudal structure puts people directly under the control of the people they choose to be under, thereby elevating those who the people believe in, without the messiness of an election.

Besides, there are only so many ways one can reward their citizens, and without a functioning economy, political power is the best available to the Throne. This institutes a gradual increase in political power (indeed, none until the highest ranks, which are hard to achieve and extraordinarily limited) to the select few.

There should be--and now there is--more than two ways to rise within Shireroth. We have the Contractual Nobility--Count to Baron, Baron to Duke. We have the Ministries--which are sadly very limited in scope. And now we have the Knightships. Soon, we will have financial success, if my plans within the Ministry of Trade go as I think they will.

There will come a time when there will not be enough Counties for all our citizens: this I know and will bring about myself should I have to. When that happens, Shireroth needs to have more than one path to greatness. It is dynamicism that makes things interesting, and Shireroth's roads to triumph are sadly very very limited.

Hence the creation of a new method to do so.

The way I see it, we grow or we die. And I am not about to let us die.

[UEC]

The day we have 50+ cits.. is the day the world ends... We aren't gonna run out of counties..

[Kaiseress Semisa I]

You'd be surprised.