Fierre's Knight Orders

The warrior king of Fierre is seen as a blood-earned position with a direct connection to gods of fortune and conquest. In Fierre, belief in the King as a mortal god is the prominent religion, as a leader that surpassed mortal limitations to represent Fierre. The King’s Noble Order is made of three Knight creeds. Knights are trained from traditionally a young teenage age for five years. While anyone of age can attempt recruiting, the grueling training forces the unequipped to give up before completion, namely the youngest. From any year’s starting class, only about 8% are knighted after the five years. While the source of one’s talents are not discriminated against, squires are required to know & learn martial combat, which is particularly dissuasive to gifted spellcasters (who find work elsewhere). Of those that complete training, only 15% are chosen for direct promotion to Wardens, and the top 1% for Kingsmen.

Guardians
The lowest tier of service. Guardians are sent to villages under the Kingdom’s protection to act as both peacekeepers, lawmen, and monster hunters, as well as occasionally aiding Wardens in tax collection. This is the most dangerous creed to follow, with the high amount of recruits replacing those that die in the line of duty. Many common folk that achieve knighthood are made Guardians and sent to watch their home region, seeing as their experience with the area could make them more effective. Few Guardians are able to be promoted to Wardens or up to Kingsman, but those that do are often favorites of the low-class populous.

Wardens
Wardens are similar to Guardians in their roles, but take on a more well-respected, regional position. It’s a Warden(s)’ job to watch over hamlets and villages of their territory, rarely staying in one place. They make rounds visiting each installation but make their home at forts stationed centrally of the sector. They oversee tax collection as well as organize militia from Guardians and able-bodied villagers when significant threats appear. The forts they preside over are used as trading posts and fallback shelters for when towns are overrun or destroyed. Wardens may also reside in the capital at the bottom rung of the Kingsmen hierarchy.

Kingsmen
The elite royal guard. In times of peace, Kingsmen are tasked with acting as military police for the capital city, protecting the king, and training squires. In times of war, they act as generals and the warrior-king’s personal army. It’s not unheard of for privileged Kingsmen to make personal trips to the countryside to take on village threats singlehandedly. Their status is near-legendary, each of those atop the hierarchy revered as heroes, even though they’ve been used as tools to quell inklings of rebellion to the King’s order. A Kingsman’s rank is displayed by the number of unique crests decorating their garb and or weapons. Each crest is made to depict a legendary feat performed by the wearer. To morbid collectors, owning a hero’s crest(s) is incredibly desirable.

There is a second order, that of the Worshipers of Sky, the prominent religion in Rophidel. They have a similar creed structure and can offer Guardians & Wardens only to villages founded on the principles of their religion. One of Fierre’s former kings had allowed this, as he would not offer his knights to protect those that pledged to a different belief. Instead of being called Kingsmen, the church’s elite are known as Skywalkers. When squires inevitably fail training for the crown, many turn to the Worshipers or members of the king’s aristocracy for employment as unofficial knights and glorified mercenaries. They do the work of their knightly patrons, who hold seats of power at the king’s court.